New Book Spotlight: The Blackbird Girls

Posted on by

The New Book Spotlight highlights new-to-us titles in the the UC College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services (CECH) Library.

The Blackbird Girls / by Anne Blankman / 2020

Content Advisory/Trigger Warning: physical and mental abuse, anti-Semitism

Anne Blankman’s The Blackbird Girls is a historical fiction that jumps between Oksana and Valentina in the aftermath of the Chernobyl power plant explosion in 1986, and Rifka who is on the run from the Nazis in 1941.

Rifka grew up practicing Judaism while Valentina identifies only ethnically with Judism. Separated by over forty years, the two girls experienced anti-Semitism in ways that were similar yet so different. Oksana was the perfect Ukrainian, and all her life she was told to hate Valentina and people “of her kind”.

When the Chernobyl power plant exploded, Valentina and Oksana’s lives were forced together much to their dismay. But when they have to live together in Leningrad with Valentina’s grandmother, they learn how similar they are and how important they are to each other.

Blankman explores the impact World War II and the Holocaust had on Jewish people while showing personal growth in a prejudice time in world history. Blankman has created a story full of hope and resilience in a time of fear and uncertainty.

The Blackbird Girls is available from CECH Library, as well as the OhioLINK and Search Ohio lending networks. It also won the 2020 National Jewish Book Award for Middle Grades Literature.

Review by Alice Somers (she/her), CECH Library Student Assistant | Secondary English Education, CECH 2025

Man Qi joins RDS team as a student research consultant

Posted on by

Man QiMan Qi is joining UC Libraries’ Research and Data Services (RDS) team as a student research consultant where she will provide consultations in the Data & GIS Collab in the Geology-Mathematics-Physics Library.

Her expertise is GIS software, hydrological modeling, SWMM modeling, geographic data processing, spatial analysis, map design, Python and R.

Man Qi is a PhD candidate in Geography & GIS from UC’s College of Arts and Sciences. She is passionate about helping others with data visualization and spatial data analysis. Her main job is to provide support to our UC community in spatial data processing and analysis (e.g., location analysis, spatial interpolation), map design and making using GIS techniques and hydrological modeling using SWMM. In addition, she also works with UC RDS team to develop workshops according to the UC community’s needs in learning GIS techniques, such as ArcGIS StoryMaps workshop.

Welcome, Man!

Accessibility in Opera — Opera NextGen

Posted on by
Generation NOW: Accessibility in Opera
Sunday, January 23 at 4pm EST

How can our community work towards a more equitable and accessible environment? Join Opera NexGen for Generation NOW: Accessibility in Opera. This roundtable discussion will address the existing ableism in opera and offer insight into how the disabled community of both opera professionals and audiences can be actively included in the industry. Admission is free, but registration is required.

Panel members:
Ju Hyeon Han, soprano
Stephanie Ko, General Manager, Opera Mariposa
Hailey McAvoy, mezzo-soprano
Jaime Sharp, General Director, Opera NexGen

UC Libraries commemorates Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with a week-long online learning event

Posted on by

martin luther king, jr.The UC Libraries Racial Equity, Support & Programming to Educate the Community Team (RESPECT) will be hosting an online asynchronous, interactive program to commemorate and celebrate the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr.

Visit the online presentation beginning Jan.17 to read and listen to Dr. King’s speech, “The Other America,” then engage in conversation and learning throughout the week of Jan. 17-21.

 

New “read and publish” agreement with Cambridge — now active!

Posted on by

The amazing new deal with Cambridge University Press is now active!

  • The UC community has access to current research from all CUP journals (over 400) for three years, 2022-24.
    (Note: Older research from CUP journals is often available through JSTOR.)
  • UC authors may publish open-access journal articles with author fees funded (with restrictions).
  • Link to more information from OhioLINK.

 

Lexicomp online: New access codes for 2022

Posted on by

The Health Sciences Library subscribes to Lexicomp Online and with each annual renewal, the previous year’s app access expires and 50 new Lexicomp app access codes become available.
50 access codes for the 2022 Lexicomp app
• Lexicomp app registration is first come, first serve
• App accounts expire annually
Lexicomp Academic Discount Program
• When the 50 app access codes are gone, another option is to purchase a Lexicomp app at a reduced cost
• A link to the academic student discounts is available on the Lexicomp Online home page (located under Help & Training Resources, just below the search box)
Lexicomp Online
Lexicomp Online is a collection of clinical databases and clinical decision support tools that provides users with an extensive medical library. It provides clear, concise, point-of-care adult and pediatric drug information as well as in-depth information on interactions, toxicology, and more. Lexicomp also includes support tools like drug ID, calculators, and patient education.
If you have questions or need assistance, please contact the Health Sciences Library.

UC Libraries Closed Monday, Jan. 17 for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

Posted on by

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Martin Luther King, Jr. from LIFE Magazine

UC Libraries will be closed Monday, Jan. 17 for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day . The libraries will resume normal hours on Tuesday, Jan. 18.

Want to read up on Martin Luther King, Jr., his impact and legacy, and how you can make a difference? Check out these library resources and the Racial Justice Resources for Activists, Advocates and Allies Research Guide.

CECH Spotlight: Julian is a Mermaid by Jessica Love

Posted on by

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

Julian is a Mermaid / written and illustrated by Jessica Love / 2018

On Saturdays, Julian and his Abuela go swimming at the community pool. One Saturday, Julian sees several women wearing beautiful mermaid dresses and is totally entranced. He decided he wants to be a mermaid himself, but what might his Abuela think of this?

Jessica Love’s Julian is a Mermaid is an absolutely breathtaking picture book. It follows the story of a gender non-conforming child, which is a rare but very welcomed sight, who dreams of becoming a mermaid. This heartwarming story is full of vivid and magical illustrations that beautifully depict a child’s imagination and embrace diversity with a broad range of body types and skin tones. With each turn of a page, you will feel the anxiety, the love, and the acceptance Julian feels through subtle details in facial expressions and body language. Along with Julian, readers of all ages will learn that anyone can be a mermaid, and all it takes is acceptance, creative expression, and unconditional love.

Julian is a Mermaid is available from CECH Library,  as well as the OhioLINK and Search Ohio lending networks.

Review by Sadie Matthews, CECH Library Student Assistant | Elementary Education, CECH 2023

 

American Astronomical Society Journals Now Fully Open Access in 2022

Posted on by

Starting January 1st, 2022, the full journal portfolio of the American Astronomical Society (AAS) are now completely open access. The journals include the Astronomical Journal (AJ), the Astrophysical journal (ApJ), Astrophysical Journal Letters (ApJL), and the Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series (ApJS). The Planetary Science Journal is not affected by this transition as it is already open access. These journals consistently feature some of the most read and highest impact scientific research results in the astronomical sciences.  The AAS views this transition to open access as directly impacting the quality of scientific research, as stated by Editor in Chief, Ethan Vishniac, “Science works best when it is as transparent and as accessible as possible.” They also view this move as supporting their diversity, equity, and inclusion work in the astronomical community, as referenced in the following statement from their press release.

“The transition to OA will allow everyone to access this high-quality and trusted research, and it will offer scientists low-cost fully OA options for publishing their research in astronomy and related disciplines. The new publishing policy aligns with ongoing efforts by the Society to center diversity, equity, and inclusion in its work within the astronomical community.”

Read the full press release here: https://aas.org/press/aas-journals-open-access