Library residency programs can be a great opportunity for early-career librarians to learn on-the-job-skills, determine their interests in librarianship, and develop a valuable career network. Likewise, such programs benefit the profession, the hosting organizations, and other organizational stakeholders.
Developing a Residency Program: A Practical Guide for Librarians draws together scholarly literature, best practices, and the experiences of the authors and their contributors to provide practical advice about how to develop and manage a library residency program. The first two chapters of this book offer a brief overview of library residency programs and illustrate the benefits that such programs can provide. Chapters 3 describes strategies for building support for such a program, while Chapters 4 and 5 provide insight on best practices for structuring a residency program. Chapter 6 focuses on the recruitment and hiring process, emphasizing the need for a reasoned and objective approach to selecting a candidate. Chapters 7 and 8 offer best practices for preparing for new resident’s arrival and onboarding the resident successfully. Chapter 9 offers ideas for how to assess and evaluate multiple aspects of the residency program, while Chapter 10 focuses on supporting the resident after the residency is over. In each chapter, the authors include practical tips and tools to make each part of the planning and management process easier.