More News September 29, 2022

More News August 30, 2021

We are pleased to announce that the UCR Library joins campus in reopening for fall quarter!

Unfortunately, as the COVID epidemic isn’t over yet, it is important that library patrons follow campus health and safety guidelines. Library staff are prepared to adjust the availability of library spaces and services as conditions change.

Library hours for fall quarter are now available at: library.ucr.edu/about/hours. Changes and updates to library hours will be posted on this page throughout the quarter.

The library will host an Open House on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, Sept. 1-3, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. New UCR students can visit and use the study spaces at the Rivera Library or the Orbach Science Library on these dates. Please note that Patrons will not be able to check out books during the Open House; however the Creat’R Lab will be providing contactless 3D printing. See the 3D printing service page for instructions on how to place an order.

Curbside delivery of books will end on Friday, Sept. 3. On Tuesday, Sept. 7, patrons will be able to check out physical print books from inside the library. Sept. 7 also marks the day that the HathiTrust Emergency Temporary Access Service (ETAS), which during the closure allowed access to electronic books that we owned in print, will cease.

The library’s Special Collections and University Archives will continue to be open by appointment only until Sept. 20. Please check their web page for instructions on how to make an appointment.

From Sept. 7-19, the library will be open weekdays only from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. Circulation Desks and study areas will be open and available for patron use during these times.

Additional library services, including Instructional Sessions, and longer opening hours will be available starting Monday, Sept. 20. The Information Desks in both libraries, as well as the Creat’R Lab and Poster Printing service in Orbach Library will be open on weekdays. Please check the library hours page (library.ucr.edu/about/hours) for the most up to date schedule information.

Students will be able to borrow Course Reserve textbooks beginning Thursday, Sept. 23 (the first day of fall quarter instruction). UCR Faculty can submit Course Reserve requests through Friday, Sept. 3 using this form.

The library website will be updated regularly with additional information about the fall quarter reopening. Patrons are encouraged to bookmark library.ucr.edu and check back frequently for new updates.

More News June 21, 2024

We are excited to welcome Mary-Michelle Moore to the UCR Library as our new STEM Teaching Librarian in the Teaching and Learning Department.

Mary-Michelle's journey into the library field began during her undergraduate years working at UCLA's Charles E. Young Research Library, where she started as a stackie and later worked in interlibrary loan. "After graduation, I tried a couple of jobs in small companies but they weren't the best fit, so I went back to working in the library," she shared. This decision led her to roles at the UCLA Lab School, UC Irvine's Law Library, and UCI’s main library. She eventually decided to pursue a library degree from Rutgers University.

“At some point, I realized that if I wanted to continue to move up, it was either stay in the paraprofessional space and wait for the head of ILL to retire or get my library degree and switch to the librarian side of the library,” she explained.

Her career has taken her to various institutions, including her most recent position at UCSB in the Teaching & Learning Department, and a part-time role at Allan Hancock Community College as a reference librarian. "I've enjoyed all of my library jobs to date and have learned so much at all of my previous institutions," Mary-Michelle said, reflecting on her journey.

Mary-Michelle's educational background includes a Bachelor of Science degree in Anthropology from UCLA, with a minor in Philosophy. Initially, Mary-Michelle had her sights set on an Astrophysics major but made the switch to Anthropology. Her genuine interest in the sciences and humanities has equipped her with a diverse skill set that she brings to her library roles.

When asked about her interest in joining our library, Mary-Michelle explained, "When I was a librarian at CSU Dominguez Hills, I was the liaison to the Natural Sciences half of the College of Natural and Behavioral Sciences, and I really enjoyed the work. As someone who comes from an interdisciplinary science background, the blending of information literacy and science needs for students in the library was enjoyable and appealing."

In addition to her professional excitement, Mary-Michelle has personal ties to the area. "I grew up in Redlands and have family nearby, so in addition to a new work environment, I'm looking forward to seeing my family more often," she said.

Mary-Michelle’s enthusiasm for teaching and her interdisciplinary science background will be tremendous assets to our library. We look forward to the innovative ideas and energy she will bring to our team. Please join us in welcoming Mary-Michelle to our library community!

More News April 09, 2018

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (www.ucr.edu) — In the past year, nearly 1,300 aspiring entrepreneurs and creative types have occupied a new makerspace at the University of California, Riverside.

The space is UCR’s Creat’R Lab, set to celebrate its first Anniversary Showcase on Thursday, May 3 in the Orbach Science Library.

Users of the Creat’R Lab have spanned majors from science and engineering to medicine, from entrepreneurship to arts and humanities. In the lab, they have created projects including foam-sculpted costume armor, stop-motion animation videos, business plans, and short video pitches for investors.

In 12 months, the Creat’R Lab has hosted 187 workshops on a wide variety of topics led by student organizations. The lab has also provided space for RED entrepreneurs-in-residence to mentor UCR students in the NSF I-Corps Startups for Innovators program.

On May 3, several student groups will display projects made in the Creat’R Lab, including the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) student branch at UCR, Cross Campus Entrepreneurs, Studio Riverside, Cosplay Brigade, and the Origami Club.

Creat’R Lab staff will give demonstrations in virtual reality with the Oculus Rift headset and will show visitors how to build objects using electronic building blocks. Others staff will lead crafts in which guests can make a button and a Scotty the Bear necklace.

“Having the Creat’R Lab in the UCR Library creates opportunities that wouldn’t exist if it were embedded elsewhere,” said University Librarian Steve Mandeville-Gamble. “It’s a campuswide resource that students can use even when they’re not enrolled in classes.”

The UCR Library and the Office of Research and Economic Development (RED) launched Creat’R Lab in April 2017. It was conceived as a hands-on learning space where students can collaborate across academic disciplines.

At the Creat’R Lab Anniversary Showcase, Deputy University Librarian Ann Frenkel and Director of Entrepreneurship for RED Michalis Faloutsos will provide welcome remarks. UCR students Alondra Gomez-Andrade, Christopher Fleming, and Gustavo Correa will participate in a panel discussion about how student organizations use the Creat’R Lab.

Research staff and faculty members Christodoulos Kyriakopoulos and Mzilikazi Kone will share examples from their own research, including 3D-printed earthquake fault models and a collaborative zines project for two ethnic studies classes.

UCR Library’s Director of Research Services Brianna Marshall will also introduce inaugural members of the Creat’R Lab’s Steering Committee.

The Anniversary Showcase will take place on Thursday, May 3 from 4-6 p.m. at Orbach Science Library. Light refreshments will be served.

Those interested in attending are encouraged to RSVP: https://creatrlab-anniversary.eventbrite.com

More News April 28, 2017

When UCR alumnus Dr. Mark Glassy heard that the library was putting together an exhibit to honor the 200^th anniversary of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, he couldn’t wait to get involved.

Our Jay Kay and Doris Klein Librarian for Science Fiction, JJ Jacobson and her co-curator, graduate student Miranda Butler had been curating the scholarly exhibit for about six months when Glassy reached out to express interest in collaboration.

“Miranda is a grad student in the English department and the SFCS (Speculative Fiction and Cultures of Science) program, and she knows amazing amounts of things about gothic literature,” Jacobson explained. But Glassy brings something very different to the table: a life-long love affair with monster memorabilia and science fiction.

Glassy invited Butler, Jacobson, and Cherry Williams, UCR Library’s Director of Distinctive Collections, to view his extensive personal collection of models, comic books, and other memorabilia. Jacobson nicknamed Glassy’s home “the monster model mansion,” a nod to the title of his former website, The Doctor’s Model Mansion.

Glassy himself sculpted many of the pieces in his collection, and therefore they are one-of-a-kind. “Mark is willing to lend us some of his models for the exhibit and/or an accompanying display,” Jacobson stated enthusiastically.

“It’s such an honor to be with somebody while they show you what their passion is, what they’ve collected over the course of a lifetime,” Williams commented.

Their collaboration has been a meeting of the minds for several people who truly love the genre. “He’s really, really smart about Frankenstein as an enduring icon,” Jacobson said of Glassy. Their conversations sometimes spark new tangents, she added, which inspire an entirely new vein of research for exhibit content.

“He loves that we want to talk to him seriously about science fiction. All of us are taking our geekdom and our love of science fiction and using it to do something amazing in the world,” Jacobson added. “Mark is a big-time cancer hero, and Miranda is an incredibly insightful and promising graduate student. We know here at UCR that a love of science fiction can coexist with a serious intellectual life. Other parts of the world can be a little slower to catch up.”

The “200 Years of Frankenstein” exhibit is scheduled to begin in September 2018, in Special Collections on the fourth floor of Rivera Library.

Cancer researcher by day, and science fiction enthusiast by night. See more of UCR alumnus Dr. Glassy’s collection here: www.glassyscifiarchive.com

More News September 27, 2023

More News November 21, 2016

On Thursday, November 17, 2016, UCR Library announced the opening of the George Brown Papers for scholarly research.

A private reception held on the first floor of Tomás Rivera Library honored Congressman George Brown’s life and work and recognized how his legacy will continue to serve future generations through this collection. Attendees included Brown’s widow, Marta Macias Brown, who had worked extensively with library employees to help make this collection available to the public.

 “The wealth of materials in the papers will prove a fantastic resource for researchers interested in public policy, local history, the legislative process, and a number of economic, environmental, and social issues,” stated Collections Management Librarian Jessica Geiser. Geiser was first hired as a project archivist for the George Brown collection in September 2014. She led a team of students that documented their two-year long effort to organize and catalog this extensive assortment of primary source materials.

The collection includes over 1,000 boxes of professional and personal papers, photographs, audiovisual and digital materials, memorabilia, and more. Geiser and her team put great effort into ensuring easy access to the collection through the online finding aid. Resources on federal science and technology policy, environmental protection efforts including water and air pollution regulation, alternative fuel and energy development, land preservation and protection efforts, and climate change prevention are housed on the fourth floor of Rivera Library in Special Collections & University Archives. Materials are available for review in the reading room.

University Librarian Steven Mandeville-Gamble remarked, “George Brown was a great example of someone who could collaborate across party lines while working toward the greater good, which serves as a wonderful reminder of what is needed most during times of great change, like those we are currently experiencing.”

In many ways, Brown was a visionary whose contributions were ahead of his time. Brown was elected to the United States House of Representatives to represent the Los Angeles region from 1963 to 1971, and the Inland Empire from 1973 until his death in 1999. Noteworthy accomplishments during Brown’s 34-year tenure include the establishment of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Office of Science Technology Policy, scholarships for veterans, and Section 8 housing for low-income citizens.

More News October 21, 2016

At noon on Thursday, October 13, UC Riverside launched the kick-off for Living the Promise: The  Campaign for UC Riverside at UCR’s iconic bell tower.

This comprehensive campaign is the first of its kind for the University of California, Riverside, with a target completion date in the year 2020.

A week of celebratory events followed the launch including large and small festivities and research symposia on campus and around the region.

Campaign co-chair Dr. Thomas Haider declared, “We are very proud to announce that the goal for Living the Promise: The Campaign for UC Riverside is $300 million. It’s a very ambitious goal, but we are more than halfway there.” To date, UC Riverside has secured $155 million in gifts, more than 51% of the goal.

UCR Library has its own goal as part of the comprehensive campaign. Fundraising efforts by the Library’s development team to date have generated more than 71% of our target in contributions.

University Librarian Steven Mandeville-Gamble stated, “We’ve had such a strong start that I would love to see the library blow right past our goal.”

He added, “The library’s campaign priorities include facility enhancements, endowed support for collections, funding for paid undergraduate and graduate student internships, endowed librarianships, and a Science Fiction research center in collaboration with CHASS.”

What would reaching these goals mean in terms of impact the library could have on UCR’s students and faculty?

Right now, the library’s impact is somewhat restricted by the assets, talent, or funding that we currently have. Having more resources would allow the library to:

• enhance existing library spaces to serve the next generation of Highlanders
• design and build new library spaces to increase community engagement
• create more employment and internship opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students
• foster innovation and entrepreneurship
• enhance our information resources in quantity, quality, and diversity
• support leadership positions that will help guide us toward the library’s and the university’s strategic vision

Reaching our campaign goals will truly enable us to become a library of the future.

“It’s time for us to make the mark in the world that we and our students and our faculty and our staff all deserve,” commented Chancellor Kim A. Wilcox during the campaign kick-off.

The campaign has designated six key themes, “Solutions that change lives,” including: social innovation and empowerment, new voices and visions, health and wellness, from genomics to harvest, emerging technologies, and renewable nature.

As one of the few university departments connected to every field of study on campus, the UCR Library is uniquely poised to support all six of the comprehensive campaign’s themes.

More News February 28, 2020

Starting with her appointment in Oct. 1953, UC Riverside’s first Dean of Women Loda Mae Davis helped to shape the future not just for Highlander women but for all UCR students.

In addition to serving as an Assistant Professor of Psychology, Davis was later appointed as the Associate Dean of Students. She firmly believed in sexual equality and drafted policies to support that ideal, making Riverside the first campus in the UC system to allow women students the same dormitory privileges that men had always enjoyed. Davis also advocated for the female faculty to have the same membership rights as the male faculty.

Many male students opined that Davis was "too liberal." Colleagues claimed that she frequently said that UCR was "the most sexist place she had ever worked," although Davis did not call herself a feminist.

The Loda Mae Davis papers (UA 082) include correspondence, publications, fiction and non-fiction manuscripts, speech transcripts, photographs, videos, audio cassettes, and other material that documents Davis’ work and the contributions of female faculty members who contributed to the UCR academic community. Received in 2015, the collection was first made available for research in Special Collections and University Archives at the Tomás Rivera Library starting in fall quarter 2018.

Born in 1898 to pioneer homesteaders in Washington state, Davis and her sister worked to support their own education. She graduated from UC Berkeley in 1923 with honors in commerce, followed by a masters of science in business in 1932. Graduate work in psychology at UC Berkeley preceded Davis’ 1953 appointment at UCR.

An economic analyst, consumer rights advocate, and world traveler, Davis worked for the Works Project Administration in 1936 and other Federal entities during the Roosevelt administration. In 1940, she became a consultant to the Consumer Division of the National Council of Defense, a job which led to her becoming the head of the first field staff of the Office of Price Administration. Following World War II, she worked for the UN Relief and Rehabilitation Administration.

Davis traveled throughout the United States to educate the public on the federal rationing and price control program. Additionally, she traveled extensively as a single woman, including trips to Panama and Mexico in 1934; Sweden, Norway, Finland, Russia, Ukraine, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Austria, Switzerland, France, England, Canada and the Arctic Circle in 1935; and China and Japan in 1937. The onset of World War II provided other travel opportunities, as did a 1960 sabbatical which she spent in Samoa.

Davis stayed active within the UCR community after her 1964 retirement, helping to found the Loda Mae Davis Archive and to serve as a mentor to women in academia. She lived in Riverside until her death in 1989.

Davis’ legacy continues to impact the lives of today’s Highlander women through the Dean Emerita Loda Mae Davis Women's Archives fund (which supports the acquisition of materials documenting aspects of women's leadership, accomplishments, and attainments as scholars, writers, creative artists, activists, citizens, etc., and women's changing roles in society), the Dean Loda Mae Davis Endowed Award (est. 1964 by The Prytanean Society, a women's honor society), the Dean Loda Mae Davis Endowed Scholarship Fund (est. 1982), and the Dean Loda Mae Davis Commencement Award (est. 1964).

More News August 10, 2018

The Society of California Archivists (SCA) recently elected UCR Library’s Eric Milenkiewicz as Vice President / President Elect.

Formed in 1971, SCA is a professional association devoted to the support and development of individuals and institutions that collect, care for, and provide access to the documentary heritage of California and adjoining areas.

As the VP / President Elect, Milenkiewicz will have a hand in the programming for the SCA’s 2019 Annual General Meeting, which draws several hundred archivists from across the state. He will also be involved in planning the 2020 Western Roundup in San Francisco, where attendees from four regional archivist associations in the west converge.

Milenkiewicz first started working in the library as a student employee. After graduation (class of 1999), and while earning his MLIS degree from San Jose State, he worked in a variety of positions, mostly in Special Collections & University Archives.

His current role as Digitization Services Program Manager complements his primary passion in library work, archives. With his knowledge of digitization, he sees serving as the VP / President Elect of SCA as an opportunity to get the archival community thinking differently about how they work.

“Today’s archivists possess skillsets that can be applied to many other areas of the library, and even to other industries,” Milenkiewicz said. “In addition to the traditional archival work, many of us code, work with advanced imaging equipment, and manage digital assets. These technical skills can open up many other avenues and job opportunities for us.”

He added, “Much of the information we interact with today is in digital form, but a lot of historical information is still only available in print. Taking this material and digitizing it opens it up to a whole new audience that probably didn’t even know it existed.”

Milenkiewicz values how new technologies can empower underrepresented communities to create and maintain their own digital archives. In 2017, he wrote a grant proposal which was funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation that enabled the UCR Library to work with the Sherman Indian Museum to digitize their collections.

“Honestly, looking back on my career thus far, that’s probably my greatest accomplishment,” he explained. “The Museum receives virtually zero funding and has operated for more than 40 years primarily as a result of the passionate volunteers in their community. They needed funds to help preserve their collection and thankfully we received the financial support to do that digitally.”

Milenkiewicz was initially drawn to archives because of his passion for history. “What I find most fulfilling is being able to surface hidden or untold stories so that people can learn their history, learn their culture,” he explained. “Now, instead of merely trying to provide access to the physical materials, it’s also about digitizing it. Making sure this material is preserved, it’s safeguarded, it’s accessible for people to find and use.”