F&M Stories
A Peek Behind the Stacks: A Student’s Role in the College Library
At Franklin & Marshall College, learning by doing is a hallmark of the Diplomat experience. This philosophy comes to life for more than 1,000 students who engage in on-campus employment.
Abby Jones ’28, a double major in English (creative writing) and sociology, secured an ideal position at the College Library, a role that blends her love of reading, writing, and stories.
“I’ve always loved libraries, and was excited to step into a job where I’d get to work with a lot of the books in a more hands-on way,” she said. “This job has definitely given me a sense of what the inner workings of the library system is like.”
In her role, Jones collects and packs books and processes digital article requests for the Interlibrary Loan (ILL) system. ILL allows libraries to share both physical and online resources, ensuring patrons can access materials from any location.
“I didn’t realize how huge our library’s collection of books, periodicals and online journals were until I started working at ILL,” Jones said.
“I usually start my shift by finding the requested books based on their call number, and then heading downstairs to the basement to pack them up,” Jones said.
“Sometimes people only want a chapter or a specific section of a book, so I’ll scan that chapter for them and send it over on our computer,” she added.
Jones said her F&M experience has helped her appreciate the work she does in the library.
“In a lot of my classes, my professors have assigned us articles from research journals similar to the ones ILL often gets online requests from,” she said. “It’s nice to think about how a lot of the online requests I fill out are for professors in other universities assigning these articles as readings for students like myself.”
Jones is considering attending graduate school for a master’s in public administration to support a career in public service or education.
“I’ve also toyed around with the idea of a career in library administration!” she said. “This job has definitely given me a sense of what the inner workings of the library system is like, and I love the quiet, structured environment, so I’m open to seeing what the future holds for me in terms of a career.”
Jones exemplifies that on-campus positions at F&M are more than just jobs; they are intentional opportunities for students to explore their interests, nurture relationships, and build transferable skills such as collaboration, problem-solving, time management, professionalism, and adaptability.
This is the F&M advantage: blending top-tier academics, hands-on experiences, and transformative connections to shape our students into world-ready leaders.
Your ideas may start in the classroom, but they won’t be contained there. At F&M,
you can connect the things you care about to meaningful experiences, including research,
internships, volunteering, and more.Real-World Learning at F&M
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