Margaux Patel Joins UC Libraries as the Business and Data Analytics Librarian

On Monday, May 14, Margaux (Maggie) Patel started work at the University of Cincinnati Libraries as the business and data analytics librarian. She will be a part of the Walter C. Langsam Library’s Research and Teaching Service Department.

Maggie comes to UC from the American Financial Group in downtown Cincinnati where she was a research specialist.  At American Financial she prepared reports for the other staff at the company using many of the business databases we also have at UC Libraries.  She worked with data and helped the staff organize and analyze their data.  She taught instruction workshops, and made e-learning objects using Articulate Storyline software.  Maggie taught at Brown Macke College and worked at law firms before American Financial.

Welcome to UC Libraries, Maggie!

UC Libraries Names Brad Warren Associate Dean of Library Services

Xuemao Wang, dean and university librarian, announces that Brad Warren will join the University of Cincinnati Libraries as the associate dean of library services starting August 3, 2018.

Brad comes to UC Libraries from Yale University where he has served as the director of access service for Sterling Memorial and Bass Libraries since March 2009. Prior to Yale, Brad held various librarian positions at the University of North Carolina Charlotte J. Murrey Atkins Library and North Carolina State University Libraries. He received his BA in comparative literature and history from Indiana University and his Masters in library science from Indiana University.

Brad will be a member of the Dean’s Cabinet and his leadership portfolio will include Langsam Library’s Research, Teaching and Services Department, the Robert A. Deshon and Karl J. Schlachter Library for Design, Architecture, Art and Planning, the Albino Gorno Memorial Music Library, the John Miller Burnam Classics Library and the College of Education, Criminal Justice and Human Services Library.

Welcome to UC Libraries, Brad!

Richard Johansen Joins UC Libraries as Data Visualization Specialist

richard in front of visualization wall

Richard poses in front of the Visualization Wall.

On Monday, April 23,  Richard Johansen started work in the Geology-Mathematics-Physics Library as Data Visualization Specialist.

Richard is already a fellow UC Bearcat, previously serving as a Research Assistant in the College of Arts and Sciences’ Department of Geography and GIS. He has worked on a host of interdisciplinary projects, and has a wealth of experience in spatial and data analyses using a variety of analytical and visualization software. Richard is currently a PhD candidate in UC’s Geography and GIS Department, and holds a BS in geosciences and a MA in geography and planning. Outside of work, he is an avid traveler, bizarre food lover and self-described space nerd.

As the Data Visualization Specialist, Richard joins the Science and Engineering Libraries unit and the Researcher Services team.  He will develop a distinctive program of support in data visualization that will enable innovations in teaching and research.  As part of this work, he will manage the new Visualization Laboratory located in the Geology-Mathematics-Physics Library, including its operations and technology.  More broadly, he will be a resource and consultant for faculty and scholars on visual thinking and data visualization techniques and software.

Welcome, Richard, to UC Libraries!

Libraries’ Proposal to Encourage Diversity in the Library Profession Awarded an Equity & Inclusion Incentive Grant

regina bourne

Regina Bourne (center), Library Human Resources and Organizational Development Director, is presented with the grant award. UC/ Joseph Fuqua II

The University of Cincinnati Libraries were awarded an Equity & Inclusion Incentive Grant for the proposal “Exploring the Diverse Career Paths within Libraries,” which aims to introduce and educate minority high school students to the academic library profession for the purpose of attracting them into the profession.

Submitted by UC Libraries, in collaboration with Cincinnati Public Schools, University of Cincinnati Admissions, and partners within the library, the grant will support the creation of two half-day programs for up to 60 college-bound high school minority students from local area schools. Throughout the course of the day, the students will: take a tour of the library; meet faculty and staff with a range of skills and educational backgrounds; engage in learning activities related to library professions; learn about the experiences of student workers currently employed by the library; and gain an understanding of the multitude of career options the library has to offer.

This outreach initiative will address the current trend of retiring librarians, introduce students to diverse disciplines and cultivate interest in the library profession among the visiting students. It will also show how IT skills can be used in the library profession and educate the student visitors about library student worker jobs. Student visitors will be given flash drives uploaded with additional information about libraries to continue to engage them after the day is over.

UC Libraries’ faculty, staff and student workers who help to facilitate the program will gain valuable experience and professional development in diversity and inclusion.

The university’s Equity & Inclusion Incentive Grant program seeks to support collaborative efforts between colleges and units to enhance diversity and inclusion through innovative practices that align with the goals and objectives in the Diversity Plan.

UC Librarians and Staff Member Selected to Participate in Library Leadership Ohio 2018

Congratulations to UC’s Hong Cheng, Craig Person and Michelle McKinney on their selection to participate in Library Leadership Ohio 2018!

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The State Library of Ohio and OhioNET are pleased to announce the cohort of developing leaders selected to participate in Library Leadership Ohio 2018. Participants were carefully chosen based on their outstanding leadership potential; excellent communication skills; successful library employment experience; initiative, commitment and reasonable risk taking; forward-thinking approach to problem solving; and commitment to the profession.

“Library Leadership Ohio has long been recognized as Ohio’s premier institute for helping future leaders identify and develop their skills.  It is gratifying to look around the state and see LLO graduates in key leadership positions throughout Ohio’s library community,” expressed State Librarian Beverly Cain. “I look forward to meeting the 2018 Library Leadership Ohio class and working with them to lead Ohio’s libraries to even greater levels of achievement.”

“OhioNET is pleased to partner again with the State Library of Ohio to facilitate development of the next generation of library leaders in Ohio.  We have been working since last fall to make sure that LLO 2018 gives the greatest opportunities for invited attendees to learn from—and with—each other, and to further develop strong ties across library types,” said OhioNET Executive Director/CEO Michael P. Butler.  “Library Leadership Ohio is a tremendous example of what collaboration can do for the benefit of the entire Ohio library community, and I am grateful to all who have helped to make LLO 2018 a reality.” Continue reading

Libraries’s Business Office Welcomes Two New People

Debbie Myree, director of business affairs, announced today two new additions to the UC Libraries’s Business Office.  Christopher A. Zonker joined the office Mon, February 26 and Dorcas Gichuru will begin on Thurs, March 1, 2018.

Chris comes to UC Libraries from General Cable Corporation and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration/Accounting from the University of Cincinnati. He has a solid Accounts Payable background and a record of providing accuracy and attention to detail, which he used to automate key processes on two major projects during his career.  His experience in driving vendor compliance, invoice processing, month-end closing, financial reporting, Concur p-card transactions and working directly with customers, positions him to be successful in the Business and HR Operations.

Dorcas joins the Libraries from the College of Medicine, and her breadth of experience includes higher education, publishing and healthcare industries.  In addition to strong analytics and communication skills, she has demonstrated knowledge of SAP, UC Flex Business Warehouse, Concur and University of Cincinnati Financial Policies. Dorcas’s experience in fund accounting, financial reporting, budgeting, journal entries, deposits and PCR’s will be an asset to Business and HR Operations.

Welcome to UC Libraries, Chris and Dorcas.

Happy Year of the Dog!

This weekend, the Greater Cincinnati Chinese Chamber of Commerce hosted their annual Lunar New Year Gala. I was happy to attend, along with many of my UC colleagues.

Some of you may remember that the Walter C. Langsam Library hosted its own Lunar New Year celebration in 2015. I always welcome the opportunity to celebrity this important Chinese holiday. Happy Year of the Dog!

Me and my wife Wendy, along with some of my UC Libraries colleagues

UC Libraries’ Global Services Librarian Hong Cheng (center, in red dress) with a group of our JCI partners from College of Engineering and Applied Science

 

 

Join Us for Poetry at a Glance “Black History through Poetry”

phillis wheatleyIn celebration of Black History Month, UC Libraries is holding an event featuring poetry and poet Phillis Wheatley, the first published African-American poet.

February 22, 2:00 – 3:30pm

462 Langsam Library

At the event, Kevin Grace, head of the Archives and Rare Books Library and university archivist, will present the Phillis Wheatley Poetry Book, part of the library’s rare books collection. Following, there will be poetry readings by UC students, staff and guests. Those in attendance can also enjoy a taste of cultural cuisine. The event is free and open to all.

Phillis Wheatley (1753-1784) is the first African American, and one of the first women, to publish a book of poetry in the colonies in 1773. At the age of eight, she was kidnapped from West Africa, enslaved and sold to a family in Boston where her owner’s wife and children taught her to read and write English, Greek and Latin.  She published her first poem at the age of 12.

A table display featuring African-American poets and poetry is on display on the 4th floor of Langsam. A bibliography of the works on display is available online.

Read UC Libraries 2016/17 Progress Report: Transforming People

progress report coverRead the University of Cincinnati Libraries 2016/17 Progress Report: Transforming People. In addition to providing an update on the news, events and stats from the previous academic year, the report celebrates UC Libraries’ most valuable resource – our people.

It is people who create a lasting impact on library operations, innovation and growth, and who implement and inspire lasting change. From essential library operations to innovative services, everything the Libraries has accomplished this past academic year is because of the hard work, dedication and creativity of the librarians and staff, as well as through collaborations and support of students, donors, faculty, researchers and university administrators.

The Progress Report is available online at https://issuu.com/uclibraries/docs/uclannualprogressreport16_17.

Questions? Request a print copy? Email melissa.norris@uc.edu

Happy Reading!

Digital Archivist Eira Tansey to Give Keynote Address at Digital Preservation Forum Wednesday

Eira Tansey

Eira Tansey

Eira Tansey, digital archivist/records manager in the Archives and Rare Books Library, will deliver a keynote address at the Digital Library Federation’s (DLF) Digital Preservation Forum from 4-5 pm on Wednesday, Oct. 25. DLF keynotes feature speakers doing work around contemporary issues in librarianship and cultural heritage (see 2016’s speakers). Eira’s talk, titled “The Necessary Knowledge,” will focus on the connections between record keeping and environmental protection, using Pittsburgh’s environmental history – where DLF is taking place – as a backdrop.

Logistical details:

Wednesday, October 25, 4-5 pm. This is the opening keynote for National Digital Stewardship Alliance’s Digital Preservation 2017: “Preservation is Political,” which is hosted by the Digital Library Federation and taking place in Pittsburgh.

Live stream link: https://forum2017.diglib.org/livestream-recordings/

Speaker page: https://forum2017.diglib.org/speakers/eira-tansey/

Eira Tansey is the digital archivist and records manager at the University of Cincinnati’s Archives and Rare Books Library. She has previously written about Cincinnati’s public libraries, the visibility and compensation of archivist’s labor and the effects of climate change on archival practice. She is currently collaborating on a Society of American Archivists foundation grant to develop a comprehensive data set of American archives locations in order to aid future spatial analysis of the field, and researching environmental regulatory record keeping.

The National Digital Stewardship Alliance, hosted by the Digital Library Federation, is a consortium of more than 220 partnering organizations, including universities, professional associations, businesses, government agencies and nonprofit organizations, all committed to the long-term preservation of digital information. Members work together to preserve access to our national digital heritage.