As the end of the year is drawing to a close (this is our last day before UC\u2019s winter seasonal break when the university is closed until the New Year!!) I find myself looking back at the past year in the lab and thinking of all the things we\u2019ve accomplished, individually and as a team.\u00a0 I know all of us in the lab consider ourselves very fortunate, our work is fulfilling and interesting and we are continuously surrounded by a great group of dynamic and talented people.\u00a0 And as the student supervisor for the lab, I have to say, our students have made this year even more stellar.\u00a0 They\u2019re just the best!\u00a0 Ask any staff member in the lab and I\u2019m sure they\u2019ll say the same exact thing, we are so lucky to have the group of passionate, energetic, and skilled students that we have working with us.
\nEach year, instead of the usual departmental pizza party for students, the lab sets aside some time to thank our students and volunteers for everything they do for us by having two days of fun activities for our students and volunteers.\u00a0 These \u201cfun days\u201d are generally around finals, when the students are reaching the end of the semester and their holiday break, and usually involve activities that tie back into bookbinding\/book arts\/conservation\/etc. somehow.\u00a0 This year we enjoyed papermaking, pulp painting, explosion books\/ornaments and origami boxes.\u00a0 Our annual \u201cfun days\u201d are just that\u2026fun, not only because we get to watch the students relax and unwind and thank them for all they do, but we always get to learn more about them and connect with them even more.\u00a0 One of my favorite parts is seeing which students get really into which activities; sometimes it\u2019s fascinating and unexpected, and sometimes it just makes total sense.\u00a0 But that moment when a student gets to relax and enjoy, after a semester of rigorous schoolwork and general collections repairs, well that\u2019s just the cherry on top!
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\nThis year has been extra fulfilling not only because our students are amazing and it is because of them that the bulk of our general collections repairs happen, but also because those warm fuzzy feelings all our staff feel for the students\u2026well, apparently they\u2019re mutual.\u00a0 For four years now the UC Libraries has been offering an annual UCL Student Worker Scholarship, thanks to generous donations from the faculty and staff at UCL.\u00a0 This year, we are happy to say, a Preservation Lab student was awarded the scholarship for the second time in four years!\u00a0 Two years ago it was our student, DJ Davis (who recently graduated earning his MBA\u2026.go DJ!), who received the scholarship, and this year it was our student, Stefan Apostoluk!\u00a0 Stefan is a senior Computer Engineering major who is also working his MBA through the ACCEND program.\u00a0 I am beyond proud of Stefan!
\nWe actually had two students apply for the scholarship this year, Stefan and our DAAP fine arts student, Alex Phillips.\u00a0 This isn\u2019t surprising, because in my eyes, all of our students are award worthy.\u00a0 In fact, our binding student and business major, Drew Eaton, was awarded the Student Quality Service Award in April of this year!\u00a0 So, our students have been killing it this year; again, that\u2019s no surprise to the staff down here.\u00a0 They crush it on a daily basis in the lab, but it\u2019s great that they are getting some public attention for it.\u00a0 What has been immensely fulfilling in writing the scholarship recommendation letters for Alex and Stefan was getting to read their essays on how working in the libraries has inspired them.\u00a0 They\u2019ve both given me permission to share their sweet words about the lab and our team\u2026
\nAlex wrote:<\/p>\n
\u201cWorking for the University\u2019s Preservation Lab has been a dream-come-true.\u00a0 Ever since I learned that such a job existed, I wanted to be involved\u2026There is a sense of satisfaction with each book that passes through my hands in need of care, and my work feels purposeful.\u00a0 Not only do I enjoy my work, but my co-workers and mentors have been a great model of what a productive and positive work environment can be.\u00a0 It is a relief to work in a space where there aren\u2019t constant negative and harmful conversations such as gossip.\u00a0 The Lab has proven that a positive work environment is not a myth, and I am so grateful.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Stefan wrote:<\/p>\n \u201cWorking at UC Libraries has inspired me to find a job where I fit in and matter. I have the great pleasure of working in the Preservation Lab at Langsam, a place that I\u2019ve come to love dearly in my four years there as a student worker. While the lab is small and has a full-time staff of less than 10, my coworkers are all heartfelt, funny, and interesting people. They are truly what makes my job so special and enjoyable. A few hours at the lab can be enough to turn a miserable day into a good one. Even though doing spine repairs on books and making enclosures is a far cry from software development and project management, I\u2019ve learned some very important things working at UC Libraries. The lab has taught me about the importance of work culture, of loving where you work, and of loving who you work with. Wherever I end up working in the next year after I graduate from UC, I know it\u2019ll need to be some place I love.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n It doesn\u2019t get much better than that, right?\u00a0 If that doesn\u2019t make you feel like you are doing something right and are one of the lucky ones, I don\u2019t know what would.\u00a0 And darn it, if it doesn\u2019t make me appreciate those students, volunteers, and staff that I get to call team members even more!\u00a0 A big thank you to our entire team, for all the amazing work you have done this year and for your enthusiasm, personality, and dedication! Volunteers –<\/strong><\/p>\n Staff –<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nOUR TEAM:<\/strong>
\nStudents –<\/strong><\/p>\n\n
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