Engaging the Campus Community with a Creative Student Peer Team
Presentation Type
Presentation (20 minutes)
Presentation Theme
Promote innovative services, programs, or technologies
Start Date
11-8-2015 3:45 PM
End Date
11-8-2015 4:45 PM
Description
Mugar Greene Scholars, a group of creative work-study students majoring in art, graphic design, video production, public relations, etc., here at Boston University, provide digital and print media support for the library’s communication efforts. This student team is dedicated to creating a welcoming and engaging library environment for the campus by communicating with their peers through social media and other channels. Managing the work of these talented students will be described.
The library did not have a culture of graphic signage/communications nor anyone who had voluntarily “picked up” and run with this necessary function. As a result, the library was minimally signed with pedestrian word-processed text where necessary. Boston University has both a College of Communication and a School of Visual Arts, training many students in skills the library badly needed. The benefit of working with one graphic design student during one academic year fortuitously combined with a significant, unexpected gift to the libraries funding student employment. The gift enabled the library to create a team of talented students led by a librarian with a background in documentary production. The library is now colorfully signed with engaging messages.
The purpose of the Mugar Greene Scholars is twofold: first, there is the immediate benefit to the libraries of significantly improved communication through signage, videos and other media. Today the communication efforts have extended beyond the library doors, including regular assigned space among the largest billboards on campus and library content developed for University Orientation sessions held every summer. Fresh videos are also created on a regular schedule for the library’s entryway digital sign. This creative content will be described and illustrated.
The second and most important benefit is working with students who are communicating with their that peers about the library. Students manage and create content for a blog capturing aspects of student life today. Before leaving campus for good, one student created a multi-episode romantic comedy set in the library. Banned Book Week, Open Access, holiday snowflake-making, Valentine’s Day, and many other events are managed for the library by this student team. For a second year the team spent Spring semester working on exhibition content around issues of free speech, this year asking the question “Is there ever a benefit to censorship?” Article nineteen from the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights remains prominently posted in the library from the first exhibition over a year ago. Engaging their peer student community on important topics is a vital part of the mission.
This presentation will include describing the mechanics of managing this creative team. Describing library need and relying on students’ creative response and ideas is a strong working principle. Students can surprise us. Students, in turn, benefit from a great opportunity for portfolio building, working for the “best internet gig on campus.” Challenges will be discussed as well.
Engaging the Campus Community with a Creative Student Peer Team
Mugar Greene Scholars, a group of creative work-study students majoring in art, graphic design, video production, public relations, etc., here at Boston University, provide digital and print media support for the library’s communication efforts. This student team is dedicated to creating a welcoming and engaging library environment for the campus by communicating with their peers through social media and other channels. Managing the work of these talented students will be described.
The library did not have a culture of graphic signage/communications nor anyone who had voluntarily “picked up” and run with this necessary function. As a result, the library was minimally signed with pedestrian word-processed text where necessary. Boston University has both a College of Communication and a School of Visual Arts, training many students in skills the library badly needed. The benefit of working with one graphic design student during one academic year fortuitously combined with a significant, unexpected gift to the libraries funding student employment. The gift enabled the library to create a team of talented students led by a librarian with a background in documentary production. The library is now colorfully signed with engaging messages.
The purpose of the Mugar Greene Scholars is twofold: first, there is the immediate benefit to the libraries of significantly improved communication through signage, videos and other media. Today the communication efforts have extended beyond the library doors, including regular assigned space among the largest billboards on campus and library content developed for University Orientation sessions held every summer. Fresh videos are also created on a regular schedule for the library’s entryway digital sign. This creative content will be described and illustrated.
The second and most important benefit is working with students who are communicating with their that peers about the library. Students manage and create content for a blog capturing aspects of student life today. Before leaving campus for good, one student created a multi-episode romantic comedy set in the library. Banned Book Week, Open Access, holiday snowflake-making, Valentine’s Day, and many other events are managed for the library by this student team. For a second year the team spent Spring semester working on exhibition content around issues of free speech, this year asking the question “Is there ever a benefit to censorship?” Article nineteen from the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights remains prominently posted in the library from the first exhibition over a year ago. Engaging their peer student community on important topics is a vital part of the mission.
This presentation will include describing the mechanics of managing this creative team. Describing library need and relying on students’ creative response and ideas is a strong working principle. Students can surprise us. Students, in turn, benefit from a great opportunity for portfolio building, working for the “best internet gig on campus.” Challenges will be discussed as well.
Comments
Examples of Mugar Greene Scholars video work: https://www.youtube.com/user/BULibrariesFilmTeam
Mugar Greene Scholars web site:
http://www.bu.edu/common/
Keywords: peer-to-peer, student team, engagement, media