Denise SnellerFan of students
What do you love about your job at Ramaker Library?
I really value the relationships I develop with the 24 work-study students I supervise. Some of them become like my own children by the time they graduate! I also enjoy the camaraderie we have among the library staff—we’ve had a lot of good times and laughs together.
Are any of your laughs the result of library pranks?
There have been many pranks played in the library: stacking furniture and books in the elevator, re-shelving reference books throughout the regular book stacks (we found some an entire year later), playing flashlight tag in the dark after the library closed, throwing rolls of toilet paper over the mezzanine balcony. Now with a motion detector and an alarm system connected to the police department, the pranks have decreased, but we still wonder what mischief goes on when the staff is gone.
Describe yourself in three words.
Listener, encourager and supporter.
What do you notice about Northwestern students?
Because I interact with students every day, their joys and stresses become evident to me. When I assist them at the library circulation desk, they often share their anxieties about a particular research assignment. I also observe their relief when a project is complete. Our perspective in the library is that students are very hardworking, committed and conscientious, though many of them tend to procrastinate. We try to remind them to start their research assignments early.
Do you have any unique interests?
Many people are surprised to discover I’m an avid Red Raider fan. I’ve always been a strong supporter of my work-study students and their activities. When I learned some of my students were athletes, I began attending their games and became hooked.
How dedicated a fan are you?
My husband and I often go to many of the away games and have even scheduled our vacations around important games. One week after his heart bypass surgery six years ago, we attended a Northwestern basketball game—except he sat on a first-row bleacher since he couldn’t climb steps, and he refused to look at the score throughout the game because he wasn’t supposed to get too excited following his surgery!
What changes have you seen in your department over the years?
Technology. When I began working in the library 18 years ago, it took me an entire day to process and hand-write overdue book notices. Now our computerized library system sends out e-mail notices every morning.
What are your hopes for the future?
More traveling. We lived in Sicily, Italy, for two years, and that experience gave us the desire to travel as much as possible. I also hope to spend more time visiting our children and grandchildren.