Just a few miles past UC Irvine, tucked beside winding green spaces, the University Park Library is a hub of activity. On a late weekday afternoon, the library is full of studying high school students, parents with young children, and other community members taking a break on new plush chairs between the book stacks.

Scattered throughout the library branch, which opened in 1975 under the operation of the County of Orange, are historic photos documenting the earliest day of the nearby UC Irvine campus and its surrounding land. Nearly a dozen photos from UC Irvine Libraries Special Collections and Archives are prominently displayed along the curved center walls and above study desks.

Until late spring 2025, the University Park Library had operated within the Orange County Public Library (OCPL) system. In summer 2024, the Irvine City Council approved the transition of library services from the County of Orange to the City of Irvine. Allison Tran, library services manager for the Irvine Public Library (IPL) and a UC Irvine alumna, explained that the city made the move from county- to city-run operations to provide a more personalized, local approach to library services. 

As part of that transition, three OCPL library branches moved to the newly founded IPL system: Heritage Park Library, University Park Library, and Katie Wheeler Library, which is currently closed but projected to reopen as IPL’s third branch in 2026.

When it came time to choose art for the IPL branch closest to UC Irvine, Tran said it made sense to reach out to the Libraries’ Special Collections and Archives.

“Forming a close partnership with UC Irvine Libraries and the campus as whole is an important way to serve our shared communities,” said Tran. “Displaying images of UC Irvine’s early days in the University Park Library underscores our commitment to providing more personalized library services. When library patrons walk through our doors, we want them to immediately feel a sense of place and a connection to their local history.” 

The bulk of the photos on display within the library branch show the UC Irvine land and buildings just before and right after the campus opened on October 4, 1965. Photos include open ranch lands at the time the site was selected by the UC Regents in 1961, strategy meetings with campus architecture William Pereira and other campus planners, and the campus dedication by then US President Lyndon B. Johnson. Other photos include various stages of the construction of the Library-Administration building (later known as Main Library and then renamed Jack Langson Library in 2003) as well as an 8-foot enlarged aerial photo of Campus Park (renamed Aldrich Park in 1984 after UC Irvine’s first chancellor, Daniel G. Aldrich).

The university and its surrounding communities have been intimately interconnected since the beginning. The UC Irvine campus actually predates the City of Irvine, which was founded in 1971, six years after the university opened in fall 1965. So when it was time choose new art for the University Park Library walls, it was only fitting to honor the university’s place within the community and its role in the development of the surrounding community.

“Our Library Services and Arts division teams were thrilled to work with the UC Irvine Libraries Special Collections and Archives to select key images that highlight the important connection between the campus and city,” said Tran. “Their expertise was invaluable in creating this display for the community.” 

Endowed University Librarian Lorelei Tanji sees this initial collaboration as the just the first of many with the recently formed IPL system, and she thinks displaying these images is particularly timely because UC Irvine is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year. 

“The City of Irvine and its community library system are posed to grow and continue to expand services,” said Tanji. “We look forward to a long partnership with Irvine Public Library.” 

For more about the history of UC Irvine, visit the Anteater Experience: 60th Anniversary of UC Irvine online exhibit or browse the University Archives and Orange County Regional Collections within Special Collections and Archives.

About Irvine Public Library

Founded in 2025, Irvine Public Library (IPL) serves the City of Irvine’s residents as well as those in surrounding communities. IPL provides access to books, information, technology, programs, and services that encourage lifelong learning. The IPL system currently comprises two branch libraries, the Heritage Park Library and the University Park Library. The Katie Wheeler Library is projected to open as IPL’s third branch in 2026, and the city plans to continue expanding Irvine Public Library with additional library sites in the coming years. To learn more about IPL and its transition from OCPL, visit the Irvine Public Library website.

About Special Collections and Archives

Special Collections and Archives houses UC Irvine Libraries’ collections of rare books, manuscripts, archives, photographs, and other rare and special materials. Our holdings include the University Archives, Southeast Asian Archive, Orange County Regional Collection, and more than 11,000 rare books, with strengths in political literature, performing arts, critical theory, and artists’ books.

Beginning with the founding of UC Irvine in 1965, the University Archives hold materials that document the planning and growth of the campus, the development and administration of academic and administrative programs and services, faculty papers, student life, and community relations.