Student Assistant Appreciation
Our Library
has a professional staff of 15
(11 full-time, 1 part-time, and 3 hourly) and a student staff
ranging anywhere from 12-20 students per semester. These figures
show that we rely on a considerable amount of student help to
carry out the Library's quest for excellence. We really ask a
lot from our student assistants, and we do all we can to show
them that we appreciate their work.
One way we
support our students is to provide them with constructive
feedback about their work performance each semester. We care
about their development and want to help prepare them for future
employment. In addition to these informal evaluations,
professional staff routinely write letters of references for
students applying for jobs and other colleges.
Students who
have dedicated two or more years of service to the Library
receive special recognition. First, we select a special book
from the Library's collection that relates to the student's
interests. Next, we fashion a bookplate in the student's honor
and place it inside the selected book. On their last day of
employment, we present the student with the book and a Parkland
Library Certificate of Appreciation, signed by the director.
Less formal
approaches are also taken to show student appreciation. A
gesture as simple as providing snacks near the student shift
sign-in sheet can mean a lot to them, especially during critical
times of the semester like midterms. Treat Week is another
established tradition designed for our students scheduled during
the last week of the semester before finals. We invite student
workers to come to the Library break room anytime to snack
throughout the week, even if they are not scheduled to work.
Most foodstuffs provided are home cooked by Library staff.
"Libraries
work because of the people who work in them," the saying goes.
This statement rings true when understanding the success of
Parkland College Library. That success is due largely in part
from the help of our student assistants. We are most grateful to
have them.
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