The University of Manchester Library Student Team, for ‘Inclusive Education’ and ‘the Student Voice’

Team Leader: Jennie Blake. Adam Cooke, Kathryn Miller, Samantha Barker, Olivia Wing Yan Mak, Rachel Cox, Luke Geikie, Iqra Tehreem Malik, Jakub Lusnak, Nuura Ahmed Abdillahi Ahm, Fatima Abdullahi, Lily Pearson, Stefan Nikolov, Hui Chia, Dhruv Mistry, Tabita-Gabriela Juravle, Durian Malhotra, Szaffi Tamara Gracia Dolores Jarbath, Angelica Islam, Syeda Fatima Batool Kazmi, Charmaine Shien Shing Lai, Pranav Bharadwaj Gangrekalve Manoj, Fariha Amna Agha

The student voice was quite literally to the fore in this video-submission in which current members of the Library’s Student Team described how, over the last ten years, the various members of this team have changed the Library’s approach to teaching though harnessing diverse languages, backgrounds and experiences. Close working relationships are fostered between Library staff and student team members, to mutual benefit and the educational gains of the wider academic community. Student Team members are involved in things such as: producing digital podcasts for students; creating and updating MLE online resources; maintaining a vibrant presence across social media; seeking and analysing student feedback. Digisoc is a university-accredited course that is offered through UCIL (UCIL26002) but, as a course about the networked world, is also published openly, which means anyone is free to take part. “Tea with AVP TLSE” provides quality feedback to the student experience to the University’s senior leadership. The Student Team also partnered with the Ahmed Iqbal Ullah RACE (Race Archives and Community Engagement) Centre to put on events that centre marginalised voices, resources, anti-racist scholar activism, combating stereotypes and myths that feeds into a wider research project.

By its nature, the membership of the Library Student Team is constantly changing with each new cohort. As Jennie Blake comments, “Graduation is always a time for tears as we say goodbye. But they are ever-present in the impact they have made on the teaching in this university and the students who attend.”