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More News March 29, 2022

UCR Library patrons can access leisure and academic magazines on OverDrive!

A year ago, the UCR Library acquired access to the OverDrive platform for UCR students, faculty, and staff. OverDrive offers UCR Library patrons access to popular books and audiobooks using their tablet, computer, smartphone, or the Libby app. 

Our OverDrive collection has grown since 2021 to include titles from our Allen Leisure Reading collection, the Eaton Collection of Science Fiction and Fantasy, children’s books, popular science books, and now magazines.

The OverDrive magazine collection is quite large at almost 4,000 titles. Patrons can borrow a variety of magazines ranging from news publications such as The Economist and The New Yorker, science and technology periodicals including New Scientist and Wired, arts magazines such as ARTNews and Rolling Stone, and general interest titles like Variety and Newsweek. 

For more information on accessing OverDrive, please review this guide or head straight to ucr.overdrive.com and check out all that OverDrive has to offer.

Have a book or magazine you want on OverDrive that isn’t available? Make a purchase suggestion by emailing Carla Arbagey.

More Past Exhibits Phoenix Alexander, Andrew Lippert, and Karen Raines July 07, 2023

Science fiction, fantasy, and other fantastical genres frequently incorporate - and sometimes even build from scratch – complex linguistic systems that can help orient readers in an unfamiliar setting. These languages help answer some of the questions of how an imaginary society, even an imaginary species, functions.

This exhibit showcases a broad range of imaginary languages across multiple media: film, television, comic, novel, and short story. Amongst the materials on display here, you’ll come across a reality-warping alien language that alters the human relationship with time; ancient, mythic languages spoken by equally ancient and mythic races; and languages constructed to be ‘universal’, speaking across cultures and geographies.

Visit Special Collections & University Archives to view the exhibit or learn more by downloading the exhibit guide here.

Event	Transcribing the Imaginary
Location	Tomás Rivera Library, 4th floor, Special Collections & University Archives
Dates	July 7, 2023 - September 22, 2023
Hours	10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
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 18, 2017

On Wednesday, August 16, 2017, approximately 26 library employees attended a luncheon workshop in Tomás Rivera Library sponsored by the Library Professional Development Committee.

The workshop topic was “Work-Life Balance” and featured a webinar plus small group discussion and sharing exercises.

“This topic was purposely picked from the suggestions staff gave in the first ever PDC kickoff event,” said Leslie Settle, Chair of the Professional Development Committee. “Almost 50% of those in attendance also completed the online survey, which had overwhelmingly positive feedback on both the content of the material and the facilitation from the breakout sessions. Many staff reported to me that they will apply the tools learned in the brown bag to enhance their work and home performance as well as educate others.”

Klein Librarian for Science Fiction JJ Jacobson won the luncheon raffle, which included the first public giveaway of a UCR Library branded fidget spinner.

The next PDC-sponsored event will take place on Thursday September 14, 2017. The focus of the September event will be “communication,” with learning objectives focused on developing active listening skills, changing the way you communicate, becoming aware of how others respond to you, and winning support.

The Professional Development Committee (PDC) is comprised of both academic and support staff in the Library whose goal is to offer an inclusive perspective on library employees’ development needs. The PDC offers four library-wide events per year as well as several “brown bag” lunch-and-learn sessions, like this most recent example.

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More News November 19, 2019

The UCR Library's Head of Metadata & Technical Services, Manuel Urrizola was recently highlighted as an expert on public speaking in American Libraries.

American Libraries is the flagship magazine of the American Library Association. Urrizola was quoted in an article called, "Boost Your Public Speaking Skills," written by Anne Ford.

The feature includes tips on how to speak confidently and effectively in front of an audience, conquering stage-fright, connecting with crowds, and how valuable strong presentation skills can be for professional development.

“Communication and leadership go hand in hand,” Urrizola said.

An 18-year member and eight-time Toastmasters District Contest First Place Champion, Urrizola currently serves as the Area Director for several clubs in Riverside. He has also won many public speaking awards throughout his career, including Toastmasters International Speech Contest First Place Champion for District 12, and the Toastmasters International Speech Contest Third Place Semifinal Champion 2013.

Each quarter, Urrizola leads public speaking workshops at UC Riverside for various on-campus groups, including the College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (CHASS), the College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences (CNAS), UCR Dining, Hospitality & Retail Services, the Associated Students Program Board, Inspiring R’Leaders, and the Mentoring Summer Research Internship Program (MSRIP). He also teaches “Elements of Communication” for undergraduate and graduate students in the department of Environmental Sciences (ENSC401 and ENSC191).

In upcoming quarters, Urrizola will also lead public speaking workshops in the Creat’R Lab in Orbach Library.

More News November 05, 2018

Dr. Juliette Levy will return to the UCR Library to take students on a third round of testing with her early-stage virtual reality prototype, “Che’s Village.”

The prototype was built to amplify students' experience of studying Che Guevara's speech, "Social Ideals of the Rebel Army," which he delivered on January 27, 1959.

The third round of VR experimentation will take place in the Teaching & Learning Center in Rivera Library from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm on Monday, Nov. 5 and Tuesday, Nov. 6. The experience should take approximately 10 to 15 minutes to explore, and developers were available to discuss user feedback immediately afterward.

Levy and her co-creator Tawny Schlieski listened to feedback from the first- and second-round beta testers when they debuted “Che’s Village” in February 2017 and again in June 2017. They integrated users’ previous suggestions into this newly redesigned VR module.

This VR system was originally developed for Levy’s History 75 (Introduction to Latin American History) course, but all interested UC Riverside students, faculty, and staff were welcome and encouraged to participate.

Those interested are encouraged to RSVP to guarantee a spot.

More News February 14, 2019

Here are a few highlights from University Archives that showcase some fun facts and figures, in honor of the 65^th anniversary of UC Riverside.

Establishment

The Riverside Citrus Experiment Station opened for business on February 14, 1907, but UC Riverside did not become a university until February 15, 1954 – 47 years and one day later. 

The groundbreaking ceremony took place on July 30, 1952, and construction began on Webber Hall, Geology, Physical Education, Watkins Hall and Life Sciences.

Feb. 15, 1954 is the first day of classes at UC Riverside, with 127 students and 65 faculty members. Campus covers 1,200 acres.

The official dedication of UC Riverside took place on October 19, 1954.

Watch a video from the UCR dedication, with an address from the President of the University of California, Robert Sproul:

Graduating class:

The first UC Riverside commencement on June 20, 1955 had 20 graduates. Early years' UCR graduates signed their names in concrete, and their signatures can still be found on campus today, on the walkway in between the Scotty the Bear statue and the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf.

In contrast, our 2018 graduating class had 5,888 students (4,930 undergraduates, 578 graduates, 305 doctorates, 49 M.D. and 26 teaching credentials). 

Student population:

The first student admitted to UC Riverside was Navy veteran Jim McMillin, pictured below with Provost Gordon Watkins.

UCR’s student body in 1954 was comprised of one hundred and twenty-seven students. Compared to today’s enrollment of 23,278 students, that means our first crop of students was only 0.55% the size of today's student population. Of the original 127, only 107 are pictured below. (Full size image is available on Calisphere.)

Demographics:

Enrollment in the early years was predominantly white, and the first African-American to graduate from UC Riverside was Roy Overstreet (pictured below, number 12) in 1958.

Now, 86% of UCR's students are non-white and 57% percent are first-generation college students, according to UCR Rankings and Quick Facts.

First Provost

Gordon Watkins (below, center) served as UC Riverside's first Provost from 1949-1956. He is also the namesake for Watkins Hall.

The “C”

UC Riverside students built the big “C” on Box Springs Mountain in August 1955. At 132 feet long, it is the largest concrete block letter on record – larger than the “C” at any other UC campus.

Here is an article from UCR's 1954 yearbook with details about the history behind the big "C":

Campus

In 1907, the Citrus Experiment Station measured only 23 acres.

Now, UCR's main campus contains 1,900 acres, not including the satellite campus in Palm Desert.

Mascot

In 1955, the student body voted to adopt “Highlanders” as UC Riverside's campus mascot, inspired because UCR had the highest elevation of all the UC campuses. Various campus groups and buildings also embraced the Scottish theme.

Early iterations of the UCR Highlander included this illustration of Scotty Highlander, first pictured in the 1955 yearbook, The Tartan:

A young boy named Dick Hull and a bagpiper, also in 1955:

A Scottie named Buttons, also in 1955:

Scotty Highlander in 1992.

And a near miss for UCR's mascot, Humphrey the Buffalo in 1955:

Tartan Soul:

UCR's 1955 Yearbook was called “The Tartan.” In Scottish culture, each family's tartan was unique in pattern and color. UC Riverside's tartan is comprised of four colors that represent the four core values of Tartan Soul.

Bell Tower:

On Oct. 2, 1966, the dedication of UC Riverside's campus landmark Boyd Bell Tower took place. The carillon and tower at UCR were a gift from former UC regent Philip Boyd and his wife Dorothy. The bells range in weight from 5,091 pounds to 28 pounds and are housed in the bell chamber at the top of the 161 foot tall tower.

The Bell Tower was also pictured on the 1966 cover of The Tartan:

The Bell Tower's Carillonneur, David Christensen gives a live weekly concert on Mondays at 12 noon (with a few exceptions). He is the third Carillonneur at UCR since 1987, and has performed more than 500 concerts with music from a wide variety of genres.

Rivera Library:

In 1985, UC Riverside renamed the main campus library in honor of its recently deceased Chancellor, Tomás Rivera, who was the first Mexican-American Chancellor at a University of California campus.

We invite you to learn more about UC Riverside's history by viewing the UCR yearbooks online or by visiting University Archives on the fourth floor of Rivera Library to look through old photographs, campus flyers, archival copies of campus newspapers, and much more.

More News August 20, 2015

The service of a Congressional champion of science and civil rights is being documented at the UCR Library.

In what was formerly the Copy Center in the quiet basement of the Tomás Rivera Library, Jessica Geiser and her student workers process the papers and materials of former U.S. Congressman George E. Brown, Jr. who represented Inland Southern California in Congress for 14 terms. Known as a champion for science and a staunch defender of civil liberties and human rights, Congressman Brown's papers document his life and career from the late 1930s to his passing in 1999.

In 2010, Congressman Brown's widow, Marta Brown, donated 600 boxes of documents, photographs, and other materials that detailed the Congressman's 14 terms to UCR. Included were approximately 7,000 photographs, 114 VHS tapes, 89 audio cassettes, nearly 600 color slides, and a multitude of reels, floppy discs, and CDs. With the gift of this collection, a mission for the purpose of the project was developed: to ensure the preservation and accessibility of George Brown’s extensive collection at UCR for future generations of scholars, reporters, and leaders in science, labor, business, and public service.

The processing of this comprehensive project began when Geiser was hired as a project archivist in September 2014. Her first task was to relocate and reorganize the unopened boxes prior to unpacking. Once moved, she opened each box and created a content list. "This step was probably the most important step of the entire project and needed to be as detailed as possible," Geiser writes. This information would inform the arrangement of materials, the supplies and staff needed, and the processing time required to complete the project.

As Geiser combed through each box, she collected information on the subjects and dates of the materials, their physical extent in inches, the estimated amount of folders, and the condition of the enclosed materials. Consulting other congressional archival collections, she devised an arrangement scheme that mirrored the ways in which Brown and other Congressmen created and stored their records while in use. A high level of detail and close attention were vital to this success. Finally, she developed the plan which dictates the goals, and methodology to meet those goals, for the entirety of the two-year project.

She and her team then began re-foldering the materials in acid-free folders and boxes that allow for better preservation in long-term storage. Ms. Geiser also ensures that other basic preservation activities take place, such as removing metal paperclips and rubber bands which cause damage, and photocopying fragile and acidic materials — such as newsprint and fax paper — to prevent further deterioration. Although some material is confidential and restricted and must be redacted, the goal is to keep as much information accessible to researchers as possible.

The George Brown papers hold clues to key advances of today and major innovations of tomorrow, and a blueprint for bipartisan problem-solving spanning four decades of federal decision-making. This unique trove of knowledge will be accessible to current and future entrepreneurs and students of effective public service.

As she works towards opening the collection at the end of this two-year project, Ms. Geiser maintains a blog in order to connect with any potential researchers or other interested parties.

More News September 23, 2016

UCR Library will open a new exhibition on Monday, Oct. 24, titled, “Orange Roots: The Remarkable Story of Two Trees, a Pioneer Town, and the University of California, Riverside.”

The exhibition will be located at the Tomás Rivera Library, and will be on display through June 2017.

A welcome reception in honor of the exhibition’s opening will be held on Thursday Nov. 10 at the Tomás Rivera Library, from 2-4 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. The reception will include a talk by Susan Straight, professor of creative writing at UCR, and a citrus-tasting station where guests can sample different varieties of citrus fruits. The citrus-tasting station will be organized by Tracy Kahn, UCR’s Givaudan Citrus Variety Collection Endowed Chair. Free parking will be available - those interested in attending should email Carole Meyer-Reith at carolem@ucr.edu.

“‘Orange Roots’ brings to life the exciting history of Riverside, and how the Washington Navel orange tree revolutionized citrus,” states Krista Ivy, UC Riverside librarian and curator of the exhibit.

The “Orange Roots” exhibition will showcase the remarkable history of Riverside’s citrus heritage. It will feature photographs, historical documents, and ephemera from the UCR Library Special Collections & University Archives, the UCR Citrus Variety Collection, the UCR Department of Biological Sciences, the Riverside Metropolitan Museum, and the Riverside Public Library.

“Orange Roots” will present the rich tale of Riverside’s citrus heritage from its early pioneer days, to the establishment of UCR.

“Notable pioneers such as Eliza Tibbets and Matthew Gage, along with the labor and expertise of various immigrant groups and Native Americans, launched Riverside into the national spotlight in the late 19^th Century,” Ivy explains.  They helped to transform the dry landscape of Riverside into lush citrus groves. “Riverside’s international role and importance in citriculture would continue to grow with the establishment of the Citrus Experiment Station and later the University of California, Riverside.”