Author Archives: Melissa Cox Norris

UC DATA Day, April 12, to focus on bias, miscommunication and equity in data

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UC DATA Day, scheduled for Tuesday, April 12 from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., will explore the theme of bias, miscommunication and equity in data with online power sessions, panel discussions and a keynote address by Monica Stephens, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Geography at Durham University in Durham, England.

data day graphic

More information about DATA Day, along with a link for registration, is available on the DATA Day website. UC DATA Day is free and open to all to attend.

Researchers producing and using data face similar but unique, challenges in data management, data sharing, reproducible research and preservation. Researchers have a tremendous responsibility to ensure that the data they produce and share is equitable as it impacts individuals and communities the world over. When data is collected and shared incorrectly, it can advance inequities, bias and even violence. Researchers must be aware of methods to mitigate these and how to generate data that is free of bias, is equitable and inclusive to avoid any miscommunication and/or ambiguity regarding their data. DATA Day 2022 highlights these challenges and showcases solutions and opportunities in which we can re-examine data through an equity lens.

Monica Stephens

Monica Stephens obtained her doctoral degree from the University of Arizona in 2012 and worked at the University at Buffalo (SUNY), as well as Humboldt State University (California). Her research mines social media to trace inequalities across gender, race, and economic status. Her book, “Misinformation in the Digital Age: An American Infodemic” is due out this year. In addition to academic articles, her work on social media has appeared in popular outlets including Wired Magazine, The New York Times, The Guardian, the Washington Post, and BBC World Service.

 

 

Check out library Spring Break reduced hours, March 12-20

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spring break vine with lemonsMost University of Cincinnati Libraries locations have reduced hours for Spring Break, March 12-20. Check the library website for a list of hours by location.

Have a safe and relaxing Spring Break, Bearcats!

The final lecture in the Illustrated Human: The Impact of Andreas Vesalius to focus on the teaching of anatomy

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vesalius illustrationsOn Tuesday, March 15, 2022, at 5:30 p.m., Bruce Giffin and Cynthia Klestinec will present, “Innovative Teaching of Human Anatomy beginning in the 1500s and Vesalius.”
In this final lecture of the series, award-winning UC College of Medicine anatomy professor, Bruce Giffin, MD, and Cynthia Klestinec, PhD, professor in the Department of English at Miami University and an expert in Renaissance anatomy and dissection, will discuss the pedagogical innovations that were introduced by Vesalius and others and how this revolutionized the teaching of anatomy for medical students and artists.

Professor Klestinec will share insights from her book, “Theaters of Anatomy: Students, Teachers, and Traditions of Dissection in Renaissance Venice” (2011). Dr. Giffin will discuss the teaching of anatomy dating from Vesalius through today and looking ahead into the future, including the role of virtual dissection in the 21st century.

The lecture will be held in Kresge Auditorium, Medical Sciences Building, 231 Albert Sabin Way. Parking is recommended in the Eden Garage located at 3223 Eden Avenue (Visitor Parking on Levels 7 & 8), which is located across the street from the Care/Crawley Building where Kresge Auditorium is located. In addition, the lecture will be streamed live via Zoo.

Register to attend.

vesalius exhibitFollowing the lecture will be a reception held in front of the Henry R. Winkler Center for the History of the Health Professions (next to Kresge Auditorium). Exhibits showcasing the life and work of Andreas Vesalius will be available for viewing in both the Donald C. Harrison Health Sciences Library and the Winkler Center’s Stanley J. Lucas Board Room.

Did you miss a previous lecture in The Illustrated Human series? They are available for viewing on the Vesalius website.

The Present Crisis in Ukraine Research Guide available

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flag of ukraineLooking for resources about the present crisis in Ukraine? The University of Cincinnati Libraries can help. Librarians have created a Research Guide that includes library resources, including books, journal articles, news reports and more.

The Present Crisis in Ukraine Research Guide includes both public and UC-only resources focusing on the historical background, geopolitical information, politics and international affairs, newspapers and more.

UC Libraries seeks books good enough to eat for the International Edible Books Festival

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Know of a good book to eat?! Create an Edible Book for UC Libraries International Edible Books Festival!

It’s time once again for the fan-favorite International Edible Books Festival scheduled for Friday, April 1, 2022, 11 a.m. on the 4th floor of the Walter C. Langsam Library. UC Libraries is seeking people interested in creating an edible book for the enjoyment of all in attendance. There are few restrictions – namely that your creation be edible and have something to do with a book – so you may let your creativity run wild.

t-shirtAs in previous years, entries will be judged according to such categories as “Most Delicious,” “Most Creative,” “Most Checked Out” and “Most Literary.” Those awarded “Best Student Entry” and “Best Overall” will win a limited-edition, much coveted UC Libraries t-shirt.

If you are interested in creating an edible book, e-mail melissa.norris@uc.edu by Friday, March 25 with your name and the title of your creation.

Looking for inspiration? Visit UC Libraries on Facebook to see photos from the previous festivals.

In Memoriam: Mark Konecny

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UC Libraries faculty and staff, along with friends, students and collaborators, gathered recently to remember and celebrate our colleague and friend Mark C. Konecny, Ph.D., MLIS, who died Thursday, February 10, 2022.

Mark came to UC Libraries in July 2016 in the newly created position of scholarly communications and digital publishing strategist. During his time at UC, Mark spearheaded the establishment of the Libraries scholarly communications program, which entailed consulting with the broader UC faculty community on all matters copyright. Many people noted Mark’s incredible depth of knowledge, willingness to help everyone and his collaborative nature. One person referred to Mark as a “connector of people and ideas.”

Upon the creation of the University of Cincinnati Press, Mark transitioned his role to combine scholarly communications with the work of the Press, focusing his efforts on digital publishing and open access.

Xuemao Wang, vice provost for digital scholarship and dean and university librarian, commended Mark’s can-do attitude and his desire to learn new skills and set higher goals for himself. He noted that he enjoyed and appreciated Mark’s candid and diplomatic way of expressing copyright rules and his ability to present his ideas and create buy-in. Continue reading →

UC Libraries resources in celebration of Black History Month

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Throughout February, we shared UC Libraries resources and collections in celebration of Black History Month. Below is a list of those highlights, as well as others, so you may continue exploring and learning Black history throughout the year.

Theodore M. Berry Papers Project
An exhibit highlighting the 2010 project to completely process the papers of Theodore Moody Berry, Cincinnati’s first African mayor.

Louise Shropshire: An Online Exhibition
An online exhibit featuring Louise Shropshire a Cincinnati Civil Rights pioneer and composer.

Marian Spencer: Fighting for Equality in Cincinnati
An alumna of the University of Cincinnati (Class of 1942), Marian Spencer fought for Civil Rights in Cincinnati for nearly seventy years. This exhibit examines her career and her papers at the Archives and Rare Books Library.

The Colored Citizen
Published in Cincinnati sporadically from the height of the Civil War in 1863 until approximately 1869, The Colored Citizen was edited by a group of African American citizens from Midwestern cities, including Cincinnati. It was a paper with general news, but with a focus on the political, economic, and cultural affairs that had an impact on African Americans of the age. The Archives and Rare Books Library hold one issue of this paper.

Phillis Wheatley
In 1773, at the age of 20, Wheatley published Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral, making her the first published African-American poet.

Lucy Oxley
Source article highlighting Lucy Oxley, MD, the first person of color ever to receive a medical degree from the College of Medicine. Continue reading →

Upcoming changes to OhioLINK delivery provider

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books on a shelfIn order to address ongoing delivery issues with OhioLINK materials, the University of Cincinnati Libraries, along with the other college, university and public libraries in Ohio, is changing the OhioLINK delivery provider.

There are three important points that impact OhioLINK borrowing immediately:

  • Between now and March 10, users should request any needed items from OhioLINK, SearchOhio and the SWORD/SW Depository as early as possible as delays are anticipated. University of Cincinnati librarians and staff are happy to discuss research needs and help locate alternate formats or other ways to secure materials such as using Interlibrary Loan, which does not rely on this intrastate delivery service.
  • From March 11 through the end of April, users will not be able to request materials through the OhioLINK Central Catalog, SearchOhio or SWORD/SW Depository. This is necessary to avoid a backlog of materials in the system during the transition.
  • Currently checked-out materials can still be renewed and returned during this time.

Beginning April 18, we will return to working with the company that provided delivery prior to July 2021 and are confident that they will be able to deliver your library materials efficiently once again. As we transition from one company to another, however, there will be slower than usual delivery times.

We ask for patience as we implement this long-term solution.

Questions? (513) 556-1424 or https://libraries.uc.edu/about/contact.html. In addition, OhioLINK has created a FAQ.

The Illustrated Human – 5th lecture in the Vesalius series to focus on “Presenting and Interpreting the Different Organ Systems”

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vesalius illustrationsThe Illustrated Human: The Impact of Andreas Vesalius lecture series continues Tuesday, Feb. 15 at 5:30 p.m. in Kresge Auditorium, Medical Sciences Building, 231 Albert Sabin Way with a presentation titled Vesalius: Presenting and Interpreting the Different Organ Systems. The four speakers, all University of Cincinnati College of Medicine faculty, will present on the anatomy of their respective organ specialties. They will discuss what Vesalius discovered, what he got right and what he got wrong being limited by the current functional understanding of the day.

Offering their insights will be Richard Becker, MD, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular Health and Disease; Alvin Crawford, MD, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery; Myles Pensak, MD, Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery and Charles Prestigiacomo, MD, Department of Neurosurgery. With anatomy being foundational to these medical specialties, it is important to consider the role of human dissection in acquiring this foundation for research and practice.

Please register to attend.

More information about The Illustrated Human: The Impact of Andreas Vesalius lecture series and accompanying exhibits, can be found on the series website.

The Illustrated Human: The Impact of Andreas Vesalius is sponsored by Stephen and Sandra Joffe.

 

The University of Cincinnati Libraries Annual Progress Report, 2020-2021

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Looking back as we plan our NEXT Directions.

This year’s Annual Progress Report covers July 2020 through June 2021. It was an exceptionally complicated time, during which we entered the second year of the pandemic, developed and adopted new digital resources to support remote learning and remote research and prepared for the transition back to campus for the 2021 fall semester.

In these unprecedented times, library faculty and staff continuously found ways to transform and elevate library services by bringing their experience, talents and dedication to the forefront so as to continue to fulfill 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.” Continue reading →