Creating a Student focused Library Through a Student Library Advisory Group

Objective: This paper outlines the formation, organization, and utilization of our Student Library Advisory Group (SLAC) to enhance student engagement and inform library decision-making. Methods: We will describe how we established, managed, and engaged our Student Library Advisory Committee and how we've used this committee as a focus group for student voices over the past five years at a small health sciences university. This includes scheduling quarterly meetings with pre-circulated agendas, providing optional opportunities for additional involvement such as orientation support or discussions on topics of interest like scholarly communication. Results: Creating a student library advisory committee has several benefits. It serves as a student focus group, providing feedback and ideas for shaping our library's collection, online resources, space design, and library instruction, while also reducing survey fatigue amongst the general student population. This collaboration with students has led to increased engagement with library services and resources while improving overall student satisfaction. Conclusion: Student library advisory groups can offer an effective approach to co-create a library that truly reflects and serves its student community. By strategically forming and engaging with these groups, libraries can gather important feedback and build a student-forward institution.