Within seconds of walking in and introducing myself, the Glasgow Women’s Library staff were welcoming me into the building and talking to me as if they’d known me for weeks. I admit, I was nervous before I walked in, but that disappeared almost immediately. They gave me a quick tour of the building, showed me to the desk I’d be working on for the week and introduced me to those that were working in the office.
Before I arrived on Monday, I had previously met with Gabrielle (the Volunteer Coordinator for GWL) and we discussed what kind of things I would be willing to do while I was there. So come Monday I already had a timetable full of things that I could do, all of which were optional but I was more than willing to partake in them as the whole point of work experience is to use it to take new opportunities. Not surprisingly, I ended up enjoying everything that I attended.
I settled in very quickly, however one thing that I found odd (in a good way!) was that, when I first went to collect a laptop, I was told to take either Naomi or Ceres, apparently they name their laptops. It was just a creative way of organising who uses which laptop – I loved it! The first day passed quickly and by the end of it I had established what I was going to be doing for the rest of the week.
I began to work on the film that they had asked me to make, one that would attract the younger generation to the library. I prepared some questions then over the next few days I interviewed some volunteers and began to piece together a film (Check it out below!).
Why young women volunteer with Glasgow Women's Library from Glasgow Women's Library on Vimeo.
I really appreciated how my strengths and interests were taken into account when deciding which activities I’d be taking part in. Anything that I attended was suggested because I had previously mentioned that I had an interest in it. I attended numerous little events going on within the library and even ventured out to the ‘University of the West of Scotland’ in the Paisley campus to help run a stall.
It’s also worth mentioning that the week of my work experience was also the week of the arrival of the ‘Chandelier of Lost Earrings’. A sense of excitement was present amongst everyone in the office, including myself even though I had only just heard about it. It took pride of place and caused a lot of those who came in to the library to ask about it. It also became a popular photo-taking opportunity when I delivered my presentation on Instagram, which they had asked me to create in order to explain to them how to use the app and how the library would benefit from using it.
The atmosphere when working in the library was so positive. Whenever I talked to someone, whether they were staff or a visitor, they always had a cheerful attitude. It definitely affected me; I left every day with a feeling of accomplishment and a smile on my face.
There is no doubt in my mind when I say that I have probably had one of the best weeks of work experience in my entire year group. It’s been busy but I’m not complaining. I’m so glad that I was able to be productive and help out the library, rather than just sitting around. Every single person that I have worked with has been amazing and I will definitely be returning in the future.
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