Leafing through life

Library science department chair ensures pleasant experience for patrons

She typed away at the computer, her eyes fixed on the screen, then glanced back at the student who was waiting for her to obtain the information needed.

“You’re lucky,” said Associate Professor of Library Science Paula Paggi from the reference desk. “There’s one more in house for checkout.”

After the student thanked her for her help, Paggi smiled and returned to her work.

When Paggi started working in the Pierce College library six years ago, she never thought that she would become the department chair librarian in charge of all the library departments.

“I applied because I really wanted to work at a community college. I like the atmosphere. I like being part of a big team of people helping people,” she said.

Paggi had worked full-time as a librarian in several high school districts, including Burbank Unified and William S. Hart High School, during the late ‘90s to early 2000s before working as a staff librarian at Pierce.

During the day Paggi can be found in her office, up-front at the reception desk or wandering around the library observing students as they come in to use the computers, read books, use the study rooms, work and talk to their friends.

“If a student has an open hour you’ll find them coming in here to study. I don’t know any other place where a student can really access and have some of the resources that we have and the quiet areas we have,” she said.

Miles Spencer, a sophomore at Pierce, has been working at the library for a few months. He works at the front desk helping the librarians.

“She is a very experienced boss,” Spencer said.

“She is very organized and has a lot of energy and has gotten everything in order here.”

-Lauren Valdes Professor of Library Science

The four staff librarians all under Paggi’s direction put everything together.

Students come for reference, and when they have a question about how to do something.

“We usually try to clarify their research question or to narrow their terms and help them to understand what their assignment is,” Paggi said.

Lauren Valdes has worked at the Pierce library for 13 years and has known Paggi since her arrival six years ago. She speaks with Paggi every day in and outside of work.

“She is very organized and has a lot of energy and has gotten everything in order here,” she said. For Paggi, it’s moments that she has with students that make her job more memorable on an everyday basis. She remembers when a student came in asking for help and advice.

“I had helped a student who had waited till three days before his paper was due on reference and I showed him how to do the stuff he needed to do.. He came back the next semester and thanked me. That makes me happy and it makes it feel like it was worthwhile,” she said. Without question it is the students, instructors, and teachers that keep Paggi here at Pierce doing what she loves.

“I really enjoy the staff here. I’ve enjoyed the instructors here and I’ve enjoyed the students as well. I give an example of each one that I enjoy because those are the reasons I work here,” she said.

Campus life: library experience for faculty and students

“I love

“Itʼs a lot better. There are people walking around making sure people are keeping noise to a minimum.”

“You talk to the librarian and give her your ID. She slides it and gives you a [study] room.”