Behind the scenes look at Student Engagement: written by Rachel Ross

Hey UWaterloo! My name is Rachel and I’m currently enjoying the summer in between my 2B and 3A terms of Psychology. This past winter, I became a Library Ambassador on campus (maybe you’ve seen me at one our booths or read some of my past blog posts) and I’m really excited to be on the team again this term! Over the past two years, I have loved being really involved on campus. I am a part of a lot of clubs and services, like the Women’s Centre, WarmWorkers, Best Buddies, and the UW Softball team. When I became a Library Ambassador last term, though, it was my first time being involved in the library. I honestly had no idea how many awesome events and resources are available in the libraries on campus until I started working as a Library Ambassador!

Rachel Ross, Library Ambassador, blog post author

A lot of these events and resources wouldn’t be available to us students if it weren’t for Mary Lynne Bartlett. Mary Lynne holds many titles on in the library, including being the Student Engagement Coordinator, a co-chair on the Student Engagement Committee, and a social media manager which includes various jobs in itself, like user experience and photography. Over the past nine years that she’s been working in the library she has also worked as a Lending Supervisor, the Resource Sharing Supervisor, and an E-learning and User Experience Assessment Library Associate as well. In 2016, Mary Lynne created and began running a project that is really important to me, the Library Ambassador program! She continues to lead the Library Ambassadors to this day!

Within the Library Ambassador program, Mary Lynne serves not only as a supervisor but as a mentor to me and my fellow Library Ambassadors. Her work is incredibly impactful to our student body because, through social media and the Library Ambassador program, she is able to connect with students directly and provide a helpful line of communication to keep students aware of what is available on campus. All of the students on campus can benefit from the projects, events, and academic support that Mary Lynne heads. She is also always eager to use feedback from students to better all of the programs she leads.

Mary Lynne’s favourite part of her job is that she is able to work with and for the student body while also putting her research from her Master's thesis on community, belonging, and sense of self into practice. Through her work in the library, she has been able to travel and share different concepts and resources that she has constructed. She recently travelled to BC to share her research on Student Engagement and helping students find their voice on campus.

The University of Waterloo community really benefits from the work that Mary Lynne does. Mary Lynne loves her many jobs within the library and her passion for the UWaterloo community shows in all the work she does on campus. If you have the chance, reach out to Mary Lynne to find out ways to get involved on campus and where to find helpful academic resources. To stay connected on what’s happening in the libraries, follow the library’s Instagram @uwlibrary, run by Mary Lynne, for all relevant updates!

-Rachel