Tag Archives: staff

UC Libraries names Brian Gray Associate Dean of Collections

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brian gray

Brian Gray will join the University of Cincinnati Libraries on October 21, 2024 as associate dean of collections. In this role, he will join the Libraries’ senior leadership team to be a part of a continuing transformation, working to realize our mission and strategic directions. Gray will be responsible for managing general collections, preservation, special collections and archives within UC Libraries. In addition, he’ll serve as the senior administrator for the Archives & Rare Books Library, John Miller Burnam Classics Library and the Albino Gorno Memorial (CCM) Library.

Gray has an M.B.A in organizational development & leadership from Case Western Reserve University, a masters of library and information science from Kent State University with a focus on management, and a B.S. in chemical engineering from the University of Akron. He comes to UC from Case Western Reserve University where he served as the collection strategies librarian. Previous roles include the team leader of research services, research services librarian of chemical and bio-molecular engineering and macro-molecular science, as well as head of reference.

“I look forward to working with Brian and welcome him to the UC community,” said Liz Kiscaden, dean and university librarian. “His experience and knowledge of OhioLINK, collection development, reference and research will make him a wonderful associate dean for collections especially as we embark on implementing our new strategic plan.”

“Finding My Space:” Meshia Anderson recounts her experience at this summer’s IDEAL conference

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By Meshia Anderson, interlibrary loan specialist, UC Libraries

Equity, Inclusion, Accessibility and Belonging are often terms associated with those in marginalized communities. Finding a space that allows one to be authentic, feel a sense of belonging and add value to the lives of others is what I set out to do. Just over a year ago, I sought to find unique professional development opportunities that would allow me to serve as a key contributor to Equity and Inclusion practices, enhance current skills and adapt new ones and contribute to the support of marginalized communities.

IDEAL Conference 2024, Association of Research Libraries, ARL, Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel, Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility in Libraries & Archives (IDEAL) Conference. Photo by Harry Choi.

As a result of my pursuit, I was selected to serve as member of the ARL/IDEAL Conference Planning Task Force and to additionally serve as Production Committee Co-chair. The Association of Research Libraries (ARL) offered a great opportunity for me to connect with those exhibiting my same passion for Equity and Inclusion practices. The task force consisted of 10 members outside of ARL, primarily deans and department heads, in addition to multiple ARL directors, which presented a significantly inclusive experience for me. More than 70 volunteers across the United States and Canadian Universities, along with additional ARL staff, contributed to the conference success serving well over 500 attendees.

My role as a task force member allowed me the opportunity to provide suggestions and/or feedback for the conference working groups as conference plans progressed. The Production Team in particular was responsible for overall onsite conference support. As co-chair, I oversaw all aspects of onsite conference check-in and information support locations throughout the conference, providing training for multiple shifts in those work spaces and providing support for my co-chair who oversaw most other volunteer spaces. Initial training lead by ARL leadership for task force members and volunteers helped to establish conference standards and safety expectations.

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UC Libraries Names Jéanne Brooks Associate Dean for Operations and User Services

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jeanne brooks

Jéanne Brooks will join the University of Cincinnati Libraries on September 30, 2024, as the new associate dean for operations and user services. In this role, she will have managerial responsibility for circulation, reserves, interlibrary loan, facilities and the user experience.

Brooks has an MBA in marketing from the University of Tennessee and an EdD in organizational leadership from the University of La Verne. She comes to UC from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, where she served as the senior director of library operations and development. In this role, she led staff and student assistants across five library units as well as communication, fundraising and facilities projects.

While at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, Brooks implemented operational excellence principles, leading to improved efficiency and service quality, equitable library policies and higher employee morale. She also oversaw student-centered facility projects, including a new Graduate Resource Center, pop-up instruction space, tech lending storage and the Maker Studio expansion.

“I look forward to working with Jéanne and welcome her to the UC community,” said Liz Kiscaden, dean and university librarian. “As we embark on a new strategic plan, her expertise and background will be a true asset as we work collaboratively to advance the mission of UC Libraries.”

Alex Temple officially joins UC Libraries as Reference Services Coordinator in the Archives and Rare Books Library

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The Archives and Rare Books (ARB) Library is pleased to announce that Alex Temple has transitioned to the position of reference services coordinator effective September 9, 2024. Alex has worked as a contract archivist at ARB since September 2021 working on many projects, including the archival processing of the Al Gerhardstein papers, coordinating an inventory of the rare books collection, providing reference services and supervising student employees.  

alex temple

In his new role, Alex will be responsible for coordinating reference services at ARB, both in-person and remote, managing the reading room to ensure professional and prompt service to visiting researchers, providing primary source instruction, creating subject guides and outreach tools for ARB’s collections and scheduling and supervising student employees.

Alex is a familiar face around the University of Cincinnati Libraries, first helping out in the Preservation Lab in 2013 before moving to ARB and the Henry R. Winkler Center for the History of the Health Professions. It’s safe to say Alex has a thorough knowledge of our archives and special collections. Welcome, officially, to Alex! 

University of Cincinnati Libraries Seeks Two Associate Deans

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The University of Cincinnati Libraries is currently seeking two Associate Deans (AD) to join the senior leadership team and be a part of continuing the transformation of the research library at the university. As a member of the senior leadership team, the ADs work collaboratively to realize the UC Libraries vision and strategic directions.

Associate Dean for Collections

The Associate Dean for Collections champions the implementation of the UC Libraries strategic plan and takes responsibility for meeting goals pertaining to collection management, preservation and special collections. The AD has programmatic, strategic, budgetary, managerial and operational responsibilities for the following libraries and departments in the University of Cincinnati Libraries: Collections, Content Services, Preservation, the Archives & Rare Books Library, Classics Library and College-Conservatory of Music Library.

Essential Functions

  • Collaborates with the Dean and senior leaders to identify UC Libraries’ needs, establish priorities, and develop goals, objectives, actions and measures of success. 
  • Leads the overall strategy and direction for units associated with collections, including acquisitions, metadata, digital projects and digitization, e-resource management, physical collections management and preservation.  
  • Develops and implements policies, procedures and best practices surrounding collection development and content strategy, including acquisition, licensing, description, preservation and withdrawal. 
  • Promotes the accessibility and use of special collections and archives to provide distinctive materials for learning and research. 
  • Plans and administers UC Libraries’ collections budget; collaborates with the business office and Content Services on budget reporting, monitoring and forecasting, invoice payment and fiscal year open/close. 
  • Determines budget allocations for UCL selectors and offers direction on budgets, renewals and licensing, vendor relations and related topics. 
  • Serves as the primary contact for vendors around a wide range of collections and related items paid on collections funds. 
  • Collaborates with internal UC offices, such as the Office of General Counsel, on processing license agreements and contracts related to collections. 
  • Collaborates with the UC Controller’s Office and Enterprise Risk Management regarding library collections valuation and statistics for the purpose of capital asset calculation and property insurance determination.


Associate Dean for Operations and User Services

The Associate Dean for Operations and User Services has programmatic, strategic, budgetary, managerial and operational responsibilities for the following libraries and departments in the University of Cincinnati Libraries: circulation, reserves, interlibrary loan, facilities and user experience. 

Essential Functions

  • Collaborates with the Dean and senior leaders to identify needs, establish priorities, and develop goals, objectives, actions and measures of success. 
  • Leads the overall strategy and direction of UC Libraries operations and user services, including administering policies, procedures and best practices. 
  • Leads daily operations for service desks, stacks maintenance, reserves processing, resource sharing and physical spaces. 
  • Drives the continuous improvement of user experiences throughout UC Libraries spaces – both physical and virtual.
  • Develops and oversees UC Libraries data collection and analysis, including reporting to national and institutional surveys. 
  • Fosters a culture of evidence-based decision-making through ongoing assessment of library operations and user experience. 
  • Recruits, hires, evaluates, develops and retains multiple faculty and staff that meet or exceed user expectations. 
  • Achieves organizational effectiveness through the successful management of financial and personnel resources. 
  • Fosters a culture of excellence through creating a respectful workplace environment. 
  • Chairs and serves on committees related to areas of responsibility or assigned by the Dean. 
  • Represents UC Libraries at regional, national and global professional engagements with the expectation of raising UC Library’s visibility and reputation. 

More information on both AD positions, including qualifications and how to apply, are available on the UC Libraries web site.

Meet the newest Preservation Lab staff members at the Open House May 2nd

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Meet the newest two Preservation Lab staff members, Matt and Nicole, at the annual Open House on Thursday, May 2, 2024, 2-4pm, Walter C. Langsam Library 300 Level.

In May of 2023, Matthew McCoy joined the Preservation Lab as a conservation specialist with over seven years of library experience with the Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library collections. He received a MLIS from San Jose University. Additionally, Matt comes with experience in construction and remodeling, bringing his ability to perform detailed work requiring manual dexterity in a variety of forms. Matt is also an accomplished jazz double-bassist with a B.A. in music performance from Northern Kentucky University, and he still performs in his spare time. 

matt mccoy
nicole browning

Nicole Browning joined the Preservation Lab March 18, 2024 as a conservation assistant. Nicole holds a BA in anthropology from Eastern Kentucky University. Her background with collections and exhibits include experience at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science and the Cincinnati Museum Center. Most recently, Nicole has worked as a library customer adviser at the Bond Hill Branch at the Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library. In her personal time, she crochets and rides horses.

Meet Matt and Nicole, along with the rest of the talented people who work in the Preservation Lab, at their upcoming Open House on Thursday, May 2 from 2pm-4pm as they celebrate Preservation Week. Located in the 300 Level of the Walter C. Langsam Library, the Preservation Lab’s Open House theme is “Back to Basics” and will feature samples of their work, opportunities to meet and greet preservation colleagues and cookies!

preservation lab graphic

Janell Huyck joins UC Libraries as software applications developer

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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!

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

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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!

Welcome Elizabeth Kiscaden, Dean and University Librarian

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Today we officially welcome our new dean and university librarian Elizabeth Kiscaden on her first day at the University of Cincinnati Libraries.

Dean Kiscaden comes to UC from Creighton University where she was university librarian and assistant vice provost of library services. While at Creighton, she worked to modernize legacy library systems and infrastructure to support an anytime, anywhere, any device philosophy and oversaw the development of a single library enterprise, bringing together campus and health sciences libraries. She has extensive experience administering large grants and library services to support academic programs, faculty teaching and student learning. Her research largely focuses on consumer health information.

Read Source for the news, events, people and happenings in UC Libraries

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

In this issue of Source, we announce our updated Strategic Framework – NEXT Directions. We celebrate Mikaila Corday receiving the 2022 Marian Spencer Ambassador Award for Staff and meet OhioLINK Luminaries intern Marvin Jones. We look back at three recent big events – the Oesper Musuem’s receipt of National Landmark designation, the six-part lecture series The Illustrated Human: The Impact of Andreas Vesalius and the ever-popular International Edible Books Festival. Finally, we look forward to Preservation Week with a sneak peek of The Preservation Lab.

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.