Our Town
Story and photos by Joanne Calitri
Joanne is a professional international photographer and journalist. Contact her at: jcalitri_internationalphoto@yahoo.com
UCSB Library’s Celebratory Opening
The official ribbon-cutting ceremony at the UCSB Library grand opening (from left) Denise Stephens, Henry T. Yang, David Marshall, Marc Fisher, Aaron Jones and Jimmy Villareal
Post-performance and in front of the art installation “LAMENT” by Montecito artist Nancy Gifford at the grand opening (from left): Theater and Dance department vice chair Christina McCarthy, Nancy Gifford, and music student Heena Yoon
James Joyce III and Elijah Ettenger present UCSB Chancellor Yang and librarian Denise Stephens with a plaque commemorating the opening
T
he sun cleared the way through our recent El Niño weather for the grand opening of the long-awaited UCSB Library on January 13, hosted by UCSB chancellor Henry T. Yang and librarian Denise Stephens. The ceremonies started outside the library entrance featuring its new addition. Seating filled quickly with more than 200 guests, including SB County sheriff Bill Brown, Goleta mayor Jim Farr, Goleta City Council member and past mayor Michael T. Bennett, UCSB chief of police Dustin Olson, UC Santa Barbara Foundation trustees Michael and Anne Towbes, James Joyce III Deputy District director for state Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson, field representative Elijah Ettenger from assembly member Das Williams’s office, Marc Fisher UCSB vice chancellor for Administrative Services and campus architect, members of the UCSB Board of Regents, UCSB academic chairs and faculty representing all departments and students. The program opened with the UCSB’s Theater and Dance department’s performance titled “Four Corners” choreographed by vice chair Christina McCarthy and accompanied by live music “Trio Per Uno” composed by Nebojsa Jovan Zivkovic, UCSB music department. Ms. Stephens welcomed the attendees by stating: “I started my position in 2011 at the same time the planning for the new library was taking place. It’s wonderful to see it come to fruition with the library now housing all department libraries, with some departments still moving in. Since its inception in 1954, the UCSB library is a living, organic environment of intellectual and cultural engagement. It is
42 MONTECITO JOURNAL
a place to discover, access, utilize, and create research.” She went on to share that the new addition and renovations meet the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards in architecture, houses new technological innovations, more faculty and student study and lounge areas, art installations, and more with 24/7 access for students and faculty. In closing, she quoted Shelby Foote (North Carolina Libraries, Vol. 51-54, 1993), “A university is just a group of buildings gathered around a library. The library is the university.” Chancellor Yang spoke about the library as the heart, soul, and lifeblood of UCSB and scholars around the world. Using personal anecdotes, he shared how important it is for everyone to have a library card and to keep the card with them at all times. “in my first visit to the library, I found Einstein’s 1921 Noble Prize paper but was unable to check it out, as I did not have a library card,” he said. “My wife, Dilling, and I enjoy going to the library and visiting the students studying at 12 am, but again we forgot our library cards, so we now have them and I wish to thank the student who was checking for cards at the entrance to make certain the integrity of admittance to our library is maintained! It is a phenomenal building; we welcome it as a bright future for our campus.” Other speakers’ highlights included executive vice chancellor David Marshall, who said, “Both physically and symbolically, the university library sits at the crossroads of our academic community, of tradition and innovation.” Jimmy Villareal UCSB Associated Students president, “We
all connect to the library as a student here, and thank you for the addition of 1,800 new electrical outlets! The UCSB library’s learning commons has been voted the recipient of the 2016 Senior Class Gift. The present will come in the form of a combination of high-tech study resources including a dedicated 3-D printer,” and Aaron Jones Graduate Students Association president, who invited everyone to a new concept: “The addiction to truth, acquisition of knowledge, and to finding our own individual answers to questions posed in the classrooms and in our lives.” Joyce III and Ettenger presented Chancellor Yang and Stephens with a plaque commemorating the opening of the renovated library. Following the ribbon-cutting ceremony, guests were welcomed to tour the library. Upon entering, one noticed that it still maintained that wonderful familiar scent of books and formalities. Amid the students already inside who were researching, studying, and communing, there were Gauchocolored cupcakes, lemonade, and iced tea for the guests. The first art installation in the library is from Montecito artist Nancy Gifford. Her 32-foot-long x 10 foot-high piece, titled LAMENT, drew much attention, so much so, that students from the UCSB Theater and Dance department inspired by the work created a special performance in front of it during the opening.
• The Voice of the Village •
McCarthy choreographed the dance, “For The Love of Books”, with music composed by student Heena Yoon titled “From Your Old Bookshelves”. The comment book contained poignant notes of appreciation in many languages from the students. Gifford said, “LAMENT was initially conceived for an exhibition titled Requiem for the Bibliophile, for the Museum of Contemporary Art SB curated by J.V. Decimvirale and Miki Garcia. It contains more than 2,000 antique book covers. Now that it presides over the library study area it seems to have taken on a new life... transformed from a Requiem to a Celebration of the book in its new setting. It seems the students agree and are enthusiastic about its looming presence. The best part about having it in Santa Barbara is that I can visit it and keep adding to it as I am moved to do, including a small memoriam to David Bowie next time I am there, and others who have contributed their art to our lives.” In addition to this wonderful acknowledgement of her work, a group of guests at the opening have written to the UCSB Library to maintain her piece as a permanent installation. The library is also open to non-students, and special library cards can be purchased for a nominal annual fee. Congratulations to UCSB and our town. 411: www.library.ucsb.edu
•MJ
21 – 28 January 2016