A Talk with Brian Nosek: Improving Openness and Reproducibility 
in Scholarly Communication
Thursday, April 19 • 2-4 p.m.
Geisel Library, Seuss Room

Shifting the scholarly culture toward open access, open data and open workflow is partly an incentives problem, partly an infrastructure problem, and partly a coordination problem.  The Center for Open Science (COS) is a non-profit technology and culture change organization working on all three. Central elements of COS’s strategy are to provide policy, incentive, and normative solutions that are applicable across institution, funder, publisher, and society stakeholders, and to provide efficient implementations of those solutions with open-source public goods infrastructure that is branded and operated by the communities themselves (OSF).

Brian Nosek is co-founder and executive director of the Center for Open Science, which operates the Open Science Framework. COS is enabling open and reproducible research practices worldwide. Brian is also a professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Virginia. He received his Ph.D. from Yale University in 2002. He co-founded Project Implicit, a multi-university collaboration for research and education investigating implicit cognition–thoughts and feelings that occur outside of awareness or control. Brian investigates the gap between values and practices, such as when behavior is influenced by factors other than one’s intentions and goals. Nosek applies this interest to improve the alignment between personal and organizational values and practices. In 2015, he was named one of Nature’s 10 and to the Chronicle for Higher Education Influence list. The event is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served.

For more information about the event, contact Serafin Raya at s1raya@ucsd.edu.

2018 Art+Feminism Wikipedia Edit-a-Thon
Wednesday, March 14, 2018 • 3:00 – 5:00 pm
Geisel Library, Classroom 2

This year, the UC San Diego Library is participating in the Art+Feminism Wikipedia Edit-a-Thon! Join us on Wednesday, March 14 in Geisel Library, Classroom 2 for an editing session to help improve Wikipedia entries on subjects related to art and feminism.

If you’re inexperienced – that’s ok! Tutorials will be provided for the beginner Wikipedian, along with reference materials and refreshments. There are Windows computers available in the library computer lab, but feel free to bring your laptop, power cord and ideas for entries that need updating or creation. For the editing-averse, we urge you to stop by to show your support. If possible, please create a Wikipedia account before the event. All are welcome!

Art+Feminism is a campaign improving coverage of cis and transgender women, feminism and the arts on Wikipedia. From coffee shops and community centers to the largest museums and universities in the world, Art+Feminism is a do-it-yourself and do-it-with-others campaign teaching people of all gender identities and expressions to edit Wikipedia. Less than 10% of editors on Wikipedia are women. Wikipedia is the largest and most popular general reference work on the internet with more than 40 million articles in more than 250 different languages. The fact is when we don’t tell our stories or participate in the ways our history is preserved, it gets erased. Gaps in the coverage of knowledge about women, gender, feminism, and the arts on one of the most visited websites in the world is a big problem and we need your help to fix it.

For more information about the event, contact Gayatri Singh, gasingh@ucsd.edu.

Erik T. Mitchell, Ph.D. has been appointed university librarian at the University of California San Diego effective April 16, 2018. Mitchell currently serves as associate university librarian of Digital Initiatives and Collaborative Services and associate chief information officer at UC Berkeley.

“Our Library is a premier resource for UC San Diego’s community of changemakers, playing a central role in the university’s mission by serving as a hub of discovery,” said Chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla. “Dr. Mitchell has been at the forefront of integrating new information technologies in libraries to find, use and create knowledge, so I am confident that his expertise will continue to help transform the way our academic community teaches, learns and conducts research.”

During his five years at UC Berkeley, Mitchell worked extensively with various leadership teams to advance the mission of the university, drawing on principles of service, shared values and collaboration. He advocated for and led a charge to incorporate preferred name services into the campus’ library systems, worked with vendors and systemwide colleagues to select a digital imaging platform that is ADA compliant and established processes to ensure that all new programs and services include diversity, equity and inclusion considerations at the design and decision-making stages. He also co-led the creation of programs for research data management, the expansion of targeted and mass digitization programs and comprehensive computing services for students. Additionally, he was integral to cross-institutional and nationally shared print initiatives and has served as co-principal investigator on funded research and development activities.  Read more…

Theodor “Dr. Seuss” Geisel, the popular children’s author-illustrator of The Cat in the Hat, which diversified mainstream children’s literature, turns 114 on Friday, March 2, 2018.

Party plans are underway at the University of California San Diego campus to celebrate the ingenious and creative spirit of Dr. Seuss during a noontime birthday bash that will include a two-story inflatable cake with candles, a giant, inflatable Cat in the Hat wearing a red and white striped hat, birthday cake, and Seussian musical entertainment by the Teeny Tiny Pit Orchestra.

Coinciding with national Read Across America Day, Dr. Seuss fans near and far are invited to join the fun being held in front of Geisel Library, the university’s flagship building named in honor of Theodor and Audrey Geisel in 1995. UC San Diego’s Interim Audrey Geisel University Librarian Tammy Nickelson Dearie will be on hand to greet party-goers and serve cupcakes to the first 2,000 attendees.

“Few readers who have grown up in the last sixty years can imagine their childhood without the wonderfully whimsical images and rhymes of Dr. Seuss. The illustrations in the more than 60 books he wrote are timeless and draw both children and adults alike,” said Dearie. “We’re honored to host a cherished campus tradition that began in the early 90’s when the UC San Diego Library received its first gift from Audrey Geisel.”  Read more…

This Scale Model Educational Toy is Being Rediscovered and Celebrated at the UC San Diego Library

Festival Dates:
Saturday, February 10 • Noon to 5 p.m.
Sunday, February 11 • Noon to 5 p.m.
(impromptu performances throughout the day both Saturday and Sunday)

Monday, February 12 • 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
(special premiere performance from alumna Lily Huang at noon)
Geisel Library, Seuss Room

This three-day exhibit in the Seuss Room of Geisel Library features replicas of Victorian Era paper theatres as well as modern versions of the toy. Live performances are featured throughout each day.

In the Victorian Era, theatrical playhouses printed fine souvenir posters showing architectural elements of their theatre. Aspects of set design were shown on the posters along with representations of actual actors of the company (shown in costume from a specific production). Condensed scripts were included in these poster kits and paper doll players were soon seen in lively productions on a table top at home, with many aspects of theatre arts being introduced to producers and performers of all ages.

From these posters, families and hobbyists would cut out the proscenium, the curtain, etc., to create a scale model of that specific theatre. These paper theatre hobbyists ended up learning much about scenic design, lighting effects, sound effects, music, acting, directing, blocking—all through this paper theatre toy. Theatre-goers often bought these paper theatre posters as souvenirs promoting an actual production they saw. Those living far from the theatre district ordered paper theatres from a catalog and had them delivered to their small town as an educational toy for the household. A lot of cutting and pasting was involved but hours of educational fun and artistic exploration would follow. The many two-dimensional layers of a paper theatre add up to something with surprising depth and charm.

Exhibit and accompanying live events of this Paper Theatre Festival are free and open to the public. For more information Contact Scott Paulson via email at spaulson@ucsd.edu or by phone at (858) 822-5758.

For information about accessible parking on campus, click here.

Reconstructed painted ceiling of an 18th-century synagogue that once stood in Gwoździec, an exhibition centerpiece at POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews.

The 2017-18 Holocaust Living History Workshops (HLHW) continue this January at the University of California San Diego with six profound lectures focusing on the roles of memory and justice in the process of renewal following the persecution of countless individuals during the Holocaust. The 2018 speakers will remind us that these concepts constitute the threads that run through the tapestry of a history that is tragic yet also inspiring.

Co-hosted by the UC San Diego Library and the UC San Diego Jewish Studies Program, the HLHW lecture series invites members of the public and campus community to attend the events to hear personal stories and memories from Holocaust survivors, witnesses, relatives, and scholars. The goal of the program is to broaden understanding of the past, foster tolerance, and preserve the memory of victims and survivors of the Holocaust while emphasizing their continued relevance in the world today.

All events are free and held on the UC San Diego campus in Geisel Library’s Seuss Room from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m., with some exceptions (as noted below).

January 17—The Holocaust Litigations: Defining Guilt, Extracting Reparations —With William Lerach

Sponsored by Philip and Gayle Tauber

William Lerach

The first event this winter will be held on Wednesday, January 17 featuring William Lerach who was part of a small group of American lawyers who, decades later, exposed the widespread complicity of major Swiss banks and multi-national German corporations in the Holocaust. Lerach will discuss the litigations that recovered stolen property worth several billion dollars. He’s also a member of the United States Holocaust Memorial Council, and is the recipient of the prestigious Legacy Laureate Award from the University of Pittsburgh. Patrick Patterson, a professor of history at UC San Diego, will provide an introduction and comments.

February 7—Face to Face with Demjanjuk: The Elusive Quest for Closure—With Martin Haas

On Wednesday, February 7, the HLHW series will feature UC San Diego professor emeritus Martin Haas who will share the tragic history of his family’s death and his experience in court where he came face-to-face with the man who was involved in his family’s murder. Haas was born into a Dutch-Jewish family and spent World War II in hiding with a Catholic family. In 1946, he was adopted by a distant relative and emigrated to Israel. Years later he moved to California to pursue a Ph.D.

February 28—East West Street: On the Origins of “Genocide” and “Crimes against Humanity”—With Award-Winning Author, Philippe Sands

Sponsored by Michelle and William Lerach

Philippe Sands

An extraordinary tale about human rights and their adversaries sits at the heart of Philippe Sands’ book, East West Street. A professor of law and director of the Centre on International Courts and Tribunals at University College London, Sands is a regular commentator on the BBC and CNN and writes frequently about international law for leading newspapers. He was prominently featured in My Nazi Legacy, a documentary released in 2015. This event will be held in the Hojel Auditorium at 7:00 p.m. with a reception and book signing to follow. Copies of East West Street will be available for purchase at the event from Warwick’s. RSVP is required at hlhw_sands_eventbrite.com.  Read more…

The Digital Media Lab (DML) is an exciting high-tech space where you can use 3D printers, edit videos, build apps, get assistance with multimedia projects, and much more!

Students, faculty, and staff are invited to the Digital Media Lab Open House on Tuesday, October 10 from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm in Geisel Library’s East Commons (2nd Floor).

Get up to speed on the latest technology tools at the Digital Media Lab, and learn how its free resources and services can support you!

The Digital Media Lab offers: 

• Free 3D printing for all UC San Diego affiliates
• Virtual reality equipment including:
  • 2 HTC Vive Headsets
  • 2 Oculus Rift Headsets
  • 360 Video Cameras
• Augmented reality projects in Unity and Vuforia
• Research consultations for simple part production and 3D visualizations
• High-end workstations for media editing
• Knowledgeable staff to assist in media creation and editing projects

For more information about the Digital Media Lab, click here. For questions or concerns, contact Scott McAvoy at smcavoy@ucsd.edu.

Since its creation in 1982, the Senior Fellows Program at UCLA has identified and developed many academic library leaders who have gone on to distinguished careers. Upon the retirement of longtime director Beverly Lynch, professor of information studies, UC San Diego’s University Librarian, Brian Schottlaender, will come on board as its new director. In addition, the program will become a collaborative effort of the UCLA Graduate School of Education and Information Studies, the UCLA Library and Ithaka S+R, a nonprofit that provides guidance to the academic community.

The fellows program combines management perspectives, strategic thinking and practical and theoretical approaches to the issues confronting academic institutions and their libraries. During the three-week residential program, fellows listen to lectures, review case studies, attend field trips and participate in group study sessions. Of some 250 alumni, nearly half have gone on to positions as library directors.

“It’s truly my privilege to follow in the footsteps of Beverly Lynch, who has contributed so much toward the development and success of the Senior Fellows Program,” said Schottlaender. “I look forward to leading the program — in collaboration with our new partners — and am eager to help shape the next generation of library leaders in the academic world.”

Schottlaender, who will retire as UC San Diego’s University Librarian on June 30, was a member of the Senior Fellows Program’s 1995 class. Read more…