Volume 24
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Dean’s Note: Looking back and forward
As we enter the mid-point of summer, I find myself both looking back at the previous academic year and forward as we begin planning for fall semester and the new academic year ahead. During 2025/26 we completed a number of initiatives within our Strategic Plan, including: In the coming year, we anticipate completing some projects and initiating others. Some of those include: All these initiatives, both those completed and those underway, are in support of our mission to empower discovery, stimulate learning and inspire the creation of knowledge by connecting students, faculty, researchers and scholars to dynamic data, information and resources. I wish you all an enjoyable rest of summer.
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Staff News
From new hires to conference participation, publishing and committee announcements, the faculty and staff of the University of Cincinnati Libraries had a productive and fulfilling academic year. Following is a selection of the publications, presentations, awards and acknowledgements during the 2025/2026 academic year. New Hires Boards, Committees & Fellowships Nimisha Bhat, history, WGSS & anthropology librarian, was named the new Taft Research Center Counter Fellow. Brian C. Gray, associate dean of collections, was named to a multiyear role on the AAAS/Science Library Advisory Board. The multidisciplinary advisory body comprises academic and research librarians in the United States and Canada with expertise in scholarly communication, digital scholarship and library publishing. Brian C.…
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From Nazi Germany to the United States: The Werner H. Von Rosenstiel papers at the Archives and Rare Books Library
By Julianna Witt, Assistant Archivist 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 the former student who donated his library to the university in 2001. His papers were later donated to the UC’s Department of History by Von Rosenstiel’s daughter and were transferred to the Archives and Rare Books Library (ARB) in 2024 as a part of the German-Americana Collection so that the collection could be organized and made accessible for research. ARB is celebrating the publication of the finding aid for the Werner H. Von Rosenstiel papers, which can now be accessed online. Who was Werner H. Von Rosenstiel? Werner Hans Von Rosenstiel (1911-2008) was born and…
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2026 UC Open Research Day: A day of learning, sharing and community building
By Amy Koshoffer, Asst Director, Research & Data Services, and Andrea Ford, Assistant Professor, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders On May 27th, a cross-town collaboration brought researchers to UC’s uptown campus to explore a global movement—Open Research—that is reshaping the way we do science. UNESCO defines Open Research as “a set of principles and practices that aim to make scientific research from all fields accessible to everyone for the benefit of scientists and society as a whole. This approach aims to ensure not only that scientific knowledge is accessible but also that the production of that knowledge itself is inclusive, equitable and sustainable. By promoting research that is more…
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Announcing the 2026 Zero Textbook Cost Grant cohort
By Melissa Moreau, Scholarly Communications Librarian In response to the growing cost of course materials, the University of Cincinnati Libraries (UCL) opened applications for the first cycle of its Zero Textbook Cost (ZTC) Grant Program in March 2026. Available to all UC instructors, the aim of the program is to incentivize and support the replacement of commercial course materials with either open educational resources (OER) or library resources. By eliminating textbook costs, these options offer more than affordability. They support an equitable learning environment by ensuring that all students in ZTC classes have access to the materials they need to succeed. Reflecting the aims of the recently launched Bearcat Affordability…
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The Winkler Center’s display illuminates Covington, Kentucky as the “X-Ray City”
By Devhra BennetJones, Winkler Center Archivist In the early 20th century the excellence of the Bar-Ray Products Company and the Kelley-Koett Manufacturing Company gave Covington, Kentucky the distinction as “X-Ray City.” While they were independent enterprises, these two Covington-based companies were instrumental in their influence on early radiology science, medical imaging and the manufacture of radiation protective equipment. The Henry R. Winkler Center for the History of the Health Professions installed a display of a Bar-Ray Products Company X-Ray Stitching Stand (circa 1940s) and a Kelley-Koett Manufacturing Company X-Ray Machine (circa 1920). The radiology equipment was utilized at the Cincinnati General Hospital. The X-Ray Stitching Stand was accessioned with an…
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Across languages and borders: International collaborations at Oesper
By Mark Chalmers, Science & Engineering Librarian and Curator of the Oesper Collections The Oesper Collections in the History of Chemistry, housed at the University of Cincinnati, are local in their physical setting but global in their reach. While the work of curating these materials involves preservation, description, stewardship and access, their broader significance often emerges through collaboration, particularly when scholars and organizations beyond the United States engage with them in new and exciting ways. Two recently completed international partnerships highlight how historical materials from the Oesper Collections continue to circulate, finding new audiences and new contexts across languages and borders. Reconnecting Greco-Egyptian texts through translation One such collaboration centers…
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A year in photos
The 2025/2026 academic year was a busy one for UC Libraries. From tabling to events, open houses and lunch and learns to providing access to library resources and services, UC Libraries is working to achieve our vision to be the intellectual center of campus life, a partner within the expanding research and innovation agendas and a catalyst for engaging the greater community. Following is a photo collage of this year’s highlights.
