March 2, 2017

Drexel University has been a pioneer in cooperative education since the early 1900s and continues to operate one of the largest and most highly-regarded cooperative education programs in the country. The Drexel University Libraries is a strong supporter of the co-op program and the Steinbright Career Development Center, the division of Drexel that oversees the co-op program and assists students throughout the co-op process. The Libraries is dedicated to helping students as they search for both co-op placements and post-graduate positions.

Just as the job market has evolved in recent years, the relationship between the Libraries and the Steinbright Career Development Center (SCDC) has also evolved. Industry surveys indicate that employers are placing increasing value on critical thinking and information literacy skills such as locating, organizing and evaluating information. To keep up with these trends and to ensure that information literacy is ingrained in the co-op experience, the Libraries and the SCDC continue their innovative partnerships.

Drexel librarians regularly meet with both SCDC staff and students to teach them to discover and use information resources, such as books and database, for finding potential jobs and later to tackle projects and problems once hired. The Libraries also provides more than 45 Library Guides dedicated to career and co-op support. These include everything from information on specific careers by major or regions of the world to more general information like salary research, company directories and career research tutorials.

The Libraries provides further support through facilitating in-person connections, including one-on-one meetings with students and faculty or classroom-based workshops. Resulting partnerships aim to incorporate information literacy into the co-op experience to ensure that Drexel students are well prepared for their future careers.

For more information on how the Libraries enhances the Drexel co-op experience, visit http://libguides.library.drexel.edu/libraryguides or contact Elise Ferer, Librarian for Undergraduate Learning, at etf25@drexel.edu