Every year, the Arcadia High School (AHS) library sends out interest forms for sophomore, junior, and senior students to apply to become library aides.
As a library aide, students would work with the librarians to keep the library running smoothly. The role would take up one out of the six periods of a student’s schedule and provide students with the unique opportunity to work with librarians, learn from their wisdom, and experience what it’s like to work with books.
Librarian Ms. Shannon Will explained the everyday duties of library aides.
“Every day, they will first check the calendar to see if there are any classes picking up [any] novels or textbooks, and they will make sure those books are prepared,” said Ms. Will. “We’ve checked out hundreds, even thousands of books, such as class novels for English class or other textbooks.”
Library aides spend most of their time at the front desk, so they will be the ones greeting people entering the library. This means that they will be providing customer service and assistance with anything that a student or staff member may need.
Junior Adishri Nair loves helping her peers out, and she found that being a library aide allowed her to spend her time in this way.
“Being a library aide is a roller coaster at times,” said Nair. “ When more than one class comes in, we as library aides learn a lot about handling crowds, [but] there are some days when things are much more calm and peaceful.”
Nair’s experience as a library aide has helped her develop her independence and honed her ability to handle different social situations. Along with this, Nair has also become more comfortable around the library and can perfect tasks that previously would have required a librarian’s assistance.
Library aides don’t spend their entire period at the front desk; they help all over the library, such as “setting up new displays, putting away and arranging books; [library aides] do different things every day,” explained Ms. Will.
The various tasks library aides are given every day provide a learning experience for these students.
“First and foremost, students learn customer service,” said Ms. Will. “They deal with people they don’t know outside of their classes. Some library aides are a little bit hesitant at first, and they really learn to become more confident as the year goes on.”
Becoming a library aide would be a great way for students to get their first exposure to customer service and working in a “front desk” environment. With the support of the AHS librarians, students can quickly learn the ropes and get used to talking to visiting students, staff members, and other people who visit the library throughout the day.
Nair added, “I’m always [glad] to do something for my peers—whenever I helped someone with their problems, I’d feel proud of myself. Thanks to this class I got the chance to not only look at my academics but also at my peers.”
Filling your class schedule with nonacademic classes allows you to develop skills and experience that a student wouldn’t normally learn in school. Students learn “organizational skills and how to work in a library. This would be great if they want to work in their college library; then they would already have these basic skills,” added Ms. Will.
While the position does cover a large range of tasks, applicants do not need any technical knowledge or skills when starting out.
“I think a willingness to learn is the most important requirement,” Ms. Will said. “You don’t have to come in knowing how to fix a Chromebook or anything, we will train and teach those skills.”
Library aide junior Kemjira Sittikosonjit finds the class simple yet refreshing. As someone who has always enjoyed reading and being around books, Sittikosonjit feels that library aide is a perfect fit for her personality. Most days are usually uneventful, which is something she sees as a benefit of being a library aide.
“It’s quiet and peaceful in the library most of the time,” Sittikosonjit added. “On days that aren’t busy, I have time to work on my homework or study quietly for an upcoming test or quiz.”
An average day for a library aide consists of anything the librarians need finished that day. This could be rearranging the library, putting away books, setting up new displays, or helping out with the Chromebooks and technology. The job varies from day to day based on the library’s needs.
It’s not too late to apply! Applications can be found on the student bulletin board and should be filled out by April 19. The library can have up to three aides per class period, so spots are limited. Working with the librarians is a unique experience that might just be for you!
Photos courtesy of Amrin Kamaal
