Innovate + Collaborate
University Libraries honors exceptional collaborative projects between Libraries' staff and other OHIO faculty and staff. These partnerships and projects further academic excellence; innovative programs; and teaching, learning and research across the University.
Dr. Lawrence Witmer
Professor, Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine
Misako Hata
Lab Director, 91原创 Innovation Center
Research Associate,
Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine
Dr. Miriam Intrator
Special Collections Librarian, University Libraries
Miriam Nelson
Director of Mahn Center, Preservation & Digital Initiatives, University Libraries
Working alongside Lawrence Witmer, Misako Hata and Ryan Ridgely, librarians Miriam Nelson and Miriam Intrator explored opportunities to advance the preservation and access of three ancient artifacts: a , and housed in University Libraries鈥 Rare Book Collection. The partnership resulted in the replication of the objects into 3D models that can now be accessed and examined alongside high-quality images of the artifacts in . Under the guidance of Lawrence Witmer, the Libraries utilized OHIO鈥檚 MicroCT scanner to create highly detailed scans of the objects. Ryan Ridgely then used the data from the CT scans to create 3D digital models, and Misako Hata used those files to create 3D physical surrogates of the artifacts. Those detailed digital scans now further enable teaching, learning and research opportunities by expanding the ability to study and interact with these rare objects while limiting the handling of the original artifact 鈥 and allow for greater interaction and more in-depth learning opportunities for both the OHIO community and scholars worldwide.
鈥淚t was a pretty deep collaboration across multiple units on campus, and it really showcases, I think, some of the amazing sort of hidden gems that are here at 91原创鈥not only] the hidden objects that are gems, but also the capabilities, the expertise and the knowledge base [of OHIO faculty and staff].鈥 鈥 Dr. Lawrence Witmer
Dr. Neil W. Bernstein
Professor, College of Arts and Sciences
Associate Professor,
University of Western Ontario
Special Collections Librarian,
University Libraries
OHIO Classics & Religious Studies professor Neil Bernstein and classics professor Kyle Gervais from the University of Western Ontario collaborated with librarian Miriam Intrator to create four interactive tutorials used by students studying Latin, along with a fifth tutorial featuring the University Libraries鈥 13th century Bible. The Latin tutorials, which feature pages from the , invite students to think about the language, the physicality of the original books and the techniques used to create them, while the Bible tutorial examines the manuscript through the lens of book history. Together, the tutorials aim to make the special collections at the Libraries more accessible to students and scholars around the world who study everything from economic history to religious texts and ancient classics 鈥 and empower students to actively participate in the learning process by providing multiple avenues to deeper research. Additionally, the collaboration to create the tutorials improved their overall content by including different perspectives and varied approaches to teaching and learning.
鈥淏efore the pandemic, Dr. Miriam Intrator had generously offered her time and expertise in presenting central items from the Latin manuscript collection to students in the Libraries鈥 room used for viewing rare books . The pandemic temporarily forced us to shift instruction online. But it also offered an opportunity to collaborate in presenting some of this material and its tradition to a wider audience.鈥 鈥 Dr. Neil Bernstein
鈥淢anuscript studies could traditionally be done effectively only by those at (or with the resources to visit) a handful of institutions with large manuscript collections. The digitization of collections around the world has begun to change that and democratize the field. I was delighted to take part in this project to make 91原创鈥檚 Latin manuscripts more accessible to students at OHIO and elsewhere.鈥 鈥 Dr. Kyle Gervais
Dr. Jennifer Fredette
Associate Professor,
College of Arts and Sciences
Special Collections Librarian,
University Libraries
Paul Campbell
Subject Librarian for the
Social Sciences,
University Libraries
Over the past several semesters, librarians Miriam Intrator and Paul Campbell have partnered with Jennifer Fredette from Political Science and the Center for Law, Justice and Culture to teach five research sessions in her Law & Colonialism course, which explores the impacts of European and American laws during the 19th and 20th centuries on colonized and western societies. These collaborative sessions challenge students to think more critically, connect them to the Libraries鈥 primary sources, empower them with valuable research skills, expose them to diverse voices, stories, perspectives and experiences, and broaden students鈥 understanding of the enduring impacts of colonialism through discussions of historical empathy, bias and silences in the documentary record. Additionally, the team was awarded funds from the 1804 endowment to offer more diverse perspectives on colonialism within the Libraries鈥 materials and wrote a book chapter on teaching with primary sources.
鈥淚 would just say that the collaboration with the librarians鈥 at OHIO has made me fall in love with this course all over again鈥 I really love the topic, but it's very different when you're exploring a subject alongside students who are discovering it for the first time. Thanks to Miriam and Paul, the students are just more excited and interested in the content of the course.鈥 鈥 Jennifer Fredette
Julie Dummermuth
Director, School of Art + Design
Karla Hackenmiller
Professor,
Associate Director/Chair of Graduate Programs,
School of Art + Design
Courtney Kessel
Gallery Director,
91原创 Galleries
Damon DeBorde
Head of Metadata Services and Administrator of OHIO Open Library, University Libraries
Janet Hulm
Assistant Dean for Collections and Digitization Strategies,
University Libraries
Julie Dummermuth, Karla Hackenmiller and Courtney Kessel, partnering with librarians Damon DeBorde and Janet Hulm, were instrumental in publishing the master鈥檚 theses of students in the School of Art + Design in the . The online format allows scholars worldwide to view the students鈥 theses with keywords and makes them easier to find in subject searches online. Once in the online repository, the work is given a permanent URL so students can a share the project with colleagues, grantors and potential employers. This collaborative effort aligns with the Libraries鈥 mission to empower students by providing opportunities to share their work with the global scholarly community and realizes the Libraries鈥 vision to enhance and sustain 91原创 academic opportunities.
鈥淭he content [of the theses] is so good鈥nd having something searchable for their thesis is fantastic. Being searchable is important for these students who are still early in their careers.鈥
鈥 Courtney Kessel