Re: Appreciating student assistants Ian Woodward 13 Nov 2007 18:30 UTC
I am inclined to do nothing, perhaps because I am not their mother. I have over the years put in time in sections of the institution where we would take students out for lunch at the end of the academic year. The first year one student (of 23) appeared, and she would not eat anything. I gather the previous year none had appeared. Two years forward, four of 20-odd students appeared. Their immediate supervisor was always congenial to them, but one surmises that they saw the office as just an opportunity to pick up a few bucks and had no real sense of attachment to those on the regular payroll or to the other work-study students there. I have had student workers more interested in this sort of thing, but they were in offices which employed no more than about three students, and / or were working for the summer for 20 hours per week rather than during the school year for eight hours per week, and consequently spent more time with the regulars. I cannot remember whether the office manager arranged for things out of institutional funds, or the department head did so out of her wallet. I just know I was never asked to pony up. IW I. Woodward Serials Office Colgate University Libraries Case Library and Geyer Center for Information Technology 13 Oak Drive Hamilton, N.Y. 13346 Ph.: 315-228-7306 Fax: 315-228-7029 -----Original Message----- From: SERIALST: Serials in Libraries Discussion Forum [mailto:SERIALST@LIST.UVM.EDU] On Behalf Of Connie Foster Sent: Tuesday, November 13, 2007 12:29 PM To: SERIALST@LIST.UVM.EDU Subject: Re: [SERIALST] Appreciating student assistants I don't know if they value these things but I keep a list of birthdays in the dept., including students, on a bulletin board so everyone can acknowledge birthdays. When we have graduating senior student assistants, we let them pick out a book which we have or order and place a bookplate in their honor. We also do the holiday party. (I like your idea of bagged cookies) and it is funded by passing around an envelope $5 per person to buy meat, bread, condiments, etc. and we all bring other stuff. The students enjoy this. Connie Foster Skwor, Jeanette wrote: > Not necessarily serials, but I'd like some input - Cofrin Library has hosted, for years, a party in December for our student workers. It used to be called a Christmas party, then a Holiday party, now we refer to it as an appreciation party. Years ago, professional and classified staff made and brought in a full, hot meal replete with goodies. That metamorphisized into less fuss - desserts, or a cold meal, or we have a committee that makes a few things (sloppy joes, maybe a salad) and we buy chips etc; everyone else brings desserts. The past couple of years the staff has brought cookies, and in addition to serving them, we give the students baggies and give them each a bag to take home. And actually, now we do it twice a year - at the end of each semester. > > It's difficult to find the time and the volunteers to do it, and we're looking for input from other libraries. What, if anything, do you do for your student workers? And who does it, and where does the money come from? > > Thanks in advance for all responses - > > Jeanette L. Skwor > Serials Dept., Cofrin Library > University of WI-Green Bay > 2420 Nicolet Drive > Green Bay, WI 54311-7003 > > "Libraries will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no libraries." > Anne Herbert, The Whole Earth Catalog > -- ************************************************************************ ****************** Connie Foster, Professor and Head, Dept. of Library Technical Services Western Kentucky University Libraries Editor, Serials Review 1906 College Heights Blvd. #11067 Bowling Green KY 42101-1067 connie.foster@wku.edu tel:270-745-6151 fax:270-745-3958 "Creating Information Possibilities" TopSCHOLAR(tm) http://digitalcommons.wku.edu Serials Review electronic submission for authors: http://ees.elsevier.com/serrev http://sciencedirect.com/science/journal/00987913