UC Libraries is excited to share that Alex Herbers has joined our staff as the Web & User Experience Specialist. This role will support and advance UCL’s mission by ensuring website and digital resources are discoverable, accessible and aligned with the needs of the UC community.
Alex is an experienced UX developer and designer. He joins us from Kent State University, where he also earned a BFA in Visual Communication Design. After working in private industry for several years, he joined Kent State in 2019. Most recently, he worked in University Communications & Marketing, serving as a lead UX Developer / Designer for the university’s digital presence. Welcome, Alex!
The University of Cincinnati Libraries transitioned to a new library services platform (LSP) beginning today, June 25. Included in the LSP upgrade is OneSearch, a new user discovery interface that students, faculty, researchers and other library patrons will use to find (and access) resources in the Libraries’ collections.
Note: OneSearch is under development. The preview shown here are subject to change.
This LSP upgrade is in collaboration with the OhioLINK statewide academic library consortium. This cloud-based, enterprise system software is the backbone of day-to-day library operations (acquisitions, cataloging, circulation/fulfillment, etc.). The new system will provide user benefits to help students, faculty and other library users find and access library resources. Its user-friendly interactions will be more user intuitive.
Although we are working to minimize any disruption to services, the cut over to the new system will impact links to library collections, acquisitions and summer borrowing of print materials among other OhioLINK institutions. If you have any questions, please contact a subject librarian.
The LSP upgrade was a library-wide effort led by a Migration Team. For more information, the Libraries has created a LSP FAQ, or contact a subject librarian.
Last November, the University of Cincinnati Libraries announced the award of an Archives Grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission to the Libraries’ Archives and Rare Books Library (ARB). This grant supports the archival processing of records related to the lawsuit Bronson v. Board of Education of the City School District of the City of Cincinnati maintained by the local branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and donated to the University of Cincinnati in the 1980s.
Archival records from organizations may contain an array of documents and an incredible amount of those documents, such as correspondence, meeting minutes and case files. When this occurs, archivists may arrange the material into series and subseries in order to assist researchers in accessing the collection. The NAACP Bronson v. Board records is an example of this practice. Due to the extensive material within the collection, it is vital to note the different types of documents and what they mean in the context of the case. This includes files created and kept by the school districts and documents that originated in the court. For both document types, ARB has consulted with the Office of General Counsel to determine if any records need to be restricted or redacted.
The Library Services Platform (LSP) upgrade currently underway will include OneSearch, a new user discovery interface that students, faculty, researchers and other library patrons will use to find (and access) resources in the Libraries’ collections.
Note: OneSearch is under development. The previews shown here are subject to change.
The new user discovery interface will streamline search functions and access to local library resources and scholarly research. OneSearch will offer new and improved features and benefits including:
Faster searching – search electronic and print resources in one search,
Enhanced discovery – explore automatic recommendations, citation trails, availability in multiple formats and track requests, including finding resources across the OhioLINK network,
Personalized features – save preferences, searches, citations and export to citation management systems,
More intuitive user experience, and
Mobile friendly – a responsive user interface designed specifically for mobile devices.
OneSearch will debut June 25 with the LSP go live. For more information, the Libraries has created a LSP FAQ, or contact your subject librarian.
Important note on links:
Existing links to library resources in course syllabi, reading lists and Canvas pages will require updating to new links in the OneSearch discovery tool. The Libraries will develop materials to assist faculty teaching in the fall with any required adjustment to course links. Those teaching summer courses should note that any existing links may experience disruption. Contact your subject librarian with any questions or for assistance.
Last November, the University of Cincinnati Libraries announced the award of an Archives Grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission to the Libraries’ Archives and Rare Books Library (ARB). This grant supports the archival processing of records related to the lawsuit Bronson v. Board of Education of the City School District of the City of Cincinnati maintained by the local branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and donated to the University of Cincinnati in the 1980s.
Map of Hamilton County School Districts provided by Metropolitan Association Religious Coalition of Cincinnati, undated
All University of Cincinnati Libraries locations will be closed Sunday, May 25 and Monday, May 26 in observance of Memorial Day. Regular library hours for all locations will resume Tuesday, May 27.
We are delighted to announce that Patrick Bois joined the University of Cincinnati Libraries on May 12 in the role of Langsam Library evening and weekend supervisor. Patrick will be working Sundays – Thursdays, providing critical staff coverage for Langsam’s seven-day-a-week schedule during the academic year.
Patrick is a UC alumnus in history and is currently working on his MLIS at Kent State, with a concentration in archival studies. Before coming to UC, he worked in the Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Libraries since 2021, and this experience will be a great asset in his new role. He is excited to work in an academic library that he experienced as a student.
Theda Bara, born Theodosia Burr Goodman on July 29, 1885 to a local Jewish family, attended the University of Cincinnati from 1906-1908 before leaving to pursue an acting career. Bara became one of the biggest stars of the silent film era making 40 films between 1914 and 1926. Her femme fatale roles earned her the nickname “The Vamp.”
This weekend’s episode of CET and ThinkTV’s “The Art Show” will feature Theda Bara and the manuscript in Archives and Rare Books. View it Saturday, May 17 at 6pm on CET or Sunday, May 18 at 5:30pm on Dayton’s ThinkTV. It will also appear on the PBS App and is currently viewable on YouTube.
Included in the episode, Chris Harter, university archivist and head of the Archives and Rare Books Library, talks about the 450-page typewritten manuscript that documents Bara’s life. It was intended to be a memoir ghostwritten in collaboration with Bara, but was never published. Holly Prochaska, preservation librarian and head of the Preservation Lab, talks about how they worked to ensure that the manuscript and letters between Bara and Harré are protected and will remain available for study and research long into the future, thus cementing Theda Bara’s legacy.
Librarians, archivists, and records managers can say “record” to one another and know it means document, catalog record, three-dimensional object, or digital file. But this wide net can confuse those who create and manage records but do not consider them central to their jobs. Ask and they may reply “What’s a record?”
At the University of Cincinnati, a record, whether it’s created, received, or managed by university employees represents an action taken to complete a task. Many documents, paper or digital, can be considered records. But not all for various reasons. Records exist in many places, from filing cabinets to the cloud. Email is a curious case, being both a record and a means for transmitting them.
Record is a ubiquitous term that casts a wide net. Any confusion is understandable. But at UC, a record can be any document, device, or item, physical or digital, regardless of its purpose. Whatever its form or the purpose it was created for or received by UC, a record serves to document the organization, functions, policies, decisions, procedures, operations, and other activities at UC.
At the same time, not every document, device, or item constitutes a record. Examples include rough notes, drafts, or copies kept for reference which do not contain information requiring preservation or duplicate information found in documents deemed official records. Because they are not considered records, they may be discarded whenever the creator or user deems it appropriate.
Those that are records can be found in many locations. Physical ones include boxes, filing cabinets, and folders. Digital locations include computers, shared drives, databases, the cloud, and email servers.
But email as both a record and a location? The answer is yes. Those considered records contain information that falls under the campus-wide General Records and Retention Schedule (GRS), which determines how long records are retained. This does not mean that all emails constitute records. These typically include meeting reminders, courtesy copies, listserv notices, drafts, or a means to transmit documents (e.g. attachments or OneDrive links). They may be deleted.
The definition of a record at UC means that it documents an activity. Not all documents and items, physical or digital, are considered records. Those deemed records can be found in many places from filing cabinets to Teams. Emails serve as both records and means for transmitting them. With this knowledge, UC faculty and staff can exercise greater confidence in knowing what records are and are not and their uses.
UC Libraries Research & Data Services is hosting an Ethical AI Symposium, exploring the responsible use of AI, its benefits and risks, and ethical considerations for the UC community. Scheduled for Thursday, May 22, from 10:30am-1:30pm in the Medical Sciences Building (MSB) 5051, the event is open to all interested in learning more about AI’s dual role as both an innovative tool and a potential source of harm.
The symposium will feature a keynote address by Emile Loza de Siles, assistant professor of law of the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, William S. Richardson School of Law. Following is a networking lunch and a panel discussion where UC thought leaders will share their perspectives on ethical AI practices and the future of responsible innovation.