Thanks to graduating student employees at Dartmouth's libraries, "Superbad" will soon have space on a library shelf beside the likes of "Casablanca" and "Citizen Kane" through the Student Library Service Bookplate Program. Senior student employees are rewarded for their dedication with the acquisition of a book or other item in their name, complete with a "bookplate" sticker commemorating their services to the College's library system.
The program was established to recognize the dedication and loyalty of the libraries' student employees, Jeff Horrell, dean of libraries, said.
"It's a tangible way of saying 'thank you,'" he said. "Without our students, we would not be able to keep the hours and services that we do maintain. They're right there on the front line."
Student employee Ian Gottesfeld '08 said that although the Japanese novel "Norwegian Wood," which the library acquired in his name, is a "nice gift," he felt the "cushy" job was a gift itself.
"The real reward is the job itself," he said. "You get a lot of money, get a lot of work done -- it's easy, but occasionally interesting. I've seen multiple streaks at 2 a.m."
Student employees select any book, movie or other work, which the library then acquires, according to Laura Braunstein, English language and literature librarian. They are encouraged to choose items the library does not already possess, she said.
"We hope that student assistants will choose materials that are meaningful to them and that they would like to see in the library," Braunstein said.
Recent acquisitions showcase the diverse personalities of students at Dartmouth, she said, and range from the film "Superbad" to the book "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory." Other unusual items include a Mozart piano concerto and the graphic novel "300" by Frank Miller and Lynn Varley, she added.
Many students who work at the library have chosen material from the literary tradition of their own cultural heritage, Braunstein said. Kevin Tang '08, a tutor at the Student Center for Research Writing and Information Technology, chose a novel written in Chinese because he said the library "lacked content" in his native language. Tang is a member of The Dartmouth staff.
Iranian-American student Armeen Poor '08, a former RWIT tutor, chose "Funny in Farsi," a novel that chronicles the trials and tribulations of Iranian-American immigrants.
"I think it's cool to have my name in a book, to be part of someone's experience," Poor said.
Braunstein and Ridie Ghezzi, head of Research and Instruction Services at Baker-Berry Library, created the bookplate program in spring 2006 in order to honor senior RWIT tutors. The program was initially inspired by a similar system at Ithaca College, Braunstein added.
After the success of the first year, the bookplate program was expanded, Ghezzi said. The approximately 100 senior student assistants who have worked at the library for at least four terms in the past two years and at least one term their senior year are eligible for the program, Braunstein said.
The program currently does not have a place in the library's permanent budget, and is funded by the materials budget of Research and Instruction Services, according to Braunstein.
"Although nothing is permanent, we hope that this program will become an established event for years to come," Ghezzi said. "What we do hope is permanent is finding ways to honor these wonderful students."
