Support our troops: Strategies for serving veteran & military-affiliated students in academic libraries

Abstract

College and universities around the United States are enrolling veteran and military-affiliated students in ever-increasing numbers. Many of these colleges and universities have developed programs and services for veteran and military-affiliated students in order to help these students become academically successful. However, few of these programs and services involve the campus library. This poster, developed by an academic librarian who is an Army combat veteran, starts with the basics to help librarians understand who veteran and military-affiliated students are on their campuses and where to find them. It explains some fundamental aspects of military culture and connects this culture to existing research on the information-seeking behavior of veteran and military-affiliated students. Finally, this poster provides some suggestions for how librarians can get started working with veteran and military-affiliated students on their own campuses, including tips for low-cost services and easy-to-implement programs.