The first intern hired permanently at the Library as part of an effort to bring more Hispanics into the workforce reported to the Congressional Research Service

(CRS) this spring. 

Julissa Gomez was hired April 5 under the Cooperative Education Program of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU).  Donald L. Scott, deputy librarian of Congress, signed a cooperative agreement (see April 16 Gazette) that provides greater employment opportunities at LC for HACU students and interns.

“I think this is a really great opportunity," said Gomez. “I feel extremely lucky and proud to be here.  I think about all my friends who went to school with me. They envy my opportunity to work at one of the most prestigious places in the world."            

One of five children born in El Paso, Texas, to immigrant parents from Mexico, Gomez is the only one in her family to earn undergraduate and master's degrees. She earned a bachelor's degree in English and American literature from the University of Texas at El Paso (May 2000). Later, she attended graduate school at the University of Texas at Austin, where she received a master’s degree in information science (December 2003).

While a university student, Gomez applied for a HACU internship at the Library, where she first worked during the summer of 2002 and again during the fall of 2003. She served both internships in CRS. Supervised by Sharon Butts, section head of the La Follette Congressional Reading Room, Gomez helped librarians field reference questions (mostly over the telephone) from members of Congress and their staffs.

Gomez used reference collections in the reading room, along with the Internet, CRS products and a variety of electronic databases. "It was really amazing to see how talented and brilliant so many librarians and subject experts are. They really know their stuff," she said.

This spring, Butts hired Gomez for the Information Research Division of CRS.

Under Butts' direction, Gomez will be trained to become a reference research librarian in the Government and Law Section, specializing in legal issues relating to Congress and the government. This research covers a wide range of subject areas, including crime, social security and religion. 

As a new CRS employee, Gomez benefited from her internships. She started her new job already familiar with the ins and outs of the office in which she had interned, and she already knew most of her office mates. Now, all she has to concentrate on is learning her job as a librarian.

The internships also provided useful orientation to the Library and its service to CRS.  "I've definitely gotten insight into how a large library runs and, especially, how the government works. During my internships, I took many workshops and training courses that have enhanced my researching capabilities," she said.

Butts said Gomez's Spanish-language skills have been useful in serving Congress. As an intern, Gomez identified some Spanish-language resources for speeches by five Hispanic members of Congress. These resources will be useful to other members as well.

CRS and the Office of Workforce Diversity (OWD) have been strong supporters of the HACU program. CRS hired seven interns during the summer of 2003 and one during the fall of 2003; OWD hired two interns last summer, one last fall, one this spring, and one this summer.

The HACU internship program and the HACU-LC agreement help address under representation of Hispanics at the Library. Although Hispanics represent 12.5 percent of the national civilian labor force and 7 percent of the federal labor force, they represent only 2 percent of the Library's labor force.

Butts said she hopes this situation will change. "I'm glad we have this vehicle [the HACU-LC agreement] now to bring them in," she said, adding she hopes the Library will begin recruiting Hispanic students for Library careers during their junior year in college. She suggested the Library target universities with large Hispanic populations.

"We are always looking for new and bright candidates. HACU draws this pool to LC. It could also sell Hispanic candidates on the Library as a career," Butts said.

After working with Gomez, Butts believes she would be a good spokesman for the HACU program and the Library itself. Butts added that the Library has provided an open, nurturing environment for the HACU interns. "We enjoyed... our interns," she said. "They really enjoyed working at the Library."

In addition to providing internships for HACU students, the Library is making plans for the first-ever Multicultural Fellowship Program, a collaborative effort between the Office of Workforce Diversity and the Preservation Directorate of Library Services. This program will introduce minority and other students to careers in conservation and preservation through undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate fellowships.

A new recruitment tool a CD-ROM containing information about the Library's history, programs, activities, fellowships, internships and job opportunities will be distributed at job fairs and on college campuses across the country. 

In addition, the Office of Workforce Diversity and Human Resources Services will expand LC's Hispanic-recruitment efforts by participating in conferences in areas of large Hispanic populations, such as Phoenix, Ariz., and San Antonio, Texas, and establishing closer ties with the Hispanic community.

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