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Dear Friends of the UCLA Library,
As we close out the year, it’s worth reflecting on what we have accomplished as a Library community. When a pandemic scattered most of our faculty and students across the country and globe, we quickly adapted traditional in-person services for remote learning. This pivot made it possible for Bruins to access the materials, workshops, and research advice they needed, wherever they were. Your support fueled their success.
Our return to campus brings new priorities. Here is what we are focusing on for 2022:
Increase opportunities for teaching with rare and unique materials.
With the return to mostly in-person teaching this quarter, Library Special Collections has hosted classes for more than 900 students. That number will significantly increase when the new Distinctive Collections Teaching Space opens next fall, upping capacity from 15 to 60 students per class.
Build capacity to recruit librarians who are experts in their field.
With all our success, the Library has felt the impact of budget cuts on librarian positions over the past decade. While the number of librarians has remained steady — at around 75 — student enrollment and the number of specialty areas that require specific expertise have grown. With more endowed librarians and collection funds, we can accelerate research and teaching across campus.
Amplify access to and safekeeping of digitally stored materials.
Providing access to digital resources and the underlying infrastructure needed to digitize, host, and store information is an urgent need. As we build a Library for the future, expanding digitization capacity and formalizing efforts to secure these materials for future generations is a significant priority.
Whether reflecting on the past or looking into the future, UCLA Library is grateful for all you do to help us move knowledge forward in pursuit of a better world. Best wishes for a joyful new year.
Warm regards,
Virginia Steel
Norman and Armena Powell University Librarian