Library as Client and Business Students as Consultants: A Collaborative Effort in Experiential Learning

Abstract

This case study focuses on an experiential learning collaboration between the academic library and business faculty at a small liberal arts and sciences college. Students enrolled in a semester-long business course are given an opportunity to practice real-world organisational consulting. Using the college library as the organisational client, student consultants analyse a specific issue, recommend creative solutions, and develop strategies for implementation and marketing. We discuss the initial development of the student consultant project, the improvements that enhance each iteration of the project, and highlight outcomes and implementation of student recommendations. This collaboration has led to improved outcomes for the business writing class, increased student engagement with the library, and enhanced library offerings from a user perspective.

Keywords:

• Experiential learning
• librarian-faculty collaboration
• information literacy