UC Libraries and the Digital Scholarship Center Host Third Annual THATCamp May 1-3

thatcamp
Registration is now open for THATCamp University of Cincinnati 2017, scheduled for May 1-3 in the Walter C. Langsam Library Digital Commons space on the 4th floor.

THATCamp (The Humanities and Technology Camp) is an unconference – an open meeting where humanists and technologists of all skill levels and interests gather to learn and to build together in sessions proposed on the spot. THATCamp University of Cincinnati 2017 is free and open to all, including undergraduate and graduate students, faculty and staff as well as scholars, archivists, museum professionals, developers and programmers, K-12 teachers and administrators from within and outside UC who have an involvement or interest in digital humanities. THATCamp’s are open and online. Participants make sure to share their notes, documents, pictures and other materials from discussions before and after the event on the web and via social media. In addition, attendees will have the opportunity to learn more about UC’s first Digital Scholarship Center, a newly launched partnership with UC Libraries and the McMicken College of Arts and Sciences (A&S), with co-directors Arlene Johnson and James Lee. Continue reading

UC Press Joins Association of American University Presses

press logo

The University of Cincinnati Press has been accepted as an introductory member of the Association of American University Presses (AAUP) effectively immediately.

Founded in 1937, the Association of American University Presses (AAUP) is a membership organization of nonprofit scholarly publishers located around the world. The mission of the AAUP is to “assist its members through professional education, cooperative services, and public advocacy.” AAUP advocates for university presses on matters of free speech, academic freedom, copyright, and other core issues.

“The publishing industry continues to change as supply chain and user needs become increasingly varied. Having a resource as specialized as AAUP will provide the University of Cincinnati Press with unparalleled support as we move forward with our publishing program,” said Elizabeth Scarpelli, press director. “The network of directors and press staff that we join provide a level of professional support and expertise that surpasses even the largest publishing organizations today.” Continue reading

Annual Cecil Striker Society Lecture May 4 to Highlight African American Doctors in Cincinnati

cecil striker

The Henry R. Winkler Center for the History of the Health Professions and the Cecil Striker Society for the History of Medicine will host the Cecil Striker Society Annual Lecture from 5-7:30 p.m. on Thurs, May 4, in the Kresge Auditorium, Medical Sciences Building, 231 Albert Sabin Way.

This year’s lecture will consist of a panel discussion by prominent African American physicians and is titled “African American Physicians in Cincinnati: Past, Present and Future.”  Moderated by Dr. Elbert Nelson, the panelists will include Drs. Chester Pryor, Charles Dillard, Camille C. Graham and Christopher Lewis.

The evening will include the talk from 5-6 p.m., followed by Q&A and a reception at 6:30 p.m. In addition, an exhibit of the same name will be on display in the Lucas Board Room in the Winkler Center.

The Cecil Striker Lecture is free and open to the public, but RSVP’s are requested to (513) 558-5120 or chhp@uc.edu. Continue reading

New Exhibit, “Writing UC’s Past,” Combines Flash Fiction with Historic Photographs

class lecture

From the Archives and Rare Books Library

A new exhibit on display on the 5th floor lobby of Langsam Library features original pieces of flash fiction describing historic images from the collections of UC’s Archives and Rare Books Library.

Flash fiction is a term to describe writing that is extremely brief, typically only a few hundred words or fewer in its entirety. The three pieces in the exhibit average only 300 words but are rich in content. Continue reading

Welcome, Nick Wantsala, Technology and Equipment Specialist

We are pleased to announce that Nick Wantsala joined the Research, Teaching and Services (RTS) Department on March 27 as the technology and equipment specialist for The Desk @ Langsam.

Nick Wantsala

Nick Wantsala

Nick comes to UC…from UC. Nick joined the old Circulation and Multimedia Services Department in 2011 as a student assistant. He was promoted to senior student assistant during his time with the department and helped many fellow student assistants throughout the strategic merge of departments that resulted in The Desk @ Langsam. Nick has interned at Fox19 and was the president of the UC African Students Association. After graduating in 2015 with a degree in communications, Nick joined RTS as a temporary student supervisor, then became the temporary employee for the old equipment assistant position.

As the technology and equipment specialist, Nick will manage daily operations of the circulating equipment collection and the Center for Excellence in eLearning’s faculty and staff mobile technology collection. His primary responsibilities will be the circulation, maintenance, inventory, and the education of and communication with users in relation to these materials. Nick will also be collaborating with librarians working on eLearning and digital literacy, as well as providing user services Monday-Friday at The Desk @ Langsam. He will work with staff in RTS, ILS, the STRC, Library IT, and CEeL to further investigate and curate new technologies and devices that will best aid our students as they engage in cutting edge learning.

Provost Technology Innovation Award to Fund Data Visualization across Disciplines

The Provost Technology Innovation Award will fund visualization technology for faculty and students to communicate knowledge in graphical form.

data visualtion wall

Vendor supplied photograph of a data visualization wall.

The Office of the Provost has provided more than $1.3 million in funding to collaborating departments and groups across UC, helping each of them push the university community to new academic heights. UC Libraries, partnering with the College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning, the Carl H. Lindner College of Business and IT@UC  was one of four Technology Innovation Award recipients recently announced with the successful proposal “Data Visualization Across Disciplines: Digital Literacy for the University of Cincinnati’s Third Century.” These partners will work together to invest in the development of an interdisciplinary undergraduate certificate in data visualization; training students to communicate complex data by placing it in a visual context. This cross-college program will incorporate coursework designed and team-taught by faculty, blending multiple perspectives on data visualization to a wide range of students. Data visualization is an emerging art and science that has changed people’s relationship with information. It harnesses new technologies to communicate knowledge in graphical form by merging aesthetic form with analytical function to present large and complex datasets in an intuitive and human-interpretable fashion.

From the Provost Office Announcement – As the University of Cincinnati moves toward its Bicentennial in 2019, the Office of the Provost supports academic and technological innovation keeping our university’s educational mission core to what we do and who we are at UC. This is the drive behind the Provost Technology Innovation Awards program, which funds projects developed by faculty and students who collaborate between colleges and discrete disciplines to support interdisciplinary projects that turn original ideas into reality. “At UC we have a strong, shared commitment to the continued modernization of the learning experience,” says Interim UC Provost Peter Landgren. “It is a pleasure to see the spirit of partnership change and improve the academic journey at the university through collaborative ideas like the ones funded through this program.”

Continue reading

Hungry? Bite into an Edible Book with UC Libraries

Celebrate books good enough to eat at the International Edible Books Festival set for 1 p.m., Tuesday, April 4, Langsam Library 5th floor lobby.

To Kill a Mockingbird

To Kill a Mockingbird

The University of Cincinnati Libraries will celebrate the International Edible Books Festival with an event scheduled from 1-2 p.m., on Tuesday, April 4, in the fifth floor lobby of Langsam Library.

At the event, nearly 20 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 edible titles such as “Me Cookie.” Best sellers “Fifty Shades of Grey” and “The Manual of Detection” are represented along with favorite children’s books “Charlotte’s Web,” “Ten Little Ladybugs” and “Where do Balloons Go?” among other literary greats.

Interested in creating an edible book? E-mail melissa.norris@uc.edu by Tuesday, March 28 with your name and the title of your creation. Continue reading

Digital Archivist Eira Tansey Named an Archives Leadership Institute Cohort

Eira Tansey

Eira Tansey

Eira Tansey, digital archivist and records manager in the Archives and Rare Books Library, has been selected as an ALI17 cohort member. The Archives Leadership Institute (ALI) is a program funded by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC), a statutory body affiliated with the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), and is being hosted at Berea College for the years 2016-18. ALI will provide advanced training for 25 archival leaders each year, giving them the knowledge and tools to transform the profession in practice, theory and attitude.

“The Archives Leadership Institute is a well-regarded program in the American archives profession that brings together archivists of diverse backgrounds and work experiences to learn leadership skills together at a week-long institute every summer,” said Eira. “All ALI participants commit to working on a practicum at their home institution, and I have committed to working on increasing documentation of student life within University Archives at the Archives and Rare Books Library.”

Eira joins an elite group attending ALI as only 25 people are accepted each year. More about the Archives Leadership Institute is available on its website.

Welcome, Rebecka Lindau, Head of the Classics Library

Classics Library Reading Room

Classics Library Reading Room

We are pleased to announce that Dr. Rebecka Lindau started March 1 as the Head of the John Miller Burnam Classical Library.

Rebecka comes to UC Libraries from the Lorenzo de Medici Institute and the Center for Ancient Mediterranean and Near Eastern Studies (Marist College Branch Campus) where she has been a Lecturer in Classical Studies since the Fall of 2015.  Prior to that she worked at the American Academy in Rome Library. From 2011 to 2013 she was responsible for the digital development of that library and its web design and maintenance. From 2007 to 2011, she was the Drue Heiz Librarian, responsible for the staff, collections (including rare books and manuscripts), selection, preservation, access, circulation, technical services, research consultation, digitization, web design, guides and tutorials. From 2001 to 2007, Rebecka was a subject specialist  for Classics, Hellenic Studies, Linguistics and German at Princeton University and prior to that, from 1997 to 2001 she was subject specialist for Classics, Hellenic Studies and Philosophy at New York University. Continue reading