By Ross French

​RIVERSIDE, Calif. (www.ucr.edu) — In the weeks since he joined the University of California, Riverside as the new University Librarian, Steven Mandeville-Gamble has impressed staff and faculty with his leadership skills and friendly, outgoing personality. But Mandeville-Gamble made an even better impression at his welcome reception, held on March 22 at the Raymond L. Orbach Science Library, by presenting a gift that had the audience buzzing.

Melissa Conway, head of Special Collections at the University of California, Riverside, holds a copy of the first American edition of “The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals” by Charles Darwin. New University Librarian Steven Mandeville-Gamble gave to book to the UCR Special Collections as a thank you gift. PHOTO BY ROSS FRENCH

Saying that he wanted to give back to the campus for hosting the reception in his honor, Mandeville-Gamble presented the library with a first American edition copy of Charles Darwin’s “The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals” from his personal collection. Published in 1873, the book elicited a “wow” from Melissa Conway, head of Special Collections at the Rivera Library.

“The first American edition of Darwin’s classic 'Expression of Emotions in Man and Animals' is a wonderful surprise and a very generous gift,” Conway said. “We are building a History of Science Collection as a complement to our outstanding Eaton Science Fiction Collection.”

“It has been a wonderful three weeks… I am so delighted by the staff I get to work with every day in all the departments of the library,” Mandeville-Gamble said during his remarks. “I have been delighted with my interactions with the faculty and the administration, and I could not be happier to be here.”

“We had the good fortune to have a number of really highly qualified candidates for the position, but in the end, it was Steven Mandeville-Gamble who clearly distinguished himself from all of the others,” said Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Dallas Rabenstein during his introduction. Rabenstein added that he was impressed with Mandeville-Gamble’s vision, enthusiasm, depth of knowledge and commitment to creating a 21st-century library. “It became very clear that Steven was the one who could provide leadership for the library moving into the future.”

“I have a fairly big vision of where the library is going, but that vision can’t happen without people,” Mandeville-Gamble said. “I think the people are here and I think we will make a great team. I am very much looking forward to it.”

“Let’s start an interesting partnership, and let’s go places,” he added.

Guests fill the atrium of the Raymond L. Orbach Science library prior to the start of the Welcome Reception for new University Librarian Steven Mandeville-Gamble on March 22. PHOTO BY ROSS FRENCH

Mandeville-Gamble came to UCR from George Washington University, where he was associate librarian. While there he helped to raise $23 million dollars in contributions and endowments. His parents, Gary and Linda Mandeville-Gamble, travelled from their home in Ashland, Ore. to join the festivities.

Mandeville-Gamble was also presented with welcome gifts by Wanda Scruggs, the library’s development officer, and Patricia Smith-Hunt, head of preservation services and chair of the Librarian Association of UC Riverside and Julia Ree, president of the Library Staff Association.