Summer 2025 Projects
Both projects for summer 2025 are hybrid (part in-person, part virtual).
Borderless Seed Stories - Growing Community Connections
Mentor: Caylen Cole-Hazel, Circulation and Access Services Assistant
Number of Positions: 2
Over the past year and a half, U-M Library staff and students have developed a seed library as a community-based resource aimed at promoting sustainability by providing access to seeds for cultivation. The seed library enhances local networks, boosts biodiversity, and supports positive environmental impacts within the community and globally.
Under close mentorship, the students working on this project would continue work undertaken by two previous student library internships. Duties and opportunities may include:
- Creating a Google Site and digital screen showcase to highlight aspects of the Borderless Seed Stories exhibit that will be permanently linked to the University of Michigan through the DeepBlue repository.
- Designing and producing a project lifecycle zine or chapbook to provide inspirational and educational resources to other institutions interested in similar initiatives.
- Contributing to feedback on the integration of stories into seed library work in academic settings.
- Assisting with envisioning future workshops and/or initiatives pertaining to the Borderless Seed Stories project.
- Networking with collaborators and partners campus wide to steward and broaden existing partnerships.
By undertaking these tasks, the students will deepen their understanding of exhibit curation, creative labor, aesthetic dynamism, and develop their sense of institutional/organizational nuance. They will build their creative portfolio, gain insights into library strategies and project management, and receive professional development while collaborating with library staff.
Desired skills (not required): Interest in environmental issues, data curation, storytelling/weaving and zine-making, accessible web design, empowered communication.
First-Generation International Students: Exploring Their Unique Experiences with the Library
Mentors: Craig Smith, Assessment Specialist
Number of positions: 2
In 2023, the U-M Library conducted a campus-wide survey which revealed that the library is especially important for first-generation international students and is viewed as a welcoming place for them. At the same time, first-gen international students expressed slightly more negative experiences than others in aspects such as finding desired items in the collection, wayfinding in library spaces, and the library's respect for diversity. While none of the mean ratings were negative, the pattern of results suggests that first-gen international students have some needs and experiences that are worth exploring, understanding, and improving. The goal of this project is to collect novel data that can be used for that purpose.
The student(s) chosen for this project would be involved in:
- Exploring existing survey data on student library use at U-M.
- Planning for and designing a new study with qualitative and quantitative elements.
- Collecting data using methods such as surveys, interviews, and focus groups.
- Managing, analyzing, and reporting on data.
In addition, students will become very familiar with the existing knowledge about international and first-gen students' experiences with universities and libraries.
Desired skills (not required): No prior experience with research needed, but strong interests in research and understanding the needs of diverse groups of students is important.