Celebrating the Class of 2026

The Public Service Department would like to recognize and congratulate our exceptional 20 graduating student employees: Soany Aguilar, Girnar Anand, Anna Berenguer, Lorenzo Cabana, Lulu Clark, Josh DeMontigny, Dani Fernandez, Samantha Homick, Ava Johnson, Karla Morales, Walker Newman, Jordan Resnick, Erin Ryan, Jaiden Smith, Sydney Smith, Maddie Soultanian, Kaylly Vazquez, Alaina Wheeler, Cole Wolfe.

We celebrate their years of hard work, dependability, trustworthiness, laughter and great conversations. Watching them grow in so many different ways over the last few years leaves us in no doubt that they are ready for the next steps in their professional careers. It has been a privilege to work with each one of them.

Department Updates

• Public Services has implemented updates to desk statistics tracking, including clearer expectations for logging patron interactions in order to improve consistency in service data and support ongoing assessment of desk activity.
• Preliminary planning continues around inclement weather or emergency situations. This includes exploring communication methods, service models, and operational considerations for maintaining access when standard staffing is disrupted.
• Recent discussions have focused on student employee experience, including survey results, summer project planning, and improved communication strategies. Efforts are ongoing to strengthen supervisor engagement, clarify expectations, and expand opportunities for student involvement.

Collections

Work on the 5th floor shifting project continues, with materials actively being relocated and ranges rebalanced to improve long-term access and space use. Some temporary disruptions to shelving order and availability remain in place as the project progresses toward stabilization.

Maintenance is underway for the DVD collection to improve clarity and usability. Peter Romanov has been working with student employees to shelf-read and find errors in the DVD Collection, which will continue into the summer.

Professional Activities and Development

he NCLA’s Leadership, Administration, and Management Section (LAMS) issued their Spring Newsletter, where, as chair of this section, Rodrigo Castro introduced the section’s theme for this year: Managing Across Generations.

On April 9, Rodrigo Castro participated in the East Carolina University’s Master of Library Science (MLS) Program’s Advisory Board meeting. During the meeting, the group discussed current trends in the profession and identified emerging areas that warrant focused attention within the program.

Publications

A peer-reviewed article co-authored by Rodrigo Castro has been published in the North Carolina Libraries journal. Titled “The Whole Self Dichotomy in Libraries,” the article examines the operational and strategic considerations libraries must address to foster a workplace environment where employees feel supported in expressing their authentic selves.

Events in April

• ZSR placed table tents in the atrium advertising the Office of Wellbeing’s Alcohol Awareness event April 9.
• Crafternoon, April 13 & 27 — Jemma Johnson, Danielle Key (RIO), and Celina Seo (Fellow) handed out snacks and craft kits to 198 WFU students and staff. This month’s crafts were paint-a-Deacon and sun catchers.
• Wake Up Wednesday, April 29 — Campus Life’s Wake Up Wednesday encouraged library goers to swing by for morning treats and campus engagement.

“What’s on Your Mind?” Comment Board

Collection Displays

Upcoming Displays

• Mental Health Awareness, curated by Erin Jones.
• AAPI Heritage Month, curated by Erin Jones.
• At the Movies, curated by Erin Jones.

April by the Numbers

View full statistics here.