Category Archives: Langsam Library

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The Benjamin Gettler Papers Processing Project Now Complete

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By:  Alex Temple, Benjamin Gettler Papers Project Archivist

The Benjamin Gettler papers processing project has come to a close, but I wanted to write one more entry about efforts to ensure the lasting usability of the collection.  As I’ve explored and processed the collection, I found a broad range of material making up the scope and content.  Each item in the collection is important, but some items can actually harm others, and storage methods that work for one item will not necessarily work for another.  Therefore, each item has been assessed for it’s individual preservation needs, including how to store it so it would not affect the safety of the rest of the collection.

Jellybeans from President Reagan's desk in the Gettler collectionRegarding the paper documents, some are emails printed from an inkjet or laser printer as recently as 2013, while other documents are stock certificates dating back to the 1890s.  Regardless of their age, generally all paper-based objects need to be housed in a stable and protective environment, such as acid-free folders, and stored in a room with a relative humidity of 30-50% and temperature between 35-65°F, all of which the University of Cincinnati Archives & Rare Books Library provides.

Of course, not everything was as straightforward as placing into a new, preservation-quality folder.  I have written previously about items Gettler had taken from his visit with President Reagan at the White House, largely about some jellybeans.  Miraculously, these jellybeans had survived for nearly 40 years.  To make their longevity less of a miracle and more of a science, we deferred to The Preservation Lab, a joint lab of the University of Cincinnati Libraries and the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County.  They vacuum-sealed the jellybeans, and brilliantly constructed a box for them that allowed them to be displayed alongside a note from Ben’s wife Dee.  The candy is now protected from being squashed, chewed on, or getting wet.  And just as importantly, the rest of collection is less likely to be adversely affected by the composition of the jellybeans, such as sugars and dyes. Continue reading →

UC Libraries Closed Monday, Nov. 11 for Veterans Day. HSL to Remain Open 9am-5pm.

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veterans day imageUC Libraries will be closed Monday, Nov. 11 in observance of Veterans Day, except for the Donald C. Harrison Health Sciences Library, which will be open 9am to 5pm.

This closing includes the Walter C. Langsam Library 4th floor space, which will close Sunday, Nov. 10 at 11pm and re-open Tuesday, November 12 at 7:45am.

Normal hours will resume Tuesday, November 12.

Thank you to all who have served.

James Lee Appointed Associate Vice Provost for Digital Scholarship and Associate Dean of Libraries

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James Lee

James Lee

James Lee has been appointed associate vice provost for digital scholarship and associate dean of libraries effective November 1, 2019.

“James’ new role is a direct investment from university leadership to support UC Libraries’ growing responsibility to lead our institution’s enterprise-wide digital scholarship and digital integration vision,” said Xuemao Wang, vice provost for digital scholarship and dean and university librarian.

In May 2019, Provost Kristi Nelson and Vice President for Research Pat Limbach jointly announced that UC Libraries’ Digital Scholarship Center (DSC) was selected as one of the first six anchor teams for the Digital Futures initiative. Digital Futures is integral to the Next Lives Here vision in UC’s strategic plan: “It will empower diverse teams of thinkers and doers to push the boundaries of what’s possible,” President Neville Pinto said, “to bend the future in Cincinnati’s direction.” In July 2019, Provost Nelson announced Dean Wang’s expanded responsibilities as vice provost for digital scholarship, describing his new portfolio as “…covering a broad spectrum of areas including the DSC, Scholar@UC and research and data management, but also digital archives and preservation, digital records and assets management, scholarly communication and digital publishing, as well as the rapidly evolving movements of open science, open education resources, open data and open access.”    Continue reading →

Illiad (Interlibrary Loan) Unavailable Wednesday, Oct. 30 from 8am-12pm

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The Libraries Illiad (Interlibrary Loan) server will be offline for maintenance the morning of Wednesday, Oct. 30 from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. During this time the library IT department will be updating the Illiad application to the latest version. Thank you for your patience.

Shakespeare’s Culturally Relevant Halloween Story

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By Erica Bock, Archives and Rare Books Library Intern

Titus AndronicusIt is that time of year again. It is starting to feel like fall and Halloween is right around the corner. Netflix is coming out with their top Halloween picks. And a category such as “gory” or “gruesome” is bound to be featured, as it is nearly every year. If you are like me, not only do you enjoy a scary film, but there are also books that fit the season. Maybe you are cracking open Bram Stoker’s Dracula or Stephen King’s Carrie. However, I just may have a new recommendation for you. Shakespeare’s Titus Andronicus is a horror story that would definitely be featured on Netflix’s gory or gruesome film choices. And, believe it or not, it would be appealing to the same fans who adore American Horror Story or Sweeney Todd. But apart from appealing to the horror genre buff, this play addresses some issues that may be very close to home.

Although this story features a horrific fourteen killings, six severed members, one rape, one live burial, one case of insanity and an instance of cannibalism, we can find a number of these barbaric acts relevant to today’s culture. First and foremost, the issue of racism is addressed through these events. Titus Andronicus’ opposing sides consist of the Romans, which are revealed to be the more civilized pale skinned people, and the Goths, the darker skinned people known for their lawlessness and tactlessness. These are simply cultural biases that our culture is no stranger to. However, as the story progresses, both parties commit crimes of hatred, causing the audience to wonder who the heartless and reckless people really are in the end. Continue reading →

Join us for “Zorro Turns 100: The Hispanic Legacy of America’s First Superhero”

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Zorro Turns 100: The Hispanic Legacy
of America’s First Superhero

In 1919, an unknown U.S. pulp fiction writer created a masked California hero who fought for the people against tyranny. The dashing Zorro not only became America’s first superhero—he influenced the creation of Batman and other cape crusaders in years to come.

Join us to learn about Zorro’s Hispanic legacy and why, without him, we wouldn’t have today’s superhero universe.

Who:  Dr. Mauricio Espinoza, Assistant Professor of Spanish and Latin American Literature

When: Wednesday, October 23, 2 PM-3:30 PM

Where: Walter C. Langsam Library Digital Commons (by the Triceracopter)

New Library Exhibit Showcases Artful Books

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“Artful Books,” on display now through the end of fall semester on the 4th and 5th floor lobbies of the Walter C. Langsam Library, features books created by members of the Cincinnati Book Arts Society (CBAS) inspired by and in celebration of UC and UC Libraries.

Earlier this year, CBAS members visited the Archives and Rare Books Library where they researched and reviewed various collections for inspiration – the results of which are now on display in two cases with over 15 artists’ books covering a wide range of subjects, forms and mediums. Select highlights of the exhibit include:

shooting star artist book

Jan Thomas, “Shooting Star”

Jan Thomas, “Shooting Star.” In 1952, Marian Spencer, along with her sons, was not permitted at segregated Coney Island, Ohio, Amusement Park. This singular event became the catalyst for a life of public service as a civil rights advocate, community leader and champion.

Marguerite and Doug Katchen, "Bearcats and the Past,"

Marguerite and Doug Katchen, “Bearcats and the Past”

Marguerite and Doug Katchen, “Bearcats and the Past.” Bearcats have been symbols of UC at least since the early 20th century. Wooden plagues of the map of Ohio were used as pages on which was described a brief history of the University of Cincinnati and on which were displayed Bearcat and Ohio patches.

queen's icons artist book

Beth Belknap Brann, “Queen’s Icons”

Beth Belknap Brann, “Queen’s Icons.” This hand-drawn book is a celebration of Cincinnati’s architectural gems of the late 19th century. It was inspired by the historic photo archives in UC’s Archives and Rare Books Library.

Smruti Deoghare, “200 Years of Red, Black (and White)

Smruti Deoghare, “200 Years of Red, Black (and White),” the University of Cincinnati colors are more than just college colors. This bold palette of tricolor represents unity in diversity. Over the last 200 years, the University has provided education to people from all walks of life and colors – red, black, white, and all shades in between. The artist feels Tangeman University Center is the ideal architectural symbol of inclusivity on campus.

A brochure describing all of the books on display is available at the exhibit and online.

“Artful Books” was curated by Jessica Ebert, conservation technician in the Preservation Lab and CBAS member, and was designed by Michelle Matevia, communication design co-op student.

The Cincinnati Books Arts Society began in 1998 and is a non-profit organization comprised of professional and amateur book artists, paper artists and creators. Their membership includes bookbinders, print makers, paper marblers, book artists, archivists, conservation professionals and book enthusiasts interested in learning more about books and how they are created. Interested in learning more about CBAS? Check out their website and follow them on Facebook (Cincinnati Book Arts Society).

First Wave Feminism-Is it Still Relevant?

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By Erica Bock, Archives and Rare Books Library Intern

Anne Bradstreet from The Poems of Mrs. Anne BradstreetMany of us remember being forced to read the poetry of Anne Bradstreet in high school or even college. And most of us read summaries online or in SparkNotes so we could still get an “A” without having to spend the time to decipher certain poetry. In high school, I was that person too.

However, when a college professor assigned us the week’s reading, I actually took the time to read Bradstreet’s works. Maybe it was because of lack of anything else to do. Or maybe I just really liked the professor’s approach to teaching. Regardless, I delved into the world of Bradstreet and I was both inspired and pleasantly surprised.

This free thinking first wave feminist started to inspire my life. And in particular, I took to her poem, “The Four Elements”. Bradstreet observed the world around her. And I began to realize what could happen if I too decided to become more aware of the world around me. Bradstreet reminded me that there is beauty in the natural chaos of life. And though everyone is different, we can use our differences to our advantage. Continue reading →

Student Research Consultant’s experience at the XSEDE Big Data Workshop

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Zhiyuan Yao is a Geography PhD candidate and a student research consultant in the Research Labs@ GMP, in the Geology-Math-Physics Library.  She is a GIS expert in the UC Libraries Research & Data Services Team and can help you with your GIS and other research data questions.  Below she describes her recent experience attending the XSEDE workshop on Big Data.

The Extreme Science and Engineering Discovery Environment (XSEDE) is an NSF-funded virtual organization that integrates and coordinates the sharing of supercomputers with researchers nationally to support science. It has five computer resource infrastructures located across the nations, and Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center (PSC) is a part of it. PSC offers workshops from time to time through the year and aims to promote advanced data analysis among a variety of research fields using its supercomputer, Bridges. Thanks to IT@UC Research & Development, Innovation and Partnerships, who cooperates with PSC to offer the free workshop to UC community. The workshop is one of many events in the Data & Computational Science Series funded by the Provost Office.  I was glad to attend the Big Data workshop and give you a glimpse of the informative workshop.

The Big Data workshop was held on Oct 1st to Oct 2nd, from 11: 00 AM to 5: 30 PM. The workshop was well organized and followed a working flow: introducing background information, providing examples, and doing exercises. I really appreciated the background information introduced in this workshop, since it provided a holistic view of this workshop which was friendly to beginners. Besides, this workshop talked about several programs for big data analysis, such as Hadoop and Spark, and Tensorflow. The Big data workshop is one of PSC HPC workshop series, such as MPI, OpenMP, OpenACC, et al. If you are interested in one of these workshops, you can check if IT@UC offers this workshop at Workshops & Trainings in Faculty OneStop.

lunch options at the XSEDE workshop

Besides the free knowledge, you also have free lunch! IT@UC Research & Development, Innovation and Partnerships offered the yummy lunch through the Data & Computational Science Series funded by the Provost Office. If you are interested in learning things about high performance computing, please come and take advantage of the free resources and the yummy lunch!

 

The next XSEDE event is coming up soon:

XSEDE Monthly HPC Workshop: OpenMP

Tuesday November 5, 2019 – 11:00am to 5:00pm
Langsam Library Room 475