Students are at the core of the community we serve and it is vital to our mission that they have a voice in the Moraine Valley library. A Student Advisory Board (SAB) to the Library recognizes students as the primary stakeholders of the library and the group most impacted by decisions made about space, collections, services, code of conduct, and programming. The conversations among students and with librarians informed how the library structures space and code of conduct policies.
The Student Advisory Board (SAB) also impacts the teaching librarians do in the classroom and at the reference desk. There is a deficit-based narrative about students that we would like to disrupt. The SAB is ongoing evidence that students on our campus are deeply motivated, often juggling school, work, and families, yet still want to affect change where they can. Their involvement across different communities speaks to the nuanced ways they navigate and engage with information. Our information literacy instruction should reflect the complex ways our students understand the world around them.
The presenters will share practical aspects of starting a Student Advisory Board, and how the board has impacted the library, with a focus on instruction.
