University Library
In support of the Envision UCSC Goal: Student Success, during summer 2016, the University Library initiated the Science & Engineering Collection Project:
What is the Science & Engineering Collection project?
Can I still access all of the books and journals that I need?
How did the library decide which print materials to keep onsite?
What happened to the books removed from the library?
How does the collection project relate to the construction in S&E?
Are there construction plans I can see?
How can faculty & students provide input to the building plans?
What is the Science & Engineering Collection project?
The project is step one in part of our larger goal to create a space that strongly supports student success in the sciences and engineering fields. During Summer 2016, the Library created much needed open and accessible space for our growing student population by removing duplicated and low use print materials from the Science & Engineering Library.
Can I still access all of the books and journals that I need?
Yes! The highest use items are still in the Science & Engineering Library on the lower level of the building. Most of our journal subscriptions are available online. Many of our books are also available online as eBooks. You can access online books and journals directly through Library Search either on campus or remotely using the campus VPN.
Additionally, as a member of the University of California community, you have access to the circulating print collections of all of the other UC libraries. Needed materials not held on site or online are available through Interlibrary Loan from UC campus libraries or libraries outside of the UC system.
How did the library decide which print materials to keep onsite?
The library collects data about use of the collection:
For the Science & Engineering Collection project, we used the data described above and kept on site: titles with recent usage, titles unique to the UC libraries and/or libraries in the world, recently published/purchased titles, titles on reserve and in the Science & Engineering protect collections. 40% of the titles remain on site. The library has no plans to further reduce the print collection and is adding print titles and online titles every year.
What happened to the books removed from the library?
Materials that had recent usage and/or were recently purchased were relocated on the lower level of the Science & Engineering Library. Rare and unique materials were moved to UCSC Special Collections in McHenry Library. Reserves and Protect Collection items were not part of the project are located behind the S&E circulation service desk.
Some of the removed titles were sent to shared print archives to ensure that they are preserved and available for scholars into the future. Titles from the Science & Engineering collection project went to the following shared print archives:
Low use titles that were already held in print archives, held in the UC Libraries print storage facilities (NRLF & SRLF) or duplicated in multiple UC libraries and beyond, were recycled.
How does the collection project relate to the construction in S&E?
The S&E collection project was conducted in response to a serious deficit of student study space on campus. The University Library is engaged in a long-term fundraising campaign to renovate the S&E Library to create a space that supports faculty, and strongly supports student success in the sciences and engineering fields.
The consolidation of the S&E collection onto the lower level gave us the opportunity to reimagine the upper level as a space entirely devoted to group and individual study. We were fortunate to receive a $5 million gift from an anonymous donor to jump start the renovation and to honor the career of Sandra Faber, professor emerita of astronomy and astrophysics. Construction is scheduled to commence in the summer of 2019 and conclude early in 2020. For more information, please see the Science & Engineering Library renovation guide.
Are there construction plans I can see?
Plans for renovating the S&E Library have not been drawn up. A renovation study was done in December of 2014 to address the infrastructural issues of the building and offer possibilities for programming. The renovation study does not reflect any actual plans for the space.
In addition to the renovation study, the University Library collaborated with Capital Planning and Space Management to complete a business case analysis for the proposed renovation. The University of California Office of the President requires such an analysis for all major capital projects to assess the benefits and risks of proceeding with a project as well as those associated with not proceeding with it.
How can faculty & students provide input to the building plans?
In November 2017, CP/EVC Tromp and UL Cowell charged the Science & Engineering Library Space Planning Advisory Task Force to develop guiding principles for the renovation of the library and to make recommendations regarding temporary space requests. The task force included members of the faculty, students, a library representative, and STEM student success stakeholders. The task force delivered its recommendations and completed its charge in June 2018. The master architect for the renovation project has been provided with the task force report.
As the renovation project moves into programming and design phases, the library will seek additional input from students and faculty in a variety of formats.
The land on which we gather is the unceded territory of the Awaswas-speaking Uypi Tribe. The Amah Mutsun Tribal Band, comprised of the descendants of indigenous people taken to missions Santa Cruz and San Juan Bautista during Spanish colonization of the Central Coast, is today working hard to restore traditional stewardship practices on these lands and heal from historical trauma.
The land acknowledgement used at UC Santa Cruz was developed in partnership with the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band Chairman and the Amah Mutsun Relearning Program at the UCSC Arboretum.
Santa Cruz, CA