Research Lightning Talks: Recording Available

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by Lauren Wahman

Heather Maloney speaking in front of the Research Lighting Talks audience.
Heather Maloney, UCBA Library Director, introduces the event

The UCBA Library’s Research Lightning Talks is an annual event that showcases research efforts of UCBA faculty and staff, sparks conversation, encourages collaboration, and inspires action within the UCBA community. This year’s event (view recording) took place on March 5, 2024 and featured five faculty presentations:  

Libby Anthony 
Associate Professor of English 
Pedagogies of Online Knitting Teachers 

David Freeman  
Professor of Mathematics 
What Is a Number? And Why Does it Matter? 

Smita Jadhav  
Assistant Professor of Chemistry 
Integrating ChatGPT in General Chemistry Education 

Rhonda Pettit  
Professor of English 
Immersion Research for Poetry 

Heather Vilvens  
Associate Professor of Health Promotion & Education 
Stakeholder-Driven Strategies for Improving the Discharge Process in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: A Concept Mapping Study 

Health Sciences Libraries exhibits celebrate the roles of physician assistants and neurology in health care.

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exhibit banner

On display on the main floor of the Donald C. Harrison Health Sciences Library (MSB G Level) is the traveling National Library of Medicine (NLM) exhibit “Physician Assistants: Collaboration and Care.” The exhibit describes how the profession developed as a solution to meet the social and health care needs of the mid-20th century and continues to evolve today.

According to the exhibit website: “Collaboration has been the foundation of the profession since the first three PAs graduated from Duke University in 1967. PAs practice medicine alongside doctors, nurses and other health care professionals, treating patients in diverse communities and addressing health care shortages.”

exhibit banner

In addition to the NLM banners, Lynn Warner, exhibit organizer and assistant librarian of research and health sciences, supplemented the exhibit with items loaned by the Henry R. Winkler Center for the History of the Health Professions board member Creighton Wright, MD, who studied under Eugene Stead, MD, the founder of the PA program. The other case highlights the profession’s roots in the military.

The exhibit will remain on display until June 15, 2024.

exhibit with military equipment

The UC Department of Neurology

On display in the Stanley J. Lucas, MD, Board Room in the Winkler Center, Looking Back at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine Department of Neurology, showcases images and artifacts to highlight of some of the talented physicians and the work of UC’s Department of Neurology – both present and in the past.

charles aring
Charles Aring, MD, founder of UC’s Department of Neurology
robert lukin
Robert Lukin, MD, 1965 graduate of UC Medical School and leader in neuraradiology
fred samaha
Fred Samaha, MD, pediatric neurologist aaffiliated with Cincinnati Children’s Hospital
john tew
John Tew, MD, leads UC Health Integrative Medicine and the UC Center for Integrative Health and Wellness
charles airing and john fulton
Charles Aring and John Fulton

The exhibit was produced in conjunction with the 2024 Cecil Striker Society Annual Lecture presented May 7th by Joseph Broderick, MD, professor and director of the UC Gardner Neuroscience Institute at the University of Cincinnati Academic Health Center, and Director of the National NIH StrokeNet. Dr. Broderick is a distinguished stroke expert and neurologist and a founding member of the UC Stroke team, as well as a full staff member at all UC Health hospitals. 

exhibit graphic

The exhibit was curated by Devhra BennettJones, archivist curator of the Winkler Center.

University of Cincinnati Libraries Seeks Two Associate Deans

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The University of Cincinnati Libraries is currently seeking two Associate Deans (AD) to join the senior leadership team and be a part of continuing the transformation of the research library at the university. As a member of the senior leadership team, the ADs work collaboratively to realize the UC Libraries vision and strategic directions.

Associate Dean for Collections

The Associate Dean for Collections champions the implementation of the UC Libraries strategic plan and takes responsibility for meeting goals pertaining to collection management, preservation and special collections. The AD has programmatic, strategic, budgetary, managerial and operational responsibilities for the following libraries and departments in the University of Cincinnati Libraries: Collections, Content Services, Preservation, the Archives & Rare Books Library, Classics Library and College-Conservatory of Music Library.

Essential Functions

  • Collaborates with the Dean and senior leaders to identify UC Libraries’ needs, establish priorities, and develop goals, objectives, actions and measures of success. 
  • Leads the overall strategy and direction for units associated with collections, including acquisitions, metadata, digital projects and digitization, e-resource management, physical collections management and preservation.  
  • Develops and implements policies, procedures and best practices surrounding collection development and content strategy, including acquisition, licensing, description, preservation and withdrawal. 
  • Promotes the accessibility and use of special collections and archives to provide distinctive materials for learning and research. 
  • Plans and administers UC Libraries’ collections budget; collaborates with the business office and Content Services on budget reporting, monitoring and forecasting, invoice payment and fiscal year open/close. 
  • Determines budget allocations for UCL selectors and offers direction on budgets, renewals and licensing, vendor relations and related topics. 
  • Serves as the primary contact for vendors around a wide range of collections and related items paid on collections funds. 
  • Collaborates with internal UC offices, such as the Office of General Counsel, on processing license agreements and contracts related to collections. 
  • Collaborates with the UC Controller’s Office and Enterprise Risk Management regarding library collections valuation and statistics for the purpose of capital asset calculation and property insurance determination.


Associate Dean for Operations and User Services

The Associate Dean for Operations and User Services has programmatic, strategic, budgetary, managerial and operational responsibilities for the following libraries and departments in the University of Cincinnati Libraries: circulation, reserves, interlibrary loan, facilities and user experience. 

Essential Functions

  • Collaborates with the Dean and senior leaders to identify needs, establish priorities, and develop goals, objectives, actions and measures of success. 
  • Leads the overall strategy and direction of UC Libraries operations and user services, including administering policies, procedures and best practices. 
  • Leads daily operations for service desks, stacks maintenance, reserves processing, resource sharing and physical spaces. 
  • Drives the continuous improvement of user experiences throughout UC Libraries spaces – both physical and virtual.
  • Develops and oversees UC Libraries data collection and analysis, including reporting to national and institutional surveys. 
  • Fosters a culture of evidence-based decision-making through ongoing assessment of library operations and user experience. 
  • Recruits, hires, evaluates, develops and retains multiple faculty and staff that meet or exceed user expectations. 
  • Achieves organizational effectiveness through the successful management of financial and personnel resources. 
  • Fosters a culture of excellence through creating a respectful workplace environment. 
  • Chairs and serves on committees related to areas of responsibility or assigned by the Dean. 
  • Represents UC Libraries at regional, national and global professional engagements with the expectation of raising UC Library’s visibility and reputation. 

More information on both AD positions, including qualifications and how to apply, are available on the UC Libraries web site.

Spring Semester Review for UC Clermont

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This spring, we had many exciting things happening in the Marcotte Library @ UC Clermont.

  • Our first floor upgraded the computers, including installing a public access computer for visitors.
  • Faculty in our ATIP program began the work in replacing their traditional textbook with affordable materials.
  • We partnered and offered exciting events for everyone, such as the Women’s History Month series, Poetry Readings, and more.

This summer we hope to make more facilities changes based on feedback from our student survey. Keep an eye for these changes in the Fall semester!

CECH Library Spotlight: Give Me a Sign by Anna Sortino

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CECH Spotlight highlights recommended books in the the UC College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services (CECH) Library.

This book was purchased with funding provided by a 2024 CECH Diversity Grant and selected using the Framework for Selecting Children’s Literature With d/Deaf Representation created by Emma Kist’s ASL 2003 students.

Give Me a Sign / written by Anna Sortino (2023)

Anna Sortino’s summer camp contemporary romance Give Me a Sign will pull at your heartstrings the entire read, while also leaving you giddy with what is to come next. 

This novel follows Lilah, a seventeen-year-old who happens to be deaf in one ear. All her life, her parents encouraged her along the oral route, where she got hearing aids and took years of speech classes to blend in with those around her. To Lilah, the only time she’s ever felt seen is when she attended Camp Gray Wolf, a summer camp for the Deaf and Blind. So, when she gets the opportunity to be a junior counselor for the upcoming summer, Lilah can’t say no. Throughout the summer, Lilah immerses herself in Deaf* culture, American Sign Language, true friendship, and romance. But she still has some things to learn about herself, and parts of her identity to come to terms with. 

Give Me a Sign is more than just a fun, summer romance. It shines a much-needed light on the spectrum of Deafness*, the importance of accommodations, the negative aspects of having a disability, and the struggle of accepting one’s identity. One of the biggest topics that carries throughout is the idea of ‘being Deaf enough’. Lilah struggles with this as she is surrounded by people who are fluent in ASL, who are more immersed in the culture, who are from a multi-generational Deaf family. 

Early on we are introduced to Lilah’s brother, Max, who happens to have the same type of deafness, though slightly more advanced. Max acts as a foil to Lilah, being shown to prefer the oral route to Lilah’s manual preference. Max’s character helps open the discussion of hearing devices like hearing aids and cochlear implants, which are often given to young children in hopes of integrating them into the hearing world more easily. Sortino’s novel examines so many hard-hitting topics that impact the Deaf* community such as hearing people using ASL for clout or even faking disabilities when it is convenient.

There is a quote from Sortino’s author’s note that I felt extremely poignant: “I simply hope [my novel] gives readers a glance into the depth and complexities of Deaf culture, as well as an understanding of why I and so many others are proud to be Deaf”. This novel shines a light on the ups and downs of Deafness* and basks in the pride it has for the Deaf* community. 

This book is available for checkout in the CECH Library, as well as via the OhioLINK and SearchOhio lending networks.

NOTE: In alignment with the UC ASL/Deaf studies department, I use Deaf* above to include and acknowledge the different cultures and ways of being Deaf.

Review by Alice Somers, CECH Library Student Assistant | Early Childhood Education and Deaf Studies, CECH 2026

Meet the newest Preservation Lab staff members at the Open House May 2nd

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Meet the newest two Preservation Lab staff members, Matt and Nicole, at the annual Open House on Thursday, May 2, 2024, 2-4pm, Walter C. Langsam Library 300 Level.

In May of 2023, Matthew McCoy joined the Preservation Lab as a conservation specialist with over seven years of library experience with the Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library collections. He received a MLIS from San Jose University. Additionally, Matt comes with experience in construction and remodeling, bringing his ability to perform detailed work requiring manual dexterity in a variety of forms. Matt is also an accomplished jazz double-bassist with a B.A. in music performance from Northern Kentucky University, and he still performs in his spare time. 

matt mccoy
nicole browning

Nicole Browning joined the Preservation Lab March 18, 2024 as a conservation assistant. Nicole holds a BA in anthropology from Eastern Kentucky University. Her background with collections and exhibits include experience at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science and the Cincinnati Museum Center. Most recently, Nicole has worked as a library customer adviser at the Bond Hill Branch at the Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library. In her personal time, she crochets and rides horses.

Meet Matt and Nicole, along with the rest of the talented people who work in the Preservation Lab, at their upcoming Open House on Thursday, May 2 from 2pm-4pm as they celebrate Preservation Week. Located in the 300 Level of the Walter C. Langsam Library, the Preservation Lab’s Open House theme is “Back to Basics” and will feature samples of their work, opportunities to meet and greet preservation colleagues and cookies!

preservation lab graphic

CECH Library Spotlight: Harriet Versus the Galaxy by Samantha Baines

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CECH Spotlight highlights recommended books in the the UC College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services (CECH) Library.

This book was purchased with funding provided by a 2024 CECH Diversity Grant and selected using the Framework for Selecting Children’s Literature With d/Deaf Representation created by Emma Kist’s ASL 2003 students.

Harriet Versus the Galaxy / written by Samantha Baines (2019)

If you were ever a fan of The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl, Samantha Baines’ debut juvenile book Harriet Versus the Galaxy would be right up your alley.

The novel follows Harriet Green, a ten-year old from England who happens to be hard of hearing. After moving in with her Gran, she learns that her hearing aid can do more than just help her hear. She can understand alien languages. One day she’s moving in with her Gran, the next she’s being tasked to save Earth from aliens! 

Baine explores more than just Deafness* throughout her novel, however. Gender identity, while small in detail, makes a mighty difference in the way it is presented in this novel. Baines shows readers that gender identity is a topic for all ages and can be mentioned without trauma being present. This novel represents the Deaf* and gender identity with compassion without calling attention to them. 

Throughout the novel, Baines takes the opportunity to explore how bullying can have an effect on children, and how to handle it with grace. Harriet Versus the Galaxy stands tall and teaches readers how to be brave in the face of a problem, and how to be compassionate to one another without putting another person down. In the end, this book helps to encourage all of us to authentically be ourselves. 

Throughout the novel, you can find artwork reminiscent of Diary of a Wimpy Kid or The Dork Diaries. With illustrations from Deaf artist Jessica Flores, you truly feel like you are with Harriet as she learns about the world of aliens — or should I say galaxy?

This book is available for checkout in the CECH Library.

NOTE: In alignment with the UC ASL/Deaf studies department, I use Deaf* above to include and acknowledge the different cultures and ways of being Deaf.

Review by Alice Somers, CECH Library Student Assistant | Early Childhood Education and Deaf Studies, CECH 2026

Two UC librarians elected to the SWON Libraries Consortium Board

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Ted Baldwin, director of the Science and Engineering Libraries and the interim head of Library Collections, and Emily Wages, collection services manager at the University of Cincinnati Clermont’s Frederick A. Marcotte Library, have been voted in by the Directors Council to join the SWON Executive Board in June. They join existing UC Board member Gerry Wagner, unit operations manager in UC Libraries Collection Development Services and Engagement Department.

SWON Libraries formed in 1973 as the “Greater Cincinnati Library Consortium” (GCLC) when a group of library directors in Southwest Ohio and Northern Kentucky wanted a vehicle for pooling resources, sharing knowledge and collaborating to better serve their patrons. They continue that mission today as one of the State Library of Ohio’s Regional Library Systems.

2024 Systematic Review Cohort at the Health Sciences Library

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The Health Sciences Library is launching a systematic review cohort where researchers can work through the review process with the support of our experienced librarians.

Systematic reviews are large projects that are rigorous, multi-faceted, and lengthy undertakings. By bringing together a cohort of researchers, we hope to provide a supportive and collaborative environment as you progress from research question to publication.

If you are interested in conducting a systematic review or other type of comprehensive review, join us May 6th or May 14th to learn more about this exciting opportunity. At these informational sessions librarians will give an overview of the cohort and workshops and will be available to answer any questions you have about the systematic review group.  

This informational session is being offered twice but there is no need to attend both.

Registration can be found at Faculty OneStop.