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RESEARCH GUIDES

Research and Teaching Fellowship

RTF Program Details

The Research and Teaching Fellowship is a three-semester teacher-training program. Each year, the application window opens in early November and closes in late November or early December. New Fellows begin their work in January of each year. 

Please see our program curriculum for more information. 

  • Applicants must be currently enrolled in the University of Maryland MLIS degree program and in good standing. Exceptions will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
  • Participation in the Fellowship is limited to three semesters. Students with degree paths longer than a traditional two-year program (such as HiLS students) should plan strategically when they apply for the Fellowship.
  • Although we love our online students, the Fellowship is an in-person program and requires several in-person events per week during the academic semester. 
  • Applicants with an interest in academic librarianship and/or regular in-person commitments on the College Park campus will be given special consideration.

Questions about any of the above? See our FAQ's!

Semester 1: 

  • Weekly hours: ~2
  • Rate: $18.00/hr

Semesters 2 & 3:

  • Weekly hours: ~10*
  • Rate: $18.00/hr
  • *All hours count toward course credit for the field study. Only 5 hours per week will be compensated with an hourly rate.

These hours vary according to the time of the semester. During our busiest few weeks of instruction, you might log more than 10 hours per week, and near the end of the semester, you might only log 2-3.

iSchool Courses: The Fellowship will be designed to complement the skills and theories introduced to students within the iSchool curriculum. Fellows are encouraged to enroll in the following courses, as available:

  • INST 614 - Information Literacy, Inclusion, and the Public Good
  • LBSC 702 - User Instruction
  • LBSC 734 - Seminar in the Academic Library

Program Curriculum:

  • Enroll in LBSC750 (1 credit) 
  • Receive in-depth training in teaching and reference
  • Observe three graduate student and librarian-led teaching sessions
  • Co-teach information literacy teaching sessions with senior Fellows and independently lead at least one teaching session.
  • Complete 1 desk hour at the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Library (STEM Library) combined services desk per week (optional)
  • Participate in monthly journal clubs discussions on recent scholarship open to all library faculty and staff
  • Hold weekly in-person office hour
  • Enroll in LBSC751 (1-credit) 
  • Teach 15 - 20 information literacy sessions for first-year students 
  • Provide 1 hour of reference assistance per week at McKeldin Library 
  • Complete 1 desk hour at the STEM Library combined services desk per week (optional)
  • Co-lead monthly journal club discussions
  • Hold weekly in-person office hour
  • Participate in professional development workshops
  • Receive mentorship and support in the academic job search 
  • Enroll in LBSC752 (1 credit) 
  • Teach 10-15 information literacy sessions for first-year students 
  • Provide 1 hour of reference assistance per week at McKeldin Library 
  • Train junior Fellows by serving as Teaching Assistants for LBSC750
  • Co-lead monthly journal club discussions
  • Hold weekly office hour
  • Participate in professional development workshops
  • Receive mentorship and support in the academic job search 
  • Optional, but encouraged: Senior Fellows complete a 60-hour Action Research Project that fulfills the MLIS field study requirement (when combined with regular Fellowship responsibilities). 
    • Partner with a subject specialist to design, lead, and assess an upper-level information literacy or outreach initiative
    • Share results of their assessment with their peers at the iSchool Symposium and their colleagues in the UMD Libraries at the Library Research & Innovative Practice Forum.
    • An Action Research Project is defined as "a collaborative activity among colleagues searching for solutions to everyday, real problems experienced in schools, or looking for ways to improve instruction and increase student achievement. Rather than dealing with the theoretical, action research allows practitioners to address those concerns that are closest to them, ones over which they can exhibit some influence and make change."  See this guide by Eileen Ferrance for an overview.