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Profile
of Molly Panning, Intern, Carnegie Library, 8/05
Photo and Story by Sarah Kotzman
PPW/Writing Center Publicity Intern
 If
you think libraries are dull, book-intensive places to study, you’re
wrong. Not only does Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh provide the
community with a wide range of programs for all ages; it has also
has given intern Molly Panning great experience in advertising/marketing
writing.
“I have always been intrigued by media and public relations,
and I had some experience in high school with publicity writing,
so I thought I’d see what it was all about,” Molly says.
After completing an interview and a trial research assignment, Molly
was offered a position in the Marketing Department. From there,
she began to receive several assignments at a time. She has kept
up with the diverse and steady workflow ever since.
After two weeks, Molly felt comfortable budgeting time between several
projects, a full course load, and a job. Many of the projects she
works on are used in publications and involve research, interviews,
and phone work. Molly also attends events at other library branches
and handles the occasional creative project, such as making flags
for the Summer Reading Extravaganza. “I’ve come to enjoy
this system of working because it has given me the freedom to alternate
projects and keep things interesting.”
Though Molly was initially nervous about giving her writing “the
real world test,” her skills have proven to be extremely strong.
After working to create a rough draft of a virtual tour, Molly was
told her project would be used in its entirety, rather than as a
starting point. She also contributed to a program that was distributed
for the Carnegie Library’s recent David McCullough lecture.
Throughout her ever-changing routine, Molly constantly interacts
with staff. “Not only are the staff dedicated and highly skilled,
they are also a really fun group to work with,” Molly says.
“While CLP is a wholly nonprofit organization, it is large
enough so that it is run much like a for-profit at times, just without
a lot of the ruthlessness. I like the structure of the Library,
as well as its mission.”
“My internship has been a wholly worthwhile experience. The
way I see it, college is the one time that it’s ok to be overbooked
and broke,” Molly says, explaining that deadlines, workplace
relations, and diverse writing techniques are plenty of educational
payment for the future. “On numerous occasions I stepped outside
what I would typically be comfortable doing to complete a project.
I am sure that many of the skills that I have acquired will carry
over into my future real-world experiences.”
Molly is currently in her senior year as a Political Science major.
She is also working toward certificates in PPW and Latin American
Studies. She hopes her love of traveling and writing will eventually
lead her to embassy work in Central/Latin America or travel journalism.
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