UCSB Reads

UC Santa Barbara Library has been named a recipient of the 2026 John Cotton Dana Library Public Relations Award by the American Library Association (ALA). Widely regarded as one of the most prestigious honors bestowed in the library profession, the award recognizes outstanding public relations efforts that elevate the visibility and impact of library services.

UCSB Reads 2026, the 20th anniversary of UC Santa Barbara's award-winning common book program, culminated on May 7 with a campus appearance by Michelle Zauner.

New Library Exhibition Celebrates 20th Anniversary of UCSB Reads 

UC Santa Barbara Library is celebrating the 20th anniversary of UCSB Reads, the University’s award-winning common book program, with a new exhibition, Creating Community Through Books: 20 Years of UCSB Reads.

For its 20th anniversary year, UCSB Reads selects a provocative book about identity, food, grief, and culture

The UC Santa Barbara Library and the Office of the Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost are pleased to announce the selection of Crying in H Mart: A Memoir (2021) by Michelle Zauner for UCSB Reads 2026, the 20th anniversary of UCSB’s award-winning common book program.

UCSB Library received five awards in 2025 in recognition of its outstanding communications:

The UCSB Library is pleased to announce its shortlist of titles under consideration for UCSB Reads 2026, the 20th edition of the award-winning campus- and community-wide common book program. The four nonfiction titles and one fiction title explore diverse cultural, social, and scientific subjects that can ignite discourse and thoughtful discussion inside and outside of the classroom.

The UC Santa Barbara Library and the Office of the Executive Vice Chancellor are pleased to announce the selection of the 2025 UCSB Reads book, The Book of Delights: Essays by Ross Gay.

Now in its 19th year, UCSB Reads is an award-winning program that brings the campus and Santa Barbara communities together to read a common book that explores compelling issues of our time. 

The UCSB Library is pleased to announce its shortlist of titles under consideration for UCSB Reads 2025. The four nonfiction titles and one fiction title explore diverse cultural, social and scientific subjects that can ignite discourse and thoughtful discussion inside and outside of the classroom.

For 18 years, the UCSB Reads program has brought the campus and Santa Barbara communities together to read a common book that explores compelling interdisciplinary issues of our time. The program has become a mainstay in campus education and outreach, with book topics tackling issues as diverse as climate change, mass incarceration, Buddhism and artificial intelligence, among others.

The UC Santa Barbara Library and the Office of the Executive Vice Chancellor are pleased to announce the selection of the 2024 UCSB Reads book, Your Brain On Art: How the Arts Transform Us by Susan Magsamen and Ivy Ross.

Now in its 18th year, UCSB Reads brings the campus and Santa Barbara communities together to read a common book that explores compelling issues of our time.