As students walk into the Media Center, they find an array of new contests, signs and seasonal layouts. When they look up at the wall separating the library from the main hallway, they will see that a new sign has been posted: in bold, brightly strung letters, it reads Media Center Fellows.
The Levitt Media Center Fellowship, where students help run the library, started last year and is led by Media Specialist Mirele Kessous. The seven fellows process checked out books, purchase new materials and run games and activities in the Media Center.
“We were always in need of volunteers,” Kessous said. “We had people in the past who would volunteer, but it wasn’t a formalized program, and I wanted to do something that was more formal.”
Kessous explained that her idea wasn’t entirely original, but rather inspired by other departments. For instance, STEM has a fellowship, with 34 members, and the Wellness department has 15 fellows. The seven current Media Fellows span three grades, with no seniors.
To establish when Media Fellows will work, a meeting is held at the start of the school year to create a master schedule. While extra help is welcomed, it is not mandatory. Freshman Lila Ziman said that she works between an hour and an hour and 45 minutes each week. Fellow responsibilities include managing the checkout desk, restocking the shelves, making decisions on purchases and hosting community events.
The next set of applications will open on May 1, 2025, stay open for one month, and close at the beginning of June. Fellows will be announced later that month.
Many Media Center Fellows expressed that there are numerous benefits to working in the Center. Freshman Will Falk, who volunteers around half an hour a week, said that he has gained a deeper understanding of the library.
“I think that the biggest benefit is that I get to learn about how a library works,” Falk said. “… Not many people get to experience that.”
Falk said that he was intrigued most by the resume benefits, but was pleasantly surprised to find out that being a fellow was also enjoyable. Aside from the educational benefits, both Falk and Ziman feel that the Media Center provides a strong sense of community. According to Ziman, it’s a central area with many different groups.
“[The environment is] very relaxed and just kind of peaceful,” Ziman said. “If you just need a quiet, calm space to hang out, that’s definitely this place to go.”
In the future, Kessous hopes that the fellowship will grow. Additionally, she wants the volunteers to feel a connection with the Media Center and that it contains pieces of their work.
“The purpose of the fellowship is to acquaint students with the wonderful world of information and library sciences to give them real hands-on experience on what it’s like to operate a media center,” Kessous said.
