Author Archives: Melissa Cox Norris

Hannah Stitzlein Joins UC Libraries as Metadata Librarian

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Today, Hannah Stitzlein began work at the University of Cincinnati Libraries as the metadata librarian. Hannah was previously visiting metadata services specialist for the Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. In this role, she developed best practices for the Illinois Digital Heritage Hub, taught metadata workshops, assessed digital collection metadata and developed workflows. Prior to her visiting position, Hannah spent three years with the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County. Her library experience also includes internships with Wisconsin Library Services, the Lloyd Library and Museum and the Henry R. Winkler Center for the History of the Health Professions. Hannah holds an MLS from the University of Wisconsin, Madison and a BFA from Pacific Northwest College of Art.

In the role of metadata librarian, Hannah will be responsible for providing leadership and guidance in the development and implementation of metadata and data management strategies to support discovery, access, management and preservation of the libraries physical and digital collections.

Welcome back to Cincinnati and to UC, Hannah!

University of Cincinnati Press and CLIPS to Receive Free Installation and Training on the Manifold Platform to Help Meet Digital Publishing Goals

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On Thursday, Manifold, an open-source, web-based publishing platform that easily integrates the publication of networked and enhanced ebooks with existing publication workflows, announced that it had selected the University of Cincinnati Press and Library Publishing Services (CLIPS) as one of 10 groups to receive free installation and training on their platform.

Liz Scarpelli, director of the University of Cincinnati Press, said of their involvement: “Manifold will help us further our mission to publish new modes of scholarship and enhanced publications by providing a professional, agile and dynamic presentation site for our authors and readers.  We anticipate using Manifold for many of our publications from traditional monographs to digitally innovative projects designed to expand the dialogue between scholars and community based experts and practitioners.  We see Manifold as a key tool in our discoverability strategy at the University of Cincinnati Press and Cincinnati Library Publishing Services (CLIPS).  The mission based approach and affordability and technical support available through the pilot make Manifold an easy choice in partners for us.”

Read the Manifold press release below to learn more: Continue reading →

Most UC Libraries Closed Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 3

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labor dayUC Libraries will be closed Monday, September 3 for Labor Day, except for the Donald C. Harrison Health Sciences Library, which will be open 9am-5pm. This closing includes the Walter C. Langsam Library 4th floor space, which will close Sunday, September 2 at 11pm and re-open Tuesday, September 4 at 7:45am.

A complete listing of library hours can be found online at www.libraries.uc.edu/about/hours.html.

Enjoy the long holiday weekend.

BioCyc Microbial Genomes and Metabolic Pathways Web Portal

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BioCyc Database Collection Logo

 

 

 

The BioCyc Microbial Genomes and Metabolic Pathways Web Portal is coming to the University of Cincinnati.

Beginning August 31st, researchers can access the full suite of databases in the BioCyc Database Collection. The BioCyc web portal from SRI International contains genome and metabolic-pathway information for over 10,000 microbes. BioCyc encyclopedias are unique in integrating a diverse range of data and providing a high level of curation for important microbes. BioCyc Pathway/Genome Databases (PGDB) describe the genome of an organism, as well as its biochemical pathways and (for a small fraction of organisms) its regulatory network. BioCyc bioinformatics tools combine unparalleled breadth and user friendliness and include a unique set of visualization tools to speed comprehension of its extensive and complex data.

BioCyc databases integrate extensive data for each organism, and provide platforms for analysis of large-scale datasets. BioCyc enables scientists to pursue several use cases:

  • BioCyc is a massive encyclopedic reference on microbial genes, metabolites, and pathways that integrates information from many sources. Scientists consult BioCyc to save large amounts of time finding, understanding, and synthesizing material from the primary literature.
  • BioCyc is a genome informatics and comparative genomics platform.
  • BioCyc enables exploration of a vast set of biological networks.
  • BioCyc provides gene-expression, metabolomics, and multi-omics analysis tools.
  • BioCyc provides executable metabolic models for a small but growing set of organisms.

BioCyc Informatics Tools

  • Search for genomes by name, taxonomy, phenotypic properties.
  • Gene information page
    • Retrieve amino-acid sequence and nucleotide sequence of arbitrary genome region.
    • Query genes by gene name, accession number, sequence length, replicon position, protein properties (pI, MW, protein features, subcellular location, ligand), GO terms.
  • Transcription-unit information page.
  • Genome Browser depicts genomic regions at user-selected resolution with semantic zooming that reveals new features at higher resolutions. Visible features include pseudogenes, promoters, transcription-factor binding sites, repeats, terminators, nucleotide sequence. Zoom to sequence. Generate genome poster.
  • BLAST search sequence-pattern search via patmatchMap SNPs to genes and show effects on translation.

Access this URL for more information about BioCyc databases and features: https://biocyc.org/intro.shtml.

Some additional links that may be helpful:

Webinars: https://biocyc.org/webinar.shtml

Guided tour: https://biocyc.org/samples.shtml

User guide: https://biocyc.org/PToolsWebsiteHowto.shtml

Data Sheet: BioCyc data sheet

Questions?

Contact:

Tiffany J. Grant, PhD
Interim, Assistant Director for Research and Informatics
Research Informationist
Co-Leader, Research Services
Health Sciences Library
Office: (513) 558-9153
E-mail: joffritm@ucmail.uc.edu
Web: http://libraries.uc.edu/digital-scholarship/data-services.html

Join UC Libraries for “The Great American Read” and Vote for Your Favorite Novel

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The Color Purple, Harry Potter, Gone Girl – is one of these your favorite novel? Did you enjoy or struggle reading The Grapes of Wrath, War and Peace or Heart of Darkness when assigned for class? Did you sneak read The Stand or Twilight when your teacher wasn’t looking? These favorite, or not-so-favorite, books are amongst the 100 best-loved novels up for consideration as “The Great American Read.”

The University of Cincinnati Libraries and CET are partnering to host three screenings of “The Great American Read,” 8-9 p.m., Tuesdays, Sept. 11 and 25 and Oct. 9 in the Digital Commons Space on the fourth floor of the Walter C. Langsam Library. The PBS series features some of the 100 best-loved novels with testimonials from celebrities, authors, notable Americans and book lovers across the country talking about their pick for “The Great American Read.” Fresh popcorn and refreshments will be served.

The themes of the three screenings will include:

  • Sept. 11 – The Great American Read Fall Kick-Off
    Join host Meredith Vieira in the search for America’s best-loved novel.
  • Sept. 25 – Heroes
    Take a journey with some literary heroes to examine what makes them complex and relatable.
  • Oct. 9 – What We Do For love
    Fall in love all over again with some of literature’s most beautiful romances.

 

RSVPs not required, but attendees are encouraged to mark “going” on the Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/298457014220539/.

Can’t join us for the screenings? Visit “The Great American Read” at http://www.pbs.org/the-great-american-read/home/ to learn more and vote for your favorite novel.

Dean’s Corner: Welcome Back UC!

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I am currently visiting Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia for the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) World Library and Information Congress along with some of my colleagues from UC Libraries, but I’m excited to return to UC and greet our new and returning students and faculty.

At IFLA’s World Conference with Library Chief Technology Officer May Chang and Global Services Librarian Hong Cheng. Behind us is Kuala Lumpur’s famous Petronas Towers.

Before we dive into the fall semester, here’s a brief overview of the last few months at UC Libraries.

Several key library positions were filled over the summer, including: associate director of business affairs Jeremy Berberich; business and data analytics librarian Maggie Patel; associate dean of library services Brad Warren; and content analyst Dorcas Washington. The Digital Scholarship Center also continued to grow, welcoming digital scholarship library fellow Erin McCabe and data visualization developer Ezra Edgerton. They joined software developer Zhaowei Ren, with the support of a grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

UC Libraries joined HathiTrust, a national and international partnership of research institutions and libraries.

The Winkler Center Advisory Board hosted the annual Cecil Striker Society Lecture, “Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Impacting the Health of Children in Our Community and the World: The Past, Present and Future,” with co-lecturers Michael K. Farrell, MD and Bea Katz, PhD.

Continue reading →

Join Us for the 2018 Books by the Banks Poster Launch Featuring Artist Courttney Cooper

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books by the banks poster launchUC Libraries is an organizing partner of Books by the Banks: Cincinnati Regional Book Festival. Join us for the 2018 Poster Launch on Thursday, Sept. 13 from 5-7pm at the Visionaries + Voices’ Visionarium at 3054 Madison Road in Oakley.

This year, Books by the Banks collaborated with Visionaries + Voices and artist Courttney Cooper on the creation of the poster art (a snippet of which is included on the invite at the top of this page). The launch will include refreshments, introductions by V+V and Books by the Banks, the poster reveal, and then remarks and a short Q&A with Courttney Cooper. Copies of the 2018 poster will be available for sale at the launch.

Courttney Cooper creates intensely detailed maps from his physical and psychological experiences in Cincinnati, Ohio. Using everyday materials of a Bic pen and re-purposed paper, Courttney methodically pieces fragments of his life experiences together. Established in 2003, Visionaries + Voices is a non-profit organization that provides exhibition opportunities, studio space, supplies and support to more than 125 visual artists with disabilities. V+V artists actively contribute to the greater arts community through creative, educational and strategic partnerships with local and regional artists, schools and business leaders. For more on Courttney Cooper and Visionaries + Voices, visit https://visionariesandvoices.com/courttney-cooper/.

The Books by the Banks festival is schedule for Saturday, October 20, 10am-5pm in the Duke Energy Center.

ProQuest Downtime on August 18

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Update on our August 18 product downtime
Dear Valued Customer:

To maintain the currency and security of ProQuest products, we are performing maintenance on many ProQuest products beginning on August 18, 2018 U.S. Eastern Time. During the maintenance window, the following products will be temporarily unavailable.

Books products: Saturday, August 18 at 12 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time. Maintenance will conclude within 5 hours.

  • Ebook Central

All other products: Saturday, August 18 at 10 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time. Maintenance will conclude within 8 hours.

Research databases

  • ProQuest Platform (search.proquest.com)
  • ProQuest Congressional (search.proquest.com/congressional, congressional.proquest.com)
  • Chadwyck-Healey databases (U.S. customers only)
  • ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Open
  • ProQuest Dissertations & Theses OAI Repository

Reference management/Research support tools

  • RefWorks

 

UC ‘Life of the Mind’ Series Accepting Nominations

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Life of the Mind is an annual lecture series featuring interdisciplinary conversations with UC faculty from a variety of disciplines around a one-word theme. The fall lecture, scheduled for 3-5 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 30, will focus on the theme of “next.”

Life of the Mind lectures feature one faculty member presenting his or her work and expertise in concert with the prescribed theme. The presentation is not simply a recitation of the presenter’s work, but promotes a point of view. A panel of three faculty members responds to and discusses the lecture from diverse perspectives, and a moderator encourages audience engagement.

The Life of the Mind Steering Committee seeks nominations for the featured UC faculty presenter. Each featured UC faculty presenter possesses:

  • Accomplished UC faculty member with national/international reputation.
  • Proven record of scholarship or creative works.
  • Recognized as an expert in their field of study, research or creation of works.
  • Experienced at presenting their work to an audience outside the classroom.
  • Excellent and engaging speaker able to relate to a non-specialist audience.
  • Provocative topic of study/research/creative work.

Continue reading →

UC Libraries’ Mark Konecny is Participating in Summit to Examine Affordable Learning Initiatives

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Mark Konecny, scholarly communications and digital publishing strategist and a member of the OhioLINK Affordable Learning group, is an organizer of the Affordable Learning Summit at the University of Akron on Aug. 1 & 2. This summit is a gathering of Ohio institutions to share how faculty, library staff, instructional designers and administrators are addressing affordable learning initiatives.

In announcing the summit, Mark writes, “A recent Florida Virtual Survey of over 22,000 students found that 66.5% of students did not purchase the required textbook / course materials solely due to cost. Recently, Inside Higher Ed shared how the University of Georgia has saved students 3.2 million in textbook cost since 2013 by utilizing Open Educational Resources (OER). In addition, they found that switching to OER increased the number of A and A-minus grades students received by 5.50 percent and 7.73 percent, respectively. The number of students who withdrew or were awarded D or F grades (known as the DFW rate) fell by 2.68 percent.”

Mark is presenting a round table discussion with Kelly Broughton (Ohio University) on the integration of the library with press services. He is also participating in a panel discussion with Sean Kennedy (Ohio University) on authorship, discussing the following topics: how OER creators can partner with their local university press for assistance, issues with creating OERS, common stumbling points and realistic timetables for authoring.

“We know that not having the required course materials directly impacts student success, and the OhioLINK Affordable Learning Initiative is dedicated to addressing this problem,” said Mark.

To learn more, visit https://uakron.edu/affordablelearning/events/. The summit is being live tweeted with the hashtag #alohiosummit.