USC Libraries

In an instant, Doheny Library's Nazarian Pavilion courtyard became the scene today of the first in a series of live, pop-up plays staged by the USC Libraries and USC School of Dramatic Arts Professor Oliver Mayer. Directed by USC School of Dramatic Arts graduate Jonathan Munoz-Proulx, the performance featured USC student actors and captured the essential role of libraries in creative and intellectual discovery. Guest star David Zayas (also known by television viewers as Sgt. Angel Batista) played himself, touting the wealth of resources available at the USC Libraries. "Aren't you on TV," a student actor asked him in the flash play. "Aren't you on Dexter?" Click through for photos from the flash play.

The USC Libraries have begun a collaboration with USC School of Dramatic Arts professor Oliver Mayer to showcase the essential role of libraries in discovery and the creative arts through an upcoming series of flash plays. The original plays—short, one-act pieces written by Dramatic Arts students, faculty, and alumni—will appear spontaneously across campus beginning this spring and continuing throughout the fall 2013 semester. The first flash play in the series, which will be performed at a specific time and location to be announced through Twitter (@USCLibraries) and other social media, will take place near Doheny Memorial Library during the week of April 22. Keep reading to learn more about the flash play series.

The USC Writers Conference returns to Doheny Memorial Library this Thursday and Friday, April 18 and 19. The two-day conference brings together writers, editors, illustrators, and others for an exploration of writing and the creative process. Renowned writing coach Ivory Madison, founder of the Red Room online writers studio, will lead two hands-on instructional sessions. Fees for the conference — hosted by the USC Libraries and the USC Office of Continuing Education and Summer Programs—are $125 for the general public and $75 for USC students, alumni, and Friends of the USC Libraries and include lunch each day. RSVP online, or contact Eileen Kohan at kohan@usc.edu or (213) 740-5679 for more information. Click through for the full conference program.

Stop by the Friends of the USC Libraries' booth during the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books on April 20-21 to discover the benefits of becoming a Friend. The Friends booth, number 914, is located in USC's Alumni Park in front of Doheny Memorial Library.

The USC Libraries have partnered with the USC Marshall School of Business to develop an online master of management in library and information science (MMLIS) program. When it launches in May, the new degree program will be one of the first U.S. programs in librarianship affiliated with a major business school. Read Amy Blumenthal's story for the USC News website to learn more. 

The USC Libraries recently hosted a homecoming for Robinson Jeffers, the celebrated writer who studied at USC before moving to the rugged Big Sur coast and establishing himself as California’s preeminent poet. Scholars, authors, and readers assembled inside Doheny Memorial Library on Oct. 25 for an afternoon festival honoring Jeffers’ legacy and his connections to Los Angeles and USC.

On Thursday, October 25, the USC Libraries and USC's Graduate Student Government present "The Digital Grad Student," a ninety-minute workshop beginning at 2:30 p.m. in Tutor Campus Center Room 351. The workshop will introduce a broad range of research tools designed to help graduate students organize and visualize their research, stay up to date on current topics in their disciplines, and find innovative ways to incorporate technology into their teaching. RSVP online. A light lunch and refreshments will be served.

Last year, the family of the late journalist Ruben Salazar donated his personal archives to the USC Libraries. Now, a new digital project based on the collection will provide greater public awareness of the award-winning reporter's life and career. Created by USC Annenberg students and directed by USC Annenberg professors Felix Gutierrez and Robert Hernandez, the Ruben Salazar Project features student-written articles about Salazar that incorporate selected documents from the collection. Students also created an interactive timeline that highlights photographs, news clippings, and personal documents from the archive.

Last week in Doheny Memorial Library, the Mosely Snowflake Fractal took physical form for perhaps the first time ever. Built by hundreds of USC students, faculty, and staff out of 49,000 folded business cards, the giant origami fractal measures six feet cubed and weighs more than 100 pounds. The USC Libraries will unveil the finished model in a reception on September 20 in Doheny Library's first-floor entrance pavilion. RSVP now, or keep reading to learn more about the collaborative community art project.

In a recent story on KCET's Artbound website, USC Libraries Discovery Fellow Margaret Wertheim wrote about a "rare constellation of origami projects" in Los Angeles that constitute the city's "origami moment." Among those projects, writes Wertheim, is the USC community's effort to construct the Mosely Snowflake Sponge, a 3-D fractal model made out of 49,000 folded business cards. Keep reading to learn more about Wertheim's article and the Mosely Snowflake Sponge, which will be unveiled at a Thursday, September 20, reception in Doheny Memorial Library.