More News January 08, 2019

This month in 4 to Explore, your Special Collections librarians and archivists have selected four new items and placed them on hold in the reading room.

Items featured this month will tie in with the UCR Library's celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Eaton Collection of Science Fiction and Fantasy.

Here's what you can see this January in 4 to Explore:

Girl Genius Volume 8:

Agatha Heterodyne and the Chapel of Bones

The Galaxy Game

Named one of the best books of 2015 by NPR

Redwood and Wildfire

Winner of the 2011 James Tiptree Jr. Award

Binti

Winner of the 2015 Hugo Award and the Nebula Award for Best Novella

Why you should try 4 to Explore:

Special Collections materials are kept in closed stacks, which means you can’t see the shelves and browse. You also can’t check things out and take them home. So, 4 to Explore is a great way to experience first-hand some of the collections that truly make the UCR Library unique.

4 to Explore will give you the chance to visit a reading room, like the ones that are used for archival research or by rare book scholars, and to get a sampling of our collections without having to submit a request ahead of time.

You’ll be asked to show photo ID and to check your bags – but don’t worry! Our UCR Library staff will explain everything to you when you arrive.

We will also have rotating exhibits of items from the collections on display.

Where to find 4 to Explore:

Department: Special Collections & University Archives

Where: Take elevators to 4th floor of Rivera Library

Hours: 11:00 am - 4:00 pm, Monday - Friday

Bring: Photo ID

Don’t bring: Food or drinks

Who: Everyone is welcome. 4 to Explore is more of an individual experience, but we can usually accommodate up to two people using the same item at the same time, so feel free to bring a friend.

What to expect: Staff will help you sign in and feel comfortable in the reading room. It should take about 5-10 minutes for you to get up to the 4th floor and get settled. Then you can stay and enjoy as long as you like!

Want to receive updates each month with more details about our 4 to Explore items? Sign up here.

More Past Exhibits Andrea Hoff May 17, 2023

We invite you to view this exhibit that documents the Citizens University Committee, an organization that played a key role in the establishment of UC Riverside, on the first floor of the Rivera Library during the library's operating hours from May 16, 2023 - June 14, 2023.  

 

History of the CUC

The Citizen’s University Committee (CUC) was formed by a group of over 100 concerned citizens in 1948 with the goal to aid in the development of a university in Riverside. The formation of the committee was formally announced on March 8, 1948 and the first public meeting was held on March 13, 1948 with Judge O.K. Morton as chair.

The CUC played a key role in the establishment of the university in Riverside. In 1949, they successfully lobbied for a $4 million appropriation from the California State Legislature for the development of the university. Not only was the CUC instrumental in funding the university, they also advocated for the location of the campus to be adjacent to the grounds of the Citrus Experiment Station and assisted with the purchase of additional land to that end. The CUC was heavily involved in zoning and road development before construction began on campus. They safeguarded against the unplanned commercial development of the campus area prior to its construction. The committee also advocated for 8th Street to be renamed University Avenue.

After campus was constructed, the CUC participated in raising funds for projects that would enhance the student experience on campus. CUC meetings were often held over breakfast. In addition, they held an annual banquet with guest speakers such as the chancellor and former regents of the university. In 1962, the CUC published a brochure called Opportunities for Sharing, in which they solicited private contributions for a number of potential projects, including a Student Center, the Bell Tower, an international relations center, a family recreation area and agricultural research grants. A number of these projects subsequently came to fruition including an annual scholarship fund, the International Lounge in University Commons and the Bell Tower.

Event	Celebrating 75 Years of the CUC
Location	Tomás Rivera Library, 1st Floor
Dates	May 16, 2023 - June 14, 2023
Hours	library.ucr.edu/hours
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 January 06, 2017

UCR Library is proud to congratulate our Outreach & Public Services Librarian, Robin M. Katz for receiving the James Harvey Robinson Prize from the American Historical Association.

The James Harvey Robinson Prize is awarded to the creators of a teaching aid that has made the most outstanding contribution to the teaching and learning of history for public or educational purposes. Robin and Julie Golia, her project partner at Brooklyn Historical Society, were recognized for the excellence of their work on TeachArchives.org. The award ceremony was held in Colorado at the Sheraton Downtown Denver on January 4, 2017 during the AHA Annual Convention.

Robin and Julie received a three-year grant for the US Department of Education through the Fund for the Improvement of Post-Secondary Education (FIPSE), which was intended to spur the development of innovations that improve educational outcomes and develop an evidence base of effective practices. “We wanted it to be about more than just our primary grant audience,” Robin stated. “We wanted to help educators to get their pedagogical practices up-to-date.”

They used the grant to support a program called Students & Faculty in the Archives (SAFA). "One of the great things about the project that gave birth to TeachArchives was that Robin was an archivist and I was an historian, so we brought very different perspectives to the work," said Julie. Over a period of three years, SAFA worked in partnership with three colleges that were in walking distance from the Brooklyn Historical Society, each of which did not have special collections in their own libraries.

Robin and Julie’s goal with SAFA was to bring students in to use the archives for hands-on learning. “Anyone can come use special collections,” Robin said. “We wanted the students to have a more meaningful use of the archives, more active and hands-on learning, where they could apply themselves to a problem using the collection.” From 2011 to 2013, they collaborated with over 1,100 students, 18 partner faculty, and 65 courses over four semesters on three different campuses.

They measured and assessed the impact of their program and found that the students who came to use the archives were more engaged, had better academic performance, better retention, and higher rates of course completion than their peers. The overall findings of the program determined that learning in archives can positively affect students.

“We were really passionate about getting more and more students in, and we were in a spot where we really got to focus on it, so that was a nice luxury,” Robin explained. “Our intention was to share universal lessons with a wider global audience and engage and empower educators from elementary school to graduate school with practical how-to articles, case studies, and sample exercises with agendas, lesson plans, and handouts, as well as documentation for the grant project.”

According to Robin, the grant called for dissemination to share what they had learned, so she and Julie gave countless conference presentations and published several articles to share their findings. They also advocated to create the TeachArchives.org website to make the information available online for free to a global audience.

"At the AHA awards ceremony, I had the opportunity to speak to a few of the people who did the peer review process for the award," explained Julie. "It was terrific to learn that the processes, the articles, and the other tools that we created on the website are being used at all different levels of education, from primary schools to colleges. That it is exactly what we intended it to be. It wasn’t just the design how we saw it in our heads, but it was great to see that was how it was playing out across the country. That was incredibly gratifying.”

Now that Robin is at UC Riverside, she hopes to expand on her work with TeachArchives through the instruction project that she is helping to build by bringing this new method of primary source instruction to Special Collections & University Archives.

More News July 22, 2020

UC Riverside Library is continuing its focus on expanding access to heavily demanded electronic content with a new local license to the Journal of Visualized Experiments (JoVE).

JoVE is the world-leading producer and provider of science videos with the mission to improve scientific research and education, according to the company’s website.

Content available to UCR includes the journals, Science Core modules, Science Education Modules, and the Lab Manual.

“This provides the UCR campus with a tremendous amount of engaging and well-presented video content in subjects such as chemistry, the biological sciences, medicine, engineering, earth science, physics, psychology, and environmental sciences,” said Michele Potter, Collection Strategist for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM).

Filmed at the world’s top scientific institutions, JoVE videos bring to life cutting-edge experiments, enable replication of new research methods and technologies, and empower effective pedagogy for science concepts and laboratory methods. They also support quick in-depth comprehension of complex STEM subjects to increase student engagement and learning outcomes, and support innovative teaching initiatives such as blended learning and flipped classroom.

JoVE was co-founded by a stem cell lab researcher at Princeton University, Moshe Pritsker, shortly after finishing his Ph.D., transforming 450 years of scientific publishing tradition. A decade later, JoVE remains the first and only peer-reviewed scientific video journal, releasing more than 100 new videos every month.

The UCR Library’s subscription will run through September 2021. For more Information, contact Michele Potter.

• Read more about 3DXP Lab

More News October 24, 2023

This year’s MSC Training Symposium took place April 4-7, 2023, and included the UCR Library’s Brendon Wheeler and Alvaro Alvarez.

The annual Measurement Science Conference (MSC) Training Symposium offers attendees a unique opportunity to delve into the world of metrology and explore the latest advancements in measurement technologies through seminars, workshops, training tutorials, and more.  

Brendon Wheeler, our Maker Services Coordinator, and Alvaro Alvarez, our Innovative Media Librarian, took center stage as the keynote speakers, captivating attendees with their insights about the world of 3D printing. 

Brendon and Alvaro work regularly with 3D printers in UCR’s Makerspace, the Creat’R Lab, and were contacted by conference organizers to highlight the importance of precise measurements when employing 3D printing technology. 

Their speech, titled 3D Printing Revolution, showcased examples like Wilson Sporting Goods employing 3D printing to create basketballs and 3D printing being used to create homes — groundbreaking applications that underscore the importance of precision in 3D printing. 

Following their talk, Alvaro remarked, "Right after the speech, people came up to us from different areas of manufacturing to tell us how much they liked our presentation."  

Brendon reflected on the experience, saying, "It was great to tell people in other fields how people are using this technology." Alvaro agreed and added, "I loved talking about 3D printing and how this technology can impact the world" 

Curious to explore the world of 3D printing on UCR's campus? Look no further than the Creat’R Lab. You can dive deeper into this transformative technology and witness innovation in action right here on campus in the Orbach Library. Learn more at library.ucr.edu/creatr-lab. 

More News January 30, 2024

Ready to take your research to the next level? The Scholarly Technology and Research (STAR) Lab at the Orbach Science Library (Room 147) is the perfect place.

With the launch of the STAR Lab, the UCR Library has created a dedicated space where UCR students and researchers can access advanced digital tools and software like NVivo and Adobe Creative Suite.

The STAR Lab boasts four high-performance Windows workstations, each loaded with a wide array of software for a variety of research needs. There's also a top-quality flat-bed scanner and a mobile TV monitor available for use.

“The STAR Lab takes lots of fantastic technology and applications that are often out of reach for the average student or researcher and presents them in an accessible space for different types of exploration and research,” said UCR Library’s Research Services Assistant Andrew Morales who helps run the STAR Lab. 

Wondering what you can do in the STAR Lab? It's not just about research – it's about bringing your creative and analytical ideas to life. Whether it’s:

• Mapping
• Photo editing
• Data visualization
• Video editing
• Audio editing
• Machine learning analysis
• Running OCR (Optical Character Recognition) on documents and more!

We’ve even integrated Git into our systems. This means you can easily manage your work, ensuring it’s safe and shareable.

The STAR Lab embodies UCR Library’s commitment to digital scholarship and research excellence. Our goal is to empower UCR students and researchers with the best resources to conduct cutting-edge research, explore creative digital possibilities, and collaborate on innovative projects. 

The STAR Lab stays locked, but with a confirmed reservation, you can pick up a key from the Orbach Library Circulation Desk. Any UCR student, researcher, or staff member can reserve a workstation for almost two hours at a time, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to Friday. 

Curious to see the full list of software offered or want to book some time in the STAR Lab? Check out guides.lib.ucr.edu/starlab. 
 

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.”

More News January 22, 2018

Rancho Mirage based novelist Michael Craft has generously donated his papers and professional archive to the UCR Library’s Special Collections department.

Craft has published 14 novels, including the highly acclaimed Mark Manning mystery series, three of which were honored as finalists for the Gay Men’s Mystery genre by the Lambda Literary Awards (Name Games in 2001, Boy Toy in 2002, and Hot Spot in 2003).

University Librarian Steven Mandeville-Gamble recently discovered Craft’s works, read every single book, enjoyed them immensely, and purchased a complete, partially autographed set for our Special Collections and University Archives.

Mandeville-Gamble and Director of Distinctive Collections Cherry Williams both felt that Craft’s papers would be an excellent addition to the library’s collections, expanding the list of notable authors’ papers that we currently hold while also diversifying the collection into a different and very interesting genre.

"Over the years, I'd been building a private archive of correspondence and such related to my writing, wondering what would become of it. So when UCR reached out, asking if I would consider donating my professional papers, it was an easy answer: an instant yes,” Craft said. “I’m truly honored to join the company of noted authors who are archived in the University of California’s library system.”

“The UCR Library is honored that Michael Craft has chosen UCR as the home for his literary papers,” Mandeville-Gamble added. “As a multiple award-nominated author of mystery fiction set in Chicago, Wisconsin, and the Coachella Valley, having his papers come to UCR helps ensure that the UCR Library is a key partner in preserving the cultural and literary history of the Inland Southern California region and in documenting the creative output of the people of this unique region.”

More News August 01, 2017

After 18 months in development, the first release of the DocNow tool is expected by fall/winter 2017.

DocNow, short for “Documenting the Now,” is a free, open-source tool designed to support the ethical appraisal, collection, use, and preservation of social media content.

The purpose of DocNow is to help archivists and scholars make sense of large datasets of social media content. DocNow’s developers hope that by providing this free and easy to use tool, users can gather and preserve posts made by everyday people, particularly those of eyewitnesses, which often challenge the accepted narratives presented by the mainstream media on controversial social issues.

UCR Library’s University and Political Papers Archivist Bergis Jules has spoken frequently at public events about his work with DocNow, with a particular focus on the ethical aspects surrounding the curation of social media content into archives.

“Just because things are public doesn’t mean you can take them,” Jules said. “People have a right to privacy, a right to be forgotten on the internet. There are a lot of surveillance concerns with activists who are being monitored by police illegally through their social media accounts.” DocNow will try to honor these ethical principles by respecting the privacy of individual users who do not want their posts to be included in an archive or a research dataset.

Originally spurred by the online discussion surrounding the death of Michael Brown on August 9, 2014 in Ferguson, MO, the creators behind DocNow intend for this platform to serve two purposes moving forward: community-building and scholarly research. They hope that the many archives people will create by using DocNow will influence how history is written for future generations, allowing for the underrepresented voices of people of color to be included in the historical records of significant events.

As Deray McKesson (@deray) posted on Twitter, “We exist in a tradition of erased histories. Twitter has helped us tell our own story. We are sitting in history and making it. #Ferguson”

Jules mused on Medium, “What would have remained today of the public social media record if micro blogging services like Twitter had been around during the aftermath of the Rodney King beating, the acquittal of the officers and the subsequent riots?”

DocNow will help to provide this missing piece of the puzzle for future generations of scholars to ponder.

Funded by a grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, DocNow was developed through a collaboration between UC Riverside, Washington University in St. Louis, and the Maryland Institute for Technology in the Humanities (MITH) at the University of Maryland.