By Morgan Bond, Electronic Resources and Systems Librarian
State University of New York at Oswego,
Erin Kovalsky, Principal Law Librarian
New York State Unified Court System,
and
Zachary Vickery, University Archivist Librarian
State University of New York at Oswego
Abstract
Student employment in academic libraries supports the overall student experience by both complementing traditional studies, and bolstering students’ sense of belonging. Three librarians at a regional comprehensive university worked to create and implement a Library Employment Program for college students in an effort to align with university and library missions, visions, and values. A critical examination of processes across four library units led to changes to the application process, onboarding materials, evaluative tools, and an increased focus on career preparation. Effectiveness of the changes were mixed; while positive results were observed with the adoption of a new recruitment platform and a more inclusive student employment handbook, new evaluative tools were difficult for student supervisors to use consistently, and students struggled with communicating transferable job skills. Creating a library-wide Student Employment Program offers opportunities to develop and utilize consistent practices for all student supervisors to follow, but generating buy-in can be difficult and time-consuming before demonstrable results are observed.