Latina/o Literature Exhibit at UH Libraries

A new exhibit will open at the University of Houston Libraries in January 2016.

Encounters and Discoveries in Literature: Celebrating Arte Público Press and Twentieth Century Latina/o Literature is a retrospective look at Arte Público Press and its place in the larger context of Latina/o literature throughout the 20th century. Founded in 1979, Arte Público Press and its subsidiaries paved the way for numerous celebrated authors, such as Alicia Gaspar de Alba, Sandra Cisneros, Rolando Hinojosa, Graciela Limon, Américo Paredes, and Tomás Rivera, while also recovering early unpublished works by Latinos and leading the way for inclusive children’s literature.

Materials in the exhibit will include books, archival documents, photographs, and works of art produced or recovered by Arte Público Press and its subdivisions, Piñata Books and the Recovering the US Hispanic Literary Heritage Project. Beyond a mere presentation of objects and literary works, the contents of the exhibit explore the Latina/o experience and the societal conditions documented in Arte Público’s publications.

The public is invited to the exhibit opening reception, which will be held on Wednesday, January 20, 2016 from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. at the MD Anderson Library Rockwell Pavilion. For more information, contact Lisa Cruces.

TLA CULD Newsletter

Kelsey Brett, discovery systems librarian at the University of Houston Libraries, discussed one of the Libraries’ popular programs, the Graduate Student Mixer, which was featured in the Texas Library Association College and University Libraries Division newsletter. Read more (PDF)

DLF Assessment Interest Group Updates

Updates from the Digital Library Federation Assessment Interest Group are available, provided by Santi Thompson, head of Digital Repository Services at the University of Houston Libraries, and colleague Joyce Chapman of Duke University Libraries.

Remembering the USS Houston

A group of volunteers calling themselves “Team Houston” were among the thousands who arrived at Arlington National Cemetery on Saturday, December 12, 2015 to participate in the annual wreath-laying event for US veterans buried in the cemetery.

The group, including John Schwarz, executive director of the USS Houston CA-30 Survivors’ Association and Next Generations, laid wreaths at cemetery markers of the USS Houston CA-30 crewmen, and others. A permanent exhibition in the University of Houston MD Anderson Library tells the story of the USS Houston CA-30, a heavy cruiser launched in 1929, and her crew. Named for the city of Houston, the ship was both a peacetime favorite of President Franklin D. Roosevelt and flagship of the Asiatic Fleet during World War II.

UH Libraries Copyright Team

The University of Houston Libraries Copyright Team serves as a source of information on copyright best practices related to research, teaching, and learning. The team’s work includes:

• Investigating, identifying, creating, and disseminating best practices regarding copyright issues
• Tracking copyright expertise and experience within the library and directing copyright queries when appropriate
• Facilitating discussions and building engagement within the library around copyright issues in higher education
• Updating internal and external stakeholders on new developments in copyright
• Reporting the work of the team to UH Libraries on a regular basis

The team has created a research guide with links to tools and resources on copyright issues. For specific queries that are not covered in the research guide, an online form is available to submit questions to the Copyright Team (Ask the Copyright Team).

Disclaimer: This guide on using public domain materials, Fair Use materials, Creative Commons licensed materials, and copyright law is provided for informational purposes only. The Copyright Team cannot provide legal advice. This guide is intended to provide useful links only. Should you require legal advice, please contact an attorney.

Mary Manning and University Archives on Channel 13

Material housed in University of Houston Libraries Special Collections was featured on an ABC 13 news story, Future Looks Bright for University of Houston, during the December 3 broadcast. Mary Manning, university archivist and curator of Performing and Visual Arts, is featured. View story

National Book Award Winner to Visit UH

Gulf Coast and the University of Houston Libraries invite the UH and Houston community to an event featuring 2015 National Book Award winner Robin Coste Lewis.

As part of the Libraries’ Unique Holdings series, this event will highlight Ms. Lewis’ award-winning book, Voyage of the Sable Venus, and the pleasures and challenges of archival research. Ms. Lewis will be joined by Cedric R. Tolliver, assistant professor of English. A reception will follow. This event is free and open to the public.

The program is made possible through a generous Innovations Grant from the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for the Arts.

Robin Coste Lewis is the author of Voyage of the Sable Venus (2015), winner of the National Book Award. Her work has appeared in various journals and anthologies, including The Massachusetts Review, Callaloo, The Harvard Gay & Lesbian Review, Transition, and VIDA.

Unique Holdings is a new series presented by UH Libraries that highlights the rare archival items of Special Collections that are available for use by faculty, students and researchers.

What: Unique Holdings featuring Robin Coste Lewis
When: Tuesday, February 2, 2016 at 5:30 pm
Where: Elizabeth D. Rockwell Pavilion, MD Anderson Library

UH Honors Promoted and Tenured Faculty

A new program established by the Office of the Provost and the University Libraries celebrates the accomplishments of promoted and tenured faculty and librarians.

The University of Houston Promotion and Tenure Recognition Program was created to honor faculty and librarians who have recently achieved tenure or have been promoted. Honorees are invited to select a book that has offered inspiration or encouragement in their professional journey. Book selections are added to the Libraries catalog and book-plated, serving as an enduring tribute to the pursuit of excellence in service, scholarship and learning.

“By recognizing the continuous role that scholarship plays in the lives of each of our faculty members, we acknowledge their journey and hope to provide inspiration for future faculty. I am proud to celebrate the achievements of our tenured and promoted faculty and librarians,” said Paula Myrick Short, senior vice president for academic affairs and provost.

“The Libraries is pleased to partner with the Provost’s Office on this program that recognizes the tremendous accomplishments of our faculty and librarians,” dean Lisa German said.

Book selections, along with the faculty member’s name, rank and title, and personal statement will be placed on display at the program’s spring reception, scheduled for February 2016 at the MD Anderson Library Rockwell Pavilion.

UH Librarian Selected for Harvard Leadership Institute

Christina Gola, head of Liaison Services for instruction and outreach at the University of Houston Libraries, was accepted to the Harvard Leadership Institute for Academic Librarians.

The Harvard Leadership Institute for Academic Librarians is a distinguished program designed to equip library leaders with the tools and insight necessary for strategic response to emerging institutional and informational needs. The program also provides participants with the opportunity to assess their leadership strengths and weaknesses in an engaging environment.

“I was drawn to the Harvard Leadership Institute for Academic Librarians because of its stated purpose of helping library leaders ‘respond to a rapidly shifting competitive landscape,'” Gola said. “This aligns with the current challenges we are facing at UH Libraries. By attending this institute, I will learn leadership strategies that can help me be proactive in adapting to new roles and services, which will allow me to become a more effective leader within UH Libraries, across campus, and within the profession. I also look forward to meeting new colleagues from across the nation and broadening my professional network.”

Gola has served in her current role since 2011, in which she provides leadership for the Libraries’ instruction and outreach program, while co-managing and mentoring the Liaison Services group. Prior to her appointment at UH, Gola was the coordinator of undergraduate instruction and outreach, and assistant professor, at Texas A&M University Evans Library. She is actively engaged in professional activities, serving on a number of committees at campus, state and national levels, and is currently the chair of the Libraries’ strategic planning team. She has widely published and presented on a number of topics related to instruction, information literacy, assessment, and leadership.

“I am so pleased that Christina Gola was selected for the Leadership Institute for Academic Librarians,” dean Lisa German said. “The institute will address planning, organizational strategy and change, and transformational learning, and Christina’s participation in this prestigious program will enrich her capabilities in leading initiatives both at the Libraries and university-wide.”

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December 2015 New Databases

The following databases are now available from the University of Houston Libraries:

AIP Scitation
Provides full-text access to journals published and distributed by the American Institute of Physics, American Physical Society, American Society of Civil Engineers, American Society of Mechanical Engineers International, International Society for Optical Engineering, and other science and engineering societies. Covers physics, astronomy, electronics, engineering, materials science, mathematics and associated disciplines.

API Standards
The American Petroleum Institute (API) maintains more than 500 documents that apply to many segments of the oil and gas industry; from drill bits to environmental protection. API standards advocate proven, sound engineering and operating practices and safe, interchangeable equipment and materials. API standards include manuals, standards, specifications, recommended practices, bulletins, guidelines and technical reports.

IBISWorld
IBISWorld is a wide-ranging collection of U.S. and global industry market research and U.S. risk ratings. It contains business reports in five categories: industry market research, industry risk ratings and company research for the U.S., global industry research, and selected economic and demographic data. Market analysis components include overviews, industry performance and outlook, competitive and regulatory environment, major competitors, operational conditions and key statistics. U.S. risk reports discuss industry and market risk, including industry life cycle, growth potential and economic sensitivity. Downloadable report elements include SWOT analyses, statistical tables and graphs.

Joanna Briggs Institute
The Joanna Briggs Institute EBP Database allows you to search simultaneously, a wide range of summarized and appraised health care evidence, including 3,000 records across seven publication types: Evidence Based Recommended Practices, Evidence Summaries, Best Practice Information Sheets, Systematic Reviews, Consumer Information Sheets, Systematic Review Protocols, and Technical Reports.

PhilPapers
PhilPapers is a comprehensive index and bibliography of philosophy maintained by the community of philosophers. Using advanced trawling techniques and large scale crowdsourcing, we monitor all sources of research content in philosophy, including journals, books, open access archives, and personal pages maintained by academics.

SimplyMap
SimplyMap is a web-based mapping application that lets users quickly create professional-quality thematic maps and reports using demographic, business, and marketing data for the United States.

U.S. Political Stats
U.S. Political Stats contains over 225,000 data series or data measures over time about people, places, and policies across 10 distinct political science data categories, aligned with a typical political science curriculum. The data series span as far back as 1982, and are updated on a timely basis in accordance with the collection and publication schedules of original sources. Detailed source information, with links where applicable, is provided for every data series.

WARC
WARC is a database providing access to advertising and marketing information from various sources. The searchable sources include organisations of various countries, monographs, conference papers, abstracts, and the full-text of various journals.