A new University of Houston Libraries book drop is now open on the first floor of the UH School of Art.

A new book drop is located at the UH School of Art.

This week marks Open Access Week 2019 with the theme “Open for Whom? Equity in Open Knowledge.” According to the Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition (SPARC), open access is the “free, immediate, online availability of research articles coupled with the rights to use these articles fully in the digital environment. Open access ensures that anyone can access and use these results – to turn ideas into industries and breakthroughs into better lives.”

Open Access Week 2019

University of Houston Libraries will host three events, and will introduce a new campus-wide open access service, to promote open access and to highlight University initiatives related to open access.

New Service

The new service from UH Libraries, the Assisted Institutional Repository Submissions Service, is an initiative to help faculty get more of their peer-reviewed journal publications, book chapters, and conference proceedings publicly available through Cougar ROAR. UH Libraries will process any UH faculty member’s CV or list of peer-reviewed publications for permission clearance and deposit all eligible works into the UH Institutional Repository. For more information, contact Taylor Davis-Van Atta.

Events

October 18: Open Educational Resources Discussion Group
University of Houston faculty are invited to join this informal gathering to meet and learn from others who are interested in open educational resources (OER). Brown bag lunch; snacks will be provided.

12 noon – 1 p.m., MD Anderson Library Training Room 10-G
Register here (walk-ins welcome)

October 23: Open Educational Resources
Do you want to reduce the cost of textbooks for your students? Do you want more flexibility with your course materials than is possible with a traditional textbook? Drop by the Faculty Cafe to learn about OER, freely available learning materials which can be legally used, shared, and adapted. In this session, we will address common questions about OER and provide information on how to apply for the UH Alternative Textbook Incentive Program. This event is in partnership with Faculty Engagement and Development and the CLASS Office of Educational Technology.

10 – 11 a.m., Faculty Café
Register here (walk-ins welcome)

October 24: Open Educational Resources
Do you want to reduce the cost of textbooks for your students? Do you want more flexibility with your course materials than is possible with a traditional textbook? Drop by the Faculty Cafe to learn about OER, freely available learning materials which can be legally used, shared, and adapted. In this session, we will address common questions about OER and provide information on how to apply for the UH Alternative Textbook Incentive Program. This event is in partnership with Faculty Engagement and Development and the CLASS Office of Educational Technology.

10 – 11 a.m., Faculty Café
Register here (walk-ins welcome)

This fall, the Digital Research Commons will host a series of events based on various digital research methods.

To offer a comprehensive introduction to each skill set, the DRC offers events in clusters. Each cluster will consist of three consecutive weeks with a lecture, a hands-on workshop, and a colloquium at which attendees can discuss their works in progress. Future clusters will cover topics including text mining and machine learning.

Cluster One: Network Analysis, October 29 at 12 noon

The first cluster begins with a lecture from assistant professor of management Kristin Cullen-Lester of the C.T. Bauer College of Business, who will discuss “Integrating Networks and Leadership Development: Opportunities and Challenges.” Cullen-Lester’s talk will cover various kinds of network visualizations and methods of network analysis.

The next two events in the network analysis cluster are a hands-on workshop, at 12 noon in the DRC on November 5, and the colloquium, at 12 noon on November 12. The workshop will be a walk-through using current datasets on pre-configured machines. Space at the workshop is strictly limited; please email drc@uh.edu by November 1 if you would like to attend.

Network Analysis
Talk, Kristin Cullen-Lester: 12 noon, October 29
Hands-on workshop: 12 noon, November 5
Colloquium: 12 noon, November 12

This week, visitors to the University of Houston MD Anderson Library will notice a suite of banners displayed in the atrium. The Banner Project, created by Houston activist Sara Fernandez, is a pop-up exhibit featuring pivotal points in Houston’s LGBT history from the 1930s to present day.

The Banner Project at UH Libraries

2019 marks the fourth year that UH Libraries has partnered with Fernandez to host the banners. Three new additions include Marvin Davis & Don Gill: Fundraising for the Aids Community (1987), Juan Palomo: Bridging Communities (1990), and Maria Gonzalez: Scholar Activist (1991), bringing the total banner count to 46.

“We are hoping that the visuals from the banners will generate discussion, reflection, and awareness across campus and in the community,” said Vince Lee, UH Special Collections archivist.

The Banner Project will be on display in conjunction with October 11, which is National Coming Out Day, and will remain through the end of the month. Staff from Special Collections and representatives from the Banner Project will be available with information on the LGBT History Research Collection, as well as resources from the UH LGBTQ Resource Center, on October 11 from 11 a.m to 5 p.m. in the MD Anderson Library atrium.

Libraries Transform Texas

During the week of October 7 – 11, University of Houston Libraries joins Texas Library Association (TLA) in its campaign to celebrate the numerous ways that libraries are transforming Texas.

This week, UH Libraries will highlight the transformative spaces, collections, and services available to UH students, faculty, staff, scholars, and the community.

Follow UH Libraries on Twitter @UHoustonLib to learn more.

Starting next week, University of Houston Libraries will offer a series of workshops for faculty, staff, and students to hone their skills on a variety of research tools and practices. Register

Finding Data Workshop
Wednesday, September 25, 2019, 10:00am – 11:30am
Participants will be introduced to commonly-used library data sources and open data portals, and will learn tips for finding data and discuss how to evaluate the quality of data sources.

Introduction to Network Analysis: Basic Concepts, Applications, and Tools
Thursday, September 26, 2019, 10:00am – 11:30am
Network analysis is a research method that scholars in disciplines from public health, to business, sociology and etc. use to explore and visualize relationships between objects, entities, or people. This workshop takes an introductory look at the components of the method and discusses ways that researchers are currently employing it.

Core Data Management Practices for Researchers
Thursday, October 3, 2019, 10:00am – 11:30am
This workshop presents the basic elements of data management that are essential for UH researchers in all disciplines. Topics include: Data management plans, file organization and documentation, storage and backup, security, compliance with funder and university policies, data preservation, and archiving. 

Tableau I – Introduction
Wednesday, October 9, 2019, 10:00am – 11:30am
Participants will use Tableau Public to create interactive data visualizations. The workshop will cover an overview of the program and provide hands-on experience creating basic charts and maps, as well as creating interactive web-based visualization dashboards. It will also discuss publishing to the Tableau Public web server.

Tableau II – Calculations and analytics
Wednesday, October 16, 2019, 10:00am – 11:30am
Participants will use more advanced features in Tableau to manage data, such as join, union and edit data. Participants will also use calculations and parameters to make views more interactive. It will cover analytics to help spot trends and forecast data. Taking Tableau I prior to this workshop is strongly encouraged.

Selecting Journals for Publishing Your Research
Wednesday, October 23, 2019, 10:00am – 11:30am
This hands-on workshop discusses factors that could influence your choice of journals for academic publishing, including journal impact, publish frequency, review process, and other factors. Participants will leave the workshop with resources, handy tools, and strategies for making good choice for publishing your research.

Tableau III – Logical functions and customize dashboard
Wednesday, October 30, 2019, 10:00am – 11:30am
Participants will learn to use logical functions to determine if certain condition is true or false. The workshop will also cover building customized dashboard to make your visualization more appealing. Taking Tableau I and Tableau II prior to this workshop is strongly encouraged.

Introduction to R for Absolute Beginners
Thursday, November 7, 2019, 10:00am – 12:00pm
R is an open source software for statistical computing and graphics. This workshop is for people who want to begin to learn this powerful analysis tool but have little or no experience in any programming languages. The first half of this 2-hour workshop will focus on some basic concepts of coding and the second half will feature hands-on activities to learn basic R skills, such as installing R packages, importing files, and exploring data. Some troubleshooting tips and R resources will also be provided.

Data Archiving and Sharing
Wednesday, November 13, 2019, 10:00am – 11:30am
Increasingly research funders and academic publishers request or require that we share a portion of our data. This workshop covers a spectrum of sharing and archiving options, discusses considerations for choosing an option, and presents tips and tricks for preparing data for sharing and archiving. The content will be focused on a broad understanding relevant for researchers of all disciplines and at all stages of their academic career.

University of Houston Libraries has implemented a new search platform that provides a catalog with enhanced functionality.

Users will enjoy a streamlined interface for locating research materials, including books, articles, theses, images, and more; and a single log-in screen for searching, bookmarks, and managing your account.

We are very excited to introduce this new search platform called Alma, providing more effective access to all of our resources.

If you have any questions about the new search platform, send an email to user experience coordinator Daniel Pshock.

Visit Library Search Updates for details.

The William R. Jenkins Architecture, Design and Art Library now offers non-consumable art and design supplies for check-out, including:

• X-ACTO sets
• Architectural rulers
• T-squares
• Drawing boards
• The Chopper II

Art and design supplies are now available for check-out at the Architecture, Design and Art Library.

Students may visit the service desk for details.

This summer, UH Libraries will be implementing a new search platform that will provide a catalog with enhanced functionality. The change is expected to go live July 23, 2019.

We are very excited to introduce this new search platform called Alma. It offers all of the searching functionality of our current catalog, and will provide more effective access to all of our resources.

Information about changes and new features will be posted soon. How you access your library account, and what materials you can access, will not change.

Alma has been implemented by major research libraries across North America, including Harvard University, University of Minnesota, University of Southern California, and University of Iowa.

If you have any questions about the new search platform, please contact user experience coordinator Daniel Pshock or head of Information and Access Services Lee Hilyer.

Recordings are available for the recent webinars on Pressbooks, an authoring tool for the creation of open educational resources (OER).

Webinar Recording: Introduction to Pressbooks
Pressbooks personnel discuss the benefits of a Pressbooks membership and demonstrate the platform’s functionality.

Webinar Recording: Pressbooks Training
In this hands-on training session led by Pressbooks personnel, attendees will learn the basics of creating an OER on the Pressbooks platform, including organizing, editing, exporting, and importing content.

University of Houston faculty who wish to create a Pressbooks account may contact Ariana Santiago.