A Survey of Student Employment and Geospatial Services in Academic Libraries

Abstract

Student employees are often vital members of an academic library’s workforce, though the extent to which they contribute to library geospatial services has not yet been explored in a systematic way. The present study was designed to address this gap through a survey of academic library professionals involved in employing students to provide geospatial services. Topics addressed in the survey include department staffing, student employee responsibilities, funding and compensation for student positions, and the perceived benefits and challenges of employing students to provide geospatial services. Data generated through survey responses indicate potential differences in the types of responsibilities performed by graduate/professional and undergraduate students, enhanced productivity and collective wisdom as library benefits, professionally relevant experience and transferable skill development as student benefits, and common challenges across institutions. By providing a baseline understanding of student employment practices in library geospatial services, this study offers actionable information for current practitioners and can serve as a foundation for future scholarship on supervisor and student employee experiences.