Binghamton University students are hardworking and dedicated but the nearly one hundred student workers that work across four library locations are exceptional. Not only do they assist staff with daily activities and serve their fellow students as only peers can, they also take on shifts that allow the Libraries to open early in the morning and late at night throughout exam periods. Over the years, student work has evolved as library services have. Current and past students confirm that the transferable skills and added confidence gained from the experience serve them well in all types of off-campus applications.
Caitlin Migliore ‘24 currently works as a graduate assistant at Bartle Library on the main campus. She anticipates graduating in May 2024 with a Master of Social Work. In addition to her work at the Libraries, Caitlin is a medical social work intern at UHS hospital. She plans to either work with veterans/active military members or pursue a career in school social work post graduation.
Caitlin writes, “There truly is not enough time to talk about all of my favorite memories while working at the library. Every staff member or student employee I have interacted with has been extremely kind and fun to work with. I think if I have to narrow it down to one favorite moment, it would be a recent one wherein the other student workers and I compiled a wall of Lewis from Target memes. That’s the best part of this job, you can help others and work hard while still having fun at the same time. I have grown so much since working at the library. I have immensely gained confidence in myself as I’ve been able to assist a multitude of patrons with various questions. Even just answering the phone for patrons has grown my overall confidence in my interactions over the phone! In addition, I have grown my organizational skills, as I regularly utilize spreadsheets throughout my work at the library. I also have had the opportunity to talk to a variety of staff members at the library, and become familiar with the many different roles at play in the library. I even feel as though I have made regular use of the social work skills I have acquired, as I regularly refer patrons out to various campus resources and serve as a link to other departments on campus.”
Shailesh Paranjpe ‘93, employed by the Libraries while studying for his Masters in Electrical Engineering, now works for Citibank. Shailesh visited Bartle library for the first time in 30 years during Homecoming this past October. In a conversation with Libraries’ dean Andrea Falcone, Sahilesh said that being a student worker at the Libraries was a major factor in his chosen career path thanks to the mentorship of his supervisor at the time, Andrew Perry.
In a follow up conversation from his east coast home Shailesh wrote, “Skills learned at the Libraries lend to scholarly success in your academic/professional career. I was entrusted with developing a Graphical User Interface Portal (pre-internet browser days) to allow students to browse nationwide university library catalogs and request books from circulation using the ILL. This project was a big deal as I was using cutting-edge technologies back then. The startup I got hired at Summit Systems Inc (*now Finastra Inc.), was impressed with what I had achieved. I attribute everything I am today to my first professional job at the startup, and this was only possible with the experience I gained whilst working at the BU Libraries.”
The Libraries have a long history of being the epicenter for stellar students. If you have a story to tell about your employment at the Libraries or how your work within the walls of one of the campus libraries influenced an outcome in your life, please email Carrie Blabac-Myers at cmyers@binghamton.edu.