News – Library News

Feb 16 2023

Landmark open publishing agreement with Wiley extended for three years

Posted on February 16, 2023March 2, 2023 by Anne Bassett

The University of Iowa Libraries is pleased to announce the expansion of the landmark open publishing agreement between the Big Ten Academic Alliance (BTAA) and Wiley. The new three-year agreement, which is effective Jan. 1, 2023, to Dec. 31, 2025, grants University of Iowa faculty, staff, and students access to publish and read in Wiley’s full journal portfolio, including Hindawi’s gold open access portfolio, with no fees, no caps, no limits, no hassle. Authors keep the rights to their own work under a Creative Commons license, making their work immediately open and available to anyone.

UI corresponding authors may publish their articles open access in any journal under the Wiley umbrella at no charge during the term of the agreement. Authors must identify themselves as being affiliated with the university when submitting articles through the Wiley publishing workflow process.

The Wiley agreement is one of a growing number of transformative agreements the UI Libraries participates in as part of its commitment to support Open Access. If you have any questions, please contact the Scholarly Impact Department.

Jan 30 2023

Iowa Lichtenberger Engineering Library receives Patent and Trademark Resource Center designation

Posted on January 30, 2023March 3, 2023 by Anne Bassett

Iowa Lichtenberger Engineering Library receives Patent and Trademark Resource Center designation
Initiative provides individual inventors access to additional resources from federal agency

The University of Iowa Lichtenberger Engineering Library is now part of a select group of higher education institutions across the country—and only one in Iowa—to be designated a Patent and Trademark Resource Center (PTRC) by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

The PTRC is a resource for those with personally-owned inventions, such as student inventors and inventors from the community. It offers individuals from the university and throughout the state the ability to tap into the rich services provided by the USPTO’s vast networks of experts on intellectual property, which includes patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets. It also serves as a resource for University of Iowa Research Foundation (UIRF) staff as they work to protect faculty inventions owned by the university.

“The Lichtenberger Engineering Library has an abundance of experience promoting and delivering information and instruction services to the campus community and public, which is an essential element of the mission of the UI Libraries and university,” says John Culshaw, Jack B. King university librarian. “We’re very pleased to now have this opportunity for our skilled and dedicated librarians to continue collaborating to serve individuals looking to develop something impactful.”

“We congratulate the Lichtenberger Engineering Library for undertaking this initiative and the USPTO looks forward to working together to extend these important opportunities to as many individuals as possible,” says Robert Berry, manager of the Patent and Trademark Resource Center Program, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

The Lichtenberger Engineering Library offers a number of ways to learn more about intellectual property and how to access patent records, including one-on-one assistance, trainings, and workshops. It also collaborates with a number of campus partners such as the UIRF, which is part of the Office of the Vice President for Research; College of Engineering; John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center (Iowa JPEC); Pomerantz Business Library; and others.

Some notable individual patents held by alumni include:

US 2370990 (Tumbling Device) invented by George Nissen (BSC ’37)—Inventor of the trampoline, which he built in his garage in 1936. Bachelor SC, Commerce and Science, 1937.
US 1814357A (Acoustic Device for Sound Pick-up) invented by Harry F. Olson (BE ‘24, MS ‘25, PHD physics ‘28, EE ‘32)—A pioneer and leading authority in acoustics and electronic sound recording, Olson developed magnetic tape recorders for sound and television, the electronic music synthesizer, and underwater sound equipment.

The Lichtenberger Engineering Library also maintains an active instructional schedule, which includes on-campus lectures and classes covering intellectual property topics as a part of its information literacy program. These sessions are available as for-credit classroom work as well as open to the public.

The UIRF works to obtain intellectual property protection on innovations created by researchers through their work at the university and partners with industry for the commercial development of new products and services. While the UIRF manages patent protection for university-owned inventions, until now there has been no resource on campus for those with personally-owned inventions. In addition, access to patent records can serve as an asset for university faculty conducting basic research—often scientific discoveries, especially those from industry, end up in published patent applications even if they are never published in traditional academic journals.

“UIRF is particularly excited that this resource is now available for our faculty start-up companies,” says Marie Kerbeshian, assistant vice president and executive director for the UIRF. “As these companies create their own intellectual property independent of the university, they are now able to seek advice that will help them develop a strong intellectual property portfolio.”

You can learn more about and access patents here. For more information about educational opportunities, potential partnerships, and more, please contact Kari Kozak, director of the Lichtenberger Engineering Library, at kari-kozak@uiowa.edu.

The library will hold an event to celebrate the designation on Friday, April 21, from 1 to 3 p.m.

Please note, the Lichtenberger Engineering Library is not a legal entity and a licensed lawyer should be consulted if you need legal assistance.

Nov 07 2022

UI Libraries recognizes first-generation staff and student workers

Posted on November 7, 2022November 7, 2022 by Anne Bassett

The University of Iowa Libraries is celebrating its student workers and staff who identify as first-generation students with opportunities to enjoy snacks, coffee, and other refreshments at the Main Library.

It’s part of the university’s National First-Generation College Celebration held from Monday, Nov. 7 through Friday, Nov. 11, 2022. At Iowa, first-generation college students are students who do not have a parent(s) or legal guardian(s) who completed a four-year degree. Approximately one in five UI students identify as first-generation.

The campus community is welcome to stop by and grab a snack or drink in the Main Library (125 W. Washington St.) to recognize first-generation college students and staff at Iowa and the UI Libraires.

Monday, Nov. 7 – Hot chocolate and donuts in the Learning Commons
Tuesday, Nov. 8 at 9 a.m. – Breakfast and coffee in the Learning Commons near the Food for Thought Café
Wednesday, Nov. 9 – Cookies in the Learning Commons
Thursday, Nov. 10 – Assorted snacks in the Learning Commons
Friday, Nov. 11 from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. – Popcorn in Learning Commons, Group Area D

Monday, Nov. 7 – Wednesday, Nov. 9, from 5 to 9 p.m. – Game night in The SEAM (room 2013)

Meet some of our student workers and staff who shared they identify as a first-generation student:

**Tim Arnold, information literacy librarian**

**John Culshaw, Jack B. King university librarian**

**Eric Ensley, curator of rare books and maps in Special Collections and Archives**

**Heather Healy, clinical education librarian**

**Rita Soenksen, interim director of diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion and English and American Literature librarian**

Learn more about Iowa’s many initiatives to support first-gen students at https://firstgen.uiowa.edu.

Oct 24 2022

Celebrating Open Access Week and a new resource for UI scholars

Posted on October 24, 2022October 24, 2022 by Anne Bassett

Happy Open Access Week! We’re celebrating this year’s theme “Open for Climate Justice” with an Iowa Research Online featured collection of recent University of Iowa scholar-authored open access journal articles related to climate change.

We’re also officially launching our Open Scholarship Toolkit, which is a resource for UI scholars in every discipline to share the results of their research freely and openly with the public and the academic community.

Read on for more information about how we can help you or contact your liaison librarian for assistance. The UI Libraries supports models of open access publishing that are equitable for scholars and the general public, both at our institution and around the world. Our statement of Open Access Support provides more information about the resources and services we provide to make more UI scholarship open access. We also celebrate Open Access year-round by making it easier for scholars to make their work available Open Access.

Read on for more information about how we can help you or contact your liaison librarian for assistance.

Open Scholarship Roadshow

Want to learn more about Open Scholarship and all its forms? It’s easy. Request an Open Scholarship Roadshow presentation or discussion for your department or group by contacting Sara Scheib, director of Scholarly Impact, UI Libraries.

Transformative Agreements

You can publish Open Access for free! The UI Libraries has entered into several “transformative agreements” (also known as “read & publish agreements”) with publishers like the American Chemical Society, Cambridge University Press, Wiley, and others. Through these agreements, the library pays publishers for access to a journal’s full content, as well as the right to make their researchers’ work open access, under a single contract and fee. This allows authors to publish Open Access without paying for it themselves. Contact lib-impact@uiowa.edu or your liaison librarian for assistance.

Transformative Agreements

If you can’t publish in an Open Access journal, you can still make your work freely available by depositing your accepted manuscripts, pre-prints, research data and other work in the university’s institutional repository, Iowa Research Online. Publisher restrictions on versions and embargoes may apply, so please contact lib-ir@uiowa.edu or your liaison librarian for more information.

Sep 27 2022

Academy Award-nominated screenwriter Nicholas Meyer to share storytelling journey

Posted on September 27, 2022October 7, 2022 by Anne Bassett

From Sherlock Holmes to Star Trek, Nicholas Meyer’s celebrated career has spanned decades and different genres. Now, he’s making another trip back to where his storytelling journey began—the University of Iowa.

The University Libraries is hosting “Writing for Screens: A Conversation with Nicholas Meyer” on Thursday, Oct. 13, from 7 to 8:15 p.m. in Shambaugh Auditorium at the Main Library.

Leonard Nimoy and Nicholas Meyer on set during the shooting of Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country. — Leonard Nimoy and Nicholas Meyer on set during the shooting of *Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country.* The photo is archived in the UI Libraries Special Collections & Archives’ Nicholas Meyer Papers.

The director, screenwriter, producer, and best-selling author graduated from Iowa in 1968 with a Bachelor of Arts in speech and dramatic art. He also wrote film reviews for The Daily Iowan.

Meyer is known for his involvement in the Star Trek film series, writing or directing its second, fourth, and sixth films. His many other credits include authoring the best-selling novel The Seven-Per-Cent Solution: Being a Reprint from the Reminiscences of John H. Watson, M.D. and receiving an Oscar nomination for his screenplay of the story. He also has donated his papers, which include script drafts, memos, photographs, and more to the University of Iowa Libraries Special Collections and Archives.

Meyer has shared before that “coming back to Iowa City is like coming back home” and “this is the place you go to learn to be a writer.” This time, he’s coming back home to the place that tied with Yale as the No. 2 university in the country for writing, according to the latest rankings from U.S. News & World Report—and the place that first gave him the tools to cultivate his craft.

Here are recommended viewings from Peter Balestrieri, curator of science fiction and popular culture collections at UI Special Collections:

Star Trek II: Wrath of Khan – Meyer directed and contributed to the shooting script for the film (uncredited), which is considered the best Star Trek film by legions of Trekkers.
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home – Meyer wrote portions of the screenplay that features fun with aliens, time travel, hippies, and cosmic whales.
The Day After – Meyer directed this television film that changed history, leading directly to U.S./Soviet nuclear disarmament(directed by Meyer)
The Seven-Per-Cent Solution – Meyer received an Academy Award nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay for the film. The source material? His best-selling novel of the same name which has Sherlock Holmes joining forces with Sigmund Freud.
Medici: Masters of Florence – A historical drama television series co-created by Meyer that exquisitely reproduces Renaissance Florence and the banking giants that ruled it.

You can also read more about Meyer, his career, and time at Iowa here.

Sep 20 2022

Libraries Resources Available for Textbooks and Course Materials

Posted on September 20, 2022October 6, 2022 by Anne Bassett

The cost of textbooks continues to rise due to an industry heavily dominated by large publishing companies. While there is no single solution to the problem, the University of Iowa and University Libraries is committed to continuing to find ways to help reduce the cost for course content.

Here are some resources:

Check the University Libraries using InfoHawk+: We may have an e-book or physical copy of the book in our collections that you can check out and use. If the book isn’t on our shelves or in our databases, it may still be on course reserves. If not, you might consider asking your professor to place a copy in the library for students to use.
- Search by:
  - Course name
  - Instructor
  - Book title
Faculty can adopt free and openly licensed Open Educational Resources (OER) instead of commercial textbooks. OER are teaching, learning, and research resources (such open textbooks, audio and video material, etc.) that are free of cost and access barriers, and which also carry legal permission for open use. The Libraries provide support for faculty wishing to pursue this option though our OpenHawks program. You can also find examples of OER across disciplines and formats in repositories such as OER Commons and the Open Textbook Library.
ICON Direct is a way to order digital content from specific publishers and delivering the content to students and faculty. More information.

Aug 16 2022

We have books and so much more… 10 ways your Libraries can help you

Posted on August 16, 2022August 22, 2022 by Anne Bassett

The University of Iowa Libraries are here to help. We provide vital opportunities for engaging in critical learning, research, creative work, and clinical care through staff expertise and exceptional collections.

Here are 10 convenient services we provide to support your success. We look forward to assisting you!

1) There are seven University Libraries on campus.* 

Art Library
Hardin Library for the Health Sciences
Litchenberger Engineering Library
Main Library
Marvin A. Pomerantz Business Library
Rita Benton Music Library
Sciences Library
*Law Library (a separate entity from the University Libraries)

2) Specialist librarians for every major and subject.   

3) Access 1000+ research databases with a HawkID.

4) Get quick answers from librarians through the library chat website and text a librarian for help at 319-313-2395. 

5) Have library materials delivered and receive scans of articles and chapters via email.  You can also borrow items not owned by the Libraries through Interlibrary Loan. 

6) Four rare book rooms and five archives provide access to unique resources.

Rare Book Rooms

LEARN MORE

lib.uiowa.edu

Aug 03 2022

Institute for Research Design in Librarianship

Posted on August 3, 2022September 19, 2022 by Carolyn Simon

By Kelly Hangauer

In June 2022, I joined twenty-seven academic librarians across the U.S. for a 2-week online workshop as part of the Institute for Research Design in Librarianship. IRDL was initiated in 2014 to address the lack of social science training among librarians and to bring more rigor to library and information science research. The workshop kicked off a year-long process that will guide us as we refine our proposals, go through the IRB process, recruit participants for our study, carry out the study, analyze data, write, and publish our findings in some form. In addition to the IRDL community of scholars, I will meet regularly with a mentor who previously attended IRDL.

This was the first time that IRDL was held fully online and they did an excellent job of designing the workshop to create a meaningful learning experience. Our online course content was flawless, directions were clear, and the organizers were both knowledgeable and approachable throughout. They also made the experience feel special. For example, before the two-week workshop, we were sent a number of items through the mail: Sage research methods books, treat bags, and snacks of our choosing from SnackMagic. Each day of the workshop, I tried something tantalizingly new as I pored over the readings: water lily pops, plantain chips, dill pickle pretzels, Za’atar popcorn, Hawaiian teriyaki plant-based jerky, and cardamom and black tea sparkling water. The online format was designed to optimize community-building. We were provided plenty of opportunities to get to know one another through morning chats, breakout rooms, and a peer-support space in Zoom. There was also a light-hearted spirit of competition as scholars sought to win all sorts of badges. At the very end of the two weeks, each scholar shared an elevator pitch of the current status of their research and received constructive feedback. The general spirit of the workshop was supportive and fun.

The workshop was also extremely informative. Our daily readings were elaborated upon by the presenters, Greg Guest and Lili Luo, who provided us keen insight into different methodologies. After the lectures, we went into breakout rooms and directly applied what we had learned. The most valuable part of the day, however, were the one-on-one meetings with librarians and research experts. The feedback I received was invaluable and helped me establish objectives, refine my research questions, and determine the best methodological approaches to use.

My research project will explore creativity in the research process among post-comp PhD students in the social sciences and humanities (if you want more details, please feel free to reach out). At this moment, I am refining my proposal by updating my literature review and developing my interview guide. The interdisciplinary nature of my topic has compelled me to become familiar with a wide swath of literature (including psychology of creativity, psychometrics, phenomenology, humanistic psychology, doctoral research journeys, and the library literature regarding creativity and the research process). Based on what I learned during the workshop, I plan to use purposive stratified sampling to conduct semi-structured in-depth interviews and then use thematic analysis to inductively code the transcripts. By being attentive to both the creativity literature and library literature, my goal is to conduct a study that engages with both and bridges the gap between them. Carrying out this research project will deepen my understanding of social science research and make me a more effective librarian to my liaison areas. I am incredibly grateful for the support of my UI colleagues, and I look forward to learning and growing with my research over the next year and beyond.

Jun 22 2022

Culshaw elected to Center for Research Libraries Board of Directors

Posted on June 22, 2022June 22, 2022 by Anne Bassett

John Culshaw, Jack B. King university librarian at Iowa, has been elected to a three-year term on the Center for Research Libraries (CRL) Board of Directors.

CRL, which is an international consortium of university, college, and independent research libraries, held its 73rd Annual Council of Voting Members Meeting in April 2022. Learn more about the meeting and see the 2022-23 officers elected by the Board of Directors here. Founded in 1949, CRL supports research and teaching in the humanities, sciences, and social sciences by preserving and making available to scholars a wealth of rare and uncommon primary source materials from all world regions. The University of Iowa is a founding member of CRL.

Culshaw also recently concluded his term as the president of the Association of Research Libraries (ARL), a membership organization of libraries and archives in major public and private universities, federal government agencies, and large public institutions in United States and Canada. He completes his five years of service on the ARL Board of Directors in October 2022.

In addition to these responsibilities, Culshaw has served in leadership roles with the HathiTrust Digital Library and Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL). Culshaw is currently the conference chair for ACRL 2023, ACRL’s signature biennial event slated for March 2023 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He also continues to play an active role with the Big Ten Academic Alliance Library Initiatives, which includes the BIG Collection, an effort to create collaborative processes for building a networked collective collection to benefit Big Ten scholars.

Tom Phillips painting from the Sackner Archive

Apr 13 2022

UI Libraries Receives NEH Grant to Increase Access to World-Renowned Sackner Archive

Posted on April 13, 2022April 27, 2022 by Anne Bassett

Special Collections and Archives at the University of Iowa Libraries was awarded a prestigious $350,000 grant supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). The funding will be used to make the Ruth and Marvin Sackner Archive of Concrete and Visual Poetry—the largest collection of its kind in the world—more accessible.

The Sackner Archive currently includes more than 75,000 items documenting the international avant-garde movement of artists and writers who combined words and visual elements to create a new category of artwork. The three-year Humanities Collections and Reference Resources program grant will provide resources for Special Collections and Archives such as a full-time staff member and a part-time graduate student to focus on continuing to organize, catalog, describe, and preserve materials.

“The University Libraries is committed to promoting accessibility to our collections in as many ways as possible to foster teaching, research, and engagement,” says John Culshaw, Jack B. King university librarian. “We are grateful to the NEH for this opportunity because despite the availability of some data created by the Sackners, the archive remains largely hidden due to the enormous amount of work needed to make materials available to the public.”

The Sackner family chose the University Libraries as the home for the archive due to its reputation as a center for the study of Dadaism, with its substantial holdings in the International Dada Archive. The Libraries’ world-class conservation program, the UI’s nationally recognized Center for the Book and Iowa Writers’ Workshop, collections in the Stanley Museum of Art, and location in Iowa City (a UNESCO City of Literature) were also factors influencing their decision.

“We are thrilled the NEH recognized the importance of continuing to expand the Sackner Archive’s reach and are eager to begin these next stages of work,” says Margaret Gamm, director of Special Collections and Archives. “It’s a privilege for us to be home to this world-renowned archive and stewards for students, researchers, and others to discover and use its unique resources.”

You can learn more about the Sackner Archive, which is not open to the public, here. Students, scholars, and the public can make an appointment to view materials by emailing lib-spec@uiowa.edu.