Mentoring Undergraduate Researchers: A Student Success Program Incorporating Multidisciplinary Library Research Projects and High Impact Practices

In response to a university-wide initiative to support undergraduate academic success, research preparation, and career readiness, Binghamton University Libraries launched the Library Research Scholars Pilot Program in Spring 2024, and completed its second cohort in Spring 2025. This semester-long program pairs undergraduates with faculty/staff mentors to engage in diverse library-centered, multidisciplinary research projects—making it the first library-based undergraduate research program at the university, and the only one grounded in library science. Students receive structured mentorship in both foundational and advanced research methods, and participate in cohort meetings to share progress and explore broader research topics. Each student produces an academic poster and presents at a campus-wide undergraduate research “poster day,” and one hosted in the library. Students demonstrate success through completed deliverables such as academic posters, papers, and contributions to the institutional repository. A new partnership with the Career Center further expanded opportunities by offering a 4-credit internship option, which three students successfully completed. The program coordinator and a faculty mentor will share insights on program design, student recruitment, mentorship, and final presentations. Attendees will learn how to create or adapt similar research mentorship initiatives within their own libraries to support undergraduate growth, research engagement, and career development.