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Dear Friends of UCLA Library,
As 2024 draws to a close, I find myself reflecting on the people, places and programs that have shaped this year.
I am especially proud of how UCLA Library serves as both a resource and a community for the more than 46,000 Bruins who are working towards their degrees and professional dreams. Our librarians and staff consistently equip students with the tools, resources and research instruction they need. In fact, last year alone, for example, the Library team conducted more than 25,000 reference sessions and nearly 30,000 students engaged with our programs in person and online.
The Library’s impact extends beyond graduation. We recently followed up with a group of alumni who, as students, participated in the UCLA Library Center for Primary Research and Training program. Tim Holland, an early CFPRT scholar who joined the program in 2005, is now an assistant professor at Emory University: “We got incredible library and archival training…so it’s not surprising that many of us went on to have real success.” A recent CFPRT scholar, Maggie Tarmey, is using the skills he learned in a role at UCLA Library – as the librarian for geography, maps and economics.
Donor support enabled us to expand vital programs including the UCLA Library Modern Endangered Archives Program, which – due to increased awareness of available resources – contributed to a remarkable 61 percent uptick in grant applications over last year. Locally, donor support powered the UCLA Film & Television Archive’s ability to organize a city-wide celebration of queer cinema(opens in a new tab) in partnership with four iconic venues across the city.
With your continued support, the Library is ready to build on these successes in 2025. It has been gratifying to meet my peer deans and academic leaders and hear how critical the Library is to their goals and priorities. Next year will bring new opportunities for collaboration across campus to enhance the ways we support students and faculty both in our libraries and in their classrooms, labs and studios. We’ve done a good job showing people where they plug into the Library; next year, we will help campus partners better understand how the Library plugs into their work. We look forward to doing even more to drive campus innovation and student success with your partnership.
Warm wishes for a joyful new year,
Athena N. Jackson
Norman and Armena Powell University Librarian
