Library ambassadors: written by Brittney Wong

Hey there! My name is Brittney and I’m in my 3A term of Geography and Environmental Management. This is my first term as a Library Ambassador, and I’m really enjoying my time working with the library staff and students. I have been able to extend my involvement with the University beyond my faculty while learning something new at every shift!

I applied to be a Library Ambassador thinking that it was just helping out with library events, but I realized that it is so much more than that. Besides promoting and attending events, there is work that is done behind the scenes such as, the mentoring program, Academic Integrity sessions, and all the prep work that goes into events. Shifts go by quickly with good company and I often find myself surprised at how well this team works together. Everyone is super friendly and as a first-time Library Ambassador, I felt welcomed and confident that these are connections that I want to keep in my life.

Each term, Library Ambassadors are asked to develop a project, an event hosted at the library (DP and/or DC) to encourage student engagement. It develops leadership, communication, problem solving, and critical thinking skills. Students are very busy, and sometimes it can be a challenge to motivate them to participate in events. Our job is to create a project that focuses on student engagement and the library.  This semester I have teamed up with fellow Library Ambassador Amy, for a bookmark making event as a way to de-stress during the term. Our event will be held in late March. Stress levels tend to go up near midterm season, we thought students may have assignments due throughout the semester and this event would help take their mind off of it for a while. This event will also have some free snacks, just to make it even more exciting!

I like this job at the library because it feels like a positive environment to be in when working,  and the staff are always ready to help. Before I started working here, I was asked which skills I would like help to improve on and depending on which one I selected, I would have the opportunity to work on it. Prior to this job, the library was just a quiet study space to me but now, I have learned about the resources and events that take place and how it enables student success. I have gained not only the opportunity to develop my problem solving and communication skills, but also the chance to to work with a new team of wonderful people and gain new knowledge about the resources that are offered that I will share with my fellow students . Drop by for a session at the Writing Centre or Co-operative Education and Career Action or stay tuned for our events by following our Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook page!

-Brittney