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More News October 26, 2016

The University of California, Riverside Library hosted International Open Access Week 2016, an event that was part of a global effort called Open Access Week.

Open Access Week is an opportunity for the academic and research community to learn about the potential benefits of sharing what they’ve learned with colleagues, and to help inspire wider participation in helping to make “open access” a new norm in scholarship and research.

The Open Access movement is made of up advocates (librarians, publishers, university repositories, etc.) who promote the free, immediate, and online publication of research. The event was held on Tuesday, Oct. 25, in the Orbach Science Library, room 240, from 1-3 p.m. “Open in Action” was the 2016 event theme – the program provided information on new publishing models, including those based on Open Access and other alternative publishing models for faculty. The panel at UC Riverside discussed, “Challenges of Open Access in the Digital Age.”

“We organized this panel to provide a thoughtful discussion space for these emerging open access models and show how faculty can benefit from wider and more visible distribution of their research articles,” said Rhonda Neugebauer, the Open Access coordinator at UCR. “We will also discuss UCR’s current Open Access discount and waiver agreements, and ways the library can assist faculty to increase the citing and impact of their research.”

The program included:

• Gabriel J. Gardner, Senior Assistant Librarian for Criminal Justice, Linguistics and Romance, German, and Russian Languages and Literatures at the California State University, Long Beach. Gardner discussed the guerilla open access movement.
• Alison Scott, Associate University Librarian for Collections and Scholarly Communication at UCR, addressed the significance of transformative scholarly publishing projects and best practices.
• Kent LaCombe, Water Resources Librarian at UCR, talked about how librarians at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln fostered high deposit rates of faculty scholarly articles into the “Digital Commons,” the campus institutional repository.

The program concluded with a presentation from three UCR librarians, Kat Koziar (engineering), Tiffany Moxham (medicine), and Michele Potter (engineering), who provided an update on UCR’s Open Access discount and waiver agreements, and a brief look at emergent open access publishing models.

This was the seventh International Open Access Week program hosted by the UCR Library.

More News November 07, 2016

UCR Library’s GIS Day Poster Exhibition opened on Thursday, November 3, 2016 in the atrium of Orbach Science Library, showcasing the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS).

The 2016 display includes submissions from a diverse variety of contributors, including external community agencies as well as faculty, staff, and students of UC Riverside.

“I was really pleased with the diversity of departments that contributed posters this year,” stated Janet Reyes, Geospatial Information Librarian and the GIS Day Exhibition curator.

A number of posters focused on UCR biogeographic research. The Center for Conservation Biology produced a vegetation map of Dos Palmas Conservation Area in Coachella Valley, part of a habitat conservation plan. Environmental Sciences’ display used GIS to estimate groundwater recharge and evapotranspiration. A student in Soil and Water Sciences displayed locations suitable for irrigating avocados with recycled water.

The exhibition clearly demonstrated the application of GIS across the social science disciplines. The Psychology department submitted two posters. One shows how GIS can be applied in psychological sciences. Another is from a sibling and twins study that tracks environmental factors associated with cognitive performance from childhood to the cusp of middle adulthood.

A Public Policy poster demonstrates the relative prosperity of ethnic, minority-owned enterprises in the United States, based on location. Another poster with aerial photography of Vietnam shows how the Vietnam War affected the country’s landscape. An Anthropology graduate student created a map to show the language of origin for place names in a specific region of Mexico.

UCR administrative units contributed posters demonstrating the use of GIS for operations management. Agricultural Operations showed how GIS is used to manage UCR’s agricultural research land, and Capital Planning submitted three posters presenting information about the School of Medicine, the Sustainability Program, and the R’Garden. The Riverside Police Department contributed posters mapping crime data and demonstrating how they perform analysis on crime data.

This poster exhibition usually happens every November, in connection with GIS Day. Reyes added, “I think we’re going to see more GIS used on campus as time goes by, so that will make next year’s offerings more varied and informative. In the future, we might add workshops, live presentations, and other interactive, hands-on activities.”

Faculty and staff who contributed to this year’s event included: Hoori Ajami, Environmental Sciences; David Biggs, History; Chandra Reynolds, Psychology; Qingfang Wang, School of Public Policy; Steve Ries, Agricultural Operations; Roxann Merizan, Lynn Sweet, Bob Johnson, James Heintz, and Cameron Barrows from the Center for Conservation Biology; Elizabeth Munoz Diaz, postdoc scholar, Psychology; and Karen Jordan, Capital Planning. UCR Students included: Jenessa Stemke, Soil and Water Sciences; Joshua Lieto, Anthropology; Paige Trubenstein, Psychology; and Omar Staben, Psychology.

Reyes has initiated an ongoing monthly Brown Bag GIS Lunch for those interested in discussing the various ways that GIS can be applied across multiple disciplines at UCR. For more information, contact Janet Reyes (janet.reyes@ucr.edu).

More News September 17, 2018

The UCR Library and UCR Information Technology Solutions prepared this brief tutorial to introduce you to our new Wepa Cloud Printing system at the University of California, Riverside.

Here’s what you’ll learn in this tutorial:

• How to create a Wepa account
• How to upload and print documents using Wepa
• Where to find Wepa print kiosks on the UCR campus

The launch date for the new Wepa cloud printing system at UCR is September 17, 2018.

There are 14 Wepa print kiosks located at several different locations on the UCR campus:

Wepa cloud printing has four basic steps:

1. Create your account
2. Select funds
3. Upload documents
4. Release the print job

There are also four benefits to using the Wepa system that we didn’t have with other printing services:

1. Anyone can print with Wepa, not just UCR students, faculty and staff.
2. Patrons now have more ways to pay, not just with Bear Bucks.
3. You can send print jobs to Wepa from home -- or anywhere with an internet connection.
4. You can print from any type of device, not just computers.

How to create a Wepa account

If you’re on campus, simply walk up to the closest Wepa kiosk and swipe your R’Card on the right side of the screen, and set up a 6-digit PIN

You can also set up an account from home. To do so, go to wepanow.com, then click the blue “login” button in the upper right-hand corner.

Next, choose the University of California, Riverside from the drop-down menu labeled “School.”

Once you select UC Riverside, the browser should automatically redirect you to the Central Authentication Service (CAS) screen, where you’ll log in with your UCR NetID and current password.

How to deposit funds into your Wepa account

After you’ve logged into your Wepa account, you should see your account balance right below your name. All UCR students will receive $8 in their Wepa account every quarter. This replaces your quarterly Quota printing allowance.

UCR students will receive discounted pricing for the new Wepa printing service.

Currently registered UCR students, staff, faculty, and visitors will pay (with partial costs offset by the Student Technology Fee):

• $0.08 for B&W, 1 sided
• $0.13 for B&W duplex
• $0.35 for color, 1 sided
• $0.65 for color duplex

If you need to print more pages, click “add more” to deposit additional funds.

You have three choices for how to pay for additional printing: Bear Bucks, credit card or PayPal.

With Wepa, each credit card transaction will have a $0.40 processing fee added. However, if you pay for extra pages at the kiosk with your Bear Bucks, there are no additional fees.

How to upload documents to the Wepa cloud

From inside the member portal at Wepanow.com, click “Document Upload.” 

You can link your cloud storage drives to your Wepa account (Google Drive, Box, OneDrive, Dropbox, or Office 365). Click on the green button at the right of the screen to link your accounts.

You can also upload individual files from a computer, smartphone, or tablet. To upload a file from a computer, first, click the “Choose Your File” button. Follow the prompts to select the file from your drive.

Then, you’ll select print options, including:

• number of copies
• single or double sided
• black & white or color printing
• print all the pages in your document or a specific range of pages
• page orientation (portrait or landscape)

Once you have all of your print options selected, click “Send Print Options.” (Please note: you can’t change your print options at the Wepa kiosks for documents you've uploaded to the Wepa cloud.)

The next screen should say “Review the Results.” Your document has been uploaded to the cloud, and you just need to go to the nearest Wepa print station and enter the 6-digit code you received to release the file. (Please note: the code shown in the tutorial video is an example only.)

How to release your print job at a Wepa kiosk

In order to release your print job, log in at the Wepa kiosk by swiping your R’Card using the card reader on the right side of the screen. First-time users will be asked to create a 6-digit PIN code, to protect your Wepa account.

Once logged in, review your Wepa account balance at the top right of the screen, right below your name. At this time, if you need to add funds, you can do so at the kiosk. (Use the card reader on the left side of the screen to add funds.)

On the left side of the screen, you’ll see the list of files you’ve uploaded to your Wepa cloud. Documents that you’ve uploaded to Wepa will be available to print for up to 6 days.

Tap the box next to the document you want to print, or tap the box at the very top of the list to select all files.

The green button at the bottom of the screen will display the total price for your print jobs. Tap this button to continue.

For your security, be sure to log out of your Wepa account when you’ve finished printing. The green logout button will appear in the lower right corner of the screen. The Wepa print station will automatically log you out after 10 seconds of idle time, after your last print job has completed.

To review:

Print from your laptop or desktop computer

Print from your smartphone

Print from your tablet

If you need support or have any trouble with your Wepa account, please reach out to Bear Help. Bear Help is available by phone Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m.: (951) 827-4848. After-hours inquiries, please contact Bear Help by emailing bearhelp@ucr.edu, or you can use the online self-help guide.

More News February 24, 2017

January 2017 saw the release of Duplicator Underground: The Independent Publishing Industry in Communist Poland, 1976-89 (Slavica Publishers), edited by UCR Deputy University Librarian Ann Frenkel, retired UCR Librarian Gwido Zlatkes, and Polish historian Paweł Sowiński.

The book is the first comprehensive scholarly discussion in English of Polish independent publishing in the 1970s and 1980s. Underground publishing reached a semi-industrial scale and represented a significant social movement which ultimately contributed to the end of Communism in Poland. The book sheds light onto the phenomenon of the Polish so-called “second circulation,” including discussions of various aspects of underground printing, distribution, and circulation of independent publications.  The book includes scholarly essays as well as primary source documents.

Deputy University Librarian Frenkel and Zlatkes, a librarian with graduate degrees in philology and Jewish history, have been working together for almost 20 years as translators and editors. This volume represents their collaboration with Professor Sowinski who is a specialist in underground publishing in East-Central Europe, dissident movements, mass-leisure, and festivals.

While working in both Special Collections and in Metadata Services in the UCR Library, Zlatkes noticed that many of the fanzines in the Eaton Collection of Science Fiction and Fantasy had been printed in the same way that most underground publications were made when he lived in Poland and was involved as a journalist and editor with the Polish dissident movement during the late 1970s and 1980s.

Zlatkes stated in the book’s introduction that while scholarly writings to date frequently recognize the role of independent publishing in the Polish anticommunist dissident movement, very little exists that focuses on the technical aspect of printing and production. Duplicator Underground is intended to fill that void.

The genesis for this book came in 2011, when Zlatkes was awarded the American Printing History Association Mark Samuels Lasner Fellowship in Printing History, and embarked on a six-week scouting trip to Poland. Further research was supported by grants from the Librarians Association of the University of California. Then in 2013-2014, when Zlatkes was selected as a Fulbright Research Scholar, he spent nine months studying underground printing in Poland at the Institute of Political Studies of the Polish Academy of Sciences. This research cemented the collaboration between the three editors, particularly with Paweł Sowiński who helped form the active network of authors who contributed their scholarly output for the book.

 In addition to scholarly articles, “Duplicator Underground” includes contemporary narratives and testimonies from publishers, editors, printers, distributors, and even police officials. The book shares stories about how anonymous activists and near-obsolete technologies changed history amidst a climate of government censorship where printing anything without state permission – even obituaries and wedding invitations – was deemed a punishable offense.

Frenkel said, “This anthology is valuable not only for researchers, but also for use in teaching. What better way to introduce students to the topic than reading firsthand about the methods employed by underground printers to evade a police 'tail,' or a detailed description of homespun printing techniques that use underwear elastic and laundry detergent?”

Duplicator Underground is available at the UCR Library, as well as for purchase from Amazon.

More News June 30, 2021

UCR Library’s Innovative Media Librarian Alvaro Alvarez and Maker Services Coordinator Raymond Gonzalez will present a workshop at the fourth annual MIRA Conference this July.

Interested Highlanders can join them for Creating a Virtual Environment for Makerspaces and Education on Thursday, July 15 from 10:30 - 11:30 a.m. The deadline to register is Monday, July 12.

The Makerspaces for Innovation and Research in Academics (MIRA) Conference brings makers, librarians, educators and practitioners together to share stories, expertise, and their passion for makerspaces and the future of learning. Both Alvarez and Gonzalez have been involved with the MIRA Conference since its 2018 debut, before they joined the UCR Library; in fact, Alvarez thought up the conference name, MIRA. “It brings in the makerspace community to share and to learn new services and technologies,” Gonzales said. “By presenting at MIRA, we get to both share our knowledge and experiences while also learning from others.”

For their presentation, they chose to showcase the virtual reality replica of the Creat’R Lab they built in fall quarter 2020. (For best results, use Mozilla Firefox.) “Virtual Reality is one of the new technologies that is becoming very popular in makerspaces, so we wanted to share our Creat'R Lab virtual environment with our peers to help them get started, if VR is a topic of interest to them,” said Alvarez.

“Due to the pandemic, students and faculty were not able to visit our makerspace in person. This virtual environment allowed the UCR Community, especially those new to the University, to visit and learn about the Creat’R Lab from wherever they are,” Gonzalez added.

This pandemic-driven shift to online-only learning may influence the future of the Creat’R Lab in a positive way. “We will be able to do more online workshops and hybrids so that we can reach a larger audience of students that normally would not be able to attend in person,” Alvarez said. Hosting hybrid workshops allows for more flexibility in scheduling and for UCR makers to review workshop recordings at their leisure, he added.

In addition, needing to think creatively about how to present these topics kept Creat’R Lab staff thinking outside the box. “Creating virtual programming helped us think of more accessible ways of making,” Gonzales explained. “Not everyone has access to equipment like 3D printers and licensed software like Photoshop. During the pandemic, we had workshops on free creative software such as Blender and GIMP, bookbinding techniques using simple tools and materials, painting using three colors of paint, and basic coding and circuit simulation using a free web-based software.”

Originally launched on April 18, 2017, the Creat’R Lab in Orbach Library has served as a gathering place where UCR students and faculty can experiment, design, and create collaboratively, blending their expertise together to forge new paths in learning. It was the first makerspace of its kind at UC Riverside that allowed students and faculty from any department to use it. “We hope that the virtual Creat’R Lab will allow everyone in the UCR Community to familiarize themselves with the makerspace and understand that they are all welcome to use the space and equipment,” Gonzales said.

The Creat’R Lab space in Orbach Library will be closed over the summer, but several online Maker Meetup events will be offered free of charge to UCR students. Ray Gonzalez and Alvaro Alvarez are currently planning for the re-opening of Creat’R Lab this fall quarter. Please check the library website for the latest information on library re-opening plans.

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 June 27, 2019

The end of each academic year brings many goodbyes, both farewells to graduating students and to members of our career staff who retired in 2019.

We would like to recognize and celebrate the following UCR Library colleagues, who shared some of their UCR history with us:

Sharla Desens

Music Library Manager Sharla Desens started as a Music Library student employee in 1978. She became a staff member in September 1982, as the Assistant Night Supervisor for Rivera Library.

Her favorite memory of working in the Library was when Sharla was pregnant with her second son and was working swing shift as the Night Supervisor. An older couple came to the counter, asking for her. She figured they needed help finding something, to discuss a bill, or something like that -- but it turned out that the woman had crocheted a pink and blue afghan for her baby.  She didn’t really know the couple, but apparently she had helped them and made an impression.  Sharla was very touched by the gesture.

What Sharla will miss most are the many friends she has made amongst the UCR community, both staff and library users.

The most unusual thing that happened to Sharla on the job was when she gained notoriety for assisting in the arrest of Stephen Blumberg, famous book thief and bibliomaniac.  His arrest at UCR put his fingerprints into the system, and enabled investigators to connect him with other book thefts around the country.

Some on-campus events that Sharla remembers most vividly, from her 40+ years at UCR, include:  the riots caused by the Rodney King beating, student protesters taking over the library, earthquakes, 9/11, the deaths of two sitting chancellors, graduations, and other celebrations.  Sharla remembers fires in the libraries, chickens running loose in Rivera, and evacuations during the Rivera Library renovation.  And many police incidents, which thankfully we don’t see as much these days, thanks to an increased police presence on campus, and the addition of library security guards (positions for which Sharla was an early advocate).  Sharla says she could fill up an entire book on the library, once she gets started.

Sharla vividly remembers walking around the library after the Landers Earthquake on Sunday, June 28,1992.  Library administrators were all off at the American Library Association (ALA) conference, and the Reserve Services Manager and Sharla were asked to assess the damage.  As they were walking around on the fourth floor looking at books three feet deep on the floor, a significant aftershock shook the building.  Sharla was pregnant with her youngest son at the time, and her colleague said, “Do you want to have that baby right here, right now?  Let’s get out of here!” 

Sharla’s last day was June 27, 2019. Thank you for your many years of service to the UCR Library, Sharla!

***

Additional 2019 retirees included Debbie Snow and Letitia Fossett.

The UCR Library would like to thank each of our retiring staff members, both those who shared their stories here and those who were not available for comment (perhaps because they're already busy enjoying their retirement). We are grateful to have had you as our colleagues and friends, we appreciate your many years of excellent service, and we wish you all the best in your future!

More News February 23, 2018

On Feb. 5, a team of library employees received a UCR Healthy Campus Initiative grant for a project proposal, #puppylove: a feasibility study for an on-site, year-round animal therapy program for the UCR campus community.

Their project will conduct a year-long feasibility study to determine whether creating an on-site, year-round therapy dog service at UC Riverside would improve the emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual well-being of the entire UCR campus community.

#puppylove would differ from current Library programming in which therapy dogs visit campus once per quarter as part of the Finals Week Stress Relief events provided for students. However, its enduring popularity makes a great foundation for this research, according to project lead Patricia Smith-Hunt, Head of Preservation Services.

“Institutions like UC Berkeley and Harvard and USC have implemented programs like this,” Smith-Hunt said, who drew inspiration for #pupppylove from the therapeutic benefits she gained by acquiring a dog last year. “We as staff and faculty also have stressful days, so having access to that kind of unconditional love and interaction on a regular basis rather than just once per quarter – and having it open to everyone on campus – that would be the goal of the study.”

She shared this idea with library colleagues Financial and Acquisition Analyst Jacqueline Bates and Serials Assistant Andi Newman, who shared her excitement for the concept and helped to complete the grant application.

The team received notice in December 2017 that the Healthy Campus Initiative grant review committee had decided to green-light their study. Shortly thereafter, Circulation / Reserves Services Manager Sahra Missaghieh Klawitter and Access Services Desk Coordinator Elisha Hankins also joined the project.

After the grant recipients were announced on Feb. 7 in Inside UCR, colleagues from other UCR departments reached out to the team to ask how they could get involved.

Newman observed students interacting with the therapy dogs during Finals Week Stress Relief. “I was really surprised. Even with all these students surrounding them, the dogs remained calm, they were playing with the students, doing tricks, and allowing a number of people to pet them. The dogs loved it!” she said. “I myself was able to spend about 10 minutes holding, petting and just getting unconditional doggie love. After that, I went back to my desk and I truly felt better, all from being with a dog.”

“If I’ve had a really stressful day and I walk in my door and see my three dogs – whether they’re jumping on me or not – I feel better,” Bates commented. “I think everybody should have that opportunity because a lot of people can’t own dogs.”

The feasibility study will conclude in December 2018, and the team hopes that their research data will inspire the Healthy Campus Initiative review committee to implement the #puppylove program on a permanent basis.