Library ambassadors: written by Farhin Ahmed Mim

“What is a Library Ambassador?”

“What does a Library Ambassador do?”

“Oh it’s not a volunteer position?”

-Questions I have been getting for the past 2 months.

So what do I really do? The most fun thing about this job is the types of activities and projects we do. This job is not limited to just a few boring words in a job description. The Library Ambassador’s tasks range from greeting students in the Dana Porter and Davis Centre Library lobbies, where we answer questions or help out students, to going to campus fairs and events. We have also been given the tremendously big opportunity to come up with our own project for the library as a way to bring the library and student body closer together.

The Library Ambassador position is very flexible. At the beginning of the term we sign up for super-fun upcoming events. We are never forced to sign up for anything which means that we are allowed to give our academics and health priority with the help and co-operation of the Library Ambassador Leads, Mary Lynne Bartlett and Kailee Hilt.

Through our interactions with students, we, the Library Ambassadors as a group all agree to have felt a significant change in our communication skills. I cannot emphasize enough about the importance of this skill for co-op interviews and life in general. I have found myself to be a lot less shy or timid since the time I started working as an Ambassador. We also get to meet and connect with the library staff who work hard around the clock to keep things interesting and accessible for all students. This has been a privilege for me. We get to learn about their experiences, see how they work and learn from them. We are each given 2 hours of mentoring from a mentor that we select from a binder full of profiles. WE GET PAID FOR GETTING MENTORED! HOW MUCH COOLER CAN THIS GET?

I believe that having this job on my resume has helped me get the co-op interviews I have had. I have found myself drawing on the experiences i have had in this job to answer questions in my interviews. This has been a great value to me.

The term project that we develop involves planning the details, budget, timing etc. which can also be termed “event planning”. I do not believe I would have had this same opportunity to learn and experience event planning if it weren’t for this position. For my term-project, I have teamed up with two of my fellow colleagues, Jacque and Mariam to do a Harry Potter photo booth on November 21st which we are super excited about![i]. Make sure to watch the library's social media accounts for more details.

I definitely have gotten to know more about the library and its nooks and crannies, which has made me feel more like I belonged here at UWaterloo. Just in 2 months, this job has given me a lot more than I was able to give back and I am extremely grateful to have had this opportunity.

[i] Farhin is in her 2nd year of Accounting and Financial Management and is a wannabe witch who grows up to become an Auror.