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Libraries and Uncertainty: Finding Possibility Through Experiential Learning…

In an age of AI, where information is instant and answers are automated… what makes research matter?

The answer may lie in how—and by whom—it’s taught.

Libraries are at a crossroads, facing uncertainty around relevance, instructional value, and role clarity

Experiential learning offers a strategic response—where librarians don’t just support student success; we design the learning itself.

What happens when business librarians stop solely supporting experiential learning and start leading it?

Enhances library’s academic relevance�
Opens doors for interdisciplinary partnerships�
Elevates the library as a strategic partner in academic planning and program innovation

Offering and leading courses like this represents a strategic value for academic libraries—especially in times of institutional uncertainty or transformation—because it positions the library as an essential partner in curricular innovation and the library demonstrates its ability to move beyond service into curricular innovation.

First, it enhances the library’s academic relevance by embedding library values directly into the classroom. Students come to see the library not just as a resource provider, but as an intellectual space that equips them with transferable skills. Faculty and leadership see the library as a generator of high-impact teaching.

Second, it opens doors for interdisciplinary partnerships. This course models what libraries do best: connect diverse academic areas (business, social sciences, design, data) into a coherent learning experience. It builds bridges across departments and invites collaboration with faculty, community stakeholders, and external partners—strengthening the library’s role in convening dialogue around urgent, real-world issues.

Finally, it positions the library as a visionary player in higher education strategy. In a time when institutions are redefining the value of education, experiential and cross-disciplinary learning is increasingly prioritized. In short, this kind of work makes the library future-facing: not only keeping pace with change, but helping lead it.

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Experiential Learning (EL)

Experiential learning pedagogy is grounded in Kolb’s cycle. Students gain insight by engaging directly with real-world challenges — not hypotheticals.

For business librarians, EL provides a powerful framework to integrate information literacy into applied, interdisciplinary projects. This shift repositions librarians from behind-the-scenes support to instructional partners, or designers, developing workplace-ready research and inquiry skills.

Active Experimentation

Abstract Conceptualization

Reflective Observation

Concrete Experience

Kolb’s Experiential Learning Cycle

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Librarians Design What AI Can’t Teach

In an age where information is instant and AI is reshaping how knowledge is consumed, librarians play a crucial role in teaching students how to interpret, apply, and ethically use information.

Experiential learning offers a unique vehicle for this shift.�

From resource provider & academic support to → learning experience architect

From tool demonstrator → mentor of ethical, applied inquiry

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Business Librarians: Strategic Architects of EL

Business librarians are uniquely positioned to design EL experiences that mirror today’s workplace demands.

Bridge disciplines to drive insight�Business topics are inherently cross-disciplinary. Business librarians already help students synthesize information from across sectors to make meaning, form arguments, and connect research to action
Guide research for stakeholder needs In consulting-style projects or client engagements, students must tailor their research to stakeholder expectations. Business librarians already teach students to shift between academic rigor and business relevance.
Model ethical, critical information use Business librarians already help students critically assess source credibility, representation, and equity. This fosters responsible, inclusive inquiry in global and local business contexts.

It is uniquely beneficial that a librarian has designed and led this course because librarians are inherently positioned at the intersection of disciplines, trained to navigate, synthesize, and teach across a wide range of knowledge systems. My background equips me not only to guide students in conducting effective research, but also to foster the kind of critical, integrative thinking this course demands. In a class grounded in multiple cross-disciplinary frameworks—spanning business, sociology, urban studies, design, and ethics—my expertise in connecting ideas across fields ensures students aren’t just consuming information, but learning how to question it, contextualize it, and use it responsibly. I bring a systems-level view of knowledge production and access, which supports students as they explore complex issues like livability, place branding, and social change. As a librarian, I also prioritize inclusivity, reflexivity, and ethical research practices, which are essential for a course that asks students to consider whose voices are heard, whose are missing, and how their own positionality shapes what they see.

As an academic librarian, I bring expertise in information literacy, research design, and source evaluation—skills that are foundational to the course’s emphasis on critical inquiry, ethical storytelling, and reflexive analysis. The scaffolding I created helps students move beyond surface-level information gathering into deeper, interdisciplinary exploration of complex topics like place branding, social impact, and tourism ethics. Additionally, my role in curating stakeholder engagements ensures that the voices students encounter—whether through site visits, guest speakers, or local narratives—are purposefully selected to reflect a diverse, ethically considered range of perspectives. This integration reinforces the course's commitment to research that is both rigorous and socially aware.

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Business Library-Led EL Advances Business School Goals

When business librarians lead experiential learning, the impact extends well beyond course outcomes. We contribute meaningfully to core business school priorities.

🎯 Supports Assurance of Learning: Business librarian-designed assessments capture critical thinking, research strategy, and communication—key AACSB-aligned [accreditation] learning outcomes.

🌍 Builds Global and Ethical Mindsets: By integrating diverse sources and stakeholder perspectives, business librarians help students navigate complex global business environments with integrity and inclusivity.

💼 Enhances Career and Practice Readiness: Business librarian-led EL embeds research in real-world deliverables—consulting reports, stakeholder memos, strategy briefs—building transferable workplace skills.

🤝 Strengthens External Engagement: Business librarian involvement ensures high-quality, research-informed outputs for business clients, community partners, and nonprofit collaborators—expanding school impact.

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What Can Business Librarian-Led EL Look Like?

Direct collaboration with corporate, nonprofit, and civic stakeholders�Students engage with real decision-makers.�
Applied research skills taught in context—not isolation�Librarians embed inquiry where it matters: in solving real problems.�
Designed for institutional alignment and long-term integration�These models scale—from one-shot instruction to credit-bearing programs.

Business librarians don’t just support experiential learning—they shape it from the ground up, linking research to action, strategy, and impact.

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LIB 290: A Case Study in Librarian-Led EL

Offered for three years, LIB 290 Creating Social Change: Here & There, is a short-term study abroad course designed and led by a business librarian.

It engages students in interdisciplinary research, and real-world problem-solving with stakeholders across sectors—startups, civic orgs, and government agencies.

My goal: to embed research seamlessly into real-world inquiry—so students see it not as an academic task, but as a critical tool for insight and action.

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Where We've Been

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From Pilot to Program: How Librarian-Led EL Became Curricular Strategy

Location	Themes	Key Stakeholders	Skills Emphasized	Institutional Milestone
Netherlands (2022)	Innovation Networks & Impact	Startups, accelerators, founders	Ecosystem analysis	1.5 credit elective via library
Norway (2023)	Traditional Industry & Impact	Large public companies, civic orgs	Sustainability thinking	1.5 credit elective via library
Vienna (June 2025)	Tourism & Impact	Cultural orgs, government	Societal value analysis	3 credit cross-listed with ugrad business school

Spring 2026: Invited by MSM program to design a dedicated graduate-level course

Course evolution reflects growing institutional value and strategic alignment with the business school.

Strong interest in making change, seen in social entrepreneurship themed class ‘doing business better’
‘Wake Forest bubble’
Make my own connections in the ecosystem work to my advantage

Netherlands:

In this 1.5 credit class, students will gain a comprehensive understanding of local and global innovation networks, the networks’ roles supporting innovation, and the impact an idea can make on society…By the end of this course, you’ll have a stronger understanding of the ecosystem support available to you and that best aligns with your personal and professional goals around making social change.

Norway:

In this 1.5 credit class, research, speak with and/or visit stakeholders within industries that have shaped North Carolina and Norway’s economies and cultures. Students will experience how old ideas become new again, creating not only more sustainable business models but also positive societal change, when they hear from and visit the founders and organizations supporting modern innovation in these traditional industries.

Austria:

This 3-credit course offers students a unique opportunity to explore how organizations across various sectors— including corporations, startups, and non-profits—approach, create, and measure social impact and change within their industries. Using the Viennese tourism industry as a detailed case study, students will explore via primary and secondary research the social impact of the tourism industry on the most ‘liveable city in the world’.

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Pre-departure: 17 Guest Speakers

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Post-Departure: Site Visits & 18+ Guest Speakers

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“Seeing all of the unique and purposeful inventions was super cool and inspiring. There are so many problems in the world today, but the work being done there is truly amazing, and taking the steps needed to solve some of them little by little.”

Student Takeaways:

Empowerment through Innovation

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Student Takeaways: Cont.

Global Lens on Social Innovation

“The abroad portion of the class allowed me to apply a much broader societal lens to not only entrepreneurship but also social issues.”

Bridging Purpose and Career Uncertainty

“As I am about to enter the corporate world, I am worried about feeling like I am not making a difference in the world. I also have been worried about having a good work life balance especially if I don’t love the job I’m doing. This is why this class has been helpful in learning that I can be my own boss and also follow my own passions to create change.”

I also had the idea for making a system to facilitate shift change between co-workers but I thought it wouldn’t go far and it was stupid. Hearing from venture cafe that someone is doing that same thing and made $8 million really tells me that nothing is stupid and that just go for it and see where it takes you. I definitely feel encouraged and motivated to try my ideas.

I thought it was interesting to learn how different people we talked to (both in Winston and Rotterdam) got to the point they did in their careers to care about the causes their businesses were focused on. Hearing about their backstories and how that motivated them to get into the positions they were - in the Netherlands it was particularly interesting that many of the people we talked to had once worked in large companies and then moved out of that as they found the work was not fulfilling and did not align with their personal beliefs. However, many of the people in the US seem to just suck it up and get on with work because that is just the system/culture surrounding them says to do, even if they personally do not align as well with what their larger companies views/impact is.

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Three Takeaways from LIB 290:

This is not just a one-off course—it’s a template for what librarian-led, EL can look like.

Librarians can design high-impact, experiential learning.�

Information literacy adapts seamlessly to global, applied contexts.�

Libraries can be launchpads for innovative interdisciplinary instruction.

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Where to Begin: Scaleable Entry Points for Librarian-Led EL

It doesn’t have to be study abroad! It doesn’t have to be a class!
Start with what you already do: embed into existing experiential courses (e.g., client-based consulting, entrepreneurship capstones).
Partner with faculty to co-design assignments that require real-world inquiry, not just citations.
Use global/local challenges, student interests or university strategy as potential thematic anchors [like sustainability, innovation, or inclusion]
Position library as bridge-builder across disciplines, explore co-facilitating or co-designing an experience with faculty.
Frame the library as a collaborative for research, reflection, and problem-solving—not just a resource hub.