Creating Connections: Engaging Student Library Employees through Experiential Learning

Academic libraries are finding that involving student employees in collaborative projects fosters student development while increasing library capability and impact. This article validates and builds on Denda and Hunter's team-based engagement framework. The authors expound on that model with principles of experiential learning that apply to a broad scope of student library work. They demonstrate this approach through creative project examples, including the exhibit "Connection." Engaging student library employees through workplace experiential learning connects them to people and purpose, fostering skill development and a service mindset for their library roles and future careers.