Category Archives: HSL News

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Nathan Wysinski Begins Work in the Health Sciences Library as the New Computer User Support Specialist

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On January 7, 2019, Nathan Wysinski began work as the computer user support specialist in the Donald C. Harrison Health Sciences Library.

Nathan is not new to UC Libraries having served as a contract IT employee since April 2018 providing exemplary support of faculty, staff and student computing. Prior to this position, Nathan worked for the IT firm Pomeroy for three and a half years.  Nathan will be bringing his experience, expertise and professionalism to the Health Sciences Library in support of technologies and services for the faculty, staff and students on the health sciences campus.

Please join us in congratulating Nathan and welcoming him to the Health Sciences Library!

Paying Tribute to Leslie Schick as She Retires from the University of Cincinnati

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leslie schick

Leslie Schick poses in the Walter C. Langsam Library, 2018

This December, the University of Cincinnati Libraries will say goodbye to a valuable employee and one that has played a central part in great change in the Libraries. Leslie Schick, senior associate dean of library services and director of the Donald C. Harrison Health Sciences Library, will be retire at the end of UC’s fall term.

Leslie has enjoyed a long, storied career with the university, beginning as an information services librarian with UC’s Health Sciences Library.

“When I started, everything was print. We had card catalogs – none of the local, regional or international online library catalogs we do now,” Leslie remarked. “When people would come looking for a particular book, if we didn’t have it in our card catalog, meaning we didn’t own it at the Health Sciences Library, as a reference librarian I’d pick up the phone and call other libraries. If it was a nursing book, for example, I would call the Raymond Walters Library (the former name for UC Blue Ash) to see if they might have it because they had a nursing program. You would have to think about who at the university might have this book and then you would call that library. It was our own version of OhioLINK or Interlibrary Loan. Looking back…the whole world has changed.”

leslie wth reference colleagues

Leslie with her fellow reference librarians in the 1980s

Over the course of her career, Leslie has seen an incredible amount of change. This nurtured a deep appreciation for her colleagues, one that would serve her well as her responsibilities increased and she took on roles in library management. She watched as new waves of talent joined the library, as well as those times when years of institutional knowledge were lost to retirements.

“For some people, the change from print to online was more difficult. We had the most amazing reference librarian at the Health Sciences Library when I started, Ruth Epstein. She’d come from the hospital library, which was consolidated into the medical center libraries when it was formed in 1974. Whenever someone had a difficult question in our library, she’d be the one to find the answer. We had a site visit for one of our IAIMS grants (Integrated Advanced Information Management Systems) back in the 80s, and one of the members of the site team asked her one the most awful reference questions anyone could think of. After she found what they were looking for they told her that they’d asked the same question at over 25 academic health science libraries in the country and she was the only person who’d given them an answer. She read everything, every issue of 15 to 20 medical journals – she said that was how you kept on top of things. That was the old-school way. When we started putting a computer at our reference desk and moving away from the traditional card catalogue, she retired…she wasn’t able to deal with the change.” Continue reading →

Read the University of Cincinnati Libraries 2017/18 Annual Progress Report

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UC Libraries Progress ReportRead the University of Cincinnati Libraries 2017/18 Annual Progress Report where we ask the question: Have We Transformed Yet?

In this year’s annual Progress Report, we make note of the accomplishments of the previous year, as well as take a holistic view of UC Libraries since the Strategic Plan was launched five years ago. We celebrate the continued success of annual events that promote library collections and services, highlight milestones of major library initiatives and feature library spaces.

Integral to fulfilling the work of the Strategic Plan is the dedication of the faculty and staff of UC Libraries along with the investment of our donors. By highlighting the accomplishments of our hard-working staff and listing the current donors, both groups are recognized and celebrated in this Progress Report.

Finally, if all of the accomplishments listed in this report signal that we are at least on the road to transformation than we must ask ourselves the question…what’s next?

The Progress Report is available online at https://issuu.com/uclibraries/docs/uclannualprogressreport17_18.

Questions? Request a print copy? Email melissa.norris@uc.edu.

Happy Reading!

Data Visualization Lunch & Learn and Hands-on Shiny Workshop – Nov 28th 11:45 am to 3 pm

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Join us Wednesday, November 28 for a Lunch & Learn and Hands-on Shiny Workshop with Dr. Olga Scrivner, Research Scientist at Indiana University’s Cyberinfrastructure for Network Science Center. REGISTER

Olga Scrivner is a research scientist at Cyberinfrastructure for Network Science Center (CNS) in the School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering at Indiana University, a faculty fellow at the Center of Excellence for Women in Technology, and a corporate faculty in Data Analytics at Harrisburg University of Science and Technology. She has substantive expertise in developing web application tools for data mining and visualization using Shiny and R. Her current research at CNS focuses on mapping of occupational landscape and educational attainment, with specific emphasis in understanding the healthcare workforce in the areas affected by opioid epidemic.

Wednesday November 28 in Langsam Library room 475  LUNCH WILL BE PROVIDED.


11:45AM – 1PM: LUNCH & LEARN – THE IMPORTANCE OF DATA VISUALIZATION
If a picture is worth of a thousand words, data visualization is worth millions: Toward a framework for actionable visual insights
Current shift in scientific landscape toward cross-disciplinary teams, evolving cyberinfrastructure and complex data requires a new kind of data analysis and visualization tools. This talk will introduce a visualization framework developed at Cyberinfrastructure for Network Science Center (CNS) at Indiana University, founded and directed by Professor Katy Börner, Victor H. Yngve Distinguished Professor of Engineering and Information Science (http://cns.iu.edu).


1PM – 3PM: BUILDING INTERACTIVE WEB APPLICATIONS: DATA VISUALIZATION WITH SHINY
This two hour hands-on workshop will step through the process of building, visualizing, deploying, and sharing Shiny web applications. Learning this workflow will enable you to build your own interactive tools that can be used for research and teaching.

UC Libraries Closed Thanksgiving

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thanks imageUC Libraries will be closed Thursday, November 22 and Friday, November 23 for Thanksgiving, with the exception of the Donald C. Harrison Health Sciences Library, which will be open Friday, November 23 from noon – 5:00pm. Regular library hours will resume Saturday, November 24.

This closing includes the Langsam Library 4th floor space, which will close Wednesday, November 21 at 6pm and re-open Saturday, November 24 at 10am.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Missing Maps Mapathon held at UC Libraries

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On Nov 3rd, the Red Cross and UC libraries partnered to hold a second Missing Maps Mapathon. Missing Maps is an open, collaborative project in which you can help to map areas where humanitarian organisations are trying to meet the needs of vulnerable people.

During the mapathon, participants used the Open Street Map platform to identify buildings in satellite images and place them on a regional map (georeference).  The Red Cross uses this information to set up emergency services in areas that are impacted by natural disasters such as floods and earthquakes.  The mapping will be verified by Red Cross volunteers working in the mapped country and will help prepare response teams in the area to better assist if disaster strikes.

This year’s project covered three areas in the Lake Chad region in Niger.  This region of the world is experiencing a great humanitarian crisis due to poor infrastructure, conflict, poverty, and climate change.  It has been reported that nearly 17 million people are affected by the dire situation and 10.7 million are in need of humanitarian assistance.  The International Red Cross has been working in the area for thirty years and coordinates efforts with local relief agencies.

At this year’s event, UC Geography student Rachel Byrd led UC Cincinnatus Scholar students, UC Librarian Amy Koshoffer, UC Press Director Liz Scarpelli,  and Red Cross International Services Manager Paula McIntosh through the 4 hour mapping session.  In the span of four hours, volunteers were able to map three regions around the lake and identified 6065 buildings.  Many thanks to all who participated and contributed to the mission of the Red Cross.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How UC Researchers use the Open Science Framework – Theresa Culley, Head of Biological Sciences and Professor of Biology, Editor-in-Chief Applications in Plant Sciences

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Researcher Name: Theresa Culley, Head of Biological Sciences and Professor of Biology, Editor-in-Chief Applications in Plant Sciences

In our fourth installment of the series “How UC Researchers use the Open Science Framework”, we hear from  Theresa Culley, Head of Biological Sciences and Professor of Biology, Editor-in-Chief Applications in Plant Sciences

 

Theresa Culley - 2018 Head of Biological Sciences

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Research Project Description or statement about your research interest:

My research area in Botany focuses on plant population biology and genetics and I have a deep interest in the evolution of invasive species.  I am also very interested in publication patterns regarding research involving hotspot areas of biodiversity.  My lab has been considering the question of whether researchers from developing countries, which have the most biodiversity hotspots, receive adequate credit for their work.  We are currently working on a project examining publishing bias in the scientific literature about plant conservation genetics.  This collaboration is in partnership with UC Libraries’ Digital Scholarship Center and is one of several collaborations funded by a $900,000 Andrew W. Mellon Foundation awarded to the Center.  I am also interested in this topics in my role as Editor-in-Chief for Applications in Plant Sciences.

Why did you chose to use the OSF to organize your research/projects?

I am an advocate for data sharing and reproducible research.  In an editorial I wrote for Applications in Plant Sciences, I highlighted the many reasons to ensure access to data and major considerations behind why researchers may not want to share data.  A resource like the open science framework is an excellent tool for promoting transparency and reproducibility and advancing the field at an accelerated pace.  The OSF helps to manage the entire project and especially makes it easy to share data within our research group and with collaborators.  This is a great place to manage the active parts of a project, and link all the different tools that members of a research group use .  We also have the ability to archive data and content here and look forward to a possible integration into our Institutional Repository in the future.

What about the OSF makes this tool a good choice for your project management (i.e. specific function of the OSF)?

Some of my team members prefer to use Dropbox and some are using Box.  Using the OSF makes it possible to bring all the different tools we are using under one project umbrella.  And it helps us to track activity on the project.

Additional comment for the post that you are willing to share:

Currently our project is not public, but we hope to share components in the future.

The Center for Open Science has been a great resource for our lab and the journal Applications in Plant Sciences.  In August 2016, the journal adopted the TOP guidelines, along with its sister journal, American Journal of Botany.

Lexicomp Online & Lexicomp App Access

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Lexicomp Online

Lexicomp Online is a collection of clinical databases and clinical decision support tools that provides users with an extensive medical library.  It provides clear, concise, point-of-care adult and pediatric drug information as well as in-depth information on interactions, toxicology, and more.  Lexicomp also includes support tools like drug ID, calculators, and patient education.

Unlimited Lexicomp Online access is available in a responsive design that will resize to your device.

Lexicomp App Access

50 access codes are also available with this institutional subscription.

  • Lexicomp app registration is first come, first serve
  • This year only, app accounts expire during December of 2018

Watch for a blog post in December 2018 or January 2019 with a link to a new set of 50 access codes.

  • App registration will again be first come, first serve
  • After which app accounts will expire annually

Lexicomp Academic Discount Program

Data Science Social – Wednesday OCTOBER 31 4-6 pm

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Please Join Us Wednesday OCTOBER 31 from 4-6 pm at the UC Catskeller

Bring your Scariest Data Dilemma & Swap Spooky Science Stories with colleagues!

Sign up for a 3-minute Flash Talk here: https://goo.gl/forms/5VFzvFoUGbg1DiHq2.
RSVP and Questions: ucitresearch@ucmail.uc.edu

Food will be provided

Flyer: DCSS social flyer_20181031

Science Gateways’ presentation & lunch with Dr. Sandra Gesing Oct 30th

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Please join the Data and Computational Science Series (DCSS) team for a (free!) ‘Understanding Science Gateways’ presentation & lunch with Dr. Sandra Gesing, Computational Scientist, University of Notre Dame.

Science Gateways and the Science Gateways Community Institute (SGCI) with Dr. Sandra Gesing

Tuesday October 30 – TUC 400B FREE REGISTRATION

 

 

 

 

 

Science Gateways – also called virtual research environments or virtual labs – allow science and engineering communities to access shared data, software, computing services, instruments and other resources specific to their disciplines and use them also in teaching environments. The U.S. Science Gateways Community Institute (SGCI) provides free resources, services, experts, and ideas for creating and sustaining science gateways.

11am-1pm: General Introduction to Science Gateways & the Science Gateways Community Institute (SGCI) – Lunch provided

1pm-3pm: Science Gateways Presentation On Usability With Hands-On Portion – please bring a laptop

These events are free and open to all.

FREE REGISTRATION

Flyer – DCS2 _Intro to Science Gateways_30oct18

Flyer – DCS2 _Science Gateways Usability presentation_30oct18

General Introduction to Science Gateways & the Science Gateways Community Institute (SGCI)
In the last decade mature complete science gateway frameworks have evolved such as HUBzero, Galaxy, Agave and Apache Airavata. Successful implementations have been adapted for several science gateways, for example, the technologies behind the science gateways CIPRES, which is used by over 25.000 users to date and serves the community in the area of large phylogenetic trees. Lessons learned from the last decade include that approaches should be technology agnostic, use standard web technologies or deliver a complete solution. Independent of the technology, the major driver for science gateways are the user communities and user engagement is key for successful science gateways. The US Science Gateways Community Institute (SGCI), opened in August 2016, provides free resources, services, experts, and ideas for creating and sustaining science gateways. It offers five areas of services to the science gateway developer and user communities: the Incubator, Extended Developer Support, the Scientific Software Collaborative, Community Engagement and Exchange, and Workforce Development. The talk will give an introduction to science gateways, examples for science gateways & an overview on the services offered by the SGCI to serve user communities & developers for creating successful science gateways.

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