University Library E-News
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.
The Library is collaborating with Deaf Studies Professor Lissa Ramirez-Stapleton to bring the project Black Deaf Life in California online. Black Deaf Life in California is a collection of oral histories conducted in American Sign Language (ASL) with Black Deaf community members. The interviews were developed and conducted by CSUN students. We talked to Dr. Ramirez-Stapleton to find out more about it.
Although the official ribbon cutting will take place at the Grand Opening on October 3, accompanied by all of the appropriate pomp and circumstance, the beautifully reimagined first floor of CSUN’s Delmar T.
The most recent addition to the Library’s immensely popular Learning Commons is a technology-rich workspace that provides students with the support and resources they need to create state-of-the-art, media-rich projects and presentations.
The Learning Commons’ Creative Media Studio (CMS) opened recently thanks to Campus Quality Fee funding awarded to the Library. The CMS provides students with access to specialized hardware, software and support in order to create videos, digital audio recordings, and robust multimedia projects.
There are many stories to be told that connect our shared experiences within the greater Los Angeles community. By bringing history into the lives of the San Fernando Valley residents we strengthen our shared knowledge and build lasting connections.
The Oviatt Library has been selected to receive a competitive Latino Americans: 500 Years of History grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the American Library Association (ALA). The grant supports public programs during the upcoming academic year from September 2015 through April 2016.
The Oviatt continues to stay on the trending edge of shared technological resource delivery with the recent addition of 3D printing services and related workshops in the library’s Creative Media Studio.
You have likely noticed by now that there’s an ever-increasing current of transformative energy pulsing through the heart of CSUN’s campus. For the past few years, the steadfast and iconic façade of the Delmar T. Oviatt Library has contrasted the sweeping renovation of its now flexible, lively, and modern first floor interior.
Have you noticed anything different on the second floor of the Library? Special Collections & Archives has reopened a sparkling new facility after a major renovation and much-needed expansion.
After much collaboration, planning, and noisy late-night construction the Oviatt Library’s second floor has been transformed.
September 20, 2018 saw the lively opening of the Oviatt Library Special Collections & Archives exhibit, What She Said: 100 Years of Women's Civic and Community Engagement. The exhibition, which documents the rise of women’s engagement in civic, social and business life beginning in the late 19th century, was celebrated by almost 150 attendees including two Los Angeles City Councilwomen.
In a revealing study titled, “Impact of Library Use on First Year Retention and Success,” assessment librarian Laura Wimberley examined two research questions as part of the CSUN Data Champions* initiative:
- Are first-year students who use library collections and services more likely to return for their second year?
- Do first-year students who use more library collections and services earn more credits than comparable students who don’t use the library?
Analysis of the records of all 5,214 first-time freshman who entered CSUN in fall 2017 showed highly statistically significant relationships between these variables – in short, yes!
Librarian Liz Cheney was ready and responsive to a quick adaptation when the CSUN Library closed the building under pandemic guidelines in March 2020. She thoughtfully shared her perspective on the transition to serving the CSUN community virtually.