Elizabeth Rhinehart was always a library kid. It was public libraries where her appreciation for librarianship first blossomed, but it’s the UWM Libraries that have provided the pathways for building her career. And her story is a great example of how supporting the UWM Libraries during 414 for UWM Giving Days contributes to student success.
In 2021, Rhinehart joined the UWM Libraries as a student employee, shelving materials for Borrowing Services. While working toward her Bachelor of Fine Arts in piano performance, her eye was on an eventual Master of Library and Information Science degree. Three years later, she finished her undergraduate degree and her time as a shelver. But Rhinehart’s supervisor, Giulia Caspari, explained how she could build on her learning with an Access Services & Operations internship.
“I knew I would have an opportunity to learn more about how the library actually functions and not just how the books get on and off the shelves,” Rhinehart said.
Internship a deciding factor
When it came time for Rhinehart to choose an MLIS program, that internship was the deciding factor. During the 2024-25 academic year, Rhinehart got to know each department at the UWM Libraries, and when visiting Special Collections, department head Max Yela immediately welcomed her curiosity.
“(It) was such an inviting thing to encounter. And then I got to look at books from the 1500s, 1600s,” Rhinehart said. “That’s so fun to see as someone who’s, most of the time, reading paperbacks that were produced in the last five years.”
Now, as a graduate intern in Special Collections, Rhinehart handles shifting projects for the general materials and comics collections, cataloging verification of new materials, assessment of gifts for possible acquisition, and general maintenance of the various collections. Her efforts earned the 2025 Janet and Carl Moebius Outstanding Staff Achievement Award.
Beyond her work there, Rhinehart embraces the library as a pillar of her academic career. While studying piano performance, the UWM Music Collection proved to be an invaluable resource, especially for consulting various editions of sheet music free of charge. And when Rhinehart did invest in her own copies of the music, she knew exactly what she wanted.
Libraries provide help
Throughout her academic career, Rhinehart has known she can rely on the UWM Libraries to provide her with the materials she needs, whether it’s in the stacks at the Golda Meir Library or delivered to her via resource sharing or interlibrary loans. She knows the UWM Libraries can get the texts students need for coursework – like the free-to-access electronic course adopted texts (eCATs) – and that the university needs to keep turning out top-notch research.
As for a space to flip through those texts? The UWM Libraries have been the perfect place. Rhinehart frequents the Graduate Student Commons for a dedicated area to study, but the UWM Libraries are more than that – they’re a place to build community.
“It’s an area that you can always go and hang out, study, meet with people,” Rhinehart said. “It represents a third space.”
Whether it’s a study group convening in the Daniel M. Soref Learning Commons or a lecture happening in the Golda Meir Library Conference Center, the UWM Libraries are always abuzz with activity.
You can provide valuable support to the UWM Libraries with a gift during 414 for UWM Giving Days. Two anonymous donors will unlock $2,000 for the UWM Libraries once 25 donors contribute to the UWM Libraries Fund, enhancing study spaces and book accessibility. Your gift is an investment in academic programs across campus, ensuring that students like Elizabeth Rhinehart will continue to thrive.
