Category Archives: UC Libraries

Spring e-Newsletter

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Just a few reminders for you and your students from the RWC Library….

Search with Summon: The New Library Search Tool

Summon Searchbox

The RWC Library has added a powerful new search tool, Summon, to our website. From a single search box located prominently on the homepage, Summon provides easy and fast discovery of relevant information from the UC Libraries collections on any topic. It is the place to start research in journal and newspaper articles, books, government documents, maps, music recordings, videos, digital collections, and more. Summon is still growing and in development as features continue to improve and content is added regularly. User feedback is welcomed and can be sent via an online form. More information about Summon is available online.

Library Instruction Services

The RWC Library offers a variety of library instruction services to meet the need of your classes, curriculum, and assignments.  Click here for a sampling of our teaching plans to find out what we can do in the classroom. Be sure to schedule a library instruction session using the online Instruction Request Form.

Blackboard Librarian

This service provides direct access to a librarian and curricular support for students.  Contact your library liaison about creating a Library Research content area in your course which can include helpful research tips, links to course-specific resources, and research guides. Click here for a sampling to find out what we can do in Blackboard.

Class Assignments

With spring classes underway, the RWC librarians ask that faculty provide copies of class research assignments to your library liaison. We can provide more effective research assistance when we understand the goals of the assignment and any preferred resources (free websites, library subscription databases, etc). RWC librarians are also available to collaborate in the development or review of any library research assignments. Refer to Creating Effective Library Assignments for tips and suggestions.

New Scholarship of Teaching and  Learning (SoTL) Guide

The RWC Library has created a new online research guide for faculty interested in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL).  This online guide provides direct access to databases, books, journals, tests and measurements, and websites along with information about the Library’s Learning & Teaching Collection.

Purchase Request Form

All members of the RWC community are encouraged to recommend books, media or journals for purchase by the Library.  To submit a request, please complete the online Library Purchase Request Form and email it to your library liaison.  This form is located on the Library’s Collections Page which also includes the Collection Development Policy.

RWC Committee Minutes

The Library posts RWC committee minutes, annual committee reports, the college-wide strategic plans and the faculty and staff handbooks on the RWC Committee & Faculty Committee Minutes, Bylaws Changes & Reports web page.  Library staff collect the minutes distributed to the College and post them by the end of each month.  Questions concerning content should be directed to the appropriate committee chair.  For questions concerning the posting process please contact Stephena Harmony by email or phone 513-936-1547.

reserve books

Deadlines for Summer Quarter Reserves

Summer quarter will be here before we know it. In anticipation of this, please submit the items that you would like placed on Traditional Reserve by Thursday, June 9, 2011.

Those of you who designated traditional reserve items for Spring quarter only; these items will be removed and returned to you as per your request. If you would like to keep items on Reserve please contact Tammy Manger at 936-1542 or tamra.manger@uc.edu by June 9th.

Faculty that have Blackboard E-Reserve articles designated for Spring quarter only: these items will be removed when your Blackboard course ends. Please do not copy over any articles to the next quarter as this will cause a block for future articles to be posted.

Reminder: Don’t forget to get those Summer quarter items submitted as soon as possible or by June 9th.

Library Workshops

Join us for the Google for Research workshop on Thursday, May 12th, 1:00-2:00 pm in Muntz 158. Learn about Google tools that can help you create, organize, collaborate, and research. Click here to register. To see resources and materials from previous workshops, click here.

Upcoming Events Sponsored by UC Libraries

  • Authors, Editors & Composers: On Tuesday, April 12, 2011, the University of Cincinnati Libraries will recognize the publishing and creative accomplishments of UC’s faculty at this annual event. Scheduled for 3:30 pm in the Russell C. Myers Alumni Center at UC, “Authors, Editors & Composers” will pay tribute to the 2010 scholarly and creative works of UC’s faculty with a reception, presentation of selected works, a printed bibliography, and an exhibit.
  • Life of the Mind Series: Life of the Mind is a new annual series that highlights the innovative thinkers on UC’s campus with multidisciplinary interactions via provocations on important themes. The series includes intriguing insights from diverse perspectives, and encourages faculty and students from across UC to engage in further discourse. The theme for Session 1 is TECHNOLOGY and scheduled for Tuesday, April 19, 2011, 3:30-5pm, Alumni Center.

Reminders for students:

UC Students can reserve Group Study Rooms. Each Group Study Room is multimedia equipped with a 52–inch flat screen, a computer with Sympodium interactive monitor (except for room F) and DVD/VCR players. Rooms are for UC student use and may be reserved for student groups only.

During peak hours, students can take advantage of the Laptop Checkout service instead of waiting for an available computer in the lab. Three laptops with Internet access and MS Office 2007 are available for check-out to RWC students for use in the RWC Library.

RWC Library Liaisons

  • Stephena Harmony: stephena.harmony@uc.edu, 513-936-1547
    Art & Visual Communication, eMedia, History, Art History, Philosophy & Political Science, Office of Information Technology
  • Heather Maloney: heather.maloney@uc.edu, 513-936-1541
    Allied Health, Dental Hygiene, Nursing, Radiation Therapy
  • Michelle McKinney: michelle.mckinney@uc.edu, 513-936-1546
    Behavioral Sciences, Biology, Chemistry, Math, Physics & Computer Science, Veterinary Technology
  • Lauren Wahman: lauren.wahman@uc.edu, 513-936-1545
    Business & Economics, English & Communication, Foreign Language

Artist Justin Green

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By Kevin Grace

Artist Justin GreenIn the past few weeks, the Archives & Rare Books Library has had some interesting visits from Justin Green, one of the pioneers of underground comics in the 1960s and 1970s.  Green is probably best known for his groundbreaking and controversial graphic novel, Binky Brown Meets the Holy Virgin Mary, originally published in 1972 and re-issued in 2009 by McSweeney’s Books, one of the great innovative publishers in America.  In 2003, Last Gasp Press of San Francisco issued Justin’s incredible Musical Legends material that was first published in Pulse! Magazine.

Over the decades, Justin’s art has extended well beyond the heady days of the counterculture.  In recent years, he has created a wide range of notable watercolors and signage.  And, his blogs show his explorations into other areas of graphic illustration, such as his research in ARB in emblem books from the 15th to the 17th centuries.  His blog explains the importance of emblems in the history of book art and publishing: http://depression09.blogspot.com/2011/04/botanical-emblem-book.html and http://justingreencartoonart.blogspot.com/2011/02/forgotten-genre.html.

Artist Justin Green Continue reading →

The New York Times is still free for the UC community!

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As many of us have already found out, The New York Times started charging frequent users for online access starting March 28th, 2011. (Non-subscribers are limited to 20 articles per month).

However, there is good news for those of us who love to start the day with browsing The New York Times online or checking on the news over lunch break.  The University of Cincinnati Libraries are continuing to provide access to The New York Times online content through the ProQuest database.  Select content from 1980 to present is also available through Factiva and Lexis-Nexis Academic.  Historical content, from January 1923 to five years ago, is available online via ProQuest Historical Newspapers.

Inaugural Life of the Mind Lecture Scheduled for April 19

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Inaugural Life of the Mind Lecture Scheduled for April 19The Life of the Mind lecture series will kick off April 19 at 3:30-5pm in the Russell C. Myers Alumni Center. Free and open to the UC community and public, Life of the Mind features interdisciplinary conversations with UC faculty around a one-word theme. Each quarter, there are two Life of the Mind sessions with three “thought provocateurs” contributing to each session. Each scholar provides a 15-minute talk followed by audience Q&A.

Continue reading →

Notice Anything Different about the Site?

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The UC Libraries website has been updated to incorporate the new UC header with links to other UC sites including “About UC,” “Admissions,” and “Health.”

In addition, we have added a powerful new search tool, Summon, to the website. From a single search box located prominently on the Articles & More tab on the homepage, Summon provides easy and fast discovery of relevant information from the UC Libraries collections on any topic. It is the place to start research in journal and newspaper articles, books, government documents, maps, music recordings, videos, digital collections, and more.

Continue reading →

50 Minutes-1 book

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Cover of With JazzBy Kevin Grace

The next 50 Minutes – 1 Book lunchtime talk in the Archives & Rare Books Library will be Thursday, April 14, in the Schott Seminar Room, 814 Blegen Library at 12:00 noon.

Following up on March’s presentation about the world’s smallest book, and miniature books and bindings, with CCM librarian Mark Palkovic, in April we are calling on Gabrielle Fox, UC’s world-class conservator and binder.   Gabrielle’s binding artistry is well-represented in private collections as well as the holdings of the Archives & Rare Books Library, and she is recognized for her work in national and international exhibits of book bindings. Continue reading →

Archives & Rare Books Commemorates the Start of the Civil War

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Archives & Rare Books Commemorates the Start of the Civil War

Stephen Foster's Civil War song, “Was My Brother in the Battle?”

By Janice Schulz

On April 12, 2011, our country will recognize the 150th anniversary of the start of the Civil War and to commemorate it, the Archives & Rare Books Library has mounted an exhibit highlighting our materials related to the war and the corresponding time period. Documents in the exhibit have been chosen from several of our collecting areas, including Rare Books, Urban Studies, and Local Government Records.

Examples from our collection of composer Stephen Foster’s material begin the exhibit. With stirring titles such as “Was My Brother in the Battle?” and “Willie’ll Roam No Moer,” his Civil War songs have been published with full color drawings that offer a visual image of their themes, providing a combination that must have appealed powerfully to Northern sensibilities. Continue reading →

Viewing Egypt

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By Kevin Grace

Viewing Egypt

An Eqyptian Bey

In the early weeks of 2011, the uprisings in the Arab world increased from the beginning protest in Tunisia that toppled a government to the Mideast – Yemen, Jordan, and Iraq.  The protests continue, but none have been so prolonged and so pronounced as those in Egypt and in the Maghreb, particularly the rebellion in Libya.

The revolt in Egypt was certainly one of the most dramatic ones – the continual protest and action in the streets resulted in the end of the Mubarek regime.  During the uprising, a University of Cincinnati professor and a UC student were there in the middle of it.  One effect of these protests and armed rebellions is that to this time, we have been relatively uninformed about that area of the world.  Now, with instant internet coverage, tweets, blogs, Facebook and other social media, we are presented with fresh images of the countries and the cultures of North Africa.  Despite this extensive news coverage, we still lack an historical understanding of the Arab nations along the Mediterranean rim, even though media reports and commentaries provide substantial looks at current situations. Continue reading →

The Terrific Register, or, Record of Crimes, Judgments, Providences, and Calamities, Vol. 1

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London: Published by Sherwood, Jones and Co. and Hunter, Edinburgh, 1825. Printed by T. Richardson, 98, High Holborn.

Article by Lilia Walsh

Resuscitation

Resuscitation

A while ago, Kevin Grace asked me to pick a favorite book from the Archives and Rare Books collection and write a blog post about it. I felt daunted by the prospect of choosing a favorite from all the volumes in our collection, and other projects came up, allowing me to put off picking a ‘favorite child’, for a while at least. Now that I have completed those other projects, and am in my last week of working at the Archives and Rare Books library, the question has inevitably come back around.

I thought about all the books that had stuck out for me, the volumes that had distracted me from my shelving and inspired me to spend a few minutes paging through an interesting looking volume. I thought about the folio of Aubrey Beardsley’s work, the book on ‘American Aborigines”, the tiny book with the dramatic latch closure, and the block covered with cuneiform writing. Ultimately though, I just couldn’t choose one. Continue reading →

50 Minutes-1 Book

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By Kevin Grace

Anton ChekhovThe next 50 Minutes – 1 Book lunchtime talk in the Archives & Rare Books Library will be Thursday, March 24, in the Schott Seminar Room, 814 Blegen Library at 12:00 noon.

Our first two talks have been on anthropodermic bindings and on Barry Moser’s King James Bible.  This month we take a look at the smallest book in the world, a printing of Anton Chekhov’s short story, “The Chameleon.”  This book measures only 0.9 mm and is 30 pages, but is so small that a strong magnifying glass is necessary to really see it.  Mark Palkovic, the head librarian of the Albino Gorno Memorial Music Library (CCM) will discuss this work.  Mark is an international expert on miniature books, and has been instrumental in building the miniature book collection in the Archives & Rare Books Library. Continue reading →