Creativity and Collaboration at UH Libraries
UH Libraries announces the 2015-2016 Microgrant Program winners.
The University of Houston Libraries announces the winners of the 2015-2016 Microgrant Program.
The program, now in its 7th year, was created to foster new and innovative ideas in support of the Libraries’ Strategic Directions and the University’s Strategic Initiatives.
Librarians and staff submitted proposals for new services and programs which would benefit teaching, learning and research objectives of the UH community, and will work in cross-departmental teams to implement their ideas.
The UH Libraries Microgrant Program winners for 2015-2016 are:
Project title: LinkedIn at the Library
Esmeralda Fisher (project lead), Mauricio Lazo, Kelsey Brett, Alex Simons
LinkedIn is a powerful career and networking tool, yet many students who are seeking internship or full time job opportunities do not use it properly or at all. LinkedIn at the Library will give students a chance to improve their LinkedIn profile, and learn ways to build professional connections in the online space. Staff volunteers from the Libraries and University Career Services will assess students’ LinkedIn profiles and offer suggestions on ways to improve it. Professional portraits will be offered, which students can upload to their profile. Career Services and Libraries information will be distributed, and there will be opportunities for students to sign up for career-related tech training offered at the Libraries.
Project title: Walk and Learn for Wellness
Kelsey Brett (project lead), Marissa Aiello, Melody Condron, Lisa Martin, Porcia Vaughn
The project will consist of two parts. Part one is a walking challenge to be held in the fall. Part two is a wellness discussion series to be held in the spring.
An eight-week wellness program, Walk Across Texas, will be used in fall 2015 to motivate library employees to explore wellness in their work environment. The Walk Across Texas program, from Texas A&M Extension, focuses on team-based walking challenges.
The microgrant project for the walking challenge involves publicizing the walking challenge, signing teams up, holding a kickoff event, monitoring the challenges and providing feedback to teams, announcing winners, and hosting a final event to celebrate participants. Pedometers will be provided for every staff member and student worker. In spring 2016, the project team will hold approximately four Lunch and Learn workshops focused on wellness. Targeted discussion topics include nutrition, ergonomics, stress reduction for student workers, healthy activities, and other work-life balance topics.
Project title: Information and Access Services Student Empowerment Project
Margaret Dunn (project lead), Lee Hilyer, Nora Dethloff
This project will consist of hosting various events for the student workers employed in the Libraries’ Information and Access Services department. The students will be invited to events featuring an employee of other Libraries departments in order to learn more about how the Libraries functions.
Project title: African American Read-In
Rachel Vacek (project lead), Jesse Sharpe, Julie Grob, Andrea Malone
Since 1989, the Black Caucus of the National Council of Teachers of English has sponsored the National African American Read-In. UH Libraries will host a Read-In for which students, staff and faculty can sign up to read self-selected book passages, articles, poetry, speeches, and other works written by African Americans. The Libraries will identify unique materials from Special Collections and the stacks to inspire those in search of reading material.