AIC students contribute to the field of agriculture

Two UK Libraries Agricultural Information Center student employees were included in honors for the UK chapter of Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Related Sciences (MANRRS). For the fourth consecutive year, the UK MANRRS chapter was named National Chapter of the Year. Kelly Moore, AIC student worker, is a past national undergraduate president of MANRRS. Student worker Tynesha Marshall is an active member of UK MANRRS.

The UK MANRRS Chapter

Another AIC undergraduate student employee, Kaitlin Fouts, was recently featured as a guest blogger on the Kentucky Beef Council Faces of Farming Blog.

Kaitlin Fouts

We are proud of our student employees for their contributions to their fields of study.

Learning Lab students present on Special Collections archival work

Interns from the Special Collections Research Center Learning Lab presented the projects representing the culmination of their work during the 2016 – 2017 academic year during an event on April 14, 2016. The interns spent the year processing and researching the archival collections of the Frankel and Curtis architectural drawings collection. The collection consists of the files of the Frankel and Curtis architectural firm, a leader in designing buildings in Kentucky in the 19^th and 20^th centuries.

The interns each spoke on a facet of the collection, detailing analyses of material culture, race relations, and history drawn from the primary source documents.

Six interns worked in the Learning Lab this year, supervised by Learning Lab manager Stacie Williams. The interns this year were as follows: Nick Hodge, a sophomore architecture major with a minor in environmental studies and sustainability from Lexington; Sommer Cade, a sophomore architecture major from Louisville; Steve Ngandu-Sankayi, a sophomore architecture major with a minor in French from the Democratic Republic of the Congo; Abby King, a sophomore majoring in history and classics from Lexington; Daria Goncharova, a senior English major from Russia; and Aaron Mueller, a sophomore computer science and linguistics major from Louisville. 

Aaron Mueller

Abigail King

Daria Goncharova

Nick Hodge

Sommer Cade

Steve Ngandu-Sankayi

Diversity Scholars organize "human library"

UK Libraries Undergraduate Diversity Scholars Alecia Johnson and Gabe Tomlin initiated and organized a “Human Library” event held in William T. Young Library on Wednesday April 20, 2016.  Sponsored by the Diversity Task Force, the Human Library is designed to "to build a positive framework for conversations that can challenge stereotypes and prejudices through dialogue. The Human Library is a place where real people are on loan to readers.  A place where difficult questions are expected, appreciated and answered. "

The Human Library in-progress

Gabe and Alecia enlisted 25 volunteer human "books" with a variety of titles who could be "checked out" to "readers" for a half-hour period of conversation.  Participants identified themselves with descriptive phrases, including “International Student,” “Biracial,” “First Generation,” “Student Veteran,” “Psychonaut,” “UK Police Officer,” “Bipolar Disorder,” “LGBTQ Expression,” and “Latino Student.”  Readers who selected a “human book” heard the “book’s” story, then asked questions and conversed during the half-hour check-out period. 

Participating readers included UK students, staff, faculty, and administrators. At one point in the afternoon all of the human books were checked out. Books and readers alike were enthusiastic about the event and encouraged more sessions in the future.

For more information about the international Human Library Organization see http://humanlibrary.org/  

Undergraduate Diversity Scholars to present research

An image from the "What's Today Again?" exhibit

The Diversity Task Force invites all faculty, staff, and students of UK Libraries to a program concluding the academic year for the Diversity Scholars Program. Gabe Tomlin and Alecia Johnson will discuss their  research projects and their internship experiences on Wednesday, May 4, 2016, at 3 p.m. in B108C William T. Young Library. Light refreshments will be included in the event.

Applications are now being accepted for the 2016 - 2017 class of Undergraduate Diversity Scholars.  For further information and forms, please go to http://libraries.uky.edu/diversityscholar. The deadline for applications is

May 6, 2016.

Two electronic displays currently in the Hub of William T. Young Library UK Libraries are the work of the Diversity Scholars. What's Today Again? features information about selected holidays that "often go unrecognized or misunderstood," according to exhibit creator Alecia. The other display, Occupy: Black and Brown Bodies in White Spaces, "uses imagery to disturb the continuing narrative of whiteness in this predominately white space," says Gabe.  The exhibits will be on display through finals week.

Celebration honors UK Libraries student workers

UK Libraries will honor student assistants during a celebration on April 18, 2016. All graduate assistants, interns, and student workers are invited to the event to be held in room B108C of William T. Young Library from 12:30 to 2:30 pm. All supervisors of student employees are encouraged to attend.

The event will include the presentation of the Outstanding Student and Outstanding Graduate Student awards for 2015-2016. Students who are graduating this year will have a book plate with their name on it placed in a book of their choice. A display at the event will showcase the book selections.

Food and drinks will be provided. For more information contact event organizer and head of Young Library Circulation Terri Brown.