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Join Us for the Great American Read
UC Libraries and the University of Cincinnati Press are sponsors of PBS’s The Great American Read, an eight-part series that explores and celebrates the power of reading told through the prism of America’s 100 best-loved novels. The Great American Read promotes the benefits of reading and the power of a good book while also fostering conversations about what we love to read and why. What is your favorite Great American Read? The series kicked off May 22 on CET and will continue in September and October. Be sure to watch! Throughout the summer and fall, viewers will be encouraged to vote for their favorite of the 100 best-loved novels and…
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Preserving Taft
The mission of the Preservation Lab is to preserve and conserve the collections of the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County and the University of Cincinnati Libraries – a collaboration begun in January 2012 to provide conservation and preservation treatments in an equally managed, staffed and equipped preservation lab on the University of Cincinnati’s campus. A recent collaboration with the Archives and Rare Books Library on a collection of letters and artifacts pertaining to William Howard Taft demonstrates the valuable role the Lab takes in both preserving a collection for posterity while also making it available for study today. The work of the Preservation Lab varies depending on the…
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A Note from the Dean: Adapting Libraries for the Future
How do we transform the Libraries’ traditional role from one of a service organization to that of a true partner in the academic pursuits of the university? Traditionally, libraries have been seen primarily as service units. Librarians and staff purchased and disseminated materials and assisted users with reference and other questions concerning the library. While this service role is important, in order for us to remain relevant – to not just survive, but to thrive – libraries need to move beyond that traditional service model into something that is more collaborative and integrated into the academic mission of the university. For academic libraries, this means transforming ourselves from information…
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Digital Scholarship Center Awarded $900,000 Grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation
The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation awarded the University of Cincinnati a $900,000 grant in support of the Digital Scholarship Center’s research on machine learning and data visualization in multiple disciplines in the humanities and beyond. Located in the Walter C. Langsam Library, the Digital Scholarship Center (DSC) is a joint venture of UC Libraries and the College of Arts and Sciences. Launched in September 2016 as an academic center, the DSC provides faculty and students across the university with support for digital project conception, design and implementation. “As a Research 1 university, the University of Cincinnati must be equipped to support the highest level of research activity. Digital scholarship plays…
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The E.B. White Collection
By Kevin Grace, University Archivist and Head of the Archives and Rare Books Library So you want to be a writer? Whatever for?? Has someone unduly directed you toward that endeavor? Author Flannery O’Connor once offered her own opinion on budding writers: “Everywhere I go, I’m asked if the universities stifle writers. My opinion is that they don’t stifle enough of them.” A bit harsh, that, but there was encouragement of a sort from Dorothy Parker, known more for her witticisms today than her short stories and poetry: “If you have any young friends who aspire to become writers, the second greatest favor you can do them is to present…
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Interviewing Dean Wang and Liz Scarpelli about the University of Cincinnati Press
Last month, the University of Cincinnati Press celebrated its first anniversary. We caught up with Dean and University Librarian Xuemao Wang and Press Director Liz Scarpelli to discuss the state of the Press and its progress so far. What is your vision for the University of Cincinnati Press? Xuemao: When talking about my vision for the Press, I like to start with an opportunity that surfaced about two years ago. It began with a conversation between me, a former board of trustee member and former UC President Santa Ono about how the University of Cincinnati, an R1 Research University, did not have a strong arm for the dissemination and creation…
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Dr. Mont Rogers Reid Surgical Films Digitized
By Gino Pasi, Archivist and Curator for the Winkler Center The Henry R. Winkler Center for the History of the Health Professions concluded a year-long project funded by the National Film Preservation Foundation. Partnering with Colorlab, a full-service motion picture film lab in Rockville, Maryland, the Winkler Center digitized three rare 16-mm films depicting surgeries performed by renowned surgeon Dr. Mont Rogers Reid in the mid-1930s. In addition to their digitization, the films were cleaned, restored, re-plasticized and rehoused by Colorlab. Thirteen films of Reid’s were found in UC’s Department of Surgery, but only three were salvageable as many were on Kodacolor acetate, a film type known for its rapid…
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UC Libraries Launches New Adopt-A-Book Program
Do you love libraries? Do you love books? We need your help! UC Libraries has launched an exciting new Adopt-A-Book program, providing alumni and library friends the opportunity to help support the preservation of some of our most precious books. These are true treasures for our collection, deeply valued by our faculty and students for their content and scholarly value. The program has started with items from UC Libraries’ Archives & Rare Books Library and the Henry R. Winkler Center for the History of the Health Professions. Please consider adopting one of these rare items for preservation for future generations. Adopted items will receive an electronic bookplate honoring the adopter…
