Students and Parents: How Academic Libraries Serve a Growing Population

Abstract:In recognition of the critical role that libraries play in the educational lives of student parents, there has been a noticeable trend in academic libraries to offer services and spaces for students and their children. This article reviews recent library and information science (LIS) literature on student parent initiatives in academic libraries. The purpose of this synthesis is to highlight demographic data, research findings, and case studies that, considered together, may significantly expand the profession’s knowledge about the barriers student parents face in accessing the academic library and its services. The article first lays out the rationale and urgency of providing library services and spaces to student parents. Then, a summary of existing LIS literature on student parents is provided. To enable individual libraries to undertake their own family-friendly initiatives, this section outlines the stages and steps identified by scholars and practitioners as necessary to design and implement successful policies, spaces, and services for student parents.