• Read more about UCR Library Student Guide

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 October 02, 2013

UCR Libraries to host events that will teach Inland residents, campus students, scholars and staff to write entries for online encyclopedia

By Bettye Miller

Wikipedia edit-a-thons sponsored by UCR Libraries will make use of archives such as the Eaton Collection, the Water Resources Collection and the Tuskegee Airman Archive. Pictured above are a fan magazine from the Eaton Collection, a photo by Walter Leroy Huber of the junction of the All American Canal with the Coachella Canal, and Tuskegee Airman Clarence D. “Lucky” Lester.

RIVERSIDE, Calif. — UC Riverside Libraries will host three Wikipedia edit-a-thons this fall during which Inland residents and university students, scholars and staff may make use of library resources to write articles for the free, online encyclopedia.

The first of the all-day edit-a-thons is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 12, from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Box lunches will be provided for preregistered participants. Free parking will be available for community residents who preregister. Email carolem@ucr.edu to register for each of the three dates. Additional edit-a-thons are scheduled Oct. 26 and Nov. 23.

Veteran Wikipedia editor Adrianne Wadewitz will attend the Oct. 12 event and teach participants how to write articles that are polished and designed to face fewer challenges for accuracy and neutrality. Wikipedia trainers will attend each edit-a-thon.

Participants may access a variety of UCR Library resources, including documents housed in Special Collections and University Archives, to research articles of their choosing, said University Librarian Steven Mandeville-Gamble.

“We want this to be fun, but there is also a serious goal of enhancing Wikipedia as a platform of information exchange,” Mandeville-Gamble said. “These edit-a-thons will give students and others a chance to write in a public forum and learn how to create a well-crafted information article. It also is an opportunity for us to forge stronger relations with community members beyond UCR’s borders.”

Wikipedia describes itself as a multilingual, Web-based, free-content encyclopedia project supported by the Wikimedia Foundation that is based on an openly editable model. Content is produced collaboratively by anonymous volunteers who write without pay.

Two years ago Wikipedia launched its Wikipedia Loves Libraries initiative to collaborate with galleries, libraries, archives and museums in an effort to make the online encyclopedia a more accurate and useful resource, Mandeville-Gamble said.

The UCR librarian introduced Wikipedia edit-a-thons when he worked at George Washington University. The project was so popular that it continues on a monthly basis.

At UCR, participants in the edit-a-thons will be able to research topics that make use of UCR Libraries collections such as science fiction; the Tuskegee Airmen; author and former UCR Chancellor Tomás Rivera; historical figures in the political, cultural, and social life of the Inland Empire; water resources in California and the West; or Native American literature, art and culture.

“Participants can write about any topic, not just ones we suggest,” Mandeville-Gamble said. “This will be a safe place for people to learn to write Wikipedia articles, receive feedback, make their articles more ‘bullet proof,’ use citation tools and information boxes, and effectively utilize images. Our libraries have tremendous resources that can enhance Wikipedia articles, particularly those that relate to our unique collections and local history.”

• Read more about University Archives

More News June 01, 2021

In years past, the UCR Library would host a Student Employee and Staff Appreciation Picnic in May to honor the people whose work serves and supports the UC Riverside community.

Due to the continuing campuswide COVID-19 closure, we were not able to hold the celebration again this year.

Still, we would like to recognize and celebrate these library student employees who will graduate with UC Riverside’s Class of 2021: Haneen Abbas, Sabrina Aguilera, Hugo Arcos, Samantha Berrospe, Daphne Burnett, Nicholas Carter, Martin Cruz, Daniel Garcia, Ted Kim, Tim Koo, Terry Mach, Michaela Miller, Brenda Nguyen, Carol Rodriguez, Daysia Rodriguez, Sandra Samayoa, Jonathan Sanchez, Mina Shiratsuchi, Manasi Soni, Kathy Tran, Phyllis Ung, Lisette Ureno, Jasmine Vaquera, Sebastian Vizcarra, Xeng Yang, and Jennifer Zhou.

We asked our 2021 graduates to share their favorite memories from their time spent working at the UCR Library, and what they would miss most about working here. Here are some of their responses:

Jasmine Vaquera

My favorite memory from working at the library was my first week on the job and still being invited to the annual student appreciation picnic. My favorite part of working at the library was being exposed to so many books that I wouldn’t have otherwise encountered. I also loved my bosses and coworkers at ILL and Reserve. What I will miss most about working at the library are those that helped build my best memories there, my bosses and coworkers.

Daysia Rodriguez

My favorite memory working from the library is the finals week activities we would do for the students. I will miss the amazing staff and students who I worked with for the past 3 years. All of you have truly made my experience at this university memorable and fun. Thank you to everyone who has shown me support and especially thank you to Leslie and Sahra for giving me the opportunity to be a part of this wonderful team.

Tim Koo

My favorite memory from working at the library is when I first learned how to use the myriad of technologies and tools at the Creat'R Lab. I will definitely miss my coworkers for making my experience of working at the library incredibly fun!

Lisette Ureno

My favorite memory from working at the UCR library Would definitely have to be Finals Week Stress Relief programs! I loved seeing the joy these programs brought to students as they were able to take a break from their studies and interact with other students and staff rather than just their books. I worked at the UCR library since freshman year so I will definitely miss the amazing staff that grew to be great mentors and friends to me. The student life inside the library is also something I feel nostalgia from as I observed throughout the years how social, helpful and welcoming students were to one another despite being in a library setting. I love that!

Haneen Abbas

My favorite memory working at the library would be finals week each quarter when we would put on Disney movies and students would poke their heads in or take a seat for a quick study break. What I'll miss most is interacting with all the unique students and faculty with equally as unique and exciting projects that I was able to watch come to life.

Michaela Miller

My favorite memory of working at the library was coming into a shift at Special Collections after class and just being able to work in the quiet of the library. It was always so calming being there. I’m going to miss working up in Special Collections. Everyone was always super nice there and it was a great experience working there.

Kathy Tran

During week 10 and finals week, the library was giving away snacks for people who were studying at the library at that time. I was able to walk around the library and encourage people with their studying and also spend time with Scotty! It was such a blast. Honestly, I think I'll miss walking up and down aisles and aisles of books. Although I've only used the library a couple of times throughout my undergraduate career, something about the tons of books available just fascinated me. I'll also miss talking to the librarians (shoutout to the Teaching & Learning Services) about our days or something so small. These librarians have made my day 10x better from talking to them and I'll definitely miss them.

Hugo Arcos

One of my favorite memories was celebrating the graduation of past students in the library's patio. Alongside good food and games, it was great to reflect on the many bonds I developed with fellow coworkers. What I will miss the most are the encouraging staff across all sectors of the library. The library was the first job I had at campus, and I was naturally scared of the environment I potentially had to deal with, but I am glad the library turned out to be a place filled with motivational and understanding people. I can't thank everyone enough for providing me with a positive work experience, and many of the skills I learned from various people will hopefully manifest themselves into my future aspirations.

Carol Rodriguez

My favorite memory from working at the UCR Orbach Science Library would be meeting new friends and meeting new people that would come in and come out from the library every day. Also, one thing that I will miss dearly would be the annual Thanksgiving Feast where they would give us so much good food and we would just have fun. Also, congrats, grads -- we did it!

Samantha Berrospe

My favorite memory from the library is seeing all the students take a break from studying, and enjoy relaxing by attending our Finals Week Stress Relief activities. What I will miss most about working at the library is hanging out with my coworkers and gaining some new friends.

More News April 17, 2020

Since mid-March 2020, the world has changed in ways that none of us could have predicted. I wanted to share with you some things the UCR Library is doing to help UCR not only survive the COVID-19 closure, but to thrive.

Late afternoon on Friday, March 13, we got the County of Riverside Public Health Officer’s order to shut down the campus by Monday, March 16. We had only two days to switch to working, conducting all exams, and teaching remotely.

We adapted work so that all staff could work virtually from home within a few days. Many library staff immediately engaged with faculty and XCITE (Exploration Center for Innovative Teaching and Engagement) to help convert Spring Quarter 2020 from in-person classes to remote instruction with one week. Normally, it takes six months or more to convert a single class to a remote modality. UCR converted more than 3,000 courses in just two weeks' time.

As part of this effort, a number of library staff members are close captioning course materials in video format, to ensure that all students have equitable access to the online course content, regardless of differing abilities in vision or hearing.

Our Teaching and Learning librarians have been helping faculty convert their courses to remote teaching, and actively converting the library's own information literacy sessions to online formats, which means we can continue to support faculty in their teaching mission nearly as seamlessly as we did with in-person courses. That apparent seamlessness hides the enormous amount of work being done behind the scenes by dedicated librarians and staff to make this happen.

Since staff can no longer routinely access the library’s buildings, you might wonder how we can provide access to our books without going into the stacks. For more than a decade, the UC Libraries have been working on a system-wide project to digitize our vast print holdings. The digital copies created by this long-term project are held by the HathiTrust, which has agreed to open up the copyrighted materials to UCR faculty, students, and staff for any print titles we currently own. This access went into effect on April 10, providing our stakeholders access to more than 50% of our book titles. Then on April 13, HathiTrust opened up all books in the trust that correspond to print titles owned by any UC to all UC affiliates . As a result, UCR faculty, students, and staff now have access to more than 10 million books online. For more information, read this article.

That is in addition to the extensive collection of online books that we have acquired over the years.

Additionally, for any titles not currently in the HathiTrust, we are purchasing electronic copies books of any titles that UCR students or faculty need, so long as an e-book version is available.

This means that, for most people who use our collections, access to our content is continuing relatively seamlessly, even though online access requires a few extra steps for end-users.

Finally, our Creat’R Lab staff are using our 3D printers to make a key part needed to build face shields for the dedicated Inland Empire doctors, nurses, and other health care providers treating COVID-19 patients. These pieces will be delivered to the Riverside Community Hospital, who will assemble the face shields for their staff. It the UCR Library’s small, direct contribution to support the medical personnel treating people affected by the virus.

If you have any questions about what the UCR Library and its dedicated staff are doing to help keep the university moving forward, please do not hesitate to let us know.

Best,

Steve​n Mandeville-Gamble

University Library, UC Riverside

More News October 03, 2018

Many UCR alumni enjoy visiting campus – but it’s not always possible for them to make the trip.

To remedy this, UC Riverside’s Office of Alumni Relations turned to the Creat’R Lab in the Orbach Library to help take a few campus landmarks on the road – specifically the Bell Tower, the UCR initials (by the HUB), and Scotty the Highlander bear.

“We requested 3D prints of these campus icons to take to regional alumni events around the country as part of a plan to bring the campus experience to our alumni and supporters in their communities,” said Development / Campaign Communications Manager Jennifer Merrett. Their first event this quarter was a “Living the Promise” reception at Petco Park in San Diego on Monday, Oct. 1.

Part of the Creat’R Lab’s mission is to foster such collaborations. “The initial meeting was very motivating, since the Alumni Relations team was pretty excited and energetic,” said Michele Potter, the Creat’R Lab’s 3D printing specialist. “They had a lot of ideas for bringing creativity to alumni events and giving attendees fun ways to be interactive and creative.”

Alumni Marketing and Communications Manager Kendall Burks worked closely with Potter during summer to refine the 3D-printed replicas. To increase alumni nostalgia, Burks suggested putting blue glow sticks inside the Bell Tower miniature so it would resemble UCR’s full-size Carillion tower when lit up at night.

Potter collaborated with a design partner and lecturer from UCR’s English department, Aaron Potter, to modify the 3D model so it could be lit from within. “Michele was meticulous about perfecting the holes in the bell tower, and it was so cool to see the blue light emanating from within!” Merrett said.

While not exactly to scale, Potter explained that the finished model of the Bell Tower is quite an achievement as it measures 30 centimeters tall, which is more than twice the build height of the Creat’R Lab’s Makerbot Replicator.

“I am pretty excited to have done this project and I hope the alums like the models,” she added. 

“Michele in the Creat’R Lab was such a pleasure to work with. She went above and beyond to bring our idea to life in better ways than we had planned, and she provided thoughtful suggestions for engaging our guests in new ways,” Merrett said. “Our team also enjoyed learning about the Lab and the work that Michele does to support students, faculty, and staff in pursuing creativity and innovation.”

The replicas have also been popular with students who have seen them in the Creat’R Lab over the summer. Potter said, “They have been really excited to see the various prototypes and many have asked if they can have much smaller copies for themselves.”

More News February 07, 2018

Entrepreneur-in-residence and UC Riverside instructor Jay Gilberg has enjoyed using the Creat’R Lab to mentor aspiring innovators who are part of the NSF I-Corps Startups for Innovators Program at UCR.

“I love helping people to achieve their dreams by creating a business,” Gilberg explained. “It’s important to nurture entrepreneurship in a university setting. The average person at a university is brighter and their ideas are more original and creative and perhaps more world-changing than the people who are just trying to create their own job.”

Through mentoring, he also wants to set the record straight on what the path to entrepreneurship really looks like. “There’s so much misconception and misrepresentation on TV about what goes into starting a business. You don’t start out doing something like Shark Tank,” Gilberg chuckled. “Startups are a lot of work. I’ve done a few of them, and it’s not for the lazy.”

In 2009, Gilberg sold his staffing industry company ABCOW Services, Inc., which he had built from the ground up and grown into an Inc. 500 company, a designation granted to the 500 fastest-growing, privately owned companies in the US over a five-year period. Currently, he owns a real estate business, in addition to his work with UC Riverside.

Gilberg sees the Creat’R Lab as the on-campus starting point for students who are interested in dipping a toe into UCR’s entrepreneurial culture, a place where people from all fields of study can mix and mingle to forge new relationships that support innovation, exploration, and collaboration.

Recently, Gilberg, Interim Director of EPIC (Entrepreneurial Proof of Concept and Innovation Center) Mark Leibowitz, and entrepreneur-in-residence Alexandra Orozco have decided to offer weekly “ask an expert” drop-in office hours in the Creat’R Lab’s Mentoring Room for students who think they have an idea worth exploring. In the near future, Gilberg hopes to see the Creat’R Lab enhance its technology to facilitate live group webinars with off-campus guest experts and distance mentoring.

If students enjoy their experience at the Creat’R Lab, then Gilberg says their next step in the entrepreneurial journey at UCR could be the Startups for Innovators workshop, which he teaches with Leibowitz to bridge the gap from theory to practice in business development.

UCR's NSF I-Corps program was established in 2017 thanks to a $500,000 five-year grant awarded to Associate Vice Chancellor for Technology Partnerships Rosibel Ochoa and Interim Vice Chancellor for Research and Economic Development Gillian Wilson by the National Science Foundation. Before coming to UCR, Gilberg, Leibowitz and Ochoa had previously worked together at UC San Diego’s I-Corps site.

After completing the I-Corps workshop or other academic coursework, Gilberg explained, students can apply to work with either EPIC, which provides one-on-one mentoring with the entrepreneurs in residence, or ExCITE, a 6-12 month accelerator program that nurtures new technology startups and creates more high-tech jobs in the county of Riverside.

The Creat’R Lab opened in Orbach Science Library in April 2017.

More News June 28, 2022

WisCon is a feminist science fiction & fantasy convention held annually in Madison, Wisconsin. 

This year's conference took place in late May with Andrew Lippert, Special Collections Processing Archivist, Sandy Enriquez, Special Collections Public Services Outreach/Community Engagement Librarian, and Dr. Phoenix Alexander, our soon-to-be Jay Kay and Doris Klein Science Fiction Librarian, in attendance. Learn more about the conference from Andrew and Sandy in our WisCon Q&A. 

How did it feel to go to an in-person conference again?

Sandy: It was both exciting, and a little bit nerve-wracking! But part of the reason I felt comfortable attending WisCon was that they took extensive precautions and implemented many best practices to keep folks safe. All the conference-goers I encountered respected the protocols (including a mask mandate) and I felt very comfortable. Having those safety measures in place meant that I could fully enjoy all the benefits of in-person conferences.

Andrew: It was wonderful to attend a conference in-person again. There are definite upsides to being able to get conference content from the comfort of one’s own home, but you miss all of the little conversations and encounters that happen outside of the sessions. It’s also fun to wander around a town you’ve never been to for a couple of days.

What were some of the highlights from WisCon?

Sandy: One of my favorite moments was listening to readings from the new speculative fiction anthology, "Trouble the Waters: Tales from the Deep Blue" edited by Sheree Renée Thomas, Pan Morigan, and Troy L. Wiggins. One of the stories centered on the care and shepherding of space whales, which was so magical and whimsical to imagine! 

Andrew: WisCon was a fantastic event and there were a lot of great elements. First and foremost, the panels and the conversations that they inspired were truly superb. This might have been the most intellectually stimulating and inspiring conference/convention I have been to. There is a lot of really important work going on in these spaces.

How does WisCon’s mission align with the goals you have for your work here at the UCR Library?

Sandy: WisCon is a community-led, feminist science fiction and fantasy convention. They aim to make their events as inclusive, safe, and welcoming as possible for people from all walks of life. Their mission to promote inclusivity and uplift underrepresented voices in science fiction aligns strongly with my goals for public services, outreach, and community engagement at UCR Library. Part of my job is to help people find and utilize our collections, and I especially strive to reach communities who have been traditionally excluded from, or misrepresented in, the historical record. I aim to increase access and knowledge of the collections through innovative and collaborative outreach, as well as highlighting underrepresented stories whenever possible. For example, I have recently taught several workshops centering Chicano student activism at UCR, in collaboration with graduate student instructors, and with Chicano Student Programs. While science fiction is only one aspect of our collecting focus, I think we can learn a lot from this field (and feminism in general) about how to partner with communities and practice more equitable outreach, teaching, and research.

Andrew: The primary way that my work with the Eaton Collection aligns with WisCon is in efforts to diversify the genre of speculative fiction. WisCon started out as the feminist science fiction con in the late 1970s, and it still has a lot of those feminist roots with its current incarnation. However, I saw an organization that has evolved to be radically inclusive of all peoples, with a very strong emphasis on the LGBTQ+ community. There were also themes of decolonization and anti-capitalism that popped up from session to session that also work their way into how I think about building a speculative fiction collection.

Was there anything interesting or noteworthy you learned at the conference?

Sandy: Absolutely! Marie Vibbert gave a fantastic presentation about her research on labor in science fiction novels. She analyzed the jobs and classes of main characters across almost two hundred science fiction novels to create her dataset. She found that, contrary to popular belief, science fiction protagonists were more likely to be upper/middle class than working class. She also found that male authors were more likely to write male characters than other genders.

Andrew: The most notable learning opportunity for me — as a cis, white, male — was to be immersed into a queer space. This is not something that I encounter very often in my day-to-day life and I appreciate opportunities like this that center and value the voices and points of view of people that are not often afforded that opportunity. To me, the incredibly engaging discussions only reinforce the value and importance of inclusion and diversity and the degree to which more diverse points of view only serve to enrich the conversation.

Does the Eaton Collection include many feminist works?

Sandy: The Eaton Collection does include many works by feminist authors and works that explore feminist themes, but given how quickly the field is evolving, there is still a lot of work to be done. For example, we have feminist science fiction classics such as 'The Female Man' by Joanna Russ or 'The Left Hand of Darkness' by Ursula K. Le Guin, along with more contemporary examples of feminist science fiction such as the graphic novel 'Bitch Planet' by Kelly Sue DeConnick and Valentine de Landro. We are actively working to diversify our holdings by identifying and acquiring new works, including those that may incorporate feminist themes but are not explicitly labeled as such (one that comes to mind is the fantastic anthology 'Love After the End: An Anthology of Two-Spirit & Indigiqueer Speculative Fiction' edited by Joshua Whitehead).

Andrew: Yes! We have many novels by feminist authors (for example: Octavia Butler, Joanna Russ, and many more). There is also a lot of feminist work done in the comics and graphic novel space (such as: Bitch Planet or Maiden, Mother, and Crone). We have quite a lot of secondary, academic literature on feminism and science fiction. In the manuscript collections, we have the papers of feminist author Jody Scott. Former UCR professor Nalo Hopkinson has also been donating her papers to the Eaton Collection. There is so much material in the collection, far more than can be listed succinctly!

Do you plan on going back next year?

Sandy: I would love to! I'm not sure yet where next year will take me, but it would be fantastic to return.

Andrew: I would love to! It’s hard to plan that far out, but I hope to make it back to WisCon in the near future.

For more information on WisCon, visit wiscon.net or follow WisCon on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. 

More News June 14, 2020

Each spring, the UCR Library typically hosts a Student Employee and Staff Appreciation Picnic to honor the people who serve the UC Riverside community through their work at the library.

Due to the COVID-19 closure, we were not able to hold the celebration this year, nor could we recognize the 22 library student employees who would be graduating with UC Riverside’s Class of 2020: Cristina Canales, Janely Cruz, Julianna Gil, Sheyla Hernandez Amador, Leonardo Kim, Jiayi Lin, Ayanna McDowell, Belen Meza-Hernandez, Alejandro Moody, Giselle Moreno, Sophia Mosbe, Ashley Nguyen, Jalak Patel, Victoria Pedrosa, Stacy Rodriguez Chavez, Justus Ross, Elias Sells, Jacqueline Stewart, Glen Sturgeon, Isabel Torres, Tracy Vargas, and Kimberly Wu.

We asked our 2020 graduates to share their favorite memories from their time spent working at the UCR Library, and what they would miss most about working here. Here are some of their responses:

Kimberly Wu

“My favorite memories from working at the library was getting to see parts of Orbach and Rivera that I didn't know existed if I wasn't working there. It was interesting to see where some doors led to, and I also got to learn where all the different stairwells were as well. I am going to miss joking around with my coworkers and not having to wait in a line to use the printer (because there's a printer inside the office).”

Jalak Patel

“One of my favorite parts about working in the Creat’RLab is the amount of flexibility and creativity I’ve had to grow personally and professionally. Each day, I was constantly challenging myself with new technology and engaging with various students ranging from different majors/years. At the end of the day, the best part was always interacting with students. I always enjoyed giving tours and sharing all the amazing things that Creat’RLab had to offer that I loved dearly myself. I easily fell in love with the Creat’RLab space and community that I would find myself in there often even when not on my shifts. That’s when you know your job doesn’t feel like work!

“The greatest thing about working in such a creative and innovative space was the ability to engage in a wide variety of activities. As a student technician for three years, I had an opportunity to grow and engage in various creative facets ranging from 3D printing, sewing, to VR headsets and even consulting students for laser cutting. And that was the best part, no day at work was the exact same! I am beyond thankful to UCR Library, Creat’RLab community, bosses, and my small group of close-knit co-workers who easily became family and made my first job an amazing experience!”

Ayanna McDowell

“My favorite memory was our team bonding experience last fall. We had to get over a rope without touching it. I ended up splitting my pants, but it was such a good time. I will miss the staff and student employees the most. They truly were a joy to work with; and I know that is very rare in a work environment. So I will miss them deeply.”

Giselle Moreno

“My favorite memory working at the library was setting up for Finals Week Stress Relief week with staff at the front desk. I loved collaborating with my other coworkers and being able to be a resource to my peers during finals week. What I will miss most about working at the UCR Library is working in a supportive environment. I feel very lucky to have had the opportunity to be a part of a team that uplifts their student workers and views them leaders. I will also miss my supervisors Elisha, Greg and Michelle. I am grateful to have been able to work with each and everyone of them.”

Sophia Mosbe

Favorite memory: “Playing cornhole at the Student Picnic last year with library staff.”

“I'm going to miss the staff and my fellow student workers. Everyone was always so kind and cared about each other that it really did feel like a second family. Not being able to finish my final quarter with them has been heartbreaking, but I am determined to pop in for a visit once things become relatively normal again. #OrbachPride”

Julianna Gil

Favorite memory: “Laughing and joking around with my student coworkers, and developing great friendships with them. As well as drawing little pictures on the whiteboard inside our workspace.”

What she will miss: “All my student coworkers and archivists that worked in Special Collections. They were always so kind to me. Both my supervisors were great and incredibly understanding.”

Leonardo Kim

Favorite memory: “Going out with co-workers after shifts on hangouts and grabbing last minute food.”

“I will miss having a flexible schedule and working with Shelly and Greg. I think they are some of the best people I have met at UCR and have been really helpful when I had questions. Hopefully we can still be in touch after I graduate.”

Isabel Torres

“My favorite memory from working in the library is being able to help my fellow classmates discover the amazing resources the library has to offer. I will miss working with the department of Teaching and Learning and my Information Desk coworkers.”

Glen Sturgeon

Favorite memory: “The time everyone passed around a boxed toy called a Shmoo. It was such a ridiculous object and the staff reacted to it in varying degrees of delight and horror. The library has so many quirky holdings in special collections, it always brightened my day to help process them! See attached photo of the Shmoo.

“I already miss the staff at SCUA so much! Being at Special Collections and University Archives cemented my love for archives and library science. Thanks to the support and encouragement of my supervisor, Andrew Lippert, I applied to and was accepted to UCLA’s MLIS program this fall! I’ll miss sharing strange finds from the collections and gawking at new rare acquisitions with the incredible staff of SCUA. The real treasures in the archives are the people who work there.”

Elias Sells

“My favorite memory is probably just hanging out in the office and talking with all of my coworkers and my boss on slow days. What I'll miss most is probably the Thanksgiving potlucks.”

Stacy Rodriguez Chavez

“My favorite memory from working at the library is the people that I got to work with. I had amazing people that helped me and encouraged me throughout the years that I worked at Orbach. I'm forever grateful for Kit, Pat, and Sara for making my work environment amazing and for the constant motivation they would give me. What I'll miss the most from working at Orbach would be the people I learned from and worked with. I wish them the very best and hope to see them very soon.”

Jacqueline Stewart

“My favorite memory working at the library is just being there almost everyday working with so many cool stuff at special collections. The coolest thing I saw was a really tiny book that fit on the tip of my finger. I will miss everyone I worked with. Everyone I worked with was so helpful and such a pleasure to work with.”

Belen Meza Hernandez

“My favorite memory of working at the library is during finals week, when the staff would bring in puppies to de-stress. And also, when my friends would ask me for help to find library materials. What I will miss the most is the friendliness of the staff and having a flexible schedule that allowed me to focus on school.”

Victoria Pedrosa

“To the Class of 2020, we did it! Thank you to Special Collections, you made working there one of my most memorable experiences at UCR.”

Janely Cruz

“My favorite memory from working at the library was going to the annual picnics and potlucks. Seeing everyone come together and have a good time was always something I looked forward to. I will most definitely miss all my coworkers, supervisors Shelly and Greg, and all the other staff at the UCR Library. From my first day working there, everyone was so welcoming. I am going to miss coming into the library almost every day and working with the most amazing people.”

Sheyla Hernandez

“We made it!”