Top-Shelf Employee: Julia Guilger ’11

Stop by the Bentley Library and the friendly staffer who assists you may just be the university’s Student Employee of the Year for 2009: Julia Guilger ’11. A native of São Paulo, Brazil, the Marketing major was recognized for an outstanding work ethic and commitment to customer service.

The Student Employment Office sponsors the annual competition, which this year drew 19 nominations from campus supervisors. In addition to the accolades, Guilger receives free textbooks for her courses next semester.

What attracted you to working at the library?
I know it sounds nerdy, but I really like books. I thought working at the library would be a good opportunity to both meet people and get the scoop on all the resources available to students.

What do you do there?
I split my time between two jobs. I work behind the desk as a library services representative, where I help patrons find what they need and answer questions. I also work in Interlibrary Loan. That involves searching for books and articles that students request, and sending materials to other schools who are requesting information from us. I work about 12 hours a week, spread out over four days.

What do you like most about the work?
The access to information. I love seeing the new material that comes in: the books and, especially, the popular DVDs. I also enjoy the people — both the people who work at the library and everyone I get to meet when I’m working at the front desk.

What’s the strangest requested you’ve had?
One day, a guy asked for a Band-Aid, which I thought was weird. But then I found that we had a first aid kit at the services desk. Go figure. I also get asked all the time for things like envelopes, index cards. Sometimes I want to say, “We’re a library, not an office supply store.”

What kind of books do you enjoy reading?
I love, love mysteries – anything by Agatha Christie or Raymond Chandler. I also like plays; it’s interesting to read playwrights like Shakespeare and Eugene O’Neill. Right now, I’m reading a collection of Portuguese poetry, Livro de Sonetos [Book of Sonnets], by Vinícius de Moraes.

What does receiving this award mean to you?
It caught me by surprise . . . I was really honored. But it’s nice validation of my efforts and motivation for me to continue working hard. They recognized me at a luncheon on campus. At the library, they put my picture up as a screensaver on all the computers, which was a little embarrassing. But it’s great that I’ll get free books next semester. That’s going to come in handy.

What drew you to Bentley from Brazil?
I studied at an American school in Brazil and I wanted to keep up with my English. I wanted to be near a cosmopolitan city, like Boston, but I wanted a small campus. Someone from Bentley visited my school and I really liked what I heard. After I saw the DVD and the viewbook, I was sold.

Now that you’re here, what do you like?
Bentley is very diverse, and the school does a good job supporting that diversity. There are always cultural programs and festivals going on, and the fact that we’re so close to Boston brings a mentality to be open to other cultures. In class, professors are really open; they ask me questions about Brazil and how things are done there. I think that’s really cool.