Library ambassadors: written by Natalie Robinson

Hello UWaterloo! My name is Natalie Robinson and this fall I am entering my last year in the program Knowledge Integration. This is my first term working as a Library Ambassador and I am excited to be involved with all of the events happening this term. I found out about this position through the Library’s Facebook page, where I found the Library Ambassador blog. Reading about the different term projects and seeing what other Library Ambassadors thought about the job motivated me to apply. I’m happy I did because it’s been a great experience so far! I have learned a lot more about the resources available on campus and I am excited to share what I have learned with other students.

As a Library Ambassador one of my responsibilities is to organize a term project. This project can be almost anything that engages with students and the library. I know that students can feel stressed a lot of the time, specifically around midterms and exams. Because of this, I decided that for my term project I wanted to do something to help students take a break from studying and think about something other than school work. My project will involve having puzzle pieces that students can decorate based off of questions that encourage students to think about what is motivating them in their academic careers. When the puzzle pieces are combined together, students will be able to see what others have shared and how they are part of the larger University of Waterloo community.

Another great thing about being a Library Ambassador is that I not only get to make my own project, but I get to help out with other events run by the library. Through these events, I get to interact with students, faculty, and staff. Even if it’s just a quick hello as someone runs by on their way to class, I feel more connected with others on campus. While many of these events have a focus on getting students to engage with the library to learn about what services are offered, I like that we also host student feedback sessions so that we get to hear from you about what we do and your thoughts on how to make the library better. My first session is coming up on June 20^th,  and I’m really excited to hear what you have to say about our library and how we can help you better.Being a Library Ambassador has helped me through these different opportunities to improve the skills I have and develop new ones. When I first applied for the job I didn’t realize just how diverse the tasks would be. I have had opportunities to improve my organizational skills, as well as my written and oral communication skills.

I am really enjoying my time as a Library Ambassador and I highly recommend this job for anyone looking to get more involved on-campus or with the library. The most important thing I’ve learned, is that the library is great because of the people who work hard to make it that way.

Everyone I have met has been really friendly and I look forward to working with them more in the future!

- Natalie