Frequently Asked Questions for Applicants
Q: What is CLIR?
- The Council on Library and Information Resources is an independent, nonprofit organization dedicated to maintaining and improving access to information for future generations. In partnership with other institutions, CLIR helps create services that expand the concept of "library" and supports the providers and preservers of information.
Q: What is the Postdoctoral Fellowship Program in Scholarly Information Resources for Humanists?
- The program offers recent Ph.D. recipients in the humanities opportunities to develop as scholars and teachers while learning about modern librarianship, digital resources, e-publishing, archives, and collection development both digital and analog.
Q: Who is eligible to apply?
- Applicants must have received a Ph.D. in a humanities discipline no more than five years before applying (i.e., after February 16, 2003); if a Ph.D. has not yet been received, all work toward the degree (including dissertation defense and final dissertation editing) must be completed before starting the fellowship.
- All fields in the humanities will be considered; for the fields included in the humanities, we have adopted the definition used by NEH, which, according to the 1965 National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act, states "The term 'humanities' includes, but is not limited to, the study of the following: language, both modern and classical; linguistics; literature; history; jurisprudence; philosophy; archaeology; comparative religion; ethics; the history, criticism and theory of the arts; those aspects of social sciences which have humanistic content and employ humanistic methods; and the study and application of the humanities to the human environment with particular attention to reflecting our diverse heritage, traditions, and history and to the relevance of the humanities to the current conditions of national life."
Q: What are the terms of the award?
- Remuneration varies by sponsoring institution; benefits and some travel expenses are also provided. Depending on the institution, fellowships are for either one or two years.
Q: Where do fellows live during their fellowship?
- Fellows must reside at their sponsoring institution for the duration of the fellowship.
Q: Which institutions are sponsoring fellows in 2008?
Q: What is life like as a postdoctoral fellow?
- Fellows work in libraries where they learn about librarianship and the challenges facing the profession while simultaneously offering their expertise in current trends in research, pedagogy, technology, and digital formats. Fellows participate in the intellectual life of their institutions by working within the areas of academic librarianship; archives and archive management; special collections; curricular development; teaching and learning support (techno-pedagogy); and digital resource production and use.
Q: What are the program requirements?
- All fellows must attend an intensive summer seminar prior to the beginning of their fellowship. Hosted at Bryn Mawr College, the seminar will take place July 20-31, 2008. Fellows are also asked to share their work-in-progress through electronic portfolios; meet regularly in virtual seminars with leading figures in the fields of librarianship, the humanities, publishing, and other related areas; and attend conferences and professional meetings. Other requirements may vary by institution.
Q: What kinds of projects do fellows undertake?
Fellows have done the following:
- consulted on the best, pedagogically sound ways to integrate technology and digital materials into the undergraduate classroom;
- collaborated with librarians, archivists, and information technologists on the development of writing and research guides for students;
- participated in the design and implementation of metadata standards for faculty using digital visual resources in their teaching and research;
- worked in special collections and rare materials archives, learning and performing tasks including material review and selection, creation of catalogue records, metadata entry, and authoring of abstracts;
- authored front matter for printed catalogues in special collections;
- co-taught honors research skills courses;
- managed digital archives;
- advised on and contributed to inventories of digital projects in area collections;
- authored and consulted on grant proposals for digital projects;
- presented at national and international conferences in various areas of librarianship, archive management, metadata, humanities computing, and discipline-specific topics;
- taught bibliographic instruction sections for particular disciplines;
- proposed new courses that integrate library and archival research into the undergraduate curriculum.
- taught courses in academic departments pertaining to the fellows' area of specialization
- curated museum and library exhibitions
- organized conferences and colloquia
- traveled on behalf of host institution to conduct research in archives, libraries, and museums in the United States and Europe
Q: What types of careers are former fellows pursuing?
- Since 2004 when the program started, approximately half of former fellows are employed in libraries and half in adjunct or tenure-track teaching positions. Previous fellows are working as reference librarians and subject specialists, library administrators, assistant professors of literature, library consultants, writers, coordinators of faculty development and digital resource management, visiting professors and lecturers, and research associates. Several fellows are pursuing additional degrees in library and information sciences and/or technology. For more information about current and previous fellows, click here.
Q: How do I apply?
Link to the 2008 Application Form >>
As part of the application, candidates must list fellowship sites (up to three) in order of preference and provide a rationale for each choice, describing why and how the candidate's qualifications best suit each institution's proposed projects. Each institution has its own selection committee and independently ranks its preferred candidates. Fellows are selected through a preference matching process.
The application deadline has been extended to April 30, 2008.
For additional background information about the program, click
here >>
For information on the projects and work of current and past fellows click
here >>
Program Timeline
Applications and all accompanying information must be submitted
to CLIR, postmarked no later than April 30, 2008.
The seminar will be held July 20-31, 2008 at Bryn Mawr
College. The fellowship will begin in mid-summer 2008 (dates
will vary somewhat by institution).
Application and Selection Process
A complete application consists
of the following items:
- a completed and submitted online application form
- c.v. (two copies)
- three letters of reference (sealed originals in envelopes
signed across the back)
- graduate school transcripts (one official sealed original and one
photocopy or web printout)
Before applying, please ensure that you
- received your Ph.D. after February 16, 2003; and
- are available for a mandatory two-week seminar July 20-31, 2008.
All supporting documentation must be sent to CLIR by mail. Faxed or e-mailed copies will not be accepted.
Applicants must supply their reference providers with instructions
in the document entitled "Reference Letter," which may be downloaded through the online application form.
All reference letters must be received by CLIR as signed, sealed originals.
As part of the application, candidates must list fellowship
sites (up to three) in order of preference and provide a rationale
for each choice, describing why and how the candidate's qualifications
best suit each institution's proposed projects. Each institution
will have its own selection committee and will independently
rank its preferred candidates. Fellows will be selected through
a preference matching process.
Questions about the application process or the program should
be directed to Alice Bishop, Special Projects Associate, at abishop@clir.org.
Supporting documentation should be sent to:
Postdoctoral Fellowship
Council on Library and Information Resources
1755 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Suite 500
Washington, DC 20036-2124 USA
TO CHECK THE STATUS OF A SUBMITTED APPLICATION: You may check the status of your previously submitted application at any time by accessing the online application form. As your supporting materials are received, the date each is processed will be noted next to each item. When all supporting materials have been received and processed by our office, your application's status will change from "submitted" to "complete". Please note that processing time may be 6-8 weeks, due to the volume of materials we receive. We cannot comment on the status of individual applications during the processing period, but your account will be updated as your materials are processed.
Program Descriptions
The following institutions are currently offering fellowship
placements. More details on each may be found by clicking on
the institution name. Additional institutions may be posted
before the deadline so check for additions before making your
application submission.
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