Author Archives: Melissa Cox Norris

The Great Library Guess Off: Join us for an evening of fun and games

Posted on by

Bring your friends for The Great Library Guess Off, a Guesspionage™ -style challenge, inspired by a popular Jackbox online game. Join us Thursday, Oct. 15 from 6-7:30pm in the Walter C. Langsam Library Digital Scholarship Area (4th floor) for an evening of fun and games.

The Great Library Guess Off: Join us for an evening of fun and games

Students will be divided into small teams to take turns guessing statistics. Their assigned rival teams will have the opportunity to “steal” points before the answer is revealed. The three teams with the highest number of points will win small prizes to encourage active participation. Questions will highlight UC Libraries-specific statistics (as appropriate), such as percentage of students who utilize library resources, as well as available statistics on student wellness that contribute to belonging and academic success (i.e., reported sleep, stress levels, and study habits).

The Great Library Guess Off is free and open to all to attend. Refreshments will be served.

Join us in the library Oct. 7 for an afternoon of poetry

Posted on by

The University of Cincinnati Libraries and the Elliston Poetry Room announce the next roster of poets for Poetry Stacked, a semi-regular poetry reading series held in the 6th floor east stacks of the Walter C. Langsam Library.

At the next event, scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 7 at 4:30pm, three poets will read their original work:

poets kevin oberlin, matt farley and leila chatti
  • Kevin Oberlin is the author of two chapbooks: Steamboat Alley (2022) and Spotlit Girl (2008). His poems have appeared in neat journals like Pilgrimage, Thimble and Dunes Review, as well as in the anthologies Tributaria: Poetry, Prose, and Art Inspired by Tributaries of the Ohio Watershed and Wayfinding: Poetry Celebrating America’s Parks and Public Lands. He is Professor of English at UC Blue Ash College and lives in Moscow, Ohio.
  • Matt Farley is a poet, educator and warehouse worker living in Southwest Ohio. He holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Miami University and teaches composition there. His recent work explores labor, class, place and the strange systems and intimacies of working life. He is active in Greater Cincinnati’s literary and community arts scene through readings, workshops, storytelling, and community-based projects. His current poetry project documents life on the warehouse floor.
  • Leila Chatti is a Tunisian-American poet and author of Wildness Before Something Sublime (Copper Canyon Press, 2025)and Deluge (Copper Canyon Press, 2020), winner of the 2021 Levis Reading Prize, the 2021 Luschei Prize for African Poetry and longlisted for the 2021 PEN Open Book Award, as well as four chapbooks. Her honors include multiple Pushcart Prizes, grants from the Barbara Deming Memorial Fund and the Helene Wurlitzer Foundation and fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown and Cleveland State University, where she was the inaugural Anisfield-Wolf Fellow in Publishing and Writing. Her poems appear in The New York Times Magazine, The Nation, The Atlantic, POETRY and elsewhere.
Continue reading →

UC Libraries Fall Events – poetry, exhibits, dogs and games!

Posted on by
fall events

Poetry readings, exhibit openings, lunch & learns, dogs and game night! There’s something for everyone. UC Libraries Fall Events provide an opportunity for people to engage with and learn about library collections and resources. Grab a friend or colleague and come to an event or two or three. All events are free and open to all to attend.

  • Sept. 29, 5:30-7PM, DAAP 5000 Level & Ella Lipnik on 3000 Level: Reception for Fotofocus exhibit in the DAAP Library. Dare to Stare: 19th-Century Circus and Sideshow Portraits. Exhibit curated by Theresa Leininger Miller
  • Oct. 7, 4:30pm, Walter C. Langsam Library 6th floor east stacks: Poetry Stacked
poetry stacked logo
  • Oct. 15, 6-7:30PM, Walter C. Langsam Library Digital Scholarship Area: Great Library Guess Off. The Guesspionage™ -style challenge will highlight UC Libraries-specific statistics, such as percentage of students who utilize library resources, as well as available statistics on student wellness that contribute to belonging and academic success (i.e., reported sleep, stress levels, and study habits).
  • Oct. 19, 2PM-3PM: Open Access Week Panel. Details coming soon.
  • Oct. 20, NOON-1:30PM, Stanley J. Lucas, MD, Board Room, Health Sciences Library: Winkler Center Lunch & Learn. Medical Illustration: The American Civil War and Now, and the opening of the Daniel S. Young Exhibit. Speakers: Kris Ramprasad, MD, MA (history), retired associate professor at UC; Sydney Seeto, second-year medical student at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, and Sophie Laye, second-year medical student at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine.
daniel young medical illustration
  • Oct. 22, 2PM-3PM: Open Access Week Workshop. Details coming soon.
  • Oct. 23, NOON-2pm, Science Library‘s Intersect Space: Celebrating Dr. Kenneth Caster: Legacy, Archive & Library Collection. Reception follow. Co-hosted by A&S Geology Department.
  • Oct. 28, 3PM, Science Library‘s Intersect Space: Oesper Research Talk – “Rudy W. Thomas: The Hands Behind the Oesper Collections.” This talk will present the life and career of Rudy W. Thomas, longtime demonstrator and restoration specialist for the University of Cincinnati’s Department of Chemistry.
  • Nov. 18, 4:30PM, John Miller Burnam Classics Library: Poetry Stacked
  • Nov. 19: 4:30PM, Max Kade German Cultural Center (CCH 5105): Archives and Rare Books Library & German Studies Present: The Printer and the Courtier: The Circulation of “Pennsylvania German” Books in Enlightenment Germany, a talk by Jennifer A. Merriman, Ph.D. Candidate, College of William & Mary.
  • Dec. 1, 3PM, Water C. Langsam Library: Fuzz Therapy for Finals (Dog Therapy). Unwind before finals with UC’s own Sammy the therapy dog and other registered therapy animals from Pet Partners.
service dog
Continue reading →

Check out the newest exhibits in UC Libraries

Posted on by

Exhibits highlight the services, collections, places and people of UC Libraries. The newest exhibits on display in the Walter C. Langsam Library showcase chemistry caricatures and open access.

chemistry caricatures

Caricatures in Chemistry: By William B. Jensen

On display on the 5th floor lobby of the library, this exhibit features original, hand-drawn caricatures by Dr. William B. Jensen (1948-2024), Ralph E. Oesper Professor of the History of Chemistry at the University of Cincinnati and curator of the Oesper Collections from 1986 until his passing.

The exhibit was curated by Mark Chalmers, science and engineering librarian and Oesper curator, and was designed by Ashleigh Stout, UC Libraries communication design co-op student.

Available online via JSTOR, the online collection contains the 33 original, hand-drawn caricatures of notable chemists and physicists Jensen penned between 1970 and 1974. They are held by the Oesper Collections in the History of Chemistry. The collection was scanned and digitized by the UC Libraries Digital Initiatives Team. The humor and whimsy captured in the caricatures invite viewers to look a little closer and discover the stories behind the faces.

At the exhibit there are handouts featuring three of the chemists.

Continue reading →

UC Libraries seeks innovative proposals from students

Posted on by
UC Libraries seeks innovative proposals from students

Do you have a creative idea to support your student community? Do you love the library and have ideas on how to enhance its collections or services? The University of Cincinnati Libraries will help bring your vision to life! The UC Libraries Student Innovation Grant encourages UC students to use library resources and services to help support students and enhance our library, university and local community.  

The Libraries will provide up to $5,000 to fund a pilot project that leverages library resources to address an opportunity or challenge related to student engagement, research or teaching & learning at UC.  

Applications are open throughout the 2026’-27’ academic year and projects must be completed before June 2027. 

Continue reading →

Introducing the ProQuest Ebook Central Reader App available August 12

Posted on by

Beginning August 12, UC Libraries online ebook provider, ProQuest Ebook Central, is transitioning from Adobe Digital Editions (ADE) to the Ebook Central Reader App for downloading and reading ebooks offline. Ebook Central users currently using ADE, must download and install the new app to continue reading ebooks offline from this platform.

ebook central app reader

The new ProQuest Ebook Central Reader App provides an improved experience for downloading and reading ebooks offline. The app is available for Windows, macOS, iOS and Android devices and offers a more streamlined, user-friendly reading experience. It also includes enhanced accessibility features, such as, support for screen readers, font scaling and high-contrast display options. Other enhanced features include page-turn gestures and page synchronization for the last page read.

Need Help? ProQuest has created a Ebook Central User LibGuide to assist users in downloading and using the app.

Changes to OhioLINK’s 2026 Open Access Publishing support for Wiley Journals

Posted on by

As previously announced, OhioLINK’s Wiley Open Access (OA) publishing agreement, which allows participating institutions to support open access publishing by issuing fee waivers for a limited number of article processing charges (APCs), is expected to reach its annual cap in 2026. The last day to request APC coverage for hybrid journals will be Thursday, August 20.

What this means for UC authors publishing in Wiley journals:

  • Fully OA journals(no subscription access option): Beginning July 1, new requests for APC coverage at submission will not be approved. This APC coverage denial does not affect the editorial review process. Authors without coverage are responsible for funding APCs themselves following editorial acceptance in fully OA journals.
  • Hybrid journals (publish open and subscription access articles): The last day to request APC coverage for hybrid journals will be Thursday, August 20. Once limits are reached, authors without coverage may publish under subscription access without an APC or may pay the APC themselves (with a 10% discount) to publish open access.

Alternatively, authors may consider submitting their work to a journal that is covered by a different OhioLINK agreement. More information is available on the OhioLINK website. Contact Melissa Moreau,scholarly communications librarian,with questions and to learn more about open access options at UC. A UC Libraries LibGuide provides information on Read & Publish Deals at UC Libraries.

UC Libraries welcomes Rachael Elrod as the new associate dean of research and instruction

Posted on by
rachael elrod

On June 15 Rachael Elrod, PhD, joined the University of Cincinnati Libraries as associate dean for research and instruction. Rachael comes to UC from the University of Florida’s George Smathers Libraries where she most recently served as the associate chair of departmental libraries and the director of the Education Library. Prior to the University of Florida, she served in roles at the Military College of South Carolina, University of Louisville and Louisville Free Public Library. Her scholarly record includes over 25 peer-reviewed publications and several book chapters on research topics ranging from supporting neurodivergent students, censorship and collection development. In addition to this scholarship, Rachael has been successful in obtaining over $1.3M in external funding as a part of her career. She has won numerous awards and honors, the most recent being the Distinguished Education and Behavioral Sciences Librarian Award from the Education and Behavioral Sciences Section from ALA, which will be delivered in 2026.

As associate dean of research and instruction, Rachael will collaborate with librarians and staff to develop a vision for instructional and research services at UC Libraries. As a part of that work, she will lead the overall strategy and direction of instruction and research services. Rachael will lead key initiatives in the UC Libraries Strategic Plan and will collaborate with leaders across campus to build and strengthen partnerships. With the other associate deans, she will work with librarians and staff to maximize expertise and create a cohesive user experience.

Read Source to learn about the news, events, people and happenings of UC Libraries

Posted on by
source header image

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

In this issue of Source, Liz Kiscaden, dean and university librarian, looks back at the accomplishments of the most recent academic year while also looking head to the fall semester. We celebrate the many accomplishments of the UC Libraries faculty and staff, the 2026 UC Open Research Day and announce the 2026 Zero Textbook Cost Grant cohort. Two collections are highlighted in this issue: The Werner H. Von Rosentiel papers and the Oesper History of Chemistry collection while the Winkler Center display illuminates Covington, Kentucky as the “X-Ray City.” This issue of Source concludes with a year in photos.

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.

Changes in library hours beginning summer semester

Posted on by

UC Libraries has reduced operating hours in most locations beginning summer semester and continuing throughout the upcoming academic year. To minimize the impact on library users, reductions are primarily during evening and weekend hours when in-person usage is at its lowest. Digital library services, including Chat Reference, online resources and access to the library catalog will remain available 24/7.  

langsam library

These changes are the result of a reduction to the UC Libraries operating budget and are informed by foot traffic and usage patterns. The budget reduction required eliminating contracted security services and student employee positions, which are necessary to keep the libraries open extended hours. When determining how to adjust operating hours, the Libraries reviewed usage statistics and prioritized retaining currently employed student employees.

We recognize that reduced hours will impact users and are committed to maintaining access to services and support in a digital environment. Library staff and faculty roles remain unchanged.  

Each UC library location will continue to monitor usage and may adjust hours when possible, such as during high-demand periods. A list of library hours by location is posted on the Libraries web site.