Alexa Grechishkin, Junior English major, shares about their internship at the Walla Walla Public Library.
“My name is Alexa Grechishkin, and I am a rising junior majoring in English. This summer, I am the Walla Walla Public Library’s Marketing and Programming Intern. Growing up, I spent many summer afternoons in my local public library, and I have felt the impact libraries have on the surrounding community firsthand. My internship allows me to connect to patrons throughout Walla Walla, get a behind the scenes look at the work librarians do, and grow my experience in marketing and communication.
After WWPL’s summer reading program kicked off in early June, there have been activities for all ages happening almost daily at the library that I get to help out with. For instance, this week I have been helping facilitate the Kite making ArtSpace, where patrons are able to create and decorate their own flyable kite. I was involved in the project from start to finish, which meant I made sample kites, set up materials, created a promotional material for the program, and helped patrons through the steps of the craft. Recently, I’ve become involved in the library’s weekly Sewing Lab that WWPL will run throughout July. This means that I’ve learned how to set up the sewing machines, understand a basic tote bag pattern, teach beginners how to use the machine, and facilitate ironing. While attending events like these, I also take footage for the library’s TikTok account that I’ve been posting from this summer. These videos help to spread the word about recurring events and notify followers of upcoming events, while also memorializing the summer fun that has been happening at the library.
When there isn’t a program happening in the library, I edit the videos I’ve taken into cohesive TikToks that are ready to be posted triweekly. I’ve learned how to do basic video editing in TikTok and CapCut to make my posts fun, informative, and professional while keeping track of audience reception to content. I also engage in more traditional forms of marketing by reaching out to local organizations and businesses to see if they’d be willing to post a library flyer in a high traffic area. After gathering responses, I collect the correct sizes of library posters and deliver them face to face. One of my favorite things to do is attend community outreach events to help run the library’s booth. So far, I’ve gone to block parties in two of Walla Walla’s wards and attended both the Juneteenth Jubilee and Pioneer Park’s Fourth of July celebration. At the booth, I interact with younger patrons by engaging them with a craft, speak to people who stop by the booth about the library’s programming and services, and help visitors sign up for library cards.
My experience being a library intern opened my eyes to the rich possibilities open to me as I pursue graduate school applications. I’m interested in pursuing either a Master’s of Library Science or a Master’s degree in education after my time at Whitman, and my summer with WWPL has reminded me of the thousands of connections between library work and other fields. These past few months, I’ve gotten an intimate look at the behind-the-scenes work the library does, gained my first formal marketing experience, and continued to grow my interpersonal skills.”