Ryan Woodward, Reference Associate
Name: Ryan Woodward
What do you do here at The Jennie King Mellon Library?
I’m a reference associate on nights and weekends.
What made you choose your current profession?
I have always been a fan of the library. As a graduate assistant in my master’s program, my office was in the library where I helped students find resources for their papers and projects and found the library to be a natural fit for helping students reach their research goals.
When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Either a carpenter like my dad or a veterinarian because I loved animals. Both required math and science skills far above my abilities in those areas.
What’s your favorite part of your job?
Occasionally, I am able to help a student in an area of particular interest to me (music, history, the humanities) and I’m able to have conversations about their research, make recommendations on sources, or just discuss their interests beyond just helping them locate a book or article.
If you could do one thing to change/improve the JKM Library- with no worries about time or expense, what would you do?
Maybe have in-house IT help to assist students some of their technology issues. I can help a bit, but sometimes if they’re coming to me with tech questions, it is likely on an issue that is best addressed with the Help Desk.