The Oregon Duck climbing the stairs to the front door of


  Senior Spotlights: Celebrating Our Student Workers 

Working behind the scenes and on the front lines, our student employees have shown dedication, professionalism and a passion for knowledge that truly embodies the spirit of our library community. Whether assisting patrons at the check-out desk in Access Services, helping researchers navigate complex datasets in Data Services or processing and preserving valuable historical materials in the Special Collections and University Archives, their efforts have made an immeasurable impact.

Balancing academic responsibilities with part-time work is no small feat. Our student employees have managed to excel in both, demonstrating remarkable commitment, enthusiasm and time-management skills. Their work has not only supported the library’s daily operations, but also enhanced the learning and research experiences of countless students, faculty members and visitors from the community.

To all our graduating student employees: thank you for your hard work, your bright smiles and your invaluable contributions. We celebrate your achievements today and look forward to seeing the great things you will do in the future!

Grace Curley wearing a graduation sash.

Grace Curley

Majors: History, French and Francophone Studies
Library position: Library Student Assistant

“Working at the library has helped me broaden my research skills by exposing me to all of the wonderful resources that we offer. Learning the ins and outs of this institution has also given me a greater appreciation for the sharing of knowledge, and efforts to make it more accessible.” 

Maddy Duquette sitting on red brick steps.


Maddy Duquette

Major: English
Minors: Business Administration, Creative Writing
Library position: Math Homework Helper

“Working at the library, I’ve learned that I love working with people! I graduated high school in the middle of COVID, and even though my freshman year being relatively isolated, it is so important to me to connect with people on campus. I’m so thankful for my coworkers who have been amazing and who make me laugh all the time. The community at the UO Libraries has been so wonderful to be a part of!”

Mia Hanson holding a camera at the Oregon Coast.


Mia Hanson

Major: Data Science with emphasis in Biology
Library position: Lending Services Assistant  

“Working at the library has helped me realize that I enjoy helping people and has helped me hone my problem-solving and communication skills, which I’ve been able to apply to my ecology research job which is the field I hope to pursue in the future!”  

 

 

Kayla Kuo sitting on a campus bench, wearing a graduation sash.

Kayla Kuo

Majors: English, Art History (Clark Honors College)
Minor: Digital Humanities
Library position: Library Student Assistant in the Math, Science and Design libraries

“My time working for UO Libraries has built a thorough appreciation for the services which libraries provide. I have realized that I would love to continue to be a part of this integral work, so much so that next year I will be attending Simmons University to attain a MS in Library and Information Science with a concentration in Archives!” 

 

Ethan Lake sitting on a bench outside the Price Science Commons.

Ethan Lake

Major: Human Physiology
Minor: Psychology
Library position: Library Services Assistant 

“The biggest benefit to me was getting to work with the librarians, most specifically Annie Zeidman-Karpinski, the human physiology librarian. During my time at the Price Science Commons, I have worked on various projects related to the human physiology department, most notably creating course content for the medical terminology class in collaboration with Annie and Dr. Robin Hopkins.”

Portrait photo of Lily Logan.

Lily Logan

Majors: Data Science, Computer Science
Library position: Lending Services Assistant 

"Helping patrons with accessing materials for the research projects has introduced me to all kinds of topics! Ranging from more academic studies to personal projects, I have been able to help students and community members learn more about their interests with the resources at UO. ... this experience has broaden my own interests outside of school which I will bring into my future career and personal life after graduation!”

 

 

160+
Students employed by uo libraries per year
Top 10
on-campus Employer of uo students
54,839
physical items checked out by library users in AY 2023-24
Portrait of Oliver McKnight

Oliver McKnight

Major: Architecture
Library position: MakerSpace Student Lead 

“My favorite thing about working at the library was getting to see and help with all the really cool projects that other students were working on. My advice for fellow graduating students is that it's all our first time living, so be gracious to yourself as you live and experience new things.” 

Joe Nowak standing on a rocky lake shore.

Joe Nowak

Major: Marketing
Library position: Lending Services Assistant
 
“Working at the Knight Library has been an amazing opportunity. This job has really allowed me to build upon my skills in collaboration and customer service. More importantly though, I have formed meaningful relationships that will last a lifetime.” 

Portrait of Fernando Soto-Cruz wearing a suit and tie.

Fernando Soto-Cruz

Major: Finance
Library position: Lending Services Assistant

“Through my interactions with patrons, I’ve learned how to convey complex ideas in a clear and engaging manner, which has translated into my ability to deliver effective presentations. ... I loved learning the ins and outs of acquiring the materials I needed and navigating the databases—it gave me a deeper appreciation for how information is organized and accessed.”  

 

Chloe Thomae wearing graduation gown, holding mortarboard hat.

Chloe Thomae

Major: Biology with emphasis in molecular, cellular and developmental biology
Minors: Chemistry and English
Library position: Stacks Student Assistant in SCUA

"Working at the library has provided me with numerous opportunities to interact with researchers from all over the world and solidified my desire to work with all types of people in my future as a physician. Working somewhere outside of my career field has taught me how to be a more well-rounded worker. My favorite thing about working at the library is the camaraderie my coworkers and I have!  . . .  I've met some of my best friends through working for the library, and through a shared love of books I was able to meet people from different majors and backgrounds that I would have missed out on otherwise."

Isaac Wilfong and two shepherd dogs on a trail at Crater Lake National Park.

Isaac Wilfong

Major: M.S. Economics
Library position: Quantitative Methods Consultant in Data Services 

"I have a passion for data analysis and research. Through this position, I was able to help students in a variety of disciplines with their research and data needs. This helped me get experience with a variety of programming languages, coding issues, and research scenarios. My favorite thing was the variety. At any given day I had no clue who would come in or what problem I'd be tackling that day. Some days it would be helping craft a research design for an honors thesis and others it was helping a PhD student do data analysis in R. No day was ever boring."

Math books on library shelf

UO Libraries is one of the top employers of UO students.

More than 160 student employees per year work, learn, research and prepare for future careers with us! Working alongside library professionals and experts, they gain real-world skills through hands-on experience.

From essential soft skills like communication, customer service, teamwork and leadership—to more specialized skills such as cataloguing, digital archiving, news writing and photography—students meaningfully build their résumés by working in libraries.

Our Impact: Learn More 

 

 
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