Mission
UCI Libraries Special Collections & Archives serves the campus, local, and international communities by fostering curiosity and discovery through preservation, access, and education. We work to create an open atmosphere that nurtures cultural and knowledge exchange. We welcome everyone to participate and engage with our unique and rare materials.
Vision
UCI Libraries Special Collections & Archives strives to strengthen our collections, cultivate non-custodial partnerships, and enrich the UCI, Orange County, and global scholarly community. We aspire to curate and disseminate a cohesive mosaic of historical information, in response to critical scholarship and with an eye toward future generations. We seek to be at the heart of the global scholarly endeavor through community-centered partnerships, robust research support, and creative teaching and learning resources.
Values
- Care. We operate from a care-based approach in the ways we work with patrons and collections. We value accountability, commitment to professional standards and ethics, a holistic approach to teaching and learning, stewardship of collections, and quality service to our users.
- Curiosity. We are open to new ideas and are experimental in our endeavors in the preservation of and access to our materials, providing creative and innovative leadership in digital initiatives, collection management and descriptive practice, outreach, and open access to our collections.
- Community. As a highly collaborative team, we foster a culture of respect and continual improvement. We value accessibility, inclusivity, and equity in the partnerships we seek to sustain on campus, in the community, and around the world.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How do I register to use the collections? How do I get to your location?
- What do you collect today?
- What did you collect in the past?
- What does it mean to be community-centered?