Kat Stanton is finishing their second year at ETSU with an Academic Performance Scholarship. They are a Media Communications major with a focus in journalism and a minor in women, gender, and sexuality studies. Below is their reflection after completing their APS service hours.
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I just finished my required APS Scholarship work hours at Research and Instructional Services in the Sherrod Library, and I could not have asked for a better service position for this year. The librarians are kind, understanding and amazing to work with. While much of my work was rather mundane — making lists, inputting information into tables, cutting things with the paper cutter — I enjoyed it a lot. It also made the “exciting” things I got to do even more interesting.
I got the opportunity to help the Makerspace with their introductory crochet workshop, which was fun. When I had an assignment in my Photojournalism class to make a photo essay — a collection of photos about a subject — of my place of work, I was given permission to talk to librarians outside of Research and Instructional Services and see the unique collections they work with and tasks that they do. This included the Innovation Commons, Government Information, Law and Maps, and even the Archives of Appalachia.
While working on the monthly book lists that go up on the Sherrod Library’s website, I identified a couple holes in the library’s collection that I’d love to see filled in the future. In November, we wanted to put together a book list of works about and by Indigenous people. Despite this region being in the territory of the Eastern Band of Cherokees, I was only able to find six books written by Indigenous authors, about Indigenous experiences, in our collection.* In March, for Women’s History Month, we had an idea to make a book list of books by disabled women, since March is also Disability Awareness Month. I didn’t find a single book with those parameters in our collection. I would love to see Sherrod Library purchase more books on these subjects so the people in our community who share these experiences feel represented in our collection, and so those who want to learn more about these subjects can have accessible books to read.
I’m really thankful for my experience at Research and Instructional Services this school year. Thank you to all the wonderful librarians and fellow student workers I got to meet this year!
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At the library we'd like to wish Kat and all our last-year APS workers well as they continue their academic careers. We're grateful for the opportunity to work with them as they move onwards and upwards as students and scholars.
*While the parameters for this specific search were very narrow, you can find our titles cataloged under "Indians of North America" here. If you are ever looking for a book we don't currently have in our collection, please feel free to utilize interlibrary loan or make a purchase request.
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