Libraries’ Proposal to Encourage Diversity in the Library Profession Awarded an Equity & Inclusion Incentive Grant

regina bourne

Regina Bourne (center), Library Human Resources and Organizational Development Director, is presented with the grant award. UC/ Joseph Fuqua II

The University of Cincinnati Libraries were awarded an Equity & Inclusion Incentive Grant for the proposal “Exploring the Diverse Career Paths within Libraries,” which aims to introduce and educate minority high school students to the academic library profession for the purpose of attracting them into the profession.

Submitted by UC Libraries, in collaboration with Cincinnati Public Schools, University of Cincinnati Admissions, and partners within the library, the grant will support the creation of two half-day programs for up to 60 college-bound high school minority students from local area schools. Throughout the course of the day, the students will: take a tour of the library; meet faculty and staff with a range of skills and educational backgrounds; engage in learning activities related to library professions; learn about the experiences of student workers currently employed by the library; and gain an understanding of the multitude of career options the library has to offer.

This outreach initiative will address the current trend of retiring librarians, introduce students to diverse disciplines and cultivate interest in the library profession among the visiting students. It will also show how IT skills can be used in the library profession and educate the student visitors about library student worker jobs. Student visitors will be given flash drives uploaded with additional information about libraries to continue to engage them after the day is over.

UC Libraries’ faculty, staff and student workers who help to facilitate the program will gain valuable experience and professional development in diversity and inclusion.

The university’s Equity & Inclusion Incentive Grant program seeks to support collaborative efforts between colleges and units to enhance diversity and inclusion through innovative practices that align with the goals and objectives in the Diversity Plan.

UC Librarians and Staff Member Selected to Participate in Library Leadership Ohio 2018

Congratulations to UC’s Hong Cheng, Craig Person and Michelle McKinney on their selection to participate in Library Leadership Ohio 2018!

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The State Library of Ohio and OhioNET are pleased to announce the cohort of developing leaders selected to participate in Library Leadership Ohio 2018. Participants were carefully chosen based on their outstanding leadership potential; excellent communication skills; successful library employment experience; initiative, commitment and reasonable risk taking; forward-thinking approach to problem solving; and commitment to the profession.

“Library Leadership Ohio has long been recognized as Ohio’s premier institute for helping future leaders identify and develop their skills.  It is gratifying to look around the state and see LLO graduates in key leadership positions throughout Ohio’s library community,” expressed State Librarian Beverly Cain. “I look forward to meeting the 2018 Library Leadership Ohio class and working with them to lead Ohio’s libraries to even greater levels of achievement.”

“OhioNET is pleased to partner again with the State Library of Ohio to facilitate development of the next generation of library leaders in Ohio.  We have been working since last fall to make sure that LLO 2018 gives the greatest opportunities for invited attendees to learn from—and with—each other, and to further develop strong ties across library types,” said OhioNET Executive Director/CEO Michael P. Butler.  “Library Leadership Ohio is a tremendous example of what collaboration can do for the benefit of the entire Ohio library community, and I am grateful to all who have helped to make LLO 2018 a reality.” Continue reading

Read about Preserving Taft, the Writing of E.B. White and the Digital Scholarship Center in Source.

source vol 16 no2Read Source, the online newsletter, to learn more about the news, events, people and happenings in UC Libraries.

This latest issue of Source includes a feature on the work of the Preservation Lab and their collaboration with the Archives and Rare Books Library on a collection about William Howard Taft. Xuemao Wang, dean and university librarian, talks about how libraries need to adapt for the future. Kevin Grace, university archivist and head of the Archives and Rare Books Library, writes about a collection centered around children’s books author and co-writer of The Elements of Style, E.B. White. A grant from The Andrew Mellon Foundation in support of the Digital Scholarship Center’s research on machine learning and data visualization in multiple disciplines in the humanities and beyond is announced. Dean Wang and Liz Scarpelli, director of the University of Cincinnati Press are interviewed about the progress of the Press one year in. Gino Pasi, archivist and curator for the Henry R. Winkler Center for the History of the Health Professions, writes about a set of historical and important surgery films recently digitized and made available. Other articles announce the Libraries’s Adopt-a-Book program and the 2016/17 Annual Progress Report.

Read these articles, as well as past issues, on the web at http://libapps.libraries.uc.edu/source/ and via e-mail. To receive Source via e-mail, contact melissa.norris@uc.edu to be added to the mailing list.

Mozart in the Library: Act IV

Ever wonder what people are playing while they are practicing the keyboards in Langsam and CCM Libraries? Jay Sinnard, manager of the Student Technology Resources Center, did so he asked one student if he could listen in.

Caleb Sund, 1st year psychology major

A collaboration between UC Libraries and the College-Conservatory of Music (CCM), the keyboards are open to anyone wanting to play on a first come-first served basis, but bring your own headphone as they are required.

A Closer Look at the UC Libraries A-Z Databases List

UC Libraries moved to the new A-Z Databases List platform in July of 2017 just in time for the fall semester. The new platform provides easier access to UC Libraries databases and other databases available to UC students, faculty, and staff.  Now that the spring semester is starting, take a closer look at the features of the A-Z Database List.

Features:

Additional Features in the Column on the Right:

  • New/Trial Database list: new resources are highlighted in the right column. Resources labeled as ‘Trial” will also be listed while being considered for future subscriptions.
  • Report Database Errors: report a database problem using the form located below the new databases list.
  • Icon Key: at the bottom of the right column is a key for the icons associated with each database entry.

So take a closer look at the A-Z Databases List!  Use the list search and sort features to explore the 830 databases available to all UC students, faculty and staff.

HImage of the library website database search box ow do to get to the A-Z Database List: Use the red search box on any library website.

Click on the Database tab, type the name of the database in the search field and click on go or click on the link that takes you directly to the list.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

UC’s Digital Scholarship Center Awarded a $900,000 Grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation

The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation awarded the University of Cincinnati a $900,000 grant in support of the Digital Scholarship Center’s research on machine learning and data visualization in multiple disciplines in the humanities and beyond. Located in the Walter C. Langsam Library, the Digital Scholarship Center (DSC) is a joint venture of the University of Cincinnati Libraries and the College of Arts and Sciences. Launched in September 2016 as an academic center, the DSC provides faculty and students across the university with support for digital project conception, design and implementation.

“As a Research 1 university, the University of Cincinnati must be equipped to support the highest level of research activity. Digital scholarship plays a key role in setting the stage for our continued momentum in investigation and innovation. It helps to break down silos to share new knowledge across disciplines,” said Neville G. Pinto, president of the University of Cincinnati.

In partnership with faculty and motivated by their research questions, the DSC serves as a ‘catalyst,’ making new forms of digital research possible by lowering the technical barrier to entry for faculty to investigate their research questions. Continue reading

Digital Archivist Eira Tansey to Give Keynote Address at Digital Preservation Forum Wednesday

Eira Tansey

Eira Tansey

Eira Tansey, digital archivist/records manager in the Archives and Rare Books Library, will deliver a keynote address at the Digital Library Federation’s (DLF) Digital Preservation Forum from 4-5 pm on Wednesday, Oct. 25. DLF keynotes feature speakers doing work around contemporary issues in librarianship and cultural heritage (see 2016’s speakers). Eira’s talk, titled “The Necessary Knowledge,” will focus on the connections between record keeping and environmental protection, using Pittsburgh’s environmental history – where DLF is taking place – as a backdrop.

Logistical details:

Wednesday, October 25, 4-5 pm. This is the opening keynote for National Digital Stewardship Alliance’s Digital Preservation 2017: “Preservation is Political,” which is hosted by the Digital Library Federation and taking place in Pittsburgh.

Live stream link: https://forum2017.diglib.org/livestream-recordings/

Speaker page: https://forum2017.diglib.org/speakers/eira-tansey/

Eira Tansey is the digital archivist and records manager at the University of Cincinnati’s Archives and Rare Books Library. She has previously written about Cincinnati’s public libraries, the visibility and compensation of archivist’s labor and the effects of climate change on archival practice. She is currently collaborating on a Society of American Archivists foundation grant to develop a comprehensive data set of American archives locations in order to aid future spatial analysis of the field, and researching environmental regulatory record keeping.

The National Digital Stewardship Alliance, hosted by the Digital Library Federation, is a consortium of more than 220 partnering organizations, including universities, professional associations, businesses, government agencies and nonprofit organizations, all committed to the long-term preservation of digital information. Members work together to preserve access to our national digital heritage.

 

What Do Martin Luther, a Hidden Paleontologist and German-Americans Have in Common? They are All in the Latest Source.

sourceRead Source, the online newsletter, to learn more about the news, events, people and happenings in UC Libraries.

This latest issue of Source includes an article from Xuemao Wang, dean and university librarian, about UC Libraries core beliefs and their role on how we achieve our mission “to empower discovery, stimulate learning and inspire the creation of knowledge by connecting students, faculty, researchers and scholars to dynamic data, information and resources.” Kevin Grace, university archivist and head of the Archives and Rare Books Library, writes about a hidden bust of a famous 20th-century paleontologist and philosopher. Two important gifts are announced in this issues of Source – the first, an endowment from the Marge and Charles J. Schott Foundation for the German-Americana Collection; the second, a legacy gift from Sandra and Robert Cohan to benefit musical collections in the Albino Gorno Memorial Library. Exhibits highlighting the Archives and Rare Books Library’s Shakespeare Collection, the 500th anniversary of the Reformation and a book display for Hispanic Heritage Month are also featured in this issue of Source. In addition, a collaboration between the College of Medicine and the Donald C. Harrison Health Sciences Library to create a grant program to partner medical faculty with library informationists is announced.

Read these articles, as well as past issues, on the web at http://libapps.libraries.uc.edu/source/ and via e-mail. To receive Source via e-mail, contact melissa.norris@uc.edu to be added to the mailing list.

Stratford-upon-Avon: “A Town Synonymous with William Shakespeare”

By: Sydney Vollmer, ARB Intern

Ah, summer. A time for frolicking on the beaches, zipping swiftly through busy cities with bright lights, tolerating that toddler kicking your seat on the plane just because it means you’re finally getting to spend some time away from work, and appreciating the Bard? It’s true. Shakespeare’s home, Stratford-upon-Avon, has been relying on tourism to bolster its economy since 1769.

Shakespeare’s Birthplace. Source: Shakespeare Birthplace Trust

Continue reading

UC Libraries’ Ben Kline to Talk at “I Am An American” Event

ben kline

Ben Kline performing at Cincy StoryTellers. Photo from the Cincinnati Enquirer

Ben Kline, assistance director of the Research, Teaching and Services Department, was invited to participate in this summer’s “I Am An American” nation-wide event sponsored by the USA Today Network. Ben will reprise his talk, “Barn’s On Fire,” he gave during last summer’s Cincy Story Teller’s Project. It promises to include funny stories from his time growing up on an Ohio farm and a nice lesson in the acceptance of our original gifts.

The event happens on Tuesday, July 18, 7:00-9:00pm at the Madison Theatre in Oakley. Tickets are required. The event will be live-streamed across the country!

“I Am An American” is part of a USA TODAY Network initiative celebrating our country’s diversity through the stories that bind us together. This summer, storytellers from a variety of lived experiences will share stories on stage. For more information, visit https://tickets.usatoday.com/e/i-am-an-american-cincinnati.