Empowering Students and Expanding Services: Sustainable Staffing at the Sonoma State University Library

Abstract

This chapter explores how a perpetual beta mentality allows public services spaces and staffing to be more flexible, responsive, and dynamic to meet the needs of a university community. In one library’s experience, this led to a redeveloped Student Assistant Program which made better use of student employee time and prompted the authors to begin exploring the impact of library employment on the future work life of student employees. Through various data collection metrics, pilot project testing, and staged implementation, public services have expanded and become more adaptable. This approach included collecting usage pattern statistics, focus groups, and surveys. A perpetual beta mindset and career-oriented work for student employees makes for more responsive public services. The sample size for each focus group was small, but spanned a broad range of student stakeholders. Because perpetual beta allows for constant change, it can be hard to compare data between iterations. Libraries should make employment more meaningful to student assistants and their future careers. This chapter further explores the current research of library employment for student assistants and begins to track their perceptions of said impact after graduation.

Citation

Lawson, N. and Kinney, M. (2015), "Empowering Students and Expanding Services: Sustainable Staffing at the Sonoma State University Library", Library Staffing for the Future (Advances in Library Administration and Organization, Vol. 34), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 225-244. https://doi.org/10.1108/S0732-067120150000034010