The Nook Open House – Oct 22

Join us on October 22, 2025 from 2:30 pm – 4:30 pm to celebrate the opening of The Nook located in the UCBA Library. Enjoy snacks and refreshments while exploring the new wellness space designed to help you take a break, reflect, and recharge. All attendees will receive a gift bag with wellness tips.

New Nook area filled with comfy seating and quiet activities like fidget spinners on tables. A handwritten sign saying Welcome to the Nook is shown on the whiteboard behind the furniture.

The Nook is free and open to all UC Blue Ash students, faculty, and staff. We look forward to welcoming you to this calming space in our library! Learn more about The Nook by visiting: libraries.uc.edu/libraries/ucba/reservations-spaces/nook.html

A long white table is topped with puzzles in progress and a sign in a signholder listing information about the new Nook area.

UCBA Library’s June Spotlight: Art

by Christian Boyles

The UCBA Library is excited to showcase titles in our collection which we hope will be of interest.  We will feature different genres, authors, or themes, so watch for new titles at the start of each month. Spotlight titles can be found at the Library’s Information Desk. 

Book covers of the June titles.

June’s Spotlight is Art!  

Interested in more titles about Art? Ask Us! 

UCBA Library’s March Spotlight: Memoirs

by Christian Boyles

The UCBA Library is excited to showcase titles in our collection which we hope will be of interest.  We will feature different genres, authors, or themes, so watch for new titles at the start of each month. Spotlight titles can be found at the Library’s Information Desk.

book covers

March’s Spotlight is Memoirs.

  • Poet Warrior by Joy Harlo
  • Daring to Drive by Manal Al-Sharif
  • Ordinary Girls by Jaquira Diaz
  • Where the Past Begins by Amy Tan

Interested in more titles? Ask Us!

Celebrating UC Blue Ash Faculty Achievements: Life of the Mind’s Artists, Authors, Editors and Composers 

by Lauren Wahman and Heather Maloney 

The Life of the Mind lecture and Artists, Authors, Editors & Composers event took place on February 22, 2022. As part of the UCBA Library’s research-sharing efforts, we’re celebrating the selected works submitted this year from UCBA faculty. Visit Life of the Mind for the online exhibit, bibliography, and event recording. 

Cover of Revista Matemática Iberoamericana

David Freeman, Professor
Math, Physics, & Computer Science
Fun Fact: David presented this research topic at the UCBA Library’s 3rd Annual Faculty Research Lightning Talks event. 

 

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UCBA Library Services During Spring 2022 Remote Start Period

Given the university’s shift to online operations, we wanted to provide you with updates to the UCBA Library’s services and support beginning today through Friday, January 21st. We will revert to regular spring semester operations on Monday, January 24th.

The UCBA Library facility is closed as of Wednesday, January 5th through Friday, January 21st; however, we do have drop-in hours from 9a-5p Monday-Friday as well as virtual support (see below for options). Hallway signage instructs visitors on how to contact us when they arrive, so that we can meet them at our library staff door (ex. laptop or materials pick-up/returns).

Laptops are available for UCBA students with an initial check-out until March 11th. Students can return and renew the laptop by that due date for the rest of the semester.

Calculators and Course Reserve Materials are available for check-out through January 25th. During this time, we will not be issuing short term loans (e.g. 4 hours, 3 days). Calculators and course reserve materials will be given a due date of Tuesday, January 25th. These items will revert to their designated short term loan period after their return.

Important Reminder: A Bearcat ID or acceptable alternative ID (e.g. driver’s license) is required to check out items.

Virtual Services/Support available Monday-Friday 9a-5p

UCBA Library Research Labs Offers Direct Help from Librarians

Get research help from UCBA librarians. In this one hour working session, you can ask specific questions about your research assignment. It’s open to all UCBA students and for any individual or group research assignments. Registration is required and you can join any time during the session. Be sure to bring your research assignment.

Dates and Times

  • Tuesday, October 12, 10-11 am (Zoom)
  • Wednesday, October 20, 2-3 pm (In-Person, Muntz Hall 117).

Reserve Your Spot

Register for these research labs by using this registration link. The Zoom link will be sent to the same email you used to register. For the in-person session, bring your device with you.

Resources for Faculty Research

by Lauren Wahman

scrabble tiles spell out the word research

Photo Credit: Pixabay

Whether it’s discipline-specific, creative, or a classroom-based research project, we’re getting you started with a newly redesigned Faculty Research Guide. To help with specific research needs, schedule an online research consultation with your department’s library faculty liaison. Or, find research-focused online workshops through the UC Libraries Calendar and the Faculty Enrichment Center’s Program Calendar.  Finally, watch for a special 4th Annual Faculty Research Lightning Talks blog post in the spring that will showcase faculty scholarship. 

UCBA Library Hours Update and Chat Expansion

The UCBA Library has been assessing use of the library space since reopening on August 17th. As a result of this assessment, beginning Monday, October 5th, through November 25th, the UCBA Library hours for in-person and virtual services will be Monday – Friday 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

In addition to our physical library open hours change on October 5th, we will be expanding our live chat hours to match these open library hours from Monday – Friday 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Celebrating UC Blue Ash’s Artists, Authors, Editors and Composers

by Lauren Wahman and Heather Maloney

The Life of the Mind lecture and Artists, Authors, Editors & Composers combined event took place on September 22, 2020. As a follow up, the UCBA Library celebrates selected works submitted this year from UCBA faculty and staff. In case you missed it, please visit Life of the Mind for the online exhibit, bibliography, and event recording.

David Hartz | Associate Professor | Electronic Media Communications Department

Description of My Creative Process: This new body of work is titled, “Drawing Water.” This series consists of drawings of various water sources I have seen in and around Ohio. I became interested in this subject matter after seeing Leonardo da Vinci’s drawings depicting how water moves around various objects. I am fascinated as to how water moves and how I could add values and depth to drawing this formless element. I study martial arts and this quote by Bruce Lee inspired me as well, “Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless – like water.” Water forms to whatever contains it. My intention with these drawings is to give, not only shape, but also value, shadow, highlight and playfulness to moving water.

All of these drawings are created in Procreate on an iPad Pro. I love the portability of the iPad and use it with my Urban Sketching group as well. It has replaced my sketchbook and pencils in many situations. I have found that it has a feature that no traditional media has. In this digital arena, the ability to zoom way into a piece of work is remarkable. As long as the resolution is high, you can zoom way into the art and provide details that would be near impossible with traditional media. I am making use of this feature in my current drawings in this “Drawing Water” series. This is the reason that I include detail shots in the submission of these drawings. Normally a detail shot is unnecessary in a 2D drawing, however, it is quite necessary to show the full detail that are involved with these works. Each drawing has two views: one is the overall view of the water that, at first, has a photographic look. The second view is the detailed view of the work as you move in close to it and see the hieroglyphic mark making process. Continue reading