Advancing "open science" — the worldwide movement to increase the transparency and accessibility of publicly funded research — is one of UC Santa Barbara Library’s four strategic priorities. Yet, fostering reproducibility, data reuse and interdisciplinary collaboration can be challenging across a large, complex research university.
Carmen Galaz García, an assistant teaching professor in UC Santa Barbara’s Bren School of Environmental Science & Management, completed her undergraduate degree in mathematics in Mexico, where specialized textbooks were prohibitively expensive. She recalls how important it was that professors provided notes and materials so students wouldn't have to buy expensive books they'd only use for a few months. Today, she sees students at UCSB facing similar systemic barriers.
When Samuel Liu noticed workplace friction among fellow Resident Assistants (RAs) at UC Santa Barbara’s San Nicolas Residence Hall, he decided to investigate. As a senior majoring in Communication and Sociology, Liu turned his personal and professional observations into an award-winning independent research project. His study, titled " 'It’s Not Just a Job, It’s Literally My Housing': Resident Assistants, Job Embeddedness, and Dissent," earned first place and a $750 prize at the 2026 Library Award for Undergraduate Research (LAUR).
DECEMBER 2025 UPDATE: For the remainder of the 2025-2026 Academic Year, UCSB Library will open to the public at 7:00 AM Monday-Sunday and remain open to UCSB students, faculty, and staff from 1:00 AM to 3:00 AM on Sunday-Thursday nights for Study Commons. View building hours.
On July 1, 2025, the UC Libraries will migrate to a new Interlibrary Loan (ILL) management system. The new system will make it easier for patrons to view and manage transactions by merging the contents of My ILL Requests into My Library Account, creating a single platform for patrons to view all active ILL and circulation requests and loans, place renewal requests, and view fines and fees.
This article was originally published in UCSB’s The Current.
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.
The interface of the database list on the Library homepage will change on Tuesday, September 17. Library website users who click on the “Articles & Databases” button or the “Articles & Databases” link in the main navigation menu will be redirected to the new interface, https://guides.library.ucsb.edu/az/databases.
The new interface will make it easier for Library users to discover available databases and electronic resources by offering several improvements:
The UCSB Library and the Office of Research would like to announce the launch of a new web resource:
Research Computing and Data
https://rcd.ucsb.edu
On Monday, September 18 we upgraded the proxy server that is used to access Library subscription electronic resources from off campus. Review the changes below to see what changed.
What Changed?
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