The Ohio State University Libraries

Mary Polemeni-McGovern has accomplished a lot in the six months she worked at Research Commons in University Libraries' 18th Ave. Library. In addition to her daily tasks, Mary learned new skills that helped her build confidence in herself and her work.

In her scholarship essay, Mary shares, “The small staff I work with is incredibly supportive, and I trust that my supervisors wouldn’t assign me a project I’m not capable of handling…My supervisors are incredibly accommodating and make it easy to ask for help, which gives me the freedom I need to independently explore new concepts and has helped with my life-long perfectionism.”

Mary shares more about herself, her experience and advice for other students considering applying to University Libraries in this interview: https://bit.ly/4cNlCsi

Mackenzie McMahon is a student employee in the Preservation and Digitization Department at The Ohio State University Libraries. During her time here, she had the unique opportunity to work on preserving her grandfather’s master’s thesis from when he was a student at Ohio State in the 1950s.

“As I started the preservation process...I felt a deep connection with my family history. Despite his passing when I was young, the experience provided me with a connection to him eighteen years later, bridging the generational gap through our shared passion for the study of history,” Mackenzie said.

While working on the preservation of these historical documents, Mackenzie shared that it helped her recognize the value of capturing the dedication and passion of authors and their work for future generations to access.

Learn more about Mackenzie, one of 10 recipients of the 2024 University Libraries Student Employee Scholarship, here: https://bit.ly/3VOsZsw

Congratulations to The Ohio State University student Jinju Kim on receiving a University Libraries Student Employee Scholarship!

As a student employee with the University Libraries security team, Jinju said her job experience helped her learn the importance of effective communication and patience. This was particularly true after a shift at the 18th Ave. Library, where she was approached by a student seeking shelter from an aggressive person they interacted with on their way to a campus gym. Fortunately, the student was physically unharmed.

“The incident also heightened my awareness of my responsibility as a student security to not only patrol the libraries and help with the lost and found, but to be prepared for unexpected situations and ensure safety protocols are followed thoroughly,” Jinju said.

Learn more about Jinju at https://bit.ly/3xKdXvP.

Congratulations to The Ohio State University student Robert Smith on receiving a University Libraries Student Employee Scholarship!

As a third-year engineering student and student employee with The Ohio State University Libraries IT team, Robert assisted in a critical hardware migration project that helped him understand the power of teamwork and the importance of collective effort and individual growth.

“Through this experience, I witnessed the importance of communication and capitalizing on each other's strengths...every team member had something unique to contribute, and by sharing our knowledge, we were able to overcome seemingly insurmountable challenges," Robert said.

Learn more about Robert at https://bit.ly/4cdZyXS.

Today we celebrate Juneteenth. Also known as Freedom Day, it marks the arrival of federal troops in Galveston, Texas in 1865 to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation nearly two years after it was signed. In commemoration of the day, University Libraries locations are closed today.

If you'd like to learn more about Juneteenth, we recommend:

• Celebrating Juneteenth with The Ohio State University Office of Diversity and Inclusion: https://bit.ly/3z471tL

• "What is Juneteenth," article by Henry Louis Gates, Jr.: https://to.pbs.org/2WpylK2

• "Juneteenth Has Always Been Worthy of Celebration," article by Kellie Carter Jackson: https://bit.ly/3eisYpV

Congratulations to Idris Goodwin, Artistic Director of the Seattle Children's Theatre, on receiving the 2024 Margo Jones Award! This award honors the "citizen-of-the-theatre who has demonstrated a significant impact, understanding and affirmation of the craft of playwriting, with a lifetime commitment to the encouragement of the living theatre everywhere."

Beth Kattelman, Curator of the Lawrence and Lee Theatre Research Institute (TRI) at The Ohio State University Libraries, and Mara Frazier, Curator of Dance of the TRI, presented Idris with the award. Also in attendance to celebrate his achievements were representatives of the Lawrence and Lee families, local theatre professionals, and Seattle Children's Theatre staff and friends.

131 years ago yesterday, June 13, Olive B. Jones became the first full-time librarian at The Ohio State University with an annual salary of $800.

The first campus library was located in University Hall until 1893 when it moved into Orton Hall. Olive expressed the need for a separate library building in 1897 due to factors like available space. She worked with President Canfield and then President Thompson to choose the location of that separate main library built in 1913, known as Thompson Library today.

Olive was a charter member of the Ohio Library Association and its president in 1919. She served as University Librarian until her retirement in January 1933.

Congratulations to The Ohio State University student Muskan Shergill on receiving a University Libraries Student Employee Scholarship!

Muskan oversaw the development of the Research and Learning Collaborative (RLC) Semester Bulletin, a comprehensive collection of Ask Us data and student project work from the previous semester.

Muskan was pivotal in leading the bulletin project by building a team of writers and data analyzers who could contribute meaningfully while balancing their coursework and maintaining regular correspondence with supervisors. Since then, Muskan has led the RLC Bulletin for four semesters.

We interviewed Muskan about herself, her work experience and her advice to other students. Read the complete interview: https://bit.ly/3VCIYLq

In celebration of Pride Month, we're highlighting some of the books that are in the Featured Book Display on the first floor of Thompson Library. Share your favorite book below as we celebrate the Impact of LGBTQ+ authors and stories.

📖 "The Night Watch" by Sarah Waters

📖 "Boy Erased" by Garrard Conley

📖 "Heartstopper" by Alice Oseman

📖 "Price of Salt" by Patricia Highsmith

📖 "Felix Ever After" by Kacen Callender

📖 "Gay Lives" by Robert Aldrich

George W. Acock had a six-decade career in architecture that changed the face of Columbus and influenced planning decisions throughout the region.

After earning a bachelor’s degree and founding Acock Associates Architects, George designed more than $1.5 billion of construction, with some of his most prominent accomplishments happening on behalf of his alma mater. This includes modern educational and living facilities, preservation of historic campus buildings and one of his most high-profile campus works – the renovation and expansion of Thompson Library.

With his passing, we extend our condolences to George’s family and friends and our gratitude for George’s lasting contribution and impression on Buckeyes everywhere. Thank you to everyone who joined us for George’s celebration of life.

"The Nancy Show: Bushmiller and Beyond," debuts at The Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum one week from today!

This new exhibit celebrates the iconic work of Ernie Bushmiller through a display of newspaper pages, merchandise and more!

Curated by Brian Walker, "The Nancy Show" will be open from May 22-Nov. 3. Admission is free and open to the public. Hope to see you there!

‼️ UPDATE - This event is sold out. Thanks to everyone for their interest and support! ‼️

Nancy, Sluggo and Fritzi Ritz are making their way to The Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum from May 22-Nov. 3!

The newest exhibit, "The Nancy Show: Bushmiller and Beyond," highlights the iconic work by cartoonist Ernie Bushmiller and features artifacts, photos, newspaper pages and more.

Join us as we kick off this exciting exhibit with Nancy Fest, happening May 24-25. Learn more and register for Nancy Fest at https://bit.ly/4afEpuy.

Proper storage and care are key to keeping your personal collection of books, vinyl, photos and film in great condition.

Here are tips to help you properly preserve your collections from our Preservation Department at University Libraries.

A library is full of stories, including the floor of the Buckeye Reading Room in Thompson Library. There you’ll find a literary art piece titled “Verse,” which was designed by Ann Hamilton, an artist and faculty member at The Ohio State University.

“Verse” is a 6,080-square-foot text feature created by an alphabetic intersection and line-by-line weaving of three different accountings of world history that are arranged in literary harmony. Read about the texts that are featured and more about the meaning behind it at https://bit.ly/4aLkuF5.

Best of luck on finals, Buckeyes! You're one step closer to summer!

The first librarian at The Ohio State University was Olive Branch Jones. In honor of National Librarian Day, we recognize one of the many ways she impacted University Libraries as we know it today.

During her 34-year tenure with the university, she grew a collection of 13,000 books at Thompson Library into a collection of 300,000. Many of these books are now in special collections with University Libraries.

We asked our research coaches to share their top five tips for citing sources. With finals quickly approaching, save this and reference it as you work on upcoming assignments.

Join The Ohio State University Alumni Association in their summer reading challenge! There's a challenge for adults and kids, so check out their post below and register today!

Come read with us this summer! 📚 Register now for either the kids or adults challenge at go.osu.edu/summer-reading-24-fb

We recommend you register as soon as possible for this free program, because it will fill up fast.

If you're not already, grab your glasses and get outside! 🌖🌑

Visit The Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum this weekend and explore "Depicting Mexico and Modernism." This exhibit celebrates the artistry of Mexican-American cartoonist Gustavo "Gus" Arriola and how he used the comics page to celebrate and share his Mexican heritage with American readers.

The museum is open to the public and admission is free. Find museum hours and more information at https://bit.ly/4cI3l03.

You're invited to the Rare Books & Manuscripts Library's (RBML) free Saturday Spotlight event on April 6 from 10 a.m. to noon in Thompson Library, room 105.

"When This You See, Remember Me" highlights a collection of photographic portraits providing a glimpse into American life during the 19th century and the early days of photography. Learn more: https://bit.ly/3TiS6m2

Interlibrary Services just celebrated their two millionth request! The team helps people around the world with research, teaching and more by fulfilling requests for items including books, articles and documents.

If you need a specific journal article or chapter scan or a book that’s not available at Ohio State, they can get it for you! Help us congratulate the team on this incredible milestone and learn more at https://bit.ly/3VxJNWd!

Save money and access the computer software you need for free. As a grad student, faculty, staff or postdoc, you can use the Research Commons Computer Lab in person or remotely, giving you a wide range of computer software and hardware at no cost. Learn more at https://bit.ly/3J3OQGF.

Explore items from nine different University Libraries special collections in our latest exhibit, “Teaching with Special Collections: From Vault to Classroom.” Collections like those on display help preserve the voices and visions of people across time and cultures and are actively used by our curators and staff who use the objects to create unique experience-based learning opportunities for students and teachers.

This exhibit is on display in the Thompson Library Gallery, room 125 through July 31. Learn more: https://bit.ly/49Zx82E

It may not feel like spring today, but the first day of the season has us dreaming of views like this. 😍

In 1934, Richard E. Byrd spent nearly five months in Advance Base, a remote outpost in Antarctica. Byrd documented this historic event which has become legendary in polar exploration and was published in a book titled, “Alone.”

The Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center - The Ohio State University recently acquired more than 1,200 pages of original material documenting the editing and publishing process of the book. With a budget of zero dollars for acquisitions, the ownership of this collection would not be possible without the generous donation from one of Byrd’s relatives and a faculty member’s contribution from their special collections budget. Learn more: https://bit.ly/48Pbjlb | The Ohio State University Archives