IU Libraries seek student involvement

The Dean’s Student Library Advisory Group is a new program sponsored by IU Libraries.

Founded to promote communication between the libraries and IU students, this group will allow students to exchange information regarding the libraries’ resources, services and facilities.

“We’re really just starting this from scratch,” said Carrie Donovan, head of the Teaching and Learning Department at IU Libraries. “The idea is to pull in students who are really engaged and involved with University activities to be a sounding board for the dean in terms of making sure the libraries maintain the relevance to students.”

The DSLAG would meet two to three times a semester and would help keep the dean of libraries involved in what the students want and need.

“Just keeping me, the dean, really informed about what’s working and what’s not for undergraduate and graduate students,” Dean of Libraries Brenda Johnson said. “It’s a communication mechanism, and if we’re going to make some changes, it would be a group that I could go to and say ‘What would that mean to you?’”

Donovan said so far the DSLAG has invited groups like the Hutton Honors College, the IU Student Association, Union Board and more to join the advisory group.

“My hope is to start the meetings officially in the fall,” Donovan said. “We’ve had nominations trickling in, but we’ll still accept them for a few more months.”

Johnson said she hopes the group becomes a way for the libraries to not only learn from students but also to have students learn from the libraries.

“I see it as serving as an advocate for us and a way to communicate back out to students and their colleges,” Johnson said. “There are a lot of things, resources that we’re offering, that students aren’t aware of. If there is a group like this that is a representative of (the library) they will be able to go back to their fellow students and say, ‘Did you realize the library is offering this?’”

Donovan said she agreed.

“It’s an exciting thing to think about in terms of connecting the dean directly with undergraduate and grad students,” she said.

For more information or to get involved in the DSLAG contact cdonovan@indiana.edu.