Leveraging Student Employee Expertise for Collection Projects

Abstract

Collection stewardship responsibilities of academic librarians continue to be supported by approval plans, large e-resource packages, and material leasing programs. But while those technologies and programs can save time, librarians still find it challenging to engage with in-depth collection projects like systematic weeding, evaluation, and use analysis. At the same time, student employees are seeking opportunities for experiential learning and acquiring skills translatable to the professional world. The authors suggest some creative ways to match librarians’ collection needs and students’ job expectations by providing opportunities for these employees to collaborate with librarians in the management, development, and marketing of collections.

Keywords:

• Academic libraries
• collaboration
• collection management
• mentorship
• student employees