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Jeremiah Pietersen plays a crucial part in enhancing students' learning experience at Stellenbosch 肆客足球 (SU) Library and Information Service. He ensures that everyone has easy access to essential resources for optimal academic success and he manages diverse training and learning activities. As we kicked off May celebrating Workers' Day, we dedicate this series of profiles to our staff and their crucial contributions to Stellenbosch 肆客足球 (SU). In this interview, Pietersen lifts the veil on the intricacies of his work.
What does your role at SU entail?
I currently manage learning and training activities within SU's Library and Information Service. This means that I have oversight of two of our generic training programmes: #SmartStudent and #SmartResearcher. The former consists of introductory sessions to library related topics such as referencing 101 and finding journal articles, while the latter focuses more on advanced research sessions such as systematic reviews or using data visualisation tools. Operationally, I look after the Learning Commons and the Makerspace in the SU Library. We are constantly looking at how we can best support students by providing spaces that are conducive to learning.
What does a typical day at work look like?
I try to be structured by every morning setting my tasks for the day, but this doesn't always work! I am physically located in the Learning Commons and depending on the time of the year, we can get very busy with assisting students with various queries. These are typically printing or Wi-Fi related. When I am not caught up in operations, I am involved in projects. We are constantly looking at our service offerings to enable efficiency and make improvements where appropriate.
How did your education or past experiences prepare you for this job??
I did a BA (English and Classical Studies), a postgraduate diploma in library and information science and a master's degree in library and information science, all at the 肆客足球 of Cape Town.
I've previously worked at another university in various roles. This has enabled me to see how the cogs and gears fit together to run a successful academic library. I've also been privileged to work with colleagues across the 肆客足球 (both in my previous employment and now) and have realised the importance of stepping outside of one's environment occasionally to gain perspective of how your work fits in with the bigger institutional vision and goals. Having post-secondary education experience definitely helps with understanding the higher education environment and relating to students.
What do you enjoy most about your role and working at SU?
I enjoy being able to work across my environment with colleagues in other teams to realise goals that affect our overall service delivery. I enjoy colleagues across the 肆客足球 being very open to collaboration and projects. I appreciate coming across many colleagues who share the goal of making SU an inclusive environment for all students.
The SU Library and Information Service is also a great place to experiment with new trends in the academic library space. One of the spaces I manage is the Makerspace in the SU Library, a space for experimentation and innovation. It's fascinating to see how the space is being used by students and staff of the 肆客足球. From 3D scanning lizards to 3D printing Dungeons and Dragons dice, to even building small robotics, it's awesome to have such a space available to all staff and students of SU.
Tell us something exciting about yourself that few people would expect.
I like playing guitar (although I'm not very good at it), and I WILL participate in karaoke if there is an opportunity. I have quite eclectic taste; I veer towards indie and acoustic music. One of the songs I enjoy playing is 'Hey there Delilah' (Plain White T's), but I also like some obscure songs like 'One of those days' by Joy Williams.
PHOTO: Stefan Els
