October 7, 2022

Working for UW Libraries: Student Perspectives

Student Employees are the backbone of Library operations. They are also project leaders, mentors, and instructors in their own right.  From teaching text mining strategies to students and faculty, to planning and curating exhibits and events reaching international audiences, our student employee team (one of the largest on campus!) is truly inspiring. But don’t take our word for it, here are a few notes from our 2022 class of Library Student Employee Scholarship recipients:

 

Join Our Team! If these experiences sound like something you’d be interested in, check out our student positions. UW Libraries are always hiring!  See current job openings and learn more!

 “Working the University of Washington Libraries Special Collections has brought me so much personal satisfaction and joy. …Working a virtual reading room is one of my main roles. I have seen patrons shout out in joy, cry, or smile with astonishment over the papers I have helped them find. Being the person who facilitates this emotional discovery is very rewarding. …These deeper connections and continuous assistance has also resulted in numerous patrons including me in their final citations. …Although my main priority during graduate school is my classes, having this hands-on experience is where I have gained the most knowledge.”

– Cali; graduate student, Library and Information Science

“My experience working at the UW Bothell and Cascadia Campus Library, interacting with diverse library users, has taught me to be proactive in helping people from all backgrounds, putting myself in others’ shoes, to make sure my aid fits their needs. This skill has helped me to, one day, not only become a better physician, but also a better human.”

– Johanna; Senior, Biology (UW Bothell and Cascadia College Library)

“Working for the UW Libraries has been more than just a job. It has become a place for adaptability, innovation, and growth.”

– Adeline;  Senior, Political Science

“My favorite part about working in the UW Library is being able to provide articles and books for a plethora of different campuses across the state and neighboring states and knowing that those articles and books are going to help people with their research or just for general reading.”

–  Samantha; Junior,  Environmental Science and Terrestrial Resource Management and  Comparative History of Ideas

“I think my favorite part has been helping students connect to the UW community through the Libraries and helping them feel supported in their academic experience through our programming and outreach.”

– Lucinda; Senior, Applied and Computational Mathematical Sciences

“My favorite part of working at the Tateuchi East Asia Library is the opportunity to meet with different library and community members and to promote a library beyond the UW campus to reach into the larger community surrounding it.”

– Lucy; graduate student, Library and Information Science and Arts in China Studies

“I’m working at the UW Libraries as a text mining student specialist while I’m assisting faculty, researchers, and students with their text mining and data science projects. The best part about working is the two-way exchange that takes places. With every consultation, I get to learn and grow my interdisciplinary knowledge, while conversing with very interesting and talented individuals.”

–  Sachi; graduate student, Information Management

Special thanks to all of the Friends of the Libraries who make these scholarships possible for UW Libraries student employees each year!