Hometown: Bronx, NYC
Years in the Library: 4
“I chose this book because you can tell the author is really familiar with not only the geography of New York City, but also the history. It takes time to flesh out the themes of gentrification and the destabilization of ethnic neighborhoods. I also think framing these very serious discussions of classism, homophobia, and white supremacy in a sci-fi is incredibly ambitious and the author does it very well!”
“I loved getting to know my coworkers and library staff. It's always a good time!”
Hometown: Miami, FL
Years in the Library: 4
“Our manga selection at the library is LACKING. This is probably one of the most iconic manga series ever written, and in my top 5 series. Even if you "don't like anime," there's a good chance you'll enjoy reading this series. Give it a try!”
“Atmosphere behind the desk. And you know what? I'm a confident illiad user now. Take that illiad.”
Hometown: Saint Paul, MN
Years in the Library: 4
“When I was little, I absolutely hated reading. My sister always tried to convince me to give it a try, but I always refused. Finally, when I was in about second or thirds grade, I let her convince me to read "the Lightning Thief," the first book in the Percy Jackson Series and I was hooked ever since. It was because of her encouragement and Rick Riordan's books that I was able to become as much of an avid reader as I am today.”
“I work in acquisitions, so I'm the first one who gets to open and look at the new books that enter the library. It's always a joy of mine to be the first person to pick up this book, read the synopses, and process it. Because of this, I have lots of pictures of future books to read in my phone! I also really enjoy getting to work in the mendery. It's almost like a secret spot for me to take the time to carefully fix books we've had for a long time to help continue their lifespan in our collection!”
“The subtitle of this book is "In Which Four Russians Give a Master Class on Writing, Reading, and Life," and that's exactly what it is. Saunders presents short stories by four Russian writers (Chekhov, Gogol, Tolstoy, and Turgenev) and then unpacks how they used writing techniques to create a compelling story. It's not the kind of book I'd usually read, but it was a really enjoyable dive into the world of Russian short stories and creative writing.”
“Cutting up old broken books to make the block letters for the new books display!”
Hometown: Nashville, TN and Nowshera, Pakistan
Years in the Library: 4
“This is the first (and probably only) book I've personally bought while at Macalester. It's so cool and interesting, and also really relaxing to read. It's critical in a way that doesn't challenge you mentally and opens your eyes to the world around you. Super great if you love outdoors-y stuff!”
“Hmmm. I love my coworkers and supervisors, it's such a comforting atmosphere to work in (looking at y'all, Melody and Rhea :) ). I love being able to express myself creatively and gaining so many cool design skills to experiment with. I love contributing to the spaces in the library and hope that my time here has been helpful to others.”
“I never stop thinking about this book. V.E. Schwab is a master with characters, and each character in this story pulls you and makes you root for them (even if they have less than savory motivations). This book creates an intricate world of politics, magic, and smuggling! What's not to love?”
“The people make this job so very worth it. Every shift is a joy to come to because I know I get to spend the next hour hanging out with interesting folks and talking about who knows what! Everyone is so welcoming and compassionate, and they make every day fun.”
Hometown: Roseville, MN
Years in the Library: 4
“I haven't had much of a chance to read for fun lately but this book was written in a really approachable way that didn't feel like homework and really transformed my understanding of school and change.”
“Everything! I love the community, I love the variety of work, the skills I've learned and the people I get to learn alongside. I've had a really great time working in the library and will miss it!”
“In my first semester of college, I was randomly placed in a class titled: Russian Fairy Tales/Folklore. This ended up being one of my favorite classes at Macalester. We read through the stories in the Russian Fairy Tales book and ever since then, I absolutely love these stories! We also learned about the codes and conventions of Russian fairy tales which makes reading the stories a lot more entertaining. Overall, this book brings back a lot of my early college memories.”
“Working at the library has been a joy. Reflecting on my time in college, it was one of my favorite parts of my Macalester experience. The library felt like a second home on campus and was a way for me to feel connected to the Macalester community.
I also enjoyed working with other student employees (@Rhea ;) ) and collaborating on various projects. Often work didn't feel like work since we would have lots of fun!
Of course, I cannot forget to mention the wonderful library staff, who I am glad I got to meet and work with. Most importantly, I am so appreciative of my supervisor(s) for always allowing me the freedom to create fun and creative projects - no matter how insane they sounded (like the MTV cribs library tour)!”
