Student Employment
Columbia University Libraries offers part-time student employment opportunities across our library locations, including both Federal Work-Study and Student Casual positions.
Work-Study Positions
These positions are available to students who have been awarded Federal Work-Study as part of their financial aid package. Please confirm your Work-Study eligibility and award amount with the Office of Financial Aid before applying.
Student Casual Positions (Non-Work-Study)
Students who are not eligible for or do not have Federal Work-Study may still apply for part-time positions open to all students, regardless of financial aid status.
How to Apply
Students interested in any job type should complete an application to be considered for available student positions. Paper/PDF applications are no longer accepted.
We encourage applicants to apply online before the start of each semester date for full consideration. However, we consider applications on an ongoing, as-needed basis and will contact applicants if additional opportunities arise. All applications are purged at the end of each academic year.
Questions about student employment can be directed to studentapplicationshr@library.columbia.edu.
Frequently Asked Questions
The minimum rate is $17. Certain specialized jobs may have different pay rates.
We rely on students to work at service desks, shelve books, fulfill requests for library material, and other tasks. We also hire graduate students with relevant academic specialties to help with research in special collections.
Work-study students are only eligible to hold one student job within the Libraries at a time. Student casual employees can work multiple positions. Student casual employees may not exceed 20 hours per week during fall and spring semesters across all positions, inclusive of spring break. Student casual positions are not limited to 20 hours per week during winter break, or, provided the student is not enrolled, during summer break.
Barnard students are not eligible for work-study positions in the Libraries. Please visit the Barnard website for Barnard-specific work-study positions. Barnard students are eligible for student casual roles in the Libraries.
Federal Work-Study positions are only available to U.S. citizens and Permanent Residents who have a financial aid work-study allocation. Check your eligibility on the Using Your Federal Work-Study Award page from Student Financial Services. Student casual positions are open to all Columbia students, including international students, regardless of financial aid package.
Yes. Full-time international students on F-1 or J-1 visas are generally eligible for on-campus student casual positions, provided they do not exceed the 20 hours per week limit during the academic year.