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Managing Student Assistants: A How-To-Do-It Manual for Librarians
By Kimberly Burke Sweetman

1-55570-581-2 . 2006 . 8 1/2 x 11 . 153 pp.
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How-To-Do-It Manuals

Make the most of students' employment in libraries

Whether a volunteer, intern, work-study student or part-time employee, students can be a valuable part of the library’s staff. With their benefits, however, come unique challenges. Kimberly Burke Sweetman, a frequent presenter of management workshops, shares practical guidance for making the most of students in your organization. She examines the basics: building the case for student workers in your library, designing the position, drafting the job description, and preparing for the hiring process; then walks you through advertising the position, recruiting the right candidates, and interviewing effectively. Here is the practical advice you need to recruit, hire, orient and train student workers — as well as motivate and coach them appropriately, to minimize turnover. This guide is filled with examples, checklists, forms, templates, and exercises.

List of Figures
Preface
Acknowledgments

1. The Basics of Managing Student Assistants
A Brief History of Employing Student Assistants
Real Advantages to Hiring Students
Myths about the Disadvantages of Hiring Student Assistants
Honing Effective Management Skills
Working with the Federal Work Study Program
Embracing Your Management Responsibilities
Exercises

2. Preparing to Recruit Student Assistants
Why Spend Time Preparing?
Establishing the Need
Examining Workflow to Streamline or Eliminate Work Efforts
Using Workflow Tasks to Design an Effective Job Description
Fitting Departmental Needs with Campus Regulations
Exercises

3. Simplifying the Hiring Process
Why Develop a Hiring Framework?
Outlining an Accurate Job Description
Assembling the Components of a Vacancy Toolkit
Scheduling
Exercises

4. Recruiting and Responding to Candidates
Maximizing the Candidate Pool
Making Advertising Irresistible
Timing the Advertising
Responding to Job Advertisement Result
Exercises

5. Interviewing and Selecting Candidates
Why Conduct a Formal Interview?
Guidelines for Constructing Interview Queries
Screening Objectively
Checking References
Selecting the Best Person
Exercises

6. Training and Orienting New Workers
Why Invest the Time in Training?
Developing Strategies for Easy Orientation and Great Training
Exploring the Components of a Training Toolkit
Using Orientation to Establish Expectation
Dealing with Unique Training Issues
Training to Teach Specific Skills
Exercises

7. Keeping Performance High and Turnover Low
Why Invest in Performance?
Strategies to Keep Students Performing Well and Retain Well-Performing Students
Evaluating Regularly
Using Coaching Conversations to Tackle Corrective Action
Guidelines for Handling Discipline Issues
Exploring Basic Theories of Motivation
An Interesting Job Is the Best Motivator
Exercises

Sources: Managing Student Assistants
Source A: Bibliography
Source B: Web Links to Recommended Policies and Procedures
Source C: Sample Student Worker Handbook

Managing Student Assistants: A How-To-Do-It Manual for Librarians By Kimberly Burke Sweetman

Table of Contents

Managing Student Assistants: A How-To-Do-It Manual for Librarians
By Kimberly Burke Sweetman