News and announcements

The University of Texas Libraries have digitized and published, with transcripts, more than 160 episodes of the radio program Latino USA. “The newly published episodes consist of over 80 hours of material covering Latin American and Latina/o topics, including interviews with figures such as labor activist Dolores Huerta, singer Little Joe Hernandez, San Francisco mayor Willie Brown, and writers Claribel Alegria, Américo Paredes, and Sandra Cisneros.”

The NC State Libraries have put together family backpack kits for students who are parents of young children. Similar to the UVU post from earlier this month, I love seeing libraries support non-traditional students, especially those trying to juggle caretaking. The kits contain age-appropriate books, activities, and toys. NC State developed this in consultation with their campus’s Student Parent Association and by examining what other academic libraries do to support parents.

Chemistry. Lasers. Medieval manuscripts. Boy, you do know the way to this librarian’s heart. Dartmouth Libraries worked with their chemistry department to identify pigments in several of their pre-1600 manuscript fragments using Raman spectroscopy. What an amazing experience for their students! (I’m sure the librarians were into it as well).

File this under “things I want to do at my library.” LeHigh University’s Fairchild-Martindale Library has selected the winner of its library design contest. I highlighted this back in May. The winning submission, Mossgrove (prototype seen above), was co-developed by two students. “Studies show that indoor plants improve one’s productivity, focus, and wellbeing. Combining this with our personal experiences in nature, it made sense to create a timeless, biophilic design,” said one of the students.

Indiana University Bloomington is preserving the history of its state’s independent music scene through its Secretly Canadian publicity records, which consists of publicity material created and collected by the label from its founding in 1996 through 2012 including Bon Iver, Danielson, War on Drugs, Dirty Projectors, and more bands that I constantly have on repeat.

“Libraries are more than spaces for study—they are engines of opportunity, places where ideas are born, and futures are shaped.” Leo Lo, library dean at the University of New Mexico, recently spoke at the Global AI Forum 2024, and three institutions in Hong Kong. His reflections on artificial intelligence and the role that libraries could play in that field’s evolution is worth considering, if anything for its exploration of the adjacent possible.

The University of California system, most of the California State University schools, and 30 private academic and research institutions (including my own place of work) have reached a comprehensive four-year transformative open access agreement with Oxford University Press through the Statewide California Electronic Library Consortium (SCELC).

The University of Maryland Libraries is working with Project STAND’s $1.5 million grant from the Mellon Foundation to support residencies that will “solicit 16 fellows from student organizers, memory workers, artists, and community organizers to think collectively about safeguarding histories of student-led liberation while imagining and developing primary resources to support the ongoing advocacy and education that make these critical histories accessible.”

Notable mentions

• The University of Chicago Libraries recently acquired an 8th century Buddhist artifact called a hyakumantō darani (pictured above).
• Quite a few libraries hosted Douglass Day transcribe-a-thons, including Marquette University, William & Mary, and Fairfield University.
• Speaking of William & Mary’s Swem Library, they also showcased their extensive collection of love letters by hosting a “Love in the Archives Open House.”
• UNC Wilmington is hosting a FlashLit competition. The theme for 2025 is artificial intelligence. Students are challenged to write pieces of 500 words or less.
• Georgia State University Library hosted a panel, pop-up exhibit, documentary viewing, and archival donation ceremony on the legacy of Atlanta hip-hop.
• Western New England University’s D’Amour Library hosted a faculty-student research speed networking event.
• Fresno State Library acquired an extensive collection of over 6,500 volumes on pre-Columbian Aztec and colonial Mexican art history
• Columbia University Libraries currently has an exhibit on Edward Said’s library.
• I loved this graphic from Villanova University for Love Data Week.
• The University of Florida’s George A. Smathers Libraries have secured an agreement to acquire U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s senatorial papers.

Finally, as February is Black History Month, many libraries pulled together relevant resources from their collections. Notable examples include: University of San Francisco, Binghamton University, Stockton University, Southern Methodist University, Elon University, Emory University, Wake Forest, University of Cincinnati, Touro University, Berkeley, University of Arkansas, UNC, UC Davis, and Duke.

On socials

I am a glutton for well-produced video content. The KU Libraries created a promo video highlighting their participation in Douglass Day, during which students, faculty and staff joined a nation-wide effort to transcribe historical documents from the Library of Congress in honor of Frederick Douglass’ birthday. I love the mix of faculty and student voices, the b-roll footage, and the elegant lower-thirds. Very well done.

Speaking of simple, but elegant, I also love this collection highlight from UC Davis Library of their Food and Wine collections. Curator Audrey Russek gives a brief overview of the Beaulieu Vineyard Records. If I ever leave my current job, I hope it would be to work on a collection like this.

Not only is William & Mary Libraries’ Diversify It reading challenge a brilliant idea (Pizza Hut’s Book It anyone?), but this promo video is equally compelling. I love the challenge from a student spokesperson to prove the haters wrong! The thumbs up from the circulation staffer is the icing on the cake.

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I don’t know if this is an original idea, but the Fondren Library Instagram Reel about bad ideas for bookmarks had me clutching my librarian pearls the entire time. The camera person not being able to control their laugh at the end was ::chef’s kiss::

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Finally, long-form video can be difficult to pull off but a recent information literacy video from UF Libraries had me watching the entire time. April Hines, journalism and mass communications librarian, has a presence that is equally engaging, inspiring, and affirming. It’s clear she’s used to regularly connecting with students in the classroom.

News and announcements

DePaul University Library received a state grant of $149,278 to develop OER materials for select undergraduate courses. Entitled “Open Educational Resources Design and Development Across Disciplines at DePaul University,” the grant will help create three faculty-led publications (both original and remixes) in theatre, business, and history. If successful, the project has the potential to save approximately 2,715 students a total of $234,480 over three years.

“Do you wanna touch it? You can touch it.” Students at the University of Dayton had the opportunity to learn and sing from 15th- and 18th- century antiphon books. For their final project, the students planned a public vespers service and faculty from the music department sang from an arrangement of the antiphons.

Basketball players from Arizona State University and the Valley Suns came together to learn about Black history in Arizona. In addition to exploring the Black Collections, part of ASU’s Community-Driven Archives Initiative, the athletes learned about Martin Luther King Jr.’s visit to ASU’s Tempe campus in 1964, including a speech by King that wasn’t made public until 2014.

This was not a model I was familiar with. “All NC State undergraduate students have been automatically enrolled in the new Course Ready textbook billing program. […] The program charges students a flat fee each semester to provide access to digital-only versions of their required course materials within Moodle.” The NC State University Libraries created a guide to help students navigate the program and determine if it’s right for them. Related: They also support an alt-textbook program that awards grants to faculty to adopt, adapt, or create free or low-cost alternatives to expensive textbooks.

The J. Willard Marriott Library holds 770 fragments of Arabic language papyri, dating from the 8th through the 10th centuries CE, and is currently in the process of cleaning, repairing, and re-glazing the papyri. Personal note: even though I live in Los Angeles, I had not considered the need to earthquake-proof flat materials!

The fires in Los Angeles have been devastating. Thousands of people have lost their homes and businesses. Even though much of L.A. was physically unscathed, the disruption and impact to our community stretches far beyond the areas hit most directly. The USC Libraries created a wildfire assistance resources guide for student and faculty affected by the fires.

“Like coring an apple.” I’ve seen more than one library this past year remove its “old stacks” (you know, the ones with short ceilings) in favor of a more open and accessible layout. That’s what is currently happening at Duke Univeristy’s Lilly Library. It’s quite amazing to see these demolition photographs of what the stacks look like with their flooring removed.

The University of Maryland Libraries has established a new program, Truth, Reconciliation, and Understanding in the University Archives, in order to lift up marginalized narratives and bring more light more complex stories of the university’s history. “TRU-UA will address important issues regarding race, ethnicity, class, gender, sexual orientation, and difference in abilities in the University’s history.” This program is funded in part by a $9 million (!!!) gift made to the University Archives.

Last year, Yale Library created a new residency program to support DEIA and student success efforts and to honor the legacy of the program’s namesake, Kenya S. Flash. The inaugural resident, Nick Wantsala, has partnered with the New Haven Free Public Library to promote early literacy and a local history project.

Stanford University Libraries employs 5-7 part-time student assistants each year to help process collections in their University Archives. Students get to choose from among several collections which they want to process. “They’re having formative experiences and making intellectual connections without the pressure of writing papers and solving problem sets,” says Assistant University Archivist Claudia Willett.

Notable mentions

• The University of Tennessee Knoxville Libraries has created an exhibition as part of a year-long commemoration of the anniversary of the Scopes “Monkey” Trial (pictured above)
• The Texas A&M University Libraries is offering a bullet journal workshop. So is Ohio University Libraries.
• To raise awareness of their collections, the University of Cincinnati hosts a semi-regular poetry series and publishes the featured works. Related: Purdue University is hosting a poetry workshop + poetry slam. Seattle U.’s Lemieux Library also hosted a poetry event.
• Thomas Jefferson University is offering a 9-week journal article writing workshop.
• The Tisch Library at Tufts University is hosting a workshop on “podcasts as public scholarship.”
• Who ever said you couldn’t have snakes in the library? Not UC San Diego!
• Both Washington University St. Louis and University of Alabama at Birmingham are thinking about data vizualisation, respectively creating a data vizualization competition and a three-part workshop series. (and since we’re here, Wash U Libraries also have a new mission and vision)
• Syracuse University Libraries is offering a start-up fund to help students “move an idea from concept to commercialization.”
• The George C. Gordon Library at Worcester Polytechnic is hosting an author series exploring innovations and challenges of authors writing across multiple genres.
• The Milner Library at Illinois State University did a deep dive into “America (My Country ‘Tis of Thee)” as represented in textbooks and artists’ books.
• Baylor University Libraries were awarded a $2.48 million grant to support a major expansion of their Black gospel archive.
• The library at Chapman University has created a viritual exhibition in Scalar exploring its history.
• I really love this welcome page that UC Boulder created!
• UC San Diego Library is collaborating with its Jewish studies program to hosted a six-part “Holocaust Living History Workshop” series.
• Finally, there were a number of libraries posting their annual “year in reviews,” including Texas A&M, Georgia State U., East Carolina U., Indiana University Bloomington, and Loyola Marymount University (full disclosure: I did that last one).

On socials

The J. Willard Marriott Library posts weekly meme round-ups. Whoever is running that account has their fingers directly on the pulse of the internet. In fact, all of their content is top-notch. Here is a simply, but beautifully-designed classic book recommendation. And this instructional video on how to scan a book chapter is .

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This “welcome back” video from Virginia Tech Libraries gives all the good vibes. No voice over, just good beats and high-quality b-roll.

The always creative UVU Library put together a quick-and-dirty Spotify “playlist” for their students. Honestly, my only complaint is that they didn’t share a link! And I want to hear a mash-up of all the title lines from the songs, à la DJ Earworm. Related: Lauren Tolman from UVU Library talks about how to capture students’ attention by “stopping the scroll” in the latest issue of Public Services Quarterly.

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Finally, this was a trend that I wish I had time to put together, but feel I’ve missed the boat. The University of Washington Libraries created a “ins and outs” for the new year video. “You’re in college. Figure it out.”

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banner image: renovations at Duke’s Lilly Library (source: Aaron Welborn, “Last Act for the Old Stacks“)

News and announcements

The Northwestern University Transportation Library has digitized a collection of photographs from the construction of the Panama Canal. “The photos show both construction sites of the canal and more leisurely photos of towns and people in Panama at the time […]. Parades, family portraits, and days on the beach are all shown in the photos.” It’s a relatively small collection (153 photographs and 30 postcards), but the photographs are fascinating! 

The University of Arkansas Libraries are testing a new natural-language search tool, powered by generative artificial intelligence, as part of its discovery interface. More importantly, they provide a brief overview of how it works for students. I love that the instructions include the step “look for the sparkles.”

The University of Virginia Libraries has an interview with two of the faculty involved in its Open Educational Resources Learning Community, which it co-sponsors with the university’s Center for Teaching Excellence. Through the interview, they talk about the library’s role in supporting OER, student support, and offer their advice to other faculty interesting in doing similar work.

The Woodruff Library at Emory University recently took a patch of grass and converted it to a pollinator garden. I love to see how academic libraries take responsibility for their spaces in ways that reach beyond simple building maintenance. 

A fairly recent alumni from NC State University Libraries is creating an endowment to help fund an oral history program called “Wolf Tales,” designed to help the library capture the stories of NC State alumni though video narratives and interviews. 

On social

This TikTok from the River Campus Libraries at the University of Rochester [TikTok] does not have nearly enough likes. I don’t know whether this pinch-zoom idea is original (though it feels meme-ish, I haven’t seen it used elsewhere), but it’s brilliantly fun and an engaging way to show off large spaces. 

https://www.tiktok.com/@rivercampuslibs/video/7392311781915446559

I have been wanting to do a “view from a book” style video for ages now. UNC Libraries [Instagram] did a fun version. The soundtrack choice is perfect. Related: Also from UNC Libraries [Facebook], they asked their followers to help them name their book trucks. The results [Instagram] did not disappoint.  

The University of Kansas Libraries [Instagram] hosted a plant swap that included crafting and items from special collections. The resulting video makes good use of b-roll footage. Reminds me that I need to capture more video at our events!

I don’t know if this counts are sponsored content or a collaboration or what, but the University of Missouri Libraries [Instagram] made a video highlighting a local ice cream shop and the joys of reading. The two best parts of summer!

Notable mentions

• The Georgia Tech Library has hired its inaugural Affordable Learning Librarian.
• Washington University in St. Louis has a helpful primer on the difference between public access and open access. 
• Illinois State University Library explores the role of women in World War I through the lens of its digital collections.
• Today I learned that John Ruskin was really into rocks. The University of Delaware Library explores the provenance of a piece of quartz in its collection. 
• Georgia State University is seeking proposals for a piece of original artwork to be installed in one of it’s spaces (I love the idea of libraries paying artists for their works)
• How do you sum up three decades of work at an academic library? Stephen Cunetto started his job at Mississippi State University Libraries as a student and ended it as associate dean. 

Renovations 

Summer time for most colleges is the season of projects that can’t be easily accomplished during the school year. Not surprisingly, it’s often the best time to renovate or make substantial progress on long-term construction projects. A number of colleges are in the midst of renovations and upgrades. Here is just a sampling, in no particular order: 

UNC Charlotte, Cornell, University of Texas at Arlington, University of Arkansas, Texas Christian University, University of Central Florida, Rowan University, MIT, Stockton, UC Santa Barbara, Harvard, Northeastern, University of Georgia [Instagram], UT Dallas, Florida Atlantic University [Instagram], UC Riverside, and Northwestern

(header photo: Transportation Library, Northwestern University Libraries)

I almost didn’t get this post out in time. Earlier this month, my family and I traveled to Portland for a week. I thought I had tied everything up before we left, but turns out I missed closing the loop on a couple key projects. But rejoice! Those are done now. So without any more delay, here’s what happened in academic libraries in June.

News and announcements

The University of Washington Libraries hosted a student video contest. The 2024 edition of their #IHeartUWLibraries contest asked students to create original videos showcasing the libraries through the lens of their experience. The top prize of $1,500 was awarded to the creator of this video (above).

A GIS librarian at UNC Libraries teamed up with an art historian to create an interactive map of local art galleries and exhibit spaces as part of “Loving Your Local Art Scene” summer class. I can’t not love the final paragraph: “We need to hire more librarians, give them better budgets and storage, and support any archival process they think they need to invest in. Librarians are the unacknowledged champions of the research process.” Amen!

At my place of work, we frequently talk about ways we can foster a culture of reading among undergraduate students. To that effect, Loyola University Chicago Libraries is hosting summer reading bingo. Students are encouraged to read in a variety of categories, such as queer romance, poetry, banned books, and books “published the year you were born.”

Off-site and high-density storage facilities for libraries provide engaging ways to talk with students and faculty about the role of libraries in preserving human knowledge and how to continually grow their collections. UC Berkley Library recently wrote about their tour of the Northern Regional Library Facility for their legacy/estate donors group.

I’m amazed at the complexity of this seemingly all-staff library assessment project (aka “data party”) from Duke Libraries. Every two years, they run a large student satisfaction survey. Small teams of staff code thousands of comments to create dashboards. Then more than 50 staff dig into the results and brainstorm solutions to address the problem areas uncovered by the survey. The recommendations are then presented to library leadership, who then parcel out the next actions.

Speaking of library assessment, what does that have to do with bird watching? Well, Temple University Libraries has an answer for you. 

On social

Every social media manager should have the agency and opportunity to take a social media break. I love how Santa Clara University Library [Instagram] made their announcement. 

University of Wyoming Libraries [Instagram] created a video offering highly specific book recommendations.

UTA Libraries [Instagram] has a super profresh Reel about how they support experiential learning.

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Grand Valley State University Libraries [TikTok] has a Black book exchange in a Little Free Library posted near their building.

If you’ve been on X/Twitter for a while, you might remember 2023 when UK Libraries [X] was photoshopping their building into famous images daily (for 365 days!). This week they posted a throwback in conjunction with Inside Out 2. I am always impressed when library creators commit to the bit. 

Interesting events and exhibits

Michael Flierl, an associate professor and student learning librarian at The Ohio State University Libraries hosted a virtual presentation on future considerations for artificial intelligence and information literacy, including questions about the role of librarians in all of this. 

“Let’s engage in historical capitalism!” The Virginia Tech University Libraries hosted a workshop entitled, “Archival Adventures: Decades of Advertising in Pulp Magazines.” Archivist Anthony Wright de Hernandez explored advertisements in speculative fiction magazines. The event was live streamed on Twitch (cool) and is part of a weekly series.

Penn Libraries hosted their first Death Cafe earlier this month. Distinct from bereavement support, counseling, or therapy, Death Cafes are an opportunity to talk candidly and openly about death and dying. And there’s cake! 

They might be old school, but I love a good book display. Duke University Libraries created a “Read like a Celebrity” display that included titles mentioned by celebrities in interviews or on social media. 

Next week, Yale Library will host its annual public reading of the Declaration of Independence and the oration by Frederick Douglass in which he asked: “What, to the American slave, is your Fourth of July?” The event runs 90 minutes and is not live-streamed, but from what I can gather from the website, it’s a popular event!

Notable mentions

• The University of Delaware Library on photographing architectural history.
• UC Davis Library provides an update on its strategic plan progress.
• Also at UC Davis Library, remembering Napa winemaker Warren Winiarski.
• The University of Louisville Libraries won an ARLIES film award.
• The Jean & Alexander Heard Libraries at Vanderbilt has digitized the papers of the civil rights leader Rev. James M. Lawson.
• Southern Methodist University Libraries offers a neat and succinct digital collections update.
• IU Libraries has an article on provenance, paleography, and planetary motion.
• Washington University St. Louis studies the salacious. 
• Emory University Libraries provides an assessment update on its summer internship for underrepresented communities.
• University of Michigan Library has a seed vending machine!  
• Carnegie Melon University Libraries has launched an exhibit featuring the four folios of Shakespeare.
• University of Miami Libraries has a student current exhibition on Jackie Gleason.

Pride and Juneteenth inspired a number of libraries to post about recommended readings, LibGuides, and special collections materials. Here are two quick roundups of some examples from across the field.

• Pride Month: Michigan Tech, University of Virginia, Villanova, Emory (and also Emory), Fordham, Indiana U. Bloomington, University of Utah, University of Vermont, and UCLA
• Juneteenth: University of Florida, DePaul, Penn Sate, Villanova, Touro College, and University of Washington

That’s it for this month! Do you find this useful? What would you like to see next time? Let me know in the comments! 

The updates from academic libraries are slowing down this month as many colleges and universities transition into the summer sessions, but there are still quite a few updates and events worth highlighting. I’ve shortened the lists to include only my top 5 announcements, social posts, and events, but (I couldn’t help myself) I included a “notable mentions” list at the end. 

While not necessarily represented below, I’m noticing a few trends, including AI, retirements, renovations, and podcasts. Perhaps I’ll dedicate a future post to a news roundup of one of those topics. 

News and announcements

The University of Michigan Libraries is offering free borrowing privileges for Native and Indigenous peoples not already affiliated with the institution.

Interviewers from Berkley Library’s Oral History Center presented their work on the Japanese American Intergenerational Narratives Project at the annual meeting of the National Council on Public History and wrote about the experience of traveling to Topaz (Utah) where some 8,000 Japanese Americans were forcibly incarcerated during World War II.

The University of Arkansas Libraries processed a new photo history collection of photographs by Geleve Grice, depicting daily life in the Black community around Pine Bluff. Notable figures in the photographs include Muhammad Ali, Rev. Jesse Jackson, Dionne Warwick, Maya Angelou, Wiley Branton, Edith Irby Jones, Ida Rowland Bellegard, Raymond Miller, Lawrence A. Davis, Martin Luther King Jr. and Silas Hunt.

The Olin Library at Rollins College is hiring for an Artificial Intelligence Librarian. Couched firmly in the context of information literacy, this position seeks to bring together the ACRL Framework and AI into the classroom.

The University of Virginia Libraries is funding “research sprints”: an intense 1-3 working day collaboration between faculty and librarians to support specific research projects.

Notable mentions

• Washington University in St. Louis is telling the story of Asian Americans in St. Louis. 
• Southern Methodist University Libraries renamed a scholarship in honor of a recently passed colleague, Jalesia Horton. 
• Fresno State honored graduating student employees with digital bookplates. 
• The ZSR Library at Wake Forest University has a roundup of the collections they’ve processed this year. 
• UC Davis Library launched a new faculty experts discovery system. 
• IUPUI Library hosts a monthly caption contest using photographs from its special collections. 
• Dartmouth Libraries has a video competition for students to encourage them to share their research work. 
• The University Libraries at the University of Albany has a graduate student internship to help with marketing and outreach.

On social

I love what Bass Library (Yale) is doing on Instagram. They are using a balanced mix of popular audios, high quality photo/video, and humor. Someone is obviously having a lot of fun over there.  

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The University of Michigan Library has an informative video that explains what a leafcaster does [YouTube]. This informal style of a BTS perspective (talking to the camera vs. voice over), especially in the lab setting, is engaging without begin boring. 

Fondren Library at Rice University announced on Facebook that it is launching a seed library.

RIT Libraries just uploaded a bunch of “Hey Listen” episodes to its YouTube page. The series was created by the National Technical Institute for the Deaf at Rochester Institute of Technology and featured deaf panelists, audience members, and hosts. 

Northwestern University created a fabulous video [YouTube] to highlight its university archives. The intro graphic and music choice are superb and the pacing is just right. I’m assuming this was produced as a collaboration between the library and the uni’s main marketing arm. 

Notable mentions

• This University of Chicago Library video for Banned Books Club. [Twitter/X]
• BYU Library has a Lego exhibit. [YouTube]
• Virginia Tech Libraries has an archives and paper airplane competition. [Twitter/X]
• Ohio University is getting ready for renovations. [YouTube]
• William & Mary Libraries are highlighting the research their faculty and students are working on during a writer’s retreat. [Twitter/X]
• University of Oregon Libraries made a cute Instagram video with their students workers. [Instagram] 
• Grand Valley State lends out plants. [TikTok]

Interesting events and exhibits

The University of Cincinnati Libraries is hosting a 21-day anti-racism challenge on topics including structural racism in health care, white privilege, and the difference between “not-racist” vs. “anti-racist.” The self-guided work culminated in a synchronous virtual discussion.  

Yale Library currently has an exhibit on the copying sacred texts. In addition to highlighting some notable works, including those of Kyeongho Kim, it aims to encourage the meditative practice of hand-copying texts. 

Drexel University Libraries annually honors members of its campus community who authored publications in the last year. This year, they honored their highest number faculty, staff, and student in the 12 years of the program: 118! 

The University of Michigan Libraries hosted “Dragademia,” a part lecture, part performance on the cultural issues surrounding drag performance. Apparently singing was involved. 

Penn Libraries is hosting a workshop on stab-stitch binding.

That’s it for now! As I was preparing this post, I began to notice many of the Pride Month posts rolling out. So while not included in the list above (which mostly covers late May), I’ll pull those together for the next roundup!

top image credit: SMU Digital Libraries on Flickr

Last month, I was working on a project to review how other academic libraries structured their donor web pages. During that review I noticed some amazing projects, and this led me down a rabbit hole. I ended up searching through more than 250 library websites to seek out some of the happening at other academic libraries. What follows is a list of my most notable finds, including announcements, social posts, and events. This is certainly not an exhaustive list, but if this is the sort of thing you enjoy or find useful, let me know in the comments! 

News and announcements

Librarians at Auburn University worked with faculty to study the effects of open access on citation counts. 

“To find out whether paying these APCs is worthwhile for authors, Stevison’s interdisciplinary team analyzed five years of bibliographic records totaling 146,415 articles in 152 biology journals offering both open and subscription-access options. […] They found that while paying APCs to make articles open via the “gold” route did yield increased citations, a more economical model of open access provided similar benefits.”

The Drexel University Libraries recently completed a project to digitize more than 6,000 graduate theses and dissertations that were previously available in print format only. 

“Many of the newly digitized theses and dissertations were produced by students enrolled in Drexel’s College of Medicine and its predecessors, including the Woman’s Medical College of Pennsylvania, Medical College of Pennsylvania, Hahnemann Medical College, Hahnemann University, MCP Hahnemann University, and Allegheny University.”

Fordham University Libraries has an article about Adelaide Hasse, creator of the SUDOC classification system.

“Unhappy with the Dewey Decimal System, she set about creating a classification system all her own beginning, sensibly enough, with the Agriculture Department. She developed a system organized not by title or author, but rather by department. A for agriculture, D for defense, T for treasury, etc. It may seem confusing at first, but it has a strict and coherent internal logic.”

The University of Illinois Chicago library gives out awards to faculty members through its “Open Textbook Faculty Incentive Program” to support creation of open educational resources. 

“This award recognizes faculty who demonstrate exemplary use of open educational resources in their classrooms and leadership in using and advocating for open course material. Examples include incorporating free educational materials in courses, including open textbooks, and creating original open educational resources.”

Northwestern University Libraries recently completed a project to box up large bound volumes of newspapers: “Step 5: Put on a brave face and open compact shelving again.” I would need a brave face when confronting the above as well!

I love this “Meet Your Librarian” series that University of Oregon Libraries is currently running!

“‘It all starts with the students,’ is Morning Star’s philosophy. With her expertise and knowledge in art research, she is eager to assist anyone seeking help, and does more than offer her services as a subject librarian to help them find what they’re looking for.”

Also at UO, the librarians recently evaluated more than 100,000 volumes in an effort to revitalize and make space in their Northeast campus library. The storytelling here about the process (click on “virtual presentation”) is top-notch:

“Their efforts led to the removal and reuse of more than sixty aisles of book shelving from throughout the building at no cost to the University.”

Maps are definitely cool again (see also: LAPL’s Epic Map Battles of History [TikTok]). So it’s no surprise that ASU Library has a “Map of the Month” series:

“As with all of our Map of the Month features, if you’d like to get a scanned copy of this map, please submit a Map and Geo Service Request and we’ll be sure to get back to you within two business days, but typically sooner.”

Cornell has an exhibition of Vladimir Nabokov’s butterflies: 

“During his time as professor of Russian literature at Cornell (1948-1959), Nabokov collected hundreds of butterfly specimens from across the United States which he donated to the Cornell University Insect Collection.”

Students at the University of Dayton used the library’s media production studio to create Barbie-themed explorations of feminist theory:

“When teaching inspiration strikes, we all should feel supported. Creativity, innovation and collaboration make library work and education exciting. ‘This project would not have come to fruition without the library’s spaces and people.’”

UT Arlington held its second annual 24-hour Datathon:

“Datathon presented students with realistic data challenges. These challenges involved looking at a question and then collecting, processing, analyzing, and interpreting data to help solve a problem.”

Georgia Tech Library has announced its third artist-in-residence, Bojana Ginn:

“Interested in the microscopic worlds of the body and environment in the age of digital and biotechnologies, Ginn explores human identity, mental health, AI and virtual reality, the techno-sphere, and trans-humanism.”

Related: LeHigh is inviting students to enter a design contest for a new art installation to be on display in their Fairchild-Martindale Library atrium.

Other quick picks:

• James Madison University Libraries is helping students explore alternative options to expensive learning materials with this helpful info graphic.
• Congratulations to NC State University Libraries for being awarded their Chancellor’s Creating Community Award at the Office of Institutional Equity and Diversity’s Recognizing Excellence in Diversity Event! 
• Northeastern University Library has a monthly “reading challenge” award for students (file under: fostering a culture of readers).
• Hesburgh Library at Notre Dame is celebrating its 60th anniversary. I love how they have identified 60 milestones in the library’s history to honor the occasion.
• The University of Buffalo Libraries has a story about an item from the Challenger that now resides in its collections.
• Penn Libraries has a detailed description of their attempts to stabilize and repair a rare Persian codex.
• Washington University in St. Louis has an article about the illustrated editions of the raven from Edgar Allan Poe’s eponymous poem. 
• DePaul University Library created this infographic to highlight common reference desk questions.

On social media

• Texas A&M Libraries has what might be the most charming library orientation video I’ve ever seen (above): YouTube.
• University of Florida Libraries are asking students what they think is the oldest library on campus: Instagram
• University of Oregon has a nice use of the campus mascot to promote finals use of the library: Instagram
• Syracuse University has a well done video on the importance of accessibility and the staff who do that work: Instagram
• MIT Libraries created this “Circulation: A Day in the Life of Library Books” video: YouTube
• I love how some libraries are encouraging graduating students to use their spaces as backdrops for their grad photos. Here’s an example from Stony Brook University: Facebook
• Fairfield Library has a good use of BTS video of a graduation photo shoot: Instagram
• This Reel from NYU Libraries is a great use of audio to offer quick research tips: Instagram

Interesting events

• Georgetown University Library is hosting an “Intimidating Reads” book club, starting with the Brothers Karmazov. Related: Duke Libraries is reading Don Quixote.
• Rutgers University Libraries is opening a new exhibition, “Rhythmic Grooves of Liberation: Jazz, Islam, & Black Power.” 
• Lemieux Library at Seattle University is hosting a “postcard pop-up” for students to write and mail postcards to friends and family.
• The Harold B. Lee Library at BYU is hosting a summer classic film series, starting with Godzilla (1954).
• Brown University Libraries is hosting a workshop on the issues related mass incarceration, art and the freedom struggle.
• Dartmouth Libraries are hosting a “Print Your Own Graduation Announcement” workshop. Related: University of Minnesota hosted a graduation cap decorating party.
• Harvard Library is hosting a “Print Identification for Beginners” class. Related: Virginia Tech is hosting a workshop on “crossed letters” and Pitman shorthand.
• Oregon State University Libraries is hosting a silent disco.
• Penn Libraries are having a conversation about authorship, AI, and copyright.
• The University of Washington Libraries is helping students find study focus buddies! 
• UC San Diego is hosting a bee-related exhibition! 

Notable themes

API Heritage Month resources:

• Illinois Tech’s Galvin Library 
• Villanova’s Falvey Library 
• Emory University Libraries
• University of Michigan
• Penn Libraries
• University of Utah
• University of Arkansas

Mental Health Awareness Month:

• Drexel University
• Carnegie Melon
• University of Miami
• UC Riverside
• Montclair State University

Student research awards:

• Falvey Library at Villanova
• Yeshiva University Library
• Emory University Libraries
• DiMenna-Nyselius Library at Fairfield University
• Penn State Libraries
• Loyola Marymount University Library
• University of Maryland
• University of South Carolina

Profiles of student graduates:

• University of Nevada Reno
• Binghamton University
• Loyola University Chicago
• University of Dayton
• University of Tennessee
• University of North Carolina

That’s it for now! Let me know what I missed. Again, if this is something you find useful, let me know in the comments. Maybe I’ll do it again next month!