The UW Tacoma currently has over a dozen student employees working in IT, circulation and access services, as well as research help.These students are the face of our library, make our services run smoothly, and their front-facing work with staff, faculty and fellow students is why visiting SNO and TLB is such a great experience. Four of our students were recently honored with Libraries Student Employee Endowed Scholarships: “Without student employees, it would be difficult for the University of Washington Libraries to function. And without the Libraries Student Employee Endowed Scholarship, which provides financial assistance to students who work in the UW Libraries, many students wouldn’t have the opportunity to pursue their goals while expanding their professional experience and intellectual curiosity.”
We’d like to introduce you to our scholarship recipients, because their work and learning and growth is amazing: Let’s celebrate them together!
Meet Alisa King:
I am a bookworm, so working at the library is something that makes me very happy. I have always loved books and reading, so I am happy to be around and make connections with people who feel the same way.
Every day I am excited to come to work at the library, in a way that I have not felt in a while. Being able to help a patron or fellow student find something that they need, or direct them to resources that they need fills me with such pride. Also, due to the pandemic, and this being only my second quarter in person, I am still learning the ins and outs of being on campus. So often I am learning something new that I will be able to either use in the future or share that knowledge even further.
Meet Jasper Jung
Currently a Junior at UW Tacoma, being able to interact with other students and help them has been a new and exciting experience for me as more in-person activities resume.
Working at the UW Library has shown me what it means to be part of an inclusive environment, where every member is supported, and no voice is louder than others. I think this is especially important where so much development and progression are occurring in our society. I hope any student who needs help will be able to experience all the great resources and assistance that the library has to offer as it did for me.
Meet Layne Gonzales
I am a senior this year. I’m a book lover, and an avid listener of podcasts. This has been my first year actually being on campus and it’s been so exciting to see other students in person and participate in on-campus activities.
As a student worker at the University of Washington Tacoma Library, I’ve been able to witness firsthand the lengths to which those who work at the library will go to help a patron. I’ve learned that working in libraries is something that I am passionate about and excited to do. I’ve been able to get real experience both with patrons and seeing the behind-the-scenes of how a library runs.
Meet Lyneea Kmail
I am a Graduate Reference Specialist and am working toward my Master’s of Library and Information Science degree. I am also a wife and mother to four great kids. When I’m not working in the UW Tacoma Library or on coursework, you’ll mostly likely find me in the kitchen cooking or baking something for my family. I also love to read!
“I made the choice to grab onto my dream with both hands and press onward, my mind occupied with memories of weekly trips to the library to check out armfuls of books that would only last me a few days until my next anxiously-awaited visit as a child. It was a passion for reading that evolved into a love of learning as a student and later into a career as an educator. I applied to the UW with a curiosity to learn new things, to be reflective, and then ultimately to share the information that I learned for the benefit of, and in service to, others as a librarian.”