Celebrate National Library Week with UCBA Library

Posted on April 20, 2026 by Michelle Leonard

Happy National Library Week, UCBA! The theme for this year’s celebration of libraries is “Find Your Joy!”.

This week, we invite our campus community to take a moment to think about where they find library joy, whether that comes through discovery, learning, creativity, or connection. National Library Week is a time to recognize the important role academic libraries play in teaching, research, and lifelong learning. From scholarly collections and digital resources to technology and expert support, the library remains at the heart of our campus.

To celebrate, we are hosting a variety of fun events and activities throughout the week. Be sure to check out the message monitors inside and outside the library, where we have curated some of our most joyful library moments from over the years.

Monday – Thursday Events

Find Joy in Unexpected Places: Students are invited to explore the library and keep an eye out for a hidden gifts of joy. Each day, one small squishable surprise with a National Library Week message of encouragement will be tucked away somewhere in the library. Finders keepers!
Guess the Bookworms: How many gummy bookworms are cozied up in the jar? Students can stop by the library and submit their best guess through Thursday this week. We’ll review guesses on Friday and the student with the closest guess wins the entire jar of bookworms!
Book Blooms Display: Fresh reads for a new season! Browse our spring book display, check out a book, and grab a treat to enjoy along the way.

Wednesday | 12 pm – 2 pm

Spring Fling: Visit our table at the Student Life and Success Spring Fling for freebies, treats, and a chance to say hello.

Thursday | 2 pm – 3 pm

Coffee, Cookies & Community: Books in the Nook Finale: Faculty, staff, and students are invited to stop by to enjoy coffee and cookies, and take a moment to recharge in the library’s wellness space or anywhere in the library. This gathering also marks the final Books in The Nook event of the semester and is a perfect opportunity to reflect and connect as the semester wraps up.
Thursday is also Take Action for Libraries Day, a time to rally support and show appreciation for libraries and the work they do.

Students and staffed reading and relaxing in the Nook — Faculty, staff and students enjoying the Books in the Nook silent reading party.

We hope to see you around the library this week. We also encourage you to show some love to your local public libraries. We are truly fortunate to have such an outstanding library system in the greater Cincinnati area.

Thanks, and see you in the library!

UCBA Library Joy Abounds

Photo collage of UCBA Library faculty, staff, students and visitors expressing joy in the UCBA Library.

Three library staff members holding their spin art.

National Library Week at UC Clermont

Posted on April 19, 2026 by Catie Carlson

National Library Week is an annual celebration highlighting the valuable role libraries and library professionals play in transforming lives and strengthening our communities. In 2026, it will be held April 19-25.

At UC Clermont, you can celebrate with us in a number of ways:

Share your favorite book with us on Monday
Highlight something amazing a librarian’s recently done for you on Tuesday
Tell us things you wish the library gave out on Wednesday
Write MAD LIBrary love letters on Thursday

You’ll find ways to interact with these actions in the library and across campus during the week. Can’t make it on campus? You can still participate: 2026 National Library Week – Fill out form.

Langsam Library offering extended hours during exams

Posted on April 17, 2026 by Melissa Cox Norris

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!

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

Posted on April 9, 2026 by Melissa Cox Norris

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!

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.

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

Posted on April 6, 2026 by Melissa Cox Norris

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.

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Cephalopods, eurypterids, and porifera, oh my!: The Kenneth E. Caster papers at ARB

Posted on April 3, 2026 by Julianna Witt

The University of Cincinnati Libraries Archives and Rare Books Library has completed processing the papers of University of Cincinnati professor emeritus Dr. Kenneth E. Caster.

Photograph of Dr. Kenneth Caster showcasing a rock fossil to a group of students outside at an unknown location. — *Dr. Caster presenting a fossil to group of onlookers at unknown excursion trip, circa 1930s-1940s. Source: Kenneth E. Caster papers at ARB Library*

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Introducing the renovated CECH Library Reading Room

Posted on April 2, 2026 by Melissa Cox Norris

Join us for a Grand Opening Celebration

CECH Library Reading Room Grand Opening Celebration
Tuesday, April 21
2:30-4:30pm (brief remarks at 3pm)
400 Level of Teachers-Dyer Complex, 2610 University Circle

The start of spring semester saw the opening of the CECH Library Reading Room. Located on the 400 level of the Teachers-Dyer Complex, and totaling more than 3,000 square feet, the reading room is accessible via the staircase in the CECH Library or directly with a Bearcat ID. It offers a variety of seating, library collections and a reservable study room (400B) with adaptive lighting and study and focus tools.

At the Grand Opening Celebration, tour the space, enjoy refreshments, hear remarks from UC Libraries and CECH and enjoy the refreshed space. At 3:30pm, venture downstairs to the 3rd floor CECH MakerLab for an informal showcase of innovative Making and STEAM kit projects created as part of the School of Education’s digital pedagogical support initiative.

The Grand Opening Celebration is open to all, so bring a colleague and a friend.

And the winners are…results of the 2026 International Edible Books Festival

Posted on April 1, 2026 by Melissa Cox Norris

The University of Cincinnati Libraries celebrated the International Edible Books Festival on Wednesday, April 1, 2026. The event marked the 25th year of UC Libraries participating in Edible Books — and it was a momentous occasion!

extra yarn edible book — Best Student Entry – Ellie Alfieri, Extra Yarn

This year, saw an impressive 24 entries from students, librarians and staff, along with family, friends and retirees. There are few restrictions in creating an edible book – namely that the creation be edible and have something to do with a book. Today’s entries covered all genres – from fiction to non-fiction, animals, food, classics, contemporary titles and more.

Contemporary fiction Seared on the Heart, The Song of Achilles, Holes, The Names, Intermezzo, along with classics Frankenstein and The Tell-Tale Heart were well represented. Non-fiction titles Feeding Ghosts, The Hidden Lives of Trees and Dirt: The Scoop on Soil were sure to educate and delight.

And the winners are…results of the 2026 International Edible Books Festival

Numerous children’s books made people smile with The Hundred Dresses, One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish, Do You Have a Hat?, Great Sharky Shark, Extra Yarn and The Day the Crayons Quit.

Food-themed titles I am Grateful for Chicken Pot Pie (which was a virtual entry), Cakes and Ale, Triceramisu and Amaze! Rocky Road Cookies were delicious.

This year also saw two sets of identical entries — the fan-favorite Heated Rivalry and the popular book about to be a film Remarkably Bright Creatures.

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New exhibit highlights Cincinnati’s Foodshed

Posted on March 30, 2026 by Melissa Cox Norris

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.

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.

The Visual Power of American Civil War Correspondence: Looking through the lens of the Benjamin L. Askue, Jr. Civil War Letters

Posted on March 26, 2026 by Devhra Bennettjones

benjamin l. askue, jr. during the American Civil Way, circa 1860s — Benjamin L. Askue, Jr. during the American Civil War, circa 1860s

Frontline accounts of military conflicts provide a glimpse into the world of the war. The historical record reflects numerous descriptions of soldier’s and military doctor’s accounts of the bloodiest war ever engaged on American soil – the Civil War. The Henry R. Winkler Center for the History of the Health Professions announces the launch of the narratives of the 23^rd Regiment Ohio Volunteers Infantry doctor, the Benjamin L. Askue, Jr. Civil War Letters Benjamin L. Askue, Jr. Civil War Letters on JSTOR.

Askue was born in November 1833 to Benjamin and Rowena Cordelia Askue in Ashtabula, Ohio. In 1853, he married his cousin Flavia Pritchard. The letters he wrote to Flavia during the American Civil War demonstrate that they had a happy marriage. The couple had five children together.

During the 19^th century and early 20^th century, physicians often received their training through apprenticeships. Askue followed this path becoming a homeopathic doctor. In 1861 he joined the 23^rd Regiment Ohio Volunteers Infantry, Company B in the Union Army. Askue served as a cook, nurse, hospital steward, and in the 23^rd Regiment’s infantry. He left the Union Army In July 1865. Askue returned to Ashtabula to farm and practice homeopathic medicine. He died in 1906.

Askue’s archives and artifacts were donated to the Winkler Center. While his archives hold numerous documents and artifacts, the highlight of the collection consists of letters written to Flavia beginning in June 1861 and concluding in July 1865. He described the 23^rd Regiment’s travels, battles, camp life, politics, family in Ashtabula, Ohio and Askue engaged in philosophical analysis of the era.

mid-19th century doctor's traveling medicine kit — Mid-19^th century doctor’s traveling medicine kit

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