Gretchen Dreimiller
Director of Library Resources
Beacon College
Introduction
I spent the fall 2025 semester leading my college’s study abroad program in Prato, Italy. I am director of the library, but I also hold a master’s degree in English and have several years of teaching experience in that subject as well as providing information literacy instruction. Eight years ago, while I was an English instructor, myself and my partner, an art professor, led the inaugural study abroad program at our college. Now in the role of librarian, I was unsure if my application to teach would be accepted. We have a small team in the library and are always busy teaching classes, holding workshops, meeting with students individually, and collaborating with others across campus to offer fun events for members of the college community. Some considered it a bit strange to have a librarian be one of the faculty representatives for our study abroad program. While I do have teaching responsibilities, there are many other tasks to juggle that would have to be covered by the assistant director. I would also be offering research-based classes in a program that typically emphasizes more fun electives connected with the travel abroad experience. Nevertheless, I was able to plan accordingly with the other librarians, and the administration did see the value in allowing me to be part of this program.
As the semester progressed, it occurred to me that college students would benefit greatly from having a librarian help them navigate the study abroad adventure and this is something I strongly advocate more colleges consider, especially with the incredible rise of generative AI in the academic environment. The information literacy skills librarians have been trained to promote makes it even more critical that those in the higher education environment are more comprehensively folded into the college experience, including being actively involved and even leading initiatives where formerly they took a more support service positioning. Librarians are uniquely qualified to lead study abroad programs, addressing information literacy lessons and extending learning beyond the classroom.
Continue reading Beyond Support: Librarians as Leaders in Study Abroad Programs