Tag Archives: Library News

UC Libraries Welcome Kiersten Linkey, Coordinator for the Oesper Collections in the History of Chemistry

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UC Libraries would like to welcome Kiersten Linkey as the Coordinator for the Oesper Collections in the History of Chemistry. In this role, Kiersten will be primarily responsible for all aspects of museum operations, including public services, daily operations, project support and care for various collections. In addition, she will provide general support and backup at the Science Library. Kiersten’s role will eventually play a part in helping the Oesper Museum maintain regular operating hours – a key to growing impact and awareness for its various collections.

Kiersten graduated from Miami University in 2024 with a bachelor’s in History. During her time there, she worked at the Walter Havighurst Special Collections Library, where she discovered her passion for library work. After graduating, she went on to become a Collections Librarian at the Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Library & Museum in Fremont, Ohio. Additionally, she is pursuing her MLIS degree from Indiana University Indianapolis and is currently nearing completion. In her free time, she loves to read, go on runs and visit local ice cream parlors.

Welcome, Kiersten!

Kiersten Linkey

UC Libraries closed July 3rd

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In celebration of Independence Day on Saturday, July 4, UC Libraries will be closed on Friday, July 3. Normal hours for all library locations will resume on Monday, July 6. 

We hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable holiday weekend. 

Independence Day, July 4

Read Source to learn about the news, events, people and happenings of UC Libraries

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source header image

Read Source, the online newsletter, to learn about the news, events, people and happenings in UC Libraries.

In this issue of Source, Liz Kiscaden, dean and university librarian, looks back at the accomplishments of the most recent academic year while also looking head to the fall semester. We celebrate the many accomplishments of the UC Libraries faculty and staff, the 2026 UC Open Research Day and announce the 2026 Zero Textbook Cost Grant cohort. Two collections are highlighted in this issue: The Werner H. Von Rosentiel papers and the Oesper History of Chemistry collection while the Winkler Center display illuminates Covington, Kentucky as the “X-Ray City.” This issue of Source concludes with a year in photos.

Read these articles, as well as past issues, on the website. To receive Source via e-mail, contact melissa.norris@uc.edu to be added to the mailing list.

Tips to filter out retracted articles from systematic reviews

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Fabricated citations have increased dramatically recently and have sparked debates about how to address this problem within scholarly publishing. When these citations are discovered, those articles frequently get retracted. However, there is a time lag.

So what’s a librarian or researcher to do? How can we keep retracted articles out of our literature searches?

Quarterly rate of fabricated references per 10 000 papers in PubMed Central from January, 2023, to February, 2026
Rate of fabricated references per 10 000 papers in PubMed Central January, 2023- February, 2026, as cited in Topaz M et al. (2026) The Lancet, 407, 1779-1781

At this year’s Medical Library Association conference, I learned about a strategy in a paper session entitled, “Identifying Retractions in Systematic Review Searching” by Caitlin J. Bakker et al. In their presentation, the authors describe a multistep process to identify retracted papers using the citation manager Zotero and the LibKey Nomad browser extension paired with Covidence, the systematic review screening software.

image of retracted item flagged within Zotero's citation manager
Image of a retracted citation flagged in Zotero, from zotero.org

Zotero has a built-in feature, which automatically flags retracted articles at the item level using data from Retraction Watch. The presenters recommend running database searches and importing citations first into Zotero, followed by Covidence during title and abstract screening. They use this process first at the outset; again prior to data extraction and finally, before submitting manuscripts for publication.

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UC Libraries Welcome Charli Muszynski, Student Outreach Coordinator

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UC Libraries would like to welcome Charli Muszynski to the Operations and User Services Team as the Student Outreach Coordinator. In this role, Charli will be responsible for generating ideas for and orchestrating innovative events and programming that demonstrate the value of the libraries to users and stakeholders. She will have a leading role in orientation, Welcome Week, exam weeks, and other popular UCL standards. In addition, she will be part of the operations and services team that keeps Langsam Library open and operating.

Charli comes to us from Miami University, where she worked as the Assistant Director in the Office of Student Wellness. There, she led campus-wide programming surrounding mental health and worked with peer educators to curate and disseminate information and resources to students. Before her time at Miami, she earned bachelor’s degrees in Psychology and Theater Arts from Duquesne University, and a Master’s in Health Education from Penn State University. Charli is looking forward to helping students engage with the many resources and opportunities available through UC Libraries and hopes to provide moments of connection and joy for the students and staff.

Welcome, Charli!

Charli Muszynski

From Nazi Germany to the United States: The Werner H. Von Rosenstiel papers at ARB 

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Does the name Werner H. Von Rosenstiel ring a bell? If you have been inside the University of Cincinnati’s Arts & Sciences Hall, it just might. The Werner H. Von Rosenstiel Reading Room is named after a former student who donated his library to the University in 2001. His papers were later donated to the University’s Department of History by Von Rosenstiel’s daughter and were transferred to the Archives and Rare Books Library in 2024 as a part of the German-Americana collection so that the collection could be organized and made accessible for research.  

Photograph of an older Von Rosenstiel sitting at his desk looking down at a piece of paper he is writing on. From 1964
Von Rosenstiel at his desk, 1964. From the Werner H. Von Rosenstiel papers at the Archives and Rare Books Library

ARB is celebrating the publication of the finding aid for the Werner H. Von Rosenstiel papers which can now be accessed online.

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UC Libraries Welcomes Heidi Reis, Social Sciences Librarian

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UC Libraries is excited to welcome Heidi Reis as the new Research & Teaching Social Sciences Librarian. In this role, she will be the selector and liaison for Psychology, Sociology, and the College of Cooperative Education and Professional Studies.

Heidi Reis, Social Sciences Librarian

Heidi comes to us from East Carolina University’s Laupus Health Sciences Library, where she worked as an Information Resources Service Librarian. More specifically, a Liaison Librarian for the Brody School of Medicine. She holds expertise in evidence synthesis methodology, including co-authorship of systematic reviews, meta-analyses and scoping reviews. In addition, she has experience as a peer reviewer for evidence synthesis journal articles.

Outside of the library, she enjoys baking, reading and hiking, and is excited to be living in Cincinnati with family nearby. Welcome, Heidi!

Changes in library hours beginning summer semester

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UC Libraries has reduced operating hours in most locations beginning summer semester and continuing throughout the upcoming academic year. To minimize the impact on library users, reductions are primarily during evening and weekend hours when in-person usage is at its lowest. Digital library services, including Chat Reference, online resources and access to the library catalog will remain available 24/7.  

langsam library

These changes are the result of a reduction to the UC Libraries operating budget and are informed by foot traffic and usage patterns. The budget reduction required eliminating contracted security services and student employee positions, which are necessary to keep the libraries open extended hours. When determining how to adjust operating hours, the Libraries reviewed usage statistics and prioritized retaining currently employed student employees.

We recognize that reduced hours will impact users and are committed to maintaining access to services and support in a digital environment. Library staff and faculty roles remain unchanged.  

Each UC library location will continue to monitor usage and may adjust hours when possible, such as during high-demand periods. A list of library hours by location is posted on the Libraries web site.  

Langsam Library offering extended hours during exams

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Need a place to study for exams? Working late on a class project? The Walter C. Langsam Library has extended building hours beginning Sunday, April 19 through exams. Sunday – Thursday, the building is open until 3am. The Desk@Langsam will maintain regular hours. The Exam hours are listed on the Libraries website.

Good luck, Bearcats, on exams!

studying in langsam library