The Gale Ambassador Library Support Program has been running since 2017. It was set up to help universities get the most out of the Gale resources they’re accessing.

It has the same aims as libraries, to:

Increase awareness of the Gale resources already available to students.
Boost usage of these existing resources.
Deepen understanding of the resources amongst students (developing students' research skills).

We have now worked with over 80 ambassadors, and received positive feedback from participating students and universities alike.

Who benefits from the program?

The Gale Ambassador
- Financial – it’s a paid role.
- Career readiness – CV boost.
- Study benefits – enriched research skills.
The Student Body
- Peer-to-peer support for students less confident speaking to staff.
- Ambassadors are well trained and can deliver high-quality sessions.
- Students are best placed to understand the anxieties / challenges of other students.
- Increased awareness of available resources, leading to improved learning outcomes.
The Library
- Increased awareness, understanding and usage of resources amongst students and staff leading to improved learning outcomes.
- Supporting library initiatives (e.g. sharing LGBTQ resources for LGBTQ History Month).
- Training support.
The Faculty
- Increased awareness amongst teaching staff of the archives available.
- Helps teaching staff inform their students about the resources available – improving student outcomes.
- Public recognition of the strength of your students (e.g. departments sharing published blog posts).

What activities do Gale Ambassadors undertake?

The program activities can change slightly each year. The 2023-24 cohort of students will be undertaking:

Blogging: Writing a creative blog post using the Gale resources available.
Twitter: Composing creative and engaging tweets for @GaleAmbassadors, including image design, sometimes incorporating multimedia content such as GIFs and video.
External Promotion: Posting in online and offline locations that will be seen by students.
Live Events: Running diverse events (tabletop stands, short lecture presentations, student society events).
Product Research: Interviewing a student user to better understand their interaction and engagement with Gale Primary Sources.

There is a lot of flexibility when it comes to the activities – students can schedule everything around their existing activities and responsibilities. Students are also expected to be able to operate independently, managing their own time and activities, and thus Gale Ambassadors can feel empowered to drive and shape their own program.

Check out @GaleAmbassadors to see some of the work of previous Gale Ambassadors!

Which students are eligible?

Where the program is running, students in all year groups studying an Arts, Humanities or Social Science subject are eligible for the role.

We have worked with students from undergraduate up to final year PhD students. All have had a lot to offer and, we’re told, have got a lot out of the program!

Whilst many ambassadors have studied History, others have studied English Literature, Politics, Sociology, Creative Writing, Marketing, Philosophy and more.

Prior use of the archives is not essential. The most important thing is a passion for history, archives, and helping others to learn!

We do not run the Gale Ambassador Library Support Program at all universities. Check this page to see where we’re currently recruiting.