Game On, Cougars! 2015

The University of Houston Libraries will host Game On, Cougars! on Saturday, November 21 at the MD Anderson Library.

The event, now in its third year, draws gaming enthusiasts of all kinds. Everyone is invited to Game On, Cougars! for a day of board games, card games, and video games, all in a centrally located venue on the UH campus. The event will also feature tournaments for Super Smash Bros. and League of Legends.

Last year, over 160 attendees from the campus community and the Houston area gathered for the event, featuring free play, tournaments, prizes and snacks. View highlights from the 2014 Game On, Cougars!

This year, the Libraries is partnering with student organizations to offer more gaming options. The Cougar Urban Gaming Society will host an outdoor pickup game along with table top indoor games, while UH Smash will run a 32-player video game tournament, along with demoing games.

Game On, Cougars! is hosted in conjunction with hundreds of libraries around the globe in celebration of International Games Day @ Your Library, an initiative of the American Library Association.

Who: All interested gamers
What: A FREE day of board games, card games, and video games; prizes, snacks
When: Saturday, November 21, 2015
Where: University of Houston MD Anderson Library

UH Librarian To Deliver Keynote at OK ACRL Conference

Rachel Vacek, head of Web Services at the University of Houston Libraries, will deliver the keynote address at the Oklahoma chapter of the Association of College and Research Libraries 2015 conference.

Vacek will discuss “Re-imagining the Library Website.” Her research interests focus on open source technologies, user experience design, agile development methodologies, digital libraries, innovation, and library leadership.

Vacek has been a part of Web Services at UH Libraries since 2007, and became head of the department in 2010. She served as the 2014-2015 president of the Library and Information Technology Association (LITA) and was named a 2014 Library Journal Mover and Shaker. She is also a 2007 American Library Association (ALA) Emerging Leader.

UH Librarian Chairs TDL Dataverse Group

Santi Thompson, head of Digital Repository Services at the University of Houston Libraries, was recently selected as chair of the Texas Digital Library (TDL) Dataverse Implementation Working Group, a new consortial team whose charge is to pilot test, assess, and launch a repository for research data archiving and management.

The group was formed at the recommendation of the TDL Data Management Working Group, who investigated solutions for improving access and reuse of research data in response to the 2013 mandate from the White House’s Office of Science and Technology Policy, which calls for researchers to make the results of federally funded research publicly accessible.

The Data Management Working Group chose Dataverse as the best facilitator of the discovery of research data and its associated metadata. Dataverse is a free and open source software platform for publishing, citing and preserving research data, developed by the Institute for Quantitative Social Science at Harvard University.

The Dataverse Implementation Working Group will implement Dataverse to establish a statewide repository for storing and providing access to research data. The group’s tasks are to provide recommendations on sustainable funding models; technical and metadata configuration; outreach, workflows and training programs; and policy and governance.

“Once implemented, Dataverse will offer researchers throughout Texas a dedicated space to archive their research and to share it with their colleagues and the broader public,” Thompson said. “It will also establish the foundation for helping researchers fulfill important mandates from grant funding agencies as well as promote their unique research in new and exciting ways.”

The TDL is a consortium of higher education institutions in Texas that provides shared services in support of research and teaching. It began in 2005 as a partnership between four of the state’s largest Association of Research Libraries (ARL) universities: Texas A&M University, Texas Tech University, the University of Houston, and the University of Texas at Austin. It has extended membership in the consortium to any of the state’s institutions of higher learning and now represents large and small institutions from every region of the state.

Top 10 Academic and Research Services

The University of Houston Libraries provides access to a range of resources and services for success in academics and research. Our Top 10 Services list is a quick guide to getting the most out of your visit to the campus library.

10. Course Reserves
Ares, the UH Libraries’ course reserves system, is integrated with Blackboard, allowing faculty and students quick and easy access to course reserves. Students have a streamlined interface for viewing readings from within Blackboard, and can receive email notifications when course reserves items become available. With Ares, faculty now have greater control over creating and managing course reserves. Instructions for placing materials on reserve

9. Research Support
UH Libraries meets student and faculty research needs with a variety of resources. Research Guides provide subject-specific research tools and methods, while subject librarians are available for personalized research help. Other types of research support include data management, copyright, and digital research services (geospatial information systems, data visualization, and digital humanities).

8. More Than Books
In addition to traditional physical materials (books and DVDs), the Libraries has other items available for check-out, such as calculators, umbrellas, and marker kits. Visit the Service Desk on the first floor of the MD Anderson Library for more information.

7. Equipment
The Libraries offers audiovisual and multimedia equipment, such as cameras and camcorders, scanners, projectors and personal screens, Wacom tablets and netbooks, for check-out.

6. Virtual Learning Commons
The Virtual Learning Commons is a way to connect to a virtual PC containing all of the software and printing capabilities of the Learning Commons computers. Students can connect on almost any device, at any time. Instructions to connect

5. Reservation System
Students may reserve group study rooms and Learning Commons computers ahead of time online.

4. Study and Research Space
We have over 117,000 square feet of space designed for productivity, creativity and collaboration, including designated zones for business, quiet, and silent mode, and accessible for extended hours.

3. Multimedia Production
The Hamill Foundation Multimedia Studio, located in the Learning Commons, features audio recording booths and professional-grade equipment to create high-quality productions. UH students may take photos or record video in the MD Anderson Library for course assignments (individuals cannot be photographed without their permission). Prior approval is required.

2. Borrowing from Other Institutions
A TexShare card, available to all current UH (main campus) students, faculty, and staff allows check-out of circulating items from any participating TexShare library across the state of Texas. Most of Texas’ libraries are members of the TexShare Card program, including public and private universities, community colleges and public libraries. UH students and faculty can apply for a TexShare card at the Service Desk of the MD Anderson Library.

Interlibrary Loan supports teaching, learning and research needs by borrowing materials not available from any UH library, scanning and delivering articles to faculty and graduate students, delivering library materials to distance education students, and lending UH materials to other libraries.

1. Technology Training
The Libraries offers free technology training to all UH students, faculty and staff. Instructor-led courses are held in the Learning Commons Training Lab on the first floor of the MD Anderson Library, and include a wide variety of topics such as Photoshop: Retouching, MATLAB: Data Representations, Excel: Tables and Charts, SPSS: Advanced Statistics, HTML: Intro to CSS, and more.

UH Librarians Receive Provost’s Travel Fund Awards

Two University of Houston librarians received Provost’s Travel Fund grants to present their research at an international conference held last month.

Santi Thompson, head of Digital Repository Services, and Andy Weidner, metadata services coordinator, were awarded funds covering travel expenses to the DCMI International Conference on Dublin Core and Metadata Applications in São Paulo, Brazil.

Thompson, with University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign colleague Ayla Stein, co-presented “Understanding Metadata Needs when Migrating DAMS,” a study that identified and explored metadata needs associated with migrating to a new digital asset management system.

Weidner, with head of Metadata and Digitization Services Annie Wu, presented “Metadata Quality Control for Content Migration: The Metadata Migration Project at the University of Houston Libraries,” a report of the Libraries DAMS Implementation Task Force work on establishing a new repository architecture for the UH Digital Library and the metadata quality improvements that resulted as part of the Metadata Migration Project.

Weidner was also invited to join a new DCMI committee while at the conference. The Infrastructure Advisory Committee begins work next month to explore ways to improve the communication systems that support the DCMI community.

The Provost’s Travel Fund was established to strengthen research and creative programs while raising the university’s national and international presence in the scholarly community. The Provost’s Travel Fund is designed to enhance professional development of UH tenured and tenure-track faculty members and librarians, and to increase the visibility of the institution by supporting travel to present the research findings or creative activity at national or international conferences.

Unique Holdings: Spellbound

University of Houston Libraries invites faculty and staff, students, researchers, and anyone interested in discovering unique materials to attend a magical and dastardly brown bag presentation on Thursday, October 29 in the Elizabeth D. Rockwell Pavilion at the MD Anderson Library.

English and linguistics librarian Jesse Sharpe and library specialist Kristine Greive will present “Spellbound,” an exploration of rare books on magic, pseudoscience, and the occult housed in UH Special Collections.

The October 29 talk is part of Unique Holdings, a new series that highlights the rare archival items held by Special Collections and available for use by faculty, students and researchers.

Future Unique Holdings talks will feature liaison librarians discussing other books and manuscripts of Special Collections that can inform and shape scholarly endeavors in any discipline.

Bring your lunch and enjoy an enlightening discussion!

What: “Spellbound” brown bag presentation
When: Thursday, October 29 at noon
Where: Elizabeth D. Rockwell Pavilion, MD Anderson Library

New Coordinator of Digital Projects at UH Libraries

The University of Houston Libraries welcomes Bethany Scott, the new coordinator of digital projects in Special Collections.

Please describe your role at UH Libraries and talk about some of your professional goals and/or research areas.

As the coordinator of digital projects with Special Collections, I’m serving as a project manager and mediator between Special Collections and Metadata and Digitization Services, Web Services, and other stakeholders for the University of Houston Digital Library as we ramp up digitization of our rare books and manuscript collections. I am also taking on the role of digital archivist, developing processes and procedures to steward our digital archival materials and ensure they’re preserved and accessible into the future.

On that note, I’m a member of the Digital Asset Management System Implementation Task Force and the Digital Preservation Task Force, developing standards and workflows for our new digital preservation and access tools. There are some amazing, innovative initiatives going on here that I’m thrilled to be a part of!

Please share a bit about your background and interests. How do these inspire and shape your approach as a librarian?

Before I decided to get my Master of Science in information systems, I majored in painting and printmaking, and while I pursued my library degree I was very interested in the aspects of conservation and curation that go along with archival work. In collaborating with artists, researchers, and museum staff on campus at UT to develop information management plans and systems, I began to see the opportunities for digital libraries and repositories to play a role in preserving and improving the accessibility of art and cultural heritage collections. I love figuring out how digital assets and systems can work together to provide services and functions that weren’t possible before.

Also, in my previous role as cataloging and metadata librarian in a large public library system, I developed a strong service-oriented approach to librarianship. As a point person for technical projects, my goal is always to ensure that our digital systems and services provide an excellent experience to patrons – both in the public and my co-workers within the library.

Please describe your first impressions of the University of Houston.

As a native Houstonian with many friends and family who consider themselves Cougars, I’ve always appreciated the University of Houston. I think the first time I visited the library here was while working on a research project for one of my high school classes, and I was blown away by the excitement and energy of the students and faculty, and, of course, all the books! Now as a librarian here, I really appreciate the diversity of the campus and the enthusiasm everyone has for innovation and collaboration, both in the library and the wider UH campus community.

What is your favorite book/movie/cuisine/hobby?

My favorite author is Haruki Murakami, and Dance Dance Dance is one of my favorites of his. I’m not a big movie buff, but I do love Tarantino, gangster movies, and anything dark or gory. I love food a lot, especially Vietnamese food and BBQ, and some of my hobbies include knitting, practicing yoga, and hiking with my dog.

Video of September Poetry and Prose

Check out recorded readings from the September 16 Poetry and Prose.

Sam Thilen – MFA Poetry

Mandi Casolo – PhD Fiction

Lani Yu – MFA Poetry

Joshua Foster – PhD Fiction

Corey Campbell – PhD Fiction

Chris Like – MFA in Nonfiction

Aza Pace – MFA Poetry

New Coordinator of Online Resources and Collections at UH Libraries

The University of Houston Libraries welcomes Lindsay Cronk, who recently began her new role as coordinator of online resources and collections.

Please describe your role at UH Libraries and talk about some of your professional goals and/or research areas.

As coordinator of online resources and collections (CORC) I work as both an investigator and a facilitator, both roles I relish. I collaborate with Liaison Services, Resource Discovery Systems, and Acquisitions to ensure we make informed collection development decisions that are measured, humane, responsible, and supportive of scholarly processes. I collect, analyze, and present data to support the interdepartmental effort of electronic resources management.

Please share a bit about your background and interests. How do these inspire and shape your approach as a librarian?

For years I had a beat-up old scooter. I recently upgraded to a new one for the purposes of my newly acquired commute, but tinkering with that simple machine was my favorite thing to do. I think that tinkering is essentially the work of collection management, which requires a commitment to looking, looking again, and making necessary adjustments. I am necessarily patient and investigative, and because I am invigorated by the process I tend to be upbeat as I conduct the work.

I’ve been a waitress, a shampoo girl, a grant writer, and a database administrator. I’ve worked in library consortia and historic preservation. I consider myself a consummate generalist, and that perspective definitely colors my approach to management and the library.

Please describe your first impressions of the University of Houston.

The day of my interview is mostly a blur. My first day of work was the first day of school, and I do think there was a special energy around it because of that. There’s an unspoken camaraderie at the start of a semester, and the sense of a fresh start. University of Houston is such a beautiful campus, but because I was bustling for orientation I didn’t get to see it really until a couple weeks after I started. My first impressions were all of a busy, friendly, and purposeful campus community and library team.

What is your favorite book/movie/cuisine/hobby?

My favorite book is definitely The Secret History by Donna Tart – so gloomy and collegiate and atmospheric. My favorite movie is a harder pick, though I’d probably say it’s currently Mad Max: Fury Road. I love all foods, and I refuse to play favorites. Hobby-wise, I like to throw pots and crochet.

Personal Digital Archiving: Librarians as Leaders in Organization and Preservation

The following is a guest post by Melody Condron, resource management coordinator at the University of Houston Libraries. Condron will teach Personal Digital Archiving for Librarians as an online course beginning October 6.

Chances are, you have many digital items: family photographs, bank statements, recipes, or work reports. You may also have a digital life that includes your contacts’ information, emails, texts, and social media. Thirty years ago, most documents and correspondence were on paper. Those items were vulnerable to time, but could be protected by organization and proper storage. The same is true of digital documents, although we tend to create digital items faster and store them more haphazardly. Few of us have a plan for them even though they are at risk. Computers can fail or get stolen; a neglected online account might be shut down; or you may lose the photograph you need simply because you never gave it a title to differentiate it from the other 10,000 photos you created last summer. Learning the basics of personal digital archiving can help digital citizens become better managers of their own lives, and librarians have the organization and preservation training to help people move in the right direction.

At its core, personal digital archiving is the conscious maintenance and storage of your digital documents. The topic is complex because everyone has different needs. A film student, for example, might have multiple digital videos that require much more storage space than a normal computer user. Some people may want to preserve their social media accounts or text messages, while others find that to be too much work. Each individual must assess their own needs. Identifying what you want to keep (and get rid of) only takes you so far: you still have to figure out how to store it, protect it, and share it. Luckily, with an increase in cloud storage solutions and a decrease in the price of external drives and computer storage, options for protecting your data are becoming easier.

Sharing is a larger part of personal digital archiving than many people would assume. In fact, legacy planning is much of the impetus for some personal archivists. It can be exceedingly difficult to gain access to a loved one’s financial and legal documents in case of an emergency if they are all stored digitally behind passwords, or in accounts family members don’t know about. Photographs are also at a high risk of loss if they are not backed up and shared so that families have access.

With an increased interest in personal digital archiving, many libraries offer services to assist people. The Library of Congress has been a leader in this area and offers many resources. At the University of Houston Libraries, personal digital archiving is not a core focus – we don’t spend our days archiving text messages and Twitter. However, we do spend time working on best practices for file naming, metadata, preservation, data management, and organization.

This October, I will be teaching a class on Personal Digital Archiving for Librarians as a “train-the-trainer” opportunity. My goal is to translate that librarian-specific work to a broader audience. Seeing an increased interest in personal archiving is encouraging. As we move forward in a digital world, those best practices, born in libraries, can help people become better stewards of their own digital lives.