Developing a Meaningful Student Employment Experience for Students’ Success on Campus

Abstract

Student employees are essential to academic libraries on college and university campuses. The employment programme at this mid-sized university library intentionally seeks to engage students in work that not only benefits the library, but also provides students the opportunity to learn and hone skills that can contribute to academic and professional success. The pandemic had a significant impact on the student employment programme. The pivot to remote and hybrid services changed how library supervisors worked with student employees. In order to continue to offer students meaningful work, library staff conducted an evaluation of the programme, using a survey and focus groups. The evaluation team implemented programme changes and improvements based on student feedback in regard to scheduling and career preparation, with more plans to follow. This article describes how academic library staff can work with student workers on developing a meaningful employment programme, beneficial to both students and library services.