Library News

On April 2, 2025, the Library launched a sticker contest across our campus community, open to all undergraduate students. 

In honor of our resident Columbian mammoths, we looked for designs depicting two mammoths - an adult and a juvenile. We also required for the design to incorporate the text, "Empowering Researchers" and "library.ucmerced.edu" into the design. In addition to the two mammoths, we also asked for designs to include a landscape background inspired by the beauty of our neighboring Yosemite National Park or the Sierra Nevada. 

Within our one-month deadline, we received thousands of views on our Instagram post, and seven incredible submissions from UC Merced students.

A library panel composed of 19 library staff voted on the seven submissions and came up with our top three designs. We asked for our campus community to vote via Instagram for the winning design. In collaboration with our campus partners, who shared our post 155 times across Instagram, we received 253 votes from Instagram users to decide on the winning submission. With 49% of the votes, Kyahra Lingatong's creative design was crowned winner.

Kyahra is a first year Public Health major at UC Merced. She is originally from Roseville, California. As part of her submission, she shared the following about her design, "My process in making the design consisted of using real examples of Colombian mammoths, making sure the juvenile and adult design was simplified, yet also accurate. I had a lot of fun with the background going for a lineless Yosemite Park background using an image of Half Dome as my guide. The colors were also based on sunset, warm colors (they) are inviting and comforting to look at, making the design more coherent. The applications I used included Google (for inspiration) and I drew it all digitally on Procreate." 

Kyahra also shared with us, "Fun fact about the process is that I mistakenly drew the Colombian mammoth for the wooly species at first and it wasn't until I was done with the draft that I realized I was drawing the wrong one. Luckily that was fixed! But, in all seriousness, I am happy to be a part of this in creating representation to Merced's prehistoric past and honoring our researchers. I was able to learn more about the background and history of these fossils that we're so lucky to have on our campus. Thank you again for letting me be a part of this!" 

Congratulations to Kyahra for her winning submission! Our new Library stickers will be sent to be printed during the summer in time to be distributed at Library events during the Fall 2025 semester. 

On Tuesday, May 20, 2025, three of our esteemed Library colleagues were recognized at the "Celebrating Service and Staff Excellence Awards" presented by Staff Assembly in partnership with the Office of the Chancellor and EJIE. 

Alisak Sanavongsay: 15 Year Service Award

Alisak is our valued Digital Assets Programmer. He summarizes his work as follows, 

"When I first started, I developed applications for staff use. These applications included a library project management system (with wiki) and a password locker. I was also involved in web development for the Library’s web presence and any tasks that required programming.

A big part of my job is sending files from our server to a digital assets management system hosted by the California Digital Library (CDL). These files are then made accessible to the public through Calisphere. While projects are active in the Library, I ensure that local copies are available for short-term use for students and staff. I also send archival digital materials to CDL’s Merritt repository for long-term storage. I’ve also been involved in providing web support for faculty projects and co- development work on Calisphere with CDL staff."

Last month we recognized Alisak's work anniversary,15 Years at the UC Merced Library: Alisak Sanavongsay. 

Sarah Sheets: 20 Year Service Award

Sarah is our valued Electronic Resources Coordinator. Jim Dooley, Head of Collection Services, honored Sarah as follows, 

"Sarah began working at UC Merced when the library was at Castle and the campus buildings existed only as architectural renderings.

As the Electronic Resources Coordinator, Sarah performs critical work in making library electronic resources discoverable and accessible to students and faculty. She also continues to perform important work on several systemwide library committees. I have had the great pleasure to work closely with Sarah for twenty-two years. I continue to be impressed by her energy and creativity in solving complex database problems with a user service focus."

Ross Anastos: Staff Excellence People Management Award 

Ross is our valued Head of Access Services. He was nominated by Maria Martinez, Night & Weekend Services Coordinator and honored as follows, 

"Ross leads UC Merced's Access Services Department with empathy, integrity, and a deep commitment to his team. He steps in during tense situations to protect and support his staff, ensuring their safety and well-being are always prioritized. 

He encourages professional growth by creating opportunities for team members to explore interests beyond their roles. Ross models respect, fairness, and compassion in his leadership, creating an environment where everyone feels valued and supported.

His positive influence has helped cultivate a workplace where people can thrive both personally and professionally."

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Join us in congratulating Alisak, Sarah, and Ross for their invaluable contributions to the UC Merced Library! 

UC Merced Library to be Named for Leo And Dottie Kolligian

June 11, 2001

FRESNO - One of the three initial buildings on the University of California, Merced campus will be named in honor of Leo Kolligian, a Fresno native and former University of California Regent, and his late wife, Dottie. UC Merced Chancellor Carol Tomlinson-Keasey today will announce a substantial naming gift from Leo Kolligian and his extended family during a celebration to be held beginning at 2 p.m. at the UC Center, Fresno.

In recognition of this generous commitment and the Kolligians' advocacy and support of UC Merced, the main library on campus will be named the Leo and Dottie Kolligian Library. Also serving as an information technology center, the Kolligian Library will house an array of new and traditional information resources and services, computer laboratories, instructional technology support, multimedia services and library service instructional rooms.

Kolligian, an attorney and developer who graduated from California State University, Fresno and UC Berkeley's Boalt Hall School of Law, practiced law in Fresno for more than 50 years. He served as Deputy California Attorney General under Robert Kenny and as a former Chairman of the UC Board of Regents. As Chair of the Board, he championed the cause for the first University of California campus in the San Joaquin Valley. In 1988, he moved for up to three new UC campuses, with the first one to be built in the Valley, and the Regents unanimously passed his motion.

Asked to serve as the first two members of the UC Merced Foundation Board of Trustees, Leo and Dottie Kolligian in turn persuaded other leaders throughout the San Joaquin Valley to join this key advisory board of the UC Merced campus.

"Leo Kolligian has earned the reputation as the father of the UC Merced campus for his steadfast support of the campus and his unrelenting commitment to ensure that it be located in the San Joaquin Valley," said Chancellor Carol Tomlinson-Keasey. "His dedicated and devoted wife, Dottie, was his partner in their advocacy for the new campus and was named UC Merced Trustee of the Year in December 2000. It is thus fitting that one of our first buildings at UC Merced honor their legacy."

Most notable in that legacy is the Kolligians' lifelong commitment to educational and charitable causes and activities.

"I am honored, elated and greatly appreciative of the respect that our family will be permanently associated with a world-class university, which will serve generations of outstanding young students from the Central Valley," said Leo Kolligian. "I am grateful and particularly pleased and thankful that the library, which I consider to be the heart of a university, will bear our names."

Leo Kolligian served for 12 years on the UC Board of Regents, including service as Chairman. He is past Chairman of the Saint Agnes Medical Center Board of Directors, past president of Boys Club of Fresno and the former President of the Armenian General Benevolent Union. In addition, he is a former member of the Board of Directors of the Fresno County Heart Association, Fresno Cancer Society, Sequoia Council of Boy Scouts and Fresno Arts Center, and a Trustee of the Boalt Hall School of Law at UC Berkeley. In 1998, he was Knighted in New York by the Sovereign and Venerable Order of St. John Priory in the United States of America.

Named Trustee Emeritus of the Fresno Metropolitan Museum in 1990 and the Saint Agnes Medical Center in 1997, he also was appointed as a Trustee Emeritus of the Professional Office Corporation of the Medical Center and was a member of the Board of Directors of the Fresno Historical Society.

Also a Fresno native and community leader, Dottie Kolligian founded the Fresno Chapter of Child Help USA, a community service organization for abused children, and volunteered at Fresno Community Hospital for 35 years. She belonged to the Fresno Historical Society's VIP support group, the La Comida Guild and Service Alliance of Fresno. In addition, she was active with the Fresno Symphony League, the Fresno Metropolitan Museum and the Fresno Cancer Society.

Dottie Kolligian attended the CSU Fresno campus and later established student scholarships at Harvard University, Stanford University and the University of California. A talented artist and musician, she was invited to play in the first violin section of the Fresno Symphony.

Founding Librarian

In addition to the tribute to the Kolligians and brief testimony by Leo Kolligian on behalf of the Kolligian family, Monday's program will include a presentation by UC Merced Founding Librarian Bruce Miller. He will discuss "The Research Library of the 21st Century" and share his vision for the UC Merced library's services and open spaces. An initial artist's conception of a view of the Kolligian Library also will be presented.

California Governor Gray Davis' 2001-2002 budget proposal allocates $162.4 million for the initial creation of infrastructure and the first three buildings at UC Merced, including $56.5 million for the library/information technology center.

Leo Kolligian and his extended family are committing their financial gift to establish a permanent endowment for the library. As University Librarian, Miller will administer the annual income from the endowment and direct the funds to support the library's most critical needs.

Literacy Celebration

In honor of the naming announcement, a literacy celebration will follow with a reading of passages from a book by Gary Soto, a Fresno native and writing professor at UC Riverside and UC Berkeley. Listening to the story as part of their first day in UC Merced's Malaga Summer Program will be approximately 40 kindergarten through third-grade students, who each will receive one of Soto's "Too Many Tamales," "The Old Man and His Door" or "Chato's Kitchen" books for children.

Serving 95 low-income, first-generation, college-bound students who live in Malaga, the Malaga Summer Program is in its second year. The program is a joint effort between the Malaga County Water District, UC Merced, the Sheriffs Activity League, Fresno EOC and Chevron, with the University responsible for the academic portion of the camp, including leadership, computer applications and language-development classes. The University also coordinates the weekly field trips students take to such places as the Monterey Aquarium, UC Berkeley and Hearst Castle.

The Kolligian naming gift will be announced during a celebration at 2 p.m. today (Monday, June 11) in the Inyo-Kern Room of the UC Center, Fresno at 550 East Shaw Avenue (across from Fashion Fair mall) in Fresno.

The Gonella Discovery Room

November 22, 2004

MERCED, CA. --- Doris Gonella and her late husband Louis Gonella always believed in the value of education. When they heard that the University of California might establish a campus in the San Joaquin Valley, the Gonellas worked hard to make it happen.The Gonellas were quick to volunteer for the community campaign to locate the 10th UC campus in Merced - the place they chose to raise their family and the community that supported the successful development of Gonella Realty, founded by the couple in 1974. For many years, a banner welcoming the new campus hung from the local Gonella offices as a public statement of their support.

As a tribute to her husband after he passed away in 2001, Doris Gonella created the Louis P. Gonella Memorial Scholarship at UC Merced. Now she has donated additional funds to create the Louis P. Gonella and Doris M. Gonella Discovery Room in the Kolligian Library.

"Lou worked tirelessly to bring the new UC campus to Merced because he so believed in higher education and what the University of California stands for," says Doris Gonella, whose son is a UC alumnus and granddaughter is currently a student at UC Irvine." In thinking about how I would like to honor Lou, I was drawn to the Kolligian Library and Librarian Bruce Miller's vision for a 21 st-century library as a dynamic place where students will gather and study, and where the exploration of ideas begins," she says.Taking shape on the second floor above the library's café, the Gonella Discovery Room will be the primary site for teaching students library research skills. This groundbreaking instruction room will offer students information and hands-on practice in finding, evaluating and applying information for their course assignments and for a lifetime of learning.

"I see the Gonella Discovery Room as a test bed - a place to experiment with new technology and innovative modes of instruction - and a model for other rooms as the library grows," says University Librarian Bruce Miller. "We will have a state-of-the-art facility because of Doris Gonella's thoughtfulness. On a personal level, her support is important to me because it connects the library to the Merced community, helping declare the community's ownership and making it real."

Library improvements to be funded through the Gonella donation include additional furniture, streaming video equipment, an electronic whiteboard and high-tech video displays to enhance instruction in the room. The gift also provides an endowment to keep the equipment functioning and up to date in the future. "It's very exciting to me to think of the technology that will be available in the library, where students will transform their ideas into research," says Doris Gonella. "Lou and I shared the dream of UC Merced and of helping this campus provide a wonderful opportunity for children in our area to attend a first-class university."