2021-2022
This project grew out of the recognition that modern curriculum development needs to move beyond traditional teaching models toward interactive, student-centred approaches and that university libraries need to adopt similar approaches to support contemporary teaching and learning. The project explored how university libraries work with students through co-design processes.
Through extensive research and collaboration, the team:
- conducted the first comprehensive review of student partnership practices in university libraries across Australia
- published research findings about Australian library students as partners practice
- undertook case study projects at several Australian university libraries, building project team capability with students as partners methodologies
- created an evidence-based toolkit to support libraries in developing effective student partnerships.
The project focused on seven key domains where students and libraries can collaborate:
- Library space design or transformation
- Library governance
- Service improvement
- Resource design
- Research
- Collection renewal
- Library learning and teaching
A key feature was the project’s commitment to ‘practising what it preached’ – the team worked directly with students through case studies projects to develop their skills and knowledge and inform the toolkit’s development.
The resulting toolkit and research findings will support CAUL Member institutions adopting inclusive, student-centred approaches to library services and curriculum development.
This project was an initiative of the Enabling a Modern Curriculum Program.
Project team
- Dr Mollie Dollinger, Deakin University (lead)
- Daniella Ambriano, University of Technology, Sydney
- Kate Conway, Curtin University
- Imogen Harris-McNeill, University of Newcastle
- Dr Trent Hennessey, University of Melbourne
- Dr Karen Miller, Curtin University
- Craig Patterson, Deakin University
- Wendy Ratcliffe, La Trobe University
- Susan Vickery, Macquarie University
Publications and documents
- Students as partners toolkit
- Dollinger, M., Salisbury, F., & Davis, K. (2022). Unrealised Potential: A Survey of Students as Partners in Australian University Libraries. New Review of Academic Librarianship, 29(3), 288–303. Published version (Article title links to author accepted manuscript)
- Enabling a modern curriculum with students as partners – project brief