This week, University of Houston Libraries hosted a stewardship event for friends and supporters to learn about services, resources, and scholarship offered for the advancement of student success, faculty research, and community engagement. 

Interim dean Christina Gola gives welcome remarks at “Books and Bubbly.”

“Books and Bubbly” was a “sparkling” celebration of UH Libraries and the communities we serve. Held at the MD Anderson Library Elizabeth D. Rockwell Pavilion, the event featured presentation stations with Libraries leaders discussing current projects and programs. Guests of “Books and Bubbly” were encouraged to visit all stations and gain awareness about the foundation for Reimagined Libraries, a big idea that will drive the development of near-future spaces and services.  

Interim dean Christina H. Gola opened the celebration with thanks, and an invitation for guests to imagine the possibilities and share in the Reimagined Libraries vision as they engaged with librarians and archivists. 

Emily Vinson, preservation coordinator, presented audio/visual archives from the KUHT Film and Video collection and demonstrated preservation and reformatting efforts.  

Vince Lee, archivist of the Carey Shuart Women’s Research Collection, guided guests through the exhibit Nevertheless, She Persisted! 

Mary Manning, university archivist, and Katy Allred, assistant university archivist, displayed materials from University Archives. As the University approaches its centennial celebration, they are working to help tell the story of our past and its connection to our growing success.  

The Open Education Resources team, Ariana Santiago and Kate Carter, discussed expanding access to course materials and teaching tools that are freely available, customizable, inclusive, and collaborative. Open educational resources (OER) engage students in critical inquiry in ways that traditional textbooks do not, and offer significant cost savings to students.  

Interim head of Teaching and Learning Mea Warren and student success librarian Carolina Hernandez discussed the newly formed peer mentor program, in which undergrads are taught research and teaching skills, and find creative means of teaching their peers across campus through co-curricular engagement. Students from the program were present to talk about how peer mentorship is transforming the way Coogs learn and collaborate. 

Leo Martin, head of Resource Management and Metadata, showed how UH Libraries makes its collections more accessible through reparative cataloging research efforts, in which librarians and archivists undertake a critical reexamination of language, terms, and practices used to describe materials. 

Wenli Gao, head of Collections Strategies and Services, talked about the evaluation of circulating print collections to inform how UH Libraries can transform spaces and make collections more visible.  

Linda Garcia Merchant, director of the Digital Humanities Core Facility, and Taylor Davis Van-Atta, head of Research Services, led guests on a visit to the Digital Research Commons and presented innovative digital humanities initiatives that are flourishing across campus, with students taking a central role in moving DH forward. 

 View photos from “Books and Bubbly.”

Louise Kidder

University of Houston Libraries welcomes Louise Kidder as the new assistant head of Acquisitions and Resource Sharing.

Please describe your role. How does your work align with the student success and research productivity focus of the University?

I’m so pleased to be joining UH as the assistant head of Acquisitions and Resource Sharing (ARS). One of my primary tasks will be to collaborate with colleagues across the Collections Strategies and Discovery portfolio and the Libraries more broadly to efficiently acquire and provide access to the print and online resources that UH students and researchers need. In addition to that, I will also focus on assisting with stewardship of collections funds, communicating with vendors and other library partners, and supporting staff.

My contributions to ARS will align with the University’s strategic plan goals by enhancing the department’s role in assessing, building, and making available the holistic collections of resources that support students and researchers alike.

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

I graduated from Angelo State University (part of the Texas Tech University System) with a BS in Biology; I earned my MLIS from the University of North Texas. I have had professional experience working in public and academic health sciences libraries in both patron-facing and technical services positions. That experience included a wide variety of tasks, from running summer reading clubs for teenagers to troubleshooting e-resource access problems to negotiating license agreements, to name a few.

This broad scope of experience inspires me to take an inclusive approach to my work as a librarian. Intra- and inter-institutional collaboration, equitable access, and lifelong learning are all particularly important to me.

What are one or two things you’d like faculty, students, and scholars to know about the function of Acquisitions and Resource Sharing?

Acquisitions and Resource Sharing is a department that focuses on providing our UH colleagues and students with access to the wide variety of resources that they need — books, journals, databases, videos, even occasionally other tools like anatomy lab models. Sometimes that means buying or subscribing to resources (the “Acquisitions” part), and other times that means borrowing or lending items through interlibrary loan (the “Resource Sharing” part).

The ARS team consists of a group of specialist staff, student workers, and librarians who are diligently working together behind the scenes to make the processes that bring these resources to the University as practical and economical as possible.

Xiao Zeng

University of Houston Libraries welcomes Xiao Zeng as the new open publishing librarian.

Please describe your role. How does your work align with the student success and research productivity focus of the University?

My primary focus is to grow student success and enhance research productivity at the University. I oversee the UH Institutional Repository and the Vireo electronic thesis and dissertation management system, which provide seamless access for students and faculty to showcase their academic work. By offering specialized support in open access publishing and guiding our community through publisher agreements, I empower researchers to understand their rights and amplify their scholarly impact.

Collaboration plays a crucial role in my responsibilities. I work closely with various departments and research centers, including the Division of Research and the Hewlett Packard Enterprise Data Science Institute, to tackle emerging publishing challenges. Initiatives like Cougar ROAR and our open monograph publishing efforts ensure that our research outputs are accessible to a global audience, thereby advancing the University’s mission of knowledge dissemination and supporting the academic and research endeavors of our community.

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

I earned a bachelor’s degree in Architecture from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), followed by a Master of Science in Library and Information Science (MSLIS) from the same institution. My academic experiences have cultivated a strong appreciation for interdisciplinary studies and the fusion of diverse fields of knowledge. While serving as a graduate assistant at UIUC, I developed a deep interest in how library tools and current trends can facilitate research and improve information access. This background heavily influences my approach as a librarian, where I emphasize understanding users’ information-seeking behaviors and analyzing their needs to fill gaps in library research services.

Personally, I am passionate about supporting both students and faculty to succeed in their academic and research pursuits, especially in the areas of open access, scholarly publishing, and information management. My goal is to nurture a supportive environment that promotes information literacy and equitable resource access. My experiences inspire me to be an active librarian who encourages collaboration and seeks to improve educational and research outcomes across various disciplines. By bridging the divide between library services and user needs, I aim to ensure that our community has the tools and resources necessary to navigate an increasingly complex information landscape.

What are one or two things you’d like faculty, students, and scholars to know about the function of open publishing in Research Services?

One critical aspect of open publishing in Research Services is its role in enhancing the accessibility and visibility of research outputs. By supporting open access, we encourage faculty, students, and scholars to share their work with a global audience free from paywalls, prompting greater collaboration and knowledge sharing. This approach not only elevates individual research but also aligns with the University’s mission of furthering education and public understanding.

Moreover, we offer wide support throughout the publishing process, including guidance on navigating publisher agreements, exploring open access options, and ensuring compliance with funder policies. This extensive assistance empowers our academic community to make informed decisions about their publications, ultimately boosting their research impact and helping them succeed in their scholarly pursuits.

Visit Research Support to learn more about UH Libraries’ research services.

University of Houston Libraries Special Collections will host programs in the month of October highlighting primary source materials in the LGBT History Research Collection, which includes personal papers, organizational records, publications, and library collections.

During the month of October, selections from The Banner Project will be on display in MD Anderson Library. The Banner Project, created by Houston activists Sara Fernandez, JD Doyle, and Kirk Baxter, is a pop-up exhibit featuring pivotal moments in Houston’s LGBTQ history from the 1930s to present day. 2024 marks the eighth year that UH Libraries Special Collections has partnered with the creators to host the banners, sparking discussion, reflection, and engagement with the LGBT History Research Collection. 

October 11: The UH community is invited to visit Coming Out of the Archives, a pop-up exhibit of archival materials documenting LGBTQ+ history, at MD Anderson Library from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

October 30: UH Libraries Special Collections and UH GLOBAL will co-host a tabling event, UH LGBTQI+ History and Zines, at the UH Student Center from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The UH community is invited to view a mini pop-up exhibit featuring materials from the Transgender and Queer Zine Collection in the LGBT History Research Collection, as well as University Archives; and to create a collective zine.

In addition, UH Libraries Special Collections will be participating in two off-campus events. On October 13, archivists from Special Collections will attend Collect & Connect: The Curve Foundation’s Curve Magazine Archive Celebration at Pearl Bar to collect and preserve donated copies of Curve magazine and oral histories, in order to start a Curve archive in the LGBT History Research Collection. On October 26, archivists from Special Collections will attend the Families with Pride event at Discovery Green, displaying archival materials from the LGBT History Research Collection.

University of Houston Libraries is pleased to announce that MD Anderson Library floor 1 has been updated with a new, contemporary seating configuration.

MD Anderson Library floor 1 refresh

The space refresh was inspired by student feedback reflecting preferences for a variety of seating options. This popular area offers Coogs a mix of furniture selections including relaxed, bar height, and laptop-friendly soft seating. The first floor is also where Coogs can find a streamlined computing and printing service, expanded mobile printing, and expanded Bring Your Own Device seating.

View photos of the MD Anderson Library floor 1 refresh.

Dr. Carrie S. Cutler, clinical associate professor of mathematics education in the University of Houston College of Education, collaborated with UH Libraries Open Education Services to create a student-authored open educational resource (OER), The InterACTIVE Kids’ Math Dictionary.  

Students in the summer 2024 Mathematics for Teachers I course each defined five mathematics concepts, developing both formal and “kids-speak” definitions for their assigned concepts. They incorporated various resources and interactive elements such as videos, games, and activities into their chapters. The course employed an open pedagogy approach by inviting students to contribute the work they developed for the course into the dictionary, making their work available with an open license of their choosing for others to reuse and adapt to their needs.  

This course was the first successful implementation of the new Open Educational Practices award category in the UH Libraries Alternative Textbook Incentive Program (ATIP). For her Open Educational Practices proposal, Cutler replaced her traditional assignment with a renewable assignment. Renewable assignments allow students to engage in meaningful work that can be shared, reused, and repurposed, providing a foundation for other students to learn from and build upon.

“Renewable assignments are often contrasted with disposable assignments, which are assignments where students turn in work that is only seen by the instructor, graded, and then returned to the student,” said Ariana Santiago, head of Open Education Services. “These assignments are ultimately thrown away, which is unfortunate because the time and effort students put into their coursework can seem like it’s being wasted. Renewable assignments give student work an opportunity to live beyond the classroom, giving it a broader audience and purpose.”  

Santiago and OER librarian Kate McNally Carter collaborated with Dr. Cutler to provide customized instruction during the course, focusing on the unique considerations of open publishing, open licensing, and how to cite and attribute different types of sources. They also provided technical support for the publishing platform students used to create and share their work, Pressbooks.  

“This was a really enjoyable class for us to work with,” Carter noted. “The students were deeply engaged in the assignment and asked really great questions that allowed us to explore in-depth topics related to open publishing and intellectual property. We’re very proud of the work they put into their chapters to make this a great resource.” 

The InterACTIVE Kids’ Math Dictionary can be used by teachers and parents to broaden their own conceptual understanding of mathematics and help teach math to children. It can also be used by young learners who can explore interactive elements that can help make connections between math and the real world.  

Cutler intends to have future students add to the dictionary and improve upon it in subsequent semesters. 

“We hope parents, teachers, and students will find the resource helpful in making sense of mathematics,” she said.

To learn more about open publishing, open pedagogy, and the Alternative Textbook Incentive Program, contact Open Education Services by emailing oer@uh.edu. 

Ariana Santiago

Ariana Santiago, head of Open Education Services at University of Houston Libraries, was selected to the competitive 2024 Association of Research Libraries (ARL) Leadership and Career Development Program. As one of 24 awardees, Santiago will participate in a 13-month fellowship designed to facilitate advancement of the fellows’ leadership goals within research libraries and archives.

“I am excited to be selected for the ARL Leadership and Career Development Program, as it is a unique and valuable experience for supporting leadership growth,” Santiago said. “I look forward to the learning opportunities I will have as a fellow and expanding my impact as a leader in research libraries.”

At UH Libraries, Santiago provides leadership and strategy for open education services, collaborating with Libraries and campus partners to advance open education and pedagogy, including the adoption and creation of open educational resources (OER). Santiago has published, presented, and contributed professional service in the areas of open educational resources, information literacy, and library outreach.

“I’m thrilled to support Ariana’s participation in this program,” said UH Libraries interim dean Christina H. Gola. “The Association of Research Libraries offers premier leadership development programming that elevates leadership capacity across the profession. UH Libraries has a long history of supporting librarian participation in ARL leadership programs, so I am confident that Ariana and the Libraries will both benefit greatly.”

Santiago earned a Master of Arts in Applied Learning and Instruction from the University of Central Florida, a Master of Arts in Library and Information Science from the University of South Florida, and a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology from the University of Central Florida. Before coming to UH, she was the Residency Librarian for Undergraduate Services at the University of Iowa. She was a 2017 American Library Association Emerging Leader.

University of Houston Libraries is pleased to announce the 2024 recipient cohort of the UH Alternative Textbook Incentive Program (ATIP).

ATIP was created in 2018 as part of the University’s initiative to mitigate the high cost of textbooks for students. Since then, more UH faculty have been empowered to provide an inclusive, accessible educational experience for UH students through open educational resources (OER).

This year, ATIP was expanded to include two award categories. Faculty members applying for the Textbook Affordability category could adopt, adapt, or create OER, or use a combination of freely available or library-licensed resources, to replace required traditional textbook(s) and other high-cost learning materials in a future course.

Instructors applying for the Open Educational Practices category could either create and share an OER learning object (e.g., assignments, quizzes, lecture slides, lesson plans, videos, etc.), or replace a traditional assignment with a renewable assignment, implementing what is commonly called open pedagogy. This new award category supports instructors in creating new open materials that benefit a broader community. In addition, instructors can engage students in co-creating course content that can be openly licensed and shared.

2024 ATIP winners are:

College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences:

• Dhanushka Arunasiri Peru Durayalage – ECON 3357: Data Management with Economic Applications (Textbook Affordability)
• Melody Yunzi Li – CHNS 3344: Global Chinese Literature (Open Educational Practices)
• María Elena Soliño – HISP 2373: Spanish Culture and Civilization (Textbook Affordability)

College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics:

• Nouhad Rizk – COSC 4337: Data Science II (Textbook Affordability)

College of Education:

• Marédil León, Tairan Qiu, & Velvette Laurence – CUIN 4361: Second Language Methodology (Textbook Affordability) / Resources for Teacher Education and Alternative Certification Program (Open Educational Practices)
• Carrie Cutler – CUIN 6335: Mathematics for Teachers I (Open Educational Practices)
• Bradley Davis – ELCS 6350: The Principalship / ELCS 8310: The Superintendency (Open Educational Practices)

C. T. Bauer College of Business:

• Emese Felvegi – BCIS 1305: Business Computer Applications (Open Educational Practices)

“I’m thrilled that we are able to continue supporting student success by increasing access to learning materials through ATIP,” said Ariana Santiago, head of Open Education Services. “Additionally, instructors are creating engaging learning experiences with open pedagogy in which students are empowered to share their knowledge in the form of an open educational resource (OER).”

Estimated savings for students in the first year of implementing alternative textbooks in these courses is $122,349, benefiting an estimated 3,300 students. Awards were granted based on the number of students impacted, estimated cost savings for students, the type of alternative textbook or open educational practices project, and the feasibility of successful implementation.

“These faculty, in collaboration with the Libraries Open Education Services team, are developing new learning strategies for their students and empowering them through dynamic learning experiences,” said Christina H. Gola, interim dean of UH Libraries. “They are modeling the way for innovations in student success and learning. I am so appreciative of their efforts, and based on past student data, I know that students are also grateful to have the opportunity to engage with open educational resources.”

Learn more about open educational resources at UH.

Special thanks to the members of the 2024 ATIP Review Committee: Natalia Kapacinskas, Minjung Shin, Mingjian Wen, Kate McNally Carter, and Ariana Santiago.

Two new exhibits featuring selections from the Carey Shuart Women’s Research Collection open in September at University of Houston Libraries. 

Houston Comets Memorabilia Collection

Nevertheless, She Persisted! Women as Historic Influencers will be viewable on MD Anderson Library Floor 2, while Leagues of Their Own: Representing 60 Years of Women’s Athletics Achievement will be on display on Floor 1. 

Claire Keck, graduate assistant curator for the Carey Shuart Women’s Research Collection, selected materials for Nevertheless, She Persisted! depicting influential women in the Houston region who effected changes in society, politics, and artistic expression. 

The process of curating an exhibit involves exploration of what Special Collections preserves through the use of finding aids, and choice of visually appealing items. Selections include a variety of primary source materials, including correspondence, artwork, scrapbooks, photos, certificates, banners, and video footage that illustrate an overarching theme. Keck’s tasks also involve generating social media, designing posters, and helping curate a digital exhibit. 

In choosing materials, Keck’s goal was to engage Gen Z, focusing on historical activism of women’s suffrage and the pro-choice movement, women’s clubs and organizations, women’s art, women of color, and LGBTQ+ women throughout the 20th century.  

Keck encourages other students who are interested in working with archival material to visit exhibits wherever possible. “Whether that means visiting museums when you can (by the way, Houston museums have a student discount on Thursdays), studying digital exhibits, or looking at the several exhibit cases in the MD Anderson Library, you will continue to learn from all of them and gain a greater understanding of history and the use of archival materials,” Keck said. “Be sure you like to work with old things and that you like to read.” 

Stephen F. Austin High School Scottish Brigade

Leagues of Their Own features archives from two collections within the Shuart Women’s Research Collection. Vince Lee, archivist for the Shuart Women’s Research Collection, curated items representing the Stephen F. Austin High School Scottish Brigade, which, founded in 1937, promoted scholarship, discipline, respect, leadership, social skills, and fitness at a time when girls’ sports teams were rare or nonexistent. James Burke, PhD student in US History, selected items from the Houston Comets Memorabilia Collection. The Comets, founded in 1997, set the standard for excellence in the early years of the WNBA and paved the way for future generations of players. 

“These exhibits are components of a year-long engagement generously supported by Carey C. Shuart to promote our research collections which preserve the histories of women’s clubs and organizations in the Houston area,” said Lauren Gottlieb-Miller, associate dean for Special Libraries and Preservation. “In spring 2025, we look forward to hosting a culminating event featuring a multi-generational panel and celebratory program to bring alive the stories related to the materials presented in the exhibits.”

Collaboration among Libraries departments is essential for successful exhibit production. These and all UH Libraries exhibits illustrate the collective effort and expertise of teams in Special Collections, Preservation and Reformatting, Resource Management and Metadata, Technology Services, and Administration. UH Libraries thanks Carey C. Shuart for her wonderful support of the Shuart Women’s Research Collection and related exhibits and programming.

Visitors are welcome to view the exhibits during regular building hours between September 6, 2024 and May 31, 2025. Visit Entering MD Anderson Library for details on quick and secure building access. 

University of Houston Libraries welcomes Julia Dion as the new library supervisor in Special Collections.

Please describe your role. How does your work align with the student success and research productivity focus of the University?

My role is very student-focused. I not only manage students’ work on our welcome desk and oversee their part in patron assistance, but I also work one-on-one with each of them to assign archival projects that play to their unique interests and strengths. I enjoy creating bonds with our students, learning about their passions, and serving as a mentor for the archival profession. The work we do encourages students to engage with historic materials in a way that leaves long-lasting impressions. As a supervisor, I aim to connect our student employees with primary source materials that excite their curiosity and affirm their sense of identity. When students engage with archival collections in this way, they are empowered to understand the significance of our shared history.

Please share a bit about your background and professional interests. How do these inspire and shape your approach in archives?

I graduated from Stephen F. Austin State University with a degree in English language, literature, and an accompanying minor in linguistic studies. My passion for book history and authorship as an art form led me to rare books librarianship, which inspires my continued interest in archives and special collections. I went on to attend the University of North Texas as a graduate student, where I earned my master’s degree in library science with an emphasis in archival studies and imaging technology and a certificate in archival management.

As a student of literature and the evolution of written history, my undergraduate career inspired my drive for preservation. My work as a graduate student further enabled me to put this passion into practice with skills such as collections management, book composition and construction, and disaster prevention and recovery. Through my studies, I’ve developed a deep appreciation for first-edition materials and other early writings, as well as the need to protect them from adverse conditions. My aim as an archival professional is to encourage collection accessibility, continuous learning, and shared empathy across identities and ideological communities.

What are one or two things you’d like scholars and students to know about engaging with primary source materials?

When we participate in the use of primary source materials, a remarkable exchange occurs; studies have shown that hands-on involvement with archival materials promotes empathetic engagement and heightens emotional response. By handling objects created decades, centuries, or even millennia ago, our own experiences mingle with those from the past and create a sense of continuous humanity. Due to their tactile and deeply intimate nature, primary sources elicit a response that is as emotional as it is intellectual.