Exploring the library experiences of military dependents

Abstract

College and university library programs and services for military-affiliated populations are typically aimed at student veterans and service members and not their spouses or children who are also students. However, librarians organizing programming for student veterans and service members often receive questions about also including other military-affiliated groups on campus, such as ROTC cadets or military dependents, the spouses/children of veterans who are using educational benefits, in their programming audience. This study explores the potential relevance of targeted library support for veterans and service members to military dependents. Findings suggest that incoming dependents' demographics and experiences with libraries are similar to those of other first time in college students. When designing programming and services for student veterans and service members, librarians should think critically about whether those programs and services are also appropriate for military dependents before expanding the target audience.