Student Success

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).

Generations of researchers who rely on primary sources faced a frustrating hurdle. Conducting original historical research typically required traveling to distant archives, navigating cost-prohibitive interlibrary loans or adjusting a project’s scope based on access to sources. For students engaged in a senior honors thesis or a graduate seminar, these logistical barriers frequently stifled academic curiosity before research even began. As a result, scholarship was often limited to those with the resources to access specific geographic locations or well-funded departments.

UCSB Library has named Samuel Liu and Shirley Qiu as the recipients of the 2026 Library Award for Undergraduate Research (LAUR). This year’s winners were selected for their deep engagement with Library collections, services and resources, and their ability to produce high-quality, scholarly work. Liu will receive a first-place award of $750 and Qiu a second-place award of $500.

New Library Exhibition Celebrates 20th Anniversary of UCSB Reads 

UC Santa Barbara Library is celebrating the 20th anniversary of UCSB Reads, the University’s award-winning common book program, with a new exhibition, Creating Community Through Books: 20 Years of UCSB Reads.

UCSB Library is pleased to announce the recipients of the seventh annual Library Award for Undergraduate Research (LAUR).

Culminates multiyear effort to unite Library collections and services in central, state-of-the-art space

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. 

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

UC Santa Barbara Library is pleased to announce the much-anticipated opening of the new UCSB Makerspace on January 8. Located on the first floor, Ocean Side, of the Library, the Makerspace is open to all UCSB students, faculty, and staff for academic, research, or personal exploration.

B Arriaga was hired as the Library’s first Makerspace Student Assistant in spring of 2022 and transitioned to a limited-term Makerspace Assistant position after graduating in fall of 2022. As a queer and neurodivergent person, B was looking for a role that suited their talents and provided a welcoming and creative learning experience, both of which the position offered.