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Presentation Type
Individual Presentation
Abstract
At McMaster University Library, the Library Ambassador program places students at the center of engagement, belonging, and leadership development. Designed as a peer-to-peer initiative, the program hires and trains undergraduate students to represent the library, support outreach activities, and create welcoming experiences for their peers. More than just a job, the program builds confidence, cultivates transferable skills, and fosters a sense of belonging for Ambassadors.
Victoria Flores, a student leader instrumental to the program's development and success, will share how the Library Ambassador program contributes to student success on multiple levels: it provides meaningful paid experiential learning, amplifies student voices in shaping library services, and creates ripple effects of peer-to-peer connection across campus. Attendees will learn how the program helps Ambassadors gain career readiness skills such as public speaking, teamwork, and event planning, while also building bridges between the library and diverse student communities.
By centering students as partners and leaders, the Library Ambassador program illustrates how libraries can move beyond transactional service delivery toward cultivating inclusive, student-driven ecosystems of support. Participants will leave with practical insights into designing programs that simultaneously strengthen belonging, persistence, and leadership development.
From Belonging to Leadership: Empowering Students through McMaster University Library’s Library Ambassador Program
At McMaster University Library, the Library Ambassador program places students at the center of engagement, belonging, and leadership development. Designed as a peer-to-peer initiative, the program hires and trains undergraduate students to represent the library, support outreach activities, and create welcoming experiences for their peers. More than just a job, the program builds confidence, cultivates transferable skills, and fosters a sense of belonging for Ambassadors.
Victoria Flores, a student leader instrumental to the program's development and success, will share how the Library Ambassador program contributes to student success on multiple levels: it provides meaningful paid experiential learning, amplifies student voices in shaping library services, and creates ripple effects of peer-to-peer connection across campus. Attendees will learn how the program helps Ambassadors gain career readiness skills such as public speaking, teamwork, and event planning, while also building bridges between the library and diverse student communities.
By centering students as partners and leaders, the Library Ambassador program illustrates how libraries can move beyond transactional service delivery toward cultivating inclusive, student-driven ecosystems of support. Participants will leave with practical insights into designing programs that simultaneously strengthen belonging, persistence, and leadership development.