Spotlight on Library Databases

library databases

UC Libraries provides access to hundreds of research databases available online for searching and downloading of information. Last year, there were 4,627,063 database searches and 2,191,398 full-text article downloads. Below is a list of new databases for 2023/2024.

For more databases, browse the list of A-Z databases online.

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Announcing the 2022-2023 UC Libraries Annual Report

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Beginning Anew

Announcing the 2022-2023 University of Cincinnati Libraries Annual Report. My tenure as dean and university librarian began in mid-August 2023, a time of great growth at the University of Cincinnati. I’ve spent these past six months learning as much as I can about the Libraries – how 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” supports the university’s NEXT Lives Here Strategic Directions. Documents such as the Annual Report have been key to my education.

In this Annual Report, we look back at the top News & Events, applaud Staff Accomplishments & Milestones and look at the Libraries By the Numbers and Financially. Under the leadership of interim dean and university librarian Lori Harris, we welcomed a significant number of new librarians and staff members who will provide essential library services and research support and help move the Libraries forward. We acquired, processed, preserved and made available collections used for research. We held events to bring people into the Libraries to interact with our facilities and collections. We created welcoming places – both virtual and in-person – for people to study, research and collaborate. And, we provided our expertise to the students, faculty and researchers who rely on UC Libraries for their academic pursuits.

Looking Forward

While we celebrate the accomplishments of the past academic year, we also continue to move forward and plan for the future. This past fall we began the process of developing an updated strategic plan with goals and initiatives that will continue to advance the mission of the University of Cincinnati. This plan will build upon the successes of UC Libraries and respond to the rapidly changing landscape of higher education, as well as the increasingly diverse needs of our students, faculty and researchers. The strategic plan will be completed this summer and will guide our work for the next three years. Stay tuned.

In the meantime, enjoy reading the 2022-2023 University of Cincinnati Libraries Annual Progress Report.

Liz Kiscaden,
Dean and University Librarian

On display for Hispanic Heritage Month

Hispanic Heritage Month is observed from September 15th to October 15th to honor the contributions and influences of Hispanic and Latinx cultures of America. A new exhibit on display on the 4th floor lobby of the Walter C. Langsam Library presents information about this month and features books from the collections of UC Libraries.

Origins:

In 1968, President Johnson introduced National Hispanic Heritage Week in the United States. In 1988, President Regan expanded the celebration to last a month in the U.S.

Why is it Important?:

The celebration is designed to recognize the positive impact that Hispanic Americans have left on the country. As of 2020, the Hispanic population in the U.S. is 65.3 million—the largest minority group in the country—and is projected to reach 111 million by 2060, according to the U.S. Census.

The exhibit was curated by Madison Hershiser, resource sharing assistant in the Collection Development Services and Engagement Department. It was designed by Jakob Elliott, communication design co-op student. A bibliography of the books on display is available at the exhibit.

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Data & Poetry / Poetry & Data Workshop: Attributes of the Code & the Line

Sept. 12, 3-5pm, Elliston Poetry Room

3-4:30pm program with 30mins Q&A following

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Hosted by the University of Cincinnati Libraries and the Elliston Poetry Room, the Data & Poetry | Poetry & Data Workshop: Attributes of the Code & the Line will explore how data and poetry inform and influence each other, the impact of emerging Artificial Intelligence (AI) programs on poetry and literature, as well as the implications this presents for copyright. 

Join us Tuesday, Sept. 12, 3-5pm in the Elliston Poetry Room (6th floor of the Walter C. Langsam Library) for a panel discussion and Q&A led by poets, data professionals, AI researchers and a legal expert. While you may not leave with answers, you will leave with thoughts, resources and more questions.

The panelists are:

  • Ben Kline is the assistant department head for research, teaching and services at UC Libraries. A poet in his non-library life, Ben believes poets should be empowered to harness data, data tools and our collective knowledge to create work that invigorates and challenges ideas about art and technology.
  • Amy Koshoffer – as the assistant director of research and data services, Amy promotes data literacy skills particularly data sharing and data management.
  • Kay Bancroft – a poet, editor, educator and artist, Kay merges creative writing with pre-existing structures, data and more. 
  • Mark Chalmers – science and engineering librarian. Among his other areas of expertise, Mark manages the CEAS Library’s coding workshops and is an AI enthusiast.  
  • Tim Armstrong – a lawyer and technologist, Professor Armstrong studies the intersection of advanced communications technologies and intellectual property law.

 
The workshop is part of Poetry Stacked programming and the Data and Computational Series. It is sponsored by a Universal Provider Award from the Provost Office. 

Winter Break hours for UC Libraries

winter sceneWinter Break Hours for the University of Cincinnati Libraries began Monday, Dec. 12. All library locations will be CLOSED Friday, Dec. 23 through Monday, Jan. 2, except for the Donald C. Harrison Health Sciences Library (HSL), which will be open noon-5pm, Dec. 27-30 and closed Dec. 23-26 and Dec. 31-Jan. 2.

A listing of all hours is available on the Libraries website as well as at each library location online and in person.

Have a relaxing and safe Winter Break. We look forward to seeing you in the New Year.

Exploring Mont Reid’s Surgeries with Drs. John Bossert & William Camm

mont rogers reidJoin the Henry R. Winkler Center for the History of the Health Professions in the Stanley J. Lucas, MD Boardroom in the Donald C. Harrison Health Sciences Library Thursday, Nov. 10 at noon as Drs. John Bossert and William Camm lead a discussion while viewing three surgical films of one of the early 20th century’s finest surgeons, Mont Reid.

The three surgical films on view will include Cholecystectomy with Gallstones (1935), Toxic Thyroid & Cesarean Section (1935) and an Ovarian Cyst and Inguinal Herniotomy (1935). While the film rolls, Drs. Camm and Bossert will discuss surgical methods of Mont Reid’s, while at the same relating interesting anecdotes about his life and work. Audience feedback, questions, and discussion is encouraged. Light refreshments will be provided (registration is not required).

UC Libraries & The Elliston Poetry room present Poetry Stacked

poetry stacked flierThe University of Cincinnati Libraries and the Elliston Poetry Room announce Poetry Stacked, a semi-regular poetry reading series held in the 6th floor East stacks of the Walter C. Langsam Library.

Scheduled for Wednesdays, Oct. 19 and Nov. 30 at 4:30pm, each event will feature three poets reading their original poetry. Each session will include a UC faculty or staff member, a student and a local or national community member. Following each reading, attendees will be invited to tour the Elliston Poetry Room.

The mission of Poetry Stacked is to celebrate poetry and raise awareness of the collections of both UC Libraries and the Elliston Poetry Room. Each reading will engage audiences via exposure to contemporary poetry and increase appreciation for both the talents of UC and community poets, as well as for poetry itself. Poetry Stacked is free and open to all to attend.

Announcement of the Oct. 19 poets is coming soon. Stay tuned…

Read Source for the news, events, people and happenings in UC Libraries

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

In this issue of Source, we bid goodbye and fond farewell to Dean Xuemao Wang as he ends his tenure at the University of Cincinnati. We celebrate the announcement of Lori Harris as interim dean and university librarian and ask her some questions about her aspirations and hopes for her new role. We feature the work of P. Alfred Marchand, one of the first Black librarians in the United States, and the design work of 1911 UC graduate Valentine Barker. Finally, we spotlight the excellent resources and services available in the College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services (CECH) Library.

Read these articles, as well as past issues, on the website. To receive Source via e-mail, contact melissa.norris@uc.edu to be added to the mailing list.

 

UC Libraries resources in celebration of Juneteenth

juneteenthJuneteenth, a combination of June and nineteenth, commemorates June 19, 1865 when federal troops, led by General Gordon Granger, arrived in Galveston, Texas, and read General Order Number 3, freeing the quarter million enslaved people in Texas. This was two years after President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation; however his edict could not be implemented in places still under Confederate control. This day came to be celebrated as Juneteenth.

Juneteenth is the oldest celebration of the ending of slavery in the University States. African American people have been commemorating it since 1865 with picnics, BBQs, church services and with some people traveling to Galveston to mark the day. In June 2021, President Biden proclaimed Juneteenth a federal holiday called Juneteenth Day of Observance. The University of Cincinnati, and UC Libraries, observes this holiday, and will be closed on Monday, June 20, 2022 in its honor. 

To learn more about Juneteenth, check out these sources: 

UC Libraries Resources 

The following is a short list of items located in UC Libraries about Juneteenth. There are many more books, articles, videos, etc. that can be searched through the Articles tab on the Libraries’ homepage. 

  • “On Juneteenth” by Annette Gordon-Reed. Located in the Walter C. Langsam Library, call number:  E185.93.T4 G67 2021
  • “Juneteenth : the story behind the celebration” by Edward T. Cotham, Jr. Located in the Walter C. Langsam Library Cohen Collection (on the white shelves in the front of the library), call number:  E185.93.T4 C684 2021
  • Juneteenth!: celebrating freedom in Texas by Anna Pearl Barrett.
  • Juneteenth:  fact sheet by Molly Higgins. Congressional Research Service – 

 General Resources: