The Raymond Soto Endowed Collection in English and American Literature

First as a student and later as a librarian, Raymond Soto spent 33 years of his adult life at the UCLA Library, with only a few brief forays outside the campus. Filled with dedication and purpose, Mr. Soto embraced each position he held conscientiously and zealously. The pinnacle of his career came in 1993 when he became the Library's humanities bibliographer. In his element in that position, Mr. Soto was deeply involved in building collections in a fascinating array of subjects from philosophy to his own personal favorites, English and American literature. Until his retirement in 2002, Mr. Soto worked tirelessly to ensure that UCLA had the best library materials to offer its faculty and students. With retirement approaching, Mr. Soto wanted to leave something important and tangible to the Library to express his gratitude for his many years of satisfying, meaningful work. With his intimate understanding of the Library and its needs, Mr. Soto decided upon The Raymond Soto Endowed Collection in English and American Literature, a gift that combines his love of American and English literature with his understanding of the importance of building and sustaining collections.