Ohio University Libraries News and Events

Twenty-three large format prints comprise an exhibit titled, “Up-Close and Floral” by photographer Thom Luce on display now through December in the Learning Commons. The digital images dazzle the viewer with vivid color and startling clarity, and offer a welcome respite from texts and computer monitors.

Dr. Luce, Professor of Management Information Systems in the Management Information Systems Department, says that his interest in photography, “began more than 40 years ago when I was growing up in Rochester, NY. I had the good fortune to take an introductory photography class at Eastman Kodak Company that included basic black and white darkroom work and to have neighbors who were willing to let me use their home darkrooms.”

In the 1980’s Dr. Luce was reinvigorated as a photographer by “travel opportunities and the advent of digital photography.” Since then he has focused his talent on nature and travel photography. “I am interested in light and texture and the abstracting effect of macro photography,” Luce explains. “Strong backlighting of flowers and leaves has always caught my attention as have intricate patterns of floral parts.”

For more information about the techniques used to produce the striking images included in “Up-Close and Floral,” and the simple pleasure of experiencing beautiful photography, visit the exhibit in the Learning Commons soon.

Video streaming technology has provided an opportunity for the Mahn Center for Archives and Special Collections of Alden Library to share movie images of Alwin Nikolais’ and Murray Louis’ choreography with people throughout the world. That is just one noteworthy component of an extensive and highly prized collection that preserves and presents the art of two of the most noteworthy choreographers of American Modern Dance. The creative work of these men spans 50 years of the mid-20th century and represents the finest dance art of that era.

The Alwin Nikolais and Murray Louis Dance Collection at Ohio University was made possible by a generous gift of personal and business materials by Murray Louis. Murray Louis, the National Initiative to Preserve America’s Dance, the National Endowment for the Arts, and Save America’s Treasures generously contributed funding for the project. Processing, preservation, and accessibility was administered by Judith Connick, Ohio University Libraries Special Collections Librarian. In addition to standard archival processing practices to organize and preserve the material, Connick utilized web and video streaming technologies to provide universal access to the Collection. A web site has been created to provide online access, and is now available at the following URL: http://www.library.ohiou.edu/libinfo/depts/archives/dance/index.htm “This project has allowed us to simultaneously protect the material and yet make it available for scholarly use and personal enjoyment around the world, “says Connick. “We are grateful for the opportunity to participate in the creation and dissemination of the Collection’s treasury of information.”

The Collection comprises some 400 cubic feet of material dates from the 1920’s and includes films, videos, photographs, manuscripts, posters, administrative documents, awards, programs, reviews, and musical recordings. It serves not only to chronicle the individual careers of Nikolais and Louis, but of the artists’ dance companies as well. The latter included the Playhouse Dance Company, the Alwin Nikolais Dance Company, the Nikolais Dance Theatre, the Murray Louis Dance Company, and the Murray Louis and Alwin Nikolais Dance Company.

In conjunction with the Department of Residence Life Common Reading Project,”Autobiography of a Face,” Alden Library is presenting an exhibit titled “International Concepts of Beauty.” Located on the 4th floor of the library the exhibit offers a glimpse of “beauty” as expressed by people through personal adornment. Photographs in the exhibit provide examples of such expression from people in Africa, Asia, Europe, India, the Middle East and Oceania. A facade of architectural forms relating to these geographic regions wrap the glass cases in which the exhibit is housed, encouraging the audience to peer through windows and doors to “view” beauty from a different perspective. After seeing the exhibit, participants are invited to share their comments and personal concept of beauty via a web blog. The exhibit runs through October.

Students, faculty and staff at Ohio University and across Ohio can now keep the books they borrow from other OhioLINK libraries for up to 15 weeks, as long as another user has not requested the materials.

“Users statewide have been asking to keep OhioLINK books longer than six weeks,” Tony Maniaci, chair of OhioLINK’s Inter-Campus Services Committee, which sets OhioLINK borrowing policies, said. “But OhioLINK has to carefully balance the needs of researchers who wish to keep an item for an extended period of time with those who have short timeframes to meet a deadline or complete a class assignment. Recent improvements to the software used for online borrowing checks for holds before allowing a renewal. This new functionality allows us to extend the maximum borrowing period for items and better meet the needs of all OhioLINK users.”

OhioLINK books may be checked out for three weeks and renewed up to four times, as long as another user has not placed a hold on the item, for a total maximum borrowing period of 15 weeks. Users can request and renew OhioLINK books and local library materials online via the library’s Web site at www.library.ohiou.edu .

The OhioLINK Library Catalog contains more than 9.6 million unique library items, 58% of which are only available at one of the 85 OhioLINK libraries. Users can request to pick up items at the Alden Library, the Music/Dance Library or any other participating OhioLINK library. Items are usually delivered in just two to three days. There is no charge for Ohio University students, faculty and staff to request OhioLINK items, but late fees are charged for items kept past the due date.

About OhioLINK:
The Ohio Library and Information Network is a consortium of academic libraries that serves more than 600,000 students, faculty, and staff at 85 institutions. OhioLINK’s membership includes 17 public universities, 23 community/technical colleges, 44 private colleges and the State Library of Ohio. OhioLINK provides easy access to information and rapid delivery of library materials throughout the state. Online borrowing continues to be a core service of the OhioLINK program, 729,000 library items were borrowed through the network in the past 12 months. For more information, visit www.ohiolink.edu/about.