August 2026 Newsletter
Welcome to the Xavier University Library Newsletter! We hope this space provides you with timely and useful information about our services, resources, and programs. Scroll to the end for a preview of our recent acquisitions!
University Library Faculty Mini-Grants
Deadlines for the University Library Faculty Mini-Grants program have been revised to better align with funding needs throughout the academic year. The fall cycle deadline is now September 15 and the spring cycle deadline is January 31. Off-cycle requests will be considered during the summer. Faculty are encouraged to consider this opportunity to support initiatives that will also advance the value and visibility of the library on campus and in the community.
Library Instruction for Fall
Beginning this fall semester, library instruction will be supported by the Library Educational Services team, within the Public Services department. This means that all future library instruction sessions will be taught by this team, with the exceptions of University Archives & Special Collections and Makerspace sessions. More information about instruction from Special Services below. You may continue to reach out to those departments for specialized instruction. Complete the Library Instruction Request Form to schedule instruction with the Library Educational Services team. Requests should be placed a minimum of 2 weeks in advance to assist with librarian availability and to provide preparation time. We look forward to supporting your courses!
Contact Christine Mueller with any questions.
Course Reserves
If you would like books or DVDs placed on Reserves, submit the Course Reserve form. You may drop off items at the Library Service Desk, or, if the Library owns the items, we can retrieve them. After August 10, Reserves may take up to 3 business days to process. Please be aware that items borrowed from other libraries may not be placed on Reserves.
Streaming Video License Acquisitions – Pilot Program Starting Fall 2026
The University Library will begin accepting requests for individually licensed streaming video films to support academic programs for the Fall 2026 semester on August 3, 2026, using an updated process for how requests are managed. Learn more on the Library’s News and Events webpage or visit our Streaming Media Guide.
Please Use the Library’s “Suggest a Purchase” Form
The University Library values patron input in our collection development efforts. Recommend a book, DVD, or other resource in just a couple of minutes using our Suggest a Library Purchase form available on our website, and our librarians will follow up with you.
Digital Accessibility and Canvas Course Resources
As you work through remediating your course resources in Canvas one option to try is: Replacing PDF files with a library permalink. For articles in the Xavier Library database, delete the PDF and replace it with the article permalink. Also remove the file from the Files area. Try searching for the title of the resource using All For One Search. If you need help searching, you can consult the All For One Search Tutorial or reach out to your department’s library liaison. For more information on how copyright affects the use of library resources in your courses, consult our Copyright Resources for Faculty LibGuide.
University Archives and Special Collections Instruction
If you are interested in your students working with primary sources from University Archives and Special Collections this semester, please review the information on our LibGuide and submit an instruction request. Instructors must request single–session classes at least two weeks in advance of the proposed session date. Contact Anne Ryckbost if you have questions regarding UASC materials relevant to your course.
Makerspace Collaboration Opportunities
The Makerspace offers sessions customized to fit your class - no matter the discipline. It is the perfect place for students to explore their creativity, try new things, make mistakes, build and play, and turn their ideas into reality. The Makerspace also provides faculty with a place to put their creative classroom ideas into action by offering your students a place to create real-world expressions of the theoretical ideas you discuss in class, find practical solutions to issues, and explore learning activities unique to your discipline. Contact Leslie Whitford to schedule a class today!
Humanities Reading Room
The Humanities Reading Room (HRR) is available by appointment for research or class visits. The HRR contains 2,700 books related to poetry, graphic arts, comics, and other humanities-related topics. Books may not be checked out but are intended to be enjoyed while visiting the room. The room is located in McDonald 209 on the second floor of the library. For more information or to schedule a class visit or appointment, contact Anne Ryckbost or Leslie Whitford.
Recommended New Additions from our Virtual Shelves!
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| Building a god: the ethics of artificial intelligence and the race to control it by Christopher DiCarlo (2025) | Tabula raza: mapping race and human diversity in American genome science by Duana Fullwiley (2024) | The mind electric: a neurologist on the strangeness and wonder of our brains by Pria Anand (2025) |
| Description: Whether you're interested in computer science, philosophy, or simply navigating a world increasingly shaped by AI, this book belongs on your reading list. Renowned ethicist Christopher DiCarlo examines the profound implications of artificial intelligence surpassing human intelligence - exploring everything from healthcare and education to digital manipulation and global governance. Read a review! | If you've ever wondered how science and society shape each other, and sometimes distort each other, this is essential reading. Stanford anthropologist Duana Fullwiley offers an intimate chronicle of how the human genome, once imagined as raceless, became mapped onto racial categories, with profound consequences for medicine, law, and ancestry. This winner of both the 2024 Diana Forsythe Prize from the American Anthropological Association and the 2024 C. Wright Mills Award from the Society for the Study of Social Problems. | Boston University neurologist Pria Anand takes readers through extraordinary cases of neurological illness, weaving together clinical anecdote, history, and memoir to reveal the strangeness lurking just beneath ordinary consciousness. Winner of the PEN/E.O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award, the book earned starred reviews from both Booklist and Publishers Weekly, with the latter calling it "an engrossing exploration of the brain's extraordinary powers and terrifying frailties”. |
| Access the eBook in our collection | Access the eBook in our collection. | Access the eBook in our collection. |
Questions? Comments? Contact askus@xavier.edu