The Spring 2026 Binghamton Libraries Research Scholars Program provides undergraduate students with experience working on a guided research project. Participating students will work closely with a library faculty or professional staff mentor on a library-related research project that strengthens research skills and provides the opportunity to build upon personal research interests. Research results will be published in the ORB, Binghamton’s institutional repository. Scholars will be awarded $2,000 at the completion of their projects.
For questions contact Matthew Harrick, Coordinator.
Benefits:
- Gain hands on original research experience under the mentorship of faculty and staff
- Develop skills to effectively synthesize research and communicate the results in a recognizable scholarly format (e.g. paper, digital project, etc.)
- Learn about the academic libraries role in the research cycle
- Participating students have the option to enroll in CDCI 395: Internship for Credit, to earn 4 credits (click to apply)
Eligibility: Open to BU undergraduates actively enrolled in classes.
- Must be able to commit 120 hours over the course of the Spring 2026 semester
- Must be able to commit to one common day/time per week - Wednesdays, 12-1pm - for cohort meetings and group program events
- Applications are encouraged from students from historically underrepresented backgrounds
- Preference will be given to students who meet the requirements as determined by the project, but who do not have previous research experience
- You cannot apply if you have previously participated in a Library Research Scholars Project
Expectations:
- 8 hours of dedicated time per week for orientation sessions, cohort meetings, mentor meetings, research time, and reflection and evaluation at the conclusion of the program
- Productive research under the mentorship of a faculty librarian or staff member resulting in an academic, public-facing intellectual product
- Preparation and presentation of your work to the campus community. This may be at Research Days or another venue. (costs directly related to presenting will be covered by the Libraries)
The Library Research Scholars Program is no longer accepting applications.
Spring 2026 Research Projects
Celebrating Cultural Continuity
Faculty Mentors: Benjamin Andrus, Neyda Gilman
This project will engage an undergraduate scholar in designing a digital and/or physical exhibit focused on the Haudenosaunee Festival at Binghamton University. The student’s goals will include: Curating and Interpreting Photographic Materials; Assigning Rich Metadata to Curated Materials; Designing an Exhibit; Presenting and Publishing. Click on the application link for more detailed information about the project.
This position has been filled.
Library Student Alumni Oral Interview Project
Faculty/Staff Mentors: Carrie Blabac-Myers, Elizabeth Brown
The Libraries are the top student employer on campus. Over the years, the work of the Libraries Student Employees (LSE) has been recognized but historically the Libraries has limited data to remain engaged with this important alumni constituency. By establishing a relationship with LSE alumni, the Libraries can promote institutional benefits including targeted updates and event invitations.
For this project, mentors will assist student researchers with a literature review, data collection, and creation of a final project (oral histories) from a selected number of LSE alumni. The oral interviews will focus on “where are they now” questions for the purpose of sharing these experiences to enhance library resources for and better recognize LSE alumni.
This project will focus on creating oral histories from alumni interviews for the purpose of collecting examples of quotes, alumni photos, and producing qualitative and quantitative statistics from the project data (including graduation year, major, career paths). This information will provide insight into the impact of LSE work on alumni career success. Click on the application link for more detailed information about the project.
This position has been filled.
Models for Research Assistance at Binghamton University Libraries
Faculty Mentor: Elise Ferer
In 2022, Bartle Library opened a refreshed reference service point, the research help desk. In order to better understand how Binghamton University seeks and receives assistance from the Libraries, this project will examine the service holistically in order to better meet the needs of our community in the changing information landscape.
In this project, the participating student will review the library literature on reference services in academic libraries along with our current services and those of peer institutions. Following this review, students will be able to choose how to proceed with the support of their mentor. Possibilities could include an environmental scan of the Libraries’ spaces, qualitative or quantitative review of information seeking behaviors of Binghamton University students, and/or potential recommendations for reference or research assistance models for the Libraries. Click on the application link for more detailed information about the project.
This position has been filled.
Information Access and Correspondence Education for Incarcerated People
Faculty/Staff Mentors: Sasha Frizzell, Caitlin Holton
This project will investigate the broad information landscape for incarcerated learners, with a focus on correspondence education nationwide. The goals are: to review the literature on information needs in carceral settings; to examine barriers to educational access, such as censorship, costs, and institutional restrictions; and to create a registry of correspondence education programs that can serve as a practical tool for incarcerated students, librarians, and advocates.
The project activities include reviewing scholarly literature, compiling and organizing information about current correspondence education programs, and analyzing the common trends and gaps in availability. The final product will be a poster presentation that communicates both the research findings and the creation of the registry, demonstrating how libraries can play a role in supporting incarcerated learners. Click on the application link for more detailed information about the project.
This position has been filled.
Partnering for Knowledge: Developing Research Skills Through Community-Engagement
Faculty Mentor: Laura Lipke
Based upon a program initially established at Cornell University Library, this project aims to incorporate the elements of information literacy, service learning, and evidence-based practice to enhance the research skills of undergraduate students within the health-related programs at Binghamton University. By combining the element of service learning and partnering with a community organization (Binghamton 2Degrees Food Security Working Group), the student will learn evidence-based research methods within a real-world context while applying the concepts of the information literacy framework. This partnership will also provide the student with the opportunity to collaborate with community organizers, provide a service for the organization and incorporate resources for this organization that are generally only accessible to the academic community.
This project will be fast paced and require dedication to the learning process, and will require students to collaborate with community organizations, conduct research within library databases, provide a synthesis of the data collected, with the potential to be developed into a publishable manuscript. Click on the application link for more detailed information about the project.
This position has been filled.
Recycling 3D Printing Waste in the University MakerLab
Faculty/Staff Mentors: Chungmin Park, Neyda Gilman
One of the most visible challenges in digital fabrication is the large volume of plastic waste generated by 3D printing. As one of the most popular machines in the Libraries’ MakerLab, 3D printers are used daily by students and faculty for prototyping, research, and projects. Inevitably, many 3D prints produce a lot of failed prints, support structures, and leftover filament that end up in trash cans. Also, few FabLabs or MakerLabs actively recycle this waste.
The goals of this project are to research recycling possibilities of 3d printing filaments and explore sustainable solutions to ultimately develop an internal filament recycling system within the MakerLab that has the potential to expand into a university-wide recycling system. This project will bring value to students by giving them opportunities to engage directly with sustainability challenges while learning practical skills in design, some of material science, and problem-solving. Click on the application link for more detailed information about the project.
This position has been filled.
Documenting Binghamton Queer History Through a Self-Guided Tour
Faculty Mentors: Lark Wilson, Jillian Sandy
Local history of the LGBTQ+ community of Binghamton is not well-documented or widely accessible to researchers, due to intentional exclusion and safety risks for members of the community. However, the libraries’ Special Collections have some significant queer history holdings, such as the Herizons Collection. These materials have been of increasing interest to researchers over the past several years, but the local queer history that they document remains largely unknown inside and outside of the library.
The student who completes this project will gain a better understanding of research using local history and Special Collections materials. They will investigate both ethical and practical considerations for conducting research and maintaining the records of members of marginalized communities. They will create a final product that is publicly accessible and could be linked to in a resume or professional profile. Click on the application link for more detailed information about the project.
No longer accepting applications.