Document Type

News Article

Publication Title

Library Journal

Publication Date

5-21-2020

Keywords

student parents, academic libraries, library spaces, research

Abstract

[In the absence of an abstract, the introductory paragraph is provided.] At many colleges and universities, student-parents—students with one or more dependent children—are a growing population. Research in higher education has long demonstrated that student-parents face obstacles to completing degrees and participating in college experiences. Academic librarians, however, have done little work to study what student-parents uniquely need to succeed academically, though, several academic libraries now offer family-friendly study spaces. As mothers and former student-parents ourselves, we witnessed students express self-consciousness or evince discomfort when their children accompanied them in our library. We identified the need to ask—and listen to—currently enrolled students at the University of Memphis (UofM) about their research and library needs ("Exploring the Research and Library Needs of Student-Parents").

Funding Source

This story summarizes research funded by the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) Academic Library Impact Research Grant.

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