How I Designed My Own International Library Internship
Emma Baranowski, a Master of Arts in Library and Information Science student, has turned her undergraduate study abroad experience in England into a "lifelong journey of exploration and education abroad," including an upcoming MLIS library internship in Valletta, Malta.
From tracing the outlines of maps on my bedroom wall to tracing new library collections across continents, I’ve always been guided by curiosity and the belief that learning expands with every place we encounter.
Imagine feeling the salty Mediterranean breeze on your way to the oldest university library in the British Commonwealth. Before you even arrive at your destination, you’ve passed by one of the oldest megalithic structures in the world. The cobblestone streets are filled with lively cafes and bars, lined with vintage cars, and as the sun begins to set the streetlights flicker on with a luminous golden glow.
This scene is what I imagine I will see next fall, when I embark on my graduate capstone internship for my MLIS degree in Valletta, Malta. I arranged this internship on my own, but it did not appear overnight. It is the product of years of exploration, study abroad experiences and a commitment to helping students discover global opportunities of their own.
Emma Baranowski's passion for international travel began when she studied in Manchester, England, while a student at Northern Arizona University.
Photo courtesy Adobe Stock.
Eight years ago I studied abroad for the first time at Manchester Metropolitan University in England while I was attending Northern Arizona University. I distinctly remember strolling along the rainy side streets of Manchester while wearing my rainboots for the first time. That moment was when I committed to a lifelong journey of exploration and education abroad. Manchester was nothing like the sunny Phoenix, Arizona I grew up in, and England was the first country I ever visited outside of the United States. But instead of being scared, I was exhilarated.
Being a part of an international community in England was enriching and rewarding, with plenty of spaces to congregate and interact with others. Whether I was huddled with friends at the Christmas market or picnicking at Platt Fields Park, I had countless chances to be a part of something meaningful.
Navigating life in a new place came with many isolating moments and setbacks, too. Traveling on a budget meant I sometimes slept on the airport floor to take the cheapest flight. I contracted the worst illnesses I had ever experienced, and American holidays were often spent alone without my family. But these challenges made me resilient and especially appreciative of new sources of comfort and welcome.
Emma Baranowski poses next to an iconic British phone booth on her first visit to London, England, with friends.
Photo by Kayla Fisher.
Finding Comfort in the Library
In the midst of all the chaos of university life in a metropolitan city was the comfort of the university library. If I was not catching the next flight or train, I was at the library late at night studying for final exams with classmates I had met just a few months prior. During most of my adventures, time seemed to slip by—except at the library, where life slowed down. At the library I could be present with the people I cared about and research more about everything I had learned throughout the year.
They say studying abroad can be transformational, and it certainly was for me. The camaraderie and support I received at the university library transcended borders and oceans, and what lingered was a desire to return that support to fellow students. I thought, what better way to work with diverse student communities than to work at the Northern Arizona University library back home?
I applied for the NAU Library position while I was still in England, and my study abroad experience helped me stand out as a candidate. I still remember when the interviewer who would become my supervisor told me, “This is the first time we are interviewing a student living abroad to come work with us.”
Emma Baranowski spends a rainy day visiting Oxford University.
Photo courtesy Emma Baranowski.
Learning Abroad and Bringing Lessons Home
Even after I came home, my experience abroad invigorated me. I returned to Flagstaff with many layers of my former self shed, and kept replaying the memories in my head that I had gained over the last year. I was eager to learn more and jump into new opportunities when I started my position at NAU’s Cline Library. With the fresh snow crunching underneath my boots, my frigid walks were met with the warmth and coziness of another comforting library. Similarly to my study abroad experience, working at the library provided a new adventure every single day, as people from all walks of life in a vibrant local community stopped by with their own stories to tell.
This connection between the comfort and excitement I felt in libraries abroad and at home has helped me forge my path for the future. I did not just want these experiences to be a distant memory, but knowledge embedded into my lifelong career. Despite being thrown into the uncertainty and disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic during my last undergraduate semester, I was certain I wanted to receive my Master’s in Library and Information Science degree to ensure students were thriving and supported no matter where they were, like I was.
Five years later I began the Master of Arts in Library and Information Science program at the University of Arizona. In some ways it was a completely different world than when I graduated from NAU. In 2020, entire collections that were once only available in local reading rooms—like city directories, historic newspapers and genealogical records—were scanned and uploaded online within months, opening small-town archives to researchers across the world. Many people had shifted to relying on search engines, AI assistants and social media algorithms. Today, a student in Arizona researching the history of protest music might find TikTok videos, automatically generated summaries and AI-curated search results before they ever reach a library database.
Still, libraries at this university and around the world had remained essential and welcoming places. People who need any information can find it on library computers, in the stacks and in community events.
This summer, MLIS student Emma Baranowski will participate in a cataloging and metadata internship at a library in Valletta, Malta.
Photo courtesy Adobe Stock.
How I Organized an International Internship
Knowing the capstone internship was required by the end of the MLIS program, I began to research international opportunities. Considering the changing information landscape, I knew libraries would be evolving to meet the needs of global populations. I also knew that official study abroad programs for graduate students are rare and difficult to come by, as most programs are designed for undergraduate students. This led me to search for new opportunities by asking study abroad program advisors and library workers directly if they sponsor international internships.
After emailing back and forth with different library workers, I discovered a cataloging and metadata internship in Valletta, Malta. The process for finding the internship took some initial curiosity, late nights perusing Google Maps, clicking on different library locations and their websites and locating contact information for departments I was interested in working with. Throughout my search I thought to myself, what if I went off the beaten path for this internship? What parts of the world need more library help than others? Once I began communicating with the library supervisors in Malta, the internship plan began falling into place.
What is fascinating about this internship discovery in Malta is how many opportunities there are in public librarianship, from building cataloging teams to starting digitization projects. Malta, one of the oldest countries in the world, has just begun to build the very foundation of librarianship. The excitement I feel is not only for this new place, but for the many opportunities that must also exist in the world. Valletta, Malta, is just one tiny speck out on the ocean, which makes me think, what other parts of the world are just waiting for students to arrive at their library to help put long-awaited projects into motion?
From tracing the outlines of maps on my bedroom wall to tracing new library collections across continents, I’ve always been guided by curiosity and the belief that learning expands with every place we encounter. My next chapter in Malta is only one stop on a much longer journey—one built on the communities, libraries and mentors who have shaped me along the way. If there’s one lesson I hope others take from my experience, it’s that graduate students belong in the global classroom just as much as undergraduates do. The world is rich with stories that need preserving and communities that need supporting, and there is always space for those willing to seek them out.
Emma Baranowski is a student in the Master of Arts Library and Information Science program at the College of Information Science, as well as an intern who helps graduate and undergraduate students learn more about University of Arizona study abroad opportunities.
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