USC Libraries

Congratulations to our 2026 PKP initiates!

This Wednesday, at ceremony in USC’s Bing Theatre, 160 students were initiated into the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi (PKP). The organization's USC chapter, housed at the USC Libraries, is the university's oldest fully interdisciplinary honor society.

James Bullock, dean of the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences and an astrophysicist specializing in galaxy formation and dark matter, delivered the keynote address. Drawing on his own path from a childhood glimpse of the moon through a backyard telescope to his work with the James Webb Space Telescope, Bullock encouraged students to embrace the spirit of PKP’s motto—Philosophía Krateítõ Phõtôn, or "Let the love of learning rule humanity"—as a lifelong practice.

“The love of learning is what makes you willing to stay in that unfamiliar place long enough to enjoy what’s there,” Bullock said. He advised initiates, as they advance to the next stage of their careers, to “keep being curious.”

PKP Initiation Ceremony Honors Scholarly Excellence During USC’s Commencement Week | USC Libraries One hundred sixty USC students were initiated into the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi (PKP) at the May 13 ceremony.

We recently partnered with the Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center and the USC Shoah Foundation to launch Voices of Survival, an immersive online platform that allows visitors to have real-time conversations with genocide survivors.

Voices of Survival Platform Launched with Illinois Holocaust Museum | USC Libraries The immersive online platform allows visitors to have real-time conversations with genocide survivors.

Want personalized help with your final papers? Next Tuesday, April 28, our librarians are teaming up with the Writing Program and Writing Center at USC Dornsife for the return of Paperpalooza.

Paperpalooza Returning to Doheny Library | USC Libraries Paperpalooza is one example of the many ways the USC Libraries support student success through instruction and research assistance throughout the academic year.

Congratulations to this year's winners of our USC Libraries Research Award! The annual competition honors exceptional research that uses any of the resources available to students via the libraries—including books, journals, electronic databases, primary sources, reference consultations, and interlibrary loans.

Research Award Celebrates Exceptional Student Use of USC Libraries Resources | USC Libraries The annual award honors exceptional research that uses any of the resources available to students via the libraries—including books, journals, electronic databases, primary sources, reference consultations, and interlibrary loans.

Day of SCupport returns April 29, bringing the Trojan Family together for 24 hours of impact. Here's how you can support the USC Libraries: https://dayofscupport.usc.edu/c/libraries

Applications are open now for the Phi Kappa Phi Undergraduate Summer Scholarship and the Carl and Sterling Franklin Phi Kappa Phi Fellowship.

Scholarships and Fellowships for USC Students through Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society | USC Libraries

A USC librarian brought philosophy—and what he calls punk-rock librarianship—to the USC Prison Education Project.

Kevin Klipfel recently taught a seven-week course exploring how values shape the choices people make, and how wisdom can help people live with greater purpose and integrity.

For Klipfel, getting involved in prison education was not incidental to his identity as a librarian. “Democratizing information is the core historical value of librarianship,” he says. “Education as a fundamental human right is core to our very identity.”

A USC Librarian Brings Philosophy—and Punk-Rock Librarianship—to L.A. Correctional Facilities | USC Libraries Kevin Klipfel puts his vision of librarianship into practice through his work in the USC Dornsife Prison Education Project.

Every year, our USC Libraries Research Award celebrates USC students who've shown excellence and creativity in the use of our collections and services. This year, we'll announce the winners at an April 14 award reception in Doheny Library. RSVP by April 7 using the QR code here.

The Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center recently launched its Voices of Survival platform, powered in part by our Interactive Interviews technology.

We are incredibly proud to launch Voices of Survival, a groundbreaking immersive platform that changes how we connect with Holocaust and genocide history. This isn't just an archive; it’s a living bridge to the past.

Through this new experience, you can:

- Talk back: Engage in real-time conversations with Survivor testimonies.

- Follow the journey: Navigate personal histories through interactive maps and timelines.

- Learn the whole story: Discover how Survivors lived, loved, resisted, and rebuilt.

We’re using technology to ensure these vital voices are accessible for education, research, and outreach for all in perpetuity. Experience it for yourself today at voicesofsurvival.com. Thank you to our partners at Sandstorm Design in helping bring this website to life!

Generously supported by the Golder Family Foundation

Voices of Survival features Dimensions in Testimony (DiT) and Interactive Interviews, created in partnership with the USC Shoah Foundation, USC Libraries, and USC Digital Repository.

Congratulations to our associate dean for IT, Sam Gustman, who will be inducted as a senior member of the National Academy of Inventors this summer!

USC's Sam Gustman Honored by National Academy of Inventors | USC Libraries The NAI has recognized USC’s Sam Gustman for his extensive contributions over a thirty-one-year period to the field of cultural heritage preservation, digital access technologies, and education.

We're proud to share our first annual impact report. The report highlights just a few of our accomplishments from the 2024-25 academic year and how we support the success of our USC students, researchers, staff, and teaching faculty.

You can read it here: https://libraries.usc.edu/usc-libraries-annual-impact-report