Create

The creation of knowledge from information is an important measure of a library's utility. We helped foster this knowledge creation by supporting student scholarly work, strengthening digital humanities, and making available resources in the Genesis Lab that hone problem-solving skills.

Countless research papers and class projects were produced using the libraries’ resources. Many faculty members partnered with Pepperdine Libraries to use the physical space for visiting scholars to present on a broad array of topics.

As the result of an ongoing collaboration between Pepperdine Libraries and the Humanities and Teacher Education Division, digital humanities students created a website dedicated to Margaret Brock, one of Pepperdine’s major donors and an important figure in California politics from the 1950s to the 1990s. Brock’s archives are held at Pepperdine.

The Genesis Lab gives students an avenue to exercise their creative side by designing and printing objects on a 3D printer. It also encourages creativity through gaming and virtual reality. The lab hosted several events including an ornament-making activity and a website-building workshop.

“A library is the delivery room for the birth of ideas, a place where history comes to life.”

— Norman Cousins, political journalist and author

Enhancing the Student Experience in the Genesis Lab with VR

Our partnership with the Fine Arts Division to host lectures by artists working in virtual reality continued when we cosponsored a presentation by Canadian artist Paisley Smith in the fall. The talk was followed by a viewing of her VR works Unceded Territories and Homestay in the Genesis Lab. Pepperdine Libraries purchased copies of these pieces, which have already been incorporated into a wide array of class visits. The event inspired a number of students to return to the lab to create their own immersive artworks.

Objects in Special Collections Offer Students Unique Opportunities in Primary Source Research

A growing number of students conducted research using objects from the Boone Special Collections and University Archives. To promote this work, Pepperdine Libraries hosted an energetic Teaching with Special Collections workshop for faculty. Special collections librarians then collaborated with faculty to help design projects and assignments.

The impact of our efforts was evident. For instance, a 16 th -century heraldic manuscript from our collections formed the basis for one student group’s research in an art history class. These students identified valuable insights about the imagery in the manuscript, while other student groups looked at early printed illustrations in various collection objects.