Wisconsin Library Services Employment

Who the heck is WiLS?
We are the Interlibrary Loan Lending office for the University of Wisconsin- Madison. What does that mean? Basically, when someone wants to borrow a book or get an article that the UW owns, they send us the request and we send what they have requested to them. We receive over 120,000 requests a year. Our goal is to fill these requests accurately as quickly as possible.

Why should I work there?
The pay's not bad (minimum of $7.60/hour), the hours are flexible, you don't have to work nights or weekends, we feed you a lot, and it looks great on a resume!

What's involved in working for WiLS?
We require our students to work a minimum of two hours per day Monday through Friday. There are no evening or weekend hours. You need to work between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. — not necessarily at the same time everyday.

What would I be doing?
That depends on your schedule and how many hours you want to work. All of the jobs revolve around interlibrary loan. The majority of the positions are Runners - students who "run" to each of the campus libraries to retrieve the material that has been asked for. You may be responsible for one library or five libraries depending on your schedule. We also have students who search the catalog to make sure we own what has been asked for, processors who double check for accuracy and update the computer, shippers who send the stuff out, and students who deal with all of the returned materials. We employ an average of 35 students a semester.

What does WiLS look for in a student employee?
Your schedule. A sense of humor is always good! Responsibility and reliability are key. Someone who can work independently. Someone who thinks photocopying is fun :)

How do I apply?
That's the easy part! Just fill out our Online Application form. Someone will contact you afterwards to set up an interview or to let you know we're booked for the semester.

More Questions?
Contact us at wilsill@wils.wisc.edu or 608-263-4981.