When I was an undergraduate at the University of Iowa, I and my fellow student workers at the Main Library cataloged books in a shelving room, loaded up carts, and made our way around the library returning books to their proper locations. At the time I didn’t think I was learning anything particularly valuable, but looking back I see that I learned quite a bit. We worked in teams, and my partner was an annoying young man we’ll call “Mike.” (I’m sure Mike would have a lot to say about my foibles as well.)

Mike’s work and communication styles were vastly different from mine, but we learned to work together. We became a good team and developed a mutual sense of humor that got us through some tedious times. I appreciated his ability to identify the most efficient routes to shelve books, and he valued my attention to detail. Together, we shelved thousands of volumes, ensuring students and faculty could complete research, projects, and papers. Of course, I gained valuable knowledge about the library too.