Category Archives: UC Libraries

Announcing the 5th Annual University of Cincinnati Libraries 2018/19 Annual Progress Report – A Year of Reflection.

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annual progress report coverThis past year the University of Cincinnati marked its Bicentennial led by the tenants: To Honor the past. Elevate the present. Bend the future. While
celebrating the Libraries’ vital role in the past 200 years of the university, we also took this opportunity to reflect on our goals, objectives, accomplishments and gaps as the next phase of our strategic direction.

Our year of reflection has resulted in the need for the creation of an emerging, and even bolder, Strategic Framework – one built upon the knowledge of our strengths and challenges, coupled with the needs and perspectives of our users, and that will propel us forward as we strive to become the globally engaged intellectual commons of the university – now and well into the future.

The University of Cincinnati Libraries Annual Progress Report, 2018/2019, available online at https://issuu.com/uclibraries/docs/uclannualreport18_19, makes note of the accomplishments and happenings of the previous year, as well as celebrates the people and donors integral to us fulfilling the work of our mission to empower discovery, stimulate learning and inspire the creation of knowledge by connecting students, faculty, researchers and scholars to dynamic data, information and resources.

Questions? Request a print copy? E-mail melissa.norris@uc.edu.

Happy Reading!

UC Libraries Closed Monday, Jan. 20 for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

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Martin Luther King, Jr.

Martin Luther King, Jr. from LIFE Magazine

UC Libraries will be closed Monday, Jan. 20 for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day with the exception of the Donald C. Harrison Health Sciences Library, which will be open 9am-5pm. The libraries will resume normal hours on Tuesday, Jan. 21.

This closing includes the 4th floor of the Walter C. Langsam Library, which will close at 11pm on Sunday, Jan. 19 and re-open at 7:45am on Tues, Jan. 21.

Want to read up on Martin Luther King, Jr., his impact and legacy? Check out these library resources.

And The Winner Is… Celebrate Award-Winning Children’s Books!

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display of award winning children's booksJust like films, television, and music, the best books of the year garner accolades and awards. Each January, at the American Library Association’s  Mid-Winter Conference, several of the most prestigious children’s book award winners are announced. Prepare for the 2020 award season by exploring some previous award winners from the CECH Library’s collections.

Visit the display at the CECH Library through January and check out some of the titles on our list of selected award winners.

Haley Shaw, Temporary Librarian
CECH Library

Oh, The Weather Outside is Frightful! Warm Up With a Book at CECH Library

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winter library book displayThe CECH Library staff have curated a list and display of books and other media from our collection with a winter theme.

Stop by the library in 300 Teachers-Dyer Complex to view the display and check out books and mixed materials related to winter weather, winter animals, winter holidays, and stories to share on chilly winter evenings. 

Haley Shaw, Temporary Librarian
CECH Library

UC Libraries Closed for Winter Seasonal Days, Dec. 23-Jan. 1

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happy holidaysThe faculty and staff of the University of Cincinnati Libraries bring you good tidings of the season and wish you a prosperous and joyful 2020! UC Libraries will be closed for Winter Seasonal Days, Dec. 23-Jan. 1, with the exception of the Donald C. Harrison Health Sciences Library, which will be open on a limited schedule. A complete list of library hours is available online.

Luna Digital Collections Application Briefly Unavailable Dec. 12

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The Luna application, which houses some of our digital collections, will be upgraded to the latest version available from the vendor this morning, Dec. 12 starting at 10:00 am, so that we may patch some security vulnerabilities that were discovered from a recent scan of the server. Once the upgrade has been completed an all clear will be sent out for the server.

Most other digital collections continue to be available.

Thank you.

UC Libraries Closed Thanksgiving

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thanksgiving graphicUC Libraries will be closed Thursday, November 28 and Friday, November 29 for Thanksgiving, with the exception of the Donald C. Harrison Health Sciences Library, which will be open Friday, November 29 from noon – 5:00pm. Regular library hours will resume Saturday, November 30.

This closing includes the Langsam Library 4th floor space, which will close Wednesday, November 27 at 11pm and re-open Saturday, November 30 at 10am.

Happy Thanksgiving!

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 →

Edith Starbuck Named Distinguished Librarian of the Year at the Midwest Chapter of the Medical Library Association

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edith starbuck

Edith Starbuck, information services librarian in the Donald C. Harrison Health Sciences Library, was presented with the 2019 Distinguished Librarian of the Year Award at the Midwest Chapter of the Medical Library Association’s Annual Meeting held October 4-7 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 

The award is publicized and nominations solicited annually from chapter members. Criteria used to evaluate nominees on meaningful and measurable service to the chapter may include leadership, advocacy, scholarship, research, publications, teaching, mentoring, outreach and professional activities. Edith has been a member of the chapter since 1993, serving continuously on committees since 2015 including Co-Chair of the 2018 Ohio Program Planning Committee, Recording Secretary and the Government Relations Committee. Her most recent contribution, and the one in which she was given the award, is taking the lead in establishing an annual scholarship fundraiser and committee.

In 2015 while serving as Awards and Scholarships Committee Chair, Edith learned that the chapter budget had taken a severe hit and funds to adequately support scholarships and awards were lacking. After successfully lobbying the Executive Board to fund certain scholarships, Edith was charged with fundraising to fill the deficit. After two successful fundraising years, Edith then asked the Executive Board to make the Fundraising Committee official so it could be integrated into annual conference planning, agreeing to serve as chair for 2019. With input from committee members Edith developed committee documentation that defined committee member roles, outlined procedures, and established an annual calendar based on the conference planning calendar, thus the Fundraising Committee was made official.

Congratulations, Edith!