Job Description

Job Title: LITS DiSCO-Maker Student Lead (WS-ST2)

Classification: Student Employee (non-exempt)

Name and Address of Employer: St. Olaf College, 1520 St. Olaf Ave, Northfield, MN 55057

If the position requires the student to work off campus, provide the name and address here:

Department Name: Libraries and IT Services

Unit Number (5 digits): 14115

Length of Position: See Employment Authorization

Contact Person/Supervisor: Assistant Director of Creative Experience

Wage Range: $12.00-13.00/hour

of the Position: (Purpose of the Position):

The Library and IT Services (LITS) Student Worker, DiSCO-Maker, is an academic, experiential position based in research, creative production, problem solving, and customer service. DiSCO-Makers will work and learn under the supervision of a team of librarians and technologists to support the innovative application, development, and adoption of maker skills and technologies within the St Olaf community.

DiSCO-Maker student workers are responsible for maintaining and providing safe, quality service through the Library and DiSCO spaces, but primarily within the library Makerspace on 3rd Floor RML.

Work will vary widely, but will always be anchored by our Literacies Framework

• In the DiSCO Makerspace, your creativity will manifest physically through traditional arts and crafts, zines and book-binding, printmaking and design, to 3D printing and laser-cutting.
• You will combine research with practical experience to learn new skills. You will become familiar with the Makers Literacy through creation of documentation and teaching materials to assist other students and community members learn and create safely.

This job will provide you with knowledge and experience in the fields of Librarianship and Instructional Technology. In addition to the DiSCO spaces, you’ll gain familiarity with all IT and Library services, how they work together, and how they impact the college mission.

Student workers will be expected to lead training sessions (group and individual) for other students in the areas above that they choose to specialize in. DiSCO student workers will serve as ambassadors to the campus for Library and IT Services, and positively contribute to creating a welcoming and supportive space for all campus community members.

DiSCO Maker Tier Two student workers will perform the work described above, as well as some higher-level responsibilities. In addition to managing the spaces and providing excellent service, you’ll be working on larger projects, training other students, hosting workshops and events, and getting a broader sense of Academic Technologies as a field. You’ll have the opportunity to identify and make improvements to our operations and you’ll refine your portfolio to highlight your continuing story at St. Olaf.

Transferable Skills:
(From NACE/dropdown)

Technology | Professionalism | Teamwork | Communication

Critical Thinking | Leadership | Career and Self Development | Equity & Inclusion

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Staffing the Makerspace and responding to patron requests.
• Keeping all areas clean and well-organized, including the front room, supply rooms, main floor, and other workspaces.
• Maintaining a strong customer service focus and work-ethic
• Embrace a mindset of creative, critical, and curious making to complete DiSCO training and project assignments.
• Creating promotional materials for the DiSCO that highlight events, student, staff, and faculty work produced in the DiSCO Makerspace.
• Documenting technical workflows and processes for internal and external use
• Maintain the technology and tools in the DiSCO under the direction of experienced DiSCO students or staff supervisor
• Creating and maintaining a personal online portfolio of work related to your DiSCO responsibilities
• Attend all required meetings with Supervisor and Team as needed.
• Identify opportunities and implement improvements/efficiencies to the Makerspace.
• Refine and update a personal online portfolio of work related to your vocation and scholarly experience at St. Olaf using storytelling and design thinking paradigms.
• Training fellow student workers and other Makerspace patrons in areas of skill and techniques via walk-in, one-on-one appointments, workshops or hosted events.
• Independently maintain the tools, machines, technology and readiness of the Makerspace space and resources.
• Own and shepherd projects from ideation to completion.
• Act as primary point of contact for Makerspace Patrons as they work through projects, providing support, pointing them to training or other resources, troubleshooting.
• Answer requests and service tickets from Makerspace patrons, escalating to staff when appropriate.
• Gain a deeper understanding of the Literacies Framework, Library and Instructional Technology fields, and how they apply to the St. Olaf Mission and to personal vocational pathways.

Qualifications: (Education/Experience/Skills)

Required Qualifications:

Demonstrated skills in four or more of the technical areas below, or equivalent areas, as evidenced by your portfolio and training records.

• 3D Modeling, 3D printing, or Animation
• Crafting, Drawing, Printmaking, Sculpture, Sequential Arts, or other hands-on creative activities.
• Sewing, Repair, or Fashion
• Coding, Programming, Game Design
• Tools, Building, construction;
• Arduino, Electronics, Robotics, Raspberry Pi
• Graphic design and image manipulation (Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, Express)
• Skill with hand-tools, repair or construction.
• Social Media (content creation, short form video, marketing)
• Wordpress web publishing, ArcGIS Storymaps, or similar online exhibition or storytelling tools

Students with prior experience working in the DiSCO spaces and who consistently show initiative, curiosity, and a willingness to invest in and help others are strongly preferred.

Physical and Environmental Factors:

This position requires crouching, stooping, twisting/pivoting, reaching overhead, grasping/handling, pushing/pulling, lifting objects up to 50 lbs., repetitive motions, operating hand tools, and operating equipment or machinery to perform the essential functions. It also requires exposure to loud noise and proximity hazards, as well as rare exposure to respiratory factors, chemicals, vibrations, extreme cold, extreme heat, and heights or cramped quarters to perform the essential functions. Protective equipment is required to perform some essential functions. Candidates must possess the ability to safely perform the physical work required of all duties with or without reasonable accommodation.

This job description is for general information purposes. It is not intended to list all duties and responsibilities of the position. This job description is subject to change at any time by St. Olaf College, with or without prior notice.