Gabrielle Lazzaro is a senior and a double major in English Education and Theatre Arts.
Guest blogger, library student worker Gabrielle Lazzaro shares her perspective
The Calvin Coolidge Library has one of the best work study opportunities on campus. It is a quiet, relaxed place to work with flexible hours and a positive atmosphere. Here, there really is a place for students with all skill types. Student employees practice customer service as well as work independently on meditative projects. We are also often asked research questions when our experts arenʼt available. The library is not just for the book lovers, although it may or may not turn you into a leisure reader in the end.
This summer, our main project was dusting and straightening our upstairs books, preparing them for a new fall semester. This took up plenty of my working hours over the twelve weeks or so, along with shelving returned and new books. As a result Iʼve gotten to know the stacks pretty well which allowed me to better assist the high school age students who were on campus throughout the summer, including those of GIA and Upward Bound – a personal benefit for me as an aspiring teacher.
Iʼve also been able to use library resources to my own academic advantage. Just this summer I took and passed both Praxis I and Praxis II using library resources as study tools, which would not have occurred to me before I started my job here.
Working here means you get to know the ins and outs of the catalogue and the databases, saving you (and your friends) money and frustration when it comes to all kinds of school work. As an added bonus, you also acquire and become a part of a built-in support system including peers, staff, and occasionally a few therapy dogs.