Welcome to the “Librarians Navigating Change” Oral History Project! The 16 oral history interview transcripts in this collection (two of which are embargoed until 2/2/29) focus on changes in libraries, and particularly librarianship, over the past 40 years, as related by long-time University of California, Berkeley librarians. The collection is comprised of more than 400 pages of transcripts, with narrators from a range of roles and services in this complex academic library setting, who were interviewed in April-May 2025 and May 2026. In this collection you’ll find content related to:

· Careers in librarianship

· Changes in library service provision (especially the impact of COVID)

· Technological change and adaptations

· Changes in collection processes, publishing, and purchasing

· Budgets, budgets, budgets

· Organizational changes and their impact on collaboration and morale

· Reflections on the rewards and difficulties of being a librarian

· Advice for future generations of librarians, as the landscape changes dramatically

Feel free to contact retired UC Berkeley librarian Ann Glusker (gluskera (AT) gmail (DOT) com) with questions and/or feedback!

UC Berkeley Library

Historical materials - June 2026