We’re wrapping up UW Libraries Student Appreciation Week here at the UW Tacoma Library, and we just can’t say it enough — our student employees are the best!
We have more than 20 undergraduate and graduate students working in our campus Library who help make our staff what it is. Check out a few of the things they do each day to keep us running, and feel free to join us in sending them plentiful thanks and praise.
If you’ve used the Library, our students have helped you.
Did you turn in an item after its due date because of the snow, or have you ever checked out an item that doesn’t usually leave the Library? It was probably one of our student workers who adjusted the due date for you to make sure you had full access to the materials you needed. They check tons library materials in and out and help users with all kinds of requests at our service desks every day of the week. including our early and late hours. They also scan print copies of articles users request online so people can get PDFs sent straight to their emails — which is basically library magic.
They like it when Library users succeed.
Many of our graduate student assistants help staff our Research Help desk and answer online chat questions, working with you to refine topics, navigate databases, and find materials for your research and assignments — and they’re as happy as you are when you get what you need! “I live for the times when students have an ‘a-ha!’ moment where things suddenly click. I also love when students come to the desk stressed, but leave and appear to be relieved or calmer,” grad student employee Zoeanna Mayhook said.
They make faculty work more visible.
If you share or download faculty publications via SelectedWorks, one of our students workers helped make that happen. Graduate student assistant Erika Wigren does piles of behind-the-scenes work to make these publications more visible to the world.
They bring creativity to our spaces and care about their community.
Our student employees add a lot of great ideas and information to our work — and you’ve probably seen this in action. From sharing blog posts to creating and curating Library displays, their contributions show up in the Library’s physical and digital spaces all the time. They also work with our archives and oral history collection. “My favorite thing, besides creating social justice related displays, is working on community history projects like our oral history collection and archival collections,” Wigren said.
They are tech wizards.
In addition to staffing the Library’s IT Help Desk, student workers do a ton to help Library staff keep our tech up-to-date and troubleshoot problems. (Speaking from personal experience here: Tech. Wizards.)
They keep the “student” in student employee.
Student employee Stephanie Gallegos gets a lot of school work done during down times at, well, work work. “You would think that it would be more difficult due to the incoming traffic of students and multitasking, but something about being being at the library and having an assigned time to be on the desk (which means homework and helping patrons) allows me to work faster and efficiently on homework,” she said. “Also, the vibe of all of us who work at the library is nice, home-like.”
They’re a big part of why we non-student employees love our jobs.
Seriously, we love working with and getting to know our students — as expressed with the bounty of snacks, notes, and emojis that have been flying around our staff areas this week. Thank you for all you do! You never know, you might end up working here again one day. (I did!)
Want to work with us? Keep your eyes peeled for Tacoma campus positions on the UW Libraries Student Employment page or watch our social media for job postings.