International Institute congratulates UCLA Librarian of the Year David Hirsch

By Cindy Fan, Vice Provost-International Studies, Interim

Since 1992, David Hirsch has served as Librarian for Middle Eastern studies in the UCLA’s Charles E. Young Research Library Collections, Research and Instructional Services, where he is responsible for Jewish, Middle Eastern, Islamic, Central Asian, South Asian and Armenian studies. 

He also serves as the Library’s liaison for South Asian as well as Israel studies. David works closely with the Program on Central Asia and prepared an exhibit for a conference on Afghanistan organized by Director Nile Green.

David has sponsored library programs related to the Middle East and South Asia, including one on an Islamic Super Heroes Comic Book series, The 99, as well as a reading by Indian children’s author, Anushka Ravishankar, known as the Indian Dr. Seuss.

David’s activities with students include giving orientations and demonstrations to many groups and classes. He is an adjunct faculty member in Near Eastern Languages and Cultures (NELC) and has offered courses NELC 200 and 596. Since 2002, he has also been on the Faculty Advisory Committee for the Center for Near Eastern Studies.

David has shown leadership as president of the Middle East Librarians Association (three terms) and as Program Chair for three annual conferences of that organization. In addition, he was Chair of the Middle East Microforms Program run through the Center for Research Libraries for many years. 

The International Institute extends its congratulations to David and thanks him for his many collaborative efforts with the UCLA International Institute.

See UCLA Today profile and award announcement.

The Librarians Association of the University of California, Los Angeles (LAUC-LA), is the UCLA branch of a statewide organization of all librarians employed at least half time by the University of California. Its Librarian of the Year Award is a peer award that recognizes excellence in librarianship that furthers the teaching and research mission of UCLA and responds to the intellectual, cultural and information needs of the UCLA community. The recipient of the award must embody one or more of the following qualities: creativity, innovation, courage, leadership, or scholarship.