Stacey Kaliabakos ‘23

Features Editor

As midterms are somehow already rapidly approaching, students are beginning to flock to Dinand, College of the Holy Cross’ beloved library, in order to study for their exams and write papers. As a student who loves doing homework in Dinand, I thought it would be interesting to get an inside look into what it is like to actually sit behind the desk in the library as a student worker. Genevieve Garlaneau ‘21 has graciously agreed to give the Holy Cross community a bit of insight into how her days in Dinand are spent, especially during the pandemic. Genevieve is a Political Science and Classics double major, and is also completing a minor in Russian. She is involved in several extracurricular activities, most notably as a member of Eta Sigma Phi, which is the Classics Honors Society, and as a Study Abroad Ambassador. After graduation, Genevieve plans on pursuing a master’s degree in Library and Information Science, so her experience working in Holy Cross’ own library will definitely be of value to her future endeavors and career. 

Genevieve began working in Dinand her sophomore year of college. Although she was abroad last year and was eventually sent home in the spring along with the rest of the student body, she has returned to work for her last semester on the Hill, ready to devote herself to her job. Genevieve said “I was drawn to this job because I love libraries and wanted to work in a space on campus where I could help fellow students and faculty.” And indeed, a large part of the job of a Dinand worker is to help students and teachers by finding books they are interested in checking out or reading and answering questions about the general functions of the library itself. 

Of course, COVID restrictions have brought about several challenges to the dynamics of working in the library. I asked Genevieve to talk a little about this. She said, “The biggest change is checking that everyone is HC Clear when they enter the library, which we do by having students swipe in at the circulation desk. The plexiglass around the desk makes it difficult to hear students, so be sure to speak up! We also try to be as contactless as possible so there is a cart near the entrance where people can drop off books they are returning. Additionally, we offer the option of driving by to pick up books if the person lives off campus and is not getting tested for COVID.”

Although this semester has brought its many challenges, Genevieve has found her work at Dinand to be rewarding overall. She said, “My experience at Dinand has been quite valuable since I have learned many skills and intend on going into a similar field upon graduation. The Dinand staff are wonderful and have taught me so much about how a library functions and how to assist students and faculty.”

Be sure to say hello to Genevieve the next time you swipe into Dinand!