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Spaces that Work: User-Centered Renovations at Orbach Science Library
Last summer, University Librarian Steve Mandeville-Gamble asked Ann Frenkel, Associate University Librarian (AUL) for Research and Instructional Services, to pull together a team of librarians and staff to rethink how space is used in the UCR Library. They were given a budget for purchasing new furniture to enhance research and study interactions. The team analyzed how students use the physical library, studying where students carve out spaces for particular functions.
The team found that students engage in various types of activities, including individual study, group study, individual project work, project collaboration, social interaction and more. They discovered that open areas with tables are conducive to group collaboration, and that students who want to work quietly alone seek out nooks and corners between stacks. Students particularly enjoy the ability to create their own work environment. In the past few months the team has selected furniture to enable these experiences, using bright, bold pieces for open group spaces, creating collaboration stations with shared screens for project work, and installing pieces such as the “egg” chairs and bean bags for individual study. Most of the furniture is moveable and students are using the new mobile white boards as dividers, enclosures, or presentation walls.
We hope you enjoy the 100 new working spaces in Orbach Science Library. Enhancements will continue to be made in both library buildings, so keep an eye out! The Facilities Department is making special effort to maintain a clean, organized, and inviting environment. AUL Ann Frenkel welcomes feedback on the renovations.
Ten Year Naming Anniversary of the Orbach Science Library
November 2019 marks the tenth anniversary of the naming of the Orbach Science Library after former UCR Chancellor Raymond L. Orbach.
When it was opened in 1998, the Science Library was the first new library building at UC Riverside in over 25 years.
Born in Los Angeles, California in 1934, Raymond L. Orbach is a physicist and administrator who graduated from the California Institute of Technology in 1956 and received his Ph.D. from UC Berkeley in 1960.
Orbach spent much of his early career at UC Los Angeles (UCLA). He served as the Provost of the College of Letters and Science at UCLA from 1982 before coming to UCR as Chancellor in 1992. Orbach left UCR in 2002 to become director of the Office of Science at the US Department of Energy in Washington D.C.
Orbach served as UC Riverside's second longest-tenured chancellor, having held the post for 10 years. During his time as chancellor the student population at UCR nearly doubled from 8,500 to 15,500 and the campus experienced a building boom that featured over 1 million square feet of office, research, and teaching facilities constructed.
During an April 2017 visit, Orbach reflected that his vision for UC Riverside was to develop the campus into the center of innovation, academic research and economic growth in southern California. His namesake library continues to serve as a hub of research excellence for STEM fields.
The Orbach Library brings together students, researchers and faculty from various disciplines to collaborate and experiment with new technologies in the Creat’R Lab, and to explore entrepreneurial pathways through workshops and events for students presented by Creat’R LaunchPad, a symbiotic cooperative comprised of the Creat’R Lab and the Blackstone LaunchPad.
If you are a UCR alumni or community stakeholder who shares this vision, please consider supporting the Raymond L. Orbach Library Endowed Fund to Support the Sciences and Engineering. To learn more, please contact Jernine McBride Williams, Associate Director of Development for the UCR Library.
Celebrating our Class of 2022 library student employees
The UCR Library’s Student Employee Appreciation Event returns after a two-year pause.
The UCR Library is one of the largest student employers on campus. Each spring, the UCR Library usually holds an in-person appreciation event celebrating our student workers.
However, due to the 2020 and 2021 campuswide closure, the last in-person Student Employee Appreciation Event was in 2019. We are pleased to announce that this event returned on May 25, 2022.
At the safari-themed 2022 Student Employee Appreciation Event, held in the lower courtyard at the Rivera Library, we recognized 14 library student employees who will graduate with UCR’s Class of 2022: Yaneli Alvarado, Cynthia Cruz, Lina Cun, Isabel Fryett, Marlen Gonzalez Duran, Valerie Gonzalez, Hunter Courtney Kern, Romyrl Labuen, Miranda Lara, Jennifer Perez Lara, Michelle Rawlings, Xavier Rodriguez, Karen Rachel Rosales, and Danielle Velarde.
We asked some of our 2022 graduates what they will miss most about working at the UCR Library. Here are their responses:
“I will miss walking around the library and looking for books during my shift. I find this calming. I will also miss talking to my supervisor and my co-workers. They are the best!” — Romyrl Labuen
“What I’ll miss the most is the work culture. I was able to achieve personal and professional growth while simultaneously creating long-lasting friendships. I was never afraid to admit to a mistake, ask questions and I was even given several opportunities to learn and grow. It’s a culture that you cannot find anywhere else and is absolutely valuable for student workers such as myself.” — Miranda Lara
“My coworkers! Especially my supervisor, Margarita. I've worked here at Orbach for four years and while I've seen some of my coworkers come and go, there have been a few constants. We've all shared laughs and troubles, and have had our silly moments. I'll miss that all when I'm gone.” — Valerie Hernandez
“I'm going to miss the employees the most! Everyone is so nice and welcoming and I would always look forward to coming back once the school year would begin. I am also going to miss the flexibility and the laid-back environment that was present at the UCR Library. Overall, the staff make working at the library a great experience.” — Jennifer Perez Lara
Congratulations, class of 2022!
Chicanas/Latinas celebrated through personal memories in Semana de la Mujer exhibit
Every year, UCR’s Chicano Student Programs (CSP) coordinates Semana de la Mujer, a week-long series of events that celebrate Chicanas/Latinas and coincides with Women’s History Month. Semana de la Mujer 2023 included an exhibit at the Rivera Library that will be on display till the end of March.
“This year, the committee wanted to do something a little different,” said Arlene Cano Matute, CSP Assistant Director.
Since fall quarter, CSP staff, graduate students, and undergraduate students have been meeting weekly planning the 2023 Semana de la Mujer series. It was at a committee meeting that the idea of an exhibit at the Tomás Rivera Library commemorating the women and femmes in the lives of UCR community members was born.
“Having this exhibit at the Rivera Library made perfect sense to us,” said Arlene. “Named after our first Chicano chancellor in the UC system, who was a poet, author, and also from a campesino family, it speaks to the stories of so many of our students at UC Riverside, a Hispanic Serving Institution.”
Arlene and the committee connected with the UCR Library’s Special Collections Public Services Outreach and Community Engagement Librarian Sandy Enriquez. Sandy was part of a group of UCR Library staff members who previously worked with CSP on the digitization of Nuestra Cosa that coincided with CSP’s 50th anniversary last year.
The Library’s Head of Facilities Dave Schuster was able to work with Sandy and the CSP committee on how best to bring their vision to life in the Rivera Library.
From the start, Sandy understood the responsibility that came with a community-centered exhibit like this.
“Chicano Student Programs did a call for submissions from the UCR community,” Sandy explained. “Community engagement like this is so meaningful and necessary. It takes a lot of responsibility and trust to build connections. I am so happy we were able to facilitate this exhibit and collaborate with Chicano Student Programs to create this unique space.”
18 people submitted items, coming mostly from UCR students but UCR alumni, staff/community members (including two from the UCR Library), and a seven-year-old who is the daughter of one of CSP’s committee members also contributed. Each person who submitted also wrote their own item description that is included in the exhibit. Items submitted include pictures, illustrations, clothing, jewelry, pottery, photos, and more.
You’ll see items that bring back memories of deportation and separation of families, memories of loved ones who have passed away, dolls and blankets that remind people of their family in Mexico and Central America, and many more objects that evoke memories of happiness and sorrow.
“This process of developing and memorializing our stories is painful sometimes, but we hope that it was also joyous and healing,” Arlene said. “I hope people take the opportunity to read the submissions of the women and femmes that are part of our exhibit, they are inspiring!”
Sandy adds, “When we think of exhibits, we often think of very famous or influential people’s stories, not ordinary and intimate moments like these. But I hope this exhibit helps people realize that this is their space too, and their stories deserve to be showcased with the same care and intention. It’s a gift to be a part of sharing these memories.”
The exhibit reception took place on February 22 at the Rivera Library. At the reception, Arlene spoke about the exhibit being influenced by the work of Dr. Yolanda Chávez Leyva from the University of Texas, El Paso who talks about memory as esperanza (hope).
“Dr. Chávez Leyva reminds us that memories bring us back home. It becomes reparation and healing for us. Memory work is more than an emotion. It's our responsibility. In this exhibit, we make a conscious decision not to forget and not to let anybody else forget,” Arlene said speaking to the crowd.
View the exhibit on the first floor of the Rivera Library till the end of winter quarter.
Event: Semana de la Mujer exhibit
Location: Tomás Rivera Library, 1st floor
Dates: Feb. 22, 2023 - Mar. 24, 2023
UCR Library implements Yewno Discover for AI-powered research
The UCR Library is experimenting with an innovative research tool that offers users a new way of viewing and discovering information.
Artificial intelligence-powered research has landed at UC Riverside with the library’s adoption of Yewno Discover. The new research tool aims to help users perform meaningful research in a short amount of time.
How does Yewno Discover work? Enter a concept into Yewno Discover and users will see a knowledge map. The primary concept searched for appears as a prominent node in the center of the map and is surrounded by smaller nodes representing connected (or secondary) concepts. These secondary concepts appear due to Yewno Discover’s built-in AI that ingests and scans information from sources like Wikipedia to deliver related concepts that may aid the user in their research.
Once a primary or secondary node is selected, the user will be able to read a brief overview of the concept, view additional information on related concepts, and access documents on the concept, such as articles and books, that take a user directly to the relevant parts of the text.
For certain users, what may have taken hours of searching using traditional methods might just take a single research session on Yewno Discover.
“People think and learn differently,” explained Michele Potter, the UCR Library’s Collection Strategist for STEM. “With Yewno Discover, the idea is to offer people a new way to see and use information.”
Potter has been working with Yewno Discover to refine and optimize the research platform to better serve the needs of the UCR community. She hopes to receive feedback from UCR users on what they enjoy about the tool and suggestions for improvement.
Unlike other research engines, Yewno Discover’s emphasis is on exploration. While some may prefer conventional research methods, Yewno Discover’s unique way of allowing users to engage with information can be valuable for the more inquisitive.
While using the tool, if a user notices a secondary concept they are not aware of, or the user is simply curious about what these concepts have in common, users can “generate a relationship” between a primary and secondary concept to see what the two selected concepts have in common.
“Yewno Discover is particularly useful to use when trying to understand relationships between concepts,” Potter said. "It's a way of exploring a concept that's very holistic. Maybe you won’t learn in a linear fashion, but at the end of the day, you're probably going to have a pretty thorough understanding of the concept you searched for.”
UCR students, faculty, and researchers can try out this innovative discovery tool right from the search bar at library.ucr.edu. Type in a concept and the user can connect to Yewno Discover along with UC Library Search, WorldCat Discovery, and other research resources. Users can also visit discover.yewno.com.
If you want to learn more about Yewno Discover, read the library’s Yewno Discover Guide.
Improvements Underway in Rivera Library
This summer, the Tomás Rivera Library is undergoing a few construction projects. While these projects mean temporary section closures, the improvements will make a big difference.
Rivera 2nd Floor Unit 1
2nd floor Unit 1, the section closest to the bell tower, is closed Monday, June 17 until Monday, July 8 as we remove the old shelving in this area and bring in new shelving from the basement. This shelving work will be complete by July 8. Later this year, we will be relocating the graduate student carrels to this area, maintaining a quiet and focused environment for graduate students with the added comfort of new furniture and flooring.
There will also be work on another project in this area starting July 1 through July 10 in room A0217. We are creating a Digitization Lab here and will be replacing the windows during this time frame. The current windows have small gaps that allow outside air inside. The new windows will be airtight and weatherproof and will also provide heat resistance and UV protection. All work will be completed from inside room A0217 and out through the windows to the North Courtyard. The North Courtyard will be closed off from July 1 through July 10.
Rivera Basement
The Rivera basement is closed through mid-October as we build a space to increase our collection storage capacity. This project involves moving the current shelving to the 2nd floor. Then, we’ll install secure storage in the basement. Don’t worry, even with these changes, we’ll be keeping the same amount of study space in the basement as before—no study areas are being taken away.
Along with the above, we have a few more construction projects happening you may already know about.
- Rivera Unit 1: An HVAC upgrade for Rivera Unit 1, the north side of the library, is underway. As a result of this work, there will be no air conditioning in the north wing for the duration of the project—until at least September 2024.
- Rivera 4th Floor: We’re updating the fire suppression system on the 4th floor of the Rivera Library. SCUA, located on the 4th floor, will be accessible via appointment only until at least fall quarter 2024.
- Orbach 3rd Floor: The 3rd floor of the Orbach Library is closed in preparation for roof work until further notice.
These upgrades are all about enhancing our library's infrastructure and improving your experience. Thank you for your patience and understanding during these construction periods. We’re excited to show you the improved spaces soon. Stay tuned for more updates!
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.
New tools enhance digitization efforts
Two new Phase One 150 Mega Pixel, 72 mm cameras will improve the quality and quantity of digitization projects at the UCR Library.
The UCR Library recently acquired two new Phase One 150 Mega Pixel, 72 mm cameras for cultural heritage digitization from Digital Transitions. These new 150-megapixel cameras are part of two modular copy stands that enable Digitization Services staff to capture high-resolution images for both preservation and access.
“Now, the nature of our work can be more at scale,” says Digitization Services Specialist Mark Buchholz. “We're still going to be putting in the same amount of effort and labor as before, but the output will be improved in both quality and quantity.”
The new cameras and modular copy stands can digitize a variety of objects safely, such as flat art, items like books, magazines, pamphlets, and film. There is also software included, Capture One CH, designed specifically for cultural heritage that allows for scientific color management, batch processing, and following established FADGI imaging standards.
“After we capture, there is a quality control process and there's some post-production,” says Digital Initiatives Specialist Krystal Boehlert. “Instead of trying to make individual adjustments by opening up each file in Photoshop, we can make adjustments on a whole group of images very quickly.”
Now, 75-80% of digitization cases that require post-production don’t require Photoshop due to Capture One editing features.
The digitization process doesn’t end with Capture One or Photoshop. Digital Assets Metadata Librarian Noah Geraci ensures the images are accessible and easy to find. Noah ingests the images and metadata into Nuxeo - our centralized Digital Asset Management System — and then the images are published to Calisphere, a website that provides free access to more than 2,000 collections from organizations like libraries, archives, museums, and historical societies in California.
“No matter how nice our images are, without Noah’s work, no one would be able to find them,” says Mark.
Digitization Services is currently in the process of setting up their digitization workflows for digitizing the Jay Kay Klein photography collection — a project that would have required outside help if not for the recently purchased equipment.
“We have the same quality equipment as the vendors we would have outsourced the project to,” says Krystal. “Now, we can do it a lot faster because we're not shipping things off, and we can start the metadata at the same time as the capture. There will be fewer bottlenecks.”
If you’d like to see digitized images from our collections, take a look at the UCR Library’s page on Calisphere.
Get ready: UC Library Search is almost here
After four years of planning and preparation, UC Library Search is preparing to launch on Tuesday, July 27, 2021.
This new UC-systemwide discovery platform will permanently replace Melvyl and local library catalogs as the integrated search tool for all ten University of California campus libraries.
“This project has involved the collaboration and cooperation of librarians from all ten UC campuses and a tremendous amount of time and energy,” said Tiffany Moxham, Associate University Librarian for Content and Discovery. “We are eagerly anticipating its final form.”
Key changes you’ll find in UC Library Search include:
- Search and get real-time availability for print, digital, and electronic items from all ten UC campuses in the Articles, books, and more search. This is a massive expansion from what patrons can currently find when choosing “Everything” as the search scope.
- Discover and request content not available in the UC system through WorldCat Discovery.
- Manage loans, requests, and more from multiple campuses all in one place in My Account.
We have made monthly announcements leading up to the launch to keep our campus community informed about this change. You can view the archive here, along with additional information about the project.
If you have personal lists or saved searches in Melvyl, take these steps before July 27 to preserve your research data, or it will be gone forever:
- To export saved lists, log into Melvyl. Under your account name, select “My Personal Lists” from the drop-down menu. Email the lists to yourself, or use the “Cite” button to export them into citation management software.
- To preserve saved search terms, log into Melvyl and click on “Saved Searches” in the gray menu bar. Make a note of your search terms if you wish to reproduce them in UC Library Search after July 27.
- To update bookmarks to Melvyl records, log into Melvyl and save your bookmarked items to a list, which you can either email to yourself or export into citation management software. Then after July 27, replace your links with the new URL for these items from UC Library Search.
If you have any further questions about UC Library Search, please contact Tiffany Moxham, Associate University Librarian for Content and Discovery.
Supporting Student Success Through CHASS F1RST
The UCR Library plays an important role in supporting CHASS F1RST, a student success program in the College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences (CHASS) that helps first-year freshman and transfer students adjust to college life.
On the library’s end, this collaboration is led by Student Success and Engagement Librarian Carrie Cruce and Social Sciences Teaching Librarian Michael Yonezawa.
The UCR Library contributes to the program in two key ways: by embedding information literacy modules into CHASS F1RST courses—CHFY 007 for freshmen and CHFY 010 for transfer students—and by providing research skills training to the program’s peer mentors through the library’s WRI (Workshop-Related Instruction) Research Ready program.
Rather than having students come to the library, the team meets them where they are. “Our modules are integrated into their Canvas courses, and our training for peer mentors happens in their space,” Carrie said.
First-year students often face challenges navigating implicit or unspoken academic expectations, a concept sometimes referred to as the “hidden curriculum.” According to Carrie, this includes understanding self-advocacy, seeking help, and utilizing campus resources.
“Our collaboration with CHASS F1RST is one of the avenues we have to support students in building academic support networks, cultivating help-seeking skills, and understanding the role and resources of campus support departments like the library,” Carrie explains.
Michael noted that first-year students—and in some cases, new transfer students—are often not aware of the vast resources and services a modern academic library provides. “The challenge for these students is to learn how to search, evaluate, and effectively use different types of information in their coursework and projects, particularly but not exclusively scholarly and academic information,” he said. “Ideally, students begin their academic journeys with an introduction to important foundational library concepts.”
Feedback from students has been overwhelmingly positive. Students have reported feeling more confident in their ability to navigate the library’s resources and conduct research effectively.
Carrie emphasized that fostering positive relationships with students has been key. “I’ve built connections with several students who now recognize me at other campus events,” she said. Librarian recognition and personal relationships support a positive impression of the library which contributes to further engagement.”
By meeting students early in their academic journey, the UCR Library is setting the stage for these students’ continued academic growth and engagement throughout their time at UCR.