More News June 06, 2016

Though only in his second month at the UCR Library, Kent LaCombe is already in the midst of several projects designed to help better preserve and provide access to the library’s rich collection of water-related materials. As the Water Resources Librarian he is responsible for managing and curating the library’s unique contemporary and historic materials devoted to all aspects of water resources held in both the Special Collections’ Water Resources Collections and Archives (WRCA) and in the general collection.

LaCombe’s educational and professional background make him well-positioned to oversee the growth and evolution of a collection that currently boasts more than 200,000 technical reports, 1,500 specialized newsletters, 5,000 maps, 200 manuscript collections, and 45,000 historic photographs documenting water history. He holds a Ph.D. in Environmental History from Kansas State University where his dissertation focused on freshwater ecosystems, specifically environmental change in Lake Huron during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Before coming to UCR LaCombe was an Assistant Professor of Libraries at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln where he served as an embedded liaison librarian in the School of Natural Resource Sciences. LaCombe also holds an M.L.S. from Emporia State University and has extensive experience working in libraries, archives, and museums. Most notably he served as the Assistant Director of Vermont’s Brownell Library and was the Search and Sorting Supervisor at Kansas State University’s Hale Library.

LaCombe has often described this position as a “dream appointment” for him that perfectly matches his specialized abilities, experience, and long-term professional goals. He views this position as the perfect vehicle for applying his expertise and passion for both information science and water studies. Through everything from resource visibility, promotion and teaching to donor cultivation, he is prepared to drive the building, enhancement, maintenance, and delivery of the library’s world class water resources collection. The library is pleased to welcome LaCombe to our team and with him at the helm we are excited to witness the new and exciting directions that this world class research collection is headed.

More News September 09, 2016

The Multimedia Library has closed, effective 6:00 pm on Friday, September 9, 2016.

The materials and services formerly in the Multimedia Library are being moved to the Rivera Library and will be available to library users starting on Monday, September 19.

The first floor of Rivera Library will house most media titles in open stacks, shelved and secured appropriately to facilitate browsing.

Media reserve and streaming services will continue via the request system on the library website. Media on reserve will be available behind the Rivera circulation/reserves desk. (Please see http://library.ucr.edu/instructional-support/put-materials-on-course-reserves for details.)

Individual viewing stations and designated bookable group study rooms in Rivera Library will house audio-visual equipment and gaming equipment used for classes.

Here are the new service and collection locations:

• The VHS collection has been moved to Rivera Library and is now in its new location on Rivera first floor.
• The Multimedia DVDs and CDs will be moved to Rivera first floor.
• The Multimedia book drop closed on September 9 and will be moved to Orbach Library.
• The Xerox copier/scanner/printer formerly in the Multimedia Library has been moved to Rivera first floor.
• Six Multimedia Library viewing stations have been moved to Rivera first floor, and one is being moved to Special Collections (Rivera fourth floor.)
• Four group study rooms in Rivera (second floor) are being repurposed as two group viewing rooms and two group gaming rooms, with the equipment from the Multimedia Library. These will be “bookable” beginning on September 19.

• Read more about Equipment

More News January 03, 2019

The WEPA public printing system has been successfully implemented at the Orbach and Rivera Libraries, and the system has been adopted campuswide.

With the successful implementation of WEPA public printing, the UCR Library's Cyberinfrastructure department began to decommission the legacy Pharos/Xerox Public Printing system at the end of fall quarter 2018.

They estimate completion of the following decommissioning steps by the end of the winter quarter 2019:

• Installation of a WEPA public printer in the Music Library as a replacement for the existing Pharos/Xerox public printer, and removal of all but one Pharos/Xerox public printer from each library – Orbach, Rivera, and Music. 
• Pharos print driver software will be removed from all public computers. After the print driver removal, the remaining Pharos/Xerox public printers will be removed.
• A new payment processing system will be implemented for large-format (poster) printing.
• The Pharos public printing server will be formally shut down.

If you have any questions, please contact project lead Barry Harvey.

Alternatively, you may always contact the Library Helpdesk.

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!”

 

More News November 22, 2024

One of the newest exhibits on display in Special Collections & University Archives (SCUA) is First in the Nation: A History of the Costo Library. 

This exhibit offers a deeply personal and historical look at the Rupert Costo Library of the American Indian. Curated by Sandy Enriquez, Special Collections Public Services Outreach and Community Engagement Librarian, the exhibit reflects the lifelong dedication of Rupert and Jeanette Costo to activism, scholarship, and the preservation of Native American heritage. The exhibit is on display through the end of winter quarter 2025 in the Costo Library, located on the 4th floor of the Tomás Rivera Library in SCUA.

Enriquez curated the exhibit, while Christian Bean, the UCR Library’s Conservator, carried out the physical installation. Together, they created an experience that highlights the Costos’ enduring legacy. One standout feature is a rare photograph of a young Rupert Costo holding a bundle of quail. This image is paired with his short story, Song of the Quail, which tells the story of a young Cahuilla boy on a journey of self-discovery. “Seeing it in juxtaposition with Costo's photograph, it really feels like you can trace where the inspiration for this story might have come from,” Enriquez said.

The exhibit’s opening reception earlier this month brought the community together in a meaningful way. Guided tours allowed attendees to explore the exhibit in-depth while engaging with Native faculty, students, and community members. Sandy expressed her gratitude to Dr. Clifford Trafzer, Costo Chair in American Indian Affairs, and William Madrigal, doctoral student and Cahuilla language professor, for their input on the exhibit and reception. A particularly touching moment was the attendance of Mara Costo, Rupert Costo’s niece, and her family. The event also generated enthusiasm among Native faculty and community members to digitize the Costo Library dedication cassette tapes, reinforcing the library’s commitment to preserving and sharing Indigenous histories.

Enriquez hopes visitors will leave with a deeper understanding of the Costo Library’s significance. “The Costo Library is not just a study space; it is the physical manifestation of a lifetime of activism, scholarship, and foresight from the Costos. This is an important part of UCR’s history that we should not forget or overlook,” she said.

This exhibit also reflects the broader mission of the Costo Library: to serve as a hub for rigorous research in Native American Studies. Enriquez envisions this as the first of many future exhibits in the space, each continuing the legacy of the Costos by fostering public scholarship and advancing knowledge.

Through First in the Nation, UCR honors the Costos’ invaluable contributions to the field of Native American Studies. The exhibit invites visitors to engage with a history that remains deeply relevant today.

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Event	First in the Nation: A History of the Costo Library
Location	Tomás Rivera Library, 4th floor, Costo Library in Special Collections & University Archives (enter the double glass doors)
Dates	Monday, September 23, 2024 - Friday, March 21, 2025
Hours	View this exhibit during SCUA's operating hours.  Monday  - Friday: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.  NOTE: We are closed during UCR observed holidays.
Parking	Free Visitor Parking is available on Fridays, starting at 12:00 PM through 6:00 AM Monday morning in the unreserved spaces of the following parking lots/structures: Lot 6 Blue Lot 13 Blue Big Springs Parking Structure 2 Lot 26 Gold Lot 30 Gold Lot 50 Gold Paid Visitor Parking information can be found here.

More News August 23, 2019

At all-staff meetings held in summer quarter 2019, Library Human Resources acknowledged four UCR Library employees for their outstanding contributions.

These team members became the sixth round of employees to be recognized through the KUDOS program.

Under the KUDOS program, non-probationary staff and academic employees at the UCR Library can be nominated by a peer for actions or contributions related to the UCR Library's mission that have a significant, positive impact on colleagues, library users, or others.

Nominations were submitted anonymously by library non-probationary staff and academic employees, and then were reviewed by members of Library Cabinet to determine which staff members would receive the KUDOS awards.

The summer quarter 2019 recipients received the following comments on their nomination forms. Please join us in celebrating these library employees’ contributions!

Lori Alaniz

She always is very helpful and cheerful working the circulation desk.  Lori always puts forth her very best to make sure that the students, staff and faculty are helped with positivity.

David Rios

David is the Swiss army knife of librarians – whether we ask him for help with teaching a class, participating in outreach, or answering a reference question, he is always up for lending a hand. Even if something is brand-new to him, we can count on David to give it a try. One of David’s most commendable qualities is his positive attitude toward trying new things and exploring new opportunities. We appreciate David as a colleague, a professional, and a researcher!

Nicole Valencia

During the recent Annual Equipment Request (AER) and acquisition cycle, Nicole provided outstanding service in the timely processing of hundreds of information technology items. The process is frequently challenging, particularly when vendors change product lines and pricing. Using her expertise and attention-to-detail, Nicole addressed these challenges, enabling the acquisition effort to be successful. Nicole has a positive and noticeable affect on library staff, students, and faculty. Kudos to Nicole!

Margarita Yonezawa

She works hard with multiple departments to move the library forward; either with new equipment or upgrades to the spaces in the library. She is very nice, and courteous to staff, students, and faculty. Margarita helps the library and colleagues with anything they might need extra help with, and isn't afraid of getting her hands dirty.

• Read more about Information for K-12 Class Visits to the UCR Library

More News April 29, 2022

The UCR Library’s Robin Katz contributed to Adam Matthew’s latest platform, Research Methods Primary Sources. 

Primary sources are history in the raw, data that hasn’t been interpreted yet. Primary sources present themselves in formats like oral histories, letters, diaries, and other first-hand documentation. 

As a new researcher or college student, interpreting and analyzing primary sources can be an exciting yet overwhelming task. Many may still regard history as a collection of agreed-upon facts attractively packaged together in a textbook.

A new tool from academic publisher Adam Matthew aims to teach students what primary sources are, where to find them, and how to conduct the critical analysis necessary to wield primary sources effectively. 

Research Methods Primary Sources (RMPS) is an online learning tool for primary source literacy designed to support students of the humanities and social sciences by introducing key methods and approaches to working with historical material. 

“What is exciting about RMPS is that it doesn’t just contain digitized primary sources — it is designed to teach students how to engage with primary sources, and it can be used by faculty to design learning activities and assignments,” said Robin Katz, the UCR Library’s Arts and Humanities Teaching Librarian.

Adam Matthew approached Katz to provide input on the tool due to her expertise in primary source pedagogy.  

“I gave feedback on how the then-proposed tool would be useful to librarians, faculty, and students and how it could best meet their goals,” Katz explained. “I also authored a case study on using oral histories.” 

The platform's flexibility allows it to be easily incorporated into a classroom setting or used as part of a student’s independent study. Students will learn through videos, how-to guides, and peer-reviewed essays. Students will also be able to access over 140 case studies and put their new skills into practice, all within the platform. 

Research Methods Primary Sources is sure to become an essential resource for students seeking to develop the skills necessary to conduct research and evaluate primary sources confidently. 

This innovative teaching and learning tool is now available to all UCR students, faculty, and researchers. To connect to RMPS, navigate to the UCR Library's A-Z Database page, or head straight to the Research Methods Primary Sources website. If you’re connecting from off-campus, ensure you have your VPN installed and turned on to access the resource.

More News December 09, 2016

On Tuesday, November 29, 2016, students of the Music Department’s debut course “Genealogy of Hip-Hop” became the first to use UCR Library’s new Dexter Thomas Japanese Hip-Hop Collection.

Dani Brecher Cook, Director of Teaching & Learning at UCR Library, collaborated with Dr. Liz Przybylski, Assistant Professor of Ethnomusicology to make this new archive available for student research.

“It was a new and exciting class that was offered by the Music Department to music majors and non-majors,” Dr. Przybylski said. The course examined hip-hop’s global spread and specific case-studies in the global hip-hop scene.

Dr. Przybylski felt that her collaboration with Dani and the library was productive. “Dani helped the students to interact with some of the materials, which helped them to understand what an archive is and how they can use it,” Dr. Przybylski explained. “The students enjoyed themselves, and it’s great to see what can happen when we have someone like Dani, who has the skill and experience to translate collections into student learning.”

Dani agreed that the collaboration was a terrific experience, stating, “Liz was a librarian’s dream to work with. She had a clear sense of what she wanted the students to walk away with, regarding how distinctive collections can deepen their understanding, beyond or in addition to what a YouTube video or streaming music might.”

Student groups participated in an open-ended listening activity, with each group assigned to one artist, based on what the library had available in the collection. Dani felt that this experience demonstrated the importance of physical collections and how material objects can enhance our understanding of topics in unexpected ways. “The students closely examined each part of the CD, ranging from the artwork on the liner notes and how that correlated (or didn’t!) with the music that they heard on the tracks, picking out the range of influences that informed the music, and tracking how artists evolved over time.”

“Students who don’t have a history of working with a physical product just don’t understand what kind of information it’s possible to encounter when you’re looking at an actual album or all the ways you can interact with an album, other than just hearing the songs that are on it,” Dr. Przybylski explained. “The physical CDs helped to tune the students in to the artist’s trajectory. They were reading CD liner notes to see more than just the lyrics of the songs. One group put all the CDs in order by year and looked at how the images changed over time, what label are the artists on now versus the label they used to be on. It was so much more immediate and accessible with the music in their hands.”

Dr. Przybylski sees great potential for future collaborations between the Music Department and UCR Library, using this archive. She hopes to see the “Genealogy of Hip-Hop” class run each year, and integrate the Dexter Thomas Japanese Hip-Hop Collection more robustly into the course curriculum. She would also like to incorporate it into her graduate seminar in hip-hop so that students could research the collection in-depth.

“It’s exciting to see students discover new things and create new knowledge for themselves using our distinctive collections,” Dani explained. “I’m looking forward to having the whole collection available next time, and seeing how that will help to build new connections and facilitate different thought processes and discoveries.”

“Some students seemed surprised that they really enjoyed the music even if they didn’t understand the lyrics,” Dr. Przybylski mused. She found only one drawback to the experience: “Having someone fluent in Japanese to translate the materials would enable us to extract even more information from them.” Perhaps this need could inspire a future collaboration between the library and the Asian Studies department.

Students also expressed interest in who the collector was and how he put this material together, Dr. Przybylski explained, because they resonated with and were inspired by the success that he had achieved post-UCR. Dexter Thomas graduated from UC Riverside in 2006 with a major in English and is now a PhD candidate in East Asian Studies at Cornell University. While at UCR, Thomas served as the Student Director of Programming at KUCR-FM, and after graduation he became a correspondent for the HBO show Vice News Tonight. Thomas won a Pulitzer Prize for his work at the Los Angeles Times on the 2015 San Bernardino shooting. He is currently writing a book about Japanese hip-hop.