The second approach, for those undecided about career goals, even towards the end of the program, is to try something new. The internship or co-op is treated as another course in terms of the intensity and depth of the knowledge sought. It is a waste of time to seek an internship or co-op in a job that you already know. An internship comprises 150 hours of work on site for three credits. The student must be under the supervision of a professional librarian or information manager, although this does not mean that the student can't work with non-professionals as part of the experience.
Most internships involve some general orientation, some work practice, and often a special project.
Each experience is different and the student designs the internship contract in cooperation with the site supervisor, the faculty internship supervisor, and his or her academic advisor. An internship may be paid or unpaid. A co-op is usually more like a real working experience in that the student is hired to work longer hours and is paid. In other respects, the co-op is like an internship in the way it functions in the student's program of study. Internships and co-ops can be done locally in the Syracuse area, nationally and even internationally.