Library savings through student labor

Abstract

2015),"Succession planning and staff development -a winning combination", The Bottom Line, Vol. 28 Iss 3 pp. 95-98 http://dx.Access to this document was granted through an Emerald subscription provided by emeraldsrm:264987 [] For AuthorsIf you would like to write for this, or any other Emerald publication, then please use our Emerald for Authors service information about how to choose which publication to write for and submission guidelines are available for all. Please visit www.emeraldinsight.com/authors for more information. About Emerald www.emeraldinsight.comEmerald is a global publisher linking research and practice to the benefit of society. The company manages a portfolio of more than 290 journals and over 2,350 books and book series volumes, as well as providing an extensive range of online products and additional customer resources and services.Emerald is both COUNTER 4 and TRANSFER compliant. The organization is a partner of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and also works with Portico and the LOCKSS initiative for digital archive preservation. AbstractPurpose -The purpose of this article is to briefly present current research and insight into the subject of student labor as a sharp cost-saving measure in the management of today's library personnel budgets. Design/methodology/approach -Drawing from a recent empirical study on the subject, this article adds commentary from other researchers on the pitfalls and benefits of student library labor versus paraprofessionals and librarians. Findings -Although library student workers are commonly not seen as "ideal" employees, their demonstrated performance on many library tasks is compelling enough to consider hiring more of them in place of existing staff. Originality/value -This subject can be provocative for managers to simply mention to their staff or professional colleagues. There is little research in this area, and this article helps to broach the subject in a candid manor to spark more discussion among library staff looking to improve their bottom line.

Replacing staff with students to monitor LibChat service: transition process and lessons learned

“…Anyone who has served in reference (desk or chat) understands that one must also be prepared for both positive and negative interactions with users, as both types are inevitable no matter the preparation and training (Harrington et al, 2021). While there is variation in the frequency and intensity concerning incoming reference questions, sometimes user queries can be answered rather quickly, but training for more indepth reference interviews is necessary because it aids in creating lifelong learners (Cottrell and Bell, 2015).…”

“…Cultivating this work ethic while still at the undergraduate level would undoubtedly be useful to them as they move into their careers. Also, entrusting students with meaningful library service work means that student assistants may become invested in their job activities and even stay for multiple years of their college experiencewhich is also advantageous to the library from a training perspective (Cottrell and Bell, 2015;Langan, 2012). Some student assistants at the University of British Columbia who served in reference and peer tutoring roles took steps in forming their professional identities through participating in the service on their way to becoming librarians or other types of professional service providers (O'Brien et al, 2014).…”

“…The formal training was accomplished both in person and in a group setting. Since the goal was for the student assistants operating chat to function like professionals that is how they were treated, per the guidelines in the research (Cottrell and Bell, 2015). In the group training session, students received an orientation to the LibChat interface via a live demo with sample questions and responses.…”

“…, 2021). While there is variation in the frequency and intensity concerning incoming reference questions, sometimes user queries can be answered rather quickly, but training for more in-depth reference interviews is necessary because it aids in creating lifelong learners (Cottrell and Bell, 2015).…”

Students Helping Students: Creating and Evaluating a Collaborative Service Model in the Library

“…19 Terrence Luther Cottrell and Brigitte Bell state that students are capable of offering high-quality service if they are "properly motivated, nurtured and informed of their value as essential library employees." 20 This begins early on when students first begin working for the library. Employers should set clear expectations and model these behaviors.…”