Carly Fledderjohann joined the University of Cincinnati Libraries on November 18th as the digital content specialist. In this new role, Carly will be responsible for managing the Libraries various social media accounts and creating animated and video digital content for promotional purposes. She will work closely with the communication design co-op student and the director of library communication to raise the external profile of UC Libraries.
Carly is a 2024 graduate of the University of Cincinnati, majoring in film and media studies. She worked as a creative communications intern for the Dayton Dragons where she created still and animated video board graphics, produced content for social media and filmed videos for promotional purposes. Prior to the Dragons, Carly was social media manager and office assistant for Closets & More and was an intern for UC Athletics.
The National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) awarded the University of Cincinnati’s Archives and Rare Books Library a $109,349 grant to support a project to complete archival processing of the records of the Cincinnati Branch of the NAACP related to the 1974 Bronson v. Cincinnati Board of Education, the city’s most significant legal case in the fight for school desegregation.
Filed in 1974, the Bronson case was not the first litigation to address segregation and discrimination in the Cincinnati Public Schools, but it was the first to create some accountability for the Cincinnati School Board. Housed in the Archives and Rare Books Library (ARB), the collection contains the Cincinnati Chapter of the NAACP’s records related to the case, including correspondence, court filings, background research on segregation in education in Cincinnati and Hamilton County, the conditions of schools, curriculum and how the Cincinnati Public Schools addressed the decree that was agreed upon as a result of the case.
“The year 2024 marks the 50th anniversary of the 1974 filing of the Bronson v. Cincinnati Board of Education suit. This collection details a significant period in the history of the Cincinnati Public Schools and the history of education in Cincinnati,” said Chris Harter, university archivist and head of the Archives and Rare Books Library. “This collection will be useful to students, faculty and researchers interested in the history of public schools in not only Cincinnati but throughout the United States.”
The Cincinnati NAACP collection complements two significant ARB collections documenting African American leadership and civil rights activism in Cincinnati, both of which contain materials related to the Bronson case. These include the personal papers of Theodore Berry, Cincinnati’s first African American mayor and mayor at the time of the Bronson case, which were processed in 2015 with the assistance of an Archival Projects grant from NHPRC. In addition, the personal papers of NAACP member, and later chapter president, Marian Spencer were processed in 2017. While these collections contain some documentation of the Bronson case and provide insight into the role of two specific individuals in the NAACP’s activism, the records of the Cincinnati chapter of the NAACP will provide a view into the larger legal strategies, research and community activism involved with the court case.
ARB has hired project archivist Julianna Witt to organize the collection and create an online finding aid. Once fully processed, the Cincinnati NAACP Project records will be available for research through the online publication of a full-text searchable finding aid created using the ArchivesSpace collection management system. In consultation with the Cincinnati Branch of the NAACP and local scholars and activists, the University of Cincinnati will sponsor a public program related to the history of public education in Cincinnati and civic engagement. In addition, a public exhibition will be designed and installed focusing on the lead up to and results of the Bronson case.
“This project aligns with the larger strategic directions of the University of Cincinnati and the Libraries,” said Liz Kiscaden, dean and university librarian. “The University of Cincinnati’s Next Lives Here strategic directions make a commitment to our community, particularly Cincinnati’s local public schools. In addition, making this collection widely available meets our goal to enrich and curate library collections that enable intellectual endeavors and to expand the visibility of diverse perspectives and voices.”
The Data and GIS Collab is pleased to welcome two new research consultants.
Andrew is a current student pursuing a Bachelor of Urban Planning at DAAP. Andrew was born and raised in Ho Chi Minh City, or more commonly called as Saigon, in the tropical land of Vietnam. There, a vibrant fusion of French and East Asian architecture created a facade against the tree-lined boulevards, where modern skyscrapers clashed against centuries-old landmarks. That is also where he developed a loving passion for the urban environment.
Andrew previously worked as an intern at the Department of Planning and Architecture at Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Along with planning and design, he got hands-on experience with GIS by working on research with logistical models and transportation networks. He hopes to continually enhance his skills while also helping others with GIS.
Andrew is in the Lab until December 2024 and will return in summer 2025 after his co-op.
Jenna Shultz is a 4th year Civil Engineering student. Jenna has previous GIS work experience through several traffic engineering co-ops and is considering getting a masters in Community Planning. Jenna is currently on co-op and will be in the Collab starting in January 2025.
The Data and GIS Collab
The Data and GIS Collab provides information and consultations on GIS, software, research projects involving spatial data, and workshops on topics such as Esri Storymaps and ArcGIS Online.
Join UC Libraries and the Elliston Poetry Room for a hands-on discussion and workshop about creating Cento poetry.
Thursday, Nov. 14, 6:30pm
Elliston Poetry Room, 646 Langsam Library
Katie Foran-Mulcahy, librarian and head of the College of Education, Criminal Justice and Human Services Library, will begin the event with an overview of library collections. She will instruct how to navigate the stacks and then give directions on how to proceed with a scavenger hunt to find resources to collect lines from various texts.
Dior Stephens, poet and PhD graduate student in the College of Arts and Sciences, will then lead participants in a workshop to create their own Cento poem. Dior will introduce the Cento form, its history and creative potential, and explain that participants can use lines from any genre of books they find in the stacks to create their own poems.
The event is free and open to all to attend. Come to learn about and create a Cento poem.
Read Source, the online newsletter, to learn about the news, events, people and happenings in UC Libraries.
In this issue of Source, Liz Kiscaden, dean and university librarian, announces UC Libraries Strategic Plan, 2024-2027. This participatory and data-informed process to draft a Strategic Plan resulted in a renewed mission, Values and four Strategic Directions: Enrich Our Collections, Expand Our Impact, Strengthen Our Organization and Support Our Students.
This special issue of Source includes examples of how we’re already working to achieve the goals articulated in our Strategic Directions:
Enrich Our Collections. Social Activist with a press showcases recently acquired work of Amos Kennedy to the collections of the Archives and Rare Books Library.
Expand Our Impact. Read about Mac-Anthony Cobblah‘s, university librarian for the Sam Jonah Library at the University of Cape Coast, summer visit to UC Libraries, as well as an article about how three librarians from the Donald C. Harrison Health Sciences Library launched a pilot 15-week Systematic Review cohort.
Support Our Students. Two recent UC collaborations – one with the UC Learning Commons to provide student and tutoring opportunities in Langsam Library and another with the Accessibility Resources Offices to revamp the Accessible Technology Space – are prime examples of how UC Libraries is working for students.
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.
Presented by UC’s Departments of Geography and GIS and UC Libraries, GIS Day will feature keynote speaker Trisha Brush, a GIS career panel, along with opportunities to network and learn.
Scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 20 from 11am-2pm in the Faculty Enrichment Center (Langsam Library 540E), GIS Day is free and open to all to attend. Registration is requested.
Following seven years of funding support, the University of Cincinnati (UC) has determined that the long-term financial sustainment of the University of Cincinnati Press is not feasible. Funding resources, including start-up funds, have been exhausted and the Press is not in a self-sustaining financial position. Therefore, the University of Cincinnati Press imprint will cease to operate June 30, 2025.
As of July 1, 2025, scholarly print and eBooks will be assigned to the University of Minnesota Press and published regional books, including the forthcoming Thinking About Ohio Series, will be assigned to the Ohio University Press. All inventory and fulfillment services will continue to be managed by Chicago Distribution Center.
The University of Cincinnati Libraries will continue to offer Library Publishing Services for UC faculty authors of open access books, journals and proceedings.
Dean and University Librarian Liz Kiscaden said, “closure of the Press does not diminish its success or impact in innovative scholarly and regional book publishing.” The University of Cincinnati Press was founded in 2017 and reported to the dean of the University of Cincinnati Libraries. It is a member of the Association of University Presses, Library Publisher Coalition and the Open Educational Network. Since its opening, the Press has published over 40 books, 30% in open access, seven academic journals, won nine academic, national and regional book awards and published the UC undergraduate student showcase annually. It was committed to publishing rigorous, peer-reviewed, leading scholarship in print, eBook and open access under the governance of a faculty advisory board.
An FAQ regarding details of the closure and availability of books as of July 1, 2025, will be available on the University of Cincinnati Press website.
Tuesday, October 22, 2024 10 am to noon Room 408, Langsam Library
The University of Cincinnati Libraries and Accessibility Resources invite all members of the UC community to check out the newly updated Accessible Technology Space on the 4th floor of the Walter C. Langsam Library.
Join us at an Open House Tuesday, Oct. 22 from 10am-noon, Langsam Library 408. Come by to grab a free snack and enter our raffle for a chance to win a prize.
Can’t make the event or want more info in advance? Check out the UC Libraries Accessible Technology Space web page for details about the updated space. Questions? Contact Debbie Tenofsky at tenofsdg@ucmail.uc.edu.
Brian Gray will join the University of Cincinnati Libraries on October 21, 2024 as associate dean of collections. In this role, he will join the Libraries’ senior leadership team to be a part of a continuing transformation, working to realize our mission and strategic directions. Gray will be responsible for managing general collections, preservation, special collections and archives within UC Libraries. In addition, he’ll serve as the senior administrator for the Archives & Rare Books Library, John Miller Burnam Classics Library and the Albino Gorno Memorial (CCM) Library.
Gray has an M.B.A in organizational development & leadership from Case Western Reserve University, a masters of library and information science from Kent State University with a focus on management, and a B.S. in chemical engineering from the University of Akron. He comes to UC from Case Western Reserve University where he served as the collection strategies librarian. Previous roles include the team leader of research services, research services librarian of chemical and bio-molecular engineering and macro-molecular science, as well as head of reference.
“I look forward to working with Brian and welcome him to the UC community,” said Liz Kiscaden, dean and university librarian. “His experience and knowledge of OhioLINK, collection development, reference and research will make him a wonderful associate dean for collections especially as we embark on implementing our new strategic plan.”
Attendees to the Open House can enjoy refreshments and door prizes as they view collection highlights, recent acquisitions and “spooky” books. Library staff will be on hand to meet and greet and ARB’s growing digitization space will be available for viewing.
The Archives and Rare Books Library acquires, processes, preserves and provides access to the University’s Rare Books collection, University Archives, Local Government records, Urban Studies collection and German-Americana collection.
