The School of Information and Library Science (SILS) at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, is seeking applicants interested in public information curation and public policy for fellowships in the "Educating Stewards of the Public Information Infrastructure" or ESOPI2 project. The Fellowships are funded through a grant from the Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS).
The fellowships are for students enrolled in the Master of Public Administration (MPA) and Master of Science in Information/Library Science (MSIS/MSLS) dual degree program between the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's School of Information and Library Science (SILS) and the School of Government (SOG).
The two-year fellowships offer:
- A 15 hour per week position as a Fellow in Public Information Stewardship
- An annual stipend of $16,000
- In-state tuition and health coverage
- Opportunities to meet experts in the stewardship of public information via symposia, conferences and workshops
ESOPI² is a collaboration between SILS and SOG and offers internships hosted at the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); North Carolina's Department of Cultural Resources, Archives and Records Section; UNC at CH's University Archives; the Town of Chapel Hill, NC: the UNC Environmental Finance Center; the North Carolina Orange County CIO's office; NC-LIVE; and the H.W. Odum Institute for Research in the Social Sciences on the UNC at Chapel Hill campus.


- Created the State of North Carolina Best Practices for Using Social Media policy
- Authored an article on eDiscovery software capabilities at NARA
- Created a policy document on text messaging policy for the North Carolina State Archives
- Revised and developed new online training modules for the University Archives and Records Management Services (UARMS) at UNC at Chapel Hill
- Developed an e-mail policy for the University Archives and Records Management Services at UNC at Chapel Hill
- Advised local and state government energy efficiency and water quality programs on
possible financing options and institutional arrangements
2009-2012 ESOPI-21 Fellows and Project Leaders
Remarks from Current Fellows
“UNC is unique in having a School of Information and Library Science and a School of Government,” said Brooks (Jon) Breece an ESOPI fellow. “This arrangement is fortuitous because of the increased importance placed on access, storage, organization and preservation of information - at all levels of government. We are in an age when technologies are rapidly evolving, and government agencies are attempting to utilize new mediums for documentation and interaction both inside government and with the public."
"The knowledge I have gained and the opportunities I have been offered as a result of deciding to pursue a dual M.S.L.S and M.P.A. degree are priceless," said Emily Roscoe, one of the ESOPI fellows. "It is among what I consider to be the best decisions of my life. Through the ESOPI-21 fellowship I have seen the strong interrelatedness of government (most specifically with public officials like the register of deeds) and the library science field. It has been extremely valuable for me to see all sides of North Carolina State and local public offices -- the functions of government, the roles of both record-keeping and policy-making, and the value of professional advisors at the School of Government."