Gifts & Donors

UCSB Library’s Special Research Collections (SRC) is often cited as a source in research papers, album releases, and monographs, but rarely does it appear in films.

The new Sara Miller McCune Arts Library will open to the public on Monday, December 2. 

The creation of this thoughtfully designed and vibrant new space with state-of-the-art technology on the main Library’s 1st floor Mountain Side was made possible by the generosity of philanthropist, arts lover, and longtime UCSB donor Sara Miller McCune. The gift was made in collaboration with McCune’s social science publishing company, Sage Publishing. 

Thanks to generous support from the Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation, UC Santa Barbara Library recently completed a project to digitize portions of its historical sound recording collection of recordings made by Columbia Records in Italy between 1923 and 1950. During this golden age of Italian recording, Columbia created approximately 15,000 Italian sound recordings, including opera, popular, jazz, ethnic and film music recordings.

At the intersection of Hollywood’s Golden Age and the rugged spirit of the American West stands the Carey family, a long line of entertainers who profoundly shaped the film industry in the 20th century and significantly contributed to the history and evolution of the Western cinema genre.

The new Arts Library is opening in late fall quarter. 

Art & Architecture and Music print collections are inaccessible for public browsing until the opening of the Arts Library but can be requested via UC Library Search. 

The UC Santa Barbara Library is excited to announce the recent acquisition of the Paul Georg von Möllendorff Chinese Cylinders, a collection of wax cylinders widely considered to be the first audio recordings from China. The cylinders, recorded in the late 1800s by linguist Möllendorff, contain sixteen recitations of a popular, celebrated poem "Returning Home"' by Tao Yuanming. Möllendorff recorded the poem in various Chinese dialects to document the differences in regional languages at the time.

UCSB Library recently acquired the archives of Marilyn F. (Dillard) Solomon as a notable addition to the Film & Television Collection. Solomon was a pioneer in local commercial television broadcasting, covering issues of interest that were traditionally marginalized in local media, including civic and governmental affairs, international events, and multiracial relations. She was raised in Detroit, Michigan, by parents Ernest C. and Jessie M.

The UC Santa Barbara Library has acquired the faculty papers of Nobel Laureate and notable professor emeritus Herbert Kroemer (1928–2024). The collection was donated by his daughters, Ursula Leimbach and Angela Sherwin, and contains research and teaching papers, ephemera and digital materials related to Kroemer’s career.

UCSB Library is creating a new Arts Library by bringing together the Music and Art & Architecture Collections into a modernized space on the main Library’s 1st floor Mountain Side. 

The Music Library will permanently close to the public starting Monday, August 5. 

UCSB Library has announced the recipients of the sixth annual Library Award for Undergraduate Research (LAUR).