Posts tagged with user information services assistant

“Learning from Advanced Student Staff Experiences” was a University of Michigan Library study conducted in 2017, integrating methodologies of user­-centered design and critical librarianship.

I had only been a User Information Services Specialist for two weeks before a student employee approached me for professional guidance. I knew the position had been created for this very purpose—to provide added expertise on the reference desk and support for student staffers—but nonetheless, when this first happened, I found myself somewhat taken aback; baffled that I could be perceived as an authority by anybody else, when in fact I had only just made the transition from student employee to regular staff member myself. I was even more surprised when the answer I offered was met, not with wariness, but rather with an exuberant response of “Now it makes sense! That’s so helpful, thank you!” As I picked my jaw up off the floor it dawned on me that maybe I knew what I was doing, after all.

This blog post was written by Faith Weis, a second-year graduate student in the University of Michigan School of Information.

I work at the library both as a User Information Services Assistant, staffing the Ask a Librarian service, as well as the Shapiro Collections Intern in Shapiro Library Reference Services. These two roles allow me to put into practice much of what I learn in the classroom as a master’s student at the School of Information. I can happily say that working at U-M Libraries has been the best, most rewarding part of graduate school these past two years.

If I wasn’t so psyched to be an academic librarian I’d definitely try my hand at tour guide. I love showing friends around my favorite places or leading my family through a new city while on vacation. It combines my love for education and natural inclination towards both showmanship and gregariousness. I’ve also never been accused of being shy or soft-spoken.

That’s why I jumped at the chance to lead some of the hour-long parent tours of the Hatcher and Shapiro Libraries that are given during the summer to coincide with student orientation. Taking on the responsibility allowed me to combine my passions, and the experience has led me to rethink some of my career plans.

Liz Settoducato, a first-year graduate student in the University of Michigan School of Information, shares how her love of comics is connected to the library and her professional education.

Martha Stuit shares her current philosophy on reference service. It is her take on why and how librarians serve as reference professionals. Her “keys” to reference so far are:

Openness
Problem Solving
Teaching
Learning

Shelby Stuart, second year graduate student in the School of Information writes about her experiences working in the graduate library. The Trial Resources Evaluation project—and my UISA experience more broadly—has challenged me to step outside of my comfort zone by taking on greater responsibility and becoming one of the “go to” people for the project, but it has paid off in the skills and experiences that I’ve gained as a result.