Events
To mark this special milestone, the Library invites members of the campus and local community to join us for a variety of events and activities to celebrate the history of Geisel Library and explore what the next 50 years have in store. All events are free and open to the public unless noted otherwise.
50th Anniversary Signature Events
A Conversation With Min Jin Lee
May 26, 2021 | 5:30 p.m. PT — Join us as we honor Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month and conclude Geisel Library's 50th Anniversary Signature Events series with a talk featuring Min Jin Lee, New York Times bestselling author of "Pachinko." Lee’s award-winning fiction explores the intersection of race, ethnicity, immigration, class, religion, gender and identity of a diasporic people.
Short Tales from the Mothership: 50th Anniversary Edition
May 4, 2021 | 12:00 p.m. PT — Join us for our annual sci-fi microfiction event where the Library invites participants to submit short stories (250 words or less) inspired by the otherworldly architecture of Geisel Library. This year, in recognition of the 50th anniversary, all stories will include a reference to “50.”
A Conversation with Kevin Young
February 24, 2021 | 5:30 p.m. PT — Widely regarded as a leading poet of his generation, Kevin Young is also an essayist, editor, curator, and director at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture. Formerly the director of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Young maintains a position as poetry editor for The New Yorker. He has authored 13 works, and his newest book, “African American Poetry: 250 Years of Struggle and Song,” is set to release this fall. UC San Diego Foundation Board Trustee and UC San Diego Alumni Board President Kimberley Phillips Boehm ’82, PhD will moderate the conversation.
Architectural Masterpiece: Paving the Way for the Future
November 18, 2020 | 5:30 p.m. PT — Registration is now open for this virtual event, which will highlight the world-renowned design of Geisel Library. Moderated by Director of Special Collections & Archives, Lynda Claassen, urban designer Caroline Acheatel, professor Teddy Cruz and architect Kevin deFreitas will discuss the building's historical importance and explore the architectural principles that make it so iconic.
20th Annual Toy Piano Festival: 20 Measures or 50 Seconds
September 30, 2020 | 12:00 p.m. PT — In honor of the festival’s 20th anniversary and Geisel’s 50th anniversary, many of the toy piano premieres at this year’s event will be 20 measures or 50 seconds. Playing new works as well as songs from “The Cat in the Hat Songbook,” festival director Scott Paulson will be joined by his toy piano colleagues for an exciting virtual performance.
A Conversation with Tara Westover
September 16, 2020 | 5:30 p.m. PT — New York Times bestselling author of "Educated," will discuss her quest for knowledge that began at age 17 when she stepped foot in a classroom for the very first time. Westover went on to graduate magna cum laude from Brigham Young University, receive a Gates Cambridge Scholarship, earn an MPhil from Trinity College, Cambridge, become a visiting fellow at Harvard, and receive a PhD in history.
We Hope You Join Us
All 50th anniversary signature events are complementary. Donations are welcome, and a gift of any amount grants membership to Library Associates, a group comprised of alumni, faculty, staff, parents, and dedicated community members who recognize that the Library is at the heart of UC San Diego’s academic mission.