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More News April 30, 2018

Eli Labinger is a fourth-year psychology major who works as a Student Assistant in Special Collections and University Archives at the UCR Library.

Labinger grew up in West Hollywood, California as the younger of two sons. His mother is a first grade teacher and his father is a wholesale bookseller.

UC Riverside was an easy choice to make for Labinger because he wanted to stay close to home for college, but also wanted to attend a research university. “When I first visited, I really loved it. It has a very intimate feeling about it,” he said. “It was just a really good fit for me.”

Working at the library also turned out to be a great fit for Labinger. “There’s a lot to love about this job,” he said. “It’s really the anticipation of working with new things or in new areas every day keeps me interested and excited. There’s always something new to experience here.”

One of his favorite work-related memories comes from a 2016 event for the Chancellor’s Associates. “Donors who were visiting the library stopped by Special Collections,” Labinger explained. “We had seven or eight display tables set up around the reading room. Each table had things representing a specific area, and I got to present on The Lord of the Rings as representative of the fantasy literature collection. That was cool.”

His interest in fantasy literature helped to establish a friendship with Science Fiction Librarian Jacqueline “JJ” Jacobson. “I have talked a lot with JJ especially about The Lord of the Rings,” he said. “That’s sort of my outside interest.”

Aside from his work at the library, Labinger also works in a research laboratory in UCR's Department of Psychology. “I’m working on a project right now for the Chancellor’s Research Fellowship,” he said. “Psychology is a really new field and there’s a lot of research out there but there’s so much to be done. There are a lot of important discoveries yet to be made. I think that global change is going to stem from research.”

He feels most passionate about research that focuses on children and adolescents. “It’s such rapid growth period, and by the time we learn new things about these people, the people we’re studying grow up and grow out of our findings. A lot of things become out of date really quickly. There can’t be too much research with younger people.”

Between classes and working at both the library and the psychology lab, Labinger has little spare time for other hobbies. “I haven’t been able to do all the things I like to do, like read for pleasure.”

After graduation, Labinger will be moving to Portland, Oregon, to complete his PhD at Portland State University’s applied developmental psychology program. As a graduate student, he will be assisting Dr. Andrew Mashburn in his research, which includes assessing the effectiveness of early interventions for improving school readiness in preschoolers moving to kindergarten.

“I am especially interested in understanding the types of children and families for whom such interventions work best, and in using this information to find programs that work for all students and that have lasting positive effects,” Labinger said.

• Read more about Chicano Latino Studies

More News April 04, 2019

Over the next few months, construction and several moves will be occurring in the Rivera and Orbach Libraries.

Here is the overview. This webpage will be updated as projects are completed, or as timeframes shift.

Rivera Library

Basement

• ​ Completed: Microfilms have been relocated to circulating shelves in the basement to the right of the metal microfiche cases.
• Currently: Construction has started in the former microfilm stacks to create a new secured stack area for Special Collections and University Archives.

First Floor

• ​ Completed: Interlibrary Loan operations has relocated to the Circulation/Reserves service desk in Rivera Library.

Second Floor

• ​ Completed - June 3 - August 9:
  • Staff will move items in the Education Services collection to the basement (includes juvenile books, puppets, manipulatives, textbooks), where the microfilm was previously housed. This will allow greater patron accessibility on a non-quiet floor with more open space — conducive for a collection that sometimes is used by parents/caregivers with children.
  • Items with K-L call numbers will be moved to the shelves where the Education Services materials were previously housed, on the second floor of Rivera Library.
• ​ Completed - August 12 - September 20:
  • Items with ML-MT call numbers will be temporarily moved to mobile carts on the second floor, while new, broader shelving is being installed. During this time, for your convenience, we suggest that patrons submit a hold/request for items in this collection, so that library staff can retrieve the items for you.

Orbach Library

First Floor

•  Completed: Poster Printing services has moved from the ground floor to room 121 on the first floor. 
• ​ Completed: The Map Collection has moved from the ground floor to first floor. Map cases, GIS workstations, aerial photos, light table, and work tables are adjacent to the Creat'R Lab, now labeled as "Geospatial Resources."

Ground Floor

• June: The UCR School of Medicine will begin construction of their Clinical Skills Simulation Lab in the space formerly occupied by the Map Collection and some adjacent library spaces.

Music Library

The Music Library will close at the end of the day on Friday, September 6, and reopen on Monday, September 16. It will be closed for a week on September 9.

• ​ Completed - September 9 - 13: The Music collection will move to the Rivera Library.
  • M call number materials will be moved and shelved after the new location of the L call numbers on the second floor of Rivera Library.
  • ML and MT call numbers will then be shelved after the M call numbers.
  • Music Study Score will be shelved separately following the MT call numbers.
• ​ Completed - Music Media (CD, VHS, LP, etc.)
  • Music media will be interfiled into the current Media Collection on the first floor of Rivera Library. New security cases are being ordered for the collection.
  • Rivera Reference will be shifted to the last two ranges behind the reference desk.
  • The Media Collection will expand to the first range on the left side—shelves will be added accordingly.

Megan Murphy Staff Profile

NAGPRA Repatriation Coordinator

More News September 06, 2016

A new exhibit opened in Special Collections & University Archives, which commemorates the 500th anniversary of Thomas More’s Utopia.

More's book led to a proliferation of utopian fiction in the Western world. Utopias usually critique the politics of the author’s time and imagine what a better society might look like. Many utopias sparked social movements, such as the Utopian Socialism of the 19th century. The vibrancy and diversity of the utopian imagination allude to a simple definition of the term. 500 Years of Utopia explores this subject and showcases the Eaton Collection’s works on utopias and dystopias. It highlights key texts of the last 500 years, explains their importance, and calls attention to the beauty of the books as artifacts.

The exhibit also celebrates the 50th anniversary of the original Star Trek series, which premiered on September 8, 1966, with a display of Star Trek memorabilia for the Eaton Collection.

500 Years of Utopia is the first of a series of exhibit collaborations between the Eaton Collection and UCR’s Science Fiction and Cultures of Science Program (formerly Science Fiction and Technoculture Studies). JJ Jacobson, the Klein Science Fiction Librarian, co-curated it with graduate student Irene Morrison, who works in the field of utopian studies, specifically utopian literature and real-world utopian ideologies.

The exhibit will remain on display on the fourth floor of Rivera Library until December 15, 2016.

More News May 08, 2017

One of the noteworthy resources housed in the UCR Library’s Special Collections & University Archives is an assortment of glass plate negatives, photographs, and lantern slides taken by photographer Sabino Osuna.

Created during the years 1910 to 1914, Osuna’s images feature prominent figures in the Mexican Revolution, including Pancho Villa, Emiliano Zapata, Francisco Madero, Victoriano Huerta, Alvaro Obregon, and others.

Osuna’s photographs also depict soldiers engaged in guerrilla warfare on the streets of Mexico City during La Decena Trágica, a ten-day period from February 9 and February 19, 1913 that resulted in a coup d’état and the assassinations of the Mexican president and vice president.

A copy of the full Osuna digital photograph catalog was presented to Mexico’s Secretary of Culture by UC Board of Regents Chair Monica Lozano in a hand-made box.

The presentation ceremony was held on March 29, 2017 during a reception at the University of California’s facility in Mexico City, called Casa de California.

“California and Mexico share a long and rich tradition of arts and culture,” UC President Janet Napolitano commented. “It’s with great pleasure that we provide the ministry with access to the Osuna collection as a symbol of our continued partnership on issues of cultural significance.”

Now, students, historians, and community members in Mexico will also have local access to his rich cultural record.

UC Riverside students, staff, faculty, and community members are invited to visit Special Collections on the fourth floor of Tomás Rivera Library to view the Osuna collection in person. The images can also be viewed online using Calisphere.

• Read more about Orbach Science Library

More News May 20, 2024

We want to inform our patrons about important changes regarding access to Special Collections and University Archives (SCUA) located on the 4th floor of the Tomás Rivera Library.

Due to scheduled building construction projects, SCUA will be open by appointment only from June 17 to at least September 23, 2024.

During this period, anyone wishing to view materials from SCUA will need to schedule their visit in advance. This temporary change is essential to ensure the safety and security of both our patrons and the valuable materials housed within these collections while construction is underway.

To make an appointment to view materials during this time, please submit a request through our appointment calendar. We aim to accommodate our patrons as efficiently as possible and encourage you to contact us at your earliest convenience to secure a suitable time for your research needs.

We understand that this may cause some inconvenience, and we appreciate your patience and understanding during this time. 

Thank you for your cooperation, and we look forward to assisting you in accessing SCUA materials.

More Past Exhibits Karen Raines October 03, 2024

This exhibit is a selection of political buttons related to presidential elections from our Harold and Barbara Durian Collection of Political Buttons.

These campaign buttons are just a small sampling of what the Harold and Barbara Durian Collection of Political Buttons has to offer. The full collection consists of over 200 original and replica political buttons from the 1870s to 2016 and includes state elections and other ephemera—not just presidential buttons. The collection is open to researchers in Special Collections & University Archives on the 4th floor of the Tomás Rivera Library.

Event	Political Campaign Buttons
Location	Tomás Rivera Library, 1st Floor, (left of the Library entrance)
Dates	Wednesday, October 2, 2024 - Tuesday, November 26, 2024
Hours	Monday  - Thursday: 7:30 a.m. - 12 a.m. Friday: 7:30 a.m. - 6 p.m.  Saturday: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.  Sunday: 1 p.m. - 9 p.m.  NOTE: We are closed during UCR observed holidays.
Parking	Free Visitor Parking is available on Fridays, starting at 12:00 PM through 6:00 AM Monday morning in the unreserved spaces of the following parking lots/structures: Lot 6 Blue Lot 13 Blue Big Springs Parking Structure 2 Lot 26 Gold Lot 30 Gold Lot 50 Gold Paid Visitor Parking information can be found here.