By Krisha Mehta, Library Communications Student Assistant
McMaster University Library has given Ali Fikirkoca a sense of belonging.
As an international student from Turkey, working at Mills Memorial Library has helped Fikirkoca improve his English proficiency by interacting with a diverse range of people.
“When I first came to Canada, I was afraid people would misunderstand me or mock my accent,” said Fikirkoca. “After being able to engage in valuable conversations with patrons and staff here, I can now represent myself better and explain my ideas thoroughly without hesitation.”
Fikirkoca, who is entering his final year of history and anthropology, has worked as a student library assistant since September 2022. His role involves helping patrons and answering their questions, circulating library material, and scanning material for patrons if they request electronic copies of chapters or articles.
“Since I started, I tried to learn as much as I could about this library so when a patron asks me a question, I can help them quickly and easily,” he said. “At the end of the day, it is nice to go back home knowing that no questions remain unanswered, and no patrons are dissatisfied.”
Fikirkoca’s bibliophilic nature has not only brought him to work at the McMaster library, but has also brought him to build his own at-home library which he maintains in an orderly way.
“Back in Turkey, my parents have a big library and taught me about appreciating books, so I created my own library at my house here in Canada, as well,” he said. “Most of my books are non-fiction, historical books, so I categorize them by timeline.”
When he’s not in the library, Fikirkoca finds enjoyment in anything related to history, whether it be reading, playing video games, or going to museums. Apart from that, he also enjoys holding musical jam sessions with his friend Sam.
“I am a piano player, but have recently been learning the guitar,” said Fikirkoca. “We enjoy improvising and experimenting with instruments like the harmonica to put different things in our music.”
Tamara Ozdemir, senior library assistant, says Ali brings his love for books to his role at the library.
“His passion for helping others is evident in every heartfelt interaction and I am impressed with his passion for the printed word,” said Ozdemir. “Ali can navigate, with ease, between the worlds of print and digital formats.”
Having conversations with different people around the library has helped Fikirkoca express and understand his interests.
“Sometimes, people come and talk to me about their opinions on a certain topic or ask for my interpretations on it,” said Fikirkoca. “These discussions are valuable to me because they make me feel represented and closer to the community.”
Students of summer is a storytelling series from McMaster University Library featuring the student assistants who work in our spaces and provide valuable assistance to patrons during the spring and summer months.
