Library News & Announcements - LibGuides at Walsh University

Over the past few months the Br. Edmond Drouin Library has been introducing you to our team of Library student workers. This week we'd like to introduce you to the Librarian responsible for training our student workers. Please meet the Library's Online Services Librarian, Amber Hinds.

In addition to training the Library's student workers Amber also assists with circulation, interlibrary loan, reference, library instruction and our online databases and website.

Amber holds a Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) from Kent State University and joined the Br. Edmond Drouin Library staff in June 2024.

Where are you from?

Columbus, OH

What sparked your interest in working at a library?

I enjoyed the opportunity to conduct research as an undergraduate history major and wanted to pursue that as a career. I really enjoy helping people with their own research projects.

What are your favorite aspects of being a Librarian?

I enjoy the variety of the work. Librarians have the opportunity to assist patrons who all bring diverse range of needs and topics.

How do you approach providing excellent customer service to patrons?

When I think about customer service I think about the phrase "treat others how you want to be treated". This is important because you want to make the person feel comfortable in the environment so they continue to come back.

What strategies do you use to navigate complex reference questions?

I typically help the patron break down the question into more specific questions that contain the “who, what, when, where, and why” of the topic. We then use these questions to help locate relevant resources.

What community outreach programs have you been involved in at libraries?

When I worked in a public library, I designed a summer reading program related to the TV show, The Amazing Race. Each week patrons would be tasked with navigating the library by either completing a roadblock or detour. This program was designed to get people to work together and out of their comfort zone.

How do you see the library as a vital part of the local community?

The library is a knowledge center, we offer a variety of resources but also serve as a space for people to connect and collaborate.

What are you currently reading for leisure?

The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris

What are your favorite genres of books?

Fantasy and Historical Fiction

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Are you looking for a educational based database? The Educational Resources Information Center known by its acronym ERIC, is a primary database used by educators. ERIC is known as being one of the largest databases of its kind. The database is affiliated with the Institute of Education Sciences of the U.S. department of Education.ERIC provides access to Index and abstracts of articles, books, and documents covering education research and practice from 1909 to current date. To access ERIC please visit the library’s A-Z Database List on our library homepage (https://library.walsh.edu). For questions about accessing using or accessing ERIC please contact the library at library@walsh.libanswers.com. ...

Library Student Assistant Spotlight: Victoria Copfer

The Brother Edmond Drouin Library employs over a dozen student workers as Library Assistants who help us extend the reach of our services. These students play an important role in the Library and we’d like for you to get to know them. Please meet one of our student workers, Victoria Copfer. Where are you from?Avon Lake, OhioWhat are you studying?AYA Language ArtsWhy did you want to become a teacher?In high school I helped with a program called PALS. There was a student who was from Iraq who they thought was non-verbal. He was able to say my name and his name. I was able to change the settings on his IPAD to Arabic and his eyes light up. From this I could tell that he was not non-verbal, but instead he did not understand English.What activities are you involved in?Soccer team, work at the library, I am also in the club for Exceptional ChildrenWhat is your favorite thing about Walsh?My friends that I have met here.What is something you know now that you wish you knew as a Freshman?Don't try to control the uncontrollable.How would you describe the library to a friend who has not been to the library?A resourceful, quiet and welcoming environment.What is a resource the library offers that other students may not know about?OhioLINK- If Walsh does not have an item you are looking for, we might be able to get it through other colleges or univeristy's through OhioLINK. Why do you like working in the library?I like the people that I get to work with, its quiet and I like helping people finding things in the library.What are your post graduate goals?I would like to teach somewhere in the area, preferably at a high school. I also want to get my masters in English Language Learners. After I receive my masters I want to be an ELL teacher, to teach students who's first language is not English....

Library Student Assistant Spotlight: Madlen (Maggie) Mladenova

A Day In The Life of A Library Student Worker

We are enjoying introducing our student workers to the campus community; keep reading to learn more about the role they play in the Library.Official name tag of the Library's Student AssistantsIntroduction"Like the sands through the hourglass, so are the days of our library. Within these walls, 16 dedicated student workers bring their bright smiles to the Circulation desk. Yet, it is behind the scenes where their true magic unfolds, performing countless tasks that ensure the library's seamless operation." (Disclaimer: Introduction is AI Generated)Judy packs up outgoing materials to be shipped out. OhioLINK and OPAL Resource Sharing - Step OneWalsh University is a member of both OhioLINK and OPAL. These library consortiums connect Walsh University's Library with other academic and public libraries in Ohio and provide an avenue for shared resources and collaborative collection development. Each morning our students are tasked with retrieving materials requested by other libraries. Our student workers locate the resources, process them in our shared library system and pack them for shipment through the statewide courier serviice. [Check out this video to learn more about how this works? Check out the Journey of an OhioLINK Book.]Mark takes an hourly census. Hourly Library CensusHave you ever wondered why our students walk around the library with a clipboard? When you see this, you are seeing our students taking an hourly census. These counts help the library understand the usage of its various spaces and how we can alter our space based on need and function. Rhyme verifies that all of the bones have been returned.Beyond BooksDid you know that the library has bones you can check out? You can check out a set of bones for 2 hours to use in the library. When checking items back in our students verify that everything is accounted for. Hamish is processing incoming OPAL and OhioLINK Interlibrary Loans. OhioLINK and OPAL Resource Sharing - Step TwoIn the afternoon the library receives an incoming shipment of materials from OhioLINK and OPAL. These materials can be items that are returning home or items that Walsh University Library patrons have requested. Materials are processed and sorted according to their type. Some materials are placed on the hold-shelf and an email is sent out to the patron while other items are readied to be returned to the stacks. Peter re-shelves returned materials. Shelving MaterialsThe Library of Congress Classification (LC) call number assigned to a library resource is an alpha-numeric scheme (code) that designates the material's topic or subject matter, author and date of publication. Due to the complexity of some of these call numbers students are required to complete a Library of Congress Classification training prior to being tasked with re-shelving books. Hamish checks out books to a library patron.The Circulation DeskAre you looking for a book, video or print journal? Did you request an interlibrary loan or need to request an interlibrary loan? Do you need help with a computer or scanner located in the Library? Would you like to check out a study room or a bone kit? If you do, the students at the Circulation Desk can help you with all of these. Jillian scans a requested chapter for interlibrary loan.Rylee provides computer assistance to a library patron.Marquette re-stocks paper in one of the Library's four printers.Logan is transcribing the LOA table of contents to the LibGuide.Special ProjectsSometimes our student workers are tasked with special projects that dovetail with their majors or with special skills or interests that they may have. These projects are often connected to increasing the visibility or ease of use of library resources. In one recent project, Logan entered the table of contents for every volume of our Library of America Series into a LibGuide so that the individual works in the set could be searched through the Library's website. Now that this is completed, patrons can check our collection to see if we have specific poems, short stories, essays or other works by these American authors. Thank you Logan! Check out the LibGuide here: Library of America Series Bella is using a template for ornaments that she got from the Hobbies and Crafts Source database. Inviting Library SpacesAcademic Libraries can be intimidating places to visit. It is certainly not always easy to find the resources that you need. It's not uncommon to hear new students express fear or hesitation in visiting their University Library. To lessen the impact of Library Anxiety, our library staff and students work to make the Br. Edmond Drouin Library a warm and welcoming work environment. A special thanks goes our to our student workers who help the Linda, Kathy and Amber keep the Library festive and decorated! ...

Meet Your Librarians: Amber Hinds, Online Services Librarian