Robert Gore, UCLA Library’s visual arts librarian, has been honored with the 2024 Librarian of the Year award by the Librarians Association of the University of California–Los Angeles. Established in 1994, the award recognizes excellence in librarianship in areas including creativity, innovation, courage, leadership and inclusivity.
Kathy Brown
“Robert had a banner year in terms of outreach and collaboration with so many of UCLA Library’s communities,” said Megan Rosenbloom, UCLA’s collection strategies librarian and chair of the award committee. “The voluminous praise from the people who recommended Robert for the award reflects how he has really put in the work over the years to forge meaningful connections with students, faculty, donors and librarians across the UC system and beyond.”
Gore, who has been the visual arts librarian at UCLA since 2005, is especially sought after for his expertise managing and activating the library’s world-class artists’ book collection, which houses works of art that have the form and structure of books. He recently helped establish the UC systemwide artists’ book working group and serves as a role model for other librarians doing work with these unusual collection items.
In presenting the award, the association recognized Gore’s efforts in developing and presenting engaging hands-on workshops and instructional courses. Among his projects this year, Gore led a workshop teaching librarians to use artists’ books in library instruction, and he co-taught a summer program on research support and collections in arts and music libraries for visiting students in the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship program, which seeks to diversify faculty ranks in the humanities and related disciplines.
In addition, he taught diverse early-career conservators about artists’ books through the symposium “Understanding and Caring for Artists’ Books,” funded by the Kress Foundation, and continued to work to increase student engagement with artists’ books and other visual arts material.
“Building the collection is a joyous activity for me,” he said. “The first question I ask myself when looking at an individual work for acquisition is: Will this be of interest or inspirational to students? Artists’ books engage with the world in multiple ways, often using unconventional structures that question what a book is. By introducing students to artists’ books, I hope to energize and amplify their interest in the library.”
Along with the honor, Gore received a plaque and $500 in professional development funds.
Founded in 1967 and formally recognized as an official unit of the University of California in 1975, the Librarians Association of the University of California–Los Angeles advises on professional and governance matters; makes recommendations concerning UCLA librarians’ rights, privileges and obligations; and promotes full utilization of UCLA librarians’ professional abilities. The award committee commended all the eligible 2024 Librarian of the Year nominees for their work, including Angela Horne and Courtney “Jet” Jacobs.
Written by Sally Marquez | UCLA Library Communication
