Redlands Experiences: Archival Materials

As we go about our days as students, faculty members or staff at Redlands, we are part of a continuum of people who have done similar things since the inception of our University, over 100 years ago. Each individual who has had a Redlands experience is a part of the collective story of our institution. Everyone comes from a different background, and brings their own perspective to the mix. That is what makes our story rich, and diverse.

Have you ever wondered what it was like to be a student at Redlands in a different era? What might students now and students in the 1930s have in common? How might their campus experiences be different? Recently, the archives of Armacost Library received a wonderful donation of photographic images taken by student Helen Frances Woodard, in the 1930s. In each photo, we see what Woodard’s perspective was. They act as a small window into the past, revealing a few clues that might help us explore these questions of similarity and difference more closely.

Woodard made these diminutive photos with a box camera. Many simple box cameras of the 1930s did not have a source of additional light like an internal flash mechanism, so taking photos outdoors, or in a very well lit indoor space yielded the best images. The images taken went on film inside the camera. The film went to a developing house, or people could develop the film themselves and print the photos out on paper, with a relatively simple system of chemicals and equipment. Think how we capture images with current technology, and compare it to what Woodard did. There is quite a difference!

Now, examine the images for yourself, and compare them to similar views you see each day on campus. Reflecting on the experiences of others can help us clarify our own, and give insight into the continuum, of which we are an important part. As you take selfies or post images to Instragram of SnapChat, take a few and print them out, so they will be around for future generations to enjoy, just as we are enjoying Woodard’s snaps.


Michele Nielsen
Armacost Library, Archivist Historian

Banned Books Week 2019

September 22 - 28 is Banned Books Week, a time in which we can celebrate our freedom to read!

The American Library Association's Office of Intellectual Freedom keeps track of challenges to books in the United States and has published the top ten banned and challenged books for 2018. Banned Book Week was launched in 1982 in response to a sudden surge in challenges to books in schools, bookstores, and libraries.

While a "challenge" is an attempt to remove or restrict access to material, a "ban" is the actual removal of material. Although the reasons for challenging materials are wide and varied, recent requests to remove books generally refer to violence, offensive language, sexually explicit content, religious viewpoint, or the representation of gender roles and gender identity.

Join us for the following Banned Books Week events:

Banned Books Event
When: Wednesday, September 25, 11:00am - 1:00pm
Where: CDI and Hunsaker Plaza
Choose a banned or challenged book at our table in Hunsaker Plaza, in front of the Commons. Take a picture with it. Make buttons featuring banned books! Visit the Center for Diversity and Inclusion (CDI) to hear audiobooks playing of banned titles and discover why they've been challenged or banned. 

Silence is Loud
When: Friday, September 27
1:30pm: Silent Reading
2:30pm: #BannedBooksWeek open mic
Where: Location TBD
Snacks, books, and bring your own blanket. 

Banned Books Exhibit
When: All week
Where: Library entrance, 2nd floor
The Armacost Library will highlight banned and challenged books.

Banned Books Week events are sponsored by Armacost Library, Center for Diversity & Inclusion, and Johnston Center for Integrative Studies.

Welcome to the Armacost Library and Learning Commons from the Director!

Hello University of Redlands Community, 

On behalf of the Armacost Library faculty and staff, I would like to welcome all students, faculty, and staff to a new academic year. I am thrilled to be your new Associate Provost and Director of the Armacost Library and Learning Commons. As I begin my first semester at the University of Redlands, I am looking forward to a year of discovery, learning, and meeting new people.  

Immediately upon arriving at the University of Redlands campus for my first day of work, I was delighted by the staff that I have the pleasure of working with each day. Over the the summer, our team was further enhanced with the addition of two new UofR staff members. Tiffany Chai and Matthew Diep became the newest members of our Access Services team this August. Tiffany is Circulation Supervisor and Matthew is Course Reserves Coordinator. While not new to the university or the library, Shana Higgins has moved to a new role as Instruction and Access Services Coordinator. We are also excited to have Michele Nielsen, University Historian and Archivist, and Teresa Letizia, Archives Assistant, join us on the library staff, after working for several years with Alumni and Community Relations. Finally, as part of the SFTS merger, Branch Librarian Stephanie Miller became a part of our team. Stephanie will continue to work closely with theology students on the Marin Campus. 

With our team in place, I’ve watched with excitement as campus has filled over the last couple of weeks. The Armacost Library and Learning Commons' librarians and staff are here to support you in all your information and research needs, whether you are looking for a good book or movie, accessing course readings, searching for articles in our database and journal subscriptions, or adding your scholarly works to InSpire. Our friendly and knowledgeable faculty librarians are here to help with your research questions, whether you are just getting started on identifying a topic for a paper, need help finding sources, or are struggling with how to format citations. We are available to work with you however works best for you, be it an online or in person one-on-one consultation appointment, dropping by the library day or night, chatting or emailing, or using a carefully cultivated research guide. Librarians also partner with faculty to teach research and information literacy in courses at all levels and in all disciplines. 

We invite you to learn from and enjoy the library’s many services and collections as you embark on your own year of discovery, trying new things, and making new friends. 

Och Tamale!

Annie Downey