Library ambassadors: written by Brittney Wong

Hey everyone! My name is Brittney and I’m a Library Ambassador for the Fall 2018 term. I’m currently in my 3B of Geography and Environmental Management with a French minor, so I’m finally more than halfway done my undergrad! This is my second term as a Library Ambassador and I enjoy every moment of it. The library is filled with support and people who are always ready to help.

As a Library Ambassador, I have the chance to work with wonderful staff and librarians but also interact with students. One of my favourite things about this position is the mentoring that is available. Every semester, there is a schedule of meeting times for Ambassadors to meet either with a Senior Ambassador and/or Mary Lynne. There is also the option to meet with other staff in the library and discover their background. Every person has a story – their educational background, important milestones in their life, or just fun facts about them.

The people you work with help you grow and improve your personal goals and development. I feel like I have really developed my communication skills with this job. Promoting events at the library and engaging with students is our main role. Therefore, communicating with the library staff is important to ensure that we are conveying the right message out to our students. Then, actually talking and approaching the students is another challenge. I have learned to start my message with key points, so usually the name of the event and when it’s happening, as well as, “there will be snacks provided”. That usually catches people’s attention because who doesn’t love free food? Another portion of our job is planning an event for the term. A lot of communication, teamwork and leadership skills are used in order for a successful event to run. This semester, my team’s event will be Harry Potter trivia happening November 8th. Stay tuned with our social media networks for more info!

I really learned a lot during my time as a Library Ambassador. Now, I know about all the resources available, from borrowing chargers to drop in sessions at the Writing and Communication Centre to therapy dogs to help me destress! There are always opportunities for improvement because at the beginning of the semester, you identify the skills that you want to work on, and at the end of the semester, you reflect back on what you did. At the end of my first term as a Library Ambassador, I was told what I did well and what I can continue to work on. So, this semester I am working to achieve those goals. We are always learning at the library, whether it’s from the books, other people, or your own experiences. Everyone is always so positive and welcoming here.

Being a Library Ambassador is definitely a great experience. If you’re interested in gaining some experience or want to develop some skills (which are always useful in the long-term), the library will support and help you through this program.

-Brittney