Many academic libraries make efforts to support first-generation students (FGS). But many students may not even realize they fall into this category.
While examining academic library websites in 2022, researchers Danielle Maurici-Pollock and Rebecca Stallworth noted they found 80 different definitions for FGS. The most common definitions refer to the first person in a family to go to college or a student whose parents didn’t attend college, but a range of lived experiences can make the terminology more ambiguous.
Maurici-Pollock, assistant professor and research data specialist at University of New Mexico Health Sciences Library and Informatics Center in Albuquerque, and Stallworth, assistant professor at Simmons University’s School of Library and Information Science in Boston, presented their findings at “Beyond the Bachelor’s Degree: Supporting First-Generation Students through Graduate School,” a January 20 session at the American Library Association’s 2024 LibLearnX conference in Baltimore.
“Do you count an associate degree as having gone to college versus a bachelor’s degree?” asked Maurici-Pollock. “Do you count someone who maybe started college but never actually finished?” She also noted that different types of family structures—such as if a student wasn’t raised by one or both biological parents—or if the student is the first to go for an advanced degree may affect interpretation of the FGS term.
For the last several years, Maurici-Pollock and Stallworth have been researching the needs and experiences of FGS, particularly those students in graduate school who are searching for work afterward. The pair defines FGS more generally, as “students who lack a history of engagement with higher education.”
FGS, particularly those in graduate school, are an understudied demographic, Maurici-Pollock and Stallworth said. Learning more about this group can help eliminate barriers and improve retention within higher education, especially for those FGS who struggle to navigate academia’s culture and norms.
“This is a category of information needs that we think libraries are in a really good position to help meet,” Maurici-Pollock said.
Stallworth outlined ways academic libraries can support FGS who are pursuing advanced degrees, including dedicating a section of the library’s website to explaining the criteria and materials needed for graduate applications and forging partnerships with other departments that serve this community. Session attendees also made suggestions, like producing videos that break down the basics of doing library searches, organizing FGS mixers, and providing individual mentoring once students enter the workforce.
Stallworth emphasized that former FGS can offer unique perspectives to the next generation: “Having librarians do that type of outreach, specifically those who are first-generation librarians, to students can be helpful.”
