Circulation is the library's tireless foot soldier: it serves as the front gate to the library's services and resources. This service point is where most patrons enter and leave; and experience their first and last impressions--impressions that linger. In an age when academic libraries are facing meager budgets and declining usage statistics, this tired foot soldier may have a new purpose. This department, mainly staffed by sleepy, hungry, and overburdened students, can become the gateway to a welcoming world of information. This force of willing student assistants can be mobilized for the library's advantage. The authors stress that by engaging student workers with critical thinking exercises and stimulating activities, circulation becomes the perfect marketing opportunity. In this article, the authors discuss how circulation can be a viable part of effective marketing and describes ways that can help to get student employees interested in providing good patron service.