It is with deep sadness that we announce that UCR librarian Christina Cicchetti passed away on Sunday, February 21, 2021. 

Christina received her BA in Humanities from Walla Walla University in Washington State, MS in Information Studies from Drexel University, and Educational Specialist (EdS) Certificate in Curriculum and Instruction from La Sierra University.

A librarian and educator with over 30 years of experience, Christina began her career as a Media Center Director and English teacher at the Portland Adventist Academy in Portland, Oregon, followed by over 15 years as a librarian at La Sierra University in Riverside. At La Sierra Christina served as the librarian for the Curriculum Resource Center and then as Chair of Public Services. She then moved to University of La Verne as an Education Librarian before joining the UCR Library as an Education / Reference Librarian in June 2007. 

At UCR Christina was primarily responsible for the outreach, instruction, research services and collection development for the Graduate School of Education faculty and students, and oversight of the Learning Resources Display Center. She also developed innovative outreach services to inland-area educators on college readiness. This led her to be invited to become a founding member of a regional group of k-12 and academic librarians to create a library bridge to college. In 2019 her librarian position expanded to focus more on teaching and faculty liaison with all social science disciplines. Christina possessed great flexibility and equanimity, and rose to the challenge. 

At every institution at which she worked Christina fostered fruitful and warm partnerships between the faculty and the library. She consistently enhanced the usability and profile of the library with book fairs, dynamic displays, professional development events, and faculty orientation sessions.

Christina was well-known as a supportive and caring colleague. She valued her collegial connections and was always active in professional organizations such as the American Library Association, Association of College and Research Libraries, California Library Association, and Association of Seventh-day Adventist Librarians.  She displayed a strong commitment to service, serving on the California Teacher Librarian Services Credential Advisory Panel, a California Department of Education committee to recommend K-12 titles, and many national-level library award committees.

Christina will be deeply missed.