Todd Grappone was appointed UC Santa Barbara’s University Librarian in June by former Chancellor Henry T. Yang. He officially assumed the role on July 1, succeeding Kristin Antelman, who had served in the position since 2018.

Since beginning his tenure, Grappone has focused on gaining a better understanding of the UCSB community. Courtesy of Matt Perko

Grappone joins UCSB from UCLA, where he had worked since 2010 and most recently served as Associate University Librarian. He previously held librarian positions and information technology leadership roles at Stanford University School of Medicine, the University of Southern California and Occidental College. 

Reflecting on his path to his new position, Grappone said his frequent childhood moves led him to view libraries as a “welcoming, warm place” that he could always recognize.

“I spent a lot of time in public libraries all over the country, and just formed a bond with books and libraries,” Grappone said.

Grappone said he was drawn to UCSB because of its reputation as an innovative research university.

“[UCSB has] wonderful programs for undergraduates. It’s a very exclusive university,” he said. “What really drew me here was the overall profile of the university, with its strong humanities and strong sciences. It just felt like a really interesting place to work.”

Since beginning his tenure, Grappone has focused on gaining a better understanding of the UCSB community.

“It’s just been a few weeks and my work so far has been [about] getting to know campus, to connect with leaders on campus, to talk to the library about what their aspirations are and how I can support them,” Grappone said.

One of Grappone’s main goals is to make library resources as accessible to students as possible, and particularly for first-generation students and students with limited library experience.

“We spend a lot of money making sure that students on campus have access to world-class research materials,” Grappone said. “It’s been my goal over the years to really try to be as creative as possible with finding and providing avenues to those resources for our students. 

He also hopes to promote and expand open-access materials — free books and journal articles — to students without affecting the library’s budget.

“These are things we really promote and provide support for as much as possible for campus,” Grappone said.

In terms of his leadership style, Grappone stated that he enjoys taking a creative approach to library services and collections in order to make the work interesting for staff.

“I’m into being someone who engenders a sort of curiosity about what we’re doing and why we’re here,” Grappone said. “I think a lot of folks really enjoy that kind of aspect of working with me.”

Grappone is also considering physical improvements for the library, stating that he hopes to expand study spaces on the library’s eighth floor.

“It is such a wonderful view, and I’ve read on the UCSB subreddit that students really like studying up there,” he said. “Expanding the study space that’s available to undergraduates is probably a big part of what I’m going to try to do in the first couple years.”

At UCLA, Grappone helped to develop a research data roadmap. At UCSB, he hopes to promote and potentially expand the university’s equivalent, Research Data Services, which helps students gain data management skills in statistics, R and Python.

“These are fundamental fluencies that people need with research and data,” Grappone said.

Grappone also brings a background in digital preservation due to his experience with various initiatives at UCLA. He praised UCSB’s efforts in preserving sound recordings made on obsolete equipment and hopes to support it.

“Turntables, wax cylinder recordings, these are things that are at danger because the material is becoming harder and harder to find,” Grappone said. “These are things that UCSB does in a world-class way, so they’re already part of that conversation. I’d like to see more ways to support that kind of cultural heritage preservation.” 

Upon reflecting on his work, Grappone said that he feels very privileged to be a part of the UCSB Library and to support student research endeavors.

“The University of California is a national treasure. It’s the best public school system in the country and draws the best students and faculty. It produces the best research,” he said. “Anybody would be ecstatic to be accepted and come here to go to school. Anybody in a position like mine is here to support just the fabulous, fabulous research and students.”

Grappone concluded by saying that he hopes every student is aware that the library is a resource available to them.

“It’s going to make your undergraduate experience a lot richer if you walk in the door of the library and ask questions,” he said. “Don’t be afraid to do it — we’ve got 100 years of experience working with students.”