UD Library thanks student workers

Graduating library student assistants include: (back, from left) Asher Larraga, Erica-Lynn Mayes, Eve Stock, Virginia Rollison, Lindsay Ringstrom, Kathryn Lombardo, Samantha Lucius, Kaitlin McGowan, Juliana Barbarese, Nor Sahila Mohd Darawi, Joel Rudnick; and (front, from left) Allison Schwier, Saurabhkuma Patel, Dana Bernard, David Caglia and Vivek Desai.

5:07 p.m., June 30, 2008--The University of Delaware Library thanked its more than 200 library student assistants at the Student Appreciation Reception on May 6. Since July 1, 2007, library student assistants have worked more than 45,000 hours, the equivalent of 28 full-time staff. The library could not provide the level of services or hours of operation without its student workers.

The reception provided an opportunity for library staff to thank the student assistants who performed essential “front-line” services such as checking-out library and reserve materials; shelving new and returned books, journals and newspapers; checking-in new journals, newspapers and other periodicals; processing interlibrary loan requests; assisting library users with multimedia equipment and software; and many other information duties.

The library also recognized 41 graduating student assistants for their
academic achievements. The highlight of the reception was a display of books selected by the graduating library student assistants, in which special bookplates with their name and year of graduation were inserted. The selected titles reflected the personal and academic interests of each of the graduates, as well as current events.

Among the books selected by members of the Class of 2008 were A Sword Among Lions: Ida B. Wells and the Campaign Against Lynching by Paula J. Giddings, Things I Have Learned in My Life So Far by Stefan Sagmeister; and Making WAVES: Navy Women of World War II by Evan Bachner.

Two special awards also were presented. Asher S. Larraga and
Virginia M. Rollison received the 2008 Library Student Assistant Service Awards for each having worked more than 2,500 hours at the University of Delaware Library. Joel Aaron Rudnick received the 2008 UDLAPS (University of Delaware Library Assembly of Professional Staff) Library Student Assistant Scholarship for outstanding student service, commitment to librarianship and leadership potential. The $750 scholarship will assist Rudnick in his graduate library education.