2022-2023 UCLA Library Impact Report: Focus on Preservation & Conservation
Welcome to the 2022-2023 UCLA Library Impact Report. At the heart of every collection, every service and every resource UCLA Library provides, you will find smart, dedicated librarians, staff and archivists who are always anticipating and planning for what’s next. Is it a new technology? A better user experience for students and faculty? Increased open access to collections? The answer, of course, is all of the above. The things that make UCLA unique — a broad range of disciplines, professional schools, as well as STEM programs and strengths in the arts, humanities and social sciences — are also why the need for excellent libraries is felt deeply at UCLA. I invite you to explore a selection of accomplishments made by the Library and the UCLA Film & Television Archive over the past academic year. Working together, we are moving knowledge forward on campus, in Los Angeles and beyond.
– Virginia Steel, Norman and Armena Powell University Librarian
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2022-2023 Preservation & Conservation by the Numbers
- 2,400+BooksNumber of books repaired, the earliest from the 16th century up to the present day.
- 12,000+Materials RehousedNumber of newspapers, music scores, journals and architectural materials — blueprints, original drawings and sketches — rehoused.
- 76Collection ItemsMaterials stabilized, packed and shipped to museum exhibitions, putting Library collections in conversation with cultural heritage around the world.
- 55Data LoggersNew devices placed in library buildings to monitor temperature and humidity, helping the Library minimize environmental threats to materials.
- 134StudentsUndergraduates trained during a single hands-on activity designed to increase awareness about preservation of library materials.
- 1,173RecordingsNumber of moving image and sound recordings digitized across ten different format types by two full-time staff.
Timeline
Fall 2022
Into the light: Expanding access to Middle Eastern manuscripts
The Library holds one of the largest collections of Middle Eastern and Islamic manuscripts in the world, totaling at least 8,000.
Quarterly workshop series fosters student confidence
Survey reveals that UCLA Library workshops help students grow their research and writing skills.
A shared love of artists’ books inspires a legacy
Visual arts librarian Robert Gore established an endowment to support the acquisition and preservation of resources for artists' books.
Information literacy outreach gets boosted with new grant
UCLA Library will use new funds to continue its work in the field of information literacy.
"Get Used to It" (1992-2012): Cataloging the LGBTQ+ TV series
Alumnus Cameron Jappe discusses his cataloging work on this LGBTQ+-focused talk show that now lives on the UCLA Film & Television Archive's YouTube channel.
Contemporary music score collection is a global hit
Materials in the Music Library's Contemporary Music Score Collection were viewed and/or downloaded more than 150,000 times in just two years.
Free fall cinema: UCLA Film & Television Archive screenings
The Archive's fall public programs featured a Theo Angelopoulos’ retrospective, a Joan Didion series, Spanish-language “Drácula" and more.
Marschack Symposium: Explore quantitative approaches to criminal and social justice
Applied mathematician and data scientist Chad Topaz presented research on mathematics in the Behavioral Sciences at UCLA.
Student employee’s drawings are the cat’s meow
Xinjian Cen, member of Powell Library's student outreach team, saw her Powell Cat artwork explode in popularity.
"Journey from the Fall" by UCLA alumnus filmmaker Ham Tran
The original 35mm film negative of Tran's film was rediscovered in Thailand and will be transferred to the UCLA Film & Television Archive for potential restoration.
Restored Fleischer animation: “Buzzy Boop at the Concert”
The International Animated Film Society, ASIFA-Hollywood, teamed with the Archive to restore the long-missing Fleischer cartoon and make it available online.
Palme d'Or winner Theo Angelopoulos remembered in retrospective
Variety: The films of legendary Greek writer-director Theo Angelopoulos received a two-month tribute presented by the UCLA Film & Television Archive at Hammer Museum.
Toward ethical and inclusive descriptive practices in UCLA Library Special Collections: A case study
At the crossroads of societal strides towards equity and a struggle to preserve the past, Library staff crafted a Descriptive Practices Statement focused on an anti-oppressive approach to discovery and access. Enabled by a meticulously designed five-week study group, collaborative iteration and progressive pedagogical strategies, this work provides a potential path for the development of ethical and inclusive descriptive practices at other institutions. — Coauthored by Archivist Kelly Besser, published in the Journal of Critical Digital Librarianship.
Newly restored work from Sundance Institute Collection at UCLA premiered at Sundance 2023
The Queer Review: Sundance 2023 premiered the Archive’s restoration of "SLAM" (1998), directed by Marc Levin.
Previously thought-lost Harold Lloyd film "Luke's Double" (1916) rediscovered
News of the Harold Floyd film “Luke’s Double” being preserved by the UCLA Film & Television Archive is shared by Silent Movie Day.
First-of-its-kind symposium forges pathways for repatriation
After returning holdings to their original homes, the Library is opening up conversations about repatriation in archives and libraries.
Meet Library student employee Taylor Sieverling
Learn how Sieverling's experience as a Cluster Program peer research and writing specialist may shape her future career.
"The Killing Floor" is a crucial work of art about American labor
Jacobin: The UCLA Film & Television Archive restored this made-for-television film addresseing labor, race and migration.
Q&A: Ina Archer discusses Robert L. Goodwin's "The Upper Chamber"
Archer shares insights on Goodwin's screenplay, shown for the first time in Los Angeles since 1977 by the UCLA Film & Television Archive, and lost African American TV.
Islamic manuscripts hold hidden pearls of knowledge
Doctoral students in an Arabic manuscripts course uncovered work by a 16th-century mystic and scholar in Library collection materials.
A true Bruin welcome
Library staff welcomed students back to campus for the 2022-23 school year
8 films with UCLA ties named to National Film Registry for 2022
Four of the eight films were preserved by the UCLA Film & Television Archive, including “Cyrano de Bergerac” (1950) and “Scorpio Rising” (1963).
Fall quarter staff news: Introducing five new librarians and staff members
The Library was delighted to welcome five new staff members to our Bruin community, and we invite you to learn about their goals, professional experiences and initial projects.
A model for data ethics instruction for non-experts
As technology rapidly evolves and so do research opportunities and data fields, the ethical issues that arise are often overlooked. Library staff carefully curated two workshops, “Ethical Considerations in Data” and “Data Ethics & Justice,” to start a conversation of privacy issues and racial disparities in a variety of fields, including healthcare, criminal justice and social media. This report reveals the result of these experiences, and how they hope to expand upon the expressed interest within the UC system to address this gap in curriculum. — Coauthored by Data Scientist Leigh Phan, published in IASSIST Quarterly.
Winter 2023
Revamped UCLA Library website offers more user-friendly experience
After conducting extensive interviews with the campus community, the Library relaunched its website for its 6.5 million annual online visitors.
Arts Library reopens with a fresh new look
After a nearly three-year closure for improvements and updated furnishings, the Library welcomed back patrons for in-person services.
Digital Library's Elizabeth McAulay appointed to Library of Congress committee
As a member of the MODS/MADS editorial committee, McAulay will work to revise and refine digital object description standards.
Free winter cinema: UCLA Film & Television Archive screenings
The Archive’s winter 2023 public programs included special screenings honoring martial arts icon Bruce Lee.
Winter quarter staff news: Introducing two new staff members
The Library was delighted to welcome two new staff members to our Bruin community, and we invite you to learn about their goals, professional experiences and initial projects.
Former prison inmate watches Sundance film based on his life 25 years later
St. George News: "SLAM" (1998) —based on the life of Momolu Stewart — was restored in a collaboration between the UCLA Film & Television Archive and others.
Injustice remains: 48-year-old women’s prison documentary shows how little has changed
A restored version of "We’re Alive"(1974) — made by 3 UCLA film students — premiered Jan. 28, co-presented by the UCLA Film & Television Archive.
“We’re Alive”: UCLA Film & Television Archive blog roundup
A series of blogs, commissioned by the Archive for the January screening of the 1974 film, present three perspectives on the effects of the carceral system on women.
The second life of "We’re Alive"
Almost 50 years ago, three UCLA student filmmakers made a bold documentary about incarcerated women. Then it vanished.
New television collection: "In The Life," featuring LGBTQ+ history
American Archive: Acquired by the UCLA Film & Television Archive, "In the Life" was television’s longest-running LGBTQ+ news magazine.
Photos From Arts Library Reopening Celebration
The Arts Library welcomed back the Bruin community during an open house which included swag, exhibits, tours and button-making.
Theo Angelopoulos – the landmark UCLA Film & Television Archive retrospective
SEEfest: UCLA professor Malina Stefanovska infuses Balkan and Greek history in her review of the Archive's Theo Angelopoulos retrospective.
Preserving Bruce Lee in primetime
A newly preserved piece of TV ephemera from the UCLA Film & Television Archive collection features Bruce Lee as a rising star on ABC’s "The Green Hornet" (1966-67).
A man hanging from a clock. Yes, it's that silent film.
The New York Times: UCLA Film & Television Archive curator Steven K. Hill discusses the film "Safety Last!" (1923) and actor Harold Lloyd.
Meet UCLA Film & Television Archive TV curator Mark Quigley
Quigley was co-curator and co-host of the 2023 Orphan Film Symposium All-Television Edition.
3-day program features work from art professor Cauleen Smith
African diaspora culture and history are featured in the work of artist Cauleen Smith, which was co-presented by the UCLA Film & Television Archive.
Writing and research training program: A UCLA campus partnership to support BIPOC, LGBTQIA and disabled student researchers
The Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship Summer Writing and Research Training Program supports writing and research skills development for BIPOC, LGBTQIA and disabled student researchers interested in pursuing careers in academia. Since its inception, librarians have been a central part of instruction team, leading a cohort of undergraduate students selected for an intensive six-week research and writing experience. This report details the methods and impact of this program in the hopes that other institutions develop similar opportunities. — Coauthored by Librarian and Collections Coordinator Simon Lee and Science Librarian Renee Romero, published in Undergraduate Research and the Academic Librarian: Case Studies & Best Practice, Volume 2.
Spring 2023
Five decades on, Miki Goral helps keep researchers moving forward
The longest-serving librarian at UCLA says despite new technology, her mission remains the same.
2023 UCLA Library Prize for Undergraduate Research winners
Eleven students were recognized for incorporating Library resources into their scholarship and research in a variety of academic fields.
3 short films pull back the curtain on UCLA Film & Television Archive’s work
Documentary series created by UCLA alumni titled “See the Bigger Picture” discusses the Archive and its contributions to the field and to research.
Courtney Hoffner and Sangeeta Pal named 2023 UCLA Librarians of the Year
Hoffner was honored for her role in redesigning the Library website and Pal for helping streamline Library operations.
UCLA joins UC open access agreement with Wiley
This agreement quadruples the number of UC articles eligible for free and open access in Wiley journals.
Letter from the university librarian — spring 2023
After over a decade serving as the inaugural Norman and Armena Powell University Librarian, Ginny Steel announces her retirement.
From classic to punk-fueled: UCLA Film & Television Archive’s free spring programs
The spring programs screened by the Archive included new restorations to a world premiere, treasures from out of this world and films that made waves.
In memoriam: Powell Cat
Powell Cat, UCLA’s beloved stray, passed away peacefully on March 9.
Saving an art form, one reel at a time
The Red Shoes is among over 100 UCLA Film & Television Archive restoration and preservation projects made possible thanks to the support of The Film Foundation.
James Horner, and his musical genius, will live on at UCLA Library
UCLA Library is now home to the personal archive of one of the most prolific composers of modern film music: James Horner.
A successful UC Love Data Week attracts 1100 attendees
UC Love Data Week offered presentations and workshops focused on data access, management, security, sharing and preservation.
‘New Voices, New Visions’: UCLA cinema series spotlights today’s Indigenous filmmakers
Introducing a survey of contemporary Indigenous film and video featuring some of the most exciting and innovative Indigenous artists working today.
UCLA Library awards grants to 10 School of Music projects
Through its Hugo and Christine Davise Fund for Contemporary Music, the Library awarded grants to 10 faculty and student music projects.
Meet the Filmmaker: Fox Maxy
A Q&A with Fox Maxy, whose feature film "Gush" (2023) opened the UCLA Film & Television Archive series "Imagining Indigenous Cinema: New Voices, New Visions."
Meet the Filmmaker: Christopher Kahunahana
A Q&A with Christopher Kahunahana, whose feature film "Waikiki" (2020) screened in the Archive series "Imagining Indigenous Cinema."
Spring quarter staff news: Introducing three new librarians and staff members
The Library was delighted to welcome three new staff members to our Bruin community, and we invite you to learn about their goals, professional experiences and initial projects.
"Pioneers of Queer Cinema" to showcase LGBTQ+ stories that 'changed the culture'
Columbus Dispatch: Todd Wiener, motion picture curator, reflects on the UCLA Film & Television Archive's recent tour, which screened at the Wexner Center for the Arts in Columbus.
Cult TV, queer film and ‘async’: UCLA Film & Television Archive’s free summer gems
The Archive's summer lineup showcased a diverse array of offerings, from early works combining electronic music and moving images to contemporary feature-length films.
Summer 2023
Personal archive of composer James Horner donated to UCLA Library
The archive of the late renowned composer and UCLA alumnus James Horner has been donated to the Library by Sara Nelson Horner.
UCLA Library receives $4.2 million political cartoon collection spanning centuries
A world-class collection of more than 1 million political cartoons and caricatures was donated to the Library by Michael and Susan Kahn.
UCLA Library funds 30 international cultural preservation projects
The Modern Endangered Archives Program announced 30 new grants, including, for the first time, projects in Venezuela, Tanzania and Ukraine.
Carlo Medina to lead Southern Regional Library Facility, UCLA Library Unified Access Services
Medina, a UCLA alumnus, began his career in the campus library system nearly 30 years ago.
Jason Burton to lead Sciences User Engagement
Sciences User Engagement supports research, teaching and clinical care across the entirety of the scientific, engineering and clinical units at UCLA.
Janice Welburn named director of UCLA Library Senior Fellows Program
A prominent academic library leader, Welburn most recently led Marquette University Libraries from 2006 through her retirement in 2021.
Watch: Classic Animation by the Fleischers, Ub Iwerks and George Pal
Animation historian Jerry Beck provides background on four imaginative short films that are preserved by the UCLA Film & Television Archive.
U.S. government footage takes audiences behind the scenes of atomic bomb test sites
Presented by the UCLA Film & Television Archive, filmmaker Ross Lipman talks in-depth about why he made an atomic weapons documentary.
An automated Cyrillic script project to increase non-Latin access in the catalog: Notes, observations and conclusions
Forcing the language of artifacts into Latin-based languages simply for ease diminishes the accessibility and equal access of our resources. Partnering with OCLC WorldCat, UCLA began restoring Cyrillic script in native Russian artifacts and looks to expand these restoration efforts with even more challenging and smaller language groups. This paper provides a framework of the lengthy and complicated process in the hopes other institutions will embark on similar projects. — Coauthored by Cyrillic Catalog Librarian Peter V. Fletcher, published in Cataloging & Classification Quarterly.
UCLA Film & Television Archive Senior Studio Projectionist Jim Smith Retires
Jim Smith projected almost every Archive screening in the last 16 years, from rare nitrate film prints to digital media.
Summer quarter staff news: Introducing seven new librarians and staff members
The Library was delighted to welcome seven new staff members to our Bruin community, and we invite you to learn about their goals, professional experiences and initial projects.
The “Effervescent” Artist, Educator and Activist Betty Chen
Josslyn Jeanine Luckett illuminates the life and work of UCLA-trained filmmaker Betty Yao-Jung Chen, whose 1970s student films are online via the UCLA Film & Television Archive.
UCLA Library announces first cohort of lessons for librarians in open science principles and methods winners
Administered by the Data Science Center, the initiative supports the collaborative development of open science skills for librarians.
‘Masc’ film series spotlights trans men, gender rebels, butch dykes
Q Voice News: Guest curators Jenni Olson and Caden Mark Gardner talk about the series, which surveys six decades of moving images.
The limits of inclusion in open access: Accessible access, universal design and open educational resources
In this paper, the UCLA Library’s online open educational initiative known as Writing Instruction + Research Education (WI+RE) is critically examined to demonstrate how open educational resources can be improved to center accessibility. Referencing antiracist, feminist and disability researchers, strategies are presented for building instructional resources and teams that are rooted in principles of accessibility, universal design and disability justice. — Coauthored by Research and Instruction Librarian Salma Abumeeiz, published in Journal of Librarianship and Scholarly Communication.
Acknowledgements
Library Communications Ariane Bicho, Courtney Hoffner, Suzy Lee, Sally Márquez, Jennifer Rhee, Marisa Soto Feature Writer and Editor Abigail Siatkowski Illustrations Brett Affrunti Student Assistants Willa Needham, Katy Nicholas, Mia Sadowski, Abigail Siatkowski Special Thanks Software Development and Library Systems team, UCLA Newsroom and everyone at the UCLA Library and UCLA Film & Television Archive for the opportunity to share your work.