Pursuing student success in the library: a case study in peer mentor program transition, training and engagement

Pursuing student success in the library: a case study in peer mentor program transition, training and engagement

PurposeThis article shares an academic library's transition from traditional reference services to a peer support model during a campus reopening post-COVID-19 closure. It examines the conception, implementation and implications of the Peer Mentor program amidst shifts in campus priorities, Lib...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Reference services review Vol. 51; no. 2; pp. 91 - 104
Main Authors: Maxwell, Julia, Rusk, Faith, Nielsen, Jordan, Guidara, Andrea, Borges, Elizabeth, Lamberti, Jamie
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Bradford Emerald Publishing Limited 09-06-2023
Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Subjects:
Academic libraries
Asian Americans
Case studies
Collection management
College campuses
COVID-19
Feedback
Hispanic Americans
Hispanic serving institutions
Historically Black Colleges & Universities
Information literacy
Learning
Librarians
Libraries
Library management
Literature reviews
Medical research
Mentors
Minority & ethnic groups
Multiculturalism & pluralism
Pacific Islander people
Pandemics
Reference services
Skills
Social justice
Student participation
Success
United States > US
San Francisco California
California
Student success
Research services
Reference services
Peer learning
Minority-serving institution
Academic library
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Description
Summary:PurposeThis article shares an academic library's transition from traditional reference services to a peer support model during a campus reopening post-COVID-19 closure. It examines the conception, implementation and implications of the Peer Mentor program amidst shifts in campus priorities, Library research and reference paradigms and the Library workforce, from the perspectives of library faculty and staff, alongside feedback from student workers.Design/methodology/approachThe article uses a case study approach to detail the Library's Peer Mentor Program by authors involved in various stages of the program's lifespan and discusses the beginnings, implementations and challenges of the program and introduces the unique curriculum used to train student Peer Mentors.FindingsThe authors chronicle their own experience after two semesters of the Peer Mentor program alongside qualitative feedback from the first cohort of Peer Mentors. The Peer Mentor feedback points to positive impacts in other academic pursuits and in gaining a greater understanding of the information landscape and the library field.Originality/valueThe case study presented is a valuable example for academic librarians considering beginning peer-to-peer learning models within their own research and reference services units, especially those who may be creating these peer learning networks in the wake of library service disruption or restructure (such as due to the COVID-19 pandemic).
ISSN:0090-7324
2054-1716
DOI:10.1108/RSR-09-2022-0047