The CECH Library is proud to present highlights and key data points from July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023 via the following Microsoft Sway presentation.
It has been our pleasure to serve and collaborate with the best college at the University of Cincinnati. As always, feel free to reach out directly with feedback, ideas, or questions.
On behalf of the CECH Library,
Katie Foran-Mulcahy, Head + Associate Senior Librarian
katie.foran@uc.edu | 513.556.1758
CECH Spotlight highlights recommended books in the the UC College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services (CECH) Library.
Hollow Fires / written by Samira Ahmed / 2022
CW: Islamophobia (Graphic), Racism (Graphic), Murder, Neo-Nazism (Graphic), Xenophobia, Racial Slurs, White Supremacy (Graphic)
Samira Ahmed’s contemporary thriller Hollow Fires switches between two narratives: Jawad Ali, a middle schooler who loves to invent, and Safiya Mirza, a senior with a passion for journalism. Nothing connects the two, but to the rest of their Chicago neighborhood, they’re one in the same as they practice the same religion: Islam.
It starts with Jawad being labeled a terrorist over his Halloween costume, then his disappearance, then his murder. Safiya follows his story closely, as her majority-white school district sweeps the incident under the rug like it’s nothing. But when she starts receiving threats like Jawad did, it’s up to her and her friends to investigate, since the school and police don’t seem to care.
Throughout her novel, Ahmed includes multimedia pieces such as interviews, text messages, articles, and transcripts to emphasis the message. By not just jumping between Jawad (after he’s passed) and Safiya’s perspectives the novel also utilizes the literary technique of being a “frame story,” where it begins at the end and then takes readers on the journey to the end. Ahmed brings nonfiction into her novel, using real life circumstances and recent history to guide the haunting truth of Islamophobia and racism in American society in the 21st century.
Ahmed tackles modern issues within America, and this novel can be graphic in its realistic portrayal of these actions. This novel is a fantastic read, but it does tackle very heavy subjects so please read up on the content warning (CW) before reading.
This book is available from the CECH Library and the Search Ohio lending network.
Review by Alice Somers, CECH Library Student Assistant | Early Childhood Education and Deaf Studies, CECH 2026
Check out the Pride display all month long at the CECH Library!
Explore childrens’ and YA titles that span the spectrum of sexuality and gender identity and celebrate LGBTQIA+ figures and history. To find more LGBTQIA+ titles, check out our reading list available on the CECH Library website.
This gallery contains 3 photos.
We’re happy to announce that we have recently installed improved signage in the CECH Library. The new signage clearly identifies the locations of our various types of children’s literature, as well as high-traffic areas like our info desk, makerlab, and … Continue reading
CECH Spotlight highlights recommended books in the the UC College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services (CECH) Library.
The Words We Keep / written by Erin Stewart / 2022
CW: Self-harm, suicide, bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety, OCD
The Words We Keep by Erin Stewart is a contemporary young adult novel that follows Lily Larkin, the younger sister of Alice, who ended up in a treatment center after a suicide attempt. Since The Night, her family has barely been holding it together, and Lily’s worried she might be “crazy” like her sister. When Micah, a boy that went to the program with Alice, joins her class, Lily begins to look into herself and the world around her.
This novel looks into the reality of mental illness and its impact on the self and the family, while also talking about what it means to be loved for who you are.
This book is available from the CECH Library, as well as the OhioLINK and Search Ohio lending networks.
Review by Alice Somers, CECH Library Student Assistant | Early Childhood Education and Deaf Studies, CECH 2026
CECH Spotlight highlights recommended books in the the UC College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services (CECH) Library.
Ellen Outside the Lines / written by AJ Sass / 2022
CW: Queer character being outed
Ellen Outside the Lines by A.J. Sass is a contemporary juvenile novel that follows Ellen Katz, a queer, autistic, Jewish girl as she navigates life and friendship. Ellen’s Spanish class is going to Barcelona for two weeks, and she expects it to be a time for her to reconnect with her best friend Laurel. But during this trip, her carefully planned routines and expectations are thrown for a loop when she gets paired with a different group, allowing her to learn not just about herself but those around her.
This novel explores gender identity, queerness, religion, neurodivergence, and what it means to be a friend. It is a heartwarming story of growth and acceptance that makes it a read that you won’t want to put down until you’re done.
This book is available from the CECH Library, as well as the OhioLINK and Search Ohio lending networks.
Review by Alice Somers, CECH Library Student Assistant | Early Childhood Education and Deaf Studies, CECH 2026
Welcome to fall semester, CECH friends! Though we’ve been open all summer, the CECH Library is so pleased to open our doors yet again to students, faculty, and staff at the beginning of another promising school year.
Like you, we’ve had a busy year – full of projects, planning, and reflection. Here are a few highlights:
As always, you can find fall semester library hours on the CECH Library website, as well as a complete listing of hours across UC Libraries locations.
It is our pleasure to serve CECH, and we wish you all a fantastic semester.
Katie Foran-Mulcahy
CECH Library Head + Interim Assistant Dean
In preparation for the fall term, we completed a comprehensive space refresh on our library’s 3rd floor, including moving more than 26,800 books (by hand!) to make our highest-circulating collections more visible and accessible.
We also re-designed our 3rd floor display spaces, creating more permanent areas to promote books and refreshing exhibits monthly.
In addition, our MakerLab underwent a re-organization this summer to improve users’ experience. Rachel Hoople, CECH Library’s Operations Manager, led many of these changes and I know our students will reap the benefits of these improvements this year.
We can’t wait for you to come visit us this year to check out our refreshed spaces. As always, you can find fall semester library hours on the CECH Library website, as well as a complete listing of hours across UC Libraries locations.
It is our pleasure to serve CECH, and we wish you all a fantastic semester.
Katie Foran-Mulcahy
CECH Library Head + Interim Assistant Dean
CECH Spotlight highlights recommended books in the the UC College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services (CECH) Library.
Black Fairy Tales / written by Terry Berger / 1969
The People Could Fly / told by Virginia Hamilton / 1985
The Six Fools / collected by Zora Neale Hurston / 2006
The stories we tell our children are possibly the most important in our entire fictional memory, and foremost among these stories are fairy tales and folktales. Harkening back to the legends and myths of old, fairy and folk tales expand children’s imaginations, teach lessons, and reveal the reality in which they live. This is not more apparent than in Black Fairy Tales by Terry Berger, The People Could Fly by Virginia Hamilton, and The Six Fools by Zora Neale Hurston.
Coming from a wide variety of sources, origins, and peoples, these three books represent different oral traditions collected and written by a variety of authors. While storytelling traditions are much more expansive than what is contained within these books, they serve as an amazing introduction to fairy tales and folktales from African and African American cultures. Not only do they stand alone as great examples of children’s literature, but they serve as greater tools for change in the diversity they provide, as well as the history they present. “This book was done especially for the Black children who have never read Black fairy tales,” Terry Berger wrote in the dedication of his book.
These books present culture and stories which have long been ignored, and each provide unique perspectives to life, virtue, and our potential. Be it trying to catch sunshine in a wheelbarrow, marrying a great serpent king, or the fables of Bruh Rabbit, these books expand our imagination and deepen our appreciation. .
All three titles are available from the CECH Library, as well as the OhioLINK and Search Ohio lending networks.
Review by Linus Sinnard, CECH Library Student Assistant | Secondary Education, CECH 2025
The CECH Library has a collection unlike any other at UC Libraries, including thousands of children’s and young adult books. Now you can subscribe to keep up with the latest additions to our library!
From the Children’s and Young Adult Literature LibGuide, visit our new books blogs based on the category you’re interested in. The blogs are updated each time CECH Library gets new books. By subscribing to updates, you’ll get an email every time we add new books in the following categories: picturebooks, juvenile fiction, YA fiction, informational, and Native American authors and illustrators. Subscribe today so you’ll never miss a new addition to the collection.
Written by Madeleine Gaiser, Online Learning and Instruction Specialist | CECH Library