Category Archives: HSL News

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Data Day 2021 Wrap

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Authored by Amy Latessa (OoR Advanced Research Computing team) and Mark Chalmers (UC Libraries – Science and Engineering Libraries)

On November 5th, UC Libraries with collaboration from the OoR Advanced Research Computing team, hosted the 6th annual UC Data Day. The theme of this year’s virtual event was Bias, Miscommunication, and Equity in Data and featured a Keynote by Heather Krause, two interactive panel sessions, and a weeklong virtual screening of the documentary film Coded Bias.  This year’s event had 145 attendees and 29 views of the film. 

Following the opening remarks of Xuemao Wang, Vice Provost for Digital Scholarship and Dean and University Librarian of UC Libraries, Data Day commenced with the keynote by Heather Krause, PStat, and Founder of We All Count. Heather challenged the traditional notion of data’s objectivity, reminding attendees that researchers must make choices and these choices are not objective. Heather also walked participants through several examples of research questions and demonstrated how the questions could be better designed with equity in mind and the onus of change on systems.   She emphasized to participants that there is no “silver bullet” against bias, prejudice, and injustice, and we all must remain vigilant and consider who’s lived experiences are being centered, even at the onset of a project such as when formulating a research question. Heather was engaging and took many thought-provoking questions from the audience.   Continue reading →

UC Libraries closed Thursday, Nov. 11 for Veterans Day.

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veterans day graphicUC Libraries will be closed Thursday, Nov. 11 in observance of Veterans Day.

Regular library hours will resume Friday, Nov. 12.

To learn more about veterans at UC, check out this online exhibit from the Archives and Rare Books Library entitled “School & Country: Military Life at the University of Cincinnati.”

3C GIS Day(s) Registration is open

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Celebrate National GIS Day

GIS stands for Geographic Information Systems.  It is a powerful research tool to create, manage, analyze, and map data based on spatial attributes.

As in 2020 and again in 2021, UC is participating in the statewide 3C GIS Day and there are several ways for you to join the celebration:

1) Register to watch all the virtual events including the Keynote by Chris Fisher of the Earth Archive Project: Register for 3C GIS Day(s).

2) On Nov 17th @ 11 am in 400TUC, watch the Keynote over lunch with your UC Colleagues: Register for in person viewing event Deadline 11/8/2021

3) Showcase your own GIS work by giving a Lightning Talk: Lightning Talk Submission Form – Deadline 10/27/2021

4) Participate in the Map Gallery showcase:  Map Gallery Submission Form – Deadline 11/10/2021

Find more in-depth information on each part of the GIS Day celebration, please visit the event website – https://3cgisday.github.io/.

 

The event is free and open to all.  Registration is required.

Questions

For general event questions, please contact geospatial@osu.edu.

For the UC specific event, please contact Amy.Koshoffer@uc.edu

UC Data Day, scheduled for Friday, Nov. 5, to focus on bias, miscommunication and equity in data

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UC Data Day 2021, scheduled for Friday, Nov. 5, 2021, will offer online panel discussions and a keynote address by Heather Krause, founder of We All Count and the Data Equity Framework, centered around the theme of bias, miscommunication and equity in data. The event will also include a week-long virtual screening of the documentary film Coded Bias and an afternoon panel discussion on Good vs Bad AI.

In order for data to be equitable, the processes involved in the data life cycle must consider the ethical nuances of each step in the process. Careful consideration must be paid to the way that we collect, analyze, interpret and distribute data in order to ensure that bias is not integrated (consciously or unconsciously) into the process. Today we are barraged with information, couched as fact, that is misleading, potentially harmful and that is replete with biases. These miscommunications can lead to the reinforcement of negative stereotypes, poor decision making, social upheaval and mistrust of vetted, factual information. Social Media is often a “mixed bag” of facts and fiction, and many people have difficulty navigating and drawing the line between them. UC Data Day 2021 will take aim at data miscommunication and bias and discuss ways in which data can be re-examined through an equity lens.

More information about Data Days past and present, along with a link for registration, is available on the Data Day website.

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In October of 2020, we celebrated our 5th Annual Data Day event. As we prepare for subsequent similar events, we would like to assess the impact of our previous events on those that attended. We are asking that if you have attended any Data Day event in the past that you would kindly take a few moments to participate in a survey to assess your experiences. Your responses will be confidential unless you choose to submit your contact information for further inquiries regarding the events.

Please use this link to access the survey: https://redcap.link/ucdataday. Please know that your feedback is very important to us, and we appreciate your time filling out the survey.

3C GIS Day(s) 2021: Save the Date and Call for Proposals 

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3C GIS Day(s) 2021: Save the Date and Call for Proposals 

Save the Date 

Join us during the week of November 15-19 for a virtual GIS Day program featuring a keynote speaker, lightning talk sessions, and a digital map gallery. This event is free and open to the public, and registration details will be available soon. 

GIS stands for Geographic Information Systems.  It is a powerful research tool that makes use of the geospatial attribute of data.  One of the oldest and most famous examples is the map showing how John Snow was able to determine the source of a cholera outbreak in London from the location of sick individuals.   

 3C GIS Day(s) 2021 is a collaboration between Case Western Reserve University, The Ohio State University, and the University of Cincinnati. 

Lightning Talk Call for Proposals 

The 3C GIS Day(s) planning committee invites submissions for lightning talks (10 minutes) from any faculty, staff, or students affiliated with one of the three organizing institutions. We encourage submissions from any disciplines that use geospatial information in any format, such as agriculture and environmental sciences, geography, engineering, business, health sciences, urban planning, and the humanities and social sciences, among others. We especially encourage submissions from graduate and undergraduate students who would like to showcase their work through a fun and informal presentation opportunity. 

Please submit your lightning talk proposal by Friday, October 15: Lightning Talk Submission Form. 

Information collected during the submission process includes presenter name and affiliation, availability during proposed sessions times, and presentation details (title, brief description, and any collaborators). 

If you have questions, please contact geospatial@osu.edu. 

Stay Tuned 

As part of this program, we’ll also be organizing a digital map gallery for affiliated faculty, staff, or students to showcase their original cartographic work, including both static and interactive maps. More information and a map gallery submission form will be available in the coming weeks. 

Read Source for the news, events, people and happenings in UC Libraries

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Read Source, the online newsletter, to learn about the news, events, people and happenings in UC Libraries.

In this issue of Source, as we mark the 20th year of publishing our newsletter, Dean Xuemao Wang welcomes students back to campus. We spotlight a library staff member, Ben Kline, and special collections in the DAAP Library and the newly digitized OMI posters, as well as a team bringing research and data services to the university community. In addition, we announce upcoming events – Life of the Mind and The Illustrated Human: The Impact of Andreas Vesalius.

Read these articles, as well as past issues, on the website. To receive Source via e-mail, contact melissa.norris@uc.edu to be added to the mailing list.

UC Libraries closed Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 6

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All UC Libraries locations are closed Monday, Sept. 6 for Labor Day. The Libraries will reopen as scheduled Tuesday, Sept. 7.

Have a safe and relaxing holiday.

And for more information on labor, check out the exhibit Working for a Living, featuring the University of Cincinnati’s Archives and Rare Books Library labor collections.

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SERVICE NOTE: Interlibrary Loan service unavailable to users September 7 and 8

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The Interlibrary Loan service (ILLiad) will be down for maintenance and unavailable to users Tuesday and Wednesday, September 7 and 8.

Once updated, users may access ILLiad from the Libraries website at https://libraries.uc.edu/login/Illiad-login.html where you will login and authenticate before being directed to ILLiad, which will have a new look, but the same functionality.

Thank you for your patience and understanding.

UC Libraries Research And Data Services Team is here to help you

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Welcome back to campus and a really big Welcome

to new students, staff, and faculty.

After you settle in and start to plan and implement your research projects, you may have questions about doing research here at UC.  The UC Libraries Research & Data Services is one of many support groups on campus to help you. We have information professionals and physical locations within various UC Libraries locations on East and West Uptown campuses to help all UC researchers.

We have vast and varied expertise and we can help you by

  • Supporting you throughout the research lifecycle
  • Helping you use tools such as:
  • Supporting Bioinformatic resource
  • Teaching and consulting on Data and Spatial analysis tools
    • SPSS, R, QGIS, ArcGIS (Desktop and Online)
  • Supporting data preservation and sharing resources
  • Explaining, finding, and using scholarly metrics i.e. impact factor, H-index, etc.
  • Explaining, finding, and using persistent identifiers such as ORCID and DOIs
  • Encouraging you to register for our workshops in Faculty OneStop
  • Teaching workshops focused on research and data recommended practices
  • Coming in for a consult at one of our locations.
  • Partnering with you on projects in scope with our mission and skill set.

We sponsor signature events such as Data Day (Nov 5th) and GIS Day (Nov 17th) through our Data and Computational Science Series and invite you to attend.  Here is a brief list of upcoming events and workshops focused on research.

August 31: Machine Actionable Data Management Plans And The Dmptool

September 8: R Introduction Workshop

September 14: ESRI’s StoryMaps

We are here to help you develop research efficiencies and make the most of your research.  We look forward to meeting you and hope to see you at our workshops and events.   And we are here so you get the information and resources you need, and we hope to partner with you on your research projects.

Contact us at:

Email – ASKDATA@UC.EDU 

Website – https://libraries.uc.edu/rds.html

Return to Campus Library Service Updates

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As the university plans for a broad return of students, faculty and staff to campus for fall semester, the Libraries are preparing our facilities, services and access to collections. Following are important things to know as we Return to Campus. Library spaces, services and access may be adapted in accordance with current and changing safety guidelines. Check the Libraries Return to Campus web page for library service updates.

Library Spaces

  • Beginning August 2, most library locations will be open and available for use. The availability of certain services and spaces within each library may vary by location. Hours and specific library location information are listed on the website.
  • Users are encouraged to maintain social distancing and must follow current university safety protocols outlined on UC’s Public Health Website.
  • In addition:
    • Tables and chairs may not be moved or reconfigured so as to ensure social distancing.
    • All users are encouraged to clean their table and chair upon leaving. The library advises that all users consider a wipe-down upon arrival to their seating location as well. Cleaning supplies will be provided.
    • Consumption of food and drink should occur when seated. Please note that some library locations continue to prohibit food and drink.
    • Public computers and labs located within library facilities will be available with social distancing measurements and cleaning protocols in place.
  • Library spaces and services may be adapted in accordance with safety guidelines. Visit the Return to Campus website for the latest updates.

Requesting Library Materials

  • Daily deliveries between libraries have resumed.
  • All pickup locations are reactivated, which allows users to request UC materials be sent to the University of Cincinnati library location of choice for pick up.
  • OhioLINK, SWORD and SearchOhio items can be requested.

Access to Print Collections

  • Service desks and library stacks will re-open at most locations on August 2. This re-opening includes the previously closed floors of the Walter C. Langsam Library and the Donald C. Harrison Health Sciences Library.
  • The Click & Collect retrieval and pickup service ends on August 2.
  • Course Reserves will resume on August 2.
  • Regular, pre-pandemic loan rules and borrowing periods have resumed.
    • Summer semester loans continue through August 31.

Access to Online Library Resources

  • Beginning August 10, access to licensed online library resources requires user authentication by logging in with a UC username + password and Duo Two Factor authorization.
  • More information on accessing online licensed library resources and help with troubleshooting problems will be available on the Libraries website.

Questions?

  • Need help finding library resources? Can’t remember how to access My Library Record to renew materials checked out? Librarians and staff are available to answer your questions via CHAT, Monday-Friday, 9am-4pm.
  • Users can also reference the Contact Us webpage to report a website error or to ask a reference or circulation question.

Library Location Information

  • Detailed facility, service and contact information for specific library locations is available on library web pages.

UC Libraries looks forward to a safe and productive fall semester. More information about UC Libraries, as well as access to the library catalog, is available via the website.