Lilly Library’s “Final Four” – Our Class of 2015 – Part III
Lilly Library is fortunate to have a “strong senior line-up”, and Victor is an experienced point man on our team. Along with Natalie, Steven and Kenai, Victor is a member of our class of 2015. All of our seniors have worked at Lilly Library since they arrived as wide-eyed First-Year students on East Campus “way back” in August of 2011! Get to know our seniors in these profiles, and you’ll appreciate them as much we do.
Victor Chen:
● Hometown: Boulder, Colorado
● Academics: Double major in Economics and French Studies, minor in Environmental Science and Policy
● Activities on campus: Outing Club
● Favorite campus eatery/food: Panda Express
● Favorite off-campus eatery/food: Vin Rouge
● Hobbies, Dream vacations: Playing piano in a duo with my roommate on guitar. Cooking for a dinner party. Renting a car and taking a wine tour of southern France in May.
Q: Why have you worked at Lilly Library for all 4 years?
A: Working at Lilly Library is a very pleasant experience. I have interesting chats with patrons and friends who stop by the desk. The building itself is lovely, with its marble pillars in front and a spacious lobby. I have learned about art by flipping through books that I shelve or check in. Fantastic creations lie between the pages. When I moved to West Campus, the added travel time effectively decreased my hourly wage, but I didn’t mind too much. I live off campus now, and I enjoy biking to my work shifts when the weather is nice.
Q: What is your favorite part about working at Lilly? What is your least favorite part?
A: My favorite part is hanging out behind the desk. The University Campus has changed a lot during my four years but Lilly remains a place fixed in a different time, with its rich aroma of dusty books. I like the Thomas reading room, which has the air of an aristocrat’s drawing room, decorated with beautiful Chinese art. My least favorite part is working during especially busy periods when stress is high.
Q: What is your favorite duty at Lilly? What is your least favorite?
A: My favorite work duty is chillin’ at the desk. That includes sorting trucks, sensitizing full top shelves, and shelving books on the ledge, of course. My least favorite work duty is fixing the printers for patrons. … or maybe delivering books on cold days.
Q: What is one memory from Lilly that you will never forget?
A: Steven and I were keeping a weeknight watch, when we were informed that a thief was in the Reference Room. Apparently this man was responsible for trying to sell several valuable library books on eBay. Staff had called in a security guard and two police officers were about to walk in the room and apprehend the man. In this tense moment, a blur of motion appeared on the periphery. A man appeared on the other side of the library, running past the front desk. Dave yelled, “That’s him!” and the security guard ran after him. It was clear that the security guard could not catch the agile thief, who disappeared into the night. Steven and I found it a strange and exciting event.
Q: What does a typical weekend shift look like for you? What shift do you like most – and why?
A: I work three shifts: one during a weeknight, one during a weekday, and a Saturday night shift. My favorite is Saturday night, which has been a comforting constant during my entire undergraduate career. It makes me feel productive on Saturdays and it has been a little spot of tranquility I look forward to. Steven and I have shared most of these shifts together in our four years, on night watch, guarding the tomes of mysteries against forces that seek to destroy reason.
Q: What is your impression of Lilly’s film collection? Any recommendations?
A: The Lilly film collection is excellent. I especially enjoy titles from the Criterion Collection. My personal recommendations are La Notte (Michelangelo Antonioni, 1961), In the Mood for Love (Wong Kar-Wai, 2000), The Great Beauty (Paolo Sorrentino, 2013), Jules and Jim (Francois Truffaut, 1961), and Goodfellas (Martin Scorsese, 1990).
Q: What are your plans for after graduation?
A: No plans, yet.
Q: What will you miss most about Lilly when you graduate?
A: The atmosphere of calm and the friendliness of the staff.
Q: How will your time at Lilly help you in the future?
A: I’ve learned how to better help customers (patrons).
Q: What is the craziest thing you’ve ever done in Lilly? Any advice to other students working at Lilly?
A: Lilly is a crazy place, and I’ve helped maintain the strange character of this space. My only suggestion is that all Lilly student workers should help create the history of the Library.
Graduation in May means Lilly Library will say farewell to Victor and our other seniors, treasured members of our Lilly “family”. We appreciate his good work and dedication to Lilly and wish him the best!