College Update

By Daniel Slota, Riverside City College

The Riverside City College Library surveyed students, asking them what we could do as a library to help them in their academic journey. One of the most popular requests on surveys was to add food and drink vending machines and allow students to eat in the library. We heard them loud and clear. In late 2022, we added 5 vending machines, 2 microwaves, and created a mixed seating area where students are not only allowed but encouraged to eat and drink in the library.  

Librarian Claudia Rivas is one of only 25 individuals selected to participate in the inaugural cohort of the Radical Librarianship Institute at UCLA California Rare Book School (CRBS).

By Julie Cornett, Cerro Coso Community College

Río Hondo College Library and Instructional Support Dean Mike Garabedian co-authored a book about Whittier, California for Arcadia Press’s Postcard History Series. Released on April 10, this is his second publication about Whittier for the publisher. Also, in his capacity as President of the Whittier Public Library Foundation, on April 27 Mike interviewed Javier Zamora, author of Solito: A Memoir (2022), at a free public event that was the culmination of the Whittier Public Library’s 2023 “Whittier Reads” (i.e., one city, one book) program.

By Monique Delatte, Fullerton College

The Ventriloquists explores the true story of a ragtag crew of resistors in Brussels, 1943, who successfully schemed to undermine the Nazi regime by printing a satirical newspaper edition with wide distribution, right under the noses of the occupiers.

The author of this well-reviewed title, E.R. Ramzipoor, spoke with Hornets via Zoom in late February. Students joined our Queer Book Group meeting remotely and in-person for a discussion of the ripped-from-the-headlines (pun intended) tragicomic tale.

By Dele C. Ladejobi, Long Beach City College

By Judith Samuel, Los Angeles Trade Technical College

By Andy Kivel, Diablo Valley College

By Julie Cornett, Cerro Coso Community College

By Michelle Ohnstad, MiraCosta College

By Edit Boghozian, Mission College

Mission College Library’s Food for Textbook Program earned a 2017 Bronze award from Second Harvest Food Bank in Santa Clara, CA. The program that started in Fall 2017, enables students to check out a textbook or calculator for the entire semester with the donation of 10 cans of food for Second Harvest Food Bank. The total check out of 128 textbooks for the first semester of the program allowed the Library to donate 2,247 pounds of food to the charity.

Laney College Acquisitions & Technical Services Librarian Autumn Sullivan was granted tenure in February.
We have hired a new Library Technician, Jessica Neideffer. She's a great addition to Las Positas College Library.

Cerritos College Librarian Paula Massadas Pereira just published (and illustrated) her second book titled Matt Is a Normal Cat. Her first book How I Learned English: The Story of a Brave Mexican Girl has been popular in libraries around the country. Paula is an immigrant from Brazil and aims to motivate children, adults, and English learners to achieve their American dreams.

The New Literacies Alliance has created information literacy tutorials mapped to the ACRL Framework. Tutorials Sacramento City College started the Fall semester with several new faces. Rebecca Goodchild is our new Public Services Librarian, focusing on Collections and Assessment.

Librarian Jenny Yap was selected as one of the 2018 American Library Association's Emerging Leaders. The ALA selects approximately 50 librarians nation-wide to participate in this early-career program to develop leadership capacity, encourage networking, and provide professional development and research opportunities to librarians that show a high potential for leadership in their fields.

The College of the Desert recently invited Hye Chin "Jin" An-Dunning to join our library faculty. This spring semester we will begin offering library services at the new Palm Springs campus.

The Los Angeles Southwest College Library is pleased to announce the winner of the inaugural 2017 Academic Senate Purchase Award art contest. The top vote getter, Margarita Ramirez’s untitled acrylic on canvas is prominently on display in the Library. It is the first piece in an ongoing showcase of exceptional student artwork.

Kate Connell is retiring at the end of the semester. During her tenure at CCSF, she has been in charge of attracting and maintaining exhibits at the libraries. In addition to creating amazing exhibits she has worked with faculty at the College to create curriculum that is used to engage students and the wider community in conversations about exhibit topics. She will be missed.