More than just shelvers: Student workers in the
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Transcript More than just shelvers: Student workers in the
More Than Just Shelvers:
Student Workers In The
Library
Nadia Mahernia, Learning Spaces Co-ordinator
Susan Murray, Head of Library Service
Content
University Ethos
Library Roles
Special Collections
Student Ambassadors
Peer Academic Writing Mentors
Interns
Future Plans
Benefits/Issues
Things to think about
University ethos
Liverpool Hope has made a commitment to
provide as much on campus employment for
students
Hope Works through our Employability Hub
co-ordinates recruitment
Students register their interest and are
matched to roles
Covers a whole range of roles e.g., catering,
student ambassadors, resident tutors,
graduate advocates, etc
Library Roles
Traditionally employed students
as shelvers
More recently more roles have
been added:
Student Ambassadors
Internships (for recent
graduates)
Special Collections
Workers
Peer Academic Writing
Mentors
All are paid roles and some are
year round roles
Special Collections
Student Workers
Working with the Special
Collections Librarian
undertake a range of tasks:
Processing new
materials
Stock moves
Checking stock for
duplicates
Cleaning books using
our museum vac
Library Student Ambassadors
Job role at The Sheppard-Worlock Library
Providing custodian support (monitor users and visitors entering the
building)
Support student use of the library and learning spaces facilities and
equipment (distribution of keys for lockers, issue laptops, pin numbers,
photocopiers)
Referrals
Job role at the Creative Campus
To staff the student study space and cover the library lunch hour
History of the student
ambassadors
2002
employed 2
staff
members as
security
92%
2003 staff
security
team
expanded
to 6
of our students
in 2012 were either in
employment or full-time study
within six months of their
graduation.
2009
employed
student
library
ambassadors
2010 Student
Study Space
opened
2011
HCA
entrance
opened
Why do students apply for this role?
Fund their Education
Improve their CVs and Career Prospects
Improves skill set (budgeting/managing time)
Experience
Gain application and interview experience
Flexibility
Meet other students
Impact of student workers
Managing Student Workers
Accessible
Flexible
Cover
Time consuming
Student Workers in the work place
Quick to adapt
Flexible workforce
Students assisting other students
Building relationships with library
assistants
A study led by Gary R. Pike, an Associate Professor
at Indiana University-Bloomington, explains in an
article on insidehighered.com titled “The Impact of
Student Employment”:
“students who work less than 20 hours
a week on campus reported a net
positive gain in grades, while those
who worked off campus felt a
significant negative effect”
"creating meaningful work experiences for
students on campus is a key element in an
overall strategy designed to foster student
achievement and success“
Lederman, D. (2009) The Impact of Student Employment [online]. Insidehighered. Available from:
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/06/08/work#sthash.YrUmgxCf.wcDZSFiw.dpbs. [Accessed 23 June 2014].
Peer Academic Writing Mentors
Introduced new service at the end of November
Out of 82 students 72
7 masters/postgraduate students employed
Independent role
Workshops and one-to-ones
Weekly meetings (time to offload and share good
practice)
Support from academics
Managing Mentors
In-depth training and constant
development
Monitoring and support system in
place
Professionalism
Not as flexible or quick to adapt
“Mentor very approachable, extremely
helpful and patient. I felt comfortable and
him to be non-judgemental. I think the service
is excellent, having one-to-one support. I have
gained confidence and I feel less anxious about the
essays ahead. Absolutely brilliant”
students rating the service
extremely helpful, 9 students
rating it helpful and 1 student
was undecided.
Why do students apply for this role?
Knowledgeable in specific area or
experienced
Enjoyment and satisfaction from the
role
Develops skills
Meet new students
Improves CV
Paid role
Interns
University initiative offering up to 60 three
month paid internships each year (central fund)
Aimed at recent graduates
Run January – March
Central induction and training programme e.g.,
job applications, personality tests, etc.
Departments are invited to bid for internship
Panel chooses successful bids
Library has always had an intern allocated
Intern Library Roles
Because time limited tend to be project based
We use them to do the things we’d like to do but
don’t always have time to do
Allow someone concentrated time to research
and undertake the task
Always deliver something at the end of the
internship
Successful Intern Bids 2012
2012 Review of referencing styles and
bibliographic software
Report with information on styles used in subjects
and student feedback
A review of bibliographic softwares available and
the pros and cons of each
Partly as a result of this the Liverpool Hope
Harvard style developed for 1 subject is now used
in 2 Faculties
Successful Intern Bids 2013
Create a set of more visual
guides using Prezi
Surveys to find out what
students need guides on &
usability testing on format
Working with library staff to
create Prezis and the web
pages
Training for librarians on
using Prezi
Successful Intern Bids
2014 Special Collections
Intern
Nugent Care Archive
Extended by 3 months
(library funded)
Dissertations cataloguing
De-duplicating a donation to
be added to stock
Intern was successful in
obtaining 12 month Special
Collections internship at
Liverpool and is planning to
undertake masters in archive
work
Future plans
Potential Intern Projects 2015
- Special Collections: Talbot Library
- Education Kits Review
Ambassadors:
- This year hired a larger number of part time posts
- Introduced an new online booking system for the ambassadors to
oversee
- Introduced Headcounts
- Questionnaires
- Collecting more feedback (large questionnaire)
- Usage of ipads and collecting data
Mentors
- Expand the service
- Create more online resources
Benefits
Free staff to do other tasks
Extend library opening hours & enable a
second entrance to be used
Set of ‘guinea pigs’ e.g. usability feedback
on our web pages
Source of more honest student feedback
Issues
Staff time to manage such a large number
of student workers
– Timetables, timesheets, recruitment
Availability
– Examination periods, vacations etc.
Staff turn over
Things to think about …
Contracts
Disciplinary
- Staff code or do they have their own?
Training needs and support
Monitoring
- Writing mentors to be observed by Faculty
Librarians
What tasks can they do while on a service
point or if no appointments booked
- Tasks assigned, can they do their own work?