Author Archives: Melissa Cox Norris

Zhaowei Ren Joins UC Libraries as a Software Developer in the Digital Scholarship Center

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Zhaowei Ren started work as a software developer in the Digital Scholarship Center (DSC) on Tuesday, May 29. Zhaowei is the first hire funded by a grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation in support of the Digital Scholarship Center’s research on machine learning and data visualization in multiple disciplines in the humanities and beyond.

Zhaowei received his Master’s degree in electrical engineering and computer science from UC’s College of Engineering and Applied Science, where he focused on data mining, algorithm design and semantic modeling. He has worked at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center on several bioinformatics projects, and at Spatial.ai, a data science firm.

He brings a terrific set of both theoretical and practical skills to the DSC that will help in implementing and scaling up their machine learning and data visualization platform for transdisciplinary research.

Two additional hires funded by the Mellon grant will begin in the DSC in July.

UC Libraries Closed Memorial Day, May 28

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memorial dayAll UC Libraries locations will be closed Monday, May 28 in observance of Memorial Day, except for the Donald C. Harrison Health Sciences Library, which will remain open 9am-5pm. This closing includes the Langsam Library 4th floor space, which will close Sunday, May 27 at 5pm and re-open Tuesday, May 29 at 8am.

Regular library hours for all locations will resume Tuesday, May 29.

Be Sure to Check Out and Vote for ‘The Great American Read’

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readUC Libraries and the University of Cincinnati Press are proud sponsors of PBS’s “The Great American Read,” an eight-part series that explores and celebrates the power of reading, told through the prism of America’s 100 best-loved novels. The series features entertaining and informative documentary segments, with compelling testimonials from celebrities, authors, notable Americans and book lovers across the country talking about their favorites among the 100 chosen books.

The series kicks off May 22, 8pm, on CET. Be sure to watch! Throughout the summer, viewers will be encouraged to vote for their favorite of the 100 best-loved novels and the winner will be announced October 23.

For more information about “The Great American Read,” and to see a list of the 100 best-loved novels, visit www.cetconnect.org/community/great-american-read.

Happy Viewing (and Reading)!

@GreatAmericanReadPBS 

Margaux Patel Joins UC Libraries as the Business and Data Analytics Librarian

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On Monday, May 14, Margaux (Maggie) Patel started work at the University of Cincinnati Libraries as the business and data analytics librarian. She will be a part of the Walter C. Langsam Library’s Research and Teaching Service Department.

Maggie comes to UC from the American Financial Group in downtown Cincinnati where she was a research specialist.  At American Financial she prepared reports for the other staff at the company using many of the business databases we also have at UC Libraries.  She worked with data and helped the staff organize and analyze their data.  She taught instruction workshops, and made e-learning objects using Articulate Storyline software.  Maggie taught at Brown Macke College and worked at law firms before American Financial.

Welcome to UC Libraries, Maggie!

The University of Cincinnati Libraries Have Joined HathiTrust

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The University of Cincinnati Libraries have joined HathiTrust, a partnership of major research institutions and libraries working to ensure that the cultural record is preserved and accessible long into the future by collaboratively collecting, organizing, preserving, communicating and sharing the record of human knowledge. UC Libraries joins more than 130 international research libraries in HathiTrust, and is the third Ohio library to join along with The Ohio State University and Case Western Reserve University.

“Membership in HathiTrust will enable the University of Cincinnati Libraries to partner with national and international collaborators with similar missions to preserve, protect and make accessible the scholarly record,” said Xuemao Wang, dean and university librarian. “Our membership will provide opportunities to enhance digital scholarship research like that done in our Digital Scholarship Center, as well as ensure the long-term digital preservation of our collections.”

HathiTrust began in 2008 as a collaboration of the universities of the Committee on Institutional Cooperation (now the Big Ten Academic Alliance) and the University of California system to establish a repository to archive and share their digitized collections. Today, the HathiTrust’s Digital Library catalog equals 16 million volumes digitized and deposited by member libraries.

As members of HathiTrust, the University of Cincinnati community will have full access to digital materials inputted by UC Libraries, as well as those items in the public domain and those for which there is permission. In addition, benefits of HathiTrust membership include digital content storage, cost-effective long-term preservation and access services for UC Libraries’ digitized content. Continue reading →

UC Libraries Names Brad Warren Associate Dean of Library Services

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Xuemao Wang, dean and university librarian, announces that Brad Warren will join the University of Cincinnati Libraries as the associate dean of library services starting August 3, 2018.

Brad comes to UC Libraries from Yale University where he has served as the director of access service for Sterling Memorial and Bass Libraries since March 2009. Prior to Yale, Brad held various librarian positions at the University of North Carolina Charlotte J. Murrey Atkins Library and North Carolina State University Libraries. He received his BA in comparative literature and history from Indiana University and his Masters in library science from Indiana University.

Brad will be a member of the Dean’s Cabinet and his leadership portfolio will include Langsam Library’s Research, Teaching and Services Department, the Robert A. Deshon and Karl J. Schlachter Library for Design, Architecture, Art and Planning, the Albino Gorno Memorial Music Library, the John Miller Burnam Classics Library and the College of Education, Criminal Justice and Human Services Library.

Welcome to UC Libraries, Brad!

Langsam Library Exhibit Celebrates Appalachian Culture

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appalachian heritage monthCincinnati lies just at the border or outer edge of Appalachia, a cultural region in the Eastern United States that stretches from the Southern Tier of New York to northern Alabama, Mississippi and Georgia and includes portions of Pennsylvania, Ohio, North and South Carolina and all of West Virginia. A new exhibit on display on the 4th floor lobby of the Walter C. Langsam Library showcases resources from UC Libraries in celebration of Appalachian culture and heritage. Included are resources from the collections of the Albino Gorno Memorial (CCM) Library, Geology-Mathematics-Physics Library, the Donald C. Harrison Health Sciences Library, College of Engineering and Applied Sciences Library, the Robert A. Deshon and Karl J. Schlachter Library for Design, Architecture, Art and Planning (DAAP), and Langsam. Also featured are online resources that showcase and inform about Appalachian culture.

The exhibit was curated by UC Libraries’ Mikaila Corday, Susan Banoun and Carissa Thatcher. It was designed and produced by Sam Kane, communications design co-op student, and Melissa Cox Norris.

A bibliography of Appalachian resources in the exhibit and more is available online.

Dean’s Corner: A Busy April Overview

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It’s April at the University of Cincinnati, the end of another eventful academic year. This April was especially busy for UC Libraries, beginning with our 16th annual International Edible Books Festival event on April 3rd. Later in the month, the library hosted my Dean’s Advisory Council, and the board of downtown Cincinnati’s Lloyd Library. We honored Marian A. Spencer, this year’s recipient of the Taft Medal of Notable Achievement at UC’s Distinguished Alumni Celebration, and held our first German-Americana lecture. We celebrated the kickoff of UC’s bicentennial, participated in UC’s Research + Innovation Week and brought music to the Gorno Library.

This is just a short list, in no way comprehensive. It says nothing of UC Libraries’ hardworking faculty, staff and student workers, spread out over 10 campus locations.

From the upper left hand corner: Celebrating Edible Books; handing out snacks and giveaways at UC’s Bearcat Block Party; dining with members of my Dean’s Advisory Council Continue reading →

UC Libraries and IT@UC Announce Next Session of the Data and Computational Science Series

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DSC2 series

The University of Cincinnati Libraries and IT@UC Research & Development announce the next in the Data & Computational Science Series (DCS2) 2018, a speaker series supported by a Universal Provider award from UC’s Office of the Provost for faculty development.

DCS2 brings to the University of Cincinnati research community a variety of innovative workshops and distinguished speakers on advanced research data topics including high performance computing, cloud computing, data visualization, research story-mapping, spatial analysis, artificial intelligence and machine learning.  The workshops are free and open to all, but registration is required. Continue reading →

Richard Johansen Joins UC Libraries as Data Visualization Specialist

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richard in front of visualization wall

Richard poses in front of the Visualization Wall.

On Monday, April 23,  Richard Johansen started work in the Geology-Mathematics-Physics Library as Data Visualization Specialist.

Richard is already a fellow UC Bearcat, previously serving as a Research Assistant in the College of Arts and Sciences’ Department of Geography and GIS. He has worked on a host of interdisciplinary projects, and has a wealth of experience in spatial and data analyses using a variety of analytical and visualization software. Richard is currently a PhD candidate in UC’s Geography and GIS Department, and holds a BS in geosciences and a MA in geography and planning. Outside of work, he is an avid traveler, bizarre food lover and self-described space nerd.

As the Data Visualization Specialist, Richard joins the Science and Engineering Libraries unit and the Researcher Services team.  He will develop a distinctive program of support in data visualization that will enable innovations in teaching and research.  As part of this work, he will manage the new Visualization Laboratory located in the Geology-Mathematics-Physics Library, including its operations and technology.  More broadly, he will be a resource and consultant for faculty and scholars on visual thinking and data visualization techniques and software.

Welcome, Richard, to UC Libraries!