Libraries are more than repositories of information—they are communities where people learn, grow, and find belonging. For student workers, interns, and even new staff members, the first days in a library role can shape their confidence and engagement for years to come. At Inclusive Knowledge Solutions, we believe that fostering strong, supportive relationships through mentorship, buddy systems, and sponsorship transforms onboarding into something deeper: a foundation for growth, belonging, and equity.

Why Relationships Matter for Today’s Students

For many student workers, a library job is their first professional experience. The transition can feel overwhelming, especially for Gen Z students who are entering the workforce amid uncertainty and rapid change. Research shows that Gen Z employees are among the most likely to report disengagement and loneliness, despite being the most digitally connected generation.

Structured mentoring and buddy systems directly address this challenge. They ensure that every new worker has a peer and a mentor to turn to—someone who can answer questions, share encouragement, and model success. This relational approach not only makes onboarding smoother but also reflects the values libraries embody: collaboration, inclusivity, and knowledge-sharing.

A Train-the-Trainer Model in Practice

Our library’s onboarding is anchored in a train-the-trainer model. Each new student worker is paired with a buddy—an experienced peer who provides day-to-day support. Buddies help with practical questions, but they also build confidence, normalize help-seeking, and strengthen trust across the team.

This peer model is sustainable: over time, new hires become the experienced buddies for the next cohort. It creates a cycle of teaching and learning that mirrors how libraries themselves operate—knowledge passed on, expanded, and shared.

Layered Mentorship: The Role of the Student Intern

In addition to buddies, our library student intern serves as a mentor to all workers. Unlike peer-level buddies, the intern offers broader guidance: modeling professionalism, encouraging reflection, and inspiring students to see the bigger picture of their contributions.

This layered approach reflects HBR’s recommendation to harness community and connection across generations. Interns bridge the gap between new student workers and professional staff, offering mentorship that is approachable yet aspirational.

From Mentorship to Sponsorship

While mentorship provides guidance, feedback, and encouragement, the concept of sponsorship challenges us to go further. Sponsorship, as Rosalind Chow explains, involves using one’s influence and social capital to amplify, boost, connect, and defend others.

Amplify: Sharing students’ successes publicly, so their contributions are visible.

Boost: Recommending them for opportunities—whether in the library or in future roles.

• Connect: Introducing them to networks, faculty, or professional associations they may not otherwise access.
• Defend: Advocating when students’ ideas or abilities are overlooked or underestimated.

For academic libraries, this distinction matters. Many of our student workers are first-generation students, students of color, or from underrepresented groups. Mentoring them is critical—but sponsoring them, advocating for their voices and opportunities, is what creates long-term equity.

Benefits for the Library as a Whole

When relationships are built into onboarding, the entire library benefits:

• Stronger teamwork: Workers collaborate and support one another naturally.
• Higher engagement: Students feel valued, seen, and included from the start.
• Leadership development: Buddies, interns, and staff all practice communication, empathy, and coaching.
• Equity and inclusion: Sponsorship ensures that all students—not just the most visible—are supported in their growth.

These outcomes resonate with Gallup’s findings that workplace friendships and advocacy are strongly linked to engagement and retention.

Practical Tips for Academic Librarians

If you’re considering similar systems, here are some steps to get started:

Start small: Pair each new worker with a buddy. Even one supportive relationship can transform onboarding.

Set clear roles: Help buddies, mentors, and sponsors understand their responsibilities.

Encourage feedback: Build feedback loops so students feel heard and mentors continue to grow.

Recognize contributions: Celebrate the efforts of buddies and mentors publicly. Recognition reinforces the value of these roles.

Move toward sponsorship: Think beyond guidance—advocate for students, connect them to opportunities, and defend their potential.

Conclusion: Relationships as a Legacy

Mentorship, buddy systems, and sponsorship are not just onboarding tools—they are long-term strategies for resilience, inclusion, and equity. By weaving relational support into the fabric of library work, academic librarians can create environments where students thrive, develop confidence, and grow into leaders.

Ultimately, the strongest libraries are not only defined by the collections they hold but by the relationships they cultivate—and the futures they sponsor.

Further Reading

For those interested in exploring these ideas in more depth, here are two recommended articles from Harvard Business Review:

Helping Gen Z Employees Find Their Place at Work by Jenny Fernandez, Kathryn Landis, and Julie Lee. Seven strategies to engage, support, and connect with Gen Z employees, emphasizing transparency, feedback, and community.

Don’t Just Mentor Women and People of Color. Sponsor Them. by Rosalind Chow. Explains the critical difference between mentorship and sponsorship, and offers concrete strategies for amplifying, boosting, connecting, and defending underrepresented colleagues