Leveraging a publications project for student learning & organizational research discovery

Context: A challenge for many libraries is balancing the need to grow services while creating meaningful experiential learning opportunities for emerging librarians. Our STEM library team at [anonymized organization name] resurrected an under-resourced project to implement a student-centered, practice-based learning initiative with deliverables that met the information needs of researchers within the organization. The project aimed to provide a library science student with hands-on experience in core areas of STEM librarianship, including metadata management, quality control, research discovery, scholarly communications, and documentation development. In addition, the project sought to create a comprehensive, searchable resource that would increase awareness of organizational research outputs, support discovery, and establish sustainable workflows for long-term maintenance.Description:We adopted a collaborative model in which STEM librarians worked alongside the library science student to develop a dynamic institutional publications resource. The student participated in review, cleaning, and standardizing publication records; verifying metadata; locating and linking full-text content; documenting indexing practices; and evaluating methods for organizing content across multiple research institutes. The project provided practical exposure to tools and workflows commonly used in STEM librarianship, including bibliographic management systems, metadata standards, quality assurance processes, and research discovery platforms.To support sustainability, the student led the development of project documentation, indexing guidelines, maintenance checklists, and recommendations for future updates. Emphasis was placed on creating consistent metadata practices that would enable reliable discovery, browsing, and future scalability.Project outcomes were assessed through completion of project deliverables, quality control measures, and documentation produced, and the establishment of repeatable workflows that can be maintained by the team.Conclusion:The project contributed to building the student’s knowledge and confidence while creating a service that meets researchers’ information needs. The student gained practical experience applying librarianship concepts in an authentic STEM research environment, building skills in metadata management, scholarly communications, and collaborative decision-making for service provision. At the organizational level, the project advanced the creation of a centralized publications resource designed to improve visibility of research outputs, support discovery needs, and facilitate cross-institute awareness of research activities. Equally important, the project established documentation, indexing practices, and maintenance workflows that provide a foundation for sustainable future updates. This case study demonstrates how a single initiative can simultaneously support professional learning and enhance the long-term value of institutional research information resources.This presentation was delivered at the 16th Annual STEM Librarians South Conference on Nov 10, 2026.