Interim University Librarian Lorelei Tanji took the helm of the UCI Libraries in April 2011 following the early retirement of former Interim University Librarian Gerald R. Lowell. In this issue, Tanji begins a regular column, From the University Librarian, to be featured in each edition of our Supporters & Friends E-Newsletter. Tanji joined the Libraries in 1990 as Fine Arts Librarian, and has served as Associate University Librarian (AUL) for Collections since 2002. As a member of the Library's senior administrative team, she has long been involved with library-wide strategic planning and policy decision-making, and has represented the Libraries on a wide range of campus, University, regional, and national bodies. As AUL for Collections, she was responsible for the management of over 3.2 million volumes and 78,000+ journals in electronic and print formats, as well as myriad manuscripts, data, and digital collections held in Langson Library, Ayala Science Library, and Grunigen Medical Library. Tanji holds an M.L.S. in Library & Information Science and an M.A. in Music from UCLA.

Lorelei Tanji

From the University Librarian

Lorelei Tanji
Interim University Librarian
ltanji@uci.edu

Creating a 21st Century Research Library at UCI

I am honored to serve as Interim University Librarian, and look forward to the exciting challenges and opportunities ahead. At UCI, we are transforming the Libraries into 21st century learning centers that embrace today's constantly evolving information landscape, while sustaining our role as the cultural heart of the campus and community. The Libraries are integrating scholarly information, cutting-edge technology, and personalized instruction, while providing a critical community space for contemplative study and collaborative work for all of UCI's students, faculty and staff. Our employees are innovative and creative people dedicated to providing user-centered services and high-priority resources that support UCI's research and teaching mission.

In addition to the wonderful support of our library staff and campus leadership, I greatly appreciate our donors and friends who are helping us build a library of excellence for the campus and community. Our highest priority is to build and sustain exceptional print and electronic collections that are carefully selected to address the cutting-edge research and instruction needs of today's students and faculty. We are creating technologically rich facilities in each of our library buildings and learning centers, and we are hiring highly skilled research librarians who envision new and innovative forms of scholarship, while providing essential personalized reference services and information literacy training.

As we begin the 2011-12 academic year, we continue to face budgetary challenges which we anticipate will continue into next year. However, our creative library staff continues to find resourceful solutions to our budget constraints. These exciting initiatives include increasing partnerships with other research libraries to offset local service reductions, and a pilot project for patron initiated purchase of materials. Please look for more information on these initiatives in coming months.

I look forward to meeting many of you to thank you personally for your ongoing support. To learn more about our Vision for a 21st Century University Research Library, as well as our many programs and events, please go to our Supporters & Friends website.

Warm Regards,
Lorelei Tanji
Interim University Librarian