Library Displays - case study

Staff-student partnership

Library displays, working with student societies LGBTQ and black history month. Individual displays with students work. If anyone gets in touch, we will try to work with them, and we also proactively plan things.

Background and context

  • What was the purpose of the staff-student partnership activity?

To give people a space to showcase their research, highlight particular issues.

  • Who was involved (roles, departments, student groups)?

Individual students, officers, societies, committees, Scott comms for library, Hayley – academic liaison.

  • What was the setting (e.g., course, project, initiative, event)?

Display! Utilising space for students. Community feel.

Goals and planning

  • What were the intended goals or outcomes of the activity?

Draw attention to issues, help students get their message across, good for library to highlight areas of our collections that might be interesting to students that they wouldn’t necessarily get the opportunity to come across themselves. Giving students a place to showcase their results, evidence of sharing ideas.

  • How were these goals developed and agreed upon?

Informal conversation.

  • What planning or preparation was involved?

Just conversational! Few emails back and forth. If there are book suggestions then Scott would do some work to decide what to put out. Information on the website with guidelines for the screens etc.

The activity in action

  • What did the partnership look like in practice?

Fairly informal, able to come in and chat. Can bring things to display or Scott can gather things.

  • How were responsibilities shared between staff and students?

Dependent on time, how involved the student wants to be, balance is mostly on libraries side but not on purpose.

  • What methods or tools were used to support collaboration?

Email.

Outcomes and impact

  • What were the key outcomes or achievements?

A display. Helping raise awareness and on library side boost engagement with those materials.

  • How did the activity benefit students, staff, or the wider community?

Knowledge sharing and engagement exercise.

  • Were there any unexpected results?

No

Reflections and learning

  • What worked well in the partnership?

When people have a specific idea with what they want. Barrier is low to getting involved, flexibility with the process.

  • What did you learn from the experience?

It’s really nice to engage with students! Seeing the students happy with the displays is fulfilling.

Looking ahead

  • How has this activity influenced future work or thinking?

Something we want to carry on and sustain.

  • What advice would you give to others starting a similar partnership?

Just do it! It doesn’t have to be something big and complicated, think about how this can be a way to partner with students and using the ideas of the space and the community is a positive bonus. 

Ross Christie – Museums.