Outstanding ASU Library student employees honored for service

Every day, student employees across ASU Library locations greet patrons, teach new skills and build a supportive community for students, faculty and staff. In recognition of their outstanding work, three student employees at the ASU Library received the Tomalee Doan LibAid for Student Success award.

First place went to Gaurav Gondane, with second place awarded to Audrey Springer. For the first time since the award began, the ASU Library presented an Honorable Recognition award to Malaysia Walton-Gaines for her exceptional service to the Downtown Phoenix campus community.

Helping international students feel at home

Originally from Mumbai, India, Gaurav Gondane earned his master’s degree in computer science this spring from the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering. Since spring 2024, he has supported a variety of programs and outreach initiatives at the ASU Library. From representing the library at weekly Fork ’em Friday tabling events to creating social media content for the library’s Instagram account, Gondane helped strengthen connections with the student community.

One project that highlights Gondane’s impact was Hayden Library tours for international students. At the start of the fall 2024 semester, the International Students and Scholar Center set up a series of tours of the library for international students who recently arrived in the United States.

“Gaurav led a series of tours of the library on his own. The impact on these students to see someone who has been where they were a year or so before, leading a tour to show them that they will be okay here, cannot be understated,” said Christina Peck, outreach programs coordinator for ASU Library, and who also nominated Gondane for the award.

“Gaurav won glowing reviews from new international students who were energized and excited to come back to the library! After these tours, Gaurav came back glowing. He has always loved connecting with all ASU students,” Peck said.

For Gondane, this opportunity to work at the library helped him find a place of belonging at the university. 

“Working at the ASU Library has become the heartbeat of my journey at Arizona State University,” said Gondane. “The library has given me far more than a paycheck; it has offered a supportive community where mistakes are treated as lessons, questions are celebrated and growth is expected…In a place that once felt foreign, ASU Library has become my anchor, proving that libraries are more than buildings of books, they are bridges between cultures.” 

This award will help Gondane pursue additional certifications and professional development as he begins his career. "I can volunteer as an alumni mentor for ASU’s Engineering Projects in Community Service (EPICS), guiding new students through the same hurdles I’ve just navigated and helping them turn classroom ideas into real-world impact," Gondane said. 

Leveraging an educational background to create everyday impact

Audrey Springer, an art education major in the Herberger Institute for Design and Arts, is originally from Highlands Ranch, Colorado. She has worked for more than a year at Hayden Library’s Naturespace and Book Arts Studio, where she helps foster an inviting environment in Naturespace and instructs fellow students in using the newly launched Book Arts Studio space.

“Audrey has a background in art education where she immediately started to help out with the Book Arts Studio,” said Christina Sullivan, project coordinator with ASU Library Naturespace. “She took on the task of creating instructional pamphlets on binding and rules for the space and she has helped with giving me suggestions on what we should have within the book arts studio.”

Working in the ASU Library has been transformative for Springer, and her work fosters a welcoming community for students.

“I see accessibility as a first step to inclusivity, and it has become my mission to make the Book Arts Studios more accessible to my peers, whether through individualized instruction, group workshops, or creating training materials so fellow student workers can do the same,” said Springer. “Some of the most personally fulfilling moments have been helping students display or restore things that are meaningful to them, such as helping graduate students bind their theses or teaching an undergraduate classmate how to repair the spine of a journal she’s kept for years.”

The award will help Springer lessen the financial burden as she prepares to graduate in fall 2025 and increase her confidence during her final semester.  

A legacy of service at the Downtown Phoenix campus Library

Malaysia Walton-Gaines, originally from Phoenix, Arizona, earned her bachelor’s degree in social work this spring from the Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions. Since 2022, Walton-Gaines has been an integral part of the ASU Library team and the Downtown Phoenix campus community. She was recognized for her outstanding service to students at the library.

“Working at the ASU Library has been one of the most meaningful parts of my college journey,” said Walton-Gaines. “When I first started, I was just an 18-year-old freshman who was quiet, shy, and unsure of myself. I did not fully know who I was yet or what I wanted to be. But over the years, being a student worker here has helped shape me into the person I am today.”

Her role at the library helped her grow, learn new skills, and connect with people to make a difference.

“I have met so many kind, helpful, and supportive staff and student workers who made this job something I genuinely looked forward to. The laughs, the shared struggles during finals, and the small conversations between shifts made the library feel like home. I am so thankful for the welcoming environment and the people who made it special. I have grown not just professionally, but personally, and I will carry that growth with me into my next journey.”

This award will help Walton-Gaines as she continues her educational journey by pursuing a master’s degree in social work at New York University.