Check out library Spring Break reduced hours, March 15-23

Most University of Cincinnati Libraries locations have reduced hours for Spring Break, March 15-23. Check the library website for a list of hours by location.

Have a safe and rejuvenating Spring Break, Bearcats!

spring break vine with lemons

    Empower yourself in CECH Library

    The College of Education, Criminal Justice, Human Services, and IT (CECH) celebrates Stress Less Week this semester Monday, March 10th– Friday, March 14th. This semester the focus is on YOU! Explore resources that allow you to empower yourself all week long at the CECH Library.  

    CECH Library Programming for Stress Less Week:  

    • 3/10-14 - Stress Less & Empower Yourself with the CECH Library. Visit the CECH Library and explore the Stress Less display to find resources and materials to help you feel empowered. 
    • 3/10-14- Sticker-by-Number with the CECH Library. Visit the CECH Library during Stress Less Week to contribute to our community sticker-by-number art project. Don’t forget to stop by to see the finished product any time throughout the month of March. 
    • 3/12 10am-12pm- Study Tools Collection first look – Visit the CECH Library and learn from a CECH librarian about a NEW study tools collection coming soon to the CECH Library. 
    • 3/13 12pm-4pm- Study Tool Petting Zoo – Visit the CECH Library MakerLab to try out NEW study tools the library will be adding to our collection in AY26.  

    Visit CECH Student Services Center on Get Involved UC for a full list of events.  

    Rachel Hoople, CECH Library operations manager and student supervisor

    Fidgets, sound muffs, and more coming soon to CECH Library

    Sometimes the hardest part about studying is staying focused. Whether you’re antsy or someone’s phone call is more interesting than tomorrow’s exam, focusing on school work can be a challenge.

    CECH Library is building a new Study and Focus Tools Collection (SFTC) to debut in Fall 2025. Checkout two great opportunities to get a sneak-peak of the collection and play with some awesome fidgets!

    Wednesday, March 12 (10am-12pm):
    Get a first look at the collection. We’ll be tabling in the Teachers-Dyer Complex lobby (3rd floor).

    Thursday, March 13 (1-4pm):
    Come to the CECH Library and visit our Fidget Petting Zoo. A table will be set up near the MakerLab.

    Wednesday, April 2
    (3-5pm):
    See our fidgets and study tools during the Tech & MakerLab Playground in CECH Library.

    After doing research and surveying library users, CECH Library selected 20 items to support students’ focus and study habits – white noise machines, sound muffs, fidgets, and more! These items will be available for anyone in the UC community to use and checkout beginning Fall 2025. 

    –Madeleine Gaiser, CECH Library

    UC Libraries seeks books good enough to eat for the International Edible Books Festival

    Know of a good book to eat?! Create an Edible Book for UC Libraries International Edible Books Festival!

    It’s time once again for the fan-favorite International Edible Books Festival scheduled for Tuesday, April 1, 2025, 11 a.m. on the 4th floor of the Walter C. Langsam Library. UC Libraries is seeking people interested in creating an edible book for the enjoyment of all in attendance. There are few restrictions – namely that your creation be edible and have something to do with a book – so you may let your creativity run wild.

    As in previous years, entries will be judged according to such categories as “Most Delicious,” “Most Creative,” “Most Checked Out” and “Most Literary.” Those awarded “Best Student Entry” and “Best Overall” will win UC swag.

    If you’re interested in creating an Edible Book, fill out the entry form Edible Books Entry by Tuesday, March 25. And if you’re looking for inspiration, visit The Facebook Album to see Edible Books from years past. 

    Edible Books Festival

    HSL visits Heart of Northside Health Fair

    Don Jason at the Health Sciences Library table.

    On Saturday, February 15, Don Jason, clinical informationist in the Donald C. Harrison Health Sciences Library, represented the University of Cincinnati as a sponsor of the Heart of Northside Health Fair. This fair allowed community members to connect with approximately 15 different vendors. They were able to get screened for issues such as hypertension and diabetes, as well as receive educational materials and meet local healthcare providers.

    The Heart of Northside Health Fair was organized by UC College of Medicine Faculty member, Florence Rothenberg. Rothenberg is a cardiologist who has been treating Cincinnati patients for almost 20 years. When the North Presbyterian Church dissolved and closed its doors, Rothenberg purchased the building in 2022 with the goal of creating a wellness center for patients who do not have as much access to the resources needed to maintain a healthy diet and exercise.

    New exhibit displays The Art of Bookplates

    On display on the 5th floor lobby of the Walter C. Langsam Library through the end of spring semester, The Art of Bookplates features various bookplates found in the collections of the University of Cincinnati Libraries.

    A bookplate, sometimes called an ex libris plate, is a label affixed inside a book to indicate ownership or to honor an individual, gift or collection fund.

    the history of bookplates. the oldest known bookplate is a hand-colored wood-cut created by Hilbrand Brandenburg in the 1470s or 1480s

    UC Libraries has numerous bookplate designs to represent various collections, libraries, funds and gifts. In addition, some books in our collection include bookplates from other universities where they were housed before finding a home in UC. The exhibit showcases just some of the bookplates found throughout our libraries.

    some bookplates that are found at our libraries. besides our university bookplates, we have bookplates that exist here from other universities.

    The Art of Bookplates was curated, designed and produced by Lexi Davis, design co-op student on the Communications Team. Want to learn more? A handout available at the exhibit includes an article by William Jensen tells more about bookplates found in UC Libraries Oesper Collection.

    Join us March 12 for Poetry Stacked…and Live Art!

    The University of Cincinnati Libraries and the Elliston Poetry Room announce the next roster of poets for Poetry Stacked, a semi-regular poetry reading series held in the 6th floor east stacks of the Walter C. Langsam Library.

    At the next event, scheduled for Wednesday, March 12 at 4:30pm, three poets will read their original work:

    • Kari Gunter-Seymour is the Poet Laureate of Ohio and the author of three award-winning collections of poetry, including Dirt Songs (EastOver Press 2024) and Alone in the House of My Heart (Ohio University Swallow Press 2022). She is the executive director of the Women of Appalachia Project and editor of its anthology series Women Speak. Her work has been featured in a number of periodicals and journals including the American Book Review, Poem-a-Day, World Literature Today and The New York Times. Find her at www.karigunterseymourpoet.com.
    • Phoebe Reeves is professor of English at the University of Cincinnati Clermont College. She has three chapbooks of poetry, most recently The Flame of Her Will. Her first full length collection, Helen of Bikini was published in March 2023. She lives in Cincinnati with her husband Don, amidst her unruly urban garden.
    • Prince Bush is a poet from Nashville, TN whose poems appear in Cherry Tree, The Drift, The Cortland Review, Northwest Review and elsewhere. He received a fellowship from the Bucknell Seminar for Undergraduate Poets while earning his BA in English as an Erastus Milo Cravath Presidential Scholar at Fisk University. Currently a PhD student in Creative Writing at the University of Cincinnati as a Yates Fellow, Prince Bush earned his MFA in Creative Writing as a Truman Capote Literary Fellow from the University of Iowa Writers’ Workshop.
    poets Kari Gunter-Seymour, Phoebe Reeves, Prince Bush
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    Meet the notable and expert witnesses of Bronson v. Board of Education 

    Image of document titled report to the court re: deposition of plaintiffs expert witnesses. Lists names of witnesses deposed in April of unknown year. April 1 is Dr. Robert Green. April 15, 18 and 24 is Mr. William Lamson. April 21 is Dr. Gordon Foster. April 25 is Dr. Karl Taeuber. The second part of the document lists so far the number of days each witness was deposed. Mr. Martin Sloane one day. Dr. Karl Taeuber, Dr. Robert Green and Dr. Gordon Forster each two days. Mr. William Lamson six days. The document finishes with a note that Mr. Sloane and Dr. Taeuber are about finished with their depositions and how long extra the rest will need. Dr. Green one additional day. Dr. Foster and Mr. Lamson both four additional days.

    Last November, the University of Cincinnati Libraries announced the award of an Archives Grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission to the Libraries’ Archives and Rare Books Library (ARB). This grant supports the archival processing of records related to the lawsuit Bronson v. Board of Education of the City School District of the City of Cincinnati maintained by the local branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and donated to the University of Cincinnati in the 1980s.   

    All achievements and accomplishments of the witnesses listed are current as of 1979, the year that the witnesses began giving depositions. 

    A black and white photograph of Theodore Berry sitting at his desk in a suit and glasses. He has a corded telephone up to his left ear and is smiling into the camera. He is holding a pen to a piece of paper in his right hand.

    Theodore Berry (1905-2000) 

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    Black History Month spotlight: Marian Spencer  

    Our final spotlight of Black History Month is a well-known figure in Cincinnati’s history of civil rights and activism, Marian Spencer. Born in Gallipolis, Ohio in 1920, Marian Alexander was a graduate of Gallia Academy and went on to study English literature at the University of Cincinnati. During her time at the university, she was involved in campus life and was an active member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. While here, she also met her husband, Donald Spencer. After college, the couple settled down and had two sons, Donald and Edward. 

    "Every child should at least have a chance to get a good education."

    Spencer’s sons were actually what sparked her passion for civil rights and equality. When the boys were young, they wanted to go to an event at Coney Island Amusement Park but were disappointed when they showed up and were escorted out because it was a segregated event. Spencer, along with 28 other witnesses filed a lawsuit and won the case to desegregate the park.  

    Following this event, Spencer dedicated herself to fighting for civil rights and equality in the Cincinnati area. She spent time as the NAACP Cincinnati Chapter president, served on Cincinnati’s City Council and was a representative of Ohio’s Democratic Party at a national level. Even more than this, Spencer was passionate about equality in education and played a pivotal role in the 1974 Bronson case, which was a catalyst in desegregating Cincinnati Public Schools. Other organizations Spencer worked with include Housing Opportunities Made Equal, Planned Parenthood, Cincinnati Human Services Task Force and the U.S. Civil Rights Commission Ohio Advisory Board.  

    You might recognize Marian Spencer’s name by the street that’s named after her downtown, the dormitory that’s named after her or perhaps by her well-known scholarship here at UC. To learn more about Marian Spencer’s life and work, visit the digital exhibit: 

    To see the full collection of Marian and Donald Spencer Papers, visit the University Archives at UC’s Archives and Rare Books Library.  

    Black History Month spotlight: Lucy Oxley 

    Our second Black History Month spotlight goes to a pioneer of medicine in the Cincinnati area, Lucy Oxley – the first African American to graduate from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine.  

    Lucy Oxley was born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania in 1912. During her childhood, her family moved to Cincinnati, as her father was named rector of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church. As a young girl, Oxley looked up to three of her uncles who became doctors and knew early on that she wanted to be one too. She graduated early from Woodward High School and joined the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine’s six-year undergraduate and medical program.  

    Lucy Oxley, MD / Credit: Winkler Center for the History of Health Professions

    During her time at UC, Oxley excelled, working hard to earn her spot in the group of top fifteen students who would have the chance to intern at General Hospital (UC Medical Center). However, she was refused an internship spot. When she questioned Dr. Alfred Friedlander about why she wasn’t given an internship, he said to her, “Lucy, you are a negro, and we don’t want you.” Oxley replied, “Well Dr. Friedlander, I wouldn’t change that for anything.” Rising above the prejudice, she went on to complete her internship at Freedmen’s Hospital in Washington, DC, and returned to Cincinnati to join her classmates for graduation on June 5, 1936.  

    After graduation, Oxley became a medical director for student wellness at Bennett College in North Carolina, and then Wilberforce College here in Ohio. Following that, she had a daughter, Francine, and returned to Cincinnati where she started her general practice. In 1945 she began working in cancer research alongside fellow UC grad, George Sperti. A few years later she returned to full-time practice in family medicine where she cared for thousands of patients and families.  

    Later in life, Oxley was diagnosed with lung cancer but continued to treat patients up until her passing in 1991. She is remembered today for her dedication to those she cared for and for paving the way for young African Americans who aim to make a difference in the medical field just as she did.  

    To learn more about Lucy Oxley’s life and contributions to the world of medicine, visit the Source newsletter link:  https://libapps.libraries.uc.edu/source/lucy-oxley-md-a-pioneer-and-servant-leader/

    Or watch Drs. Felson and Goodman interview Dr. Oxley as part of the Henry R. Winkler Center for the History of the Health Professions Oral History Series.  https://uclid-uc-edu.uc.idm.oclc.org/record=b1410475