Spring 2025, Part 2
At the University Libraries, more than 30 students are part of the team that keeps facilities open and services available for the CMU community. These students staff the circulation desks at both Hunt and Sorrells libraries, serve as Stacks Assistants, assist the University Archives and the Sustainability Initiative with processing collections and engaging in outreach, and more.
Please join us in celebrating some of the talented students on our team at Sorrells.
Fifth year College of Fine Arts student Tzushan (Violet) Chu is majoring in architecture, with an additional major in creative writing. She often works the morning shift at the front desk at Sorrells, so she is sometimes responsible for unlocking the doors and opening the library at the start of the day!
One thing she appreciates about Sorrells is the activities that are available for students to participate in. For example, students can often find puzzles or origami stations set up in the space, which provide a nice break from studying. Chu says little touches like these make the space more welcoming, and help it feel like more than just a place where people are completely focused on work.
"It never truly sank in how much student workers do around campus until I became one myself. I really appreciate everyone working at the Libraries, especially our staff and faculty. They know the Libraries, both online and physical spaces, inside and out. We have librarians who specialize in different fields, such as the Arts and Humanities and STEM Librarians. There are also a lot of databases and libraries we have access to. If you want a physical book that can only be found at Pitt, we can get it to you. If you want a textbook that everyone already borrowed from CMU and the only available copies at the University of Washington, we can ship the book over and you can pick it up from Hunt or Sorrells. There are a lot of things available to you, more than you realize."
Fifth year architecture student and Sorrells front desk worker Eesha Nagpal, who is minoring in psychology, is ready to help with anything from loans, processing returns, and reshelving to helping with directional questions and finding lost items. She is also responsible for helping with loans and returns at Mellon Library once a week.
As an architecture student, Nagpal is interested in the Archives — especially original blueprints of campus buildings designed by renowned architect Henry Hornbostel. She wants others to know that anyone on campus can find help with research projects or even specific skills by engaging with the Libraries’ knowledgeable faculty and staff.
"I started college during the pandemic and never really used the Libraries due to the limited hours and need to social distance. So to me, it's most exciting to see the University Libraries full and busy. I love that the Libraries serves as the cornerstone of all of our education — no matter your major, it's a space we all share and collaborate in."
Junior Christina Tang is double-majoring in business administration through the Tepper School of Business and statistics with Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences. As a front desk worker at Sorrells, she’s usually the first person people see when they walk in — and her main goal during a shift is to make things a little easier for students, whether they’re rushing to grab a calculator for an exam or just need to find a textbook to finish an assignment.
One of Tang’s favorite things about the Libraries is how it encourages the community to celebrate different cultures and holidays throughout the year. This past January, she remembers walking into Sorrells during Lunar New Year and seeing the red lanterns and decorations. To her, this made the space feel welcoming and festive — she says small touches like that really make a difference because they help everyone feel seen and appreciated.
"The University Libraries to me represents reliability. Whenever I need a last-minute study spot before an exam, a place to meet up with my group, or even just borrowing some specific tech gadgets, I know that I can always depend on the Libraries to help me out. It's also one of the campus resources that I'm really thankful for because it feels like a place where I can bump into friends or classmates I don’t usually see in lectures. It’s that mix of getting stuff done and feeling connected that makes the Libraries one of my favorite resources here."