September 25, 2017

Banned Books Week: #RebelReader



Words Have Power

Join us and participate in the #BannedBooksWeek #RebelReader Twitter Tournament challenge sponsored by The American Library Association and ALA's Office for Intellectual Freedom.
"The American Library Association invites you to speak out against censorship this Banned Books Week. Join the Rebel Reader Twitter Tournament and challenge yourself to complete action items on Twitter to be entered into a drawing for fantastic literary prizes. Similar to the Triwizard Tournament in the banned and challenged Harry Potter series, these tasks will test your creativity and knowledge." - ALA Rebel Reader

Getting Started

Need a few hints to get started with the twitter tournament?
  • Swag Photo: Stop in the library and pick up a new Banned Books Week button; the IRC has buttons and magnets available (we have two new styles featuring the #WordsHavePower logo).  
  • Banned or Challenged Book Selfie: Our Banned Books Week library guide has a page devoted to Banned and Challenged Books (complete with lists!).
  • Coloring Sheet Photo: Pick up a Banned Books Week #WordsHavePower coloring sheet on the main floor or second floor coloring table - OR - print your own copy here.

Read more about the Twitter Tournament, including how to enter, on ALA's Rebel Reader Twitter Tournament site. Good luck to everyone participating in the tournament!

IRC Blog & Twitter

Stay up-to-date via the IRC News & Information blog for daily #BannedBooksWeek posts. Follow the IRC on Twitter, @IRCaulibrary, for fun and informative tweets about #BannedBooks week and the #RebelReader tournament.


*Post originally published on the IRC News Blog.

September 19, 2017

OhioLINK: 25th Anniversary

OhioLINK 25th Anniversary from OH-TECH on Vimeo.

OhioLINK: In the Beginning

"OhioLINK, a cooperative venture of university libraries and the Ohio Department of Higher Education, grew out of a 1987 recommendation by the board’s library committee that 'the state of Ohio implement, as expeditiously as possible, a statewide electronic catalog system.'" 
"In 1992, six universities installed OhioLINK systems and began the ongoing process of building the central catalog." - OhioLINK History

OhioLINK has grown to 120 academic library's, including Ashland University Library. OhioLINK's vision is to "Provide Ohio students, faculty, and citizens with the best academic library content to achieve their goals and aspirations."

OhioLINK: Exceptional Value

Since 1992, OhioLINK has delivered "valuable resources to Ohio’s academic libraries at the lowest possible cost, saving millions of dollars in the process. How is this possible? By using the collective buying power of our 121 member libraries, OhioLINK negotiates better prices for resources than individual institutions or other library associations are able to." - Value of OhioLINK
Learn more about what OhioLINK - and Ashland University Library - provide for you:

September 12, 2017

Library Spotlight: Research Appointments


Not sure where to start your research? 
Feeling stuck? Don't know where to look? No Problem! Librarians are here to help and there are many ways to contact us.

  • In Person: stop by the reference desk on the main floor of the library.
  • Email us at: library@ashland.edu
  • Call us at: 419-289-5402
  • Browse our FAQs page

Need even more help?
Schedule a research appointment with a librarian: Click here to get started

September 6, 2017

Update: Library Guides & E-Res Available

Technical problems with Library Guides and E-Res, electronic reserves, were resolved early Tuesday (9/5) evening.

Please be sure to contact us if you have any problems accessing or using either of these resources. Contact Judi Humphrey for Library E-reserves at x5400 and Diane Schrecker at x5406 for Library Guide issues/problems.

September 5, 2017

Library Guides & E-res unavailable

Due to a platform outage, AU Library Guides (LibGuides) and E-Res (electronic reserves) are currently unavailable. The Springshare tech team is working on the problem and we anticipate a resolution soon. Stay up-to-date here:

OhioLINK & You

Did you find just the right item in AU Library catalog only to realize it is checked out to someone else?  Do you need an edition of a book we do not yet have?  Is there a DVD you would like to view that is on reserve and cannot leave the library?

If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, be sure to check OhioLINK availability via the AU library catalog! The item you want may be available at another library; request the item and it can be delivered here, or to any other participating OhioLINK library location, for free.

Yes.  Free.


AU Librarian's will be able to help you locate and request OhioLINK items. Our friendly circulation staff will guide you through the check-out process when your item arrives, provide information about due dates, and can help with renewals. Ask for help at the main desk, we'll take it from there.