The Twins are now orphans – their mother has been stolen from Eden Park!

The She-Wolf (“Lupa”) was stolen from Eden Park on June 16, 2022, ironically, the same day I returned from a trip to Rome. It is a tragedy for all of us who value history and who understand and appreciate the importance of the Wolf to the founding of ancient Rome, to Roman history, and to Roman life and character, but also to many generations of Cincinnatians. The story of the Wolf, one of countless animals helping humans throughout the ages, is a sweet and engaging one. The statue was a gift of the city of Rome, then a sister city of Cincinnati, the city named after a Roman general. Yes, it was gifted while Mussolini was the ruler of Italy; however, the artist of the original statue of the Wolf, probably without the twins, was ancient Roman or, possibly, Etruscan or, according to some scholars, medieval, having no connection to Fascism. There are many literary accounts of the story in ancient Roman authors such as Livy, Dio Cassius, Ovid and others. Here is one of Ovid’s accounts:

“A she-wolf which had cast her whelps came, wondrous to tell, to the abandoned twins: who could believe that the brute would not harm the boys? Far from harming, she helped them; and they whom ruthless kinsfolk would have killed with their own hands were suckled by a wolf! She halted and fawned on the tender babes with her tail, and licked into shape their two bodies with her tongue. You might know they were scions of Mars: fearless, they sucked her dugs and were fed on a supply of milk that was never meant for them. The she-wolf (lupa) gave her name to the place, and the place gave their name to the Luperci. Great is the reward the nurse has got for the milk she gave” (Fasti 2.413-432).

I had suggested that the statue be moved to the John Miller Burnam Classics Library or to the lobby of the Blegen library building. Let us hope that the criminals who stole the sculpture develop a conscience and return it to the City of Cincinnati, and that the City finally decides to protect it by having it housed in the classics department or classics library of the University of Cincinnati or in the Cincinnati Art Museum.

The Burnam Classics Library’s Greek Map Collection has been digitized!

Finally, the John Miller Burnam Classics Library has been able to move into the 21st century thanks to its staff and East View, an information services company, which has digitized one of the Library’s rarest and most important collections of Greek, British, and U.S. military maps from World War I and II. East View specializes in hard-to-find foreign language materials such as maps, newspapers and ephemera. In addition to helping us digitize and preserve the Burnam collection of maps, many in poor physical condition, the company has provided a searchable database free-of-charge for the Classics Library and freely available to the UC community.

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“New” Discoveries for the Burnam Classics Library

When researching an unrelated topic, the librarian came across a reference to Greek manuscripts in the Burnam Library. They were not known to previous or current staff, so it was a mystery. The librarian contacted the Archives and Rare Books Library in the hopes that they might be there, and eureka! They had mistakenly not been transferred during the move of classics materials from ARB to the Burnam Library more than three years ago.  The boxes contain some 10 very rare Greek newspapers of the Greek resistance movement published during WWII and shortly thereafter, such as Οδηγός των αδελφοτήτων της Ε.Α. and Η Αλληλεγγύη from 1945, Ελεύθερη σκέψη (όργανο του Εθνικού Κομιτάτου Νέων) from 1942, Ελεύθερη Ελλάδα (όργανο της Κ.Ε. του Εθνικού Απελευθερωτικού Μετώπου) from 1943, and Φωνή της Αλλελλεγγύης (όργανο του Παρατήματος Μακεδονίας και Θράκης…) from January 1, 1946.

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The Classics Library Announces Policy Change

Today’s libraries recognize that current methods of organization are outdated. Upon consultation with other UC C&D libraries and classics libraries nationally, the UC Classics Library hereby wishes to announce the following policy change:

In acknowledgement of the times, and for reasons of aesthetics, logic, and common sense, the John Miller Burnam Classics Library has decided to classify and shelve our books by color rather than by call number. The Library of Congress Classification System is cumbersome, non-intuitive, and comprehensible only to catalogers.

Some patrons simply do not remember a book’s call number or its author and title; however, they do recall the color of the book.

When I am at a gas station I never give the make and model of my car to the attendant as I cannot remember those things and the numbers that supposedly are posted above the pumps are confusing. I simply say “$10 on the red car over there.” It works every time. It’s easy to remember and understand.

Thus, in an effort to alleviate obstacles and to enhance the experience of locating books and browsing in our Library, we have decided to enact this organizational change.

The catalog records will from now on read as in the following examples:

Navy Blue

Davis & Bennet, Pylos Regional, 1st ed. (2017).

Classics, S 5, 15th aisle, top shelf 


Tangerine Orange

Virgile, Énéide, bks. 1-4, Budé 1st ed. (1977).

Classics, S 6, 10th aisle, 3rd shelf

 

The Boolean keyword search in the Library Catalog for these examples will be:

In Euclid add <Limit>: Classics
Then type:

(“Navy Blue” AND “Davis”).

(“Tangerine Orange” AND “Virgile” AND “Budé”).

The call number sign posts in the stacks are being replaced with color-coated ones (see images below), which will need no examination or deciphering.

We apologize for any inconvenience caused during the period of transition to the new system, which we estimate to be between 5 and 10 years, and appreciate your cooperation.

Rebecka Lindau
Head, John Miller Burnam Classics Library

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

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!

Upcoming changes to OhioLINK delivery provider

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 University of Cincinnati Libraries Annual Progress Report, 2020-2021

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

UC Libraries Closed Monday, Jan. 17 for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Martin Luther King, Jr. from LIFE Magazine

UC Libraries will be closed Monday, Jan. 17 for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day . The libraries will resume normal hours on Tuesday, Jan. 18.

Want to read up on Martin Luther King, Jr., his impact and legacy, and how you can make a difference? Check out these library resources and the Racial Justice Resources for Activists, Advocates and Allies Research Guide.

Spring 2022 Return to Campus Update for UC Libraries

With the university shifting to online learning until January 24 because of the increase in local, state, and national COVID-19 cases, and the high transmission rate of the Omicron variant, UC Libraries are making adjustments to operating hours. Library locations remain open with reduced hours, except for the Archives and Rare Books Library, which is not currently taking new research appointments, but is available to answer reference questions via phone and e-mail.

Hours by location are listed on the Libraries website, including those for UC Blue Ash, Clermont and Law, which vary from those for UC Libraries.

Current information on the Libraries Return to Campus plans, can be found online.

 

Winter Break hours for UC Libraries

Winter Break Hours for the University of Cincinnati Libraries begin Saturday, Dec. 18. All library locations will be closed Dec. 18-Jan. 2, except for the Donald C. Harrison Health Sciences Library (HSL), which will be open noon-5pm, Dec. 20-23 and closed Dec. 24-Jan. 2.

winter sceneIn addition, all library locations except for Langsam Library and HSL will close at noon, Friday, Dec. 17. The Desk@Langsam will also close at noon, Friday, Dec. 17.

A listing of all hours is available on the Libraries website.

Have a relaxing and safe Winter Break.