Madison Public Library’s third Rosemary Lee Civic Engagement Intern, Katarina Ampian, completed her three-month internship this past winter under the supervision of Library Planner Rynn Kerkhove.
The internship is named after Lee, who died in 2015. She served on several city committees and later became known for being an active and outspoken citizen through attendance of city government meetings. Her sister, Ellen Lee, created the internship in Rosemary’s name by starting a fund with the foundation.
Ampian — who recently earned her master’s degree from UW–Milwaukee, where she studied library and information science with an archival concentration — had previous library services experience working at the Wisconsin Historical Society, where she served as a manuscript collections assistant.
During her time with the library, Ampian reviewed other libraries’ strategic planning and community engagement efforts to help Madison Public Library prepare for its Tell Us sessions this spring that solicited input for future west side library service.
Ampian’s work helped the library discover the best ways to engage with patrons and see how other libraries shape their facilities, collections, and programming. She learned that many libraries, such as New Haven, Conn., and St. Paul, Minn., are focusing on inclusive engagement by providing media in multiple languages, as well as having the means to engage children, English language learners, people with disabilities, and those who express themselves in ways beyond standard engagement methods.
In addition to her research and reporting, Ampian helped the library by performing community outreach and taking notes during strategic planning conversations.
“[Ampian] approached her conversations with community members about the Library’s West Side Plan with kindness and enthusiasm,” Kerkhove said. “As a researcher, she wrote a thorough report on the planning efforts of other library systems, offering new perspectives on the library planning process that it can use.”
Ampian hopes to find a position as an archivist or librarian, or work in an outreach role for a cultural institution.