2025/10/02 by Franklin Ofsthun · 1 voice
Social Sciences · #Higher Education Research Studies #Higher Education and Employability #Library Science and Information Literacy
paper · doi:10.1080/15228959.2025.2568661
openalex publication_date 2025/10/02 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/06/15
Library student assistants employed by The Universities at Shady Grove’s Priddy Library take part in a mandatory professional development program that emphasizes skill building, professional experiences, and career competencies. This article uses interviews from seven former library student assistants to explore their feelings on early career experiences, and to determine what students retain from the program, and to learn what libraries can do to better prepare student employees for their post-graduation careers. When exploring their present positions, it was found that job satisfaction was positively correlated with workplace social support and negatively correlated with overwork. Participants felt positively about their experiences at The Universities at Shady Grove and the library, and emphasized the role that social support played in their success. Participants identified many career competencies developed at the library that they continue to use in their post-graduation careers, most notably: customer service, communication, critical thinking, time management, and professionalism. Despite their acquisition of skills and degrees, participants shared feelings of self-doubt and inadequacy, indicating that more effort should be made to build students’ professional confidence.