From: First-Year Experience
Date: July 31
Subject: Building Your Community: The Libraries & Civic Engagement at Colby


Welcome to Colby from the Libraries!

Colby College Libraries is so excited to welcome you "On the Hill" this fall!  We're two buildings located in the heart of campus--Miller and Bixler--but we offer much more than just great places to study!

To introduce you to the Colby College Libraries, we’ll be adding key information to our Instagram and Library blog page that will help familiarize you with our services. New orientation content will be added all through September, so keep an eye on our instagram or website blog when you arrive to campus! 

A few things that might be helpful to you as you get started here at Colby:

  • We’re hosting “Printer Parties” where we’ll help you connect your personal laptop to the printers in Miller Library. Come by during the first week of classes to get set up!

  • Some classes have materials available at the library front desks for 4-hour check out - these are “Course Reserves”. You can check with your professor to find out if any required material is available on reserve, or you can check online by searching the class’ course code here. Depending on the course, the Reserves are available at either the Miller or the Bixler front desk.

  • There are many places and spaces that you can use for your learning, alone or in groups--here are their hours.

  • We've got loaners!  Learn about services for students including how to borrow anything from books to laptops.

  • You can get research help, including online research resources or help refining your research, by meeting with a subject specialist librarian.

  • Here's how to use LibrarySearch, our library catalog, to find physical and digital materials at the libraries

We are here to help! Visit the service desk at Miller or Bixler Libraries any time during our open hours, or email libraries@colby.edu.

See you soon!

Colby College Libraries

CIVIC ENGAGEMENT AT COLBY

 

The Office of Civic Engagement and Community Partnerships (OCECP) designs opportunities for students to work with community members and Waterville area non-profit organizations on real-world projects and community initiatives to meet local needs, address pressing social challenges, and cultivate community belonging.

Our office has relationships with over 70 non-profit organizations, and we work with our local partners to create roles for Colby students to serve, intern, and work in their organizations. These roles include direct service, sustained programs, special projects, and community-based learning. We help students find opportunities that align with their academic interests and develop their civic leadership skills. We provide tools and resources to support student success and long-term engagement in Waterville.

How can the Office of Civic Engagement and Community Partnerships help you?

  • Facilitate and connect students with opportunities to volunteer, intern, or work in non-profit organizations and schools in the Waterville area.

  • Develop targeted skills, knowledge and experiences to cultivate your civic leadership.

  • Share information and connect you with civic engagement courses and faculty.

  • Share information and apply for paid leadership positions in Colby Votes to increase student voter registration, turnout and education on campus.

  • Share information and connect you with civic engagement clubs and student leaders.

  • Increase your understanding of Waterville and connect with local organizational leaders.

  • Share funded opportunities and apply for fellowships and grants, including Civic Seed Mini-Grants and the O’Hanian-Szostak Fellows for Civic Leadership.

  • Share information and apply for paid positions in our office to work on local civic engagement projects and initiatives.

  • Connect with all civic engagement staff and student leaders through the MuleLife platform 

Elizabeth Jabar,

Lawry Family Dean of Civic Engagement and Partnerships

As Director Elizabeth has general oversight of the program, guides strategic vision and design of the program model, along with the development of a rich set of initiatives to advance civic learning and democratic engagement at Colby.  Elizabeth works with faculty, staff, students and community partners to foster collaboration and seed reciprocal relationships that enhance student learning and benefit the public good. In addition, Elizabeth designed, coordinates and leads two of Colby’s innovative civic engagement programs, the Ohanian Szostak Fellows for Civic Leadership and Colby Votes. 

Elizabeth brings twenty years of higher education experience and leadership as both a faculty member and administrator to the position. Prior to her appointment at Colby, she was the Associate Dean and Director of Public Engagement  at Maine College of Art where she designed and launched MECA’s distinctive social practice undergraduate curriculum, the Public Engagement Minor. Elizabeth is also a practicing artist and her work explores the intersection of art and civic engagement. She serves on several advisory committees and boards including the Portland Museum of Art, Maine Campus Compact and Indigo Arts Alliance. Elizabeth has received recognition for her work in civic engagement and art including grants from the Warhol Foundation Kindling Fund, Maine Arts Commission, and the Arts and Equity Initiative. She has presented at state and national conferences and convenings including Frontiers of Democracy at Tufts University, Alliance of Artist Communities,and the Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design (AICAD) Symposium, Artists/Designers/Citizens.   

Paige Begley

Associate Director of Civic Engagement

Within the role of Associate Director, Paige oversees and supervises student civic engagement clubs including Colby’s mentoring program, Colby Cares About Kids. Additionally, Paige works across the Dean of the College division to support initiatives that serve all students and integrate civic engagement throughout the student experience through involvement in orientation programming and the Healthy Colby Initiative. She also coordinates campus-wide days of service such as Colby Cares Day and Johnson Day and the alternative weekend and spring break programs.

As a Central Maine native, Paige returned to Waterville to share her lived experience with the Colby students she supports. After years of experience working with K-12 students, Paige discovered a passion for inspiring students to become leaders outside of the classroom and in their communities. Paige received her Master’s in Education concentrating in Community Engagement from the Winston School of Education and Social Policy at Merrimack College in 2017. With experience in academic advising and programmatic development, Paige works to integrate co-curricular and academic experiences into all students’ civic engagement development at Colby. Paige is passionate about student success, community development, and strengthening school and community partnerships.