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Michelle Gipson Staff Profile

Collection Maintenance Supervisor

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Maria Davaris Staff Profile

Government Information Assistant

Nicole Rae Valencia Staff Profile

Financial Services Analyst

More News November 28, 2023

Please Welcome Shannon Castro to the UCR Library

Under the leadership of the Sr. Executive Director, Constituency Programs and in close collaboration with the University Librarian, Shannon will develop and execute long- and short-term strategies to grow the philanthropic pipeline and secure major gifts for the UCR Library.

Shannon brings a wealth of experience and expertise to our team. Before joining us, Shannon served as the Director of Resource Development for the San Gabriel Valley Habitat for Humanity. In this role, she juggled multiple responsibilities, including overseeing all donor revenue for Resource Development, marketing, communication events, and volunteer programs.

Additionally, Shannon has held key roles at San Antonio Hospital Foundation, USC Verdugo Hills Hospital, and Citrus Valley Health Foundation, showcasing a wealth of experience in major donor cultivation, annual donors, stewardship, event planning, and project management. One of her notable achievements includes executing a $12 million Vineyard Tower Capital Campaign and overseeing a $6 million San Antonio Regional Hospital/City of Hope Cancer Center Capital Campaign. Her ability to increase donor bases through annual giving memberships and events has consistently produced remarkable results.

More News October 03, 2016

Five UCR librarians presented at the National Diversity in Libraries Conference (NDLC) this August, including Judy Lee, Kent LaCombe, Stephanie Milner, Melissa Cardenas-Dow, and Julie Mason.

“Bridges of Inclusion” was the theme of the 2016 NDLC conference, which was presented by the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) and UCLA Library. UCR Library was also one of the conference sponsors, among other libraries and organizations.

NCLC 2016 highlighted issues related to diversity and inclusion that affect staff, users, and institutions in the library, archive, and museum (LAM) fields.  UC Riverside's team of librarians presented throughout the 3-day event.

An emotional keynote address by Lakota Harden opened the conference. Speaking from the heart, she moved the audience to tears while sharing about her struggles as a Native American woman and her efforts to see that Native American histories and lives are portrayed honestly in literature. 

Melissa Cardenas-Dow, UCR Research and Instructional Services Librarian and member of the ALA Task Force on Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, presented in a panel session on the first day discussing lessons learned by the task force. On the second day, Melissa presented “Diversity Standards in Action: How Do We Practice & Value Cultural Competencies?”  Melissa also played a role in planning the conference.

Judy Lee and Julie Mason served on a panel discussing successful Library and Information Science (LIS) Diversity Initiatives, exploring a new follow-up study on recruitment and retention with IE LEADS fellows.

Kent LaCombe and Stephanie Milner followed up with a poster presentation, exploring the impact of the IE LEADS program on institutional partners and affiliates. This project was led through the LAUC-R Diversity Committee. Patricia Smith-Hunt, Christina Cicchetti, and former UCR librarian Denise Kane are also part of the IE LEADS follow-up study research team.

The conference concluded with a lively discussion on “whiteness” and ARL Library Leadership between Director of Libraries at MIT and Chair of the ARL Committee on Diversity and Inclusion, Chris Bourg and April Hathcock, Scholarly Communications Librarian at NYU.

The next NDLC is slated for 2020.

More News June 01, 2015

Hecht and Colclasure submit award-winning entries.

Each year the UCR Library’s hosts the Adam Repán Petko Student Book Collection Competition to encourage students in reading, as well as in the creation of their own personal libraries and book collections. The collection’s submitted this year showcase the diversity of student interests and represented a wide array of topics from children’s literature, fantasy, and historical fiction to political biographies, social organizations, and renowned women authors. 

Tikva Hecht took first place in in the graduate division for “Books I’ve Held On To: Stories and Poems from my Childhood.” Through the use of captivating descriptions Hecht was able to illustrate the distinct patterns and shared impressionistic illustrations woven throughout her collection and its underlying theme of “displacement.” Hecht's collection provides a brief glimpse into her childhood and the imaginary journeys that have influenced her writing.

Carol Colclasure was awarded the top prize in the undergraduate division for her entry “Works of Wonderful Women.” Colclasure’s collection featured an extensive number of books on the topics of female liberation and intellectualism that she began collecting at a very young age. These early bibliophilic endeavors have led Colclasure to a literary life as well, through her current studies in literature and writing.

The winners of the 2015 Adam Repán Petko Student Book Collection Competition were honored at a ceremony held in Special Collections & University Archives on May 14, 2015 where they were presented with an award certificate by University Librarian, Steven Mandeville-Gamble. All entrants were also presented with a book, courtesy of the UC Press, that closely matched their collection’s topical area. Dr. Edward C. Petko, the competition’s benefactor, provided brief remarks for the winners as well as their fellow entrants to close the ceremony. Hecht and Colclasure, as winners of this competition, will both be eligible to compete in the upcoming National Collegiate Book Collecting Contest. 

For more information on the annual Adam Repán Petko Student Book Collection Competition please visit our website.

More News October 31, 2016

On the morning of Thursday, October 27, 2016, a collaboration between UC Riverside and the Smithsonian Latino Center Live Mobile Broadcast series brought a special Day of the Dead-themed program to Tomás Rivera Library.

Smithsonian Latino Center’s Digital Curator and Content Specialist and Assistant Professor in UCR's Department of Music, Dr. Xochitl Chavez co-presented with Dr. Amalia Cabezas, Associate Professor of Ethnic Studies. The lecture was titled, “Not Invisible! Not Forgotten! Stories of Trans Sex Workers.”

During the lecture, students of GSST 138 (Gender and the Sex Trade) together with Professors Cabezas and Chavez created a community altar for Dia de Los Muertos to honor the lives of transgender sex workers. Some of the women chosen by the students had been murdered by their clients or had died through other violent means.

 “I was so happy to be a part of this altar,” said Caitlin Heavner, a student in GSST 138 and a Gender and Sexuality Studies major. “Raising awareness about the violence and injustice that sex workers and trans sex workers go through is not prevalent enough in this society, so the fact that our class was able to honor these women and give them a voice was such an empowering and amazing feat.”

Caitlin added that she felt Professor Cabezas and Professor Chavez had done a great job organizing this project. More than forty participants attended the live lecture.

A video of the full program is available online.

Photo credit: Caitlin Heavner

More News January 03, 2017

The holiday season tends to inspire a spirit of giving and goodwill. Access Services Desk Supervisor Leslie Settle has discovered a way to extend that magnanimous feeling throughout the whole year.

It began five years ago, when Leslie first heard about the Guardian Scholars Program during a Staff Assembly. “I recognized one of the students in their advertisement photo as someone who comes to the front desk all the time,” Leslie explained.

Connecting a familiar face to the mission of Guardian Scholars is what inspired Leslie to make a monthly donation to the program via payroll deduction. “When I was a student here, I never knew that UCR did this,” Leslie said. An alumna of UC Riverside (class of 2006, B.A. in Political Science and Ethnic Studies, and 2009, M.A. in Public Administration), Leslie understands well the demands of student life.

Learning about what the Guardian Scholars Program does was eye-opening in many ways for Leslie. “I didn’t know that kids in the foster system get completely cut off when they turn 18, so it’s like becoming homeless all over again,” she explained. “I thought to myself, ‘That isn’t right and I must help.’ A lot of these scholars are young, single parents, and they’re trying to go to school and take care of their family at the same time. I remember as a student having no home to go home to, since my mother was homeless. And now that I’ve been blessed, I want to help by blessing others.”

“The Guardian Scholars Program provides housing for them, it gives them school supplies, and money for things like going to the movies with their kids,” Leslie continued. “Some of the Guardian Scholars will write a personal thank-you note and send it to your house. Some will even send you pictures of their kids. It’s very sweet.”

“Guardian Scholars is among a few of the popular, ‘feel good’ programs that UCR staff and faculty can donate to,” explained Lily Barger, Director of Annual Giving. Lily stated that others include R’Pantry, Scholarship Assistance, the Living the Promise fund, and R’Garden.

“The R’Garden is a great link between the community and the university,” said Lily. “People who live in Riverside can get a plot in the garden. Food grown there goes to the families, to the UCR Food Pantry, and to a few local food pantries, as well.”

 “It blesses me to give because I love helping people. I know without help, I would not be where I am today,” Leslie explained. “I felt like I could do more, so I told some coworkers about Guardian Scholars. A few others signed up to give, too, because of what I had shared, which was great to see. And giving to UCR is so easy – one form to fill out, and you never have to think about it again.” In addition to giving to the Guardian Scholars Program, Leslie also donates each month to Society 54, which supports the UC Riverside Staff Assembly.

If you feel inspired by Leslie’s story, there are many programs that could use your support. You can learn more about the different ways to give to UCR, or speak with any member at UCR’s Office of Development to learn about how to participate in the Faculty and Staff Giving Campaign.

 “The library would be thrilled to be a leader on campus, not only in our services, but also in our sense of community, spirit, and campus-wide support,” said Samantha Lang, Director of Development for Campus-wide Initiatives, “The library would love to achieve 100% participation in the Faculty and Staff Giving Campaign, which is part of UCR’s Living the Promise Comprehensive Campaign. And ‘participation’ can be a simple, one-time $25 donation to anywhere on campus, not just the library.”

An added bonus is that each donation counts as a charitable deduction come tax season. “This is a great alternative to giving just at the end of the year,” Leslie explained. “If everybody who works at UCR gave a little each month, we could raise millions of dollars each year.”

More News January 10, 2020

Astrid Bear, the daughter of award-winning Science Fiction novelist Poul Anderson and his wife Karen, recently donated their papers to the UCR Library.

The collection includes 73 boxes of correspondence, manuscript drafts, notes, diaries, personal records, artwork, memorabilia and ephemera from various conventions and events.

“I am absolutely delighted that the Eaton Collection at UC Riverside is the custodian of my parents’ papers, preserving and making them available for scholars long into the future,” Bear said. “The Eaton Collection is one of the premier university SF/F collections in the world, and I am very happy that the Poul and Karen Anderson papers are part of it.”

A Danish-American author born in Bristol, Pa., Poul Anderson earned his undergraduate degree in Physics at the University of Minnesota, which provided a strong foundation for his science fiction writing. He published more than 50 novels and contributed to over 60 anthologies, receiving seven Hugo Awards, three Nebula Awards, a John W. Campbell Memorial Award, among others throughout his highly-decorated career. He also served as the President of the Science Fiction Writers of America from 1972-1973 and was named a Grand Master in 1997.

Karen Anderson co-wrote several books with Poul, including “The King of Ys” series. She was also a prolific publisher of fanzines and a very active contributor.

“Poul and Karen were both integral members of the science fiction and fantasy communities in California. Poul was one of those few authors who found success writing in both genres, and the collection represents that very well,” explained Andrew Lippert, Special Collections Processing Archivist, who processed the collection in 2019. “One of his most highly regarded works, which won the Hugo, Nebula, and Locus, is the novella ‘The Queen of Air and Darkness,’ which might be one of the first successful blendings of sci-fi and fantasy.” Few authors have won all three awards for a single piece, Lippert said.

Lippert and the Jay Kay and Doris Klein Librarian for Science Fiction, Jacqueline “JJ” Jacobson, included this novella in the library’s 2019 exhibition, 50x50: Celebrating the Eaton Collection’s 50th Anniversary.

The Andersons’ shared an interest in history, particularly northern European medieval themes, which found its way into some of Poul’s writing, according to Lippert. They were also founding members of the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA) and both maintained active roles within the community and fandom.

“We are delighted to have the Anderson collection join the papers of Anne McCaffrey, Gregory Benford, Gardner Dozois, and others as part of the Eaton collection at UCR,” Lippert said. 

Astrid Bear notes, “The knowledge, respect, and enthusiasm shown by the UCR staff during the donation and cataloguing process was quite wonderful.” 

Poul Anderson passed away in 2001, followed by Karen in 2018.