UCBA Librarian Judges Edible Books

Posted on April 11, 2016 by Michelle Leonard

By Michelle McKinney, Reference and Web Services Librarian

When Melissa Norris asked if I would like to serve as a judge for the 2016 Edible Books contest held on April 1st at the University of Cincinnati Libraries’ Langsam Library, I happily (and hungrily) agreed.

This was my first time attending the event let alone judging it. I was completely blown away by the creativity and complexity of some of the entries. It was truly a challenge for me and fellow judge, Michael Alfieri, to fairly assess and assign winners for 15 categories which included: Most Gruesome, Most Literary, Most Whimsical and Best Overall.

All those in attendance had the chance to taste the literary creations which included cheese balls, fruits, veggies, cakes and cookies. Did I mention how tasty the entries were as well?

For more information about the participants and the International Edible Books Festival, read the News Record article. View the entries and the winners on theLibraries Facebook page.

: Me and the other Edible Books judge, Michael Alfieri

: How Are You Peeling? Fruit salad

: The Very Hungry Caterpillar Cupcakes

: Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs

: To Kill a Mockingbird cake

: Princess and the Frozen Peas cake and peas

: Cuneiform Cookies

: The Girl With a Pearl Earring cookies

: The Girl on the Train cake

: The Rats of NIMH cheese balls and crackers

: I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings peeps

: If You Were a Penguin cake

: Quidditch Through The Ages cake

: If You Were a Penguin cake

: Winnie The Pooh cake

UCBA Fun Facts: Personal Lending Policy

Posted on April 4, 2016 by Michelle Leonard

Question: What is your policy on book lending?

Heather

Heather Maloney, Library Director: I share! Unless it’s a library book then I’m a little more protective. 😉

Michelle McKinney, Reference/Web Services Librarian: It depends on the book and who I’m lending it to…I’ve lost a few faves over the years and those folks can’t borrow from my anymore.

Kellie Kellie Tilton, Instructional Technologies Librarian: I am an advocate of book lending! But only if I know the person well enough to know the book is coming back at some point.

Lauren Lauren Wahman, Instruction Librarian: No policy. All of my books come from the Public Library of Cincinnati & Hamilton County.

julierobinson Julie Robinson, Library Operations Manager: Hardly ever. Streamlined my collection to keep mainly my absolute favorite hardcovers and first editions which I NEVER lend and the rest I borrow from the library.

Pam Adler, Public Services Assistant: Depends on the book. I rarely loan my hardcovers but if I have an ebook it’s yours to borrow.

Exploring the UC Libraries

Posted on April 1, 2016 by Michelle Leonard

by Kellie Tilton

As many may know, the University of Cincinnati contains 13 awesome libraries amongst the three campuses of Uptown, Clermont and Blue Ash. As a librarian at the UCBA Library on the Blue Ash campus, I’ve been to Langsam Library numerous times and have visited a few others due to various meetings. In the two and half years I’ve worked for UC, however, I hadn’t really had the opportunity to really explore many of these collections. Over spring break, I had the chance to get the behind-the-scenes tour in eight of the 13 libraries.

By walking ten minutes across (and up!) the Uptown campus, I went from delighting over the DAAP Library’s vast snowglobe collection to admiring one of the Archive and Rare Books Library’s pre-printing press manuscripts. The resources available to all UC students, faculty and staff in the UC collections are vast, fascinating and one of the many great things about the University of Cincinnati.

If you have a chance, be sure to go seek out the many gems in the UC Libraries! To see some of my adventure, check out the photos below!

: Seek and ye shall find the legend of the Holy Grail in the Archives and Rare Books Library!

: One of the Archives and Rare Books’ pre-printing press manuscripts. This one is titled “Spurious and Doubtful Works.” Sounds really uplifting.

: In the CCM Library, you will find thousands of scores. Tens of thousands. All the scores. Or, at least, a good number of them.

: Is vinyl more your style? Check out CCM’s vinyl collection!

: The CCM Library holds drawers and drawers of cast recordings, orchestras and symphonies. Hours upon hours of happiness.

: The Chemistry-Biology Library’s current display is a fascinating one about historic synthetic dyes. Don’t let the glare from the case fool you, this rainbow of thread and dye is both gorgeous and like something from Harry Potter.

: Deep in the basements of the Classics Library sit these gorgeously bound editions on the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire.

: The DAAP Library hosts a variety of unique items, including the snow globe collection and the Material Connexion collection.

: The DAAP Library has a number of sewing machines available to use, you just have to B.Y.O.T. (Bring your own thread.)

: This amazing Armstrong Collection display just went up at the Engineering and Applied Science Library.

: SCIENCE! The Geology-Mathematics-Physics Library’s redesigned space is filled with fascinating maps, globes and books.

: The Geological-Mathematics-Physics Library also has some crazy fascinating books. (See also the Geo-Math-Phys book “Magic at Home!”)

: The CECH Library is currently under construction, but the amazing resources (teaching kits! poster printing! ellison dye cuts!) are still available! (And are still awesome.)

: Classics Library

: The Engineering and Applied Science reading room isn’t only an amazing place to study, it also has absolutely gorgeous murals and a great view of the Uptown Campus.

: Books in the Oesper Collection are not only super old (the bottom book was written in the 17th century) but incredibly intriguing.

: The Oesper Collection also holds a number of historical Chemistry equipment and chemicals!

: Okay, this isn’t from inside a library. But it is from outside Blegen, which houses Classics, CCM and ARB. And who am I to deny you a squirrel eating pizza?!?

UCBA Fun Facts: Giving Bad Reviews

Posted on March 21, 2016 by Michelle Leonard

Question: How do you feel about giving a bad or negative review?

Heather

Heather Maloney, Library Director: Reading opinions can be very personal (especially if reading for leisure) so I keep it constructive and from a place of my own personal preference.

Michelle McKinney, Reference/Web Services Librarian: I like reading them if I don’t like a book. Sometimes I can’t find the words to describe why I don’t like a book and reading other people’s negative review helps.

Kellie Kellie Tilton, Instructional Technologies Librarian: I think if the reviews are given critically, I’m okay with them. I also appreciate when reviewers acknowledge the difference between issues they personally had with a book and the issues that are problematic on a more general level.

Lauren Lauren Wahman, Instruction Librarian: I appreciate honesty and understand that not everyone is going to like the same books as me.

julierobinson Julie Robinson, Library Operations Manager: I try to keep it concrete and give specific examples, but just because I don’t care for a book doesn’t mean someone else won’t love it. I never want to discourage anyone from picking up a book.

Pam Adler, Public Services Assistant: Reviews/opinions. I will give my opinion, good/bad/indifferent if asked.

UCBA Library Closing Early on March 11th

Posted on March 8, 2016 by Michelle Leonard

by Julie Robinson

closingearly

On Friday, March 11th the UCBA Library will be closing one hour early. We will close at 4pm. We apologize for any inconvenience. Have a great weekend!

UCBA Fun Facts: Favorite Reading Snack

Posted on March 7, 2016 by Michelle Leonard

Question: What’s your favorite reading snack?

Heather

Heather Maloney, Library Director: I’m not much of a snacker when I read but a glass of wine or cup of tea is always nice.

Michelle McKinney, Reference/Web Services Librarian: Peanut M & Ms

Kellie Kellie Tilton, Instructional Technologies Librarian: Water?

Lauren Lauren Wahman, Instruction Librarian: No favorites, just usually have water near me.

Rachel Rachel Lewis, Technical Services Manager: ALL things FOOD!

julierobinson Julie Robinson, Library Operations Manager: If I get sucked into a good read, I don’t even know if people are around, much less a snack!

Pam Adler, Public Services Assistant: Nothing. I’ll have water or coffee but rarely any food while reading.

UCBA Library celebrates Women’s History Month

Posted on March 2, 2016 by Michelle Leonard

by Lauren Wahman and Heather Maloney

whm-display

The UCBA Library celebrates Women’s History Month and the many contributions of women from past to present. The display highlights a wide variety of books and media from local to global covering politics, activism and social change, science, art, literature, and business.

Stop in this month and borrow a book or DVD from the display!

Additional resources to explore Women’s History Month:

History Channel Speeches & Audio
Library of Congress (also by National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Services, Smithsonian Institution, U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, U.S. National Archives & Records Administration)
TED: Talks on the Topic of Women
UC Events

UCBA Fun Facts: Do You Have An E-reader?

Posted on February 22, 2016 by Michelle Leonard

Question: Do you have an e-reader?

Heather

Heather Maloney, Library Director: I do read on my iPad occasionally — print books give my eyes a break after so much screen time.

Michelle McKinney, Reference/Web Services Librarian: Yes, I own a Kindle Touch and use the Kindle app on my laptop and iPhone.

Kellie Kellie Tilton, Instructional Technologies Librarian: Yep!

Lauren Lauren Wahman, Instruction Librarian: Of course! A Kindle and an iPad Mini.

Rachel Rachel Lewis, Technical Services Manager: Yes (Kindle Paperwhite)

julierobinson Julie Robinson, Library Operations Manager: Kindle app on my iPad…super convenient. Still enjoy a “real” book in my hand, but having the library at my fingertips is very addictive!

Pam Adler, Public Services Assistant: Yes! I love my Kindle.

The Force is Quiet in the UCBA Library

Posted on February 11, 2016 by Michelle Leonard

Julie Robinson, Library Operations Manager, doodles up her latest sign to encourage a peaceful and productive atmosphere in the UCBA Library.

UCBA Fun Facts: Favorite Childhood Book

Posted on February 5, 2016 by Michelle Leonard

Question: What’s your favorite book from childhood?

Heather

Heather Maloney, Library Director: It was a Helen Keller biography and had the sign language alphabet in the back.

Michelle McKinney, Reference/Web Services Librarian: The Peanuts Comics by Charles Schulz

Kellie Kellie Tilton, Instructional Technologies Librarian: Anne of Green Gables by LM Montgomery

Lauren Lauren Wahman, Instruction Librarian: Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum

Rachel Rachel Lewis, Technical Services Manager: The Berenstain’s B Book

julierobinson Julie Robinson, Library Operations Manager: Savage Journey by Allan Eckert

Pam Adler, Public Services Assistant: Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss. I still have the book from my childhood.