Improving Sciences Po Library for International Students

Sciences Po is a founding member of CIVICA, the European university of social sciences. As such, we welcome and send every year students, researchers, and faculty to the 9 partner universities of the alliance.

In December 2024, Sciences Po took part in the library staff mobility programme, hosting librarians from Bocconi University (Italy), European University Institute (international/Italy), Hertie School (Germany), and Stockholm School of Economics (Sweden).

Al Wiklund (SSE), Cécile Touitou (Sciences Po), Janet McGuinness (EUI), Sofia Ciliberto (Bocconi), Perrine Cambier-Meerschman (Sciences Po), Michael Tressl (Hertie), Stéphane Wartel (Sciences Po), Terri Sullivan (Hertie). (credits: Caroline Maufroid / Sciences Po)

Their 3-day visit was built around an original idea: they were asked to put themselves “in the shoes of an international student” with the goal of sharing best practices and improving Sciences Po Library. All six participants shared their observations with Sciences Po librarians, from misunderstood signs to a French humour that does not translate that well.

The originality of this programme was that it allowed participants to experiment with user design (UX) methods that they could freely adapt and reproduce in their own professional context. Several iterations of observations, user journeys and online tests enabled them to really put themselves in the shoes of first-time students, and to draw up astonishment reports that were extremely useful for improving the student experience.

The participants also discussed new habits among younger students, such as online chatting or Instagram messaging with librarians.

At work in Sciences Po Library. (credits: Caroline Maufroid / Sciences Po)

When asked how was their experience at Sciences Po, they replied:

"It has been a fantastic learning experience to look at a library with fresh eyes." Janet McGuinness, EUI.

“I also feel it's important to apply fresh eyes again to our job.” Michael Tressl, Hertie School.

“This experience really helped me clear my thoughts. Every so often, I feel like I can’t follow the pace. It gives me a sense of relief to know that we face the same challenges.” Sofia Ciliberto, Bocconi University.

"My workplace is a small library where it's easy to apply change. It was very nice to propose the recent changes I made to my European colleagues. These kinds of collaborations thus feel really useful and practical." Al Wiklund, SSE.