Dean’s Corner: Building Connections

As the dean of UC Libraries, I serve as an ambassador for the university and the Libraries on a global scale.  My travel takes me across the United States and around the world for conferences and site visits from San Francisco, California to Zhejiang, China.  It is equally important, however, for me to foster my relationships on a local and regional level with the universities and library systems across the state.

This summer, Ohio University hosted a two-week Institute for Chinese Academic Leaders.  Scott Seaman, the university’s dean of libraries, invited me to Athens to participate in a panel about “Current Trends & Changes in U.S. Research Libraries.”  This gave me the opportunity to spend time with the OU library leadership, support their international partnerships, and to reinforce the ties between our two libraries.

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From left to right: Liu Wanguo, director and research librarian and Huang Ying, head of Research and Development at Northeast Normal University with Scott Seaman, dean of Libraries at Ohio University

Upon their arrival at Ohio University, the visitors presented dean Seaman and OU’s dean emeritus Dr. Hwai-Wei Lee with handmade scrolls decorated with Chinese calligraphy commemorating the visit.

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From left to right: Huang Ying and Liu Wanguo with Ohio University’s dean emeritus Dr. Hwai-Wei Lee

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Library Research Guides: A Makeover

research guidesThe Libraries’ research guides underwent a makeover this summer with a new look and feel, responsive design and enhanced browsing functionality, resulting in a user friendly interface.

With over 450 guides, there is something for everyone. Users may  browse the guides by:

  • Library
  • Subject
  • Type: Course, Research Help, Subject Guide, and Special Topic
  • Owner

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New Multi-Agency RFI on Exascale Computing

RFI on Science Drivers Requiring Capable Exascale High Performance Computing ( http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-GM-15-122.html)

Purpose: This is a multi-agency request for information to identify scientific research topics and applications that need High Performance Computing (HPC) capabilities that extend 100 times beyond today’s performance on scientific applications. Currently, computational modeling, simulation, as well as data assimilation and data analytics are used by an increasing number of researchers to answer more complex multispatial, multiphysics scientific questions with more realism.

Background: This is a request for information from NSF, DOE, and NIH for community input identifying scientific research that would benefit from a greatly enhanced new generation of HPC and in support of the National Strategic Computing Initiative (NSCI) (https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2015/07/29/executive-order-creating-national-strategic-computing-initiative)

Request for Information: All responses must be submitted to NIGMS_exascale@nigms.nih.gov by October 16, 2015

The Origin and Evolution of The Christian R. Holmes Hospital

By Nathan Hood

Christian R. Holmes

Dr. Christian R. Holmes. This photo serves as a link to the Winkler Center blog, “Dr. Christian R. Holmes, The Cincinnati General Hospital, and the Surgical Amphitheater.”

The history of the “Holmes Hospital” is typically remembered as beginning in the early 1900’s with the construction of the building then and presently located adjacent to Eden Avenue; however, long before that land was developed for such purpose, there existed an original “Dr. C. R. Holmes Hospital” once located on East Eighth Street. This private establishment was made possible through Dr. Holmes collaboration with his associate at the time, Dr. D. T. Vail. Dr. Though Holmes’ wife, Bettie, was perhaps just as indispensable as Holmes himself – she was the supervisor of Holmes’ hospital for more than five years. Opening probably sometime in the very-late 1800’s, for several years it was home to a Nurses’ Training School. Though renovated in 1917, it closed that same year when Holmes took up duties at Camp Sherman. It was never re-opened.

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Check out the new Informatics Lab at the Health Sciences Library!

Informatics Lab: A Collaborative Space for Innovation at the Health Sciences Library

The Informatics Lab is designed for innovative and collaborative hands-on learning experiences. It is a place for UC researchers and graduate students to connect, collaborate, and receive research support services. The space includes an iMac and a Windows PC with many visualization, design, and statistical software packages, 4 whiteboard tables and 2 moveable whiteboards for collaborative work.

To reserve the room or suggest software, contact us at informaticslab@uc.edu.

Hours:   Mon.-Fri. 9 AM – 5 PM

Location: E005L (near the back of the E Level of the Health Sciences Library)

Technology and Software

Software

Windows 7:Office,Skype, SPSS,SAS,R, RStudio, Matlab,CLC Main Workbench,Cytoscape, ArcGIS, QGIS, GeoDA, TerraGO Toolbar, Satscan, EpiInfo, 7zip,Notepad++,Python + scipy + NumPy IGV,MySQL Workbench, Adobe Creative Cloud (Photoshop, Illustrator, Acrobat Pro, InDesign, InCopy, Dreamweaver, FlashPro/Builder, Acrobat Pro, Audition, Bridge, Animate, Prelude, Fireworks)

OSX:Office, Skype, SPSS, SAS, R, RStudio, Matlab, CLC Main Workbench, Cytoscape,QGIS, GeoDA, TerraGO Toolbar, Satscan, EpiInfo, TextMate, The Unarchiver, Python + scipy + NumPy IGV, MySQL workbench, Adobe Creative Cloud (Photoshop, Illustrator, Acrobat Pro, InDesign, InCopy, Dreamweaver, FlashPro/Builder, Acrobat Pro, Audition, Bridge, Animate, Prelude, Fireworks)

Equipment: 1 iMac,1 PC,1 AirMedia unit for wireless presentation from any mobile device,4 whiteboard tables, 2 standing whiteboards, 1 wall-mounted white board, 1 3D printer (coming in the future)

More information is available at http://www.libraries.uc.edu/hsl/digital/digital-labs-hsl.html

Renovations Underway on the Fourth Floor of Langsam Library.

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Sketch of new service desk.

Students starting classes Monday will be met with construction and an enhanced classroom in Langsam Library.

Once completed, the renovations will provide more collaborative, flexible and comfortable work spaces to do research and to study in Langsam, as well as offer improved access to enhanced technology. Work began this summer with the renovation of the Langsam classroom 462 and will continue throughout the fall semester on the fourth floor of the library.

As a result of the construction, The Desk@Langsam (the main service desk) has been moved to just beyond the main staircase. Signs and way finding lead users to the temporary desk location. All other Langsam Library services and spaces remain open and available for use at this time.

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UC Libraries Welcome Bearcats!

LangsamUC’s Welcome Week kicked off Wednesday, August 19 as new students began moving in. UC Libraries is part of the weekend festivities to acclimate students to campus.

Stop by Langsam Library Saturday and Sunday, August 22 & 23 from noon-5pm for lemonade, cookies AND a free print of your class schedule.

Visit any of the three Science Libraries (College of Engineering and Applied Science, Geology-Mathematics-Physics, Chemistry-Biology) from 1-5pm on Sunday for treats, beverages and brief tours of the libraries. 

Welcome to UC Libraries.

New Research Guides Platform!

Does the research guide you use regularly suddenly look different?  It is different – the research guides changed platforms and design!

In addition to the new look and feel, the Health Sciences Library Research Guides now have a responsive design, enhanced browsing functionality and are more user friendly for tablet and mobile phone users.  These changes and more incorporate accessibility design features required for any University of Cincinnati web pages and 3rd party web based products.  Find out more about accessibility requirements at UC.

Check out the new Health Sciences Library Research Guides design at http://guides.libraries.uc.edu/hsl and share your thoughts with us at http://www.libsurveys.com/loader.php?id=12e35f407e155608c441d055474d4f9c