About Slack

Slack is the Library's chat-style communication tool. The UCLA Library workspace is part of the campus-wide 'Enterprise Grid', and can be used to communicate with anyone on campus.

Slack can be accessed through a browser, or a desktop or mobile app. See slack.com/downloads for app downloads.

Join the Workspace 

Our Slack workspace is called UCLA Library, found at uclalibrary.slack.com. Active students, staff, and faculty can sign in using their UCLA Logon ID to request access.
Other UCLA departments and groups are listed at ucla.enterprise.slack.com.

Request Approval

Requests to join the Library workspace must be approved by a Slack admin.
Typically, admins look for a Jira ticket that references the person, usually a Tech On-boarding or Accounts ticket. If Slack admins cannot easily locate a ticket or any other reference to the person, the request will be denied.

Please note that sometimes the person's username is the only information that appears, and in that case the Jira ticket must include the username in order for Slack admins to find it. (See "Add Display Name" in the next section).

If a request is erroneously denied, please submit a ticket to with the person's name and ask them to re-request to join the workspace. 

Add Display Name

By default, only your UCLA Logon ID will be searchable in Slack. To help people find you, edit your profile to include your full name, display name, and any other preferred fields.

Note that your profile is shared across all UCLA Slack workspaces.

Help Using Slack

Slack has extensive support documentation for how to use their services. You can find their knowledge base here: get.slack.help

If you have a question or need assistance, please visit the Staff Technology Support portal or inquire in the #slack_talk channel.

There is also a channel in the main UCLA workspace called #slack-help

Can non-UCLA people join as guests?
Yes, they can join as a single-channel or multi-channel guest. Please submit a ticket with the person's name and email and Slack admins can extend an invitation.

Can UCLA people join as guests?
No, if the person has an active UCLA Logon ID, they must use that to log in and use Slack.

How private are Slack messages?
Slack is a professional tool for work, and should be considered about as private as email. DMs and private channels are only readable by the people in them (short of a subpoena), but note that it is not difficult to create and share a screenshot of any content in Slack.
It is not a true end-to-end encrypted platform like Signal or iMessage.

My settings changed, what happened?
As part of the migration to the Enterprise Grid in July 2021, default settings from the grid may have overwritten settings you previously had, and there is not a way to switch back. Please review Slack's "Your profiles & preferences" page for help on changing settings, including notifications.

Can I upload custom emoji?
Slack admins can upload custom emoji but members cannot, as part of the enterprise grid restrictions. If you have a (work-appropriate) emoji, find a Slack admin to add it or ask in #slack_talk. There is no formal process.