This series of profiles highlight valued student employees from across the Libraries, including Lilium Chen, a student assistant at Butler Library in the Humanities and History department. The Libraries is the largest employer of students on campus. We couldn’t serve our users without them!

Q: Which library do you work at and what is your title?  

I’m currently working as a student assistant at Butler Library, specifically for the Humanities and History department.

Q: What does your job entail?

Columbia has a huge collection of DVDs, and my primary task is to check each DVD against the CLIO database to determine whether we already have the same title. If the title doesn’t exist, then my boss can decide if the library wants to have it. If the title does exist, then most of the time these extra DVDs would go into discards. Basically, I’m working to make my boss’s time easier.

Q: Could you describe your favorite part of working at the Libraries?  

As you check the collection status of each DVD, you’re working like a detective. Some DVDs have clues on the cover — such as the distributor, the date of release, and the estimated duration — that can help you instantly decide whether Columbia has this title or not. Other times, there will be multiple titles with the same name, and you need to use IMDB to find out which one has the same director and visual styles. This process is like solving a puzzle and is quite enjoyable. Also, you get to know interesting films and animation you’ve never known before!

Q: What is your area of study?  

Although I haven’t declared a major yet, I will pursue Film and Media Studies. A perfect match with my job.

Q: Of the libraries on campus, which is your favorite place to study?

There’s always a toss-up between Avery and Butler. Both of them are so beautifully decorated that I don’t really have a preference. Avery has a more expansive atmosphere and Butler more intimate. Depending on my mood, I might choose to go to either one.

Q: What do you consider to be a “hidden gem” at the library where you work?  

I know that the reading room to the right side of the second floor is very popular. I love that too, but the reading room on the opposite side is equally cozy. If you go there at noon, there will be very few people and the entire space feels like yours.

Q: What book are you currently reading?

Currently revisiting Marlen Haushofer’s The Wall. The absolute best apocalypse survival story I’ve read in recent years.