This month, we are highlighting some of our library student workers and talking with them about how working at the library has prepared them for internships, jobs, and life after graduation. The library employs over 100 students each year from all majors to help maintain daily operations and provide the one-on-one service you’ve come to expect from the William H. Hannon Library. These are just a few of their stories.
Today, we spoke with Sage Strieker. Sage is a first-year computer science major.
What department(s) do you work for at the William H. Hannon Library?
I work for the Archives and Special Collections (ASC) department. I have worked at ASC for a little under a year now.
What skills have you learned during your time working here at the library?
I have learned how to better utilize various library databases, such as OAC and Linus, to help researchers find materials they are looking for, which has benefited me in my research ventures for various courses I’ve taken throughout my first year. I have also come to learn a little about a massive variety of subjects through booking appointments for researchers and helping them with different materials that ASC has to offer. Finally, I learned how to use Photoshop.
How do you think these skills will prepare you for future jobs, internships, or just life in general?
I think having a better understanding of how to search through databases will prove especially useful in a work environment in my field of study (computer science) and throughout my college career because oftentimes, being able to find something specific in a massive archives list requires a knack for writing good queries, as well as a lot of patience if it takes a lot of digging to get to what you’re looking for. Both of these skills are absolutely crucial to have in order to be a good programmer and/or data analyst. In addition, I think my knowing a lot more about a variety of different, and sometimes obscure, subjects will benefit me in my life in general because it will allow me to better relate to others in conversations pertaining to these subjects in some capacity. Finally, I am very grateful to know how to use Photoshop because I think it will prove very helpful in future college projects, and I might use the software in a job setting or internship in the future.
How did working as a library assistant aid your academic growth at LMU?
I would say being an assistant aid at Archives and Special Collections has helped me to grow academically because it has given me better research skills, has enhanced my understanding about a lot of different subjects, and has given me the opportunity to interact with students of a variety of ages who visit ASC for classes, and or for research. The latter of these three points of growth has helped me to transition into university life after graduating high school last spring in that I have made a lot of friends through special collections, which has in turn enhanced my academic experience as a first-year at LMU.
What did you enjoy most (or least) about working at the library?
I really enjoyed having the opportunity to work with researchers interested in very niche topics and helping them with very old materials dating back to the 1400s. These experiences made me much more interested in research, and gave me a deeper appreciation for research projects that I have been assigned in my college courses.
What are your plans this summer?
I will intern in Mountain View, CA this summer for Google.
What advice about the library would you give to the incoming class of 2022?
I would suggest that they utilize all the resources that the Library provides as much as possible. It is a gift to have so many rare materials at your fingertips. Don’t waste the opportunity.
Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and experiences with us, Sage! We can’t wait to hear how things go at Google this summer.
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