Join UC Libraries for THATCamp University of Cincinnati 2016, an unconference, which is an open meeting where humanists and technologists of all skill levels and interests gather to learn and to build together in sessions proposed on the spot.
THATCamp (The Humanities And Technology Camp) University of Cincinnati 2016 is free and open to all and will be held on the 4th floor of Langsam Library. The event will begin at noon on Monday, May 2, and conclude on Tuesday, May 3 at 4:30pm. Undergraduate and graduate students, faculty and staff, as well as scholars, archivists, museum professionals, developers and programmers, K-12 teachers and administrators from within and outside UC who have an involvement or interest in digital humanities are welcome and encouraged to attend. Sessions for THATCamp University of Cincinnati 2016 will be determined during the opening session on May 2; however, a preliminary schedule has been devised and posted online at http://ucincinnati2016.thatcamp.org/schedule/. Continue reading
Category Archives: Langsam Library
UC Libraries Invests in Digitization
The UC Libraries strategic initiative, DigitizeUC, is working to grow in-house digitization capabilities at UC Libraries into a fully-fledged program. UC Libraries has a long history of digitization and even started a University of Cincinnati Digitial Press in the 1990s. However, we have had limited in-house equipment and relied heavily on grants and local vendors to carry out projects. While grants and vendors are still part of our program, we are beginning to expand our in-house capabilities.
DT RG3040 and PhaseOne IQ360
Our first purchase is a significant investment that will serve UC Libraries for many years to come. We purchased a PhaseOne Reprographic System from Digital Transitions. This system includes a 60 MP PhaseOne digital back, DT RCam with electronic shutter, Schneider 72 mm lens, and motorized copy stand. This system will allow us to achieve rapid, high-quality digitization workflows and take on mass digitization projects with a high degree of color accuracy.
Fujitsu fi-6670
Our second purchase is a high-speed, duplex, automatic-sheet-feed Fujitsu scanner that will help us quickly digitize paper materials from the 20th-century and after. We are currently using it in a project to digitize the Lucy M. Shultz Archive held by the Department of English and Comparative Literature. The archive comprises of high-quality photocopies of 19th-century textbooks and handbooks for English composition and rhetoric.
The Digital Collections and Repositories department will be testing this new equipment with pilot projects the rest of this academic year. The DigitizeUC strategic initiative will be proposing a short-term (12-18 months) operations plan for next year that will help us focus our efforts next year and produce digital content.
These efforts and investments are aligned with the first and fourth pillars of UC Libraries strategic plan and would not be possible without the support and vision of Dean and University Librarian, Xuemao Wang, and his cabinet. This represents the first step towards a UC Libraries Digital Lab, a strong foundation for our expanding services to support digital scholarship at the University of Cincinnati.
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- Albert Sabin polio vaccine poster from Latin America.
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- Certificate of appreciation for Albert Sabin from Argentina.
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- Sign from symposium in honor of Albert Sabin’s birthday.
Starbucks is Coming to Langsam Library
Construction will begin Monday, April 11 to build a Starbucks Cafe on the east wall near the entrance of Langsam Library.
This project is scheduled for completion late August in time to open the beginning of fall semester 2016. During spring exams, April 17-28, construction activity will be limited so that students can continue to study in the library.
The copiers will be relocated on the fourth floor near the existing stand-up kiosks. The reference cubicle will be disassembled and this service will take place in room 451.
Thank you for your patience during construction. The cafe is part of a larger renovation plan already underway in Langsam to make it more inspirational, flexible, dynamic and collaborative, conducive for group and individual work. Read more on past and future Langsam renovation plans.
Music in the Gorno Library Mon. April 18, 2016
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oin us Mon. April 18 at 5:00 PM in the Gorno Library for a concert of music by Scarlatti, Schumann, Ravel and Tan performed by CCM alumna Christina Tan. View program (pdf).
Music in the Gorno Library Tues. April 12, 2016
Join us Tues. April 12 at 5:00 PM in the Gorno Library for a concert of 20th and 21st-century music for piano performed by members of the Piano Repertoire Class. View program (pdf).
New Exhibit, “Poems of UC’s Past,” Combines Original Works with Historic Photographs
One of the images from the Archives and Rare Books Library collections used in the exhibit.
A new exhibit on display on the 5th floor lobby of Langsam Library features original poetry describing historic images from the collections of UC’s Archives and Rare Books Library.
Referred to as “Ekphrastic poems,” they use “vivid descriptions of a scene or, more commonly, a work of art. Through the imaginative act of narrating and reflecting on the ‘action’ of a painting or sculpture, the poet may amplify and expand its meaning.” (Poetry Foundation.org)
In this exhibit, six graduate-student poets in the McMicken College of Arts and Science’s English department do not aim to simply “amplify and expand” the meaning of the images, but rather through their words, these pictures come more vibrantly to life. Continue reading
Hungry?! Bite into an Edible Book with UC Libraries on April 1
The Graveyard Book, Edible Books 2015
Once again, the University of Cincinnati Libraries will celebrate the International Edible Books Festival with an event scheduled from 1-2 p.m., on Friday, April 1, on the fifth floor lobby of Langsam Library.
At the event, nearly 20 participants will present their edible creations that represent a book in some form. There are few restrictions in creating an edible book – namely that the creation be edible and have something to do with a book. Submitted entries include edible titles such as Cuneiform Cookies and Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. Best sellers The Girl on the Train, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and The Girl with the Pearl Earring are represented along with favorite children’s books The Complete Tales of Winnie the Pooh, The Very Hungry Caterpillar and If You Were a Penguin among other literary greats. Continue reading
Langsam Library Closing at Noon on 3/23
Langsam Library, including the UCit@Langsam Lab on the 5th floor, will close at noon on Wednesday, March 23.
The UCit@Langsam Lab will reopen Wednesday at 4pm. Langsam Library will reopen Thursday, March 24 at 8am.
All other library locations will remain open as scheduled.
Dean’s Corner: Finding the Talent
Dean of University Libraries, Xuemao Wang
Last month’s issue of UC Libraries’ newsletter Source featured two articles about the libraries’ process and progress in building capacity. Below is one of those articles in its entirety.
Finding the Talent: Building Capacity through Organizational Strategy and Partnerships with the Broader University Community
UC Libraries Reflects on “Celebration of Excellence in Black History” Event
UC Libraries celebrated Black History Month with a cultural program filled with poetry readings, theater performances and delicious cuisine.
The event was titled “Celebration of Excellence in Black History.” It was part of UC Libraries’ “Bridges to Diversity and Inclusion” initiative. The event was extremely well attended and guests included students, faculty, staff and administrators from across UC. Here is a multimedia slideshow that features highlights from the event: https://animoto.com/play/VYYiygBRepyAv4wXUj3RwQ
The program started with a presentation on the origins and foundations of Black History Month. Dr. Karen Cudjoe shared inspirational and empowering quotes from Black leaders. Her presentation also featured a mosaic of Black excellence that showed the impact Black people have made in the fields of: education, politics, business, civil rights, athletics, arts and culture.
Afterwards, Don Jason introduced UC Libraries’ Diversity Journaling Initiative. This initiative encourages UC students, faculty and staff to attend diversity programs on campus and write about them. Everyone at the event received a diversity diary.
Next, the event featured poetry readings by Nick Wantsala and Jenny Wright—Black Buttafly. The poetry was a mix of classic poems written by Lewis Latimer and original spoken word poems.
The poetry was followed by a theater performance presented by Donna Davis and Akosua Favors from the Soul Consciousness Theater Group. The performance highlighted the contributions Black inventors have made on society. It gave the audience a glimpse of what daily life would be like if we did not have inventions created by Black people. Meshia Anderson and June Taylor-Slaughter researched all of the inventors mentioned in the theater performance. They compiled their research into two eye-catching display boards that were showcased at the Black History Month event.
The final portion of the program featured presentations from student and community groups. These presentations highlighted the history and mission of each organization. The presentations also talked about the exciting programs and events hosted by the different groups. Here are the organizations that presented:
- African Students Association
- Black Graduate and Professional Student Association
- UC Black Women on the Move
- UC Graduate Student Consortium for Cultural Diversity in Chemistry
- Urban League of Greater Southwestern Ohio – Young Professionals
After the formal program concluded, everyone shared in a delicious soul food meal.
UC Libraries would like to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of Meshia Anderson, Program Coordinator, program participants and everyone who helped make the event a success. UC Libraries would also like to extend a special thanks to the UC Provost’s Office for the grant that made this event possible.
The “Celebration of Excellence in Black History” event occurred on Wednesday, February 24, 2016 from 2:30- 4:30 PM in Langsam Library. It was hosted in Room 462, UC Libraries’ new state-of-the-art teaching and learning facility.
Don Jason and Meshia Anderson