Combining Desks for Success

Abstract

At St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN, we have two libraries that jointly employ around 40 student workers, a main academic library and a music library. Two years ago we switched from having these libraries work independently of each other to training the student workers to work at both libraries. This has helped ease the burden of finding substitutes for shifts, which has lessened students' anxieties around having to drop a shift. The larger worker pool means that the odds of a shift being picked up is much higher, particularly for music students, as many of them are in rehearsals or other music-related events at the same time. This also means that workers are also able to meet students they may not have interacted with before, which has helped us build a stronger overall community.