The Library Is More Than a Place

by Katherine Y. Chen

When I first began at Cal, I was excited to experience dorm life, take interesting classes, and study with my friends in the library. Before working at the Oral History Center, I viewed the library as merely a physical space to sit and study. However, working at the Oral History Center (OHC) quickly dispelled this false notion.

Through my tenure at the OHC and my experience with research from my classes, I have learned that the library is more than a building in which to study. The library offers a multitude of resources for students — databases encompassing different topics and mediums such as ProQuest for newspaper articles, librarians ready to assist students in planning out papers, and primary sources such as personal interviews. After an informative meeting with a librarian introducing all these resources and more, I quickly began to utilize them in my research. I spoke to a librarian who helped me find multiple sources for my papers; I learned how to navigate the infinite databases accessible to students; and I learned which database to use to find specific types of sources. 

Katherine Y. Chen
Katherine Y. Chen, communications assistant with the Oral History Center of The Bancroft Library

Furthermore, my work at the OHC greatly helped me hone my research skills. I learned how to navigate an archive, how to find specific information, and had the opportunity to help fellow students as well. While promoting the Carmel and Howard Friesen Prize in Oral History Research to my peers, I was able to utilize all the skills I had learned. I helped students navigate the OHC’s archive to find interviews, and gave advice on further research. 

I became very familiar with the different projects and subject areas the OHC has to offer. My personal favorites are the Women Political Leaders project and the Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream project. It was gratifying and empowering to read about the impact women had on politics, especially as an Asian American woman who intends to pursue law. Furthermore, ice cream is a favorite treat of mine, and to learn about how Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream became widely popular was incredibly interesting. 

My experience at the OHC exposed me to the many resources the library has to offer. In turn, I aimed to introduce my peers to the wonders of the library. For example, my friend was writing a research paper for her class and was having trouble keeping her sources in one accessible place. Based on what I learned, I recommended the saving grace of my paper to her — Zotero. Zotero is a program used to store and cite sources, and a librarian recommended it to me after I described having the same issue. Once downloading Zotero, my friend had a much easier time with her sources, and citing them was even easier. 

Additionally, I recommended an oral history to another friend of mine who needed to find a primary source for their paper. They needed a source from a specific era, and I remembered reading over oral histories that fit what they were looking for. I sent over the link for the AIDS Epidemic in San Francisco Oral History Project. I wanted to show my peers that the library is not just a building to study in, but a plethora of resources right underneath their noses. 

To everyone reading, especially Cal students, take the time to learn more about the resources at the library. Take advantage of all the library has to offer, and I guarantee you will be all the better for it.

Katherine Y. Chen just finished her first year at Berkeley. She is majoring in rhetoric with a minor in public policy.


Literature for Hispanic Heritage Month

celebrating hispanic heritage month cover photoby Taylor Follett

September 15 marked the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month, a month-long celebration of Latinx histories and cultures. Today we’re looking at the rich diversity of Latinx titles available at the Library. (You can find national information about Hispanic Heritage Month here and events at and around UC Berkeley here.)

One rich resource for Latinx literature is the Latino Literature digital collection, which has thousands of digitized, full-text novels, poems, and plays written by over 400 authors in English and Spanish. Organized by both author and genre, the Latino Literature archive has at least 800 items that are not published anywhere else, making it a wonderful online resource for anybody interested in research—or just in reading.

If you’re looking for recently published novels, try:

More interested in lyricism and poetic prowess? Recent poetry collections will not disappoint:

Don’t overlook one of the most inventive genres when looking for books to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month. Young adult fiction has some truly wonderful picks:

Latinx memoir is another incredibly rich genre:

Happy reading, and don’t forget to check out both the Latino Literature database and UC Berkeley’s events for Hispanic Heritage Month!