Join UC Libraries’ RESPECT group in reading and discussing “Slavery at Sea”

slavery at sea book coverThe University of Cincinnati Libraries Racial Equity Support & Programming to Educate the Community Team (RESPECT) and the Donald C. Harrison Health Sciences Library are hosting a book discussion and Lunch and Learn with Sowande’ M. Mustakeem, author of “Slavery at Sea: Terror, Sex, and Sickness in the Middle Passage” on Thursday, Feb. 23 from 12:30-2pm in the Health Sciences Library’s Stanley J. Lucas M.D. Boardroom (E005HA). Register to attend the Lunch and Learn.

How to get the book:

“Slavery at Sea” Book Giveaway

RESPECT has purchased 20 copies of “Slavery at Sea” to give away free to the first 20 individuals who request a copy via the form.

OR Unlimited e-book access to “Slavery at Sea”

UC Libraries has acquired unlimited e-book access to “Slavery at Sea” for those wishing to read the book online. It can be accessed via the Library Catalog.

Join us for weekly Book Discussion Chats

RESPECT will sponsor weekly opportunities to discuss “Slavery at Sea.” These discussions will take place virtually via Zoom and will be held Thursday, February 2nd, 9th and 16th from 11am – noon. Register to attend one or more of the sessions.

RESPECT’s “Slavery and Sea” book discussions and Lunch and Learn are part of a larger Un-Common Read event being held throughout the university in celebration of Black History Month.

slavery at sea flyer

Library resources in celebration of National Arab American Heritage Month

April is National Arab American Heritage Month. Below is a list of library resources for further exploration of Arab cultural and history.

Online

UC librarians Olga Hart and Sally Moffitt created two research guides with links to information related to the Arab world. The Arabic Languages and Cultures guide provides an overview of Arabic language, literature and culture resources at the University of Cincinnati. The Middle Eastern Studies guide offers suggestions for conducting cross-disciplinary research into the history, politics, culture and social structures in the modern Middle East. The guide focuses on the Middle East after the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire at the end of the First World War. With the exception of Egypt, North Africa is included only when that region is part of a more comprehensive survey of the Muslim Mediterranean world. Continue reading

Learn a different story about Spring Grove Cemetery and Arboretum at an event April 18

book cover for the speaking stoneJoin Greg Hand online 5:00 p.m., Sunday, April 18 as he interviews Michael Griffith, UC professor of English, about his new book, The Speaking Stone: Stories Cemeteries Tell, published by the University of Cincinnati Press.

While working on a novel, author and longtime Cincinnati resident Michael Griffith starts visiting Spring Grove Cemetery and Arboretum. Soon he’s taking almost daily jaunts, following curiosity and accident wherever they lead. The result is this fascinating collection of essays. Rather than sticking to the cemetery’s most famous, or infamous, graves, Griffith stays true to the principle of ramble and incidental discovery. To purchase the book.

Michael Griffith

Michael Griffith

About the author: Michael Griffith is the author of the novels Trophy and Spikes and the story collection Bibliophilia. He is professor of English at the University of Cincinnati College of Arts and Sciences.

Register by Friday, April 16.

Hungry? Bite into an Edible Book with UC Libraries, April 5-9

Celebrate books good enough to eat at the International Edible Books Festival to be held online April 5-9.

At the event, over 30 participants will present their edible creations that represent a book in some form. There are few restrictions in creating an edible book – namely that the creation be edible and have something to do with a book. Submitted entries include such edible titles as “Coffee,” “LuLu’s Giraffe Bakery,” “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” and “Donut Feed the Squirrels.” Best sellers “Lord of the Rings,” “The Handmaid’s Tale,” “Catch-22” and “The Picture of Dorian Gray” are represented along with children’s books like “Super Fudge,” “Hair Love,” “Rainbow Fish,” “Little Blue Truck Leads the Way” and “Madeline,” among other literary greats.

Rather than gathering at a designated time and place, this year’s Edible Books Festival will take place the week of April 5-9. Each day, a few edible book entries will be showcased on the Libraries Facebook page, Twitter and Instagram feeds. As in previous years, entries will be judged according to such categories as “Most Delicious,” “Most Creative,” “Most Checked Out.” At the end of the week, the entries that receive the most likes will be crowned “Top Student Entry” and “Best Overall Entry.”

According to the International Edible Book Festival website, the edible book was initiated by librarian and artist Judith A. Hoffberg during a 1999 Thanksgiving celebration with book artists. It became an international celebration in 2000 when artist Béatrice Coron launched the Books2Eat website. Traditionally, the event is celebrated on April 1st (April Fools’ Day) to mark the birthday of Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin (1755-1826), a French lawyer and politician who became famous for his book, Physiologie du gout (The Physiology of Taste).

On Display for Hispanic Heritage Month

Visit the UCBA Library to browse a selection of print books about the histories, cultures and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America.

Be sure to also visit the Hispanic Heritage Month Display online guide.

Hispanic Heritage Month

 

by Christian Boyles

Mercantile Library Celebrating UC’s Bicentennial with an Event Featuring two Books Published Recently by the University of Cincinnati Press

In Service to the City and From the Temple of Zeus book coversOn Wed, December 5, from 6:00 – 8:00 pm, the Mercantile Library will host Celebrating the University of Cincinnati Bicentennial, featuring David Stradling and Greg Hand who will speak about their books published recently by the University of Cincinnati Press. In Service to the City: A History of the University of Cincinnati, is a comprehensive history by Professor David Stradling. Its companion volume, edited by Greg Hand, From the Temple of Zeus to the Hyperloop: University of Cincinnati Stories, is an anthology that complements and enriches Stradling’s book by demonstrating the UC experience.

The event is free and open to the public. Registration is required at https://mercantilelibrary.com/calendar/celebrating-the-university-of-cincinnati-bicentennial/

More about the books:

In Service to the City: A History of the University of Cincinnati is a scholarly history by David Stradling, who holds the Zane Miller Chair in Urban History at UC. Stradling is a noted author of urban history, author of Making Mountains: New York City and the Catskills (University of Washington Press, 2007), The Nature of New York: An Environmental History of the Empire State (Cornell University Press, 2010) and Where the River Burned: Carl Stokes and the Struggle to Save Cleveland (Cornell University Press, 2015). Stradling’s book focuses on the evolving relationship between the University of Cincinnati and the City of Cincinnati and how these two entities influenced one another.

A companion volume, edited by Greg Hand, From the Temple of Zeus to the Hyperloop: University of Cincinnati Stories, is an anthology of 35 chapters that complements and enriches Professor Stradling’s book by demonstrating the breadth and diversity of the UC experience. Authors for this volume include Sarah Jessica Parker, former Governor Bob Taft, faculty, alumni, and current students. Most contributions are in the form of personal essays, but there is a play and a poem as well.

Join UC Libraries for “The Great American Read” and Vote for Your Favorite Novel

The Color Purple, Harry Potter, Gone Girl – is one of these your favorite novel? Did you enjoy or struggle reading The Grapes of Wrath, War and Peace or Heart of Darkness when assigned for class? Did you sneak read The Stand or Twilight when your teacher wasn’t looking? These favorite, or not-so-favorite, books are amongst the 100 best-loved novels up for consideration as “The Great American Read.”

The University of Cincinnati Libraries and CET are partnering to host three screenings of “The Great American Read,” 8-9 p.m., Tuesdays, Sept. 11 and 25 and Oct. 9 in the Digital Commons Space on the fourth floor of the Walter C. Langsam Library. The PBS series features some of the 100 best-loved novels with testimonials from celebrities, authors, notable Americans and book lovers across the country talking about their pick for “The Great American Read.” Fresh popcorn and refreshments will be served.

The themes of the three screenings will include:

  • Sept. 11 – The Great American Read Fall Kick-Off
    Join host Meredith Vieira in the search for America’s best-loved novel.
  • Sept. 25 – Heroes
    Take a journey with some literary heroes to examine what makes them complex and relatable.
  • Oct. 9 – What We Do For love
    Fall in love all over again with some of literature’s most beautiful romances.

 

RSVPs not required, but attendees are encouraged to mark “going” on the Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/298457014220539/.

Can’t join us for the screenings? Visit “The Great American Read” at http://www.pbs.org/the-great-american-read/home/ to learn more and vote for your favorite novel.

UCBA Library Celebrates the Weird in Science

Post and Display by Tiffany Fite, UCBA Library Student Assistant

                                             UCBA Library Student Assistant Tiffany Fite with her Weird Science book display.

The UC Blue Ash Library is happy to show off our nerdy side with a book display on the coolest topics in science we have available. Ever been interested in a topic but didn’t want to take a whole class on it? Are you Continue reading

Be Sure to Check Out and Vote for ‘The Great American Read’

readUC Libraries and the University of Cincinnati Press are proud sponsors of PBS’s “The Great American Read,” an eight-part series that explores and celebrates the power of reading, told through the prism of America’s 100 best-loved novels. The series features entertaining and informative documentary segments, with compelling testimonials from celebrities, authors, notable Americans and book lovers across the country talking about their favorites among the 100 chosen books.

The series kicks off May 22, 8pm, on CET. Be sure to watch! Throughout the summer, viewers will be encouraged to vote for their favorite of the 100 best-loved novels and the winner will be announced October 23.

For more information about “The Great American Read,” and to see a list of the 100 best-loved novels, visit www.cetconnect.org/community/great-american-read.

Happy Viewing (and Reading)!

@GreatAmericanReadPBS