Library ambassadors: written by Taylor Hodson

Hello! My name is Taylor Hodson, and I am in my third year of Recreation and Leisure Studies at the University of Waterloo. I transferred here from Mohawk College in the fall semester of 2016, where I completed my diploma in Therapeutic Recreation. I am in my first term of being a Library Ambassador! Being part of this program, I have begun the process of learning the many opportunities and events the library offers, and has helped me develop skills to be successful in the future.

This term, my main focus is engaging in the various events the ambassador program offers. While doing this, I am also trying to learn about all the services the libraries on campus have. I have enjoyed assisting with semester Welcome Weeks of greeting students and answering their questions and the Academic Integrity sessions with students. I enjoy interacting with the students as they pass our booth, by answering questions and engaging in conversation with them.

While participating in these events, I am also working on a term project aimed at engaging students in an interactive way to learn more about the library. This project includes a series of postcards that feature our goose, Scholar. Each Wednesday, students are encouraged through our social media platforms (Instagram, Twitter, Facebook) to decode the clue and visit a service area to get a free postcard.

This initiative began this past Wednesday, February 15^th. Scholar was featured with a Valentine’s theme, and the postcards were left at Dana Porter Library at the Research and Assignment Help Desk. For the next five weeks, other areas that will be highlighted will be Davis Center, Witer Learning Resource Centre, Musagetes Architecture Library, the Geospatial Centre, and Special Collections & Archives at Dana Porter Library. By completing this project, I hope that students will discover areas and services of the library that they may not have known before. This project was inspired from a training activity conducted in the Library Ambassador training day, where the Ambassadors had to complete a scavenger hunt by finding various locations.

This position has allowed me to work on various skills, especially through the mentorship program. This program has allowed me to meet with library staff who have a lot of insight on skill areas that I am working on developing, such as leadership and project management. I am thankful for the opportunities I have already had, and looking forward to developing more skills as the term progresses.

So far, I have had a fantastic time participating in the activities, and am excited about the new experiences ahead. I will see you at the March Break Open House!

-Taylor