Message from the Dean: Resilience in Seasons of Stress
eNews Edition: Spring 2020
Nelson Mandela, the great South African political leader and statesman once said: “Do not judge me by my success, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again.” And that is the essence of resilience: the ability to bounce back from adversity, not just once, but multiple times. Resilience is a core value for leaders at CSUN; an excerpt from the University’s Leadership Principles states that a leader at CSUN “perseveres even when faced with challenges or setbacks.” Perhaps we focus on it so much because it is in the DNA of our institution, going back to the Northridge earthquake of 1994.
We Would Like you to Meet: Crystal Johnson, LA as Subject Resident Archivist
eNews Edition: Spring 2020
The LA as Subject residency and training program is a collaborative effort between the LA as Subject alliance and the libraries of California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH), CSUN, and USC, and is made possible through a generous grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). The program provides training and experience for three recent Masters in Library and Information Science graduates as well as staff and volunteers at 30 L.A. as Subject member archives in skills related to digital collections management and access.
In Memoriam: Bernice Haber
eNews Edition: Spring 2020
As a volunteer at CSUN since 1991, Bernice was a beloved Friends of the Library board member. She once shared, “Volunteering enlarges my own life, and keeps me connected to the campus and young people. Promoting education and the arts rounds me out as a person.”
Oviatt Spotlight: The Richard Cross Collection
eNews Edition: Spring 2020
In this Oviatt Spotlight, we’re zooming in on a significant project in the Library's Tom & Ethel Bradley Center, where the talented team is digitizing thousands of images by American photojournalist Richard Cross. This Q & A with Dr. José Luis Benavides takes us behind the scenes of this project.
What's New: Library Events, Looking Back and Looking Forward
eNews Edition: Spring 2020
Of our many services, one that is sorely missed are our in person events. Last year was full of a lot of highlights, whether it was guest authors, finals relaxation events, panels, or film screenings -- they garnered new experiences, mentoring, and educational opportunities, and a lot of fun along the way.
Featured - Diversity Check: Removing Dehumanizing Language from the Discovery System
eNews Edition: Spring 2020
Ordinarily one might not find library subject headings particularly fascinating, but the Oviatt Library’s OneSearch discovery system has a new story to tell that radically changes the way students engage with information on critical topics. Thanks to the collaborative work of Luiz Mendes, chair of the the Library’s Collection Access and Management Systems department, and Israel Yanez, a cataloger at CSU Sacramento Library, in the display of certain library search results, illegal aliens has become undocumented immigrants.
What's Up: Environmental Justice Exhibition
eNews Edition: Fall 2019
The yearlong exhibition launched this past July, Right of Way: Justice and Equity in the Growth of Los Angeles, demonstrates the crucial role the preservation of documents of private citizens, community groups, government projects and political campaigns plays in how we remember our history. The items selected for the exhibit depict environmental justice as a dimension of the history of the Los Angeles area from the early to late 20th century, both the deleterious conditions that demanded action and the efforts to rectify them.
Message from the Dean: Impacting Students for a Lifetime
eNews Edition: Fall 2019
I have belonged to many different communities throughout my life. Sometimes communities are geographical in nature, and with that lens in mind, I have lived in over twenty different neighborhoods. But just as often, communities are seen through a different lens, whether ethnic, religious, gender identity, or other categories. Sometimes communities are fluid, and people can pass in and out easily, but other times they have rigid boundaries with circumscribed membership requirements.
The Oviatt Library is in many ways its own community. This community includes employees (such as our 90 staff and faculty and our 140 student assistants); campus faculty and staff; local users and supporters; and of course, the 38,000 CSUN students who make excellent use of our resources and services.
We Would Like you to Meet: Chris Salvano
eNews Edition: Fall 2019
On November 13th, 2019 we will be celebrating the Grand Opening of the Map Collection (RSVP Today) in its new location and you are cordially invited. We invite you as well to check out ways you can Support the Map Collection, through donations of materials or funds.
Today we'd like you to meet the Oviatt Library Map Collection's Map Curator Chris Salvano. Learn more about how the Map Collection serves the campus in a variety of ways and helps to foster student success.
Thanks and Recognition: Richard Nupoll's Library Legacy of Love
eNews Edition: Fall 2019
Through the Dr. Karin J. Duran and Richard Nupoll Education Librarian Endowment, this unprecedented bequest will support an Endowed Librarian, who will oversee Oviatt Library collection development as the bibliographer for the TCC in the Oviatt Library, for multiple departments in the Michael D. Eisner College of Education, and for related disciplines in other colleges on the CSUN campus.