15 Years at the UC Merced Library: Alisak Sanavongsay
Alisak Sanavongsay shares his work at UC Merced as our Digital Assets Programmer and his impressive activities in our larger Merced community. The theme of information access is a thread through his work at the UC Merced Library.
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How did you end up at UC Merced?
My wife Nana grew up in Merced. We decided to move to California from Elgin, Illinois to help take care of her mom. When I saw a job opening at the UC Merced Library, I applied and started working on October 5, 2009 as the Digital Assets Programmer.
In a prior job, I had been working for a stock & options exchange company that is now owned by Charles Schwab, and before that I was working for a web hosting company doing systems administration.
How would you summarize the work you do as a Digital Assets Programmer?
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.
What is a work accomplishment that you are particularly proud of?
I think my proudest work is transferring huge amounts of data from our Library to CDL. These transfers have included moving hundreds of thousands of files including University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources (UCANR) digitized films and scanned materials from a collaborative AIDS History Project. I’ve also written scripts that colleagues use to ensure that all files are consistent before files are transferred.
What do you enjoy most about your position in the Library?
I’m able to help people access information. Even before working at the Library, I would help people store and host historical content related to Lao culture, people, and history through working at a web hosting company. So, my work in the Library is an extension of what I enjoy – sharing information and making information and data accessible to more people.
What are you anticipating will require much of your time and attention at work this upcoming year?
The Library’s website update to Drupal 10 will require much of my time in the upcoming year.
What is your favorite tech tool, program or platform – whether for professional or personal purposes?
I like to count a web browser as a tech tool. The web browser has always been my favorite tool. I can do nearly all my work tasks within a web browser. The Arc web browser has been my favorite since it was introduced at the end of 2022.
Do you have a favorite programming language?
I don’t have a favorite programming language. I’m pretty comfortable with any language. When evaluating open-source applications, I look for ones that have large community support, rather than what programming language they used.
Your Library colleagues know that you are very involved in your community. What occupies your time outside of your employment?
The nonprofit that I founded, with my wife and six other couples, is Vatthanatham Lao Foundation. In the Lao Language, “vatthanatham Lao” means Lao Culture. When we first started, we organized the downtown Lao New Year held in 2018. The last public Lao New Year in Merced had been in 1988!! We have consistently held Lao New Year celebrations in Merced, except for 2020, that continue to get bigger and better. This year we’re holding our celebration on May 17, 2025.
In addition to my affiliation with the Vatthanatham Lao Foundation, I work with the Center for Lao Studies. I assist them with their website and helped plan a traveling exhibit called “Between 2 Worlds: Untold Stories of Refugees from Laos”. Our first exhibit opened in Redding, California in 2018. It was also displayed in San Diego, Richmond, Merced and Sacramento. The Lao Advocacy Organization of San Diego (LAOSD) is planning to install it as a permanent exhibit in San Diego.
Is there anything else you want to share?
I also manage my wife’s social media channels Cooking with Nana on Facebook (150,000 subscribers) and YouTube (75,000 subscribers). In each of her 150 videos, Nana features a Lao recipe. There are also a number of recipes that Lao people enjoy, but that are not necessarily of Lao origin.
We started posting in 2011 but have since slowed down our content creation. Our prior home had a larger kitchen which made it easier for Nana to prepare food and for me to film. However, new people are still discovering her content, and I answer questions from subscribers.
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Congrats Alisak on your work anniversary!
Alisak interviewed by ABC30 in April 2022 about the Between 2 Worlds (B2W) exhibit at the Multicultural Arts Center (MAC), Merced CA.
