Building a Bridge: A Library Outreach Program for Students in Transition

Xan Arch, arch@up.edu

Heidi Senior, senior@up.edu

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Photo courtesy of the Library of Congress

Position Statement

The authors identify as cisgender White women. Through the work of the Library Bridge program, we strove to be mindful in soliciting feedback from minoritized and first-generation students about library services and spaces, understanding that we invariably brought our own lens to the information we received. We acknowledged this lens in the process and, to the extent possible, implemented the suggestions we received as authentic viewpoints of those we serve as a library, rather than relying on our own perspectives.

University of Portland (UP)

• Private Catholic university
• Approximately 3700 students, primarily undergraduate

Photo courtesy of the State Archives of North Carolina

What is the Library Bridge Program?

• Outreach to local high school students 

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• Tours of the UP library, led by first-generation (FGEN) college students  

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• Interviews about library impressions 

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• Asset-based, with a focus on learning from the students

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Photo courtesy of DeGolyer Library, Southern Methodist University 

Program Details

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• Jackson Foundation grant 
• Compensation for interviews
• Email and text outreach 
• Library skills training for FGEN student ambassadors

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Why these students?

• Future academic library users
• Reflection of our own rapidly diversifying campus
• Pandemic-era high school students
• First-generation college student guides and near-peers  

Photo courtesy of the Cornell University Library

Asset-Based Approach

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• Valuing the experiences and strengths of students in the transition to college 

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• Learning from students how to build a library that is ready for them

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• Decentering librarians as sole experts on library use

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Student Interviews

• Where in this library do you feel most comfortable?
• What makes you nervous or unwilling to use this library?
• What are ways we could help students like you in the transition to college?
• How can the library make all students feel at home in their first year of college?

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Photo courtesy of Museums of History NSW

Arch, X., & Gilman, I. (2020). Academic library services for first-generation students. Libraries Unlimited.

H.S. Student voices

• "I like that [the library] is group work based, community oriented. It seems to be less about competition and who can be the best, it’s about working together to succeed."

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• "I’m sometimes nervous about being around people and asking for help but I’m glad you have a receptionist to help people."

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Photo courtesy of the San Diego Air and Space Museum Archive

Successes

• Peer contact valuable for high school students
• Constructive feedback about library space and services
• Feedback guided the design of a brochure for new and prospective students
• FGEN students benefited from additional library knowledge

Photo courtesy of the State Archives of North Carolina

FGEN Ambassador voices

• "Something that I learned that I found helpful was about the library databases and all of their subscriptions. I did not know about these before and I felt like they really helped me out with some of my papers this year.”

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• "I am happy I get to carry the values forward of the idea of giving back and being a resource for others."

Photo courtesy of the University of Victoria Libraries

Future Plans

• Partnering with other groups on campus
• Continued focus on asset-based approach to learn from students

Photo courtesy of the Miami University Libraries

Recommendations

• Build in opportunities for student feedback in tours and orientations
• Find ways to compensate students for feedback
• Involve student tour guides in training and tour planning
• Partner with campus programs

Photo courtesy of the Australian National Maritime Museum

References

• Arch, X., & Gilman, I. (2020). Academic library services for first-generation students. Libraries Unlimited.
• Arch, X., & Senior, H. (2023). Building a bridge: A library outreach program for students in transition. Paper presented at ACRL 2023. Pittsburgh, PA: ACRL. https://www.ala.org/acrl/sites/ala.org.acrl/files/content/conferences/confsandpreconfs/2023/BuildingaBridge.pdf

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Photo courtesy of Oregon State Archives and Northwest Digital Heritage

Questions?

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Thank you!

Xan Arch, arch@up.edu

Heidi Senior, senior@up.edu

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Photo courtesy of the Miami University Libraries