Join us Oct. 1 for Poetry Stacked + open mic!

The University of Cincinnati Libraries and the Elliston Poetry Room announce the next roster of poets for Poetry Stacked. At the event, scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 1 at 5pm in the Student Wellness Center located at 480 Steger Student Life Center, three poets will read their original work:

poets Rebecca Lindenberg, Marcus Donaldson and Jo Wallace
  • Rebecca Lindenberg is the author of three books of poems: Love, an Index, The Logan Notebooks, and most recently, Our Splendid Failure to Do the Impossible. She’s the recipient of an NEA literature grant, an Amy Lowell poetry fellowship, an Ohio Arts Council Individual Excellence Award, a Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg prize, and has been a fellow at the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown. She’s a member of the poetry faculty here at the University of Cincinnati where she also serves as Poetry Editor for the Cincinnati Review.  
  • Marcus Donaldson is a writer with a lot of questions. Their work has appeared in The Burr Magazine and is forthcoming in Oxeye Reader. Marcus lives with their family in Cincinnati, Ohio, and teaches American Literature at a local high school.
  • Jo Wallace is a poet from Indiana. She received an MFA from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and she is the editor of Bad Lineage. Her poems appear in Conjunctions, Image, Seneca Review, New American Writing, the Minnesota Review and other places.
student wellness center logo

This special session of Poetry Stacked is a collaboration with UC’s Student Wellness Center and will focus on mental health. It will include an open mic after the initial reading. Those in the UC community interested in reading their original poetry, can sign up to share a 2-3 minute performance of poetry they’ve written about their mental health journey.

The evening will conclude with a reception open to all in attendance.

A semi-regular poetry reading series, the mission of Poetry Stacked is to celebrate poetry and raise awareness of the collections of both UC Libraries and the Elliston Poetry Room.

Each reading engages audiences via exposure to contemporary poetry and increases appreciation for both the talents of UC and community poets, as well as for poetry itself. Poetry Stacked is free and open to all to attend. Following each reading, guests are invited to tour the Elliston Poetry Room.

Can’t make it to Poetry Stacks in person? It will be live streamed via the Elliston Poetry Room’s Instagram.

Discover OneSearch & Your Library Event

The Marcotte Library’s hosting an online, asynchronous event for its student, faculty and staff to familiarize themselves with OneSearch & their library. Participants who complete the event assignments will have the opportunity to enter a raffle for a stuffed bearcat and their favorite candy. Details of the event can be found in GetInvolvedUC.

Fall 2025 Events at Marcotte Library

This upcoming fall semester, the Marcotte Library has many exciting opportunities for you to engage with us! You can find a full list of our planned events in GetInvolvedUC. Some highlights that may interest you:

  • Discover OneSearch & Your Library is an asynchronous, online event held during the first two weeks of school.
  • Edible Books will be a way to show your love a books and baking or enjoy some delicious treats in the library during Banned Books Week.
  • Finding & Using Sources Workshop will be held near midterms and finals to help you prepare for an upcoming research assignment.

More details on these events and other events are available on Bearcats Landing or GetInvolvedUC.

Undergraduate Research Summer Learning Community has started

Summer is here and that means the Undergraduate Research Summer Learning Community (URSLC)has begun.  The kick-off session, held June 4th on the 4th Floor of Langsam brought together students from 55 different research areas for networking and community.  The students discussed their research interests and upcoming opportunities over wonderful food featuring egg bake, potatoes, and homemade pastries provided by local business and award winning Pierre Entities Catering

The 4th floor area of Langsam with many students sitting at the tables

After an overview of the program, Graduate Students and Presidential Fellows Adair McWilliams (Epidemiology), Damilola Odula (Philosophy), and Henry Levesque (Regional and Urban Planning) provided insight into their early days of research and how they thrive in the research environment.  Research results in new knowledge, innovations and improved lives and requires a love of exploring the unknown, perseverance, passion, and embracing both failure and success.  The graduate students encouraged the audience to dive into the passion, make time for processing information, and especially to make sure they also take care of themselves through the research experience. 

The community meets Wednesdays in June and July from 9:30 to 11 am both in-person and via zoom. The upcoming sessions will cover mentorship, data management, ethics, ownership, presentations and research methods.  If you are interested to participate, you can still register.  More information can be found on the UC Libraries website.

Image of Don Wittrock presenting to students with the triceracopter in the background

The URSLC is sponsored by UC Libraries and in collaboration with the TRIO McNair Scholars, University Honors Discover program, NSF Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation, and CCPS Undergraduate Research Program. The program is free and open to any undergraduate interested in research.

head shots of six people who are the facilitators of the program

Join us for the Ethical AI Symposium, Thursday, May 22

UC Libraries Research & Data Services is hosting an Ethical AI Symposium, exploring the responsible use of AI, its benefits and risks, and ethical considerations for the UC community. Scheduled for Thursday, May 22, from 10:30am-1:30pm in the Medical Sciences Building (MSB) 5051, the event is open to all interested in learning more about AI’s dual role as both an innovative tool and a potential source of harm.

The symposium will feature a keynote address by Emile Loza de Siles, assistant professor of law of the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, William S. Richardson School of Law. Following is a networking lunch and a panel discussion where UC thought leaders will share their perspectives on ethical AI practices and the future of responsible innovation.

Symposium Agenda

  • Keynote                           10:30am – 11:30am
  • Lunch                               11:30am – 12:15pm
  • Panel Discussion           12:15pm – 1:30pm

Register here: https://forms.office.com/r/DmesAj0Jj0

ethical ai symposium
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Check out “Poetry in the Library”

Interested in poetry in UC Libraries? Check out the new exhibit on display in the Walter C. Langsam Library’s 6th floor east installed in celebration of National Poetry Month.

The display features the poets and events hosted by the Elliston Poetry Room. Located in 646 Langsam Library, the Elliston Poetry room houses the University of Cincinnati’s vast repository of twentieth-century and contemporary poetry. Among the tens of thousands of volumes are rare and signed first editions, historic broadsides, printed ephemera and archival recordings of visiting writers dating back to Robert Frost’s first visit in 1951. The Elliston Poetry Room hosts poetry events throughout the year. Highlighted in the display are event planning documents and promotional materials, as well as images and information about visiting poets.

In 2022, the Elliston Poetry Room partnered with UC Libraries to create Poetry Stacked, a semi-regular poetry reading series held in the 6th floor east stacks. The display includes information and images from previous readings along with the Poetry Anthology.

poetry stacked logo

Poetry in the Library was curated by Michael Peterson, assistant research professor and curator of the George Elliston Poetry Collection, and Melissa Cox Norris, director of library communications. It was designed and produced by Lexi Davis, UC Libraries communication design co-op student.

UC Libraries sponsors Undergraduate Research Summer Learning Community

Are you or do you know an undergraduate who is interested in doing research in the future or is currently active in research? 

summer cohort

The Undergraduate Research Summer Learning Community is sponsored by UC Libraries in collaboration with McNair Scholars, University Honors Discover program, and CCPS Undergraduate Research Program and will run from June 4 to July 23, Wednesday mornings 9:30-11 am via zoom and in-person. 

The sessions will focus on professional skills such as data management, research ethics, ownership of work, and research presentations that help students thrive in a research environment.  It is free and open to all undergraduates regardless of university affiliation.

 You can find information about the weekly sessions and the registration link on the UC Libraries website.  Email aksdata@uc.edu with questions.

summer cohort flyer

The Preservation Lab presents “More than Conservation” Thursday, May 1

Join us for the Annual Preservation Lab Open House, Thursday, May 1, 2-4pm, 3rd floor Langsam Library. “More than Conservation” will include tours of the lab, demonstrations of projects and treatments, cookies, bookmarks, and stickers!

preservation open house

Want a sneak peek of the work of the Preservation Lab? Stop by Langsam Library’s 4th floor to learn about artist’s books and book arts, Tuesday, April 15, 2-3:30pm; and Thursday, April 17, 10:30am-noon to learn about the anatomy of a book.

Formed in 2012, the Preservation Lab is a book and paper conservation lab. The Preservation Lab provides the full suite of preservation services to the University of Cincinnati Libraries and, for a fee, to other cultural heritage institutions. The Preservation Lab’s expertise is in book and paper conservation, with services available in general circulating materials repair, single-item conservation treatment, housing, exhibition prep, and preservation consulting.

And the winners are…results of the 2025 International Edible Books Festival

The University of Cincinnati Libraries celebrated the International Edible Books Festival on Tuesday, April 1, 2025.

tacos
Lexi Davis – Dragons Love Tacos – Best Overall

This year, we had an impressive 24 entries from students, librarians and staff, along with family, friends and retirees. There are few restrictions in creating an edible book – namely that the creation be edible and have something to do with a book. Today’s entries covered all genres – from fiction to non-fiction, animals, food, classics, contemporary titles and more.

carrots



Popular books represented on screen and now as edible books were “Dune,” “Bridgerton,” “Pride and Prejudice,” and “Twilight.” Children’s books made for popular edible books. This year we had “Charlotte’s Web,” “Freckle Juice,” “Too Many Carrots,” “Black Hearts in Buttersea,” and “Matilda.” Young Adult books made a presence this year with “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” and “Harry Potter.”


Animals were a theme this year with “Penguin Island,” “Dragons Love Tacos” and “How to Eat Fried Worms.” Both fiction, “The Warmth of Other Suns,” “Grapes of Wrath,” “The Silver Bone” and “White Teeth,” and non-fiction, “Eyes on the Prize,” “An Easy and Proven Way to Build Good Habits,” and “How Infrastructure Works: Inside Systems that Shape our World” were represented. Along with the 18th-century classic “De montibus, silvis, fontibus”

In addition to promoting the reading of books, we also use this event to promote and “judge” the creativity of our colleagues and friends in creating edible books. Thank you to the two esteemed judges: Brian Gray, associate dean for collections (non-edible collections), and Usha (oo-sh-uh), student staff member in the CECH Library. And the winners are…

  • Melissa Cox Norris – Penguin Island – Most Adorable
  • Sam Norris – Too Many Carrots – Most Noteworthy
  • Carly Fledderjohann – The Cheese Touch (Diary of a Wimpy Kid) – Most Noteworthy
  • Deborah Weinstein – Charlotte’s Web – Most Imaginative
  • Stephen Norris – The Silver Bone – Most Outrageous
  • Avery Rice – Pride and Prejudice – Most Checked Out
  • Melissa Cox Norris – Difficult Women – Most Out of this World
  • Aja Bettencourt-McCarthy – How Infrastructure Works: Inside the Systems That Shape Our World – Most Creative
  • Luahna Winningham Carter – Freckle Juice – Most Gruesome
  • Jakob Elliott – Dune – Silliest
  • Jessica Ebert – Black Hearts in Battersea (“buttercream”) – Most Delicious
  • Josh Zack, Tim Zack, and Debbie Tenofsky – Eyes on the Prize – Most Frightening
  • Nainika Kovelamudi & Priyanka Rao Siripurapu – Bridgerton – Most Beautiful
  • Olya Hart – White Teeth – Most Wordly
  • Olya Hart – Bunnies on Ice – Most Whimsical
  • Jenny Mackiewicz – Matilda – Most Taboo
  • Jenny Mackiewicz – Twilight – Most Humorous
  • Holly Prochaska – How to eat fried worms – Most Clever
  • Yu Mao – Atomic Habits – An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones – Most Literary
  • Alex Temple – De montibus, silvis, fontibus – Most Technical
  • Suzanne Bratt – The Warmth of Other Suns – Most Timely
  • Lisa Haitz – The Grapes of Wrath – Most Fun
  • Clara Kelley – Harry potter sorting hat – Best Student Entry
  • Lexi Davis – Dragons Love Tacos – Best Overall

Congratulations to all the edible books creators! View the entries and the winners on the UC Libraries Facebook Page. See you next year for Edible Books 2026!

harry potter
Clara Kelley – Harry potter sorting hat – Best Student Entry

Join us April 16 for Poetry Stacked + music, dancing and art!

The University of Cincinnati Libraries and the Elliston Poetry Room announce the next roster of poets for Poetry Stacked, a semi-regular poetry reading series held in the 6th floor east stacks of the Walter C. Langsam Library.

At the next event, scheduled for Wednesday, April 16 at 4:30pm, a celebration of both National Poetry Month and the final event of the academic year, three poets will read their work:

paige webb

Paige Webb is an interdisciplinary poet-scholar. Other categorical boxes to aid legibility: they’re a queer, neurodivergent being of settler descent and a doctor untrained in basic CPR. The aim of their work is to create space for curative touch in concert with the creative vitality in all beings (thanks to Gabrielle Civil, Hortense Spillers, and CAConrad for help with this language). They are a Charles Phelps Taft Fellow at the University of Cincinnati and recipient of [accolade], [accolade], [accolade]. You can find some of their work at Anomaly, Blackbird, Colorado Review, Denver Quarterly, DIAGRAM, Indiana Review, The Kenyon Review, Poets.org, Poetry Northwest, Verse Daily, Vinyl Poetry and Prose, West Branch and the chapbook Tussle.

Kristi Maxwell is the author of nine books of poems, including Wide Ass of Night (Saturnalia Books, 2025); Goners (Green Linden Press, 2023), winner of the Wishing Jewel Prize; Realm Sixty-four (Ahsahta Press, 2008), editor’s choice for the Sawtooth Poetry Prize and finalist for the National Poetry Series; and Hush Sessions (Saturnalia,2009), editor’s choice for the Saturnalia Books Poetry Prize. She’s the director of creative writing and an associate professor of English at the University of Louisville. Kristi holds a PhD in literature & creative writing from the University of Cincinnati and an MFA in poetry from the University of Arizona.

kristi maxwell
dior stephens

Dior J. Stephens is a Black, Queer poet, writer and the co-editor-in-chief of Foglifter Journal and Press. They are currently in the final year of their PhD in philosophy with a focus on creative writing at the University of Cincinnati. Dior’s debut full-length poetry collection, CRUEL/CRUEL (2023), was nominated for the 2024 Ohioana Book Award, and their collection Atomic I is forthcoming from Nightboat Books. A Cave Canem, Sewanee and Lambda Literary fellow, Dior has also been nominated for the Pushcart Prize and the Best of the Net. Their work critically engages with themes of language, identity, and resistance, contributing to the broader conversations in poetics and the Black/Diasporic experience. 

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