UK Libraries Treats Campus Faculty to Breakfast on the Balcony

Last month, UK Libraries welcomed campus faculty to its Breakfast on the Balcony event at William T. Young Library. The annual event provides an opportunity for new and returning faculty to meet their librarians and archivists and learn about the resources, services, and expertise that UK Libraries offers to support teaching and research across the university. 

UK Libraries works with faculty across all of UK’s colleges, academic and professional programs, and specialized and interdisciplinary fields. Of the many ways that our librarians serve the university, we take special pride in providing tailored resources to help teaching faculty meet desired learning outcomes in their classes and in serving the informational needs of all our researchers.  

If you were unable to enjoy this year’s Breakfast on the Balcony, you can still learn more about the core areas of support that our librarians offer to instructors and researchers across campus.

Teaching Support

UK Libraries offers a wide range of teaching support options to help faculty meet learning outcomes, incorporate information literacy and research skills into assignments, and reduce costs for students. 

• Library Instruction – Our library instruction sessions help students find and evaluate information, learn and master research techniques, and plan and manage long-term research projects. Learn more on our Request Library Instruction page.
• Affordable Course Content – We can help reduce costs for students by working with instructors to replace costly commercial textbooks with open educational resources (OER). We can also help you adopt or create more open access materials for your courses through the OER Grant Program. For more information, visit our Affordable Course Content page.
• Instructional Tools & Resources – By integrating librarian-created tools and resources into their classes, instructors can assist students in navigating perplexing information environments and ascertaining the value of the information they find. Visit our Teaching Support page to find our online information literacy course and other online learning modules.
• Teaching with Primary Sources – Archivists and librarians at the Special Collections Research Center can design instructional sessions and help you craft research and creative assignments using our primary source collections. Learn more about these and other experiential learning opportunities on our Teaching with Primary Sources page. 

Research Services

Our librarians provide assistance and guidance at any point in the research process, from planning to publication. As information experts, we can help you locate and obtain all the materials and resources you need to enhance your research. 

• Research Consultations – Our librarians are here to help you at every step in the research process, from planning to publication. We can help you track down materials, master search techniques, and answer in-depth questions about all your information needs. Learn more and schedule a consultation on our Research Help page.
• Interlibrary Loan – With our Interlibrary Loan and Document Delivery services, we can help you track down hard-to-find materials from libraries and institutions around the world. Learn more on our Request Items for Pick Up or Delivery page.
• Subject Support Teams – Looking for discipline-specific assistance? Visit our Librarians by Subject page to find out how your subject support team can help you find materials and resources in your field and guide you through the research and publication process. 
• Research Databases & Print Collections – We develop and manage our collections to serve the informational needs of all departments and programs across the University of Kentucky and to preserve the history and culture of the Commonwealth. Browse our more than 700 databases, or explore our collections by resource type or by subject on our Find Library Materials page.

Digital Scholarship & Communications

UK Libraries is equipped with the expertise and tools to help researchers discover, organize, and share research and data. 

• Data Management, Visualization, & Analysis – Our data librarians provide expertise and support across all areas of digital and data-intensive scholarship. We can help you create data management plans; clean, wrangle, and analyze your datasets; and bring your findings to life through stunning data visualizations. Find all the ways we can help on our Digital Scholarship & Data Services page, or visit us at The Stacks: Digital Scholarship Center.
• Open Access Publishing – Open access publishing makes research findings accessible to a global audience by removing price and permission barriers. Our librarians can help you find information on author rights, copyright and fair use, and open licensing, along with other open access resources. Learn more on our Publishing & Impact page.
• Scholarly Repositories – UK’s institutional repository, UKnowledge, stores, organizes, and provides open and stable worldwide access to scholarship, data, and creative works generated by the UK community. Find out how to make your research available through UKnowledge on our Publishing & Impact page.
• GIS & Digital Mapping – UK Libraries offers specialized equipment, software, reference materials, and other resources for creating your own digital maps. Visit the GIS Lab on the Fourth Floor of the King Library Annex.

Spaces & Technology

UK Libraries provides faculty-tailored spaces and technological resources to support teaching, research, and all variety of projects.

• Faculty Carrels – Faculty carrels and group study rooms located on the Fourth Floor of Young Library furnish quiet study space to faculty in convenient proximity to research materials. Apply for a room on our Graduate & Faculty Spaces page.
• Classrooms & Performance Spaces – Faculty can reserve rooms for classes or find multipurpose rooms ideal for performances, exhibitions, and other events in Young Library, The Stacks, and the Fine Arts Library. Find available options on our Meetings & Classes page and Event & Exhibit Spaces page, and book your space on our Room Reservations page.
• The Stacks: Digital Scholarship Center – Located on the Ground Floor of the King Library Annex, The Stacks offers state of the art spaces and technologies to students and faculty engaged in all areas of digital and data-intensive scholarship. Users have access to a floor-to-ceiling data visualization wall, reservable collaboration and presentation spaces, and robust desktop computers with specialized software. Find more information and make a reservation on The Stacks Spaces & Technology page.
• Scanning & 3D Printing – Find specialized scanning options for books, slides, and objects on our Printing & Scanning page, or visit our Labs & Maker Spaces page for information on our Formlabs Form2 3D printer in the Education Library.