Recruitment to the Profession: Student Workers in Academic Libraries as Potential Future Librarians

Despite the educative, mentoring, and recruitment opportunities that abound in the librarian-student worker relationship, academic libraries are not taking a conscious, active role in what could be a powerful catalyst in ensuring the existence and success of the next generation of librarians. Thus, the current study explored this recruitment potential by surveying a population of undergraduate student workers to determine their knowledge about and interest in the profession. Library and non-library related factors both influenced the decision to seek library work. One student specifically wanted to learn about librarianship. Participants were generally correct in their identification of the librarians and their responsibilities, but often answers were vague and incomplete. Work experience was viewed as either positive or neutral. Significant interest was shown in possible educative and mentoring activities. The results of this study provide support for greater emphasis on recruitment focused on undergraduate student library workers