2015 Charleston Library Conference

Universities and their libraries play an important social acculturation role by helping to educate and support the intellectual, emotional and even moral growth of young adults as they prepare to enter the working world and to define themselves as individuals and contributing members of society. This presentation will explore the role(s) that academic library collections play in relation to the psychosocial development of young adults. Drawing upon contemporary learning and young adult development theory, we will situate the role of academic library collections in relation to the various developmental stages, tasks and learning challenges that young adults experience during a typical university experience. While academic library collections are typically built and assessed in response to curricular needs and accreditation processes, they can also be intentionally developed and promoted with more conscious attention to the developmental needs and context of the students who will use them. Audience input will be sought to explore how traditional ways of selecting, promoting, and providing access to library collections can be modified to create more direct and meaningful engagement for our students as they seek to define themselves and make the transition to adulthood.
Learning outcomes will include:
• Understanding of university-aged student psychosocial development stages
• Understanding of the role of library collections in relation to student development needs
• How collections practices can be designed to maximize support for student development needs