Annual Impact Report 2021/22

LETTER FROM THE Audrey Geisel University Librarian

At the UC San Diego Library, fiscal year 2021-2022 was a period of renewal and innovation. As we welcomed students back into our spaces, we also focused on providing access to resources and services in ways that were informed by all we had learned over the past several years.

In summer 2021, Geisel Library reopened a limited number of spaces for individual study. Several months later, both Geisel and WongAvery Library fully reopened to the campus and community. The service model that emerged is grounded in our digital-first strategy and now offers on-site programs and spaces that reflect our campus’s innovative and non-traditional ethos. I am grateful for the time and effort that all 290 student and career Library employees put into this effort, and I am proud of what we have accomplished.

Stemming from our insights, we launched several initiatives that aimed to increase the accessibility of our resources to our diverse cohort of users. One example includes launching a pilot controlled

digital lending platform, which helps make our physical materials more accessible to our users. We also led the campus-wide Affordable and Open Course Materials Steering Committee and established an internal User Experience Steering Committee. Both groups are helping to advance the Library’s and university’s shared goal to be a studentcentered institution.

For much of FY 21-22, the Library was focused on developing our new strategic plan that launched in Fall Quarter 2022. Through the process, we received input from hundreds of individuals and worked to solicit feedback from across our campus and community.

One of the year’s most memorable moments was renaming the Biomedical Library Building, now the Sally T. WongAvery Library. We were incredibly fortunate and grateful to benefit from the philanthropic vision and support of alumna Sally WongAvery ’75 and her daughter Natasha Wong. The establishment of the Natasha Wong Endowment for East Asian Collections and the Sally T. WongAvery Fund for East Asian Collections will significantly expand the Library’s ability to foster important research in the area of East Asia scholarship.

In the latter part of the fiscal year, we were hard at work renovating Geisel Library’s 2nd (main) Floor. Over five years in the making, this final phase of the Geisel Library Revitalization Initiative took a bold step in reimagining the Library’s role in serving our students’ academic needs. The redesigned spaces and technology will help us accommodate an ever-growing student population.

As always, thank you for your continued support of the UC San Diego Library.

Erik T. Mitchell Audrey Geisel University Librarian

Numbers

The UC San Diego Library is a connective hub for various academic activities on campus. With its diverse programs, services and resources, the Library supports students, researchers, faculty and staff by helping them reach academic milestones and conduct research that impacts the world around us. Here is a glimpse of the difference made over the past year.

948

5,093,201

Physical and Electronic Books Owned

41,000

343,368

Items

Accessed through HathiTrust’s Emergency Temporary Access

7,409

Digital Learning

73,622

10,693

Group Study Room Reservations In-person

345

Instructional Sessions

26%

4,200

Study Seats Available

19,394

30,946

Total Reference Questions Answered

48,169

Informational Questions Answered Tech Lending Items Circulated

6% Hybrid Online

Digital Learning Objects

53 68%

2,842

Digital Collections with Items Sessions Reaching Students

Questions Answered

When Library users visit us, in-person or online, they seek answers to questions unknown. They look for partnership in peeling back layers of information to reveal new insights about our history and future. Our expert Library staff are their guides along the journey, and this past year unearthed fascinating discoveries spanning arts, science and the human experience.

Where do art, transportation and the Library intersect?

Campus visitors arriving at the new Blue Line trolley entrance are greeted by “KAHNOP • TO TELL A STORY,” created by artist Ann Hamilton and composed of phrases and quotes sourced by Library staff from Special Collections & Archives. To bring these words to life, Director of Special Collections Lynda Claassen and Archive for New Poetry Curator Nina Mamikunian identified collection materials by UC San Diego scholars and authors that helped shape the piece. With support from Library Web Manager Jenn Dandle, Digital Project Coordinator Matt Peters also led the creation of a website, kahnop.ucsd.edu, which allows users to experience the richness of the artistic walkway and the texts that inspired it. KAHNOP builds upon the long history of collaboration between UC San Diego’s Stuart Collection and the Library, which holds original drawings, interviews, proposals and more in the Stuart Collection Records archive.

How can we improve access to reliable computing?

Every successful college student needs access to a reliable laptop. Whether a student does not own a computer or their tech has gone awry, the Library’s Grab and Go Chromebook program is a helpful solution. Initiated by informal student feedback, usage statistics and input from the Library Student Advisory Council, the program embodies the Library’s commitment to addressing our users’ diverse and evolving needs. First launched in fall 2021, the program serviced 3,809 checkouts to 1,148 distinct users. “This program allows us to provide technology to students in a self-service model,” says Library Service Operations Manager Allison Flick. “They have the ability to check out the laptop and use it as they need it.” Users with a valid UC San Diego email address are eligible to check out a Chromebook for up to three days from four locations in Geisel and WongAvery Library.

Machine learning is changing the way we curate data. What standards should be in place?

As a relatively new source of research, machine learning datasets can grow wild and unwieldy without a set of standards to guide them. “We weren’t seeing best practices, so we decided we should work on it ourselves,” said Data Science Librarian Stephanie Labou. Thanks in part to a grant from the Librarians Association of the University of California, Labou, Technical

Left: Artist Ann Hamilton. Above: Close-up of KAHNOP.

Analyst Ho Jung Yoo, Research Metadata Librarian Abigail Pennington and UC San Diego graduate student Michael Baluja have been chiseling through such data to unearth best practices for repositories that store machine learning outputs. To accomplish this, the team has inspected eight data repositories encompassing more than 40,000 digital objects (including the Library’s repository, the UC-wide repository and specialist repositories), for commonalities and standards that could help make data more discoverable, and ultimately, more usable for research. Their findings will help inform Library services and industry practices as machine learning continues to grow.

How can an updated catalog unleash new possibilities?

As part of our commitment to creating student-centered and accessible digital spaces, the UC libraries collectively implemented UC Library Search, a new all-encompassing catalog that went live in summer 2021. Made possible by the leadership of hundreds of UC library employees, this new platform draws together the collections and influence of all 10 UC libraries, making items more easily discoverable and accessible. Library staff from various departments weaved together the necessary threads of this transition to create a seamless experience for our users.

UC Library Search sets a new foundation for UC-wide collaboration. UC San Diego’s role in hosting systemwide acquisitions and cataloging teams means that our use of the system will greatly influence the direction of UC library work in the coming years.

What helps students de-stress?

For almost a decade, Library staff have offered unique programming to help students find calm amidst the storm of each academic quarter. Offerings such as healthy snacks, coloring pages and puzzles have helped students maintain their well-being throughout midterms and finals. Beginning in spring 2022, following many requests from users over the years, the Library introduced a new way for students to de-stress: Spending time with therapy dogs. In collaboration with the nonprofit organization Love on a Leash, students have the opportunity to interact with trained canines and put the stress of exams aside. “We can see how much the students appreciate it,” says Engagement, Assessment and Spaces Manager Gen Thipatima. “You can feel them walk out of the room in a brighter mood.” Feedback from the therapy dog visits has been overwhelmingly positive, and the Library now plans to offer the De-Stress with Pups activity quarterly.

THE LATEST IN Digital Collections

Steve Turner African Americana Collection

Donated by UC San Diego alumnus Steve Turner ’82, this collection is comprised of more than 300 items including rare photographs, pamphlets, photocards, posters and pinback buttons, many from the 19th century and all of which shed new light on the African American experience, particularly in the American West.

Baja California Government Documents Collection

Dozens of boxes containing unique and fragile 19th-century manuscripts comprise this collection relating to official policies, civil matters, contracts, litigation, war and state infrastructure. Handwritten correspondence, petitions and more document daily life in Baja, especially throughout the turbulent period including the Mexican War (1846-48) and the Mexican Revolution (1910-20). (Photos and images from the collection pictured on Pages 4 and 5.)

Taiwanese American Archives’ Photo Albums

Local Taiwanese-American entrepreneur Bob Cheng founded a website and preservation project to display historical documents and artifacts pertaining to Taiwanese Americans. Our Digital Collections website now hosts photo albums from Cheng’s website, which includes documents and images covering sports, news and entertainment spanning the 1940s to the present decade.

Sally T. WongAvery Collection

The development of the Sally T. WongAvery Collection of Chinese Materials continued with the digitization of Chinese News and We Chinese in America magazine. “Access to the newspaper makes research possible,” says Sally T. WongAvery Librarian for Chinese Studies Xi Chen, who stewards this collection. “Anyone around the world can use the newspaper to conduct research on the history of Chinese Americans in San Diego.”

Chinese News

Published from 1983-98, this newspaper was the first piece to establish the Sally T. WongAvery Collection of Chinese Materials in 2020. The Library’s digitization includes all 13 volumes of the paper, which served as a focal point for Chinese speakers in the greater San Diego area throughout its publication.

We Chinese in America

A leading San Diego-based Chinese language magazine, We Chinese in America has been sharing stories about Chinese Americans in Southern California since it was established in 2001. The magazine has been published digitally since 2013 and the Library recently digitized 144 print issues of the magazine published between 2001-12.

Our vast amount of accomplishments this past year would not have been possible without the daily effort and achievements of our Library employees. Please join us in celebrating these milestones.

New Hires

Heather Briston, Program Director, Scholarship Tools and Methods

Brandon Campos, Library Security Officer

Annabel Carroll, Order and Borrowing Specialist

Kristian De Castro, Full Stack Developer

Franzyna Esquer, Engagement Specialist

Grace Gaieck, Library Security Officer

Roxy Haji, Customer Experience Specialist

Robert Hernandez, Customer Experience Supervisor

Daniel Ibarra, Financial Analyst II

Xavier Mendoza, Library Security Officer

Michael Mulligan, Library Security Officer

Bobby Ortiz, Reserves and Tech Lending Specialist

Joe Trent, Technology and Asset Coordinator

Christopher Weber, Library Facilities Management Specialist

New Roles

Rachel Almodovar, Program Director, Library Employee Services

Allison Flick, Service Operations Manager

Allura Hays, University Records Processor

Anna Isorena, Research Advisory Services Specialist

Michelle Vogelsang Jones, Assistant Program Director and Service Operations Strategist

Daniel LaSusa, DevOps Engineer

Alexia Ramirez, Customer Service Supervisor

Dave Schmitt, Program Director, Collection Development and Management

Mairam Sogoian, eBook Acquisition Specialist

Tami Stein, Program Director, Business and Financial Services

Gen Thipatima, Engagement, Assessment and Spaces Manager

Retirements

Thank you to these staff who recently retired with 14 years of service or more.

Mary Linn Bergstrom, Librarian for Bioinformatics and Systems Biology

Ernest Brown, Computer Support Services

Richard Caasi, System Administrator IV

Deborah Cox, Consortial Borrowing Software Coordinator/ Collections Data Analyst

Maria Din, Program Director, Business and Employee Services

Edwin Gonzalez, Computer Support Services

Loraine Graves, Service Desk Supervisor

Mark Kasimatis, Computer Support Services

Adriana Moran, CDL Acquisitions Coordinator

Peter Mueller, Music Liaison and Research Advisory Services Specialist

Donal O’Sullivan, E-Package and ETL Specialist

Shu He Wang, Chinese Language Metadata Specialist/ Chinese Order Specialist

From left to right: Michelle Vogelsang Jones, Kristian De Castro, Joe Trent and Dave Schmitt

From left to right: Gen Thipatima, Annabel Carroll, Allison Flick, Mairam Sogoian and Anna Isorena

SIGNATURE

Author Talk Series

Launched as part of Geisel Library’s 50th Anniversary celebration in 2020-21, the Library continued its signature Author Talk Series in 2021-22 with award-winning novelist Marlon James and bestselling author Emily St. John Mandel.

The Author Talk Series is made possible by our Library Associates giving society and these generous sponsors:

Bibliophile Sponsors

Sally T. WongAvery ’75 and Natasha Wong

Collector Sponsors

Diana Fakhrai ’01, MPIA ’04, and Jacob Poorman

Charles H. Marston ’78 and Rosa Luevano

Author Sponsors

Feroza Ardeshir and Suresh Subramani

Katherine H. Bower ’68

Carol and Jeff Chang

Karen B. Dow

Noriko and Toshi Ishihara ’84, MS ’87, PhD ’89

Mark A. Johnson ’88 and Melinda W. Johnson

Geraldine E. McAllister ’72, MFA ’74

Rachel D. York ’71 and Nigella Hillgarth

Reader Sponsors

Thomas A. Bicsak, MS ’83, PhD ’85, and Carla M. Hekman-Bicsak, MS ’83, PhD ’87

Yi-Hung Chung ’97 and Yingfei Zhou

Erik T. Engelson ’82, MS ’84

Phyllis F. and Daniel J. Epstein

Sheldon R. Furst, MD ’89

Laurie A. Gemmill Arp ’91

Alex and Georgia Gilderman

Alison and George Gildred

Dorothy D. Gregor

Lynda Gualtier and Jeff Solis

Ron D. Katznelson, PhD ’82, and Deborah Katznelson

Phyllis and Ed Mirsky

Erik Mitchell and Jeffery Loo

Vicki A. Nakamura ’75, MA ’76, and Charles J. Farwell

Claudia J. Prescott

Brian and Sherri Schottlaender

Library Associates are alumni, faculty, staff, community members and friends like you who support the Library with a gift of any size to any Library fund. Donations support student success, new initiatives and the expansion and preservation of the Library’s collections, resources and programs. Become a Library Associate today!

lib.ucsd.edu/lib-associates

MARLON JAMES

EMILY ST. JOHN MANDEL

Noteworthy Gifts and Acquisitions

Sally T. WongAvery Collection

In February 2022, we announced that UC San Diego alumna and UC San Diego Foundation trustee Sally T. WongAvery ’75 donated $10 million through the Avery-Tsui Foundation to support East Asia collections, research and scholarly activities at the UC San Diego Library. The gift, which established the Sally T. WongAvery Fund for East Asian Collections and the Natasha Wong Endowment for East Asian Collections, will ensure that East Asia scholarship and collections are a key part of the UC San Diego Library in perpetuity.

Letters from the Dupetit-Thouars

A collection of illustrated letters from the 1842-45 circumnavigation by the French naval ship Dupetit-Thouars, written by Charles Hulot, one of the officers on the expedition, provides an eyewitness account of a time of French colonial expansion in the Pacific. (Pictured on Page 9.)

Gato Negro Ediciones

The Library’s collection of more than 140 publications from Gato Negro Ediciones, an independent publisher based in Mexico City, is one of the largest of its kind among academic libraries. Printed in English or Spanish (and occasionally bilingual), the publications cover topics such as the arts, cultural theory, literature, politics, social movements and more. (Pictured at bottom of Page 8.)

Letters Between Schneider and Pinter

Prolific theatre director Alan Schneider, who was responsible for more than 100 productions over the course of his career, taught at The Juilliard School and UC San Diego. Many of those plays were written by Nobelist playwright Harold Pinter. The Library is now home to 90 letters written between the two. (Pictured at top of Page 8.)

Documenting John “Mad Jack” Percival

What led to the bloodiest mutiny in American maritime history? A collection of letters and documents on the activities of U.S. Naval Officer John “Mad Jack” Percival relates to the 1824 rebellion on the whaleship Globe.