We’re Darkstar Science Fiction and Fantasy Library. We’re still around, still student-run, and still obsessed with speculative fiction! Sorry for the lapse in communication; our transmissions were jammed by Sauron and our eagles attacked by Klingons (or was it the other way around?). But don’t worry, Darkstar is standing strong. We’re still located on the second floor of the Old Student Center on the UCSD campus, at MC 0078, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093.

Even if we’re in the same space you know and love, that doesn’t mean we haven’t been busy keeping the library updated! This year, we transferred our catalog to a new system, TinyCat. After a months-long process of scanning books and compiling our database, the entire collection is able to be viewed online for the first time ever! Take a look at our collection of over 5000 books, and stop by during our open hours to check out one or two. The library catalog is open for your perusal! We've also added a cozy reading corner with two new armchairs where you can sit and read comfortably, and a shelf specifically for student publications. Even if we’re science fiction and fantasy focused, we want Darkstar to remain a space that keeps the community in mind.

We have a host of events happening within our halls, open to all patrons and community members. Book Club every other Saturday, Story Sessions and Movie Nights on alternating Mondays, and Board Game Nights every Friday! Keep reading to learn more about these weekly events, or check out our events calendar here. 

Our next book that we’re discussing during Book Club is The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison, on September 26! At this meeting, we will be discussing the book in its entirety. The Goblin Emperor is a low-fantasy steampunk tale filled with court politics, where a half-goblin heir to the throne must navigate power and plots to maintain his station. We’re excited to share and talk about this Hugo, Nebula, and World Fantasy award nominated novel with you, and hope to see you there!

Our Story Sessions are small, creativity-centered workshops for writers and artists to share and talk about their work and inspirations. Every other Monday night, we meet up in the library to talk about the creative process and support each other in story creation. Stay tuned for the Fall 2026 schedule!

In terms of our future plans, Darkstar is looking to expand our space into the room next to us, known as the Dark Room. It’s a lot less ominous than it sounds, but we need to show UCSD that we have the patronage and community support necessary to earn the room. If you’d like to support us in our endeavor, pay us a visit when we open Fall Quarter, buy some of our in-house designed merch, or donate to help us expand & upkeep our space! Our events are open to all community members & patrons, including our upcoming Halloween Board Game Night on October 30th! We hope to see you walking between our shelves once more, and the librarians are always happy to chat.

Every issue, we want you to see some of the talent of our patrons. Might be some art, a short story, a comic, etcetera. Darkstar has a history of artists and writers of amazing creativity, and we want to give them a space at the end of every issue to showcase their ability, and for you, dear readers, to have a little treat for making it all the way through the newsletter. Keep a look out for the next issue of the Darkstar Newsletter, and our first Community Coda!

We started this newsletter to hear from you! We’re really excited to reach out and hear from y’all: UCSD alumni, former Darkstar staff, and to any sci-fi/fantasy fans who have missed a community to talk about their interests. What are your favorite memories of Darkstar? Anything you want to see from us? Let us know at our new email: darkstarlibrarysff@gmail.com!

Before you come see us in person, you can meet our staff here! And don't forget to follow us on our other social media platforms for more active updates between newsletters. 

If you've enjoyed catching up with us and want to receive direct email updates on future newsletters, join the email list by filling out this short form!

We hope to see you in the Library soon. Thanks for reading!

Sincerely,
Darkstar Library, est. 1978