UC Davis Library Centennial: 1908-2008
Online Exhibit
In 1908, the library of the Davis campus began as a single room monitored by the stenographer/bookkeeper of the University Farm Creamery. It housed bulletins and textbooks, and the books sent from the main library at Berkeley. In the years before World War I, the librarian also served as registrar for the Farm and occasionally taught English. In 1924, the Library occupied two rooms on the first floor, west end of the Classroom Building and housed 1,840 titles, mostly bulletins, circulars and reports from the U.S.D.A.
In 2008, the University Library of the Davis campus occupies four buildings — Shields Library, Physical Science and Engineering Library, Carlson Health Sciences Library, and Blaisdell Medical Library — and holds more than 3 million titles. Over the last one hundred years, librarians and library staff have created an academic resource that has served the campus, the larger academic community, and the general public.
Archives and Special Collections
UC Davis Library Centennial Timeline
- Over the course of a century the UCD University Library has grown from a ready reference collection for farmers and scientists to a world-class research library, with more than 3 million volumes covering a wider range of disciplines and programs than any other campus in the UC system.
- 1908
- 1913
- 1915
- 1916
- 1922
- 1924
-
- Library holds 1,840 volumes.
- Nelle U. Branch became Librarian.
- 1925
-
- Formal arrangement for the ordering of books on approval was established.
- Periodicals room was opened.
- Reserve book system was set up.
- 1926
- 1932
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- Art reproductions lent by the California State Library to decorate the Library walls.
- 1938
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- Classroom Building condemned. Library occupied five rooms. Students formed human chain to move the collection to temporary quarters in the Recreation Building behind West Hall.
- 1940
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- New Library/Administration building was completed (current north wing). The new Library had twenty-five employees: three librarians, eight library assistants, and fourteen FTE students.
- 1943
- 1948
- 1950
-
- Veterinary holdings transferred from UC Berkeley to Davis.
- Aerial view of the Library ca 1950.
- 1951
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- J. Richard Blanchard became University Librarian.
- Microforms were made available.
- Agricultural Economics Library was established.
- Library held 72,105 volumes in June 1951 according to the 1950-1951 Annual Report.
- 1955
-
- New stack addition built.
- 1956
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- Veterinary Medicine Library was established in room next to the Dean’s office in Haring Hall.
- 1957
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- Library course in bibliographic research offered.
- Food Technology holdings were transferred from UC Berkeley to Davis.
- 1958
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- C.K. Ogden Library was purchased: Davis’ share included a second folio of Shakespeare’s works.
- Air conditioning was installed in the main library.
- Agricultural and Resource Economics Library moves to Voorhies Hall.
- 1959
- 1961
- 1964
-
- Library’s east wing was added.
- Government Documents Department was established.
- 1965
-
- Rare books were transferred from Loan Desk to Reference Department.
- Library Associates formed.
- 1966
-
- 400,000th book — Principia Philosophiae by Descartes — was acquired.
- University Archives was established.
- Veterinary Medicine Library became Health Sciences Library with founding of School of Medicine.
- Special Collections Department (rare books, archives, and the Higgins collection) was created.
- Serials Department was formed.
- Collection Development Department was established.
- 1967
- 1968
- 1969
-
- Library became a member of the Association of Research Libraries.
- 1970
- 1971
- 1972
-
- Remote Searching of Medline database was operational in Health Sciences Library.
- 1973
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- University Library named for Judge Peter J. Shields.
- Library began formal participation in the Mountain Valley Library System.
- Library’s first oral history was completed by Ben Madson.
- 1974
- 1975
-
- Library held 1.2 million volumes.
- 1976
-
- Automated circulation system was installed.
- Library held 1.4 million volumes.
- Typewriters commonly used in Shields Library.
- 1977
-
- University of California Library Plan was presented.
- New Health Sciences Library was opened.
- Automated cataloging of new materials began.
- 1978
-
- Library held 1.5 million volumes.
- 1979
-
- Biological/Agricultural Sciences Reference Department was established.
- Acquisition of Gary Snyder’s papers began.
- 1980
-
- UC Davis became a member of the Research Libraries Group.
- 1981
-
- Michael and Margaret B. Harrison Western Research Center became part of the University Library.
- Conservation and Preservation Department created.
- 1982
-
- Library received Higher Education Act (Title II-C) grant to catalog the F. Hal Higgins Collection
- 1983
- 1984
-
- Northern Regional Library Facility opened.
- William F. McCoy became acting University Librarian.
- Health Sciences Library was named for Loren D. Carlson.
- C.C. Kohler collection of British Poetry acquired.
- 1985
- 1986
- 1987
- 1988
-
- Ground-breaking ceremonies are held for west wing of Peter J. Shields Library.
- Automated acquisitions system (Innopac) was installed.
- 1989
- 1990
-
- Library’s west wing opened.
- Paul H. DeBach Papers collection was acquired.
- F.H. King manuscript was acquired.
- 1991
-
- Automated public catalog system (DRA) was installed.
- “American Farm” exhibit was acquired. The photographic panels that decorate the walls of Shields Library were an exhibit originally mounted by the California Historical Society.
- Chinese Cookbooks collection was acquired.
- 1994
- 1996
- 1998
-
- The British Women Romantic Poets Project began to identify and make accessible on the Internet the works of women poets. The Kohler Collection served as the main source for texts by women poets writing between 1789 and 1832.
- 1999
-
- Library Instruction Lab built for hands-on teaching of electronic catalog and databases.
- Sacramento Union Archives were acquired.
- 2000
- 2001
- 2002
-
- UC Davis Libraries implement Ex Libris’ Aleph, the library’s first truly fully integrated library system.
- Library received an LSTA grant to catalog and prepare a finding aid for the Gary Snyder Papers.
- 2003
-
- UC Davis ranked in the top third of the more than 120 academic and research libraries in North America.
- Library held 3 million volumes.
- Colby E. “Babe” Slater Collection was acquired.
- 2005
-
- Michael and Margaret B. Harrison Western History Center, an internationally known Western Americana library was added.
- 2006
- 2007
- 2008
Images (unless otherwise credited) are the property of the Regents of the University of California; no part may be reproduced or used without permission of the Department of Special Collections.
Library Technology
Technology has always played an important part in the UC Davis library and on the UC Davis campus. Technology underpins how library materials are acquired, preserved and made accessible to users. For much of the last century, library technology remained static and paper-based. With the advent of computers and the Internet, technology has radically changed how library staff and the campus use the library. Discover how technology has changed in the UC Davis library over the past century, from paper card catalogs to the Next-Generation Melvyl pilot and state-of-the-art instruction facilities.
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Display of the title “College and Research Libraries” from card catalog, used from the beginning of the 20th century until automation in the early 1990s. |
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Screenshot of the title “College and Research Libraries” from telnet library catalog, still in limited use but mainly used from the 1980s-1990s. |
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Screenshot of the title “College and Research Libraries” from Harvest library catalog, the UC Davis automated library catalog used since 2002. |
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Card catalog card from Shields Library. |
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Job Backer/Combination press from Margaret Harrison. Used to hold books together during repair or binding. From Shields Library Preservation Department. |
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Standing press from Margaret Harrison. Used for bookbinding and repair. From Shields Library Preservation Department. |
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Union list of serials published by Library of Congress, which stopped publishing them in 1999. From Shields Library. |
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Typewriter commonly used in Shields Library before the proliferation of personal computer workstations. |
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Laptop from Shields Library, circa 1988. |
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ARIEL workstation currently used in Shields Interlibrary Loan office to fulfill requests for book chapters and articles from the library’s collections. |
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University Librarian J. Richard Blanchard and Chancellor Emil M. Mrak examine the microwave dish that will make material in a major library available everywhere. |
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Christie Biagi, a senior at Davis; Gerald Newton, library systems analyst, Richard Blanchard, university librarian; and Emil Mrak check the quality of the work produced by the high speed Xerox LDX telefacsimile machine. |
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Paper order records from Shields Library Acquisitions Department. |
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Card sorter from Shields Library. These were used to keep track of card catalog cards before filing. |
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A collection of stamps from Shields Library Acquisitions Department. |
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Kardex from Shields Library Serials Department. This housed paper check-in cards for all of the library’s subscriptions. |
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Card catalog from Shields Library. |
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Kardex check-in card for the title “California Winelands.” |
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Challenge guillotine used for cutting large stacks of paper or books. From Shields Library Preservation Department. |
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Sewing frame from Margaret Harrison. Used to hold book pages as they are sewn together. From Shields Library Preservation Department. |
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Kwikprint (circa 1923) from Margaret Harrison. Used for stamping. From Shields Library Preservation Department. |
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Nipping press from Margaret Harrison. Used for pressing pages into books. From Shields Library Preservation Department. |
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Type case used to store individual letters and numbers for printing. From Shields Library Preservation Department. |
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Finishing tools from Margaret Harrison. Used to make decoraitve or finishing stamps on the binding and pages of books. From Shields Library Preservation Department. |
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Book cloths from Margaret Harrison. Used for mending books. From Shields Library Preservation Department. |
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Victorian bookcloths from the 1830s. From Shields Library Preservation Department. |
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Hickok Board shear from Margaret Harrison. Used to cut heavy boards. From Shields Library Preservation Department. |
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Sad irons from Margaret Harrison. Used as weights for books being repaired. From Shields Library Preservation Department. |
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Part of the first shelflist document, an inventory of materials in the early UC Davis library. |
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UC Davis faculty, staff and students can request book chapters and articles electronically using the UC e-links request system. |
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UC Davis Special Collections makes digitized finding aids available at the Online Archive of California, as well as a large selection of scanned images and documents. |
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The new University of California Libraries Next-Generation Melvyl Pilot, which contains records for holdings at all ten UC campuses and libraries all over the world. In addition, the pilot’s holdings include articles from selected databases, UC books digitized by Google and materials from the Online Archive of California, UC eScholarship Repository, and UC Press. |
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An example of a search on the Next-Generation Melvyl Pilot, with options to limit by format, author, year or topic. |
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Shields Library offers workstations to UC Davis faculty, staff and students, as well as the general public. These workstations allow users to access UC Davis’ library catalog, as well as the UC systemwide holdings in the Melvyl catalog, and thousands of databases and electronic resources. |
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Wireless access is available in Shields Library, as well as the Physical Sciences and Engineering, Carlson Health Sciences and Blaisdell Medical Libraries. |
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An Informational & Educational Technology computer lab in Shields Library offers limited free printing for UC Davis students, as well as access to Microsoft Office, Internet Explorer and Firefox. |
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The Library Instruction Laboratory in Shields Library is a hands-on instruction lab with workspace for 25 students, and two instructor stations. The lab includes a color printer networked to all the workstations, a visual presenter and digital recording equipment for podcasting. |
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Blaisdell Medical Library in Sacramento has state-of-the-art facilities including video screens for announcements. |
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Workstations at Blaisdell Medical Library in Sacramento, where users can access UC Davis and UC systemwide holdings as well as databases, electronic journals and other electronic resources for research. |
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Collaboration rooms at Blaisdell Medical Library, where users can reserve rooms for multimedia presentations, telephone and video conference calling and SMART board interactive whiteboard technology. |
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A librarian at Blaisdell Medical Library demonstrates the interactive whiteboard technology during a research consultation session. |
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GIS (geographic information system) workstations in Shields Library, where users can access ArcGIS Desktop 9.2 software for spatial data research. A Map/GIS librarian is available for assistance in using these technologies. |
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The 11″ x 17″ color scanner is available for maps and aerial photography in conjunction with the GIS workstations. |
Images (unless otherwise credited) are the property of the Regents of the University of California; no part may be reproduced or used without permission of the Department of Special Collections.
Library Buildings and Facilities
The UC Davis University Library consists of the Peter J. Shields Library, the Physical Sciences & Engineering Library, the Carlson Health Sciences Library, and the Blaisdell Medical Library in Sacramento. The library buildings and facilities have gone through a number of changes to address the needs of the growing campus. Here you will see the timeline covering the construction of the various library buildings that make up the UC Davis University Library.
Early Buildings that housed the Library
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Creamery Building, 1908-1915 |
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Classroom Building, 1915-1938 |
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Old Rec Hall, 1938-1940 |
Shields Library (1940-present)
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Library Administration, 1940-present |
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East Wing, 1964-present |
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South Wing, 1967-present |
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West Entrance, 1990-present |
Agricultural and Resource Economics Library (1951-present)
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Voorhies Hall, 1958-1994 |
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1994-present |
Physical Sciences and Engineering Library (1971-present)
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1971-present |
Loren D. Carlson Health Sciences Library (1977-present)
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Surge II, 1966 |
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Medical Sciences 1B, 1977-present |
F. William Blaisdell, M.D., Medical Library (1929-present)
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Professional Building, 1974-2000 |
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Redwood Building, 2000-2006 |
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Blaisdell Medical Library Building, 2006-present |
Library Collections and Resources
- 1924
-
- Library holds 1,840 volumes.
- Nelle U. Branch became Librarian.
- Nelle Branch came to Davis in 1924 to become its first professional librarian. The Library occupied two rooms on the first floor, west end of the Classroom Building and housed 1,840 titles, mostly bulletins, circulars and reports from the U.S.D.A. Over the course of her 27-year career she built the collection to more than 80,000 volumes, implemented the Library of Congress cataloging system, established extensive serials holdings in agriculture, animal science and veterinary medicine, apiculture, and viticulture and enology. She also set up the Periodicals Reading Room and the reserve book system. After she retired in 1951, she lived in Davis and was active in the Davis Library Club and Library Associates.
- 1926
-
- Library cataloging changed from Dewey to Library of Congress call numbers.
- 1950
-
- Veterinary holdings transferred from UC Berkeley to Davis.
- Aerial view of the Library ca 1950
-
Aerial view of the Library ca 1950
-
- 1951
-
- Library held 72,105 volumes in June 1951 according to the 1950-1951 Annual Report.
- 1956
-
- Veterinary Medicine Library was made a branch of the library system.
- 1957
-
- Food Technology holdings are transferred from UC Berkeley to Davis.
- 1958
- 1959
- 1961
- 1964
-
- Government Documents Department is established.
- 1965
-
- Rare books are transferred from Loan Desk to Reference Department.
- Library Associates formed.
- 1966
-
- 400,000th book — Principia Philosophiae by Descartes — is acquired.
- University Archives is established.
- Veterinary Medicine Library became Health Sciences Library with founding of School of Medicine.
- Special Collections Department (rare books, archives, and the Higgins collection) is created.
- Collection Development Department is established.
- Construction of the library’s south wing ca 1966
- 1967
- 1970
-
- 750,000th book — Compendius Dictionary of the English Language by Noah Webster — was acquired.
- Medical Center Library was established at UC Davis Medical Center.
- 1974
- 1975
-
- Library holds 1.2 million volumes.
- 1976
-
- Library holds 1.4 million volumes.
- 1978
-
- Library holds 1.5 million volumes.
- 1979
-
- Biological/Agricultural Sciences Reference Department was established.
- Acquisition of Gary Snyder’s papers begins.
- 1980
-
- UC Davis became a member of the Research Libraries Group.
- 1981
-
- Michael and Margaret B. Harrison Western Research Center became part of the University Library.
- Conservation and Preservation Department created.
- 1986
-
- 2,000,000th book — L’agriculture et maison rustique by Charles Estienne — was acquired.
- Nikolai P. Prokopovich Collection acquired.
Geologist for the US Bureau of Reclamation. Reports, memoranda, photographs and books relating to the California Central Canal, subsidence, and hydrocompaction. First major California water collection.
- 1987
-
- Endowment created the Margaret B. Harrison Preservation Department.
- 1988
-
- Kenneth Kew Collection acquired.
Wine merchant for Draper Esquine in San Francisco. Kew had been a student at UCD. The papers followed his career from his student days until his retirement.
- Kenneth Kew Collection acquired.
- 1989
-
- J. G. P. (Jacques Gohorry, Parisien). Devis sur la vigne. 1576
First French vernacular book relating to wine.
- J. G. P. (Jacques Gohorry, Parisien). Devis sur la vigne. 1576
- 1990
-
- Paul H. DeBach Papers acquired.
DeBach’s pioneering work in the field of integrated pest management and in the biological control of insect pests and weeds supports our collecting in entomology and organic farming. This was an instance of cooperation with UC Riverside (custodian of the collection) and the Entomological Society of America, Pacific Branch (scholarly group) in moving the collection to UC Davis where it could be more readily used. - King, F. H.
Observations on crop and soil management methods and practices in China, Manchuria, Korea and Japan. Typed notes and original photographs taken in the field for the author’s book, Farmers of forty centuries.
- Paul H. DeBach Papers acquired.
- 1991
-
- “American Farm” exhibit acquired.
The photographic panels that decorate the walls of Shields Library were an exhibit originally mounted by the California Historical Society. - Chinese Cookbooks collection acquired.
Gardner Pond and Peter Hertzman donated their collections of Chinese cookbooks in English. This became the first collection searchable by provenance on MELVYL.
- “American Farm” exhibit acquired.
- 1994
-
- Eastman’s Originals Collection acquired.
First image database created by the Library. - Japanese American Citizens League-Florin oral histories acquired.
Cooperated with CSU Sacramento to provide MARC cataloging.
- Eastman’s Originals Collection acquired.
- 1996
-
- A.W. Noling Hurty-Peck Library of Beverage Literature acquired.
Expanded our already strong beverage holdings. - K.W. Lee Papers acquired.
First collection submitted to the California Digital Library’s California Cultures site.
- A.W. Noling Hurty-Peck Library of Beverage Literature acquired.
- 1999
-
- Sacramento Union Archives acquired.
A substantial collection of late 20th century local history images.
- Sacramento Union Archives acquired.
- 2003
-
- Colby E. “Babe” Slater Collection acquired.
First collection to come with funding to support cataloging and archival supplies. - Library holds 3 million volumes.
- Colby E. “Babe” Slater Collection acquired.
- 2005
-
- Michael and Margaret B. Harrison Western History Center added.
An internationally known Western Americana library.
- Michael and Margaret B. Harrison Western History Center added.
- 2006
- 2008