Columbia University Libraries Announces 2023 Outstanding Student Worker Award Winners

Columbia University Libraries is pleased to announce 14 recipients of the annual Outstanding Student Worker awards, nominated by Libraries staff from a workforce of nearly 200 students. Each year, the Libraries awards students who have demonstrated exceptional commitment to their work for the organization.

“The high caliber of services that the Libraries provides would not be possible without the contributions of outstanding and dedicated student workers such as you,” Vice Provost and University Librarian Ann Thornton wrote to the recipients. “We greatly appreciate the contribution you made this past year in helping us support learning and research at Columbia and in the broader scholarly community.”

Recipients of the 2023 awards are:

Madison Crees, Avery Architectural & Fine Arts Library

Paul Guidos, Avery Architectural & Fine Arts Library

“Paul has been working in Drawings & Archives since 2016. Over these past years, we have come to rely on Paul for his meticulousness, professional drive, and peerless work ethic,” the staff of Avery Architectural & Fine Arts Library said of Paul. “Paul has been the archives’ secret weapon and is the major reason why we have been able to accomplish our biggest goals over these past six years. During his time at the archives, Paul has helped us organize, research, and describe tens of thousands of architectural drawings and hundreds (if not thousands) of linear feet of papers. The professional work Paul has performed for us during his time at Avery has helped our archive move forward and has brought us closer to our long term goal of gaining intellectual control over all new and legacy collections.”

Luis A. Lee, Butler Library

Jane McBride, Science, Engineering, and Science Libraries

Forrest Bomann, Science, Engineering, and Science Libraries

Gabriella Chioffi, Science, Engineering, and Science Libraries

Anna Bergson, Science, Engineering, and Science Libraries

“Jane, Forrest, Gabriella, and Anna have all exhibited leadership, reliability and an exceptional work ethic,” said Shanda L. Peterson, Access and Reserves Supervisor, who oversaw all four student workers in the Science, Engineering, and Social Science Libraries. “They are all friendly and easy to work with. They are all trustworthy and can be counted on to be left alone if necessary. They have all been a tremendous help to this department.”

Jennifer Helminski, The Burke Library at Union Theological Seminary

Zi Qing “Jackie” Wu, The Burke Library at Union Theological Seminary

Elizabeth Holmes Ober, The Burke Library at Union Theological Seminary

Daniel Greco, Delivery Services

Joshua Tosa, Delivery Services

Tyler Wilson, C.V. Starr East Asian Library

“The C.V. Starr East Asian Library is pleased that Tyler Wilson has been recognized with an Outstanding Student Worker Award for his years of service at the library,” said Ken Harlin, Head of Access Services at the library. “His commitment, hard work, and dedication to Starr was a great help when we reopened the library after the pandemic shutdown, and has continued since. We will miss him and wish him the best after graduation.”

Jenn Todaro, Student Library Advisory Committee