Read Source to learn about the news, events, people and happenings of 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, Liz Kiscaden, dean and university librarian, looks back at the accomplishments of the most recent academic year while also looking head to the fall semester. We celebrate the many accomplishments of the UC Libraries faculty and staff, the 2026 UC Open Research Day and announce the 2026 Zero Textbook Cost Grant cohort. Two collections are highlighted in this issue: The Werner H. Von Rosentiel papers and the Oesper History of Chemistry collection while the Winkler Center display illuminates Covington, Kentucky as the “X-Ray City.” This issue of Source concludes with a year in photos.

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.

Tips to filter out retracted articles from systematic reviews

Fabricated citations have increased dramatically recently and have sparked debates about how to address this problem within scholarly publishing. When these citations are discovered, those articles frequently get retracted. However, there is a time lag.

So what’s a librarian or researcher to do? How can we keep retracted articles out of our literature searches?

Quarterly rate of fabricated references per 10 000 papers in PubMed Central from January, 2023, to February, 2026
Rate of fabricated references per 10 000 papers in PubMed Central January, 2023- February, 2026, as cited in Topaz M et al. (2026) The Lancet, 407, 1779-1781

At this year’s Medical Library Association conference, I learned about a strategy in a paper session entitled, “Identifying Retractions in Systematic Review Searching” by Caitlin J. Bakker et al. In their presentation, the authors describe a multistep process to identify retracted papers using the citation manager Zotero and the LibKey Nomad browser extension paired with Covidence, the systematic review screening software.

image of retracted item flagged within Zotero's citation manager
Image of a retracted citation flagged in Zotero, from zotero.org

Zotero has a built-in feature, which automatically flags retracted articles at the item level using data from Retraction Watch. The presenters recommend running database searches and importing citations first into Zotero, followed by Covidence during title and abstract screening. They use this process first at the outset; again prior to data extraction and finally, before submitting manuscripts for publication.

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Give peace a chance: the Center for Peace Education records at ARB 

Informational pamphlet for the Center for Peace Education non profit
Informational brochure, undated. From the Center for Peace Education records at the Archives and Rare Books Library

For 30 years Cincinnati and suburban school children were given the opportunity to learn about peer mediation, conflict management, cooperative discipline, bias awareness, and diversity through the efforts of the non-profit organization Center for Peace Education.  

The Archives and Rare Books Library is excited to announce that the Center for Peace Education (CPE) finding aid is now available to view online at the Center for Peace Education records.  

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From Nazi Germany to the United States: The Werner H. Von Rosenstiel papers at ARB 

Does the name Werner H. Von Rosenstiel ring a bell? If you have been inside the University of Cincinnati’s Arts & Sciences Hall, it just might. The Werner H. Von Rosenstiel Reading Room is named after a former student who donated his library to the University in 2001. His papers were later donated to the University’s Department of History by Von Rosenstiel’s daughter and were transferred to the Archives and Rare Books Library in 2024 as a part of the German-Americana collection so that the collection could be organized and made accessible for research.  

Photograph of an older Von Rosenstiel sitting at his desk looking down at a piece of paper he is writing on. From 1964
Von Rosenstiel at his desk, 1964. From the Werner H. Von Rosenstiel papers at the Archives and Rare Books Library

ARB is celebrating the publication of the finding aid for the Werner H. Von Rosenstiel papers which can now be accessed online.

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Changes in library hours beginning summer semester

UC Libraries has reduced operating hours in most locations beginning summer semester and continuing throughout the upcoming academic year. To minimize the impact on library users, reductions are primarily during evening and weekend hours when in-person usage is at its lowest. Digital library services, including Chat Reference, online resources and access to the library catalog will remain available 24/7.  

langsam library

These changes are the result of a reduction to the UC Libraries operating budget and are informed by foot traffic and usage patterns. The budget reduction required eliminating contracted security services and student employee positions, which are necessary to keep the libraries open extended hours. When determining how to adjust operating hours, the Libraries reviewed usage statistics and prioritized retaining currently employed student employees.

We recognize that reduced hours will impact users and are committed to maintaining access to services and support in a digital environment. Library staff and faculty roles remain unchanged.  

Each UC library location will continue to monitor usage and may adjust hours when possible, such as during high-demand periods. A list of library hours by location is posted on the Libraries web site.  

Langsam Library offering extended hours during exams

Need a place to study for exams? Working late on a class project? The Walter C. Langsam Library has extended building hours beginning Sunday, April 19 through exams. Sunday – Thursday, the building is open until 3am. The Desk@Langsam will maintain regular hours. The Exam hours are listed on the Libraries website.

Good luck, Bearcats, on exams!

studying in langsam library

The Preservation Lab will display “Preservation of all shapes and sizes” at their annual open house Thursday, April 30

Join us for the Annual Preservation Lab Open House, Thursday, April 30, 2-4pm, 300 level of the Walter Langsam Library. “Preservation of all shapes and sizes” will include tours of the lab, demonstrations of projects and treatments, cookies, bookmarks and stickers!

preservation lab open house flyer

Want a sneak peek of the work of the Preservation Lab? Stop by Langsam Library’s 4th floor on Tuesday, April 21, 10-11:30am and Thursday, April 23, 2-3:30pm to learn about housing complex materials and relax with a hands-on activity.

Formed in 2012, the Preservation Lab is a book and paper conservation lab. The Preservation Lab provides the full suite of preservation services to the University of Cincinnati Libraries and, for a fee, to other cultural heritage institutions. The Preservation Lab’s expertise is in book and paper conservation, with services available in general circulating materials repair, single-item conservation treatment, housing, exhibition prep, and preservation consulting.

preserved book on cradle

The Preservation Lab Open House is free and open to all to attend. Those driving to campus can park in the Woodside Drive/Library Garage or Campus Green Garage off of Martin Luther King Drive.

RDS announces UC Open Research Day and the Undergraduate Research Summer Learning Community

UC Libraries provides access to a wide range of Research Data and GIS services and resources for the campus community. Informationists and librarians assist researchers in managing and preserving research data, finding and acquiring external data and in utilizing GIS techniques and software. Research and Data Services (RDS) announces two programs this summer to engage with research experts — UC Open Research Day on May 27 and the Undergraduate Research Summer Learning Community running June 3 through July 22.

research and data services
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Cephalopods, eurypterids, and porifera, oh my!: The Kenneth E. Caster papers at ARB 

The University of Cincinnati Libraries Archives and Rare Books Library has completed processing the papers of University of Cincinnati professor emeritus Dr. Kenneth E. Caster. 

Photograph of Dr. Kenneth Caster showcasing a rock fossil to a group of students outside at an unknown location.
Dr. Caster presenting a fossil to group of onlookers at unknown excursion trip, circa 1930s-1940s. Source: Kenneth E. Caster papers at ARB Library
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