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Author Archives: Melissa Cox Norris
New Exhibit, “Writing UC’s Past,” Combines Flash Fiction with Historic Photographs
From the Archives and Rare Books Library
A new exhibit on display on the 5th floor lobby of Langsam Library features original pieces of flash fiction describing historic images from the collections of UC’s Archives and Rare Books Library.
Flash fiction is a term to describe writing that is extremely brief, typically only a few hundred words or fewer in its entirety. The three pieces in the exhibit average only 300 words but are rich in content. Continue reading
And the Winners Are…Edible Books 2017
Best Overall – Capturing the List: The Birth of Photography by Ashleigh Schieszer
The University of Cincinnati Libraries celebrated the International Edible Books Festival for the 15th year on April 4, 2017.
Twenty-one students, librarians, and staff submitted entries that ranged from children’s books to literary classics to popular fiction and were made of cakes, cookies, candy, and even beans. Each entry was judged and awarded a bookmark. The winners are:
- Most Photogenic – Ten Little Ladybugs by Melissa Cox Norris
- Most Original – City of Bones by Michelle Burhans
- Most Humorous – How to Eat Fried Worms by Tate Snyder
- Most Whimsical – One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish by Sami Scheidler
- Most Creative – The Manual of Detection by Jenny Mackiewicz
- Most Beautiful – Uncle Monarch and the Day of the Dead by Elaine Ignatius
- Most Magical – Charlotte’s Web by Michelle Wagner
- Most Honorable – Lord of the Rings: One Ring to Rule Them All by Nicole Beletis
- Most Adorable – Green Eggs and Ham by Sara Mihaly
- Most Clever – The Creature from the Black Legume by Linda Newman
- Most Gruesome – Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Jack Norris
- Most Deadly – Girl on the Train by Holly Prochaska
- Most Surprising – Twisted by Olga Hart
- Most Mysterious – Heart of Darkness by Ben Kline
- Most Scandalous – Fifty Shades of Grey by Jessica Burhans
- Most Checked Out – Pizza for Breakfast by Lorna and Jerry Newman
- Most Fun – Me Cookie by Sam Norris
- Best Overall – Capturing the Light: The Birth of Photography by Ashleigh Schieszer
- Best Student Entry – I Spy by Tate Snyder
Attendees enjoying the treats at Edible Books
Congratulations to all the edible books creators. View the entries and the winners on the UC Libraries Facebook page. See you next year for Edible Books 2018!
Welcome, Nick Wantsala, Technology and Equipment Specialist
We are pleased to announce that Nick Wantsala joined the Research, Teaching and Services (RTS) Department on March 27 as the technology and equipment specialist for The Desk @ Langsam.
Nick Wantsala
Nick comes to UC…from UC. Nick joined the old Circulation and Multimedia Services Department in 2011 as a student assistant. He was promoted to senior student assistant during his time with the department and helped many fellow student assistants throughout the strategic merge of departments that resulted in The Desk @ Langsam. Nick has interned at Fox19 and was the president of the UC African Students Association. After graduating in 2015 with a degree in communications, Nick joined RTS as a temporary student supervisor, then became the temporary employee for the old equipment assistant position.
As the technology and equipment specialist, Nick will manage daily operations of the circulating equipment collection and the Center for Excellence in eLearning’s faculty and staff mobile technology collection. His primary responsibilities will be the circulation, maintenance, inventory, and the education of and communication with users in relation to these materials. Nick will also be collaborating with librarians working on eLearning and digital literacy, as well as providing user services Monday-Friday at The Desk @ Langsam. He will work with staff in RTS, ILS, the STRC, Library IT, and CEeL to further investigate and curate new technologies and devices that will best aid our students as they engage in cutting edge learning.
Celebrating April with Poetry and Baseball
April is National Poetry Month and the start of baseball. With today being opening day in Cincinnati, what better poem to read than the classic “Casey at the Bat” by Ernest Lawrence Thayer. And check out this illustrated version. Continue reading
Mozart in the Library: Act II
Ever wonder what people are playing while they are practicing the keyboard in Langsam and CCM Libraries? Jay Sinnard, manager of the Student Technology Resources Center, did so he asked one student if he could listen in.
Eliza Walsh, Spanish major.
Can you identify what she’s playing? Bach? Beethoven?
A collaboration between UC Libraries and the College-Conservatory of Music (CCM), the keyboards are open to anyone wanting to play on a first come-first served basis, but bring your own headphone as they are required.
Provost Technology Innovation Award to Fund Data Visualization across Disciplines
The Provost Technology Innovation Award will fund visualization technology for faculty and students to communicate knowledge in graphical form.
Vendor supplied photograph of a data visualization wall.
The Office of the Provost has provided more than $1.3 million in funding to collaborating departments and groups across UC, helping each of them push the university community to new academic heights. UC Libraries, partnering with the College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning, the Carl H. Lindner College of Business and IT@UC was one of four Technology Innovation Award recipients recently announced with the successful proposal “Data Visualization Across Disciplines: Digital Literacy for the University of Cincinnati’s Third Century.” These partners will work together to invest in the development of an interdisciplinary undergraduate certificate in data visualization; training students to communicate complex data by placing it in a visual context. This cross-college program will incorporate coursework designed and team-taught by faculty, blending multiple perspectives on data visualization to a wide range of students. Data visualization is an emerging art and science that has changed people’s relationship with information. It harnesses new technologies to communicate knowledge in graphical form by merging aesthetic form with analytical function to present large and complex datasets in an intuitive and human-interpretable fashion.
From the Provost Office Announcement – As the University of Cincinnati moves toward its Bicentennial in 2019, the Office of the Provost supports academic and technological innovation keeping our university’s educational mission core to what we do and who we are at UC. This is the drive behind the Provost Technology Innovation Awards program, which funds projects developed by faculty and students who collaborate between colleges and discrete disciplines to support interdisciplinary projects that turn original ideas into reality. “At UC we have a strong, shared commitment to the continued modernization of the learning experience,” says Interim UC Provost Peter Landgren. “It is a pleasure to see the spirit of partnership change and improve the academic journey at the university through collaborative ideas like the ones funded through this program.”
Hungry? Bite into an Edible Book with UC Libraries
Celebrate books good enough to eat at the International Edible Books Festival set for 1 p.m., Tuesday, April 4, Langsam Library 5th floor lobby.
To Kill a Mockingbird
The University of Cincinnati Libraries will celebrate the International Edible Books Festival with an event scheduled from 1-2 p.m., on Tuesday, April 4, in the fifth floor lobby of Langsam Library.
At the event, nearly 20 participants will present their edible creations that represent a book in some form. There are few restrictions in creating an edible book – namely that the creation be edible and have something to do with a book. Submitted entries include edible titles such as “Me Cookie.” Best sellers “Fifty Shades of Grey” and “The Manual of Detection” are represented along with favorite children’s books “Charlotte’s Web,” “Ten Little Ladybugs” and “Where do Balloons Go?” among other literary greats.
Interested in creating an edible book? E-mail melissa.norris@uc.edu by Tuesday, March 28 with your name and the title of your creation. Continue reading
Facts & Comparisons eAnswers Moves to Redesigned Interface
Facts & Comparisons eAnswers is moving to their new redesigned interface and retiring the legacy view by the end of the month. The library links to Facts & Comparisons eAnswers will continue to go to the legacy view until March 24, 2017.
Check out the new interface by clicking on the “Enter New Site” button.
For tips on how to use the new interface and enhanced content and tools, check out training videos and the quick reference guide also available from the lower right-hand corner of the Facts & Comparison eAnswers home page.
Digital Archivist Eira Tansey Named an Archives Leadership Institute Cohort
Eira Tansey
Eira Tansey, digital archivist and records manager in the Archives and Rare Books Library, has been selected as an ALI17 cohort member. The Archives Leadership Institute (ALI) is a program funded by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC), a statutory body affiliated with the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), and is being hosted at Berea College for the years 2016-18. ALI will provide advanced training for 25 archival leaders each year, giving them the knowledge and tools to transform the profession in practice, theory and attitude.
“The Archives Leadership Institute is a well-regarded program in the American archives profession that brings together archivists of diverse backgrounds and work experiences to learn leadership skills together at a week-long institute every summer,” said Eira. “All ALI participants commit to working on a practicum at their home institution, and I have committed to working on increasing documentation of student life within University Archives at the Archives and Rare Books Library.”
Eira joins an elite group attending ALI as only 25 people are accepted each year. More about the Archives Leadership Institute is available on its website.