Sidney Gao takes on new role as digital collections manager

sidney gaoSidney Gao, formerly the digital imaging coordinator in Preservation Services, has transitioned to a new role of digital collections manager in the Digital Collections unit of UC Libraries’ Content Services Team (CST). In her time at UC Libraries, Sidney has been deeply involved in the provision and planning of digital content services, far beyond digitization and production, and has worked extensively as a member of the Digital Collections team, including with James Van Mil, digital projects and preservation librarian. Bringing Sidney officially into the Digital Collections team in CST will provide greater synergy for digital content management and allow her to utilize her knowledge and skill set to its fullest.

In her new role Sidney will: manage digitization projects; oversee quality control workflows for in-house and outsourced digitization; report on digitization growth; assess collections status regarding digital preservation, accessibility and sustainability; analyze best practices for accessibility; assist stakeholders in grant writing; collaborate with digitization vendors; create submission information packages for aggregators; train and supervise student staff in digitization production; coordinate with the Preservation Lab to maintain and improve the digitization lab facility and to preserve and protect special collections materials during the digitization workflow; collaborate with colleagues in UC Libraries and other units on campus on digital projects including digital exhibits and outreach.

Please join us in congratulating Sidney on her new position and responsibilities.

Join us for UC DATA DAY, Oct. 23 to examine World Changing Data: How Digital Data Will Change Our Future

Sponsored by UC Libraries, IT@UC the Office of Research and the Office of the Provost, the virtual UC DATA Day will include a trainings, an interactive panel and keynote speaker Glenn Ricart, founder and CTO, US Ignite, who will present “A Day In Our Digital Future – The Intersection between Data and Humans.”

Researchers producing and using data face similar, but unique, challenges in data management, data sharing, reproducible research and preservation. This event highlights these challenges and showcases solutions and opportunities available to the broad research and education community.  UC Data Day 2020 focuses on the role and impact of the world-changing data generated by the explosion in Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning and VR/AR, including how we work, live and educate in our urban digital present and future.

Event details, including registration and panel information, is available at https://libapps.libraries.uc.edu/blogs/dataday/.

data day graphic

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

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

In this issue of Source, Dean Xuemao Wang reflects on his eight years at UC and asks questions about the future. We announce a new collaboration to manage UC’s Art Collection, as well as share the news that The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation awarded the University of Cincinnati a $700K renewal grant to advance and expand the Digital Scholarship Center’s (DSC) “catalyst” model.

Ted Baldwin and Rebecca Olson tell of a partnership with the UC Venture Lab to boost innovation and Melissa Cox Norris writes about the New Way(s) of Work.

Remote events are featured in this issue of Source, including the recent Life of the Mind lecture with links to the video and bibliography of submitted UC faculty and staff creative and scholarly works, as well as upcoming events announced such as UC DATA Day and the Cecil Striker Webinar Series.

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.

CEAS, CECH and DAAP Libraries Re-Open to Users

daap library

DAAP Library

As of September 14, the College of Engineering and Applied Science (CEAS) Library, College of Education, Criminal Justice and Human Services (CECH) Library and the Robert A. Deshon and Karl J. Schlachter Library for Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning (DAAP) have re-opened to users, joining the other library locations previously opened. Hours and location specific details are available on the Libraries website.

With the start of fall semester, UC Libraries began to re-open library facilities to the UC community in a limited, phased approach to ensure social distancing. The priority remains to provide access to library resources to the extent possible while maintaining the health and safety of students, faculty and staff. Only the Geology-Mathematics-Physics Library location remains closed to users; however, its collections are available through Click & Collect.

With limited exceptions, there is no browsing of library materials in the stacks. The Click & Collect retrieval and pickup service allows UC users to request print library materials in the Library Catalog for pickup at designated locations. Pickup location details are available on the Click & Collect webpage. In addition, library users can once again request OhioLINK & Interlibrary Loan materials. Details are posted on the Libraries website.

As always, UC Libraries remains open and available online to provide users with access to library resources and services. CHAT, the online reference service, has expanded its hours and availability to 9am-4pm, Monday-Friday.

Click & Collect Retrieval and Pickup Service Expanded to Daily, Monday-Friday

Lookinclick and collect graphicg for library print materials for research or study? The Click & Collect retrieval and pickup service (now expanded to a daily service!) allows UC users to request printed library materials in the Library Catalog for pickup at designated locations. Requests made daily Monday-Friday are typically available the next 1-2 business days. Users should wait for an e-mail pickup notice before coming to the library to pick up requested items. There is a limit of 10 items per request/25 a week.

Due dates have been automatically set for February 15, 2021. When searching for print materials in the Library Catalog, items with the status of “Click & Collect” are available for request. Items from one library location cannot be requested for pickup at another library location.

Click & Collect pickup locations and details per participating library are available on the Libraries web site.

Items requested from SWORD (Southwest Ohio Regional Depository) will be sent to Langsam Library only for pickup. Please note – SWORD will initially appear as the pickup location at the time of request, but will change to Langsam as the request is processed.

Updates to Click & Collect will continue to be posted online.

For other research and library service needs, the University of Cincinnati Libraries remains open and available online to provide users with access to library resources and services.

UC Libraries Announce Phased Approach to Re-Open Library Facilities

With the start of fall semester, UC Libraries will begin to re-open library facilities to the UC community in a limited, phased approach to ensure social distancing. Our priority remains to provide access to library resources to the extent possible while maintaining the health and safety of students, faculty and staff. The availability and use of locations and spaces within the libraries will be reviewed on a continual basis and updates will be posted on the Libraries website.library with tables and chairs


Beginning August 10
, the Donald C. Harrison Health Sciences Library (HSL) is open for fall semester with limited in-person accessibility to library spaces.

Beginning August 17, the UC Blue Ash College Library is open with services available in person, virtually or both.

Tues-Fri, August 18-21, the 400 level of the Walter C. Langsam Library will be open from 10am-4pm. No library services will be available during this time.

Beginning August 24, the Walter C. Langsam Library, Albino Gorno Memorial (CCM) Library, John Miller Burnam Classics Library, Archives and Rare Books Library and UC Clermont College Library will open with limitations and protocols to ensure social distancing. Location specifics are listed at https://libraries.uc.edu/about/covid-19.html.

Other library locations remain closed at this time, but are under review for re-opening at a date to be announced. UC Libraries remains open and available online to provide users with access to library resources and services.

With limited exceptions in the Classics and CCM Libraries, there is no browsing of library materials in the stacks. The Click & Collect retrieval and pickup service allows UC users to request print library materials in the Library Catalog for pickup at designated locations. Pickup location details are available on the Click & Collect webpage.

Library users can once again request OhioLINK & Interlibrary Loan materials. Details are posted on the Libraries website.

Format of Library Resource URLs for Off Campus Use

UC faculty and researchers, are you creating your syllabi and course materials? As you prepare for fall semester and are either adding or updating links to articles, e-books and other library resources, changes to the UC VPN in March 2020 means that Off Campus Access for library resources has changed. Use the following tools to affix the library’s proxy link to the permanent URL for resources to ensure seamless use both on and off-campus. This will also provide accessibility options for students and help alleviate some copyright concerns.

Helpful Resources

As always, contact your subject liaison for assistance or reach the libraries via the contact page.

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

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

In this issue of Source, Dean Xuemao Wang remarks on the national and global protests sparked off by the May 25th murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officers and how libraries must join the fight against systemic racism.

Read about how when UC Libraries closed its physical locations in mid-March in response to COVID-19, student supervisors transitioned quickly not just their own work online, but that of their library student workers. In addition, this issue highlights work to provide library services and resources online to UC faculty and staff during a crisis.

While working remotely, consider suggestions of resource and tools from Maggie Patel, business and data analytics librarian. Download Libraries backgrounds for your next Zoom meeting or spend time with the labor collections in the Archives and Rare Books Library.

Elizabeth Scarpelli, director of the University of Cincinnati Press, announces the launch of Platforms and Pathways in Social Innovation as part of the Press’s dynamic, open access publishing platform.

While the University of Cincinnati Libraries remains open and available online to provide users with access to library resources and services, the Click & Collect retrieval and pickup service allows UC users to request print library materials in the Library Catalog for pickup at designated library locations.

Lastly, in this issue of Source, we remind UC faculty and staff to submit their 2019 creative and scholarly works for including in the re-imagined Life of the Mind.

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.

UC Libraries Expands Click & Collect Retrieval Service to Additional Library Locations

Users can request print library materials by 9am Wednesday for Thursday pickup.

click and collect graphicThe University of Cincinnati Libraries is expanding its Click & Collect retrieval and pickup service providing users with access to print collection materials in order to support UC teaching and research. Users may now request print items for pickup at the following additional library locations:

  • College of Engineering and Applied Science (CEAS) Library
  • College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services (CECH) Library
  • Geology-Mathematics-Physics Library
  • Walter C. Langsam Library

Plans are underway to provide access to the John Miller Burnam Classics Library collection to Classics faculty and graduate students and details will be announced soon.

The Click & Collect retrieval and pickup service allows UC users to request print library materials in the Library Catalog for pickup at designated library locations. Requests made by 9am Wednesdays will be available for pickup between noon-4pm on Thursdays. Due dates have been automatically set for August 10. When searching for print materials in the Library Catalog, items with the status of “Held By Library” are available for request. Items from one library location cannot be requested for pickup at another library location. Continue reading