The Library is very proud of the approximately 20 student assistants who graduated in Spring 2025. Pictured here with the Head of the Library Learning Commons, Paulette Washington, is student Jacob Grunwald, who graduated in Fine Arts and is currently working at Intel.

Jacob and our other student assistants in the Learning Commons help students borrow laptops, headphones, cameras, cords and other IT items as well as trouble shooter computer, printer and scanner issues. Fellow students turn to their Learning Commons counterparts for everything from equipment to software and system issues. Congratulations to Jacob and Paulette and thank you to all of our Learning Commons students for their excellent work!

Starting in the fall of 2024, the CSU East Bay Library embarked on a strategic planning process intended to set organizational priorities and actionable goals that are aligned with institutional needs and values. This plan positions the Library (inclusive of the Learning Commons/student-facing technology supports and the SCAA/peer academic supports) to change, evolve, and innovate during a period of unprecedented challenges. These challenges include regional demographic forces that impact enrollment and profound shifts in societal notions about the value and purpose of public higher education.

Library Strategic Plan 2025-2030 (PDF)
Library Strategic Plan 2025-2030 (Google Doc)

Check out a selection of our new databases for more news coverage and research resources:

Alt-Press Watch
Alt-PressWatch has full-text newspapers and magazines from alternative, independent presses, providing a resource for researchers seeking an alternative to mainstream media perspectives.

LGBTQ+ Source
LGBTQ+ Source includes scholarly and popular LGBTQ+ publications in full text, plus historically important primary sources, including monographs, magazines, and newspapers. It also includes a specialized LGBTQ+ thesaurus containing thousands of terms.

Cabells Journalytics
Cabells Journalytics helps scholars evaluate journal quality and identify predatory publishers. An essential component is the Predatory Reports integration, providing information on thousands of predatory journals, ensuring users have the full rundown of opportunities and risks.

We hope to see you in an INFO Class in Spring Semester!

INFO 210 (1 unit)
Introduction to Searching for and Evaluating Information
Online, Asynchronous
INFO 210-01: First 7 weeks
INFO 210-02: Second 7 weeks
GE E

INFO 200 (3 units)
Topics and Applications in Critical Information Studies
Online, Synchronous & In Person: M/W 11:00am–12:15pm
GE E

INFO 230 (3 units)
Argumentation and Information Literacy for Sustainability
Online, Asynchronous
GE 1B, A3, A4, Second Composition, Sustainability Overlay, Diversity Overlay

INFO 250 (3 units)
Introduction to Critical Information Studies
INFO 250-01: Online, Asynchronous
INFO 250-02: Online, Synchronous and In-Person T/Th 11:00am–12:15pm

INFO 310W (3 units)
Sustainability and Information Literacy
Online, Synchronous: T/Th 9:30am–10:45am
GE UD4, Sustainability Overlay, University Writing Req.

INFO 320 (3 units)
Through a New Looking Glass: Reading Children's Literature Today
Online, Synchronous: M/W 4:00pm–5:15pm
GE UD3, C4, Diversity Overlay

INFO 390 (3 units)
Scholarly Communication & Knowledge Creation
Online, Synchronous and In-Person, T/Th 2:45pm–4:00pm
GE UD4

Isabella Omori is a Castro Valley native who is currently entering her second semester as a Student Assistant in the CORE Library. Isabella's major is Graphic Design with a minor in Marketing; so, when she graduates from Cal State East Bay, she'll be totally ready to work for a company or a non-profit that is looking for someone with creative and practical skills and very strong customer service experience.

Isabella likes working at the Circulation Desk because it's a place where she can connect with people and she finds that her co-workers are extremely friendly. She uses the Library's study spaces herself and often does group study with friends in some of the larger spaces. She also takes advantage of the many articles and readings the Library makes available online to complete her assignments. Isabella loves the CORE Library building as it is a great space to meet friends, hang out, and get her work done.

Being a local, we asked Isabella for some pro-tips. Eating out? She recommends Bao Bao in the Castro Valley Village shopping center. Looking for a place to walk or hike? Lake Chabot is a beautiful place to chill and enjoy nature. Need the answer to a question? Ask Isabella or any of our many talented Library student assistants, they know the library and the campus and can help you make the most of what the CORE Library has to offer.

You can now access the following great resources to keep you informed and up-to-date on the news!

The Atlantic
Check out how to access The Atlantic here.

The Economist
Check out how to access The Economist via a browser or via the Economist app.

The New York Times
While not new, we wanted to highlight your access to The New York Times, too.

We are highlighting books that have been censored in libraries for Banned Books week (October 5-11). We are happy to share the CSU statement defending the right to read.

October is also National Cookbook month, so another display features a diverse array of cuisines that you can learn to make at home!

You can borrow any book on display—just pick your favorite and our staff at the Check Out Desk will happily check it out for you.

Check back in with us a little later in the month for a spooky book display for Halloween!

Ivona Romero is a pre-nursing major who is currently starting her second year as a Student Assistant at the Circulation Desk of the Library. She loves working in the Library because her job is interactive—she gets to help students find their way around the CORE Library building, access their textbooks on reserve, and check out materials to satisfy a wide variety of needs (books, games, videos on everything from art to zoology).

Ivona is the second Romero to work in the Library! Her older sister (Lai Romero) worked at the Circulation Desk for 4 years and graduated from Cal State East Bay in Communication. Ivona wants to be a nurse because she views nursing as a hands-on job that can play a critical role in someone's life. She also knows that working in the library can be critical to our students and their success in life. Her advice to Library users? "If you have a question, ask! We are always here to help."

The Library is so fortunate to have such a dedicated student working at our main circulation desk. Ivona says that these first few weeks of school can be exciting but stressful, so please remember that all of our student assistants are here to help. Stop by the desk and say hello—because of wonderful students like Ivona and our terrific Library staff and faculty—you can always find someone to help you in the Library.

Please join us in the Library for a series of informal discussions of AI topics during University Hour (12:15-1:15 pm) on Tuesdays throughout the Fall Semester! All students, faculty, staff, and community members are welcome!

We'll share what we have learned and would like to hear your suggestions, recommendations, and experiences. We'll meet on the third floor of the CORE Library and also via Zoom.

Please use the links below to register.

The Library will provide light refreshments. Please feel free to bring lunch.

September 16, 2025
CSU's ChatGPT
Explore the tools, options, and custom GPTs available to us through the CSU contract.

October 14
LLMs for Academic Research
What are LLMs good for? What aren't they good for? Writing effective research prompts. Using academic-specific tools (Undermind.ai, Consensus, Semantic Scholar, Elicit, Scite ... ). What does "deep research" mean for LLMs?

November 18
AI images and voice
Play with AI images and voices.

December 9
Ethical Questions
Sustainability, copyright, plagiarism, privacy, alignment, work, war ...

If you have additional topics for discussion, please contact John Wenzler (john.wenzler@csueastbay.edu).

We'll be reading Cory Doctorow's Radicalized. All staff, faculty, administrators, students, and community members are welcome!

You can pick up a copy of the book at the Library's Check Out Desk on the first floor of the Library. Ask for a copy from the staff at the desk and after you fill out a super-short form, you’ll get a copy of the book. We are able to provide copies for up to 100 people.

We'll be meeting four times in the fall semester, come to one or all! At each book club meeting, we'll be discussing a different novella in the book. All book club meetings will be held during Tuesday U-Hour in CORE 338 and via Zoom. Dates and links to register are below:

• On September 23 we will discuss the first novella: Unauthorized Bread
• On October 7 we will discuss the second novella: Model Minority
• On October 21 we will discuss the third novella: Radicalized
• On November 4 we will discuss the fourth novella: The Masque of the Red Death

We'll also be hosting Silent Reading Book-ins the week before each book club meeting if you'd like to have time in community to read. All Silent Reading Book-ins will be held during Tuesday U-hour on the lawn between the CORE Library and University Union, weather permitting. Dates and links to register are below:

• September 16
• September 30
• October 14
• October 28

If you have any questions, please let us know.
We hope to see you at the Library's Book Club!