Win-win strategy for the employment of reference graduate assistants in academic libraries

• Published in: Reference services review Vol. 31; no. 2; pp. 141 - 153
• Main Author: Wu, Qi (Kerry)
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bradford MCB UP Ltd 01.06.2003; Emerald; Emerald Group Publishing Limited
• Subjects: Academic Libraries; Contingent Employment; Employment Practices; Exact sciences and technology; Graduate Students; Higher Education; Information and communication sciences; Information Science Education; Information science. Documentation; Information service management; Learning; Libraries; Library and documentation centre management; Library and information science. General aspects; Library assistants; Library Services; Library staff; Organizational management. Staff and equipment management; Paraprofessionals; Postgraduate students; Professional aspects; Recruitment; Reference Services; Reference work; Sciences and techniques of general use; Training; Training Needs; Win Win Bargaining; Training; Graduates; Workplace learning; Students; Reference services; Academic libraries; Labour market; Higher education library; Student; Recruitment; Information science; Assistant; Librarianship; Graduate; Occupational training; Firm strategy
• ISSN: 0090-7324; 2054-1716
• DOI: 10.1108/00907320310476611

Discusses the application of win-win mindsets and strategy in the employment of reference graduate assistants in academic libraries. The strategy covers different stages of the employment including recruitment, training and support, and transition. It focuses on the concept of treating graduate assistants as colleagues and involving them in the whole process. Also compares the differences between the employment of reference graduate assistants who are library school students and those who are non-library school students, and the differences between graduate assistants in libraries and contingency workers in the business world.