Angela Jackson joins UC Libraries as the associate to the dean and university librarian

angela jackson

On October 31, 2023, Angela Jackson joined the University of Cincinnati as associate to the dean and university librarian. Angela has been a part of the University of Cincinnati and UC Health organization since 2015, providing executive support to physicians and executive leadership within the College of Medicine for UC Health. Prior to accepting this role, Angela was the executive assistant to the SVP, chief operating officer, and vice president of Physician Network within the Ambulatory administration for UC Health.

Angela is a native of Cincinnati, and in her spare time loves to spend quality time with family, binge watching episodes of HGTV and taking long walks outside while listening to music from the 80’s and 90’s.

Welcome, Angela!

Join UC Libraries in reading and discussing “The Sum of Us”

sum of us

UC Libraries’ RESPECT (Racial Equity Support Programming to Educate the Community Team) is hosting a book club featuring “The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We can Prosper Together” by Heather McGhee starting in January ’24 with monthly online discussions concluding with in an in-person talk in April.

The first 50 people to request a book will receive a physical copy.

In “The Sum of Us:”McGhee embarks on a deeply personal journey across the country from Maine to Mississippi to California, tallying what we lose when we buy into the zero-sum paradigm—the idea that progress for some of us must come at the expense of others. Along the way, she meets white people who confide in her about losing their homes, their dreams, and their shot at better jobs to the toxic mix of American racism and greed. This is the story of how public goods in this country—from parks and pools to functioning schools—have become private luxuries; of how unions collapsed, wages stagnated, and inequality increased; and of how this country, unique among the world’s advanced economies, has thwarted universal healthcare.

Penguin random house

Beginning in January, the book club will meet via Zoom to discuss the text over a series of three Fridays from 10:00-11:00am, January 26, February 23 and March 22. These meetings will culminate in a final wrap-up discussion on Friday, April 5 in-person and facilitated by Sinclair Community College’s Chief Diversity Officer Michael Carter. 

To sign up to participate and be sent more information, fill out this form. The first 50 people to request a book will receive a physical copy. Physical copies and ebook access are also available to check out through UC Libraries. For any additional questions, e-mail Nimisha Bhat at nimisha.bhat@uc.edu.

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

source graphic

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, writes about Creating a shared vision for UC Libraries, and in an interview we learn more about her professional background, immediate goals for the new position and her early impressions of UC Libraries, as well as how she is having fun exploring Cincinnati.

We learn how Mikaila Corday did investigative work to catalog Japanese design books and the Digital Collections Team provides tips on how to digitize your home collections like a pro. We celebrate the return of the She-Wolf (Lupa) statue to Cincinnati and a new book published by the University of Cincinnati Press that focuses on the challenge for non-profits. We recap two recent events held in the Libraries: the Generational Summit and the Data & Poetry / Poetry & Data workshop.

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.

Health Sciences Library Newsletter – October 2023

Explore the news and recent happenings at the HSL with our latest newsletter…

Data, data, data! Data is everywhere and constantly growing – and we are here to help. Join us for the Future directions of Data with UC Data Day, get help with your data with RDS’s student assistant, and learn new skills to work with data with this month’s workshops. Need additional assistance? Let us know!

UC Libraries New Dean

On August 14, 2023 UC Libraries welcomed Elizabeth Kiscaden, MLIS, AHIP, as dean and university librarian. Prior to UC, Kiscaden served as university librarian and assistant vice provost of library services at Creighton University. Read more…

Need help with data?

Saurabh Verma is the new Data Literacy Research Consultant and Graduate Assistant for Research & Data Services. Saurabh will be housed in the Health Sciences Library Informatics Lab and provide research and data services across both the main and medical campuses. Saurabh has a bachelor’s degree in statistics and a master’s degree in economics, both earned from the University of Pune, India. Saurabh Verma is presently enrolled in the MS in Business Analytics program at Lindner College of Business, University of Cincinnati, and he brings to RDS more than seven years of extensive experience in the field of data science and analytics. Throughout his career as a data scientist, he has contributed his expertise to various sectors, including public relations, telecommunications, as well as sales and marketing. Email Saurabh to schedule an appointment.

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On display for Hispanic Heritage Month

Hispanic Heritage Month is observed from September 15th to October 15th to honor the contributions and influences of Hispanic and Latinx cultures of America. A new exhibit on display on the 4th floor lobby of the Walter C. Langsam Library presents information about this month and features books from the collections of UC Libraries.

Origins:

In 1968, President Johnson introduced National Hispanic Heritage Week in the United States. In 1988, President Regan expanded the celebration to last a month in the U.S.

Why is it Important?:

The celebration is designed to recognize the positive impact that Hispanic Americans have left on the country. As of 2020, the Hispanic population in the U.S. is 65.3 million—the largest minority group in the country—and is projected to reach 111 million by 2060, according to the U.S. Census.

The exhibit was curated by Madison Hershiser, resource sharing assistant in the Collection Development Services and Engagement Department. It was designed by Jakob Elliott, communication design co-op student. A bibliography of the books on display is available at the exhibit.

Continue reading

Join us September 27 for the return of Poetry Stacked

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, Sept. 27 at 4:30pm, three poets will read original works.

  • Elijah Guerra is a poet and collage artist whose poetry is forthcoming in DREGINALD and Permafrost and whose collages appear in The Spectacle. They received their PhD in English from University of Missouri, Columbia. They teach rhetoric and composition at University of Cincinnati.
  • Rebecca Griswold’s debut collection of poems, “The Attic Bedroom,” is out now with Milk & Cake Press (2022). Her poems have appeared in Cimarron Review, Superstition Review, Blood Orange Review, Revolute, Pine Mountain Sand & Gravel, among others. She is an MFA candidate at Warren Wilson, and she was a finalist for the River Styx International Poetry Contest. She’d describe herself as equal parts Valentine’s Day and Halloween. She owns and operates White Whale Tattoo alongside her husband in Cincinnati.
  • Asher Marron is a PhD student in poetry at the University of Cincinnati. They hold an MFA from San Francisco State, where they were a William S. Dickey Fellow. Asher’s chapbook, “We were alone together. I forget the rest.”, was the winner of the 2020 San Francisco Pandemic Chapbook Contest. Their book,  “Unbind(ing),” was published in 2018 through Conviction 2 Change Press. Their poems appear in journals including 14 Hills and Transfer Magazine, and the Enfleshed anthology, Held: Blessings for the Depths.

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.

The intent of the series is to enrich and engage the UC campus and Cincinnati communities in accordance with the Libraries’ Strategic Framework and the Next Lives Here Strategic Directions in support of Academic Excellence and Community Engagement. It aligns with the Libraries’ vision as the globally engaged, intellectual commons of the university – positioning ourselves as the hub of collaboration, digital innovation, and scholarly endeavor on campus and beyond.

Can’t make it to Poetry Stacks in person? It will be live streamed via the Elliston Poetry Room’s Instagram. And look for information soon about the November 1st Poetry Stacked.

poetry stacked image

Janell Huyck joins UC Libraries as software applications developer

janell huyck

On August 28, Janell Huyck began work at the University of Cincinnati Libraries as a software applications developer in the Application Development Unit. 

Janell will work with the rest of the Application Development Unit to develop and enhance custom applications and to support other library hosted applications and sites. This additional developer position provides more resources to keep up with increased cybersecurity requirements and to explore more innovative solutions.

Bringing over two-and-a-half years of software development experience to the role, Janell is eager to contribute to the team’s initiatives. A Cincinnati native, Janell attended Sycamore High School before heading to the University of Wyoming for her college education. She returned to Cincinnati in 2018 to be closer to her family. Outside of work, Janell enjoys the company of her two cats and immerses herself in the worlds of sci-fi and fantasy literature. Excited about her new role, she is looking forward to meeting new people and making meaningful contributions to the UC community.

Welcome, Janell!

UC Libraries Closed Labor Day

All University of Cincinnati Libraries locations are closed Monday, Sept. 4 for Labor Day. The Libraries will reopen as scheduled Tuesday, Sept. 5. Have a safe and relaxing holiday.

Marcia Johnson joins UC Libraries as Library Services Supervisor in the Geology-Mathematics-Physics Library

On August 7, Marcia Johnson began work for the University of Cincinnati Libraries in the role of library services supervisor for the Geology-Mathematics-Physics (GMP) Library.

marcia johnson

Marcia will be responsible for overseeing core library operations for the GMP Library. This work includes managing the service desk, responding to user questions and requests for library materials and overseeing the routine maintenance of library collection and spaces. She will supervise student assistants at the GMP Library and assist with the overall supervision of students at the other Science & Engineering Library locations.

Ms. Johnson graduated from Northern Kentucky University (NKU) with a degree in communications and minored in biology and sociology. Prior to accepting this position, she served the past seven years as the library specialist III/ FDLP & ASERL coordinator – government documents/intellectual property & copyright (USPTRC – United States Patent & Trade Resource Center) at the W. Frank Steely Library at NKU. For 16 years, she was also the coordinating manager of the Steely Library Media Collections and SWON Media Specialist, managing the daily operations, access and circulation of Steely’s media library and SWON’s media collection. Marcia brings extensive experience in library operations and student supervision, as well as several library related certifications.

Welcome, Marcia, to the Science & Engineering Library, UC Libraries and all of UC!

Open show-and-tell sessions: What’s in your VR closet?

There is growing interest and development in Virtual Reality (VR) for use in immersive education and training, collaboration and communication, as well as for enhancing teaching and learning. Within the University of Cincinnati there are VR activities found throughout campus, including in the College of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning (DAAP), the College of Medicine and in Game Design, as well as in UC’s Digital Futures facility.

woman experimenting with virtual reality

To showcase some of these VR activities, UC Libraries is holding a series of open sessions with distinguished speakers from UC’s Digital Futures who will share their work, research and innovations in VR. There are three sessions open to all.

Tuesday, September 19, 3pm

Chris Collins, Director, Center for Simulations & Virtual Environments Research

Thursday, October 12, 3pm

Professor Ming Tang, Director, XR-Lab

Thursday, November 16, 3pm

Professor Alejandro Lozano Robledo, Future Mobility Design (FMD) Lab

Venue: All three sessions will be held in the Walter C. Langsam Library, Room 475

All are welcome and light snacks will be provided.