Izabella Botto is a second-year student in the University of Iowa School of Library and Information Science (SLIS) from California. Her role as an advanced student employee is funded by the One Day for Iowa University Librarian’s Student Employment Fund.
A conversation with Izabella Botto makes one thing immediately clear: Botto is a true believer in the Libraries. In her work with the Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS) Department, the SLIS student has taken on an admirable array of responsibilities, from helping students at the Just Ask desk on the Main Library’s first floor to organizing book displays and working to increase the accessibility of library instruction. For Botto, libraries are a lifelong point of connection.
“I chose the SLIS program at Iowa because libraries have always been a big part of my life,” says Botto. “And as a history student during undergrad, I loved working and studying in the library.”
Botto’s dedication and adaptability have amazed her supervisor, Katie DeVries, a social sciences librarian and SLIS instructor.
“Izabella holds herself to lofty standards,” says DeVries. “She never shies away from learning something new, whether it’s a new research topic or a library work process. Our department can rely on [Botto’s] efforts.”
Botto received a BA from Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa, and spent a year before graduate school studying visual arts in Florence, Italy. When she returned to Iowa to begin her graduate program, she applied the same adventurous spirit to her studies—and her student employment with the Libraries. She’s quickly become indispensable to DeVries and her colleagues in HSS, who prize her ability to take on tasks in areas previously unfamiliar to her. That has included stepping in to hold office hours for students in the Nonfiction Writing Program. Botto has applied herself enthusiastically to the role, viewing it as an exciting opportunity to learn on the job. As she takes on more advanced work, Botto has especially come to value the mentorship she’s received from DeVries.
“I’ve loved all my professors, but before this position, I’d never really had a mentor,” Botto says. “[DeVries] has all these great ideas and experiences and has really helped guide my work. It’s been very important to me.”
Botto also applied and was selected to serve on the Ada M. Stoflet Lectureship Committee, an internal body that works together to select the recipient of Ada M. Stoflet Lectureship. The lectureship, which is awarded every other year, brings experts in the field of librarianship to campus to deliver a lecture on a topic of interest to Libraries staff and other professionals in the field. Botto, the only student employee on the committee, says she looks forward to bringing lecturers to campus to benefit the Hawkeye community.
“I think it’s a really amazing opportunity to sit down and hear what the other people on the committee have to say,” says Botto. “We can bring in lecturers with different areas of specialization who can speak on what’s happening in the field.”
Botto’s inclusion on the committee will make all the difference, according to DeVries. “In small project teams she listens intentionally,” she says. “Her insights improve project outcomes. She is self-motivated and confident, willing to take risks and apply for new opportunities. We feel lucky to have a student employee like her.”
After she graduates in May 2025, Botto hopes to become a liaison librarian, connecting students and faculty with the world of resources academic libraries offer. Along the way, she also hopes to take part in initiatives to modernize and improve the field, including digital library exhibitions and the decolonization of archives. She believes her time at the Libraries has prepared her well to do just that.
“I’m excited to be gaining experience working in an R1 institution and hope to continue fostering student research and sharing all the resources that the Libraries have to offer,” says Botto. “Iowa has been a wonderful opportunity to explore my interests and prepare me for a future career in academic libraries.”