News
Fri, 10/24/2025
Annual Review: The power of plugging in
From conference calls to in-person impact, KU Libraries Board of Advocates member Bev Kennedy Bradshaw finds joy and connection in supporting KU Libraries.
Fri, 10/24/2025
Annual Review: Picturing history in Wilson
A fire in 2009 destroyed the Czech Opera House in Wilson, Kansas, along with more than a century of historical documents and photos. Now, KU Libraries has digitized the Arthur Jellison Photograph Collection — featuring early 20th-century images of Ellsworth County life — and returned prints to the community through the Wilson Tourism Hub. The partnership has sparked new community engagement, with residents coming forward to share additional artifacts and memories tied to the historic photos.
Fri, 10/24/2025
Haunting Humanities returns with a wicked lineup of attractions
The Hall Center for the Humanities at the University of Kansas will bring the mysterious, the magical and the macabre to downtown Lawrence Oct. 29 with Haunting Humanities, the all-ages “science fair for the humanities” with a Halloween twist.
Tue, 10/21/2025
KU Libraries honor professors with Shulenburger Award for open-access scholarship
Jeffrey Girard and Rami Zeedan, two University of Kansas faculty members who championed open-access scholarship — one by creating widely used open-source software and tools, and the other by launching an open journal and textbook — have been named recipients of the 2025 Shulenburger Award for Innovation and Advocacy in Scholarly Communication by KU Libraries.
Fri, 10/17/2025
Annual Review: Library legends
KU Libraries colleagues, Mary Roach and Kent Miller, mark decades of dedication, achieving remarkable milestones.
Tue, 10/14/2025
KU Libraries launch Scite.ai access for KU Researchers
KU Libraries is now offering full access to Scite.ai, a powerful AI-enhanced research tool that helps users dig deeper into scholarly literature by showing how research is cited – not just how often – and expands access to paywalled content.
Thu, 10/09/2025
KU Libraries enable ‘once-in-a-generation’ expansion in digital access to primary sources
A new deal negotiated by KU Libraries with information services provider ProQuest has expanded digital offerings exponentially, providing instant access to immense opportunities for research, learning and discovery.
Tue, 10/07/2025
Open Access Week keynote to explore alignment of open science principles with promotion and tenure guidelines
KU Libraries will celebrate International Open Access Week with an event at 11 a.m., Tuesday, Oct. 21, in Watson Library 3 West, featuring keynote speaker Michael Dougherty, professor of psychology at the University of Maryland.
Mon, 09/29/2025
Annual Review: Finding their niche
Eli Kumin, a junior from Lenexa, and Kaya Taylor, a now-graduated senior from Wichita, spent the 2024-25 academic year as Sanders Scholars working with Digital Humanities Librarian John McEwan to improve search tools for Spencer Research Library’s medieval sigillographic collections.
Mon, 09/22/2025
New student engagement space launching in Watson Library welcoming Hawks to ‘gather and soar’
Drawing inspiration from nature and with the goal of seeing every Jayhawk rise, KU Libraries is launching “The Kettle,” a new student engagement space in Watson Library, room 325. With ongoing programming already underway, The Kettle will host a ribbon cutting and open house, come and go, Tuesday, Oct. 7, 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Mon, 09/15/2025
BiblioBios: Deep roots in academia anchor librarian’s empowerment of research and discovery
KU Libraries’ Social Sciences Librarian Amalia Monroe-Gulick has spent the past 17 years working with colleagues and the campus community to empower research and discovery, the latest chapter in her lifelong relationship with higher education. With deep roots in academia throughout her family tree, Monroe-Gulick has built a career helping others thrive in an academic environment.
Thu, 08/28/2025
Public watch parties available for "An Evening with John Green"
The University of Kansas and Lawrence Public Library will host three public watch parties on Tuesday, Sept. 2, for the at-capacity event, “An Evening with John Green,” part of the 2025-26 KU Reads: A Common Book Experience. Each watch party is free and open to the public, and will begin at 7 p.m., allowing attendees to gather and engage with others while viewing the live stream of the event.
Thu, 08/21/2025
John Green’s campus visit at capacity; Plans underway for area watch parties
The Lied Center of Kansas has announced that all tickets have been distributed for “An Evening with John Green,” one of the first activities of the 2025-26 KU Reads: A Common Book Experience.
Mon, 08/18/2025
KU Libraries now accepting nominations for 2025 Shulenburger Award
KU Libraries is accepting nominations for the 2025 David Shulenburger Award for Innovation and Advocacy in Scholarly Communication through Friday, Sept. 19.
Thu, 08/14/2025
Libraries’ Hawk Week activities highlight resources and connections
KU Libraries will host a diverse lineup of events during Hawk Week, August 18-22, in collaboration with university-wide activities that welcome new and returning students to campus.
Wed, 08/13/2025
John Green visit among first of many KU Reads program events for 2025-26
A Lawrence campus visit from bestselling author John Green will help kick off the fall semester at the University of Kansas. Tickets for the KU community will be available for pickup starting Aug. 18 at the Lied Center of Kansas box office, with tickets for the general public available starting Aug. 22.
Wed, 08/06/2025
Student-curated exhibit explores centuries of knowledge and travel in and around Japan
KU Libraries will feature a new student-curated exhibition, “Travel, Tourism, and the Transmission of Knowledge in and Around Japan,” with an opening reception planned at 3:30 p.m. Sept. 3 in Kenneth Spencer Research Library's exhibit gallery.
Tue, 07/29/2025
KU Libraries select FOLIO as new library services platform (LSP)
The University of Kansas Libraries signed an agreement to implement FOLIO, hosted and supported by EBSCO Information Services, as its new library services platform (LSP) – the core system used to manage library operations such as acquisitions, cataloging, circulation and electronic resource management.
Mon, 07/14/2025
Murphy Art & Architecture Library open, but limited following water damage
Access to certain areas and materials at Murphy Art & Architecture Library are limited and request responses may be delayed, due to water damage that occurred over the weekend.
Thu, 07/03/2025
Watson Library Centennial Celebration garners CASE Circle of Excellence Award
The Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) has announced the 2025 Circle of Excellence Award winners, which include a Gold Award for KU Libraries’ Watson Library Centennial Celebration Season.
Wed, 06/25/2025
Bibliophile: Summer 2025
Bibliophile is published in print and online semi-annually by the University of Kansas Libraries for alumni, friends, and benefactors.
Tue, 06/17/2025
Trio of students selected for KU Libraries Rubinstein/Mason Award
The University of Kansas Libraries have awarded the 2025 Rubinstein/Mason Award to three students who have made significant contributions to the libraries as student employees and leaders.
Wed, 05/14/2025
KU Libraries select 2025 Sprints Week participants featuring teaching and research projects
The University of Kansas Libraries have selected a trio of faculty members to work with specialized teams of librarians to address course development and research challenges during Sprints Week, May 19-23.
Fri, 05/09/2025
Author John Green to visit KU to kick off 2025-26 KU Reads program
A Lawrence campus visit from award-winning author John Green will be among the first events of the fall semester as the University of Kansas adopts his title, “The Anthropocene Reviewed,” as the 2025-26 KU Reads: A Common Book Experience selection.
Tue, 05/06/2025
Students recognized for contributions to KU Libraries
A pair of student employees who do vital work maintaining physical and digital collections and two KU Libraries Student Ambassadors were honored among their peers and supervisors at the annual Dean’s Award for Student Employee Excellence (DASEE) luncheon May 1 in Watson Library.
Wed, 04/30/2025
KU Libraries among ARLIES Film Festival 2025 Winners selected by ARL membership
KU Libraries' highlight video from it's centennial celebration, "A Rhapsody in Jayhawk Blue," was named the Best Development/Fundraising Film at the 10th annual ARLIES Film Festival at the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) Spring Association Meeting in Minneapolis Wednesday.
Wed, 04/30/2025
Winners crowned among group of moving collections in Snyder Book Contest
The University of Kansas Libraries honored eight student finalists and awarded cash prizes at the 67th annual Snyder Book Collecting Contest during a reception April 24 at Watson Library. Charles Johnson, a senior from Lawrence, won first place in the undergraduate division, and Nicholas Hoekstra, a doctoral student in special education from Comstock Park, Michigan, won first place in the graduate division.
Thu, 04/17/2025
Faculty and staff excellence highlighted by KU Libraries
The University of Kansas Libraries are proud to recognize outstanding individual employee contributions and achievements via 2025 faculty and staff awards. Awards were formally presented to five employees during the libraries’ 18th annual Celebration of Excellence in February, with an appreciation luncheon honoring all library employees on April 16.
Tue, 04/08/2025
KU Reads Teach-In aims to generate curriculum and programming ideas for 2025-26 selection
KU Reads: A Common Book Experience invites faculty and instructors to attend an April 14-18 Teach-In, a week of informal discussion and events to integrate next year’s book selection, “The Anthropocene Reviewed: Essays on a Human-Centered Planet” by John Green, into curriculum and programming.
Mon, 04/07/2025
KU Libraries welcomes campus community to State of the Libraries Address
University of Kansas students, faculty, and staff are invited to attend the KU Libraries State of the Libraries Address, presented by Dean Carol Smith on Thursday, April 17, 10:30 – 11:30 a.m. in Watson Library 3 West. Dean Smith will review the past year of achievements and initiatives and give an overview of the libraries’ activity around its strategic plan.