Q: How many students work at the library?
A: Seven to ten students normally work at the library’s Service Desk. Another six to ten students work as consultants in the Student-Access Computing lab.
Q: What kind of work do the students do?
A: Students assigned to the Service Desk have a variety of duties: Shelving books, checking books in and out, collecting items to be sent to other libraries, putting items on reserve, shelf reading (checking that books are in the correct order on the shelves) and shifting books from one location to another.
Computer lab consultants assist students who are having computer problems, add paper and toner to the printers, remove paper jams from the printers and monitor supplies for the printers. Occasionally they assist at the Service Desk as well with such things as checking out books.
Q: How many hours a week are scheduled?
A: The average Service Desk student worker is assigned 15 hours a week. Most lab consultants work 10-20 hours a week.
Q: Is studying allowed on the job?
A: Not at the Service Desk. Lab consultants are ITS employees and ITS does allow studying on the job.
Q: How is it decided who gets interviewed?
A: These are the basic things that are looked at on an application:
1. Work study money: This form of financial aid provides about half of the
salary of a student employee, so it is less expensive for the library to hire students with work study funds.
2. Hours of availability: Students willing to work nights, weekends and at 8:00 a.m. are more likely to be interviewed. (Hint: Attach your class schedule to your application.)
3. Previous work experience: Having previously worked is not a requirement. Students who have worked in libraries are more apt to be interviewed for a Service Desk position. Students with basic computer knowledge may be interviewed for the computer lab positions.
