Description
Academic business librarians have long supported student success through information literacy instruction, research consultations, and entrepreneurial programming. Yet an often-overlooked opportunity for advancing career readiness lies within our own libraries: the intentional mentorship and development of student employees.
As higher education institutions face increasing pressure to demonstrate workforce outcomes, academic business libraries can serve as laboratories for professional growth. This session explores how purpose-driven student employment can complement traditional library instruction by helping undergraduate and graduate students develop leadership, communication, problem-solving, project management, and data-informed decision-making skills. Drawing on adaptive leadership and reflective assessment practices, the presentation highlights strategies for designing student worker experiences that extend beyond routine operational tasks to include meaningful projects, structured reflection, mentorship, and participation in organizational initiatives.
Particular attention will be given to how business librarians can align student employment with institutional goals related to career readiness, student engagement, and workforce preparation while operating within resource-constrained environments. The session will also discuss approaches for assessing student learning and demonstrating the value of student employment as a high-impact educational practice.
Attendees will leave with practical ideas for transforming student worker roles into intentional developmental experiences and for positioning academic business libraries as active contributors to student career readiness and professional success.
Keywords
Academic business librarians, student success, career readiness, workforce outcomes
Presentation Type
Lightning Talk
Recommended Citation
Jacobs, Chelsea, "From One-Shot Instruction to Purpose-Driven Employment: Expanding the Role of Academic Business Librarians in Career Readiness" (2026). Midwest Business Librarian Summit (MBLS). 7.
https://docs.lib.purdue.edu/mbls/2026/2026/7
From One-Shot Instruction to Purpose-Driven Employment: Expanding the Role of Academic Business Librarians in Career Readiness
Academic business librarians have long supported student success through information literacy instruction, research consultations, and entrepreneurial programming. Yet an often-overlooked opportunity for advancing career readiness lies within our own libraries: the intentional mentorship and development of student employees.
As higher education institutions face increasing pressure to demonstrate workforce outcomes, academic business libraries can serve as laboratories for professional growth. This session explores how purpose-driven student employment can complement traditional library instruction by helping undergraduate and graduate students develop leadership, communication, problem-solving, project management, and data-informed decision-making skills. Drawing on adaptive leadership and reflective assessment practices, the presentation highlights strategies for designing student worker experiences that extend beyond routine operational tasks to include meaningful projects, structured reflection, mentorship, and participation in organizational initiatives.
Particular attention will be given to how business librarians can align student employment with institutional goals related to career readiness, student engagement, and workforce preparation while operating within resource-constrained environments. The session will also discuss approaches for assessing student learning and demonstrating the value of student employment as a high-impact educational practice.
Attendees will leave with practical ideas for transforming student worker roles into intentional developmental experiences and for positioning academic business libraries as active contributors to student career readiness and professional success.