The Library works in partnership with students to better understand their needs and to develop services that improve their learning experience.

A voluntary scheme of Library Associates was established in 2016 with the aim of working with a small group of students over the course of one academic year to develop Library services to support student learning, and to promote a better understanding of how the Library works. Recruited in Term 3, typically 25 – 35 students from a wide range of Departments worked with the Library on a range of projects selected and led by them in small groups.

Some notable examples of projects led by Library Associates include:

• 2018 video projects with Humanities to talk about research and how to approach research projects: Starting your research journey: a student view (youtube.com);Link opens in a new windowTop tips for first year research: a student view (youtube.com)Link opens in a new window

• In 2018 we also worked with CLL to dispel myths about being at University and to tackle imposter syndrome.

• In 2019 follow up video projects on being a Library Associate and on ‘finding your research superpower’ were created: https://youtu.be/uy6hbV8x6J8?feature=sharedLink opens in a new window

• Between 2020 and 2022 we worked with Library Associates on a number of projects to diversify our library collections –through a More Books campaign to add suggested wider reading to stock, and to create reading lists to support students and staff wanting to learn more:https://warwick.ac.uk/services/library/about-us/diversifying-our-collectionsLink opens in a new window

• In 2021 a Library student newsletter was launched, edited and created by Library Associates. Run as a student newsletter ‘takeover’, this had a high open rate, with around 11k students reading each issue on average, receiving positive feedback from our students. The newsletter was also successful in increasing engagement with key Library services. This included clear spikes in readership of linked Library blog articles featured in the newsletter, a more than doubling of views on our YouTube channel, as well as a 62% increase in engagement with our online courses. The Library newsletter content has now been made a core element of the Central Marketing Student Newsletter, to allow more frequent and ad hoc contributions from our Library Associates.

Building on the success of these projects and recognising the cost of living challenges facing students, in 2023 the Library Associates scheme was updated and a paid “Library Student Partner” role was created.

Library Student Partners work with the Library on specific projects.The Library Student Partners are a development of the Library Associates and are an essential part of our Library Team. As wecomplete our Warwick Transformation process, we are embedding this role in all our service development planning to ensure the student voice is at the heart of what we do.