Supporting First-Generation Graduate Students in an Academic Health Sciences Library Setting

Background: First-generation (“first-gen”) college and graduate students face a number of obstacles to academic success and a sense of belonging on campus. As a center of campus life and a key academic support service, academic health sciences libraries can be key partners in supporting these students. This program will identify ways library staff can guide and mentor first-gen students. The primary objective is for library staff to personally communicate with students throughout the semester to provide them with academic support and share library resources. Another objective is to create campus partnerships to amplify library presence and support in existing first-gen students.

Description: In Fall 2021, the main campus library asked our library to participate in a “personal librarian” and mentorship program for first-gen students. A welcome session introduced first-gen students to both the new center for first-generation students and the mentorship program. A health science librarian introduced themselves and the library at this session. Later, they were assigned students based on the health sciences campus. A template provided to the librarian was tailored to the needs of the students, and the first letter was sent. Five letters, introducing the librarian and highlighting different library resources will be sent out this and next semester. The library volunteered to do a special orientation for these students. The library director, a former first-gen graduate student, participated in the pilot program. Library staff also completed training to be listed in a university-wide directory of first-gen allies.

Conclusion: As of October 2021, these programs are in progress. Both process objectives have been met. Long-term goals are to ensure first-generation students have the same sense of personal and academic achievement that their continuing-generation peers have in their first year of graduate education. Evaluation done by partner programs will measure that. Additional evaluation will assess how additional library support and mentorship affects students’ sense of belonging and academic achievement.