“Todd Olson carefully considers the diverse contexts for Ribera’s artistic practice, such as empire-building, materiality, and myth, and thus assesses the complexity of Ribera’s creativity through the lenses of repetition, rotation, and experimentation. This novel, interdisciplinary study reexamines the originality of Ribera’s praxis as engaged in a visual culture shaped by science, history, and belief in early modern Naples.”—Lisandra Estevez, editor of Collecting Early Modern Art (1400–1800) in the U.S. South
“Much more than a mere study on Jusepe de Ribera, Olson’s book is an essay on materiality, technique, and their meanings; on imperial circulation and its discontents; and on knowledge, memory, and loss. This piece of cultural history, never losing touch with the artworks and their visual particularities, is beautifully written and at times moving, reminding us of the potentialities of art history as a literary and philosophical genre.”—Itay Sapir, author of Ténèbres sans leçons: Esthétique et épistémologie de la peinture ténébriste romaine, 1595-1610
Some of you know that I (Bee, the Lit Librarian) read heavily in speculative fiction. For our mutual enjoyed, I’ve compiled a list of some of my colleagues and my favorite 2024 reads in the genre. Please note that most of these books are from 2024, but a few were published earlier. Please note that this list is far from comprehensive.
清明上河圖密碼 : 隱藏在千古名畫中的陰謀與殺局 =The secret code of “Along the River During the Qingming Festival”: Conspiracy and murder hidden in famous paintings through the ages by Wenbiao Ye, UC Berkeley Library Search
Ulit︠s︡kai︠a︡, Li︠u︡dmila. The Kukotsky Enigma : A Novel by Ludmila Ulitskaya ; Translated from the Russian by Diane Nemec Ignashev, UC Berkeley Library Search
Brianna Iswono is a third-year undergraduate student at UC Berkeley majoring in chemical engineering. Throughout the Fall 2024 semester, Brianna worked with Roger Eardley-Pryor of the Oral History Center to earn academic credits through Berkeley’s Undergraduate Research Apprentice Program (URAP). URAP provides opportunities for undergraduates to work closely with Berkeley scholars on cutting edge research projects for which Berkeley is world-renowned. In this post, Brianna reflects on her research about nuclear power as it appeared in the Oral History Center archives.
As a chemical engineering student at UC Berkeley, my coursework only briefly touches on topics of nuclear power and energy. I wanted to learn more and my curiosity deepened as I saw more and more headlines about nuclear energy in news articles and social media. To dive deeper, in the fall of 2024 I joined Berkeley’s URAP (Undergraduate Research Apprenticeship Program) under the mentorship of historian Roger Eardley-Pryor at the Oral History Center, where I analyzed various oral histories and technical reports about nuclear energy. Through this experience, what I discovered was not only a stronger interest in nuclear power, but a field marked by polarizing perspectives and profound complexity—one where simple answers do not exist.
William E. Siri, environmentalist and biophysicist, 1964
Nuclear power stands as one of the most reliable carbon-free energy sources available today. Unlike fossil fuels, it produces no carbon dioxide during electricity generation, which makes nuclear power a critical tool in the fight against climate change and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Given the growing urgency for energy facilities to reduce their overall emissions, nuclear power offers a viable option for large-scale, reliable energy production. As former Sierra Club president, mountaineer, biophysicist, and Berkeley Lab energy analyst William E. Siri noted in his oral history in the late 1970s, “Coal is a very dirty fuel… That leaves nuclear as one clean energy source until solar and other energy sources are fully developed.” Today, solar and wind are more developed, but the energy they generate drops when the sun sets or when winds cease. By providing steady, continuous power, nuclear energy complements intermittent renewable sources like wind and solar, ensuring grid stability. This reliability reduces the need for fossil fuel-based backup systems and thus helps mitigate climate change.
David Brower, environmental activist and first executive director of the Sierra Club (undated).
However, nuclear power is not without its environmental challenges. The construction and operation of plants can disrupt local ecosystems, particularly since they are often built in rural areas rich in biodiversity and ecological value. Habitat disruption, deforestation, and the high demand for water used in reactor cooling all remain significant concerns. The presence of nuclear plants places an increased strain on local water resources, particularly in underserved regions already facing water scarcity. In the first of his two archived oral history interviews, David Brower, the former executive director of the Sierra Club, the nation’s largest environmental organization, explained about the Club’s consideration of nuclear power, “You certainly haven’t helped the poor by degrading the environment, the working place, by not getting into the battles to protect them from the chemicals that they’re exposed to.”
Laurence I. Moss, nuclear engineer and former Sierra Club president, 1973.
Also, the visual impact of large nuclear facilities can dramatically alter the character of scenic areas. At least in California, public opposition was fueled historically by concern that industrial structures for nuclear power detracts from the natural beauty and environment of rural areas, making them appear stark and out of place. Laurence I. Moss, former Sierra Club president and nuclear engineer, worked directly on construction of nuclear reactors. Moss shared in his oral history, “In my mind it was always a location issue. That was not the right place to put a nuclear power plant, or any industrial facility. I would not want to put a residential development there, anything that would alter the natural environment for the worse.” Moss’s perspective highlights the tension between technological advancement and environmental preservation, underscoring the importance of careful site selection to balance progress with respect for natural landscapes.
Professor Thomas H. Pigford, founding chair of UC Berkeley’s Department of Nuclear Engineering, 2001.
Another major challenge, and perhaps the most pressing, is the management of nuclear waste. Nuclear reactors generate long-lived radioactive waste that requires secure, long-term storage, and even the most advanced waste repositories carry the risk of leakage or contamination over the thousands of years that spent nuclear fuel remains toxic. Efforts to manage nuclear waste have included ambitious ideas such as deep-sea disposal or even launching the waste into the sun. However, these approaches fail to fully eliminate the risk of leakage, especially given the exceptionally long timescales over which the waste must remain secure, and they often introduce additional challenges. As Thomas H. Pigford, the founding chair of UC Berkeley’s Department of Nuclear Engineering, explained in his oral history from the late 1990s,“Another more attractive approach is to shoot the radioactive waste into the sun, which would require concentrating it to reduce the weight. And that’s where it belongs, because the sun is so radioactive. But there, the technical challenge or problem is the abort rate of missiles, of space vessels, and so when consulting the people in NASA, we concluded that that was just untenable.” Such unresolved issues remain a central concern for environmental advocates, highlighting the ongoing tension between the potential of nuclear power as a clean energy source and the ecological risks it poses.
Economically, nuclear power presents both opportunities and challenges. Once operational, nuclear reactors have relatively low fuel and operating costs compared to many other energy sources. Uranium, the main fuel used, is highly energy-dense, requiring only small amounts to generate large quantities of energy. This efficiency makes nuclear power a cost-effective solution to meet large-scale energy demands, providing a reliable supply of energy at a lower long-term cost while still delivering the high output needed to sustain industrial and societal needs. After working directly with the economic analysis of nuclear plant construction in the 1960s, Moss shared, “we were able to show that other alternatives, specifically a nuclear power alternative, built in those years could provide power at lower cost than the dams.” Nuclear power also has an extensive reach that goes far beyond reactors, influencing a wide range of industries and technologies. The advancements and expertise gained through working with radiation and the advanced technologies required for waste facilities have helped with the development of new medical technologies used to measure radiation. Professor Pigford was directly involved in establishing the nuclear engineering curriculum at Berkeley and saw its expansion into related medical technologies. In his oral history, Pigford shared “Yes, well, there are plenty of jobs in waste disposal. And they are emphasizing more and more the interaction with the bioengineering program, which, as you probably know, is a new push on the campus. There’s a new department, and they’ve even gone into the field of tomography, which is doing scans on the brain and on the rest of the body. These involve nuclear reactions and so the development of instrumentation for that, techniques of sensing the nuclear radiations and interpreting them, is occupying more and more time.” Pigford’s insight highlights how nuclear engineering graduates have the opportunity to apply their expertise to innovations in health-related technologies, such as medical imaging.
Environmental activist in Seoul, Korea, at a rally marking the 12th anniversary in 2023 of Japan’s Fukushima nuclear disaster (photograph by Ahn Young-joon of Associated Press).
Yet, a major economic challenge of nuclear power is the huge initial investment needed to build a plant. Designing, constructing, and meeting regulatory standards for a single nuclear plant can cost billions of dollars. While the long-term operating costs are lower, the upfront costs to begin production are much higher than those of other energy sources.This creates a significant barrier, particularly for developing countries that may also lack the technical expertise or regulatory infrastructure needed to operate plants safely. In his oral history, Siri captured the economic trade-off and complexity of nuclear power. Siri noted, “The more countries that have nuclear power plants, particularly the less advanced countries, the more likelihood there will be of meltdowns, simply because many such countries don’t have the technical base on which to maintain such an industry.” For these countries, nuclear power offers a chance to advance economically, but it also comes with the greater risk of catastrophic failure.
Roy Woodall, Australian geologist (undated).
On the global stage, nuclear technology carries a sense of prestige. Non-nuclear nations often see other nations with advanced nuclear developments as leaders in innovation, which enhances their national pride and elevates their international status. The high demand for uranium to fuel nuclear reactors has led various countries to form alliances or joint ventures, employing any means necessary to secure a share of the advancements in nuclear technology. Roy Woodall, an Australian geologist known for his contributions to the mining and exploration industries, directly engaged with the mining sector to meet the growing global demand for uranium. In his oral history from the early 2000s, Woodall shared, “There was quite a lot of interest from other overseas companies in looking for uranium in Australia, so we formed a joint venture to look for conglomerate-type uranium deposits in Northern Western Australia.” His experience highlights the global scramble for uranium resources, reflecting how the race for nuclear technology has spurred both national and international collaboration.
Michael R. Peevey, an energy entrepreneur and regulator (undated).
However, the social risks associated with nuclear power are significant. Public fear of radiation exposure, which can lead to various health risks, has been intensified by past large-scale nuclear accidents like Fukushima and Three Mile Island, along with the media frenzy surrounding them. When reflecting on nuclear concerns during his oral history in 2019, Michael R. Peevey, a UC Berkeley alumnus, former electric utility executive, and previous president of the California Public Utilities Commission, recalled “But we had Chernobyl in Russia, which was a disaster; it’s a lingering disaster today.” Such concern has resulted in widespread resistance to the construction of new nuclear reactors and calls to shutdown existing ones. Grassroots movements and anti-nuclear campaigns have further fueled this opposition, creating a broad social aversion to nuclear power.
David Pesonen, attorney and environmentalist, 1963.
David E. Pesonen is a UC Berkeley alumnus, attorney, and environmental activist best known for his leadership role in the battle to defeat a PG&E nuclear power plant at Bodega Bay in the early 1960s. In his oral history recorded in the late 1990s, Pesonen explained his motivation for spreading the anti-nuclear power agenda. “Mainly because of the waste disposal problem. I don’t know the answer to that. I don’t know that anybody does. And also because I think the design of the generation of plants that we are involved with is inherently unsafe.” Despite the advanced safety features of modern plants, the widespread fear and skepticism continue to challenge the nuclear industry, highlighting the complex intersection of technological progress, environmental concerns, and public perception.
After conducting this oral history research and diving into the different aspects of nuclear power, I have come to realize that this field is inherently complex. I am still unsure where I stand in these debates, but one thing is clear: nuclear energy shouldn’t be dismissed outright. A recent LA Times article notes that, as energy-demanding technologies like AI continue developing rapidly, the demand for energy will only increase and all carbon-free options must be considered, especially in light of climate change. At the same time, we cannot ignore the risks that nuclear power poses. I think that the best approach is to carefully consider all non-fossil energy sources, such as nuclear or renewable, to make informed choices. Nuclear power is neither entirely good nor entirely bad; it is a complex and multifaceted technology with the potential for significant benefits and serious risks. Attitudes will likely continue to shift back and forth, but embracing the complexities of nuclear power is important to making wise decisions about its future role in meeting global energy needs. Reflecting on my semester of oral history research, I am grateful to have taken this URAP opportunity, as it gave me valuable insight and a new understanding of nuclear power that I always hoped to explore. Nuclear power is a complicated yet astonishing field, and I hope others can be informed on it to formulate their own stance on how to create a greener future.
The Oral History Center of The Bancroft Library preserves voices of people from all walks of life, with varying political perspectives, national origins, and ethnic backgrounds. We are committed to open access and our oral histories and interpretive materials are available online at no cost to scholars and the public. You can find our oral histories from the search feature on our home page. Search by name, keyword, and several other criteria. Sign up for our monthly newsletter featuring think pieces, new releases, podcasts, Q&As, and everything oral history. Access the most recent articles from our home page or go straight to our blog home.
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Let’s chat about Wikipedia as a source of general information. For many people, Wikipedia is a first stop to check on information about who’s who, genre overviews, lists of books, and more. In theory, as a place to find the “sum of all human knowledge” (Wikipedia: About), it should be a good place to get an overview of what’s out there to know. Yet, using Wikipedia’s coverage leads to a skewed understanding of what’s available. Instead of being a reliable source for all human knowledge, Wikipedia’s policies means it reproduces institutionalized biases related to gender, community groups, and other categories of identity and knowledge. Furthermore, those policies mean that the platform’s biases are very difficult to address despite Wikipedia’s calls for public contributions and claims to desire to be an unbiased source of information.
What do I mean by that?
Bluntly, I mean that Wikipedia’s coverage privileges white, male, English-speaking people in positions of power (Wikipedia: Gender Bias; Racial Bias). I personally think that having editors, having some checks, are incredibly important. There needs to be some level of standard, but there are problems with how the standards for things like notability are enforced.
But why?
The issue is partly one of Wikipedia’s focus on “Notability” (Wikipedia: Notability). Wikipedia’s guidelines claim that not everything needs an article. To be included within Wikipedia, contributing authors are expected to provide information that is “worthy” of notice. Yet, worth is a value judgement. So, who’s judging that worth and on what criteria?
The answer is that Wikipedia has an excellent team of employees and volunteer editors who are predominantly white men. Most humans are predominantly interested in things that, in some way or another, represent themselves (Hall ed., Representation, UC Library Search). Those white men with their particular interests then evaluate worth based on criteria of things like how many people have written about someone. Given historic inequalities and continued social bias, men in positions of power are more likely to be written about than other groups. Those “worthy of notice” end up being men.
Take, for example, the problem of a diplomat’s wife Varvara Dukhovskaia. For a person like this princess, we have a woman whose job is partly predicated on her husband’s, but she was part of his team (if you allow) and an essential part of the job. Particularly in a past when women were denied access to most official positions, women performed labor analogous to a man’s without the official acknowledgement. A diplomat’s wife, for example, was expected to host events, make connections, and spread good will for the state they represented … which was precisely what many diplomats were hired to do. The woman, however, was not socially or legally considered a diplomat in and of themselves – they were often the “wife,” “daughter,” or “mother.”
In this case, Varvara Dukhovskaia was an influential presence, known as a “first lady of Siberia.” She spearheaded efforts to establish schools, was part of problems with discussions of Russian government and nationalism, and wrote about her efforts. Dukhovskaia’s autobiography (on Project Gutenberg) has been translated into English but the majority of scholarship about her is in other languages (English language scholarship includes Katya Hokanson’s A Woman’s Empire: Russian Women and Imperial Expansion in Asia on JSTOR).
So, we have a highly influential woman in a position of power about whom multiple scholars have written. Yet, while Wikipedia has an article about her husband (Wikipedia), Wikipedia’s editors refused to publish an entry about her because writing a travel narrative is not notable.
This example is hardly the only one of its kind. There are multiple examples one could refer to about how Wikipedia’s editors refused an article because the person, the idea, the movement, the book, wasn’t important enough … but the problem was circular. The idea wasn’t “important” because of institutional bias, which meant it didn’t spread, which in turn meant Wikipedia didn’t value it.
For students and scholars in the humanities, that means Wikipedia isn’t necessarily a great place to find information about the people, the books, the media, the ideas, the groups, that they study. And, not only does the current content skew toward institutionalized forms of discrimination, but that imbalance is difficult to address because Wikipedia actively turns down material that could address some of those problems.
So what to do?
What can we currently do to address some of these considerations? One of the ways to increase notability is to scour scholarship for references to the different people/ideas that are important to include. Another way is to begin writing about the people, ideas, and things that are missing in related articles. For example, including a paragraph in the husband’s Wikipedia article about the person raises their “Notability” and leads toward Wikipedia’s viewing the person, the book, the event as worthy of having individual entries.
To get some experience with how to do this, join us for UC’s I Love Data Week’s Wikipedia Edit-a-Thon on Feb. 10! You can find out more about it on our guide.
UC Berkeley Library has set up a trial of Brill’s Muslim in Russia Online Database. The database trial will continue until February 1, 2025. You can access the trial here.
This collection examines the varied Russian Muslim population during the period of 1861-1918. It includes works by and about Muslims, highlighting the significance of this heritage as the history and spirituality of Muslims in Russia are being reexamined. A word of caution: Most of the periodicals in this database have been digitized from microfilms; thus, digitization quality is problematic. The OCR seems unchecked and automated “dirty,” so one has to look at the images.
Title: V mīri͡e musulʹmanstva:ezhenedelʹnai͡a, literaturnai͡a, politicheskai͡a i obshchestvennai͡a gazeta. Date: 1911 Date in Source: [1911-1912]
Here are the key points about this database are highlighted below:
Role in Russian State: Muslims played a crucial role in the creation of the multinational Russian state, completed with the annexation of Central Asia in the 1860s. By 1897, Muslims made up almost 11% of Imperial Russia’s population (14 million).
Russian State Policy: Russian policy towards Muslims varied. Initially, there was forced Russification and Christianization. From Ekaterina II onwards, the policy shifted towards legitimizing Muslims. Under Alexander III, discrimination against non-Christians, including Muslims, increased.
Early 20th Century: The early 1900s saw a rise in Muslim nationalism, fueled by religious reformism and liberal ideas. The First Russian Revolution (1905-1907) led to significant political changes, including creating the State Duma and civil freedoms.
Union of Muslims of Russia: Formed in 1905-1906, this organization became the most powerful political body for Muslims until 1917, with branches across various regions.
Intellectual and National Identity: Early 20th century saw more Muslim intellectuals and interest in national identity, heritage, and traditions.
1917 Revolutions: Muslim nationalist movements grew during the February and October Revolutions of 1917. Post-1917, Bolshevik policies negatively impacted Muslims’ religious freedoms.
Muslim Press: Until 1905-1907, Muslim issues were poorly reported. The 1905 revolution led to a surge in Muslim publications. These periodicals covered a range of ideological perspectives and helped address Muslim problems.
Unique Publications: Publications from 1861-1918 provide insights into Muslim life in the Russian Empire and their leaders’ perspectives. These works are valuable for understanding Muslims’ historical and spiritual heritage in Russia.
The Book as Art showcases a selection of artists’ books from the collections of the Art History/Classics and Environmental Design libraries. The selected items span several decades and include artists’ books from Ed Ruscha, Sol LeWitt, Kiki Smith, Jenny Holzer, and many more.
By Willow Beyer, Undergraduate Library Making Fellow, 2024-2025
Over the course of my first semester as a Makerspace Fellow, I have had the opportunity to learn and grow beyond my new skills in crafting. I have watched and experienced the ways that art is not about just the finished product, the skills that go into creating it, or what it communicates; it’s about how its production affects the artist.
When visiting the Makerspace for the first time, many people comment on how calming the act of creating can be. Undergrads come here to work with their hands, take a breath outside of the academic demand of their day to day life, and help each other approach new problems. Sharing advice, working out the logistics of their ideas together, and showing off what they’ve been working on is an essential part of using the Makerspace. In the fiber arts room, it’s always fun to see the clothes people are making and think through the best way to accomplish their goals in a room full of people with varied sewing backgrounds. I love when people teach each other skills they learned that day, like using the Silhouette machine or button makers, because they get to not only solidify that knowledge for themselves, but meet someone new.
The Makerspace quietly works as a space for its users to decompress. Dedicating my service hours to creating has had a massive positive impact on my life. As Library Fellows, we work to create not just physical projects, but an intentional cohort where collaboration and feedback are valued and the methods through which they are carried out are clearly defined and respected. We work on a variety of shared projects, including workshop design and promotion and Make of the Month setup. Because we prioritize each other’s feedback, it’s much easier for me to share my ideas for my peers’ work and I feel more confident that I will get honest and helpful responses. By incorporating others’ insight into my Silhouette designs, stamps, and posters, I have been able to improve more quickly. By practicing articulating my thoughts on others’ work, I have improved in communication and solidified what I’m learning in design. Exposure to a community of intentional crafters and dedicated time for making has been helpful in alleviating stress and lifting my mood throughout the semester. While overwhelmed, spending an hour where my only job is to work on my knitting skills or to carve a stamp or make a Silhouette design helps to give me a break from the theory and abstract thought of my studies to work on something I can actually hold in my hands. I have found this experience very grounding, and can’t recommend enough that you stop by and see what the space can bring to your life!
By Madison Lee, Undergraduate Library Making Fellow, 2024-2025
At Berkeley, it’s easy to be swept up in the relentless pace of “hustle culture.” Lectures, exams, and extracurriculars often dominate every waking moment, leaving little time to breathe, let alone nurture one’s creative side. Amid this whirlwind, the Makerspace became an unexpected refuge—a space where I can pause, reset, and rediscover the joy of creating.
I’m grateful to have discovered the Makerspace during a Makerspace Crawl. Until that event, I had no idea it even existed. It’s a place that has allowed me to step away from the grind and reconnect with hands-on crafts and activities that have brought me a deep sense of calm and fulfillment. It rekindled a love for creating that I didn’t realize I had set aside. So I hope that more students will have the chance to also experience it.
This past semester as a Library Fellow in the Makerspace, has been a journey filled with learning, experimentation, and connection. One of my earliest experiences involved learning to thread and use a sewing machine just minutes before a student walked in, eager to learn how to sew. Together, we tackled those first stitches—initial panic giving way to laughter and discovery. That moment set the tone for the collaborative and shared learning experiences that would follow.
As I immersed myself in the Makerspace, I was continually amazed by the projects and passions I encountered. One of my favorite moments was helping a student 3D-print a miniature spider figure. Listening to them share their love for miniatures, I marveled at the dedication and detail they poured into their work. These glimpses into others’ creative worlds became a constant source of inspiration.
Throughout the semester, I’ve had the privilege of witnessing students grow in their craft. Watching someone’s confidence blossom is nothing short of magical. One student I taught to use the sewing machine began by practicing straight stitches on paper. Week by week, they returned, steadily improving their skills and eventually completing a beautiful handbag project. Others brought in ideas for buttons and T-shirts for their clubs, clothes for fashion shows, and even intricate cosplays and Halloween costumes. Each creation told a unique story, and I felt deeply honored to play a small part in their journeys.
The workshops were another highlight of my time. I enjoyed collaborating with the other Makerspace fellows to select workshop topics that would spark creativity and plan detailed outlines and instructions to ensure the projects were approachable for everyone. Working with students to complete their first projects—whether guiding them through using Silhouette software to cut vinyl stickers or helping them transfer designs onto rubber for stamp carving—was absolutely infectious. These experiences reminded me that making isn’t just about the finished product; it’s about the process. The trial and error, the learning curve, and those moments of triumph along the way are where the real magic happens.
Of course, there were challenges. I struggled with teaching when I was a beginner and didn’t have much experience with certain crafts or tools in the Makerspace. At times, I felt incompetent—especially when a student asked for help, and I wasn’t sure how to assist them. However, I quickly learned that asking for help isn’t a sign of weakness but a crucial step in the growth process. Whether I sought advice from fellow Makerspace staff or consulted more knowledgeable users, I came to deeply value the collaborative spirit that defines this space.
This journey has profoundly deepened my appreciation for hands-on learning and the ability of making to bring people together. Serving as a Library Fellow feels like the perfect opportunity to merge my passion for creativity with my desire to uplift and inspire others. The Makerspace embodies a vibrant culture of curiosity, hands-on discovery, and shared growth—a community that celebrates not only the things we create but also the joy we find in the process.
By Kati Khov, Undergraduate Library Making Fellow, 2024-2025
It all began with a random Google search while lying in bed during one of my first weeks attending UC Berkeley.
“Sewing machines in Berkeley free to use”
After previously working at a public library, I knew about the many creative resources available in local community spaces. I needed a publicly accessible sewing machine as I figured bringing my own machine wouldn’t make for great roommate etiquette. I was stressed about having to commute to another city to work on my project.
But to my surprise, the first entry to my search was a link to the UC Berkeley Library guide detailing all the resources the Makerspace provided. Situated in Doe Library, I was ecstatic to find a space to work on my creative projects. From that day forward, I regularly attended the Makerspace Drop-in Hours, nearly every day it was open. Without the resources and people working at the Makerspace, I would have been unable to complete my cosplay project from Perfect Blue, a psychological thriller anime from the 90’s. I submitted my costume to Anime Los Angeles’s Masquerade contest where my partner and I won a judge’s award.
Even after completing my work, I still attended the Makerspace to hone my skills in other creative forms, such as crocheting. After such a positive experience with the community in the Makerspace, I decided to apply as an Undergraduate Library Makerspace Fellow because I wanted to instill the same creative opportunities and community-building for other students interested in art.
As a Library Fellow, I have enhanced many of my skills and learned new ones, from graphic design to making vinyl stickers using the Silhouette Machine. I would not have realized that learning new art forms isn’t as time-consuming and daunting when people have the materials and guidance they need. One of my favorite feelings is when students are impressed with their work at the end of a workshop we put together, and that they will come back and keep learning. The Makerspace has taught me that no skill is too difficult to learn when working with a community that encourages growth and opportunity.
![Title: V mīri͡e musulʹmanstva:ezhenedelʹnai͡a, literaturnai͡a, politicheskai͡a i obshchestvennai͡a gazeta.<br />Date: 1911<br />
Date in Source: [1911-1912]](https://update.lib.berkeley.edu/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Screenshot-2025-01-08-105604.jpg)
