It does sound like it's too late to do anything about it, and the time to speak up would have been right after the application deadline, or -- assuming that you heard about this -- when interviews were being scheduled. If I were you at this point, I would sit down with whoever was your supervisor as an intern, or whoever supervises you now as a volunteer, or the hiring supervisor for these positions, and try to find out why you were not even contacted for an interview. Were there so many applicants who were significantly more qualified than you that it did not make sense to include you in the pool? Have they been so disappointed with your performance as an intern/volunteer? If you've put a lot of time in at this place, and were not even seriously considered for a job there, are you even going to get a good reference from someone there when you apply elsewhere? Did you ask anyone at the library to be a reference for you when you applied? If so, that might be a good person to talk to about this. If not, why not?

I was actually in a sort of similar position a couple years ago. I had work part time & on call at various levels (circ & ref) in a library while I was in library school. A few months after graduating, there was a half-time ref job open there & I applied for it, and was interviewed. I didn't get it, even though I clearly knew the library, its staff, policies, and resources better than any of the other applicants. They decided to go with someone who had more experience in an "urban" setting, because they saw that as adding a strength the library lacked. So the next month, I moved away for a full-time job, which was in a place that was not as fun to work, but eventually lead to a more fulfilling career path. It turned out that the "urban" guy left after 2 months to go work in Alaska, but by that point I was long gone.

This can be a very difficult situation, when you are already sort of an insider and get passed over for a job. Maybe they saw you as a valuable asset in your volunteer capacity, and didn't want to loose you there. Whatever the reason, you are certainly entitled to ask. The problem is that you might not like the answer you get, and whatever reason they give, you won't really know how accurate or honest they are being about it. The bottom line, I think, is whether they would consider you for future openings or if they would give you a good recommendation. If the answer to both of those is no, then I would stop volunteering there. Or ask what you can do improve your performance and change their minds about that. Good luck.

Did you ask for or receive accommodations during your internship? If not and it harmed your work, you may have already tainted the perception of you by those in the library.

I do think you are lingering too much on non-calls. If you know you cover letter is strong, your resume is complete, and you have done everything to the best of your abilities, sometimes it just comes down to someone may have been a better candidate.

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Brian C. Gray
Head of Reference & Engineering Librarian
Kelvin Smith Library
Case Western Reserve University
http://blog.case.edu/bcg8
bcg8@case.edu