Featured: Inside the Politics of Low & Slow
Artists, club members, family and friends gathered October 9 at the opening reception for “The Politics of Low & Slow,” an exhibition of lowrider history, art and culture in the Los Angeles area. The exhibit features car club memorabilia, representations in media, paintings commemorating the lowrider car enthusiasts, and much more. We spoke with our guest curator, Professor Denise M. Sandoval, for an inside perspective on the exhibit.
What's New: Mergers and Moves and Renos, Oh My!
In response to the University Library’s Mission, which emphasizes user-focused services and innovative physical spaces in support of student success, faculty scholarship, staff resource needs, and the greater CSUN community, projects to consolidate public services, simplify access to collections, and renovations to expand collaborative and quiet study spaces were recently completed or are nearing completion.
Spotlight: Behind the Scenes of the Library's Creative Maker Studio
The Creative Maker Studio (CMS) is a unique department in the University Library that brings together students from all corners of the campus with the shared objective to learn, create, and collaborate. In July 2022, the rebrand from Creative Media Studio to Creative Maker Studio affirmed the department’s status as the Library’s official Makerspace.
This fall, the CMS debuted five brand new services including a vinyl cutting station, creative scanning station with a photo/film and 3D scanner, sewing machine available for checkout and inside a reservable room, multipurpose production room with high-end lighting equipment and backdrops, and a virtual reality room where students can experience VR and work on game development. Back by popular demand, we will also be offering virtual and in-person creative workshops, too!
Thanks & Recognition - In Memoriam: Dr. Harry Stone
The University Library is deeply saddened to announce the passing of Dr. Harry Stone, a dear friend and supporter. As a revered Victorian literature expert, Dr. Harry Stone taught at the CSUN Department of English for 32 years from 1960 to 1992.
Dr. Stone died on December 17, 2021 at the age of 95. He is survived by his daughter Ann Melanie Stone, son Jonathan Bernard Stone, daughter-in-law Nancy Warwick, grandson Zachary Stone, and long-time partner, Dr. Pamela Krochalk.
We Would Like You to Meet: The Library Student Employee Scholarship Recipients of 2022
The University Library is very appropriately considered the intellectual heart of the California State University, Northridge (CSUN) campus. As one of the largest employers of CSUN students, the Library is proud to offer student employees the opportunity to gain valuable work experience and mentorship in various departments. Student assistants often share the joys of becoming a part of the Library family, making new friendships, and the positive experience of serving the needs of fellow students.
In March 2022, the Library awarded and celebrated nineteen well-deserved student assistant scholarship recipients. Thanks to the generosity of several dedicated donors to the Library’s scholarship program for student employees, twenty-eight scholarships were awarded this year! The virtual awards ceremony was an exciting and memorable celebration, filled with surprises, laughter, and heartfelt appreciation.
Message from the Dean - Don’t Stop Thinking About Tomorrow: Yesterday’s Gone (But Not Forgotten)
Many of us (myself included) have a sentimental view of the past. We romanticize it and forget that the world is a different place now – and we forget that trying to hold onto the past is often counter-productive. But British author and mathematician Lewis Carroll (and his unforgettable protagonist Alice) was a bit more clear-eyed about the past and the present, and the difference between the two. He wrote in Alice in Wonderland, "It’s no use going back to yesterday, because I was a different person then."
University libraries aren’t exactly falling down the rabbit hole, but they continue to evolve, sometimes in subtle ways, other times in more substantive ways. This issue of the CSUN Library eNews includes three articles that demonstrate some of the changes that we in the University Library are experiencing, and how these changes fit into our overall mission.