More News May 06, 2019

During winter quarter 2019, the UCR Library collaborated on a survey with ASUCR and their Student Voice Committee to learn how we can improve students’ academic experience.

463 undergraduate and graduate students participated in the survey and identified these top five obstacles to student success at UC Riverside:

1)      Difficult classes (32%)

2)      Time management (25%)

3)      Cost of textbooks (15%)

4)      Lack of study spaces (8%)

5)      Not owning a laptop (4%)

The UCR Library and its partners directly address three of these challenges:

Cost of textbooks:        Library course reserves and the Affordable Course Materials Initiative (ACMI) can help offset the high cost of textbooks.

Lack of study spaces:         Both Rivera and Orbach Libraries provide a variety of study rooms that students can reserve online, including the recently updated and soundproof David W. Musso Quiet Study Rooms.

Not owning a laptop:         Students can borrow a laptop from one of the new ITS-managed Laptops Anytime self-service kiosks in the Rivera and Orbach libraries, or check out a laptop from the Circulation / Reserves Desks.

The library also offers some support to address students’ two most pressing challenges – difficult classes and time management.

Difficult classes:

• Make an appointment with a librarian to request individual research assistance.
• In-class presentations to find and use research resources, and gain expertise on digital tools and technologies. Students can suggest that their instructors contact the library directly to request this service.

Time management:

• The library offers workshops every quarter on a variety of time-saving topics, including citation management and other research tools and techniques.
• Individual how-to consultations on digital tools or other technology: use the ‘Ask Us’ button on the library’s homepage to find a library consultant, or visit one of the Info Desks for general questions and guidance.

If students feel stressed by their academic challenges, the library offers stress-relieving resources, too:

• Visit the Creat’R Lab in Orbach Library to make something fun and creative.
• Open up a Rivera Library maker box to color, play with Legos, or make other crafts.

The library’s staff are its greatest resource to assist students with their most pressing concerns. “Librarians and their individual expertise can be extremely helpful,” said Dani Cook, UCR Library’s Director of Teaching & Learning.

Those who are interested in offering philanthropic support for student success at UC Riverside are encouraged to speak with Jernine McBride, Associate Director of Development, to learn more about the UCR Library's Student Success Fund.

More News September 25, 2017

Beginning in fall quarter 2017, each month librarians and archivists will select four items from UCR Library’s Special Collections and place them on hold for anyone to use in the reading room.

This new program will be called "4 to Explore."

Because Special Collections materials are kept in closed stacks (which means you can’t see the shelves and browse), and because you can’t check things out to take home, 4 to Explore is a great way to get a taste of the collections that truly make UCR unique.

4 to Explore is an opportunity to visit the kind of reading room that is used for archival research or by rare book scholars, and to get a sampling of our collections without having to do research or put in a request ahead of time. You’ll be asked to show photo ID and to check your bags – but don’t worry! Our UCR Library staff will explain everything to you when you arrive.

We will also have rotating exhibits of items from the collections on display.

Here's what you can see this September in 4 to Explore:

Harvest
A new artist's book for fall by Mikio Watanabe

Spectator Amateur Press Society
Tons of bound fanzines from 1955

California Names Pronounced and Defined
Look up your favorite places in this 1940 guide

Pardee Dam Construction Photos
Built across the Molkelumne River in the 1920s

Where you can find 4 to Explore:

Department: Special Collections & University Archives

Where: Take elevators to 4^th floor of Rivera Library

Hours: 11:00 am - 4:00 pm, Monday - Friday

Bring: Photo ID

Don’t bring: Food or drinks

Who: Everyone is welcome. 4 to Explore is more of an individual experience, but we can usually accommodate up to two people using the same item at the same time, so feel free to bring a friend.

What to expect: Staff will help you sign in and feel comfortable in the reading room. It should take about 5-10 minutes for you to get up to the 4^th floor and get settled. Then you can stay and enjoy as long as you like!

More News January 23, 2017

Join us as we examine the academic themes of Living the Promise: The Campaign for UC Riverside, and how UCR is impacting our community, our nation, and our world, and how you are part of it all.

Living the Promise Symposia are a yearlong series that will reflect on the key themes of UCR’s comprehensive fundraising campaign.

All symposia are free to attend for UCR students, staff, faculty, and alumni, as well as community members, friends, and supporters of the university.

Upcoming events include:

Discover the Emerging Technologies and innovations at UCR that enrich the ways we experience and interact with our world. RSVP online.

Date:	Thursday, February 16, 2017
Time:	6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Location:	HUB 302 at UCR

 

From Genomics to Harvest: Explore the vast contributions UCR is making to the basic science, cultivation, and production of plants and food. RSVP online.

Date:	Friday, March 17, 2017
Time:	6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Location:	The Barn at UCR

 

Examine the concept of Renewable Nature and learn how UCR’s environmental, energy, and sustainable development research solutions are creating a healthier planet. RSVP online.

Date:	Wednesday, April 19, 2017
Time:	6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Location:	University Theatre

 

Watch, look, and see the New Voices and Visions of UCR as we showcase the various expressions and celebrations of our humanity through visual and performing arts, and nurture voices from across the rich tapestry of society. RSVP online.

Date:	Thursday, May 4, 2017
Time:	6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Location:	University Theatre at UCR

 

The Symposia Launch took place in October 2016, where special guest U.S. Under Secretary of Education Ted Mitchell discussed improving access, increasing affordability, enhancing quality, and accelerating college completion, and how UCR is leveraging these priorities to become a university of the 21st century: A Place Where All Succeed.

The second symposium was held in November 2016, and that event focused on the topic of Social Innovation & Empowerment.

More News November 18, 2019

We are delighted to announce that Krystal Boehlert has joined the UCR Library as our Digital Initiatives Specialist, effective November 18, 2019.

Krystal will be a new member of the Digital Library Division, and her office will be located on the first floor of Orbach Library, reporting to Kevin Comerford, the Associate University Librarian for the Digital Library.

Krystal earned her BFA in Visual Media from Rochester Institute of Technology, her MA from the Art Center College of Design, and her MLS in Library and Information Science from San Jose State University.

Most recently, Krystal served as the Visual Resource Specialist for the UC Riverside department of Art and Art History. Prior to working for UCR, Krystal also worked for the J. Paul Getty Museum, Albright Knox Gallery and Art Collection Management, Inc. She brings a variety of experience managing digital projects.

Please join us in welcoming Krystal to the library!

More News December 07, 2018

Special Collections & University Archives staff are constantly working to process recently acquired collections and make those materials ready for use by students, faculty, and researchers.

Each quarter, we will provide a list of the UCR Library's newly processed archival and primary source collections. Check out the list below to see if there are any items that fit your research area, or share with a friend!

Below you'll find brief descriptions and links to the finding aids or collection guides for each new collection. To use any of these materials, simply click the "Request Items" button at the top to submit a request, and log in with our Special Collections Request System. For more on conducting research in Special Collections, see this page.

SCUA is open to the public on weekdays from 11:00 am – 4:00 pm. Check here for closures or other changes to our regular hours.

For questions, email specialcollections@ucr.edu.

Newly Processed Collections - Winter 2018

Blake Gumprecht papers (WRCA 283)

The Blake Gumprecht papers are a collection of research materials from Gumprecht’s book on the Los Angeles River, published in 2001 while an assistant professor at the University of New Hampshire. The collection includes correspondence, photographs, maps, and audio visual materials pertaining to the 20^th century history of the Los Angeles River and Aqueduct.

https://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/c89k4hrr/

 

Jack Hirschman papers (MS 217)

This collection consists of notes, poems, manuscripts, correspondence, artwork and other materials pertaining to Jack Hirschman, an American poet and social activist. Topics of his work relate to politics, love, death, and sorrow with allusions to history.

https://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/c89s1pg5/

 

Morrisson Wong papers (UA 099)

The Morrisson Wong papers are a collection of research materials compiled as part of Wong’s PhD dissertation in1977. The majority of the collection is related to the Japanese-American experience in Riverside, CA and the Inland Empire in the first half of the 20^th century. These materials include interviews, family histories, newspaper clippings, and audio/visual materials. Also included in the collection are materials pertaining to the excavation of Chinatown in Riverside.

https://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/c8wm1ktz/

 

City and County of Riverside, CA (MS 090)

The City and County of Riverside collection is an assortment of materials from the areas around the city and county of Riverside, CA. Contents include photographs, pamphlets, event programs and more dating back to the late 1800s.

https://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/c83j3k21/

More News June 21, 2019

The topics of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are critical to our campus at UC Riverside.

On April 10, 2018, the UCR Library’s Committee on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (CODEI) held a kickoff event to encourage library staff to start thinking about DEI issues in their everyday work, led by guest expert Mark Puente, Director of Diversity & Leadership Programs for the Association of Research Libraries.

A follow-up event held on June 4, 2019 sought to highlight examples of library employees who have turned their ideals into practice. This event was co-sponsored by CODEI, the Librarians Association of the University of California, Riverside (LAUC-R), and the library’s Professional Development Committee (PDC).

The event included six lightning talks from library staff members who noted challenges and described how they incorporated inclusive practices into their work, including:

• Diversifying digital collections with Digitization Services Program Manager Eric Milenkiewicz
• Bringing library collections into the community with University Programs Teaching Librarian Judy Lee
• Involving communities in describing collections with Collections Management Librarian Jessica Geiser, Digital Assets Metadata Librarian Noah Geraci, and Primary Source Literacy Teaching Librarian Robin Katz
• Mental health-related study breaks with Access Services Desk Coordinator Elisha Hankins and Circulation/Reserves Services Manager Sahra Klawitter
• Increasing access via streaming media with Reserves Streaming Coordinator Philip Chiu
• Professional organizations related to diversity with Collection Strategist for Arts & Humanities Carla Arbagey

CODEI Co-Chair and Director of Teaching & Learning Dani Cook commented, “The lightning talks were a great example of how issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion are present in every aspect of library work, from creating useful descriptions of collections to providing support for students during stressful times of the quarter. The more we can discuss these issues together and reflect on how they affect our work, the better we can serve our users and support our colleagues.”

Additionally, event attendees participated in a rapid prototyping, design-thinking exercise where small groups brainstormed and developed ideas related to real-life DEI challenges in the library environment.

“It was so exciting to see people from all parts of the Library come together to brainstorm solutions to challenges related to diversity, equity, and inclusion,” Cook said. “Everyone seemed deeply engaged, and there were many creative ideas produced, ranging from the very feasible (like checking out noise-cancelling headphones for users with sensory sensitivities) to the more aspirational (a robot that retrieves items for patrons).”

CODEI plans to host more follow-up events to turn ideas into actionable proposals, and continue to engage in these issues across departmental boundaries, Cook noted.

“I don’t imagine that there will ever be a time when CODEI’s work is finished—there will always be more that we can learn and apply around diversity, equity, and inclusion. But continuing to have space to educate ourselves and support one another in considering DEI throughout our day is critical, and one major role of CODEI is to facilitate those spaces,” Cook added. “We also hope that there will be some concrete outcomes from the ideas generated at the event, and that we continue to include more voices in future events.”

More News October 24, 2016

The African American Collections Advisory Board held its second Annual Meeting at Raymond L. Orbach Science Library on Saturday, October 22, 2016

University Librarian Steven Mandeville-Gamble and Associate University Librarian for Collections & Scholarly Communication Alison Scott welcomed AACA Board members and special guests at the start of the meeting.

The full-day program included panels and discussions on topics related to best practices in collecting and preserving the history of the African American experience and methods of documenting issues ranging from local to international impact, including:

• Community-Based Approaches to Documenting People of Color, led by Catherine Gudis, Director of the Public History Program at UC Riverside, University & Political Papers Archivist Bergis Jules, and Rose Mayes, Executive Director of the Fair Housing Council of Riverside County
• Activism & Public Policy, led by Nemata Blyden, Associate Professor of History and International Affairs at George Washington University, Meredith Evans, Director of the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum, Alison Scott, and Alexander Wilson, Jr., Vice President of External Affairs for Black Student Union and African Student Programs Representative on UCR Diversity Council.
• Afro-Futurism / Post-Colonial Endeavors, led by JJ Jacobson, Jay Kay and Doris Klein Librarian for Science Fiction, and Cherry Williams, Director of Distinctive Collections

“Hosting a national-level conversation like this helps to make sure that these voices are present and heard in our research, teaching and learning,” explained Alison Scott, Associate University Librarian for Collections & Scholarly Communication. “This is how the library’s communities can help us ensure that we’re building the kinds of collections and programs that meet our community’s needs. It involves looking back to make sure we document history, understanding emerging needs, and being part of the community.”

The program concluded with closing thoughts and feedback from Bergis Jules, Steven Mandeville-Gamble, Alison Scott, and Cherry Williams.

Board members in attendance were Abdul Alkalimat, Hardy Brown, Tamar Evangelista-Dougherty, Ruth M. Jackson, Yolanda T. Moses, Kenneth E. Simons, Ralph W. Smith, and Patricia Smith-Hunt, in addition to the panelists named above.

Special guests included MJ Abraham from Riverside’s Center for Social Justice & Civil Liberties, Director of Development for Campus-wide Initiatives Samantha Lang, and Milagros Peña, Dean of UC Riverside’s College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences (CHASS).

More News January 09, 2017

UCR Library is currently running a patron-driven acquisition pilot program for the expanded collection of Alexander Street Press streaming videos.

With Alexander Street Press videos, library users can create clips and playlists, quote directly from the video transcript, and discover new content for use in teaching and research.

With this resource, UCR Library can provide our patrons with access to high quality academic films available nowhere else. The collection includes more than 34,000 unique videos that span a broad range of subjects, with more than 7,000 exclusive titles that are offered only by Alexander Street.

Content spans many subject areas, including anthropology, counseling and therapy, business, documentary and feature film, education, history, fashion, music and dance, news and current affairs, and drama.

Publishers in the collection include Sony Pictures Classics, BroadwayHD, Milestone Films, BBC, Bloomberg, Canal+, CRM Learning, Discovery, CBS, HBO, Janus Films (Criterion Collection), Kantola, Medcom, National Geographic, NBC Universal, Opus Arte, Royal Anthropological Institute, First Run Features, and many more.

The trial runs until January 25, 2017. To access the trial, please visit: http://search.alexanderstreet.com/.

UCR Library encourages all users to share this link with their fellow UC Riverside students, faculty, and other researchers.

If you would like to provide feedback, please send your comments to Carla Arbagey, Electronic Resources Librarian, carlar@ucr.edu.

More News September 09, 2016

The Multimedia Library has closed, effective 6:00 pm on Friday, September 9, 2016.

The materials and services formerly in the Multimedia Library are being moved to the Rivera Library and will be available to library users starting on Monday, September 19.

The first floor of Rivera Library will house most media titles in open stacks, shelved and secured appropriately to facilitate browsing.

Media reserve and streaming services will continue via the request system on the library website. Media on reserve will be available behind the Rivera circulation/reserves desk. (Please see http://library.ucr.edu/instructional-support/put-materials-on-course-reserves for details.)

Individual viewing stations and designated bookable group study rooms in Rivera Library will house audio-visual equipment and gaming equipment used for classes.

Here are the new service and collection locations:

• The VHS collection has been moved to Rivera Library and is now in its new location on Rivera first floor.
• The Multimedia DVDs and CDs will be moved to Rivera first floor.
• The Multimedia book drop closed on September 9 and will be moved to Orbach Library.
• The Xerox copier/scanner/printer formerly in the Multimedia Library has been moved to Rivera first floor.
• Six Multimedia Library viewing stations have been moved to Rivera first floor, and one is being moved to Special Collections (Rivera fourth floor.)
• Four group study rooms in Rivera (second floor) are being repurposed as two group viewing rooms and two group gaming rooms, with the equipment from the Multimedia Library. These will be “bookable” beginning on September 19.

More News October 15, 2018

We are delighted to announce that, on October 15, 2018, Sabrina Simmons will step into a new role at the UCR Library as our Interlibrary Loan Coordinator.

 

Sabrina will be located in in the Rivera Library, reporting to Vincent Novoa, Head of Access Services. 

 

Sabrina will be transitioning from her current role as Access Services Desk Assistant in the Orbach Science Library.

 

Please join us in congratulating Sabrina on her new role!