They CAN and they SHOULD and it’s BOTH AND: The role of undergraduate peer mentors in the reference conversation

Abstract

In Brief: Academic libraries hire and train student employees to answer reference questions which can result in high-impact employment experiences for these students. By employing students in this role, opportunities are created for peer-to-peer learning and for a learning community to develop among the student employees. However, not everyone supports this practice. Some believe undergraduates...

Keywords

• college students
• high impact practices
• peer-assisted learning
• peer-to-peer services
• reference services
• student employment