Announcing the 2025 DH@UH Series
University of Houston Libraries, the Hewlett Packard Enterprise Data Science Institute, and the Digital Humanities Core are pleased to announce the 2025 DH@UH event series. DH@UH serves as a platform for advancing digital humanities research and collaboration across the University, bringing together humanists, data scientists, librarians, and students to foster innovative digital projects, particularly those that elevate marginalized voices and forge connections between academic research and public communities.
The University community is invited to attend the following events:
- Monday, February 17, 12 noon – 1 pm, online: State of DH@UH
Linda Garcia Merchant, director of the Digital Humanities Core, and Taylor Davis-Van Atta, head of Research Services at UH Libraries, will discuss the current state and future vision of the DHC as well as the Digital Research Commons, a lab supporting multidisciplinary research in the MD Anderson Library. - Monday, March 3, 12 noon – 1:30 pm, MD Anderson Library Digital Research Commons and online: Public Heritage and Spatial Humanities in the South Texas Borderlands
This presentation will highlight a dynamic academic and professional journey that illustrates René A. Ballesteros’s dedication to leveraging digital platforms with anthropological insights to foster community engagement and cultural heritage preservation. A conversation with Shine Trabucco, PhD candidate in History, and Q&A with the audience will follow. - Thursday, March 6, 11 am – 12 noon, MD Anderson Library Elizabeth D. Rockwell Pavilion: Who Is Your FYP Actually For?: Algorithmic Justice For The Next Generation
A keynote by Dr. Avriel Carinna Epps, computational social scientist and a Civic Science Postdoctoral Fellow at the Cornell University CATLab - Monday, March 24, 12 noon, online (Zoom link forthcoming): ClioVis demonstration and discussion with Dr. Kristina Neumann and ClioVis developer Dr. Erika Bsumek
For more information on DH@UH, contact the Digital Humanities Core.
Call for Applications: Open Education Incentive Program
University of Houston Libraries is now accepting applications for the Open Education Incentive (OPEN) Program. Formerly known as the Alternative Textbook Incentive Program, the OPEN Program now includes a variety of funding opportunities to support engagement with open educational resources (OER) and open educational practices. Instructors can apply for the following award categories:
- Textbook Affordability Incentive: Instructors can receive funds to replace a required commercial textbook in their courses with OER and/or no-cost alternative resources, such as library licensed or freely available resources. Awards in this category will range from $1,000 to $5,000 based on the cost of the textbook being replaced, projected number of students impacted, type of resources to be adopted, overall feasibility of the proposal, and scope and type of project proposed. Deadline to apply: Friday, March 7, 2025. Instructors are encouraged to apply by February 17 to receive feedback and the opportunity to revise and resubmit their application, if desired. Group applicants are welcome.
- Open Educational Practices Incentive: Instructors can receive funds for either creating openly licensed learning objects, or replacing a traditional assignment with a renewable assignment. Awards in this category will range from $500 to $2,000 based on the project goals, overall feasibility of the proposal, cost of course materials, and scope and type of project proposed. Deadline to apply: Friday, March 7, 2025. Instructors are encouraged to apply by February 17 to receive feedback and the opportunity to revise and resubmit their application, if desired. Group applicants are welcome.
- OER Professional Development Incentive: Instructors can receive funds for participating in a guided professional development program in which they explore and better understand OER through a series of self-paced online learning modules. Participants will attend a required introductory meeting and may attend an optional virtual discussion. Instructors who complete the program will receive $250. Deadline to apply: Friday, February 21, 2025.
OER are teaching and learning resources that are in the public domain or have been licensed in such a way that allows anyone to freely use, modify, and re-purpose them. Open educational practices leverage OER to enhance student learning, and include the creation, use, and reuse of OER, and open pedagogical practices, such as renewable assignments.
The OPEN Program supports the University’s strategic goal of providing a top tier, inclusive educational experience to all UH students. Using open educational resources ensures that educational programs are more financially accessible for all students and complements the Cougar Textbook Access Program administered by Auxiliary Services. Since the launch of open education initiatives in 2018, UH Libraries has helped nearly 20,000 UH students save approximately $2.56 million in textbook costs. Additionally, open educational practices support innovative and creative teaching methods and enhance experiential learning opportunities to enrich student learning.
Interested applicants are encouraged to attend an information session on February 11 to learn about the incentive program and the benefits of open education.
Faculty and instructors may also make an appointment with Open Education Services to discuss implementing OER and the support provided through the incentive program.
Thompson Selected as ARL ILP Fellow

Santi Thompson
Santi Thompson, interim associate dean for Organizational Development, Learning, and Talent and Eva endowed professor at University of Houston Libraries, was selected to the competitive 2025 Association of Research Libraries (ARL) Intensive Learning Program (ILP) cohort. As one of 20 awardees, Thompson will participate in an eight-month experience that “explores operational aspects of senior-leader portfolios in research libraries and archives as well as responsibilities related to managing those portfolios.” Fellows will participate in a variety of opportunities to enhance skills for impactful leadership.
“Santi Thompson is a talented senior-leader and poised to be one of the most influential research library leaders in the country,” said Christina H. Gola, interim dean of UH Libraries. “Today’s most adept leaders need to be prepared to lead through challenges and opportunities influenced by a variety of internal and external forces. This program will sharpen his political acumen and decision-making confidence to thrive in today’s environment and advance the impact of UH Libraries.”
At UH Libraries, Thompson holds the rank of librarian. In 2022 he was appointed as the associate dean for Research and Student Engagement (RASE). In 2020, Thompson was selected as the inaugural recipient of the Eva Digital Research Endowed Library Professorship, an appointment which enables the Libraries to expand its services in the emerging areas of digital research, data preservation and accessibility, and scholarly communication. In his prior role as head of Research Services, Thompson was integral in positioning the Libraries to support expansion of research productivity at the University, and continues to provide significant contributions in the development of research support services. Thompson developed policies and workflows for the digital components of scholarly communications, including digital research support and digital repositories. Under his direction and with support from the UH Division of Research and Office of the Provost, UH Libraries launched the Digital Research Commons (DRC) in 2018, a facility dedicated to the production of digital research projects and instruction on digital research methodologies.
Thompson has authored and produced numerous peer-reviewed publications and presentations and has been invited to present his work at international venues. He has represented the profession and the University through leadership roles with the Digital Library Federation (DLF), the Association of Library Collections and Technical Services (ALCTS), and the Texas Digital Library (TDL). In 2018-2019 he served as an inaugural DLF Futures Fellow. He previously served as the principal investigator for the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS)-funded “Digital Content Reuse Assessment Framework Toolkit” (D-CRAFT) grant project, the principal investigator for the IMLS-funded “Developing a Framework for Measuring Reuse of Digital Objects,” and the co-principal investigator for the IMLS-funded “Bridge2Hyku Toolkit: Developing Migration Strategies for Hyku.”
Thompson earned a Master of Arts in Public History and Master of Library and Information Science from the University of South Carolina.
UH Libraries Resources for Faculty
ACCESS
University of Houston Libraries has five locations on campus:
- MD Anderson Library
- William R. Jenkins Architecture, Design, and Art Library
- Health Sciences Library
- Medical Library
- Music Library
Immediately access millions of teaching and research materials
Request additional materials from around the world using interlibrary loan

TEACH
Collaborate with librarians to incorporate information literacy in your classes
Request workshops focused on information literacy concepts and research abilities
Incorporate interactive research lessons, videos, and research guides in Canvas
Request material to be placed on course reserves
Get support for adopting open and affordable learning materials
Collaborate with Special Collections curators on incorporating rare and archival primary source materials into courses, and teaching primary source literacy
CREATE
Get support for your research, including:
- Analyzing, managing, and sharing research data and other materials
- Scholarly publishing and licensing, including theses and dissertations
- Understanding research identifiers, assessment, and impact
Plan and develop interdisciplinary research through the Digital Humanities Core facility
Record podcasts, develop and present scholarship in the Digital Research Commons
New Peer Mentor Program for Information Literacy
A new initiative at University of Houston Libraries is transforming the way Coogs learn and collaborate.

Peer mentors with Teaching and Learning librarians Carolina Hernandez and Mea Warren at the recent Books and Bubbly event
The peer mentor program, led by student success librarian Carolina Hernandez, expands the reach of information literacy efforts offered by the Teaching and Learning team. Peer mentors comprise a small cohort of undergrads who are learning research and teaching skills, and who will go on to teach their peers across campus through co-curricular engagement while building community among UH students.
The goal of the pilot program is to improve information literacy and student success outcomes. Information literacy “is the set of integrated abilities encompassing the reflective discovery of information, the understanding of how information is produced and valued, and the use of information in creating new knowledge and participating ethically in communities of learning,” as stated in the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education.
“Peer-assisted learning has been shown to not only improve students’ understanding, but can also give students a sense of belonging,” said Hernandez. “We hope that, through getting help from peer mentors, students will feel more welcome and comfortable with using UH Libraries.”
Sophia Sanchez, a first-year biochemistry major, is a peer mentor who learned about the program during UH Weeks of Welcome. “I was intrigued by the opportunities it presented, and the work environment provided by the library really appealed to me,” she said.
This semester, Sanchez has learned how to approach lesson planning, research counseling, and team communication. “These skills will be useful in my own future research and team settings,” she said. “I’m grateful to be able to gain leadership experience through teaching this early in my college career.”
“Peer learning is an essential skill to have, as it’s not only about teaching others with less experience; it’s also about connecting with peers who share your level of expertise and helping them pick up new abilities or even improve existing ones,” said Lexi Gaddis, a first-year pre-business major who plans to study marketing. Through peer mentor training, Gaddis has learned about creating research topics and using library databases to find scholarly resources, information she’s looking forward to sharing with other undergrads.
Gabrielle Epps is excited to see how the peer mentor program develops. She is inspired by the importance of student engagement in teaching and learning, and creating space for students to ask questions. She says peer mentors contribute to UH student success by being an additional resource that can reach more students and equip them with the right tools.
Nilesh Garg notes that peer mentoring can help students navigate the range of resources available at the University, such as books, peer-reviewed articles, and other academic tools. “It’s a valuable service that helps bridge the gap between students and professional librarians by offering guidance from peers who have a similar academic background,” Garg said. “It empowers students to become more confident and self-sufficient in their academic work.”
UH Libraries peer mentors are completing training, and in spring 2025, will be available to meet with students one-on-one for research assistance. The peer mentors encourage Coogs to take advantage of the widely accessible services the Teaching and Learning team offers. Students of any major can benefit from the introductory information literacy guides and videos developed by librarians, and can contact the team with specific academic and research-related questions.
Books and Bubbly
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.
New Assistant Head of Acquisitions and Resource Sharing

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.
New Open Publishing Librarian

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.
LGBT History Research Collection October Programs
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.
MD Anderson Library Floor 1 Refresh
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.