Celosía Willison

Tell us your Smith College Libraries story.

I first applied to a job at Hillyer Art Library because I had heard that library jobs were the best on campus; you could do your homework, it was quiet and air conditioned. I had no idea how much working at the library would positively impact me. I was a huge reader when I was a kid, but with all my readings for class I had pretty much stopped reading for pleasure. This sounds so cheesy, but when I started working at Hillyer Library, I fell in love with reading again!

Now, one of my favorite things to do is pull books from the Libraries for a project I'm working on, because there are so many incredible options for studio art majors, from film photography how-to books to Harper's Bazaar from 1867 - now! In the future, I hope to use the research and customer service skills I've learned here to apply for other library jobs. I've realized how much I love being in the library and helping people with their research, and it's an invaluable resource for my own artistic practice.

Outside of the Libraries, what are your interests and hobbies?

Fashion, photography, installation art, queer history

If you know, what is next for you after graduating from Smith?

I'm taking a year off and then applying for my masters degree in fashion design.

If you could impart one piece of advice to incoming first year students, what would it be?

CHECK! OUT! BOOKS! Books are organized in a way that is so much more concise and clean cut, and it can become so overwhelming to sift through article after article.