Internships - The American Library in Paris
Internships at the American Library in Paris
The American Library in Paris offers intern placements throughout the year for students studying library/information science or looking to pursue a career in non-profit management. Library internships provid critical on-the-job training and experience.
Although the majority of our interns come with a library science background, we also welcome interns from Erasmus programs, as well as students currently enrolled in a college or university program with a focus in a related discipline.
To apply, please complete the internship application below and upload your one-page letter of motivation and CV in the form.
Due to the volume of applications we receive, only short-listed candidates will be contacted for an interview.
Internship Opportunities
Collections
Collections Intern
The American Library in Paris is looking for a motivated, dynamic, and friendly person to be our Collections Intern position. A few of the various duties include participating in collections projects and assisting patrons and staff at the Member Services desk.
The ideal candidate for this position is interested in pursuing a career in libraries or archives. This person should be organized, flexible, and have some familiarity with library cataloging systems.
Internship dates:
January – June 2027
Application Deadline
: Applications reviewed on a rolling basis until October 1, 2026
Under the supervision of Library staff, Collections Intern responsibilities include:
Assisting in the maintenance of book and periodical collections
Cataloging of books and periodicals
Inventory
Maintenance of periodical archives
Maintenance of special book collections
Answering reference questions
Technical processing of magazines, newspapers, and book
Assisting with shelving, book displays, and stacks maintenance
Creating, renewing, and revising membership accounts in multiple databases
Familiarizing new members with the Library and the use of its online and in-person services
Responding to email, phone, and in-person queries
The successful candidate will have:
Pride in contributing to the cultural heritage of a century-old institution that is dedicated to literature and community
An appetite for hard work and the ability to prioritize and multitask in a close-knit and busy organizational environment
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
A willingness to receive and give constructive feedback, and a proactive attitude
A commitment to data integrity and quality of work
The ability to push full book carts, shelve books on high and low shelves, and carry boxes
Applicants are required to fill out the online application form and submit a CV and letter of motivation.
For more information contact the Internship Coordinator at
internships@americanlibraryinparis.org
Children's and Teens' Services
Children’s and Teens’ Services Interns: Outreach/YAFF
The American Library in Paris seeks a dynamic, creative, and enthusiastic intern who has a passion for English-language literature for children and teens, and who believes that creative writing plays an important role in literacy development. Our ideal intern would spend six months in Paris getting to know our unique library and its diverse membership, and promoting the benefits of creative writing within the English-language community.
The American Library in Paris, established in 1920, is the largest English-language library on the European continent, serving 5,000 members, about half of them American and a quarter French. The Children’s and Teens’ Services Department’s collections consist of more than 20,000 books for young people, as well as e-resources, and the department hosts over 200 events a year for the community. The American Library in Paris is proud to be the organizer of the Young Authors Fiction Festival (YAFF). YAFF is free of charge and open to all students ages 5–18 in France who write in English.
The Children’s and Teens’ Services Intern will report to the Children’s and Teens’ Services Manager, and will work closely with the department’s team members in:
Creating activities and workshops for ages 0-18 to promote YAFF
Assisting with outreach efforts to promote YAFF
Creating and supplementing attractive and timely book displays
Shelving and shelf reading
Assisting members in accessing online resources
Providing customer service in the Children’s and Teens’ Services Department
Assisting with the Library’s social media outreach efforts for children and teens
The Intern will work for a six-month period (November 2025 through May) for approximately 21 hours per week on the following days:
Wednesdays from 10h00-18h00
Fridays from 12h00-19h00 or from 14h30-21h30 (depending on weekly programs)
Saturdays from 10h00-18h00
Candidates must be currently enrolled in a bachelor-level or masters-level program in order to be eligible for this internship position. The ideal candidate will be pursuing a Masters in Library Science, have a passion for English-language literature for children and teens, and experience working with young people. Knowledge of French is a plus!
The successful candidate will have:
Pride in contributing to the cultural heritage of a century-old institution that is dedicated to literature and community
An appetite for hard work and the ability to prioritize and multitask in a close-knit and busy organizational environment
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
A willingness to receive and give constructive feedback, and a proactive attitude
A commitment to data integrity and quality of work
The ability to push full book carts, shelve books on high and low shelves, and carry boxes
Applicants are required to fill the online application form and submit a CV and motivation letter.
Applications are being accepted on a rolling basis this role! Finalists will be interviewed by video call or telephone.
For more information contact the Internship Coordinator at internships@americanlibraryinparis.org.
Children’s and Teens’ Services Interns: Programs and Collections
The American Library in Paris seeks a dynamic, creative, and enthusiastic intern who has a passion for programming and for English-language literature for children and teens, and would like to spend six months in Paris getting to know our unique library and its diverse membership.
The American Library in Paris, established in 1920, is the largest English-language library on the European continent, serving 5,000 members, about half of them American and a quarter French. The Children’s and Teens’ Services Department’s collections consist of more than 20,000 books for young people, as well as e-resources, and the department hosts over 200 events a year for the community.
The Children’s and Teens’ Services Intern will report to the Children’s and Teens’ Services, and will work closely with the department’s team members in:
Providing support for programming for children and teens, with a specific focus
on literacy development
General collection maintenance tasks
Creating and supplementing attractive and timely book displays
Shelving and shelf reading
Assisting members in accessing online resources
Assisting with Collection Development research
Providing Readers Advisory services in the Children’s and Teens’ Services
Department
Assisting with the Library’s social media outreach efforts for children and teens
Preparations, promotion and outreach for the Halloween Extravaganza
The Intern will work for a six-month period (May through November) for approximately 21 hours per week on the following days:
Wednesdays from 10h00-18h00
Fridays from 12h00-19h00 or from 14h30-21h30 (depending on weekly programs)
Saturdays from 10h00-18h00
Candidates must be currently enrolled in a bachelor-level or masters-level program in order to be eligible for this internship position. The ideal candidate is pursuing a Masters in Library Science, and will have a passion for English-language literature for children and teens, and experience working with young people. Knowledge of French is a plus!
The successful candidate will also have:
Pride in contributing to the cultural heritage of a century-old institution that is dedicated to literature and community
An appetite for hard work and the ability to prioritize and multitask in a close-knit and busy organizational environment
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
A willingness to receive and give constructive feedback, and a proactive attitude
A commitment to data integrity and quality of work
The ability to push full book carts, shelve books on high and low shelves, and carry boxes
Applicants are required to fill the online application form and submit a CV and motivation letter.
Applications are being accepted on a rolling basis for this role! Finalists will be interviewed by video call or telephone.
For more information contact the Internship Coordinator at internships@americanlibraryinparis.org.
Member Services
Member Services Intern
The American Library in Paris is looking for a motivated, dynamic, and friendly person to be our Member Services Intern. A few of the duties include assisting patrons and staff at the Member Services desk and processing memberships.
The ideal candidate for this position is interested in pursuing a career in libraries or non-profits. This person should be organized, flexible, and have exceptional customer service skills.
Internship dates:
July – December 2026
Application Deadline:
Applications for this position are now closed.
Under the supervision of Library staff, Member Services intern responsibilities include:
Staffing the Member Services and Welcome desks
Creating, renewing, and revising membership accounts in multiple databases
Responding to email, phone, and in-person queries
Familiarizing new members with the Library and the use of its online and in-person services
Processing fines, fees, and lost items
Managing printing and copying services
Technical processing of magazines, newspapers, and books
Gathering and maintaining statistical data
Assisting with shelving, book displays, and stacks maintenance
Ensuring users’ comfort, health, safety, and enjoyment of the facilities
Applicants are required to fill out the online application form and submit a CV and letter of motivation.
For more information contact the Internship Coordinator at
internships@americanlibraryinparis.org
Discovery Internships (9th and 10th grade students)
Discovery Interns:
The Library accepts a small handful of 9th grade and 10th grade Library members for week long youth Discovery Internships.
Students who are Library members who are interested in applying for discovery internships can send a CV directly to internships@americanlibraryinparis.org and celeste@americanlibraryinparis.org.
Please note: Discovery Internships are short term volunteer roles in the Library’s Children’s and Teens’ department, not official internships.
Internship Application
Important Information Regarding Library Internships
As a non-profit association, not funded by either the French or American governments, the American Library in Paris is unable to offer paid
short-term
internships. Long-term internships, those exceeding two months full time, are remunerated.
Regardless of the length of your internship, the Library is unable to offset the cost of transportation to/from Paris, accommodation, or other related costs while in Paris. However, the Library does provide a meal voucher for every 8 hour work day and will assist in covering a portion of public transportation costs during the course of your internship.
Questions may be directed to
internships@americanlibraryinparis.org
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May 2026 Closures
The Library will be closed on the following days in May:
Friday 1 May
– Fête du Travail (Labor Day)
Friday 8 May
– Fête de la Victoire 1945 (WWII Victory Day)
Thursday 14 May
– Jeudi de l’Ascension (Ascension)
Benefit program for Library supporters
Friends of the Library
(50€ – 249€) will receive invitations to unique, donor-only programs.
Folio Society
(250€ – 1 999€) supporters will be invited to the annual Book Award ceremony, as well as donor-only programs.
Gutenberg Society
(2 000€ – 9 999€) patrons will have the opportunity to host a dinner with an Evenings with an Author sponsored by GRoW @ Annenberg speaker, as well as all the benefits listed above.
Ex Libris Lux Society
(10 000€ and above) sponsors will be invited to an annual dinner with Ex Libris Lux donors and Library leadership, as well as all the benefits listed above. They will also be invited to an exclusive cocktail dînatoire with our Gala speaker.
Planned giving to the Library
A charitable gift from your estate is simple to implement and is easy to change if you should need to access the assets during your lifetime. If you would like to include a gift to the Library in your will, ask your estate planning attorney to add this suggested wording to your will or living trust. Please make sure to use the Library’s correct legal name appears in all final documents as: The American Library in Paris Inc.
Unrestricted Gift
: I give, devise, and bequeath to the American Library in Paris Inc, (insert dollar amount) Dollars* to be used for its general purposes.
Residuary Bequest
: I give, devise, and bequeath to the American Library in Paris Inc , (insert percentage amount) percent of the residue of my estate to be used for its general purposes.