Advisors as Allies: Connecting Libraries and Academic Advising

Abstract

Nearly every college student is assigned to and familiar with how to communicate with their academic advisor; unfortunately, the same cannot be said for most students and their liaison librarian. Though librarians and academic advisors typically perform markedly different duties, both connect students with valuable information and act as mentors and guides. How can librarians build on the commonalities we have with our advising colleagues in order to better connect with students? How might librarians and advisors mutually support one another?

This poster details an academic librarian’s work to forge connections with campus academic advisors in an effort to improve advisor awareness of library services and the role of librarians, focusing specifically on the development of an online training module for advisors about the library. This poster also describes successful and potential librarian-advisor collaborations, including a workshop series targeting undecided students and librarian involvement in the campus organization for advising staff.