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Associate University Librarian for the Digital Library
The UCR Library is pleased to welcome Kevin Comerford as our Associate University Librarian for the Digital Library, effective June 3, 2019.
Comerford comes to UC Riverside from the University of New Mexico, where he served as the University Libraries Director of Digital Initiatives and Scholarly Communication and Director of IT Services.
“The fact that Kevin Comerford is joining the staff of the UCR Library promises to be a game-changer for the UCR community,” said University Librarian Steven Mandeville-Gamble. “Mr. Comerford comes to UCR with great accolades from the University Librarian at the University of New Mexico, who has shared with me that he provided transformational leadership in digital librarianship and digital scholarship for not only that campus but the entire State of New Mexico.”
At UNM, Comerford's work included planning and implementation of the DISC digital initiatives department and a program to provide graduate students with opportunities to work on digital scholarship projects.
Two major initiatives that he managed were the Tony Hillerman Portal and the Rudolfo Anaya Digital Archive. These online resources honor two of New Mexico’s most significant authors and provide access to digitized copies of their manuscripts and papers.
Comerford also taught in the UNM Organizational, Information and Learning Sciences (OI&LS) Program and was the Primary Investigator on numerous grant-funded projects.
Prior to UNM, Comerford was the Group Manager for Media Content Management at Microsoft Corporation, and the Visual Resources Librarian and IT Manager at the Dallas Museum of Art.
His office will be located in the Administration Suite (room 141) of the Tomás Rivera Library.
Please join us in welcoming Kevin to the UCR Library!
New Digitization Project Coordinator
UCR Library is pleased to announce that Kimberlee Frederick has accepted the Digitization Project Coordinator position in Collection Maintenance.
Kimberlee transitioned from her role as Circulation/Course Reserves Assistant on December 12, 2016.
As the Digitization Project Coordinator, Kimberlee took over the day-to-day management of the student employees and workflows for the Google and Federal Documents Archive scanning projects. Kimberlee’s primary workspace will continue to be in Rivera Circulation, and she can be reached at extension 2-3220.
If you have any questions regarding the Google or Federal Document Archive scanning projects, please contact Michelle Gipson at extension 2-2667.
Please join us in congratulating and welcoming Kimberlee to her new position.
New open access agreements with IEEE and Nature
The University of California announced two new open access publishing agreements today. The first supports open access publishing with the technical professional organization IEEE, which is among the largest publishers of UC research. The other is an extension of UC’s 2020 agreement with Springer Nature that adds funding support for open access publishing in the prestigious Nature journals; previously only titles in the Springer portfolio were eligible.
About the agreement with IEEE
The four-year agreement with IEEE, effective July 15, 2022 through December 31, 2025, enables UC corresponding authors to publish open access in all IEEE journals, regardless of whether they have research funds available to pay for open access publishing or not.
Authors who have research funds available for open access publishing will pay their own open access fee (known as an article processing charge, or APC). For authors who do not have sufficient funds available to pay the APC, the UC libraries will cover the full cost on their behalf, ensuring that lack of research funds does not present a barrier for UC authors who wish to publish open access in IEEE journals. The agreement also covers overlength page charges for all UC authors regardless of how they choose to publish with IEEE.
The deal also provides UC scholars with reading access to over five million documents from the IEEE Xplore Digital Library, including scientific journals, proceedings, and standards.
For details, see the IEEE agreement FAQ on the UC Office of Scholarly Communication website.
About the agreement with Nature
Beginning August 1, 2022, the UC libraries will automatically pay the first $1,000 of the APC for UC corresponding authors who choose to publish open access in the Nature portfolio of journals, including Nature, the Nature research journals, Nature Communications and Scientific Reports.
The remainder due on each APC for publishing in these journals must be covered by the authors themselves, utilizing research funds available to them. Authors without research funds to pay the remainder of the APC may publish their articles on a subscription basis.
UC authors publishing open access in Springer Nature’s other journals (including Adis, Biomed Central, Palgrave Macmillan, Springer, Springer Open, and hybrid Academic journals on Nature.com) will continue to receive the UC libraries’ automatic $1,000 contribution, as well as the option for full coverage of the APC if they lack research funds for publication.
All aspects of the 2020 Springer Nature agreement, including UC’s reading access to all currently licensed Springer Nature journals, will continue through December 31, 2024.
For details, see the Springer Nature agreement FAQ on the UC Office of Scholarly Communication website.
UC has now secured more than a dozen open access agreements with various publishers, a notable milestone in the University’s effort to make it easier and more affordable for its authors to publish open access. Open access publishing, which makes UC research freely available to the public, is central to UC’s mission as a public university.
Library Welcomes New Digital Assets Metadata Librarian
UCR Library is pleased to announce that Noah Geraci has joined our team as the Digital Assets Metadata Librarian.
Noah is part of the Metadata & Technical Services Department reporting to Manuel Urrizola. In this exciting new position, Noah will participate in digital initiatives and metadata projects across all library departments.
Noah received his Bachelor of Arts in Literature in June 2011 from our sister institution, the University of California, Santa Barbara. He received his Master of Library and Information Science in June 2016 from the University of California, Los Angeles.
Recently he served as an Archives Intern at the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
Library Welcomes New Director of Research Services
UCR Library is delighted to announce that Brianna Marshall joined our team as the Director of Research Services.
Brianna earned her BA in Rhetoric and Composition from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, and her MLS/MIS from Indiana University, Bloomington.
Most recently, Brianna served as the Digital Curation Coordinator for the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She brings demonstrated leadership in research services, especially in data services, including building successful services and navigating a large and complex research library environment.
Brianna also has experience with project management methodologies and design thinking, which will be critical skills in developing our new Research Services department.
Explore Two New Digital Collections
We’re excited to announce the addition of two digital collections available for research and study.
Allison V. Armour Expedition to Yucatán, Mexico Photograph Album
This collection showcases the 1895 research expedition led by curators from the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago. The photo album captures views of Mayan ruins, with additional photographs of local scenery and the expedition group.
Explore the collection on Calisphere.
Pico Rivera News (UCR Access Only)
Dive into LA County history with the Pico Rivera News, a newspaper chronicling life in Pico Rivera, California and the surrounding area in 1931 and 1932. While mostly in English, some issues do feature a page of news in Spanish. This archive is a valuable resource for members of the UCR community researching journalism, Southern California history, and even Hispanic culture.
Access the collection through UC Library Search.
These new digital collections highlight our commitment to preserving and providing access to historical resources. We invite you to explore these collections and unlock stories from the past!
Dr. Phoenix Alexander named new Science Fiction Librarian
The UCR Library is delighted to announce Dr. Phoenix Alexander will serve as the UCR Library’s new Jay Kay Klein and Doris Klein Science Fiction Librarian beginning August 1.
As the Jay Kay Klein and Doris Klein Science Fiction Librarian, Dr. Alexander will be responsible for the development, stewardship, and promotion of the Eaton Collection of Science Fiction and Fantasy — one of the world's largest, richest, and deepest collections of science fiction, fantasy, horror, utopian literature, and related genres.
Dr. Alexander currently serves as the Science Fiction Collections Librarian at the University of Liverpool, Special Collections and Archives where he manages the largest collection of cataloged science fiction in Europe.
Prior to his work at the University of Liverpool, Phoenix completed his Ph.D. in the departments of English and African American Studies at Yale and worked as a curatorial assistant at Yale’s Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library for three years, alongside his studies.
Phoenix also is a scholar and writer of science fiction. His work has been published in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, Beneath Ceaseless Skies, Black Static, Safundi: The Journal of South African and American Studies, and Science Fiction Studies. A full member of the Science Fiction Writers of America, his expertise in science fiction writing has allowed him to serve as a judge for the Arthur C. Clarke Award, an award given annually to the best science fiction novel first published in the United Kingdom.
Dr. Alexander’s demonstrated expertise and passion for science fiction, as well as his commitment to social justice and including marginalized communities in his work, complements, and will continue to advance, the UCR Library’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion through the Eaton Collection.
We invite the UCR community to join us in welcoming Phoenix to UCR when he arrives on August 1!
Digitization Project Coordinator
The UCR Library is pleased to announce that Charlotte Dominguez has accepted the Digitization Project Coordinator position for the collaborative UCR Library and Sherman Indian Museum effort to digitize the museum’s collection.
Charlotte holds her Bachelor of Arts degree in Public and Oral History from California State University, San Bernardino, and a Master of Library and Information Science from San Jose State University.
Charlotte has spent the past eight years working on a variety of projects for the Pechanga Band of Mission Indians Cultural Resources Department. Her work there has centered around physical/digital exhibit design and archeological/archival collection processing. She brings with her a thorough knowledge of library/archival standards as well as best practices surrounding the care and handling of cultural collections.
Charlotte began her new position on Monday, July 17, 2017, and will primarily work off-site at the Sherman Indian Museum.
New dynamic eLearning resource offers test prep and tutorials
The UCR Library has a new resource called PrepSTEP, a highly-acclaimed eLearning solution by EBSCO LearningExpress that provides interactive tutorials, practice tests, and more.
It includes a full suite of dynamic eLearning resources that support the lives of students through academic success and preparation for today’s workplace.
PrepSTEP includes:
- Practice tests for graduate admissions exams (including the GMAT, GRE, LSAT, MAT, MCAT and PCAT)
- Tutorials in core math, science and English skills
- College success skills
- Career preparation
- Basic computer skills
- Placement test preparation
- eBooks
- Resources for Spanish speakers
You can find PrepStep through the library’s website by following these steps: Library.ucr.edu > databases > search for “PrepSTEP”
You can also use this short-link (works best on campus or when logged in through VPN): http://bit.ly/ucr-testprep
The library has a 1-year trial and may extend, depending on how frequently our community uses it.
For questions or assistance with PrepStep, please contact Carla Arbagey, Collection Strategist for Arts and Humanities.
Introducing Zhiwu Xie, the new Assistant University Librarian for Research and Technology
The UCR Library is thrilled to announce Zhiwu Xie as our new Assistant University Librarian for Research and Technology beginning Monday, June 26, 2023.
Zhiwu brings with him a wealth of experience and expertise, as well as a deep commitment to advancing research and technology in academia.
Currently the Chief Strategy Officer at Virginia Tech’s University Libraries, Zhiwu’s motivation to apply for this leadership position at UCR lies in the exciting prospect of shaping the library's role in supporting research and technology, ensuring its relevance for years to come.
"The unique portfolio of this position integrates the library's strategic roles in advancing campus research and technology development.” Zhiwu explained. “It provides me with an extraordinary opportunity to leverage my expertise and experience to help build a future-proof academic library."
Zhiwu's accomplishments at Virginia Tech demonstrate his dedication to innovation and growth, like taking advantage of the faculty status that librarians have at Virginia Tech.
“I am the first librarian in my current institution to have reached $1 million in external grant funding as PI and co-PI, and over the years, I have kept up with research and publications,” Zhiwu explained. His commitment to research not only elevated his own profile but also encouraged and empowered his peers to actively engage in research and technology development.
Zhiwu stumbled into librarianship by accident. With a background in mechanical engineering and a postdoc in computer science under his belt, Zhiwu found himself at a crossroads in 2005 when the NASA-funded program he was working on — launching a superfluidity experimental rig to the Earth's orbit — faced an unexpected cancellation. It was a library that offered him an assistantship position that provided him an opportunity to remain in academia. He found the field fascinating and decided to stay.
With his diverse background, including an M.B.A., an M.S. in Electrical Engineering, and a Ph.D. in Turbomachinery, Zhiwu possesses a unique set of skills that bridge the gap between research, technology, and library services.
Please join us in extending a warm welcome to Zhiwu Xie as the Assistant University Librarian for Research and Technology at the UCR Library. With his vast experience, innovative mindset, and passion for advancing the academic library, we are excited to see the positive impact he will bring to the UCR community.