Library Open Forum - case study

Staff-student partnership

Background and context

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

To generate contextual feedback about how people use the library and spaces and work on that feedback.

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

Colleagues from the Library, academic liaison team, depends on the topic. Students involved were President of Education, PGR President and other relevant officers. 

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

An event at the library.

Goals and planning

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

General goal: to have a shared forum for generating contextual feedback about user experience of library services in order to generate insight to make service improvements. Specific goal of PG open forum: to develop an informed understanding of postgraduate experiences of library service in order to generate insight to make service improvements!

  • How were these goals developed and agreed upon?

In discussion with the PGR President and the Academic Representation Co-Ordinator and Director of Education for other forum meetings. 

  • What planning or preparation was involved?

Several short meetings to agree questions and areas of investigation, devise activities, plan the event and then to analyse outcomes and discuss next steps. 

The activity in action

  • What did the partnership look like in practice?

Co-designing activities, co-hosting on the day, shared responsibility for promoting the event, library responsibility to set up/take down/provide refreshments (and to process data collected), Students’ Association responsibility to organise reps attendance, shared responsibility for communicating outcomes/closing the feedback loop.

  • How were responsibilities shared between staff and students?

See above! Students also involved as participants so responsible for bringing their own views – and potentially representing others.

  • What methods or tools were used to support collaboration?

Teams, email, loop components, discussion

Outcomes and impact

  • What were the key outcomes or achievements? 

Number of outcomes from PG open forum, see

See blog posts for service improvements – but also benefit of building sense of community/shared ownership of spaces and services.

  • 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.

Looking ahead

  • How has this activity influenced future work or thinking?

Something we want to carry on as a way to gather feedback.