The Erica C. Vaughns NLS Aspiring Leaders Internship Program was established in 2020 through an endowment to provide legally blind individuals opportunities to work at NLS in areas of study or interest. It is named in memory of Erica Vaughns, who created and managed the program and was a dedicated NLS employee for nearly 20 years until her death in 2023.
The program runs for 10 weeks during the summer. Currently enrolled undergraduate and graduate students and those who have graduated within the past five years from an accredited two-year or four-year college or university are eligible to apply.
Intern Responsibilities
Under the guidance of mentors, interns work on selected tasks and projects within one of the five main divisions of NLS: the Office of the Director, Business Operations Division, Collections Division, Patron and Network Engagement Division, and Program Delivery Division. Visit NLS Organization webpage to learn more about the functions and responsibilities of each of these divisions.
Typical assignments will assist with the mission and goals of the Library and NLS. These may include but are not limited to:
- Data input and migration of information for the Braille Certification Learning Management System
- Development and scanning of braille music material
- Writing and editing content for NLS-produced material
- Translating written content into various international languages
- Braille proofreading and transcription
- Project management assistance
In addition, interns will be required to participate in orientation sessions about NLS, its network of regional and subregional libraries, and brown-bag discussions.