In a paid spring break internship, six students connected with local libraries and booksellers to find new works to add to Bryn Mawr's own catalog in the annual Students Shape the Shelves program.
Now in its fourth year, this internship teaches students how academic libraries, public libraries, and independent bookstores collect and curate books. With this knowledge and a budget (provided by the library), they cooperate to add popular reading material to the Bryn Mawr libraries that reflect diverse voices.
"Through our conversations with bookstore managers and librarians in and around the city of Philadelphia, Students Shape the Shelves allowed us the opportunity to think about and engage with local bookstores and libraries in ways that felt meaningful," says intern Sofia Azuara '25. "To be able to bring back some of what we learned or discovered to Bryn Mawr through our display in Canaday Library was just the icing on the cake."
After learning about the book curation process, students are given a budget to buy books that will be added to Bryn Mawr's collection. Spanning from fiction to poetry, from manifestos to memoirs, this year's selections provide meaningful additions to the library's catalog that will be available for all Mawters to enjoy.
"I learned so much about how the Bryn Mawr libraries and other bookstores in the area curate their collections to provide for their unique audiences," reflects Charlotte Oehley '26. "It was fascinating to see how bookstores/libraries and their communities work together to support each other."
Thumb through this year's selected books
Explore the list of books that will be added to Bryn Mawr's collection and hear why they were chosen directly from students.