More News February 02, 2018

Talking with the presenters of Footsteps to You: Chattel Slavery, the visiting exhibition currently in the UC Riverside Special Collections department, revealed some noteworthy facts about Black History and the City of Riverside.

Riverside had many interesting connections to Black history at the turn of the last century, according to Dr. Paulette Brown-Hinds, Publisher of The Black Voice News and Steward of the Gore Collection for the Black Voice Foundation, which was responsible for bringing the exhibition to the UCR Library. One of the most intriguing was the friendship between the American educator, author, and US presidential advisor Booker T. Washington and the Mission Inn’s founder Frank Miller.

Miller grew up in an environment sympathetic to the anti-slavery movement, Brown-Hinds explained. Frank Miller’s parents Christopher Columbus Miller and Maryanne Miller attended Oberlin College and lived in Oberlin, Ohio, a town known for its strong stance and equally aggressive actions against the peculiar institution of slavery. The Millers relocated to Riverside and founded a tavern that Frank eventually grew into the Historic Mission Inn Hotel and Spa.

“During our Footsteps to Freedom Underground Railroad study tour, we annually travel to Oberlin and that’s how we learned about Frank Miller’s connection to abolitionist activity,” added Hardy Brown II, chairman of the Black Voice Foundation. “We’ve always been aware of Booker T. Washington’s connection to Frank Miller, but didn’t realize Miller’s early influences in the cause of African-American freedom.”

Washington visited Miller at the Mission Inn in March 1914, and he also gave several presentations at various locations in the City of Riverside during his stay.

“Our mother former Assemblymember Cheryl Brown was friends with Washington’s granddaughter Edith, and she introduced us to other members of her family including Kenneth Morris, who is also a direct descendant of abolitionist and statesman Frederick Douglass,” Brown commented. “Kenny is now a docent on our tour.”

In 2004 the Brown family spearheaded the effort to raise money to commission the bust of Washington that was unveiled at the Mission Inn. “We wanted to commemorate their friendship and the spirit of cooperation it represented,” Dr. Brown-Hinds said.

Dr. Brown-Hinds believes that the connection between Miller and Washington was strengthened by coming from a community like Oberlin. “Christopher Columbus Miller was very much influenced by the president of the college at the time,” she said. “He was very progressive in his thinking when it came to slavery.”

These unique connections to local history and to Black history are just two among the many reasons for the UCR community to visit the exhibition in Special Collections & University Archives on the fourth floor of Tomás Rivera Library. “Each one of these pieces are ones that people would not see at a normal Black History program,” said Brown.

To enrich the experience of visiting the exhibition, Brown plans to bring in different speakers on the events and history surrounding the abolitionist period, which are represented in many of the exhibition’s primary sources. Information about the speakers and the event schedule are available by request.

Additionally, Brown plans to be on-site when local schools bring their students for scheduled tours of the exhibition, to answer questions about the items featured. He has also created interactive display cards with QR codes throughout the exhibition to provide a more dynamic experience for unscheduled visitors.

Footsteps to You: Chattel Slavery, focuses on highlights of Underground Railroad materials from the private collection of Jerry Gore, which has been entrusted to the Black Voice Foundation. The exhibition is available for viewing in the UC Riverside Special Collections Department on the fourth floor of Tomás Rivera Library on weekdays from 11:00 am until 4:00 pm until Friday, March 30. Those interested in scheduling a guided tour of the exhibition should contact Hardy Brown II by email at Hardy@bvfoundation.org or by calling (909) 682-7070.

More News January 29, 2021

The Fujimoto Transcripts project has made a treasured library resource even more accessible to a global audience.

The diaries of Japanese Americans, Toranosuke (George) Fujimoto and George Fujimoto Jr. constitute one of the most valuable and unique collections housed in the UCR Special Collections & University Archives. Toranosuke, born in 1882, kept a diary from 1913 to 1968. George Jr. wrote in his diary from 1942, when he was 21 years old, to 1948. These astonishing materials document the daily life experiences of both the father and the son during World War II, when the family was forcibly removed from their Riverside, California home and taken to an incarceration camp in Poston, Arizona.

The opening entry in George Jr.’s diary, date March 11, 1942, documents his return from school to find that his father and others had been arrested and taken away:

“Went to school as usual… Came home about 5PM and was shocked to learn that Pop was taken into custody today by federal officials. 28 Riverside Japanese aliens were rounded up in today's raid; Mr. Sanematsu & Pop included. Fortunately Pop was partially prepared.”

According to Cherry Williams, Director of Distinctive Collections, some readers have had trouble accessing and using the digitized diaries because the readers were unfamiliar with cursive script, or because they lacked fluency with the English language and sentence structure, or due to challenges with reading the soft color of the ink, among others.

“The Fujimoto transcription project sought to alleviate such impediments by enhancing, expanding, and facilitating the ease with which these important and distinctive documents can be used and re-used by the general public, research scholars, students and any others interested in this period in Riverside County and The Inland Empire during WWII,” Williams explained.

The UCR Library recognizes and extends its deep appreciation to the committed librarians and library staff who dedicated months of work creating the transcriptions, which are now available on the Calisphere website: Diary of George Fujimoto Jr. (1942) — Calisphere

At present, only the diaries of George Fujimoto Jr. have been transcribed.

More News January 18, 2024

In line with our commitment to improving UCR Library facilities, we will be renovating the Orbach Library roof.

In preparation for this important project, we need to inform you about changes affecting access to the third floor of the Orbach Library.

Limited Access for Safety and Efficiency
Starting immediately, the third floor will be restricted to authorized personnel only. This measure is crucial to ensure the safety of our patrons and staff as we gear up for the construction and renovation of our roof. We understand that this may cause some inconvenience, but it is a necessary step to prepare for the extensive work ahead.

Duration
Please note that limited access will extend through the rest of the academic year. While we regret any disruption this may cause, we are confident that these improvements will greatly benefit the UCR community in the long term.

Use UC Library Search and Interlibrary Loan to Access 3rd Floor Materials
Books, journals, and other monographs housed on Orbach Library’s third floor are still listed in our online catalog. The catalog will show that we do have a copy in the Orbach Library, but it will also include a note that shows the area is closed.

For these items, please click on the Request through Interlibrary Loan link under Find It and our team will work on finding you an alternative version either electronically or by loaning a copy from our extensive network of library partners (also known as the inter-library loan system).

Meeting Your Needs
We are dedicated to meeting your needs throughout this period. To compensate for the temporary unavailability of the third floor, we have arranged for additional seats and study spaces to be added to the other floors in Orbach as well as in the Rivera Library.

Looking Ahead
This renovation is part of our ongoing effort to enhance your library experience. The new roof will improve the building’s structural integrity and provide a more comfortable and sustainable environment for all users.

We appreciate your understanding and cooperation during this time. Our staff is committed to minimizing the inconvenience and is ready to assist you in any way possible. 

More News March 11, 2019

Special Collections & University Archives employees 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 this list 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 - Spring 2019

Catherine Clark papers (MS 384)

The Catherine Clark papers are a collection of materials pertaining to Clark’s pen pal relationship with Igor A. Toloconnicov, a citizen of the USSR. They began corresponding shortly after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 until 1993. Igor’s correspondence primarily touches on topics of science fiction in Russia as well as the political and economic life during the transition of power from the Soviet system to the Russian Federation. This collection contains correspondence, publications, and other material related to the world of Russian Science Fiction and Fantasy.

https://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/c8zw1s8n/

 

John Franceschina papers addition (MS 411)

More materials were recently added to the collection of author and theater history scholar John Franceschina. These new materials are primarily musical and theatrical compositions by Franceschina or similar materials used in productions he participated in. The collection consists of materials from author and theater history scholar John Franceschina relating to two of his publications, Incidental and Dance Music in the American Theatre from 1786 to 1923, and Hermes Pan: The Man Who Danced with Fred Astaire. His personal musical compositions and plays as well as those of other composers and musicians are also included. Items in the collection include research files, musical scores, programs, photographs, news clippings, edited and unedited play scripts, publications, and videos.

https://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/c89z9b83/

 

Harry Lawton papers (MS 122)

The Harry W. Lawton papers document the life and career of American writer, journalist, editor, and historian Harry Lawton. Lawton’s life and career were centered in the Riverside area where he worked as a journalist with The Press Enterprise and was a faculty member with CNAS at UC Riverside. He also founded the UCR Writers Week in 1977. Lawton’s works relate to the citrus industry, Native American groups indigenous to southern California, and the Riverside Chinatown, among other interests.

https://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/kt900041k7/

 

Corridos of the Mexican Revolution, and other songs (MS 042)

This is a small collection of corridos, folk songs and popular ballads recounting the events of the Mexican Revolution, printed on broadsides. They primarily document various events that occurred during the revolution as well as the subsequent decade. Printed on low quality newsprint, these ephemeral documents are a grassroots snapshot of the 1910s and 1920s in Mexico.

https://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/c8gh9qp3

• Read more about Collection Strategists

• Read more about Eaton Collection of Science Fiction and Fantasy

More News June 18, 2018

Starting on July 2, 2018, Orbach Library will host the National Library of Medicine's latest traveling exhibition, "Frankenstein: Penetrating the Secrets of Nature."

On a dark and stormy night in 1816, Mary Shelley began writing a story that posed profound questions about individual and societal responsibility for other people. To make her point, the young novelist used the scientific advances of her era and the controversies surrounding them as a metaphor for issues of unchecked power and self-serving ambition, and their effect on the human community. Since that time, Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus has become one of the Western world’s most enduring myths. The story provides a framework for discussions of medical advances that challenge our traditional understanding of what it means to be human.

The six-banner traveling exhibition explores the Birth of Frankenstein, the life of author Mary Shelley, the scientific search for the principle of life, and the transformation of the “monster” in popular culture.

Frankenstein: Penetrating the Secrets of Nature began traveling around the United States in June 2015.

For more information, contact nlmtravelingexhibits@nlm.nih.gov or visit us on the web at: www.nlm.nih.gov/frankenstein.

This exhibition was developed and produced by the National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.

Curated by Susan Lederer, PhD

Images courtesy The Bodelian Library, University of Oxford; Universal Studios Licensing LLC; Courtesy The Carl H. Pforzheimer Collection of Shelly and His Circle, The New York Public Library, Astor, Lenox and Tilden Foundations

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 September 07, 2021

On Tuesday, Sept. 7, Megan Murphy joined the UCR Library as the new UCR NAGPRA (Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act) Specialist.

Megan has a BA in Archaeology from Dickinson College and an MA in Anthropology with a focus on Archaeology at University of Colorado, Boulder, where she also served as a Teaching Assistant.

Megan has extensive experience in working on repatriating human remains, cultural objects, and funerary objects, having interned at both the University of Knoxville in Tennessee and the University of Pennsylvania on NAGPRA projects at those institutions. She has also done an archaeology internship at Fort Vasquez Museum and an oral history internship at Louisville Historical Society.

Megan will be working closely with Professor Gerald Clarke, the UCR NAGPRA Repatriation Coordinator, to contact proactively and consult with all possible tribes affiliated with the small number of Native American human remains and artifacts covered by either the federal NAGPRA or state CalNAGPRA laws and facilitate tribal claims for their repatriation. This work will include preparing and submitting notices to be published in the Federal Register.

In addition, she will be working closely with Dr. Matt Hall, the Director of the Archaeological Curation Unit on campus to re-inventory the 600 cubic foot collection of artifacts held by the unit in compliance with CalNAGPRA as per the requirements of Assembly Bill 275, which significantly amended the law in September 2020. The same law will require at a minimum confirming that the UCR Library’s inventories of its holdings of Native American artifacts, archives, artwork, etc., primarily in Special Collections and University Archives, meet the requirement of AB275 (which requires inventorying all object, artwork, artifacts, archives, etc. in consultation with tribal leaders in order to identify which materials do or do not fall under the purview of AB275).

Megan will also be assisting the University Librarian Steven Mandeville-Gamble in his role as UCR NAGPRA Administrator to help organize meetings and support the work of the new UCR Repatriation Oversight Committee, once it is convened in late September 2021. Megan will divide her time between her office on the fourth floor of Rivera Library and in Watkins Hall, working on the inventory of the Archaeological Curation Unit.

Please join us in welcoming Megan to the UCR Library team!

More News March 05, 2018

On Feb. 27 - 28, 2018, the UC Riverside Library hosted more than 140 guests from all ten UC campuses and the California Digital Library (CDL) at the inaugural University of California Digital Library Forum (UC DLFx).

This was one of the first DLFx events – small, regional community-building events for Digital Library Federation (DLF) members – and the first of its kind held in California.

Local Arrangements Committee Chair Eric Milenkiewicz explained, “UC DLFx brought staff together from across the UC Libraries providing a great opportunity for us to share ideas, discuss ongoing projects, and connect with fellow UC colleagues working in this space.” Conference attendees included UC librarians, digital technology experts, educators, policy-makers, and other thought leaders from across the state.

The 2018 conference theme, Building the UC Digital Library: Theory and Practice, was explored through keynote addresses, presentation sessions, and break-out discussion groups that focused on topics including: data curation, digital asset management, digital collection building, copyright in the digital library, project collaboration, community engagement, and emerging technologies.

The conference featured two keynote presentations from Dr. Don Norman, Director of the Design Lab at UCSD, and Dr. Christine L. Borgman, Professor and Presidential Chair in Information Studies at UCLA.

California State Librarian Greg Lucas and Günter Waibel, Associate Vice Provost and Executive Director of the California Digital Library, provided closing remarks at the end of the event.

“I walked away from UC DLFx feeling inspired by the passion and creativity of everybody I spoke with and heard present,” said Waibel. “For the UC libraries to thrive in financially difficult times, we must continue to build on our long history of working together. There is nothing like getting together face-to-face to stay in sync, and come up with new ideas.”

“All of the feedback received from attendees afterward has been positive with an overwhelming response of ‘let’s do this again,’” said Diane Bisom, Associate University Librarian for the Digital Library. “We have set the gold standard for this event that will hopefully be carried forward next year by one of our fellow UC campuses.”

One UC DLFx attendee wrote on the post-event survey, “Attending this event reinvigorated my dedication to our mission. It was a real shot in the arm.”

Conference sponsors included the Digital Library Federation, California Digital Library, UCR Library, UC Merced Library, UC San Diego Library, UCLA Library, UCSF Library, UCI Libraries, and Librarians Association of the University of California (LAUC).

The local arrangements committee was comprised of the following UCR Library team members: Digital Initiatives Program Manager Eric Milenkiewicz, Committee Chair; Associate University Librarian for the Digital Library Diane Bisom; Head of Preservation Services Patricia Smith-Hunt; Director of Research Services Brianna Marshall; Collection Strategist for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Carla Arbagey; Digital Assets Metadata Librarian Noah Geraci; and Communications Specialist Melanie Ramiro.