On My Own Time registration ends July 9th

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Registration for the 24th Annual On My Own Time Employee Art Exhibit is now open. Submissions may be submitted through July 9, 2025. If you are interested, the following links provide more information about the rules for submissions.

Please note that due to space constraints, only UT Southwestern employees and students may submit entries. Also, submissions are limited to the following:

  • Visual art: one (1) work of art per category
  • Literary works: three (3) entries per category

For more information including key dates and entry rules, please visit the UT Southwestern OMOT website.

Spot Predatory Journals Quickly – Cabells Data Now Powering LibKey! 

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Say goodbye to deceptive journals!  LibKey now integrates Cabells data to seamlessly flag predatory journals—whether you’re searching on-campus or remotely. No matter where you browse—publisher sites like Elsevier and Wiley, databases like PubMed, or even Google Scholar—LibKey warns you if a journal is potentially predatory. Click the alert to uncover key violations and access the full report via Cabells Predatory Reports. Just install the LibKey Nomad browser to integrate with Cabells Predatory Reports.  Stay informed, stay protected! 

New Summer Interns to assist with Archives projects

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The Special Collections Library and University Archives is happy to announce that we will be hosting two interns this summer from the university’s internship program. Each intern will provide valuable assistance in moving forward the mission of the University Archives. The first intern is Aigerim Atausha, a senior from Texas A&M University. She’ll be assisting with our book project. This on-going project is weeding the books in our History of Medicine Collection, determining if any of the books in the collection are rare, as well as evaluating the value of the books in the Rare Book Room. All of her work will be done under the guidance of our University Archivist, Kendall Martin.

Our second intern is Tamara Solayappan, a junior at the University of Texas at Austin. She’ll be assisting with a new digitization project focused on the Theses and Dissertations collection. Though this collection has digitized pieces, she’ll take on the role of primary digitizer and will create the metadata for each item as well as edit any scans as necessary. All of her work will be done under the guidance of the Digital Archivist/Manager, Angie Houser.

New Predatory Publishing Guide

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Did you know that predatory publishers and organizers of predatory conferences prioritize profit over scholarly integrity? 

The recently launched Predatory Publishing Guide addresses the “what,” “why” and “how” of predatory publishers and predatory conference organizers. Risks include: 

  • Lack of peer review 
  • Limited visibility 
  • Impact 
  • Reputation damage to the author, conference participant, and institution 
  • Ethical concerns 
  • Copyright 

Efforts to fight predatory publishing require collaboration and support. Start with the Publishing Red Flags Handout Red Flags Handout. Additional tools and resources to identify predatory publishers and predatory conference organizers include: 

  • Cabell’s Predatory Journals 
  • Predatory Journal Checklist – created to assist researchers/scholars make an informed decision about where to publish. 
  • Think.Check.Submit – an international initiative to educate researchers/scholars in choosing a reputable Open Access journal.  
  • Conference Checker – the short questionnaire is designed to help to determine whether or not a conference is legitimate.  
  • Think, Check, Attend – an initiative to guide and assist researchers/scholars in choosing trusted conferences to attend and to present their research.  
  • Pivot – use as a starting point to review information and deadlines for open calls for papers from forthcoming conferences.  

Questions? Feedback? Use the Ask Us form or call 214-648-2001 Monday – Friday, 8:00 am – 5:00 pm. 

Updated changes to ProQuest Ebook Central

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Over the last month, ProQuest has shared news about enhancements and changes that either have already been applied or will be coming soon to their ebook platform, ProQuest Ebook Central.

Ebook Central Research Assistant

This tool launched in beta on the platform on April 3rd and offers readers the opportunity to:

  • Assess content relevance faster with chapter-level takeaways
  • Deepen understanding with key concept highlights 
  • Discover related resources within your Ebook Central collection

This tool is seamlessly integrated into Ebook Central for owned and subscribed titles.

Ebook Central EPUB (Electronic Publication)

Starting May 1, 2025, Electronic Publications (EPUBs) will become the default display format in Ebook Central’s online reader instead of PDF. This change is being made to create a more accessible, user-friendly experience on the platform – especially for readers using assistive technologies.

EPUB is a responsive, flexible format that adapts to different screen sizes, supports interactive features, and works more effectively with screen readers. It also aligns with evolving accessibility standards and legislation.

Users will continue to enjoy a seamless reading experience, now with added flexibility to switch between EPUB and PDF with our online reader. However, please note that anyone who has referenced specific page numbers in materials may see some differences, as EPUB’s reflowable (responsive) format adapts to screen size.

How the Archives contributes to campus sustainability initiatives

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The UT Southwestern Archives goes to great lengths to create sustainability when we deaccession or weed items from our collections. We consider what the item is and then determine the best action of recycling for it. With the help of the Sustainability Coordinator, we identified a company willing to recycle not only VHS, Betamax, and U-Matic tapes but also audiocassettes, DVDs, and Blu-Ray discs: this means that we do not send pounds of plastic to the landfill after the materials have been digitized. Additionally, we either donate the books we weed or work to properly recycle the ones that cannot be donated. These are just some of the efforts we make to preserve our planet.

Is a reference manager by any other name just as sweet? (EndNote vs. Zotero)

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Because many people have used Zotero while at their previous institutions, the Library is providing a new class that compares EndNote with Zotero. This class is intended to help those who are familiar with Zotero but would like to learn about the differences and similarities between the platforms.

The class will be held virtually on Tuesday, April 15, at 12 p.m., and registration is required. (Note: If you are interested in this training but can’t attend, please register anyway, and we will send you a link to the recording.)

Attention, researchers! Evidence Synthesis Essentials: A Three-Part Instructional Series 

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Are you considering undertaking a systematic review or another type of evidence synthesis, but you do not know where to start? Are you currently working on a review and need a refresher? If so, your Library is here to help.

The Library’s instruction team has adapted the single “Introduction to Systematic Reviews” session into a more digestible series this spring. This 3-part series will guide you through the entire evidence synthesis process: from PICO question formulation and protocol development to systematic searching techniques to data extraction and synthesis. We will highlight databases and tools to assist you and streamline your project.  

If you are interested, click on the links below to register for individual sessions. If you cannot attend the sessions, you can still register so that you will receive the recordings.

Evidence Synthesis Essentials, Part 1: From PICO to Protocol

Tuesday, March 25, 2025

1 – 2 p.m.

Evidence Synthesis Essentials, Part 2: Systematic Searching Techniques

Tuesday, April 8, 2025

1 – 2 p.m.

Evidence Synthesis Essentials, Part 3: Screening, Extracting, and Synthesis

Tuesday, April 22, 2025

1 – 2 p.m.

New antique medicine display at Outpatient Clinic

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At the beginning of each year, staff in the Special Collections Library & Archives exchange the items on display in the Outpatient Building on West Campus, and our newest exhibit features selections of antique medicine cases and medicines from our Medical Artifacts Collection. Several pieces were previously displayed in the main library, but by moving these items to the Outpatient Building, we are able to share the archives with more of our campus community.