Mission Statement
The mission of the Annie Gabriel Library is to help meet the research and information needs of the California Baptist University community, both on and off campus, by offering the highest level of Christ-centered service in providing access to current and historical information sources and developing and organizing collections that support the many and varied programs offered by CBU, by helping its diverse users understand and effectively use both new and traditional forms of information and its delivery, and by ensuring the preservation of library and archival materials for future use.
History
The Annie Gabriel Library is named in honor of Miss Annie Gabriel, whose generous gift enabled the initial significant development of the collection. The library building was built in 1922, originally to serve as a retirement home/hospital for the fraternal organization known as Woodmen of the World. After purchasing the property in 1954, California Baptist College moved from El Monte to Riverside in 1955. On October 20, 1958 the college celebrated the dedication of the new home of the library in the former hospital area. While in El Monte, Sybil Brown, a school teacher, became the first volunteer librarian. With a heart for CBC she returned to college and “kept doggedly at it until she received her specialized degree” in library science. Sybil served as head librarian for the Annie Gabriel Library until 1973. Today, the library continues to realize her vision of quality collections and exemplary service.
Holdings
In addition to over 100,000 print books, the library currently subscribes to over 350 print journals, with a number of titles dating back to the 19th century. The library also has over 800 classical music CDs and a growing collection of over 800 DVDs. Search these in-house collections using the library catalog.
The library also provides access to a significant collection of online resources, including over 30,000 periodical titles and over 150,000 e-books, accessed through a variety of databases covering all disciplines, most of which include access to full-text content.
Special Collections
The Southern Baptist Depository and Archive offers books, journals, convention and association annuals, state newspapers, Sunday school curriculum materials and other Southern Baptist publications. Contact Rachel Murrell for more information on the Archive and its use. - View Book Titles (Additionally, many older Baptist publications have passed into the public domain and are available from Google Books. Click here for a partial list.)
The California Baptist University Queenie Simmons Archive provides access to information on the history of CBU through its collection of yearbooks, campus publications, photographs and other historical documents, in addition to the collected papers of S. G. Posey, Lawrence Nelson, and Melodie Yocum. Contact Rachel Murrell for more information on the Archive and its use.
The P. Boyd Smith Hymnology Collection contains more than 2,100 volumes spanning three centuries and representing more than twenty languages. It is a valuable resource for hymnologists and musicologists, as well as historians of church music. These items are currently being cataloged and added to the library catalog. - View Titles
The Wallace Collection of more than 2,400 volumes comprises a personal collection of evangelism materials given to the institution in remembrance of Dr. D. E. Wallace, former Professor of Bible and Religious Education. - View titles
The Nie Wieder! Collection, is a growing collection of resources for students researching the Holocaust and its implications for Jewish-Christian relations. - View Titles
Information Literacy
The Library strives to help students understand and effectively navigate the contemporary information landscape. The following six student learning outcomes have been formulated and adopted as outcomes for all CBU students. If you are faculty interested in collaborating with the library to meet these outcomes, please see the faculty information page or contact us. All CBU graduates should be able to:
- Formulate and define an information need clearly.
- Access needed information effectively and efficiently.
- Evaluate information and its sources critically.
- Use information effectively to accomplish a specific purpose.
- Understand the economic, legal, and social issues surrounding the use of information, and access and use information ethically and legally.
- Have an attitude of openness, flexibility, curiosity, creativity and an appreciation of the value of a broad perspective.