Spend the Day with a Springfield College Librarian

By Elizabeth Marathas, Reference Librarian

Mar. 19, 2026

Inside the Harold C. Smith Learning Commons, Library Services staff members are busy helping students, faculty, staff, and scholars around the world with a variety of requests on a daily basis. You might be surprised to learn all that they are responsible for! Hear from Elizabeth Marathas, reference librarian, as she takes us on a journey highlighting what a typical day is like for her on the job.

What is it like to be a Springfield College librarian? Come spend a day with me, reference librarian Elizabeth, to find out! And follow along with our Instagram Reel to see some videos from my day.

8:00 AM: Mornings in the Learning Commons always start with a check-in at the Information Desk, which is staffed by a fantastic team of student employees and our Research & Access Specialist, Gretchen. The Info Desk is where you can borrow library books, find course reserves, pick up your Interlibrary Loan requests, and ask us anything!

8:30 AM: Librarians handle all sorts of questions from students, faculty, staff, and scholars around the world, and that’s the first thing on the list when I get into my office. Today’s emails included a faculty research project and an inquiry about athletics that sent me to the Archives & Special Collections. Our digitized archival collections are a treasure-trove of College history!

9:00 AM: Displays are a fun way for us to feature books from our library collection, celebrate special events, and promote awareness. From Banned Books Week to Black History Month, I try to create displays that are both timely and interactive or eye-catching, often with free library swag—we love giving out stickers and bookmarks! Our March 2026 display highlights the research-backed connection between using the library and improved student success.

11:00 AM: Teaching time! Faculty often invite librarians to facilitate research workshops for their classes. I’m the liaison to the School of Health Sciences and the Department of Biology/Chemistry, which means I work with faculty in those areas to provide instruction sessions, create subject guides, collaborate on research, and support students with their assignments.

1:30 PM: Speaking of supporting students, reference librarians love meeting with students to assist in all steps of the research process, from brainstorming topics and navigating library databases to refining keywords and figuring out citations. If you’re looking to boost your academic performance and research skills, schedule an appointment with a reference librarian.

2:00 PM: Library Services staff meeting! The library team meets regularly to stay connected and discuss how we can maintain and improve our services. This week, we chatted about upcoming events put on by our Exhibit Committee, including an exciting celebration of gymnastics history in the Springfield College Museum.

3:00 PM: Your librarians work hard to select and purchase resources that support the Springfield College curriculum. This includes online databases, academic journals, and both print books and e-books. Have a suggestion for a book or other item you’d like to see in the library collection? Send us your recommendations using our Library Resource Request Form.

Thanks for spending a day with me! Remember, if you have questions, just ask a librarian.

About the author

Elizabeth Marathas

Elizabeth, reference librarian for Health Sciences and Biology/Chemistry, has been at Springfield College for almost three years. After receiving her master’s in Library and Information Science from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, she decided to return to Western Massachusetts, having received her Bachelor of Arts from Smith College. On top of her librarian duties, Elizabeth is also a co-clerk for Staff Council where she advocates for the needs of her peers. Elizabeth enjoys reading, hiking, and hanging out with her puppy in her free time.