Changes in library hours beginning summer semester

UC Libraries has reduced operating hours in most locations beginning summer semester and continuing throughout the upcoming academic year. To minimize the impact on library users, reductions are primarily during evening and weekend hours when in-person usage is at its lowest. Digital library services, including Chat Reference, online resources and access to the library catalog will remain available 24/7.  

langsam library

These changes are the result of a reduction to the UC Libraries operating budget and are informed by foot traffic and usage patterns. The budget reduction required eliminating contracted security services and student employee positions, which are necessary to keep the libraries open extended hours. When determining how to adjust operating hours, the Libraries reviewed usage statistics and prioritized retaining currently employed student employees.

We recognize that reduced hours will impact users and are committed to maintaining access to services and support in a digital environment. Library staff and faculty roles remain unchanged.  

Each UC library location will continue to monitor usage and may adjust hours when possible, such as during high-demand periods. A list of library hours by location is posted on the Libraries web site.  

Langsam Library offering extended hours during exams

Need a place to study for exams? Working late on a class project? The Walter C. Langsam Library has extended building hours beginning Sunday, April 19 through exams. Sunday – Thursday, the building is open until 3am. The Desk@Langsam will maintain regular hours. The Exam hours are listed on the Libraries website.

Good luck, Bearcats, on exams!

studying in langsam library

The Preservation Lab will display “Preservation of all shapes and sizes” at their annual open house Thursday, April 30

Join us for the Annual Preservation Lab Open House, Thursday, April 30, 2-4pm, 300 level of the Walter Langsam Library. “Preservation of all shapes and sizes” will include tours of the lab, demonstrations of projects and treatments, cookies, bookmarks and stickers!

preservation lab open house flyer

Want a sneak peek of the work of the Preservation Lab? Stop by Langsam Library’s 4th floor on Tuesday, April 21, 10-11:30am and Thursday, April 23, 2-3:30pm to learn about housing complex materials and relax with a hands-on activity.

Formed in 2012, the Preservation Lab is a book and paper conservation lab. The Preservation Lab provides the full suite of preservation services to the University of Cincinnati Libraries and, for a fee, to other cultural heritage institutions. The Preservation Lab’s expertise is in book and paper conservation, with services available in general circulating materials repair, single-item conservation treatment, housing, exhibition prep, and preservation consulting.

preserved book on cradle

The Preservation Lab Open House is free and open to all to attend. Those driving to campus can park in the Woodside Drive/Library Garage or Campus Green Garage off of Martin Luther King Drive.

RDS announces UC Open Research Day and the Undergraduate Research Summer Learning Community

UC Libraries provides access to a wide range of Research Data and GIS services and resources for the campus community. Informationists and librarians assist researchers in managing and preserving research data, finding and acquiring external data and in utilizing GIS techniques and software. Research and Data Services (RDS) announces two programs this summer to engage with research experts — UC Open Research Day on May 27 and the Undergraduate Research Summer Learning Community running June 3 through July 22.

research and data services
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New exhibit highlights Cincinnati’s Foodshed

Two exhibits on display on the 4th and 5th floor lobbies of the Walter C. Langsam Library feature the work of Cincinnati’s Foodshed: An Art Atlas, a visually stunning and thought-provoking exploration through the past, present and future of the Cincinnati Tristate region’s food economy. The exhibit features timelines and storymaps to celebrate the people, innovations and businesses that have shaped the local food movement.

cincinnati's foodshed art atlas logo

Food mapping is one way to analyze data and share stories of how the physical environment intersects with the lived experience of food access. The exhibit displays maps created in partnership with neighborhood associations and by walking the area.

rivers, canals & commerce graphic from the exhibit

The exhibit promotes the availability of UC Libraries Research & Data Services – informationists and librarians that can assist researchers in managing and preserving research data, finding and acquiring external data, and in utilizing GIS techniques and software. People wanting to create their own map or work with spatial data and need assistance, can work with GIS research consultants available to help.

A bibliography of related UC Libraries resources is available for takeout at the exhibit for people who want to learn more about the topics covered in the exhibit.

Cincinnati’s Foodshed: An Art Atlas was written by Alan Wight, PhD. The exhibit was curated by Alan Wight and Amy Koshoffer, assistant director of RDS. It was designed by Reece Guthier, communication design co-op student.

The Langsam exhibits correspond with a similar exhibit on display in the Karl J. Schlachter and Robert A. Deshon Library for Design, Architecture, Art and Planning (DAAP). Cincinnati’s Foodshed: Art, Ecology and Community features a selection of works from the book. The exhibit is on display at the entrance to the library.

daap food atlas exhibit

Celebrate National Poetry Month with a poetry reading April 8, 4:30pm in Langsam Library

The University of Cincinnati Libraries and the Elliston Poetry Room announce the next roster of poets for Poetry Stacked, a semi-regular poetry reading series held in the 6th floor east stacks of the Walter C. Langsam Library.

At the next event, scheduled for Wednesday, April 8 at 4:30pm, Amy Lemmon, UC alumna along with five undergraduate student poets: Madison Crock, Grace Harsh, Nate Murphy, Iris Rokvić and Madeline Schrand.

Amy Lemmon is the author of the poetry collections Saint Nobody (Red Hen Press) and The Miracles (C&R Press) and coauthor, with Denise Duhamel, of the chapbooks ABBA: The Poems (Coconut Books) and Enjoy Hot or Iced: Poems in Conversation and a Conversation (Slapering Hol Press, 2011). Her poems and essays have appeared in The Best American Poetry, Rolling Stone, Prairie Schooner, The Hopkins Review, The Cincinnati Review, The Journal, Marginalia, and many other magazines and anthologies. Recipient of fellowships from the Constance Saltonstall Foundation, Sewanee Writers’ Workshop, and Antioch Writers’ Workshop, Amy is Professor of English at the Fashion Institute of Technology-SUNY, where she teaches writing, literature, and creativity studies. She has performed her poetry widely including the KGB Bar-Lit series, the Montevallo Literary Festival, and the New York Public Library. She lives in Astoria, Queens.

Celebrate National Poetry Month with a poetry reading April 8, 4:30pm in Langsam Library
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Panel to discuss “This is Not a Slush Pile: Surfacing the Submissions Queue”

On Thursday March 26th, in the Elliston Poetry Room, 646 Walter C. Langsam Library, the team behind UC’s Poetry Stacked reading series welcomes three writer/editors in various spaces of the literary publishing business to discuss the state of submissions and journals/presses in 2026.  

poetry stacked This is not a Slush Pile

  

The panelists include:  

  • Lisa Ampleman of Cincinnati Review 
  • Matt Hart of Solid State 
  • Sara Moore Wagner of Driftwood Press and Anthology 

The panel will be moderated by Ben Kline of UC Libraries, with students, faculty and staff granted time to ask questions after the panel discussion. 

The panelists will address such questions as: 

  • What are you seeing in your submissions and what would you like to see more or less of?
  • How much research is necessary when choosing where to submit? 
  • How does the volume of submission queues drive response and publishing schedules?
  • And other related topics. 

The workshop is free and open to all. Refreshments will be served.

UC Libraries seeks books good enough to eat for the International Edible Books Festival April 1st

Know of a good book to eat?! Create an Edible Book for UC Libraries International Edible Books Festival!

UC Libraries seeks books good enough to eat for the International Edible Books Festival April 1st
Dragons Love Tacos. Edible book by Lexi Davis, 2025 Best Overall

It’s time once again for the fan-favorite International Edible Books Festival scheduled for Wednesday, April 1, 2025, 11 a.m. on the 4th floor of the Walter C. Langsam Library. UC Libraries is seeking people interested in creating an edible book for the enjoyment of all in attendance. There are few restrictions – namely that your creation be edible and have something to do with a book – so you may let your creativity run wild.

As in previous years, entries will be judged according to such categories as “Most Delicious,” “Most Creative,” “Most Checked Out” and “Most Literary.” Those awarded “Best Student Entry” and “Best Overall” will win UC swag.

Looking for inspiration? View images from last year’s Edible Books on the Libraries Facebook page.

Interested in creating an Edible Book? Complete the entry form by Wednesday, March 25.

Join your research peers at the 2026 Undergraduate Research Summer Learning Community 

box of donuts

Do you have summer plans yet?  We would love for you to join us in the library for research fun and skills.  The 2026 Undergraduate Research Summer Learning Community is a great way to learn about research, acquire research skills and meet other undergraduates either interested in or currently doing research.  This year the community will run from June 3 to July 22 and meet every Wednesday morning from 9:30 am to 11 am.  The first session will include a celebratory meal and networking to kick off the 8 weeks of skills, friends and fun.  Each session will be facilitated by a mentor engaged in undergraduate research support and will be offered as both in-person and virtually via zoom.  In-person sessions will also have donuts and coffee. The final session will be in-person and feature an Opportunities Fair and more networking time. Attendees of at least 5 sessions will get a digital certificate of attendance which will look great on your LinkedIN profile. You can register and learn more information about the program and weekly topics by visiting the URSLC webpage.  Email askdata@uc.edu for more information and if you have any questions.   

Classroom of students.  They sit in groups at tables that each have a computer monitor at the wall near them

The URSLC is sponsored by UC Libraries and is offered in collaboration with the TRIO McNair Scholars, University Honors Discover program, and the CEAS Office of Professional Development & Community Impact.  The program is free and open to any undergraduate (UC and beyond) interested in research. 

UC Libraries celebrates Open Education Week March 2-6 with launch of the Zero Textbook Cost Grant Program

open  education week graphic

In response to the growing cost of course materials, the University of Cincinnati Libraries is launching the Zero Textbook Cost (ZTC) Grant Program. Available to UC faculty to apply, the aim of the program is to incentivize and support the adoption of either open educational resources (OERs) or library resources into general education and high-enrollment courses at UC. The program will provide material support in the form of grants for adopting, adapting, creating or maintaining zero-cost course materials and will build resources and infrastructure for success within UC Libraries and the UC community at large. 

The ZTC Grant Program supports the integration of OERs and existing library resources into course curricula with the goal of replacing paid textbooks and course materials with the zero-cost model and maximizing student savings. To ensure this, the program is committed to providing financial, structural and instructional support to address common barriers to engagement.

Grants will be awarded in four categories: Adoption, Adaptation, Creation and Maintenance. They will have a staggered launch with Adoption, Adaptation and Maintenance grants launching in March 2026 (with awards administered in FY 2026–2027) and Creation grants tentatively scheduled for launch in October 2026.

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