SDSU
University Library Fiscal Year 2025-2026
Message from Leadership
Dear Donor, Thank you for your support of the University Library as we work with students, staff, and faculty to ensure that the SDSU community is prepared to meet the challenges of today’s information environment. In this report, you will see how your support helps us have a meaningful impact on student success, innovation in teaching and scholarship, and community engagement. True to SDSU’s place as an R1 institution, serving a diverse community while promoting international engagement, you will find stories about the value of library student employment, involvement across disciplines with technologies like podcasting, and partnerships with libraries and archives on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border. I am especially excited to share our collaboration with campus colleagues to support SDSU’s undergraduate research programs. Taken together, these stories demonstrate how a gift to the University Library truly has the potential to make an impact on students, faculty, and staff across SDSU. If you would like to learn more, please visit our website.
Scott Walter, MLS, Ph.D. Dean, University Library
Philanthropy
Propelling the SDSU Community Forward Endowed Library Excellence Fund “Preserving and Revealing Tijuana’s Past,” a collaboration between SDSU’s Library and Center for Regional Sustainability and Tijuana’s Instituto Municipal de Arte y Cultura, was nearly “orphaned” when its NEH grant was terminated. The collection documents the history, culture, politics, and development of Tijuana and the border region across the 19th and 20th centuries, providing valuable primary sources for students, scholars, and SDSU’s international learning initiatives. Our Digital Collections team digitized more than 50,000 photographs, slides, and maps and created bilingual English-Spanish metadata to make them discoverable and accessible on both sides of the border. When funding ended, thousands of digitized materials remained unavailable because they still required processing before they could be posted in the repository. A philanthropic gift enabled us to complete the project, preserving these works and making this unique collection available to researchers worldwide. Digital Collections Librarian Lisa Lamont was recognized for this work with an SDSU Faculty Global Engagement Award.
A selection of images from the library's Colecciones de Instituciones Mexicanas digital collection
Student Spotlight
Thriving in the Aztec Experience Isabella Hodges, Class of 2026 Class Level: Undergraduate Student College: Professional Studies and Fine Arts Major: Graphic Design Isabella knew that she needed a job when she arrived at SDSU as a freshman and was delighted when she was hired to work in the library’s Digital Collections area. This would be her very first paid employment, and she enjoyed it so much that she worked in the library throughout her undergraduate years at SDSU. Isabella says there were two reasons she stayed with the library for four years: the community and the projects. The collaboration among the Digital Collections team inspired her, and she was especially grateful to learn from a diverse group of students and library personnel. Her favorite project was helping to digitize the John and Jane Adams Postcards Collection, where she had the opportunity to learn about California history by looking at the images and reading the writers’ messages. As a graphic design student, she was also fascinated by the changes in typography and images over the years. With her recent graduation, Isabella is looking forward to pursuing a career in graphic design. She feels well-equipped to join the workforce, having learned how to set priorities, meet deadlines, and collaborate with others through her work at the library.
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[Isabella] feels well-equipped to join the workforce, having learned how to set priorities, meet deadlines, and collaborate with others through her work at the library.
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Points of Pride
Celebrating Shared Success Statistics of Interest 1,610,857 people visited the University Library. 2,888,517 books are available in the library collection, including print and digital materials. 181,403 digital items are held in the institutional repository. 11,916 students were taught through library classes, both in person and online. 10,874 reference questions were answered, both in person and online. 662 reservations were made for library podcast studios. More than 300 meetings and public events were held in library spaces. 9,154 reservations were made for single and group study rooms throughout the library, totaling a combined 14,897 hours of use. Recent Highlights Comics “Scholars in Residence”: The Library continues its award-winning collaboration with the College of Arts and Letters as part of the Center for Comics Studies (CCS), including co-hosting the fall 2025 visit by the CCS Scholar-in-Residence and Artist-in-Residence. Together with Comic Arts Librarian Pamela Jackson, these leaders in the field offered a special section of HIST 157, Comics and History, designed around the library’s world-class collection of comic books and other graphic art. Prison Book Project: In 2024, the American Library Association issued new Standards for Library Services for the Incarcerated and Detained, which document the critical role that libraries play in the lives of incarcerated individuals and their families. These themes were also reflected in the work of Senator Adam Schiff, D-CA, who introduced two related bills in 2026: the Prison Libraries Act and the Rehabilitation Through Reading Act. Through its recently launched Prison Books Project, the University Library, led by Social Sciences and Data Librarian Rayyon Robinson and in collaboration with the College of Professional Studies and Fine Arts, is matching books donated to the project with requests from incarcerated individuals and making a distinctive library contribution to SDSU’s broader commitment to promoting education in prisons. Last year, students in the SDSU Criminal Justice program helped fulfill requests from incarcerated people by packing and shipping 190 books. Plans are already underway for next year’s effort.
Library Reach
1.6M+ visitors, 2.8M+ books (print and digital), and 11,916 students taught through library classes (in-person and online).
Faculty and Staff Achievements
Lisa Lamont, MLIS Title: Librarian Emerita College: University Library Achievement: Honored with a Faculty Global Engagement Award for Outstanding Transborder Librarianship by SDSU’s Office of International Affairs. Lamont (pictured right, on the left) was recognized for her leadership of the Colecciones de Instituciones Mexicanas initiative, a landmark collaboration between SDSU and libraries, archives, and museums in Mexico, including the Biblioteca de Investigación Juan de Córdova (BIJC), Biblioteca Francisco de Burgoa, Archivo General del Estado de Oaxaca, and Archivo Histórico de Tijuana. Originally conceived to support the SDSU Oaxaca Center for Mesoamerican Studies, the project has grown into an enduring model of transborder collaboration and cultural preservation. In selecting Lamont for the award, Cristina Alfaro (pictured right, on the right), associate vice president for International Affairs, cited “the remarkable impact of [Lamont’s] leadership in advancing transborder engagement and binational collaboration” at SDSU. Nearly 45,000 archival images, more than 29,000 pages of 19th-century newspapers, and more than 400 publications in the Indigenous languages of Mexico have been digitized, described, and made freely accessible through SDSU’s digital repository. These efforts have transformed access to materials that were once difficult to locate, use, or preserve, ensuring that invaluable historical and cultural resources are available to scholars, students, and communities worldwide. As Lamont noted, “That’s tens of thousands of pieces of history that might have been lost ... now accessible to the world.” Lamont accepted the Faculty Global Engagement Award on behalf of the Digital Collections team, including Erik Beck, Matt Ferrill, and Devan McGirr, emphasizing that the work depends on collaboration across institutions and borders. “When we do that,” she said, “we’re not just digitizing materials; we’re expanding access and preserving culture.” Most importantly, she added, “We’re allowing history to belong to everyone.” Lamont retired in April 2026, and this award was a fitting tribute to her impact at SDSU and beyond.
Faculty and Staff Achievements
Patrick Flanigan, MLIS Title: Digital Humanities Center Programs & Operations Specialist College: University Library Achievement: Honored with the Presidential Staff Excellence Award for Innovation and Creativity. Flanigan has been a member of the library staff for 10 years and has worked in the Digital Humanities Center for the past three. The award recognizes his work there, especially his work to increase podcasting capabilities. Since joining the DHC, he has added five new state-of-the-art podcasting studios, increasing usage more than 300% over the last three years. Library Dean Scott Walter notes that DHC services have “proven to be an appealing and accessible approach to instructional innovation, building on the broader embrace of podcasting as an avenue for creative expression and the dissemination of popular, professional, and scholarly information. Patrick has been essential to our ability to meet the demand for these services and to provide direct support for instructional innovation, interdisciplinary scholarship, and creative activity throughout the university.” Pamella Lach, Digital Humanities Librarian and Digital Humanities Center Director, said, “Patrick is an essential staff person in the Library, someone who toils endlessly to create meaningful and transformative experiences for our faculty, staff, and students. He embodies innovation and creativity in everything he does, and I cannot imagine the DH Center functioning without him. He has left an indelible mark on every person who has had the good fortune to learn from him.” Flanigan said, “I am truly honored and appreciative to have been nominated and to win this award. I find it very rewarding working in the Digital Humanities Center with Pam Lach and the DH community, as it allows me to collaborate and utilize my DIY/Punk Rock background to meet the needs of our students, faculty and staff,” Flanigan said. “When I'm helping them overcome creative challenges, it never feels like work, and I feel very lucky to have found such a place and position at SDSU that fits me so well.”
Featured Areas
Supporting Student Research Undergraduate research is one of the “high-impact practices” identified by the American Association of Colleges & Universities as providing “significant educational benefits for students who participate in them,” and student research at all levels is a distinctive characteristic of education at an “R1” university like SDSU. As one home for interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary research at SDSU, the University Library takes an active role in supporting student research, as well as innovative approaches to teaching, scholarship, and creative activity found across the university. Both through signature programs like the SDSU Student Symposium (S3) and SDSU Grad Slam, and through more focused initiatives such as the Black Research Symposium, Native and Indigenous Research and Arts Symposium, and Pride Research Symposium, the library provides direct support for student research, as well as a home for the products of that research, including posters, papers, culminating projects, theses, and dissertations. This year, more than 700 students participated in S3, including the winners of this year’s Library Research Award: Daniela Hernandez and Elizabeth Nguyen, both from the College of Education. The award is given by SDSU librarians to students whose symposium research projects “[demonstrate] effective use of library resources, collections, and services, including printed resources, databases, primary resources, media materials, and research consultations.” Nguyen said, “SDSU librarians have been instrumental in streamlining my research workflow and enhancing both the depth and organization of my literature review. The SDSU Library has been foundational to my research journey, strengthening both the rigor of my work and my development as an independent scholar.” In addition to providing research support services, the library supported student participation by offering free poster printing, printing 231 posters for students participating in S3. Library faculty and staff look forward to continuing collaboration with colleagues in the Division of Research and Innovation and the Division of Student Affairs and Campus Diversity on these important opportunities to support, host, highlight, and promote the discovery and use of student scholarship produced at SDSU.
S3 Library Award Winner Elizabeth Nguyen with Library Dean Scott Walter
Featured Areas
Podcasting Continues to Grow in Popularity at the Digital Humanities Center According to the Pew Research Center, podcasts are an increasingly large part of many U.S. adults' everyday lives, with 39% of adults under the age of 50 identifying podcasts as a significant source of news. At SDSU, our home for podcasting is the Digital Humanities Center (DHC). The DHC brings students and faculty together to study digital technologies and culture, employ computational practices in research and teaching, and reflect upon the impact of the digital on our lives. Since its return to in-person programming following the COVID-19 pandemic, the DHC has seen tremendous growth in its programs. Pam Lach, digital humanities librarian and DHC director, notes a sharp rise in DH instruction requests, as faculty seek to experiment in the classroom, responding, in part, to the rise of generative AI. Across the disciplines, faculty are pursuing critical-creative assignments that encourage students to think carefully about their relationship with technology while also honing technology skills. The DHC celebrates projects each year at its annual Showcase. Reflecting the trends suggested by Pew, demand for podcasting instruction increased by more than 300% in recent years. More courses incorporate podcasting into their assignments, from undergraduate classes in journalism and media studies to doctoral classes in community college leadership. The DHC also supports use beyond the classroom, including hosting podcasts such as the Faculty Futures Lab, produced with the Center for Teaching and Learning. To support increased activity, the DHC now has five professional-grade podcasting studios. Patrick Flanigan, programs and operations specialist, is instrumental to SDSU podcasting, offering technical expertise and creative guidance. His efforts were recognized in 2025 with the Presidential Staff Excellence Award for Innovation and Creativity, with Professor Jessica Pressman (English and Comparative Literature) noting that his support helped her to “[teach] new classes and [offer] old classes in new ways.” Flanigan also leads the work of student employees who gain valuable skills in communication, customer service, technology training, and event management while assisting with podcasting appointments and ongoing instructional and public programs offered through the DHC.
Patrick Flanigan (blue cap) sets up a group of students so they can create a podcast.
Endowments
Empowering Aztecs for Generations Endowments (Active) Adams Library Endowment Africana Studies Collection Endowment Alan J. Gruber Endowment Albert W. and Susan G. Johnson Endowment Charles S. Luby and Robin B. Luby Endowment for Library Excellence Crouch Library Endowment Edward E. Marsh Golden Age of Science Fiction Endowment Eleanor Kingsbury Endowment Elisabeth Kenney Ecke Endowment Environmental Resources Endowment Friends of Library Book Endowment Friends of the Library Rare Books Endowment Friends of the Library Unrestricted Endowment George and Judith Sunga Special Collections Endowment Hartung Japanese Library Endowment
Helen Johnson Endowment J.L. and Joann Tanzer Endowment for Art Education James and Cecelia Allen Endowment Jerome M. Sattler Endowment John M. and Barbara M. Hood Library Endowment Josephson Family Children’s Endowment Judaic Materials Endowment Kit Sickels Endowment Library and information Access Professional Development and Research Endowment Library Materials Endowment Louis A. Kenney Endowment Mary Gleason McLeod Memorial Endowment Math and Engineering Education Endowment Norland History of Biology Endowment The Peoples Temple Collection Endowment Tom and Marilyn Ross Library Endowment Vencil T. Meades Endowment
To learn more, please contact Tammy T. Blevins at tblevins@sdsu.edu
Thank you for your generous support.
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