This student employee feature was posted in February 2011, and some details of library services may have changed. Please contact a librarian or stop by any desk in the library if you have any questions!
The William H. Hannon Library is open 146 hours each week during the academic year. We collect, organize, manage, and provide access to a library collection with over 500,000 physical objects and millions of digital artifacts. Last year, over half a million people visited the library.
To provide these services for our community, we have a full time dedicated professional staff of 48… but did you know that we also have 100+ student workers whose daily efforts keep this place running smoothly?
In a new feature on this blog, we will be highlighting a few of these students each month. To kick things off, meet Noelle and Selina!
Name: Noelle Toland
Year: Senior
Major: History, Theater Arts minor
Hometown: Portland, Oregon
Which library department do you work in? What are your primary responsibilities?
I assist Carmen [Mitchell] with the Digital Library program. Primarily, I am responsible for digitizing materials – from early 20th century postcards to hand written letters that showcase the roots of Catholicism in L.A.
Why did you decide to apply for a job in the library?
As a history major, I jumped at the chance to transcribe a Civil War diary during the fall of 2009. After the transcription was finished, I decided to stick around because I enjoyed the environment so much.
What do you like best about working here?
I really enjoy working for Carmen. She is caring, considerate and extremely intelligent. To boot, I have found that I learn something new every time I work.
Do you have any insider info that your fellow students might not know about?
Even people a hundred years ago made spelling errors.
What is the strangest thing you’ve ever come across while working here?
The basement should just be made into a freezer already. With ice cream sundaes on tap! Other than that, Richard Blackstone’s diary is the paramount artifact I’ve come across thus far.
What is the last book that you enjoyed?
That’s a long list. I’m currently reading Mr. Lincoln’s Wars but I recently finished Fashion Babylon and couldn’t put it down!
(Carmen thinks Noelle is pretty great to work with, as well… she says, “Noelle has been a huge help to the digital library program. She has done everything from digitizing materials and conducting in-depth research, to working on transcriptions. She always has a great attitude, and is eager to “pitch in” and help out where needed. I really appreciate Noelle’s thoughtfulness and care. She asks great questions, and is engaged in the process of creating the digital library collections. She’s always got a great attitude and is energetic, even though she is working full time, attending classes full time, AND working here in the library! I have so enjoyed getting to know her.”)
Name: Selina Swatek
Year: Sophomore
Major: Philosophy
Hometown: Makawao, Hawaii
Which library department do you work in? What are your primary responsibilities?
I work in the reference department of the library. My primary responsibility is to order books but I also make copies, shelve reference books, and do many other miscellaneous tasks for the reference librarians.
Why did you decide to apply for a job in the library?
I have always loved libraries, so it was an obvious choice.
What do you like best about working here?
I love the convenience of an on campus job and working with so many great people!
Do you have any insider info that your fellow students might not know about?
The media rooms are a great place to watch movies.
What is the strangest thing you’ve ever come across while working here?
I once came across a book filled entirely with odd classified ads found in newspapers from across the country. (Librarian’s note: you can check out this book for yourself right here!)
What is the last book that you enjoyed?
Strength in What Remains by Tracy Kidder.
(Here’s what Selina’s supervisor, reference librarian Tony Amodeo, says about working with her: Selina is bright, enthusiastic, hard-working, focused, accurate, flexible, honest and asks questions when she’s not sure about something. How could I not hire, and re-hire her? Selina is a total delight.)