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.
Since its launch in 2007, UCSB Reads has fostered a shared sense of belonging by bringing the UCSB campus and Santa Barbara communities together to read a common book that explores compelling issues of our time. Conceived by Gene Lucas ’73—then UCSB’s Executive Vice Chancellor and today a UC Santa Barbara Foundation Trustee—the program is led by the UCSB Library in collaboration with campus and community partners. Over time, UCSB Reads has become a beloved campus tradition that brings together thousands of people every year and demonstrates the power of literature to bridge divides, promote intellectual engagement, and build community.
Each year, a committee of UCSB faculty, students, staff, and community members selects a thought-provoking, interdisciplinary book written by a living author that encourages a wide range of readers to engage with contemporary social, political, cultural or scientific issues. Past topics have included climate change, racial justice, technology, memory, identity, and democracy. The program kicks off in winter with a book giveaway for UCSB students, and culminates with a free public talk by the book’s author(s) at UCSB in the spring. UCSB Reads authors have included His Holiness the Dalai Lama (2009), Piper Kerman (2015), Bryan Stevenson (2016), Ted Chiang (2022), and Michelle Zauner (2026).
Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost David Marshall notes: “The library both symbolizes and embodies the intellectual community that binds us in our common educational enterprise as a public research university. UCSB Reads exemplifies the power of books—indeed, the power of a single book—to bring us together and create community.”
UCSB alumnus Mohsin Mirza ’16, who participated in UCSB Reads 2016, shares the program’s personal significance: “I think everyone should read the UCSB Reads book because you never know what impact a book can have on you, especially at such a formative time in your life. It can truly change the trajectory of your life and your career, and that’s what Just Mercy did for me.”
Creating Community Through Books highlights the legacy and impact of UCSB Reads since its inception, featuring original promotional posters, selected books, custom bookmarks along with testimonials and images of participants engaging with programming from throughout the years. Visitors are invited to take home the custom bookmarks created for each edition of UCSB Reads.
The exhibition also includes the UCSB Reads Browsing Collection, which contains copies of all 20 UCSB Reads books as well as materials related to the themes of the UCSB Reads 2026 book, Crying in H Mart by Zauner. The collection is located in the Paseo Commons (1st Floor, Mountain Side), across from the Services Desk. All items in the collection are available to borrow.
Creating Community Through Books is on display in the Library’s Ocean Gallery (1st Floor, Ocean Side) until December 11, 2026.
More Information
- Creating Community Through Books exhibition listing
- UCSB Reads Browsing Collection
- UCSB Reads 2026 book selection announcement
- UCSB Reads 2026 guide
- Upcoming UCSB Reads events
Image Captions
- Two students explore the Creating Community Through Books exhibition.
- A group of students exploring the Creating Community Through Books exhibition on January 13, 2026, ahead of the UCSB Reads 2026 Book Giveaway to Students. More than 500 students viewed the exhibition before, during and after the event. The annual book giveaway officially kicks off the UCSB Reads program every year.
- A student poses with a UCSB Reads 2026 bookmark while standing beside a framed promotional poster for UCSB Reads 2026 and a wall-mounted copy of Crying in H Mart that are featured in the Creating Community Through Books exhibition.
- While passing by the Ocean Gallery, two students pause to view the Creating Community Through Books exhibition.
