Author Archives: Michelle McKinney

Recreational Reading Recommendations

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The UC Blue Ash Library is celebrating National Library Week. To kick off the week, we’d like to share a few of our favorite books. Every recommended title is available in either ebook or audiobook format from the Public Library of Cincincinnati and Hamilton County (PLCHC). Although physical library locations are closed, ebooks and audiobooks can be accessed and downloaded for free in the comfort of your own home with your PLCHC library card.

Pam Adler and cover of Breaking and Entering

Pamela Adler’s Recommendation

Name: Pamela Adler, Public Services Assistant
Book Recommendation: Breaking and Entering: The extraordinary story of a hacker called “Alien” 
Author: Jeremy N. Smith
Book Description: This taut, true thriller takes a deep dive into a dark world that touches us all, as seen through the brilliant, breakneck career of an extraordinary hacker – a woman known only as Alien.
Rating:  ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Review: A page turning real life thriller, the sort of book that may leave you feeling both invigorated and vulnerable.

 

 

Elizabeth Hartlaub and cover of The Tale of Despereaux

Elizabeth Hartlaub’s Recommedation

 

Name: Elizabeth Hartlaub, Library Operations Manager.
Book Recommendation: The Tale of Despereaux
Author: Kate DiCamillo.
Book Description: Despereaux, a most unassuming and tiny mouse, shows that even the smallest among us can be great heroes against all odds.
Rating:  ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Review: Author Kate DiCamillo weaves a charming story using a “classic” fairy-tale approach that will delight children of all ages.

 

 

Heather Maloney and cover of The Power

Heather Maloney’s Recommendation

Name: Heather Maloney, Library Director
Book Recommendation: The Power
Author: Naomi Alderman
Book Description: Now in possession of a new kind of power, this novel explores how the world begins to change when girls and women experience and wield this power in different ways.
Rating:  ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Review: I’m not usually into science fiction but this story really pulled me in and is a relatively quick read. It made me consider our world now and how it might be if evolution took a strange and powerful turn for one gender. The page turning plot will keep you on your toes and linger with you long after you read it.

Michelle McKinney and cover of She Came To Slay

Michelle McKinney’s Recommendation

 

Name: Michelle McKinney, Reference and Web Services Librarian
Book Recommendation: She Came to Slay
Author: Erica Armstrong Dunbar
Book Description: This biography of Harriet Tubman is “An illustrated tribute to one of the most exceptional women in American History.”
Rating:  ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Review: I listened to the audiobook version and found it perfectly paced and engaging. This is a very easy-to-read and enlightening book on the life of Harriet Tubman.

 

Kellie Tilton and cover of Midnight RiotName: Kellie Tilton, Instruction Technologies Librarian
Book Recommendation: Midnight Riot /Rivers of London (Rivers of London/Peter Grant series, Book 1)
Author: Ben Aaronovitch
Book Description: Police procedural meets Hogwarts in modern-day London.
Rating:  ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Review: Fun, twisty and just a touch creepy, this book (and the rest of the series) provides a new spin on magic in every day London, with a lowly policeman that gets stuck in the middle.

 

Christian Boyles and Normandy '44 book cover

 

Name: Christian Boyles, Collection Services Manager
Book Recommendation: Normandy ’44: D-Day and the Epic 77 Day Battle for France
Author: James Holland
Book Description: A stirring narrative by a pre-eminent historian, Normandy ’44 offers important new perspective on one of history’s most dramatic military engagements and is an invaluable addition to the literature of war.
Rating:  ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Review: I enjoy historical accounts that tell the story from multiple viewpoints.  It was a fascinating read detailing how the Allies and Axis prepared for the invasion and how the fighting was for those on the frontline and behind the lines.  In spite of the amount of information, it is a quick and lively read.


by Pam Adler

From the Virtual Desk of … Michelle McKinney

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The next From the Virtual Desk Of… tour brings you to my home office. I’m Michelle McKinney, Reference and Web Services Librarian, and I share an office with my husband, Keith, and two sons, Kam and Jameson. I’m usually stationed at the desk throughout the day while my coworkers come and go. It’s been really nice to get time back that was lost to commuting so our days get off to a much smoother start. It’s also nice to have windows and sunlight in the office (although I do daydream a bit more as I’m often watching squirrels, rabbits and neighbors moving about outside).

Faculty Research Lightning Talks: Meet Chris Gulgas

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The UCBA Library’s 3rd Annual Faculty Research Lightning Talks on March 10, 2020 featured four presenters and their discipline-based research projects via short, 15 minute presentations. In our Meet the Presenters series, each presenter shares some insights into their research project.  

Chris Gulgas| Associate Professor of Chemistry| Chemistry Department
Presentation: A Student Discovery Involving a Chemical that Changes Color Leads to a New Organic Laboratory Experiment 

Chris Gulgas giving a presentation

Chris Gulgas discusses his research.

   

Research Project 
A new organic laboratory experiment was designed and developed based upon the independent research of two undergraduate students investigating solvatochromism.  Bromothymol blue was found to exhibit a significant red shift across a series of solvents.  An organic laboratory experiment was then created to allow students to discover this effect as a class using UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy.  Students built skills in recognizing functional groups and intermolecular interactions as well as analyzing data trends.  The undergraduate research process, design of the experiment and results from the first year of implementation into the curriculum were presented.  

Gulgas powerpoint slide

A slide from Chris’ A Student Discovery Involving a Chemical that Changes Color Leads to a New Organic Laboratory Experiment presentation. 

What excites you most about your research? 
I am most excited about student-driven discovery that can be developed into something useful for learning.  Students were able to identify an unpublished property of a substance we had on hand, using equipment on hand.  This discovery turned into an experiment for all organic laboratory students to benefit from in learning about solvent properties and the nature of light.  

What are your next steps with your research?  
I’d like to identify another compound that exhibits similar behavior for comparison and reinforcement.  

Additional Resources  

Reichardt, Christian (1994). Solvatochromic Dyes as Solvent Polarity Indicators. Chemical Reviews. 94 (8). 2319-2358. 

 

 by Lauren Wahman

From the Virtual Desk of….Christian Boyles

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Like all of us, the Librarians and Staff at the UCBA Library have settled into a new routine of working at home.  We invite you to see how we keep the (virtual) lights on at the Library while still providing support to our UCBA community.

I’m Christian Boyles, the Collection Services Manager at your UCBA Library.  Here’s a quick tour of my new workspace.

Thanks for stopping by my office and I hope you are doing well, staying healthy, and I hope to see you soon again in the Library.

by Christian Boyles

Temporary Online Resources from the UCBA Library

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temporary access graphic

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and the shift to virtual instruction and learning, the UCBA Library has been able to move our services and many of our resources online as well.  In addition to our ebooks, databases, and electronic articles, we have noticed that a number of our vendors have been offering to provide complimentary short term access to their products.  These offerings include:

  • Streaming media from JoVE Science Education and Films on Demand
  • Ebook packages from Gale Cengage, HeinOnline, and the HathiTrust
  • Up-to-date COVID-19 research from ProQuest and the Royal Society

You can learn more about these resources in this ever evolving guide.  To access all the electronic resources and online services the Library has to offer, we encourage you to visit the UCBA Library homepage.

by Christian Boyles

Posted in UC

Faculty Research Lightning Talks: Meet Carla Cesare  

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The UCBA Library’s 3rd Annual Faculty Research Lightning Talks on March 10, 2020 featured four presenters and their discipline-based research projects via short, 15 minute presentations. In our Meet the Presenters series, each presenter shares some insights into their research project.

Carla Cesare | Assistant Professor of Art History | Art & Visual Communication Department

Presentation: Networks of Design: Women at Work

Professor Carla Cesare giving a presentation

Carla Cesare discusses her research.

Research Project
Networks of Design is a research project/book proposal that looks at a body of women who were working in the emerging design disciplines in America in the 1920s-30s. It does so through the contemporary lens of design thinking which includes research, making and marketing; uncovering the breadth of work women were doing and the network they were creating, unconsciously or not. By uncovering ‘anonymous’, women are brought to the foreground of design history, not just through biographies or even the objects designed, but by linking their educational and career trajectories and reconsidering the role women have played in making our daily lives through design.

Cesare Slide showing different advertisements

A slide from Cesare’s Networks of Design: Women at Work presentation 

Are there any opportunities for cross-disciplinary collaboration with your research? If already cross-disciplinary, are there opportunities to expand it?
There are two areas: Women’s history and the inclusion women of the design discipline; second, I think it could be a stepping off point for people looking at the history of retail and media as the evolution of organizational structures is pretty interesting.

What are your next steps with your research?
I’m currently revising a book proposal; a publisher contacted me and they think it’s viable and a fit. So hopefully a book is next.

Additional Resources
To date I’ve primarily used archives and libraries including:  UC’s Special Collections, Purdue University, Smith College, New York Public Library, Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum, Henry Ford Museum, Cranbrook Academy of Art, University of Chicago and the Mattatuck Historical Society.

 

by Lauren Wahman

UCBA Faculty Share Research at 3rd Annual Lightning Talks

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The UCBA Library hosted the 3rd Annual Faculty Research Lightning Talks on Tuesday March 10.  This year’s event showcased four presenters and their discipline-based research projects via short, 15 minute presentations.  UCBA faculty, staff, and students enjoyed refreshments, learned about research outside of their disciplines, and asked thoughtful questions during the Q&A’s. 

Through the end of spring semester, we’ll highlight the presenters via individual posts in our first Meet the Presenters blog series! 

lightning talk presenters

L-R: Carla Cesare, Linda Wunderley, David Freeman, Chris Gulgas

Presentations: 

Carla Cesare| Assistant Professor| Art & Visual Communication
Networks of Design: Women at Work 

David Freeman| Associate Professor| Math, Physics & Computer Science
Geometry from Symmetry 

Chris Gulgas| Associate Professor| Chemistry
A Student Discovery Involving a Chemical that Changes Color Leads to a New Organic Laboratory Experiment 

Linda Wunderley| Assistant Professor, Adjunct| Business & Economics
The Real Truth About What Determines Our Professional Performance 

 

by Lauren Wahman

COVID-19 Updates for the UCBA Library

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covid-19 graphic

In response to the ever-evolving COVID-19 events and news, the UC Blue Ash Library has adjusted hours and services.

Virtual support will be available Monday-Friday, 8am – 5pm. We reply to email and form questions within one day. Questions that occur outside of service hours will be addressed the following business day (if Friday, responses will be addressed on Monday).

Please visit COVID-19 Updates: UCBA Library Services & Support for a full listing of library services, hours, and up-to-date news.

 

 

by Michelle McKinney

Spring Break Hours for UCBA Library

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palm tree on a beach

The UCBA College Library will have the following hours during Spring Break:

Monday, March 16 – Thursday, March 19: 12:00pm – 5:00pm
Friday, March 20: 12:00pm – 4:00pm
Saturday, March 21 – Sunday, March 22: Closed

The Library will resume regular Spring Semester hours on Monday, March 23rd at 7:30am.

Please visit our hours webpage to view all UCBA Library hours, including holidays and any exceptions to our regular schedule.

Celebrating Women’s History Month

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women's history month display at UCBA Library

The UCBA Library is celebrating Women’s History Month and the amazing global contributions of women!  This year’s displays (located in Reference area) showcase books covering a wide range of topics in the areas of journalism, science, art, business, politics, law, activism, education, technology, as well as social issues.  There’s also a selection of recent fiction titles by women writers.

Stop by and borrow a book from the displays during the month of March! You can also browse the list of books on the Library Displays at UCBA online guide.

Additional Resources for Women’s History Month:

 

by Lauren Wahman