Who? (People)

Who can use the library?

Anyone is welcome to visit the library! In addition to UCR students, faculty and staff, several other groups of people are welcome to check out books. Only UCR Students, staff and faculty are able to use our online licensed materials off-campus.  They are available to all by coming onto the campus.

Can a librarian help me with my research when I am not at the library?

Yes! Please check Ask A Librarian for information on texting and chat services. 

Who should I contact if my book isn’t on the shelf?

Contact circulations/reserves desks. We can help you locate the book in likely places, put a search on the book, and/or assist you with borrowing from another library until our copy can be located.

Where? (Places)

The bathrooms/study spaces need cleaning. Who should I contact?

You can contact any service desk. They will notify facilities staff, who will promptly address the situation.

Can I book a study room in the library?

Rivera Library and Orbach Science Library have reservable group study rooms for UCR faculty, staff, and students. There are also five rooms on the 3rd floor of Rivera Library that are public use on a first come first serve basis.

Is there a quiet space in the library I can study?

The second floors of Rivera Library and Orbach Science Library are designated quiet floors. If you need absolute quiet in another area, there are earbuds for sale in the vending machines with Bear Bucks.

Can I return my books anywhere?

For most items you can return to any library or box. Course reserves must be returned to the library from which they were taken out. Read more...

Can I pick up the books I want at the front desk (paging)?

We will retrieve the material and have it ready for pickup at the library of your choice within 24-72 hours. Read more.

Does the escort service come to the library?

Yes. Check out the escort services website. 

Where is the lost and found?

Lost and founds are located at each library's circulation/reserves desks. 

How do I find library classrooms?

Please consult floor maps posted near entrance ways and elevators. 

Can I bring in a bike, pet, scooter, skateboard, hoverboard?

Please read our Building Use Policy. 

What? (Things)

Does the library have office supplies I can use?

Common office supplies such as staplers, tape, scissors and paper cutters are available near circulation/reserves desks.  Pens, highlighters and notecards are available in the vending machines and pencils and complimentary scratch paper are available at reference desks.

Can I access e-books, journals, and databases available at other universities?

While students faculty and staff can borrow print materials and request e-book chapters and journal articles, you cannot access e-books licensed at other universities.  However, you may request e-books be purchased quickly by UCR.

Does the library have tax forms?

We no longer provide physical tax forms as all forms are available online. 

Does the library have free printing? Can I use my student quota?

Yes, students can print using their student quota by using one of the Wepa printers installed and managed by UCR Information Technology Services on the first floor of Rivera Library or Orbach Library. Read this article for more details.

Does the library sell bluebooks or scantrons?

Bluebooks and scantrons are available in the vending machines using your Bear Bucks account.

What is my library card number?

It's under the barcode on your R'card and starts with 212100… do not include spaces!

How Do I? (Actions)

How do I save my documents?

Save your documents to a thumb drive, hosted service, or your own personal system. Any files you save to library computers will erase when you log off!

How do I find out if the library has the item want?

Check the UC Library Search to see if we hold an item, if it is on loan already, and when it will be available. 

I found an item I want but UCR doesn’t have it. How do I get it?

UC faculty, staff and students can request an interlibrary loan by clicking “Request” in the Melvyl (UC) catalog.

My instructor put materials for my class at the library. How do I access them?

Find them through the course reserves page. 

I have the call number for my item. How do I find it in the library?

Check out floor maps posted in the lobbies and near the elevators of each library. Signs with call numbers are posted on each aisle as well. 

How do I donate materials to the library?

To donate books or other materials to the UCR Library, please contact the Collection Services department head.

I can’t make it to my workshop! How do I reschedule?

Please sign up for a new workshop and contact the workshop organizer to delete your old spot.

I don't think I should be charged a late or damaged fee. What do I do?

You can submit a request to appeal your bills. 

How do I activate my library card?

You can go to any circulation/course reserves desks. 

Why? (Reasons)

Why can’t I find my documents on the library computer?

Library computers regularly clear all files saved on them. Please save your files to a jump drive or hosted service. 

Why can’t I check out materials if I forgot my R’Card?

This is for your own security and the security of the collection.  If someone claimed to be you and checked out books, you would be liable for the books.

VPN

VPN Authentication Errors

If you receive an authentication error message, the problem can often be solved by resetting your UCR Net ID password.

Please go to: http://myaccount.ucr.edu to reset your UCR Net ID password and save it. (Note: Do not use special characters at the end of your new password).

You should now be able to get into the Global Protect VPN site. Detailed instructions for resetting your password can be found in the following Knowledgebase Article (KB0011610).

Students without an R’Card

If you did not get an R’Card, you won’t be able to access Library online resources. Please visit the UCR Card Services page and submit an R’Card request.

VPN Installation Problems

Most installation problems can be solved by reviewing the instructions in the following Knowledgebase article (KB0011142). It covers installation for Windows, Mac, Android and iOS systems.

If you still can’t install the VPN client after following the instructions, please submit a BearHelp ticket.

Mac “Still Connecting” issue

This is usually fixed by checking the GlobalProtect VPN App in your security settings. Open your System preferences -> Security and Privacy -> Click the lock in the bottom left to make changes then click Allow next to the Palo Alto Prompt at the bottom. After a few minutes, the App should prompt for a Netid and password- If it doesn't, click the globe on the Apple bar on the top.

Mac “Certificate Error”

GlobalProtect VPN requires that you have OS version 10.13 or later to run properly. Please check your Operating System version and be sure it is updated to at least version 10.13. If it is 10.12 or below, you will need to upgrade to the newer version before you can run the GlobalProtect VPN.

Summer 2023 Digital Scholarship Certificate Program

Information for Undergraduates

Are you an undergraduate student who wants to explore interesting primary sources and help tell the stories of people, communities, or places from the past? Are you interested in learning more about digital research and digital collections?

By participating in this program, you will learn… Research skills: how to search for, analyze, and handle archival materials. Photography skills: how to properly photograph archival materials. Data skills: how to organize files and photos on your computer. Critical analysis skills: how to use text analysis and other digital research methodologies. You will get to explore interesting collections and learn how to select archival documents and images that can together tell the stories of people, communities, or places from the past. You will learn about the important decisions that have to be made in order to transform physical documents and artifacts into digital images and texts that can be shared online with the world. You will get hands-on experience using different kinds of software to analyze those digitized materials and produce new knowledge about the past, and will have the chance to curate your own digital exhibit. In short, this program is designed to prepare you to take upper-division or graduate level Digital Humanities courses and conduct your own archival research projects. 

Information for UCR Instructors

Are you an instructor who wants your students to gain a perspective on research that is anchored in hands-on practice with materials reflecting student experiences and voices? Do you mentor students who might enjoy learning and applying digital literacy and research skills? 

In this program that complements summer session coursework, your students will have an opportunity to dive deeper into archival collections than is often possible within the context of a credit-bearing course. They will get the chance to work 1:1 with librarians to learn and apply digital literacy and research skills, supported by a cohort of peers majoring in different disciplines. They will practice working both independently and collaboratively, and will walk away with new knowledge and a concrete achievement they can list on their CV or Resume, particularly helpful for those students preparing to apply for graduate programs that involve archival or digital research.

Dates

Call for Applications: January 3, 2023
Info Session: February 24, 2023
Applications Due: April 28, 2023
Notification of Acceptance: May 2023

How to Apply

Application Instructions:

  • Step 1. Determine eligibility: applicants must be currently enrolled as an undergraduate student at UC Riverside. There are no other prerequisites for application to the program.
  • Step 2. Fill out the online application form by April 28, 2023. The application form asks applicants to share their contact information, describe their previous related experience, and identify how the program aligns with their academic, personal, and professional goals.

Application Process:

We especially encourage applications from students from marginalized backgrounds and identities. 

A maximum of 30 applicants will be accepted into the program. Applicants will be notified of their acceptance status in May 2023.

Applications will be reviewed by the UCR Library Digital Scholarship Program Team: Rachel Starry (Digital Scholarship Librarian), Krystal Boehlert (Digital Initiatives Specialist), Sandy Enriquez (Special Collections Public Services, Outreach and Community Engagement Librarian), and Alvaro Alvarez (Innovative Media Librarian). 

If you have any questions about the application process, please contact: rachel.starry@ucr.edu. 

Curriculum

Orientation Session:

During Week 1 of the program (June 26-30), a welcome session will be held to orient participants to the program schedule, check in with students about their individual learning goals, and introduce issues surrounding digital collections and archives that will be discussed throughout the program.

Cohort Check-ins:

At the beginning of each week, a 30-minute meeting will be held over Zoom to check in with students about their progress, questions, and concerns, and to introduce the schedule of activities for the week.

Workshops:

A total of six, 90-minute morning workshops will be held over the course of the program. 

Encountering Archives: Materiality and Space

  • “Encountering Archives” is an introduction to conducting research with archives and special collections. Students will learn how to navigate archives and analyze primary sources using a critical lens that emphasizes materiality and space. Students will practice finding, requesting, handling, and analyzing archival materials.

DIY (Do-It-Yourself) Imaging in the Archives

  • This workshop will prepare students for an independent visit to an archive where you can capture reference images for your own research. We will discuss best practices for taking photos in an archive or special collections. We will also share some tools for 2D and 3D image capture as well as tips for photographing in archival settings.

Metadata & Data Management for Digitized Archival Materials

  • Metadata, or “data about data,” plays an important role in our ability to preserve, organize, and find library and archives materials. In this workshop, we will introduce the concepts and principles behind metadata, explore how we can use it in archives research and digital exhibits, and practice creating our own metadata to describe and organize digitized images.

OCR (Optical Character Recognition): Turning Digitized Documents into Searchable Texts

  • This workshop will introduce students to the importance of human decision-making in the process of turning images of text into fully searchable documents. We will discuss what OCR is, and will look at how different software programs can produce different results from the same digitized documents.

Close and Distant Reading: Quantitative Text Analysis for Archival Materials

  • This workshop is a basic introduction to quantitative text analysis. We will discuss critical definitions and spend time getting familiar with the interface for a particular program called Voyant Tools, which allows users to compare the actual texts in a corpus of documents (“close reading”) to visualizations and statistics about the words and phrases in those documents (“distant reading”).

Curating Digital Exhibits

  • This workshop will introduce students to the basics of curating digital exhibits. We will discuss decisions that need to be made when selecting archival materials in order to create a narrative with them. We will also compare a couple tools for creating a digital exhibit and consider why you might choose one tool over another when curating a particular kind of exhibit or working with particular kinds of research materials.

Lab Sessions:

Following each workshop, participants have the option of attending either or both of two related afternoon lab sessions, held in-person at Orbach or Rivera Library. Each lab session will include a short, self-directed activity that enables participants to practice applying the knowledge they gained during the related workshop. Instructors will be present at all lab sessions to answer participants’ questions and support their work on their assignments.

Assignments:

Required

  • Each participant will be required to keep a “failure log” during the program and submit it as either a final, cumulative reflection essay or as a series of shorter reflections written throughout the program, describing what the participant learned from their experiences of failure. 
  • Over the course of the program, each participant will assemble a selection of digitized archival materials (2-5 items) that are connected by a particular theme or narrative they identify. In week 6, participants will have the opportunity to attend lab sessions dedicated to working on their final assignment: submission of a short, 3-minute video or audio clip in which they present their selected archival items and describe the theme or narrative of a digital exhibit they would like to make comprising those items. 

Optional

  • Students will have the option to assemble their items into a small digital exhibit, to be hosted in Omeka S by UCR Library, should they wish to do so. This component of the program is entirely optional; creating or not creating an exhibit will have no bearing on the awarding of the program’s Certificate of Completion.

Certificate Ceremony:

Week 6 of the program will wrap up with a final cohort check-in, including a guided reflection exercise to help participants summarize and consolidate what they have learned. Following this reflection session, all participants are invited to participate in a celebratory lunch that will include the certificate award ceremony.

Certificate Requirements

Participants must complete the following requirements in order to earn the program’s Certificate of Completion:

  • Attend a minimum of 4 workshops.
  • Attend a minimum of 6 lab sessions (at least 4 of which must be post-workshop sessions - i.e. a maximum of 2 final project lab sessions will count towards this total). Lab sessions are scheduled in 3-hour time blocks; participation for 2 hours is sufficient to count towards attendance at any given lab session.
  • Submit a 500-word reflection essay (“failure log”).
  • Submit a 3-minute video or audio clip that presents the participant’s selected archival items and describes the theme or narrative of a digital exhibit comprising those items.

Total completion time: 24 hours 

Register for the Info Session

Join us via Zoom at 11:00am PDT on February 24, 2023, to learn more about this new certificate program offered by UCR Library. Registration is free – register on Eventbrite!