As the new fall term starts, it might be a bit early to start on the work we do. However, I think it’s the perfect time to do so. The other day a colleague of mine saw me wearing our institution’s Ask Me pin, part of an initiative to make the campus more inviting for new students. They asked, “Why are you wearing that?”. It was a bit of a shocker. Why wouldn’t I? To be fair, my colleague wasn’t being accusatory, but I thought it was a bit odd. When a student sees a staff member wearing an Ask Me button it identifies them as an employee of the institution and willing to help out with various questions they might have.
But it DID make me think… why am I wearing this?
While there is no time frame for when we should wear our buttons, I tend to wear my Ask Me button for the first two(ish) months of the academic year. Not only because I want to identify myself as a friendly member of the institution but it re-affirms my commitment to helping students.
As “lame” or “cheesy” as it sounds, when I put on the button every morning I always reflect on what it means to me and I often think about the times I’ve helped students while wearing this button. No word of a lie. Every. Time. I. Put. On. The. Button. Full stop.
At the most simple level, working in a library is about helping people. Why would I do anything less?