Discovering UW's Honors Library
Sunnie Lew, UW Foundation Manager of Content Strategy Social, Marketing & Communications
Published December 17, 2025
3 Minute Read
You Don’t Want to Miss This: Discovering UW’s Honors Library
with Ella goodman and Janice Grover
Note: This story originally appeared in the UW Foundation 2024-2025 Annual Report.
In the basement of the Guthrie House, sophomore English major Ella Goodman and her
mentor Janice Grover are curating a living microcosm, a place where collection, space,
and community intersect to spark engagement and new knowledge. The two have been curating
the Honors Library, where on its shelves traditional academic resources sit alongside
a distinctive zine collection—a medium that allows conversations to happen across
time, where readers and writers wrestle with ideas, perspectives, and art.
Janice, the Carol J. McMurry Distinguished Librarian for Academic Excellence, holds
a joint role with UW Libraries and the Honors College. Her endowed position—made possible
by the generosity of Carol J. McMurry and Patrick R. Spieles—supports the professional
work of a faculty member who serves as a bridge between the Libraries and the Honors
College. Through this connection, Janice creates meaningful opportunities for honors
students, including internships that simulate real-life library work. “We want students
to experience not just the technical aspects of librarianship but the programming,
outreach, and community-building that make libraries vital,” Janice says.
The connection between the two almost didn’t happen due to nerves. Ella had signed
up for the Honors Internship Fair but was hesitant to attend. “I was scared,” Ella
says. “I didn’t know if I should go, but I decided to just do it. Then when Janice
got up and started presenting, it sounded like the coolest internship ever. I waited
until everyone was done presenting, but again, I was scared to approach her. I had
to push through and introduce myself. Once I did, my nerves died so quickly.”
From Janice’s point of view, Ella appeared a confident and focused student with a
depth of interest. Janice was unaware that it was her own caring energy that put Ella
at ease. Ella got the internship that led to a powerful mentorship rooted in both
professional guidance and personal encouragement.
"Access to information is a right, I'm just so happy we met."
Janice and her interns were the driving force behind the Guthrie House Party, an event
designed to draw students into the Honors Library and its zine collection. The turnout
was a monumental success—something that’s becoming harder to create post-pandemic
across universities nationwide. At the end of the night while cleaning up in the kitchen,
both Janice and Ella expressed their gratitude for one another and took the opportunity
to soak in the event’s success. Bringing people together for the sake of engaging
in knowledge and joy became a calling. For Ella, the experience confirmed her dream
of pursuing graduate study in library science and, one day, becoming an academic librarian
herself.
The mentorship has been mutual. When Janice finds herself caught in the outcomes-driven
mindset of academic librarianship, she’ll notice Ella fully present with students,
listening and connecting in the moment. “Watching her reminds me to slow down and
be grounded in the present,” Janice says. “Students leave feeling seen and valued.
That inspires me.”
Scholarship support has been essential. With Cowboy Commitment and Hathaway funding
covering nearly all her tuition, Ella is free to focus on her studies and her future.
“It’s the whole reason I’m able to go to college,” she says.
For Janice, mentoring Ella has been a chance to reconnect with her own early passion
for libraries. “Her excitement reminds me why I chose this work in the first place,”
she says.
The Honors College and UW are both stronger all because Ella took the initiative to
introduce herself to Janice. That first conversation changed the trajectory of her
academic career and her professional aspirations. Ella adds, “One of the first things
Janice told me was ‘Libraries are the people’s university,’ and that’s really stuck
with me. Being a part of this library has opened my worldview and helped me get out
of an echo chamber. Access to information is a right. I’m just so happy we met.”
