Reflections of our First OhioLINK Luminaries Resident

The OhioLINK Luminaries Program: My Experience 

by Thyra Chaney, OhioLINK Luminaries Resident 
Michael Schwartz Library 

Beginning in Fall 2021, I have served as the OhioLINK Luminaries Resident here at Cleveland State University Michael Schwartz Library. I have had a growing interest in libraries and information science since I started at Cleveland State in 2018, so the Luminaries program has been a great way to gain knowledge and experience in the field of librarianship. 

With a major in Film and Media Arts and minors in Classical Studies and International Film, I have been interested in multiple different academic subject areas. I have always appreciated the many resources available through MSL such as research databases, books, and journals in my classwork and personal projects.

I first started working at the Michael Schwartz Library in 2019 as the Special Collections student assistant after a visit to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s Library and Archives sparked my interest in archives and special collections. I was very excited when I heard about the OhioLINK Luminaries program from a professor and applied in the Spring 2021 semester. 

Since I started in the Luminaries residency program, the Michael Schwartz Library staff have been welcoming and I have been able to contribute to library projects of my choice. Librarians and library staff have provided information, guidance, and feedback as I have explored the many behind-the-scenes operations of the library. I have learned that there is much more to ‘library world’ than students at CSU may realize. I have had the opportunity to see how hard our librarians and library staff work to provide CSU’s campus community with the many resources and support services we may have come to take for granted.

Beginning in Fall 2021, I worked to build up the Comics and Graphic Novels collection. I created and implemented goals and selection criteria based on guiding principles of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. I learned a lot through the experience of building this collection, from researching the subject to selecting books for purchase to finding a collection location in the library. I have had the opportunity to work on promotion for the Digital Design Studio, which gave me a better understanding of the multimedia and audiovisual resources available at the library and also had the opportunity to plan displays and programming for National Library Week this semester.

With the help of the librarians and library staff, I have learned about collections and acquisitions, cataloging, marketing and promotions, instruction and working with faculty, and more. I have also had the opportunity to receive personal mentorship, receiving valuable information about the library field, and have attended conferences and online webinars on topics within librarianship. 

In addition to learning all about academic library operations, I have also been able to work on developing skills like communication, organization, patron support, research, and project management.

The Luminaries residency program is a great opportunity for CSU students to learn more about the many different facets of the library and information field. I highly recommend this experience to anyone curious about working in libraries, especially if you haven’t had the chance to work in a library setting before.

Read more about Thyra’s experience in EngagedScholarship @ CSU.