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.
UC Davis Card Display
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.
Telnet
Screenshot of the title “College and Research Libraries” from telnet library catalog, still in limited use but mainly used from the 1980s-1990s.
Harvest Catalog
Screenshot of the title “College and Research Libraries” from Harvest library catalog, the UC Davis automated library catalog used since 2002.
Shelf List Card
Card catalog card from Shields Library.
Combo Press
Job Backer/Combination press from Margaret Harrison. Used to hold books together during repair or binding. From Shields Library Preservation Department.
Standing Press
Standing press from Margaret Harrison. Used for bookbinding and repair. From Shields Library Preservation Department.
Union List of Serials
Union list of serials published by Library of Congress, which stopped publishing them in 1999. From Shields Library.
Typewriter
Typewriter commonly used in Shields Library before the proliferation of personal computer workstations.
Laptop
Laptop from Shields Library, circa 1988.
Scanner
ARIEL workstation currently used in Shields Interlibrary Loan office to fulfill requests for book chapters and articles from the library’s collections.
Microwave Dish
University Librarian J. Richard Blanchard and Chancellor Emil M. Mrak examine the microwave dish that will make material in a major library available everywhere.
Xerox LDX Telefacsimile Machine
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.
Paper Order Record
Paper order records from Shields Library Acquisitions Department.
Card Sorter
Card sorter from Shields Library. These were used to keep track of card catalog cards before filing.
Stamps
A collection of stamps from Shields Library Acquisitions Department.
Kardex
Kardex from Shields Library Serials Department. This housed paper check-in cards for all of the library’s subscriptions.
Card Catalog
Card catalog from Shields Library.
Kardex Card
Kardex check-in card for the title “California Winelands.”
Gulliotine
Challenge guillotine used for cutting large stacks of paper or books. From Shields Library Preservation Department.
Sewing Frame
Sewing frame from Margaret Harrison. Used to hold book pages as they are sewn together. From Shields Library Preservation Department.
KwikPrint
Kwikprint (circa 1923) from Margaret Harrison. Used for stamping. From Shields Library Preservation Department.
Nipping Press
Nipping press from Margaret Harrison. Used for pressing pages into books. From Shields Library Preservation Department.
Type Case
Type case used to store individual letters and numbers for printing. From Shields Library Preservation Department.
Finishing Tools
Finishing tools from Margaret Harrison. Used to make decoraitve or finishing stamps on the binding and pages of books. From Shields Library Preservation Department.
Book Cloths
Book cloths from Margaret Harrison. Used for mending books. From Shields Library Preservation Department.
Victorian Book Cloths
Victorian bookcloths from the 1830s. From Shields Library Preservation Department.
Board Shear
Hickok Board shear from Margaret Harrison. Used to cut heavy boards. From Shields Library Preservation Department.
Sad Irons
Sad irons from Margaret Harrison. Used as weights for books being repaired. From Shields Library Preservation Department.
Shellflist
Part of the first shelflist document, an inventory of materials in the early UC Davis library.
e-links Request Screen
UC Davis faculty, staff and students can request book chapters and articles electronically using the UC e-links request system.
Online Archive of California
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.
Melvyl Pilot
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.
Melvyl Pilot Search
An example of a search on the Next-Generation Melvyl Pilot, with options to limit by format, author, year or topic.
Computer Stations
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.
Wireless Access
Wireless access is available in Shields Library, as well as the Physical Sciences and Engineering, Carlson Health Sciences and Blaisdell Medical Libraries.
IET Computer Lab
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.
Library Instruction Lab
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.
BML Announcement
Blaisdell Medical Library in Sacramento has state-of-the-art facilities including video screens for announcements.
BML Work Stations
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.
BML Collaboration Room
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.
BML Video Board
A librarian at Blaisdell Medical Library demonstrates the interactive whiteboard technology during a research consultation session.
GIS Workstation
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.
GIS Scanner
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.
