Vedika Bhandari sums up the importance of the University of Waterloo Library very simply.
“It is central to my universe,” says Bhandari, a student in the environment-and-business program at the University of Waterloo. “I can learn so much here.”
She will share that enthusiasm as a student library ambassador in a program the University Library plans to launch in 2016. Bhandari and her fellow ambassadors will help students explore the services and opportunities the Library offers.
“Students are often more comfortable approaching peers if they have questions,” says Mary Lynne Bartlett, Library Associate, E-learning & User Experience Assessment.
The Library connects with students in a number of ways. It hosts workshops on such topics as using databases and properly citing references. A student engagement committee provides valuable input on the Library’s immediate and long-term plans. Co-op and part-time positions enable students to participate in experiential education, one of the University’s significant strengths.
By organizing stress-relieving activities and handing out snacks to people studying for exams, the Library’s student partners also add an important element to the pursuit of academic excellence: fun.
I keep finding new things here that I wouldn’t have otherwise come across.
VEDIKA BHANDARI, Student library ambassador, University of Waterloo Library
