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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"

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Serials Review electronic submission for authors:
http://ees.elsevier.com/serrev
http://sciencedirect.com/science/journal/00987913