The Library welcomes Rachel McNeil to the Dana Porter Library’s Information Services & Resources department for an eight-month co-op work term.
Since starting in September, Rachel has been actively involved in many projects and committees within the Library and has already become a familiar face on the Davis Centre Library's Information Desk.
, Ext. 36916
“I’ve been lucky to be a part of a wide variety of projects already, and I’m not even halfway through my co-op,” Rachel says. “Among these have been assisting with usability testing for the Library’s Primo Central Trial, teaching library workshops, working on the Information Desk, and planning for Open Access Week.”
Rachel is currently completing her Master of Library and Information Science degree at the University of Western Ontario. Prior to this, she earned her BA here at Waterloo in English Literature and Rhetoric.
With an Arts background, she admits it has been an “interesting” transition to working on the Davis Centre Library’s Information Desk where she receives reference questions on a variety of science and engineering topics. “I have been intimidated by some of the questions, but I feel like my English degree has actually helped me in many ways. I think of it as a degree in communicating.”
Looking to the future, Rachel is interested in many areas of librarianship, but mentions that she particularly enjoys teaching. “The teaching has been my favourite part of the job so far,” she says. “It’s really gratifying to actually see that knowledge transfer happen and know you’ve made life so much easier for someone. I feel like I’ve learned so many things this year that I wish I’d known throughout my undergrad, and now I just want to share them with everyone.”
Outside of work Rachel enjoys cycling, swimming, and hiking. She’s also a self-proclaimed “expert cookie baker,” a skill she will be putting to good use as the holidays approach.
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