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Joseph St Germain (Joe) is a senior English major at Merrimack College
who has been a student assistant worker at the McQuade Library for over three years. Joe has become an indispensable part of the library
staff having worked at one time or another in all departments of the library. The entire library staff truly appreciates Joe’s
dependability, outstanding work ethic, conscientiousness and willingness to pitch in. This student worker has certainly made a lasting
impression on everyone he has worked with - so much indeed, that we don’t want him to leave!
We asked Joe a few questions about his experience working in the McQuade
Library:
How many hours a week do you work at the library?
During the school year, I try to work 10 hours a week. I usually work 4
hours on Saturday at the Circulation Desk. I spend the remaining 6 hours preparing periodicals and books for the bindery and helping
to prepare new books, videos, and other materials for circulation.
You go to school full time and work part time. When you get a
chance, what do you do like to do with your free time?
Since I’m an English major it should be no surprise that I like
to spend my free time reading. I’m currently reading the book Faithful, which is about the Red Sox’s 2004 season.
I also like to go to the movies and while I normally don’t watch much television, I’m hooked on the television show
“Lost” and try to catch it whenever possible.
What is your secret to managing your busy schedule and still
maintaining a very high grade point average?
As far as a secret goes, I am not so sure that I have one or that there
even is one. After all, every class is different and so is every assignment and as a result no one approach is applicable to every
class and every assignment. Therefore, I guess if there is a secret it is really just a matter of me trying my best to assess how
much time and energy each class and assignment requires. I try to do everything possible to ensure that I put the required time and
energy toward that course and assignment.
You have had the opportunity to work in many different departments in the library. Can you tell us what that experience
was like for you?
Working in several departments has been a learning experience more than
anything else, for working in so many departments has given me firsthand knowledge of the diverse concerns, procedures, and demands of
each department and, as a result, has left me with a very clear picture of how the McQuade Library in particular and libraries in general
operate.
How has this job been helpful to you as a student?
Working at the library has proved to be very helpful in that it has made
me very familiar with all of the library’s resources from books to electronic databases. As a result, whenever an assignment
calls for research, I always know which resources to turn to.
As you look to the future, what skills from this experience do you think will be helpful?
I think the communication and customer service skills that I have developed
through my job responsibilities as well as through observation of the staff will prove most helpful in the future.
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On behalf of the entire library staff, we wish Joe much success and happiness in his future endeavors and we wholeheartedly thank
him for all his hard work! We’ll miss you!
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