New Acquisitions-DAAP Library Special Collections

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A new shipment of concrete poetry books has arrived in the Robert A. Deshon and Karl J. Schlachter Library for Design, Architecture, Art and Planning (DAAP). Titles by John M. Bennett, Jim Leftwich, Robin Crozier, César Figueiredo, Serge Segay and others.

Make an appointment with Interim DAAP Library Head Elizabeth Meyer or librarian Andrea Chemero to view them.

Photo of concrete poetry book cover Wave by John M. Bennett

Wave, by John M. Bennett

"Ripening of Meat," a poem from Co-Labor-ative Writing

“Ripening of Meat,” a poem from Co-Labor-ative Writing

Co-Labor-ative Writing by Editor Luigi-Bob Drake, cover photo

Various titles from new acquisitions.

New acquisitions.

 

Workshop on Text mining HathiTrust Resources with python

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Eleanor Dickson Koehl, digital scholarship librarian with the HathiTrust will visit UC Libraries to give a presentation on the HathiTrust Research Center and conduct a workshop on text mining using HathiTrust Resources and python.  The talk will be Tuesday Feb 26th from 3- 4 pm and the workshop will be Wednesday Morning from 9am -12pm with a luncheon afterwards from 12 pm-1 pm.  Please join for one or both events which will be held in the Vis Lab 240H Braunstein Hall – inside the Geology-Math and Physics Library.  These events are free and open to all.  We request that attendees of the text mining workshop complete registration through the faculty one stop system.

For more information please refer to the DCS2 Word flyer_hathi_2019.

New Books in Oesper (history of chemistry collection)

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A few new acquisitions have been added to the Oesper book collection.  Click here to access the November-December 2018 list.

For more information about Oesper and the apparatus museum, click here.

If you have any questions about this collection, contact Ted Baldwin, Director of Science and Engineering Libraries, at Ted.Baldwin@uc.edu.

 

 

Elliston Poetry Room Announces Its Spring Poetry Schedule

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Elliston Poetry Room SignDo you like poetry? Interested in hearing poets talk about and read their work?

The Ellison Poetry Room, located in 646 Walter C. Langsam Library, announced its spring poetry schedule. All readings are free and open to the public. Book signings follow each reading.

NTOZAKE SHANGE: CELEBRATING AN ARTISTIC LEGACY THROUGH CONVERSATION AND PERFORMANCE

Featuring Dr. Shirlene Holmes, Aku Kadogo, RAHBI, the Cincinnati Black Theatre Company, College-Conservatory of Music (Acting), and The School for Creative and Performing Arts
February 15, 2019; 4:00 PM
Elliston Poetry Room, 646 Langsam Library
Sponsored by the Weinberger Center for Drama and Playwriting

ISHION HUTCHINSON

Poetry Reading
February 22, 2019; 4:00 PM
Elliston Poetry Room, 646 Langsam Library

MARY RUEFLE

2018-19 Elliston Poet-in-Residence
Lecture
March 6, 2019; 4:00 PM
Elliston Poetry Room, 646 Langsam Library

Poetry Reading
March 8, 2019; 4:00 PM
Elliston Poetry Room, 646 Langsam Library

XHENET ALIU & TIMOTHY O’KEEFE

Fiction and Poetry Reading
April 11, 2019; Time TBD
Elliston Poetry Room, 646 Langsam Library

THE ROBERT AND ADELE SCHIFF FICTION FESTIVAL

Featuring Sloane Crosley, Uzodinma Iweala, Katie Kitamura, and Brendan Mathews
April 17, 2019; 7:00 PM: Fiction Reading
April 18, 2019; 11:00 AM: Panel Discussion
April 18, 2019; 7:00 PM: Fiction Reading
April 19, 2019; 10:00 AM: Panel Discussion
All events take place in the Elliston Poetry Room, 646 Langsam Library

Named for the Cincinnati poet George Elliston, the Elliston Poetry Room houses a 20th-century poetry collection of over 10,000 books, magazines, records and recordings. Students and faculty interested in modern poetry can also take advantage of reading space and listening facilities, as well as poetry-writing workshops and poetry readings.

More information on each of these events may be found at: https://www.artsci.uc.edu/departments/english/creative-writing/visiting-writers-series.html

Data Day 2019: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Data

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You are cordially invited to the University of Cincinnati’s 4th Annual Data Day sponsored by The University of Cincinnati Libraries and IT@UC.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion are topics gaining national attention.  Our 4th Annual University of Cincinnati Data Day will explore these topics in depth and highlight how researchers can expand their understanding by considering the impact of diversity, equity and inclusion on their own research.

 What: University of Cincinnati 4th Annual Data Day

 When: Monday, April 1, 2019 9am – 4:30pm

 Where: Tangeman University Center, Great Hall (located on the main campus of the University of Cincinnati)

The day will be comprised of panel discussions, an interactive session where participants will learn R programming skills, and keynote speakers to start and end the day.  The first keynote speaker, Amanda Wilson, will highlight the historic All of Us Research Program that is gathering data from one million individuals to assist in delivering precision medicine by taking into account individual differences in lifestyle, environment, and biology among participants. The second keynote speaker, Deborah Duran, will address how diversity and inclusion are necessary considerations as we consider our research and how doing so can have an impact on us all. Panelists will discuss health disparities and health equity research from local and statewide perspectives as well as how data is being used to empower social justice.

Don’t miss this exciting day!

For more information and registration visit: http://libapps.libraries.uc.edu/blogs/dataday/.

Book Review: How to be a Good Creature

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In How to be a Good Creature: A Memoir in Thirteen Animals, Sy Montgomery shares her life of loving and studying animals. Sy is a National Book Award Finalist and naturalist. Each chapter focuses on a different creature who transformed her life. Throughout the essays, she reflects on the effects the animals had on her and how she practiced life a bit differently, thanks to their influence. One of the most amusing stories involved a pig named Christopher Hogwood, a beloved pet.

How to be a Good Creature is available as an e-book and a hardback.

Penny McGinnis
Technical Services Manager
Clermont College Library

Blockchain and Ohio law

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Blockchain by Frühstück from the Noun Project

In my capacity as the University’s Records Manager, I’m on a statewide group called the Ohio Electronic Records Committee (Ohio ERC). Ohio ERC consist of professionals from Ohio’s public entities (including archivists, record managers, IT professionals, lawyers) who have an interest in electronic records. We meet quarterly, and produce resources of interest to other public employees, such as best practices tip sheets based on Ohio-specific concerns and annual workshops. It’s a great way to stay up to date with what’s happening within state government, since what is decided in Columbus can impact records management at UC.

At our last meeting, the topic of blockchain in state government came up. It turns out that there was legislation in the last General Assembly concerning blockchain. You can see information about the bill here. Blockchain is a distributed digital ledger system that is protected through cryptographic measures, and which records all changes, transactions, and modifications to the file or object in question. Blockchain’s most famous implementation is the cryptocurrency, Bitcoin. While there is a lot of tech futurist excitement about blockchain, many others caution blockchain suffers from a lack of uniform standards, and others criticize the technology’s voracious energy usage. The reason blockchain is associated with high levels of energy use is because significant computing resources are used to generate its cryptographic verification. As a result, “bitcoin mining” tends to take place in areas with the cheapest electricity. For some time, this included places with extremely cheap coal-generated electricity like China, but this may be changing as renewable sources of cheap power come online.
During the meeting, we took a look at the full text of the bill (SB 300). Something that jumped out to many of us in the room was the definition of blockchain. The bill defined it in the following manner:
“Blockchain technology” means distributed ledger technology that uses a distributed, decentralized, shared, and replicated ledger, which may be public or private, permissioned or permissionless, or driven by tokenized crypto economics or tokenless. The data on the ledger is protected with cryptography, is immutable and auditable, and provides an uncensored truth.”
As I read this, something seemed a little off – the language seemed a little too bombastic to be written by state legislators, which made me think it was likely a form of model legislation. So I did some searching, and found that indeed, the phrase “uncensored truth” was part of similar legislation introduced in at least two other states, including Arizona and Tennessee. In other words, SB300 was model legislation, though it still isn’t clear who is shopping this around to state legislators. In 2018, eighteen states had some kind of legislative activity related to blockchain.
As it turns out, SB 300 was not passed, however language pertaining to blockchain (minus some of the colorful descriptions like “uncensored truth”) was part of another bill and is now part of the Ohio Revised Code (i.e. state law). It is in the section pertaining to commercial code and electronic transactions:
“(G) “Electronic record” means a record created, generated, sent, communicated, received, or stored by electronic means. A record or contract that is secured through blockchain technology is considered to be in an electronic form and to be an electronic record.
(H) “Electronic signature” means an electronic sound, symbol, or process attached to or logically associated with a record and executed or adopted by a person with the intent to sign the record . A signature that is secured through blockchain technology is considered to be in an electronic form and to be an electronic signature.”
Incidentally, earlier this month, a top aide of Governor Kasich (who recently left office due to term-limits) reportedly left state government “to work for a Cleveland tech company that’s developing ways to use blockchain to store and record government records.” It seems likely that we’re going to start hearing a lot more about blockchain in Ohio soon.

Prayer and Meditation Space Created in Langsam Library

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prayer space flyerThe University of Cincinnati Libraries has partnered with UC Student Government to create a Prayer and Meditation Space in the Walter C. Langsam Library.

Located in room 451, the Prayer and Meditation Space is available for use 24/7 on a first-come basis, no reservations required. Use of the space is for quiet meditation, prayer or silent reflection. Please do not use this room as a lounge, study room or meeting room.

UC Libraries Closed Wednesday, Jan. 30, including Langsam Library’s 4th floor.

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Due to inclement weather, the University of Cincinnati Libraries will close from 7 a.m. until midnight on Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2019, except for the Donald C. Harrison Health Sciences Library, which will be open 9am – 5pm. This closure includes the 4th floor of the Walter C. Langsam Library, which will close at 7 a.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 30 and reopen at 7:45am on Thursday, Jan. 31.

Stay warm.