Students at UTA Libraries took the philosophy of going green vertically on April 20. With the help of library staff members, students built a vertical garden to grow plants at home. 

Milaun Murry, Community Engagement Assistant Director, who led the workshop, told students that this project could be done at home for around $10. All of the materials for the project, from a single piece of lumber to the paint, wood screws and galvanized metal plumbers' tape, are found at any local home improvement store. 

As the project started, students first painted the board outside on the patio, but Texas weather being what it is, the weather quickly changed, and the activity was rushed indoors. Once their art pieces were dry, they hand-tightened the wood screws securing the plumbers' tape to the board, bent in a horseshoe shape to hold potted plants. 

Before the workshop started, library staff drilled pilot holes into the wood to make the assembly process quicker. 

Rogelio Meixueiro, an environmental science major, stated that events like this encourage people to garden and eat healthier. 

"A project like this gives people access to growing their own food because you are making it with materials that you can buy at a store for a cheap price, which makes it accessible and affordable," Rogelio said. "I think I will start with some tomatoes and some greens. We are also going to be doing some mint so that we can make some tea this week." 

Sagar Dharman, a computer science major, stated that eating food you grow yourself is a healthier choice. 

"You can eat a big bowl of salad and you're good for the day. But that is not the case with processed food," Sagar said. "With processed food, I had an issue with high blood pressure. Now with the green food I am cooking, I had a healthy drop in my blood pressure and the doctors were happy." 

Sagar stated that he feels eating healthy impacts your physical health as well as your mental health. 

For upcoming events at UTA Libraries, go online to https://libraries.uta.edu. People can also follow the libraries' social media pages on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. 

Teaching life skills that help promote a more sustainable lifestyle is the mission behind the Sew Sustainable workshops here at UTA Libraries. The latest workshop, held Thursday, February 9, taught how to repair jeans using a sewing machine. 

Grace Backus, a library specialist, stated that learning how to sew can help people save money and make their clothes last a little bit longer.  

“College students struggle with money and Sew Sustainable is great because it teaches you how to keep a wardrobe and maintain it longer instead of having to go out and buy new clothing,” Grace said. “Not only is it better for the environment, but it is also better for your wallet.” 

Grace took the class through each step of the process of how to mend a hole in a pair of jeans. The first step was to iron a patch on the inside of the jeans so that it was not visible from the outside. Once the patch was cooled, a sewing machine was used to sew matching thread along the grain of the existing fabric, so it blended in seamlessly. 

Oscar Cervamtes, an Electrical Engineering major, came out to the workshop with the desire to learn a new skill. 

“I wanted to learn how to sew because my mom sews. She does not have a machine at home to teach, so I thought I might as well learn here,” Oscar said. “I saw that you all had machines, and I looked it up on the UTA website, and that is really what made me interested.” 

Oscar stated he hopes that by acquiring this new skill, he can learn to make his own clothing and try his hand at embroidery. He shared that learning something new is a great way to challenge yourself and the Sew Sustainable workshop provides that opportunity. 

To find out about the future Sew Sustainable workshops go to the UTA Libraries website at https://libraries.uta.edu or on its social media pages on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. 

UTA Libraries is now offering students, faculty, and staff an opportunity to expand their artistic drawing abilities: several 3D-printed reproductions of well-known sculptures are now available for checkout from the West Campus Library. Each model was 3D printed in the FabLab from files released as a part of the Scan the World project hosted by MyMiniFactory.com. 

Morgan Chivers, FabLab Librarian and Artist in Residence, stated that these models would give people more options as they learn how to develop their artistic skills. 

“The idea is that we wanted to update the drawing models available within the Art & Art History Department for the drawing and painting classes,” Morgan said. “They have been using an assortment of objects which are common within drawing studios, like plaster models, fabrics, and basic primitive shapes.” 

This new UTA Libraries collection gives students several choices to choose from for their drawing exercises, including a bust of Albert Einstein, Yuri Gagarin, Testa di Moro, the Head of Bacchus, Lady of Elche, and Rodin’s Cathedral. In total, 18 different 3D-printed sculptural models are available to check out. 

Morgan said that learning how to draw the human form during the pandemic became a challenge for students because they did not have access to live models. He noted that “using a live or 3D model to draw the human form is quite different than drawing from a photograph, where the three-dimensional form has already been collapsed into two dimensions.” A resource like this helps students perfect this technique outside the classroom even more. 

The My Mini Factory website states that the mission of the Scan the World project is to gain a greater understanding of the world’s cultural heritage.  

The plans on its website for 3D printable objects of cultural significance are free for anyone to download and use. Every model on the website originates from 3D scan data, which is provided by people from across the globe. 

“Many of the sculptures in the Scan the World repository are also studied in the art history classes every art major is required to take,” Morgan said. “Hopefully, this collection in our libraries will help students develop a closer relationship with what are normally priceless, one-of-a-kind artifacts made of marble, bronze, or ceramic.”  

The 3D-printed sculptural models are available now for all current UTA students, faculty, and staff to use. They are inside a glass case at the West Campus Library, located between the Fine Art and Architecture buildings. Each model can be checked out for one week. Library patrons take on the liability if an item is damaged, most of these models are about $35 each.  

To view the available 3D-printed sculptural models, go to https://libraries.uta.edu/collections/scantheworld 

Months of hard work paid off this summer as members of the Aero Jaguars drone team took second place at the 3D Printed Aircraft Competition held in July at UTA Maverick Stadium. The team’s success was made possible through a cooperative effort between them, the UTA Libraries Drone Club, and the use of resources in the FabLab. 

Harsha Vardhan Akurathi, an aerospace engineering major, signed up to participate in the competition in January, with work starting on the drone in May. Before work began, Harsha Vardhan recruited three additional team members, Muhammed Ajiteru, Zoila Martinez and Dev Modi, to help with the project. 

“We started working on the drone right after the finals, which was in the second week of May. It gave us exactly two months to work,” Harsha Vardhan said. “We had to submit a project report by May 31. So, we had to design a model within a few days and did simulations using the Solidworks software.” 

Harsha Vardhan stated that these virtual simulations showed how the drone would act during a flight, which helped the team perfect their design. 

The competition required aircraft to be entirely 3D printed. No outside materials, other than electronic components, could be used. Each design had to be designed completely by the team. 

While not all team members were present to work on the drone at the library, they all worked together virtually through Microsoft Teams. Through this program, they could share information and exchange ideas to improve the drone’s overall design and performance. During the build, the UTA Libraries Drone Club shared their knowledge about drone building with the team. 

“I never had any experience in a competition like this before. We were all new to everything, and that is where the drone club comes in,” Harsha Vardhan said. “They taught us about all the flight components and what electronics you need to make anything fly. They helped us a lot.” 

The drone was re-designed several times during the testing process. They worked in the drone club’s room at the UTA Central Library to build and assemble the aircraft, only leaving to do testing. The Aero Jaguars drone team had a successful test flight the day before the competition. 

The July 9 competition saw teams come from not only Texas but from Virginia, Nevada, New York, California and Arizona. There were two categories for teams to compete. One was for fixed-wing airplanes, and the other was for rotary-wing drones. The Aero Jaguars competed in the rotary wing category. 

The team was required to fly their drone powered for eight seconds at the competition. After eight seconds, the power to the drone was cut, and the judges recorded the total flight time after each of the three flights. The team with the longest flight out of the three attempts was the winner. The Aero Jaguars came in second place out of the 12 teams competing in that category. 

Muhammed Ajiteru, an Aero Jaguars team member, praised team members for their hard work and dedication during many late nights during the build. Everyone’s contribution made the success achieved at the competition possible, he said. 

Muhammed stated that resources here at the library were critical to the team’s success. 

“I have never been in a school with this many resources available for students to use,” Muhammed said. “It sets up students for success in so many ways.” 

Students will have the chance to explore their creative side with the newest interactive workshop, Crafty Corner. Crafty Corner will take place from 12:30 – 1:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 15, at the UTA Central Library in the Studio Classroom on the first floor. 

Britt Barker, a student assistant with the Experiential Learning and Outreach Department, stated that Crafty Corner works not only to teach students about art, but it unlocks their creative potential. 

"Crafty Corner was created over the summer because we were looking for new events to incorporate into student life here at UTA. Crafty Corner teaches little art projects that students can do," Britt said. "As we talked to the students, they were interested in doing arts and crafts. It is not like cutting out paper and gluing things together, but it is those kinds of crafts that you see on social media that make you say, 'I really want to try that.'" 

Crafty Corner will take place once a month. The first project for September's workshop will be creating items out of ultraviolet resin. The resin is in a liquid form at first and it will then be poured into a premade mold. Once in the mold, different elements, such as colors, can be added to it. It will then be placed under ultraviolet light to cure, which takes about 10 minutes. 

Britt stated that the resin could create several different items ranging from jewelry to household goods.  

"I want them to take away that any craft can be accessible," Britt said. "It is about doing your research and finding out what you can do. It is then easy to make stuff you see on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, or whatever social media you see." 

Crafty Corner will have a printmaking workshop in October and a leather-working workshop in November. For more information about this event, follow the UTA Libraries' social media channels on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter or go to https://libraries.uta.edu. 

To keep lessons fresh about sustainability with students through such programs as Maverick Kitchen and the Bounty of Nature, UTA Libraries joined the community garden on campus a year and a half ago. The vegetables grown from the garden plot are used to educate students about healthy eating and living. 

The UTA website states the organic Community Garden at UT Arlington, built in collaboration with the City of Arlington, has become a public green space for families, community members and garden enthusiasts.  

Milaun Murry, Experiential Learning Librarian, stated the garden plot is a valuable resource in teaching lessons to students. 

“It is not a super huge plot. I want to say that ours is 3-foot by 10-foot. It is a decent size, and it is large enough to grow small basic stuff. We have about nine different pepper plants growing there right now,” Milaun said. “The intent when we got the plot is to make it where 60% of our regular produce, especially for our reoccurring Maverick Kitchen events, came out of that plot.” 

The garden is at 406 Summit Ave., just south of the Sweet Center at the corner of UTA Boulevard and Summit Avenue. It is open to both the UTA community and Arlington residents. People can adopt one of the 78 plots in the half-acre garden. As part of the $35 annual plot use agreement, gardeners donate at least half of their produce to Mission Arlington, the garden’s designated food bank program. The UTA Libraries’ Garden plot is available for anyone on staff and not just limited to library programs.  

As Milaun and her team have been working tending to the plants in the plot, she has been able to learn from her fellow gardeners.  

“I am thankful that a lot of the other plot owners over the last year and a half have worked with me a lot, teaching me how to grow certain things,” Milaun said. “They also volunteer their time and some of their produce.” 

If members of the UTA Libraries staff are interested in exercising their green thumbs in the library’s garden plot they can contact Milaun for more information by email at milaun.murry@uta.edu. 

Bill Darland and Calvin Lee met as young men. Both moved to Arlington, Texas in 1956 to play football for Arlington State College (ASC), now the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA).

They joined a stellar team of players—led by coach Chena Gilstrap—and eventually went on to play in the 1956 Junior Rose Bowl.

“It was a very, very usual group of young men,” Darland said. “We were friends, we were teammates—we thought the world of each other.”

“These guys were good, good people,” Lee said. “Everyone was willing to help someone else.”

For small-town boys from Texas, the plane journey to California was memorable enough. They were up against Compton Junior College, the number one team, and while hungry for a win, these underdogs had a problem—Lee, one of their star players, was injured, and might not be able to play at all.

That is, until he was approached by Royce Womble, then-player for the NFL’s Baltimore Colts. The Colts were staying in the same hotel as the ASC football team and spent time talking with the college players in the lobby throughout the weekend.

“Royce said, ‘I understand you have a little knee problem,’” Lee said. “When I told him I might not play, he took me to the Colts trainer to have it taped. It made all the difference.”

Lee would go on to score all of ASC’s points in the Junior Rose Bowl, winning them the game and securing him recognition as the MVP.

“I probably wouldn’t have even gotten to play if not for him,” Lee said. “I got most of the credit and didn’t deserve it.”

Lee would go on to the University of Florida in 1957 while Darland stayed at ASC and played in the 1957 Junior Rose Bowl, winning that championship in an undefeated season.

Following their collegiate football careers, both men ended up coaching high school, living just down the road from one another in Arlington. Their children, Natalie and Brad, knew each other from their families’ many get togethers, but didn’t really meet until mutual friends introduced them when they were both studying at Texas Tech.

“For our mothers’ sake, we went to lunch together that September,” Natalie said. “We were engaged by January and married in August.”

Thirty-nine years later, Natalie and Brad are going strong—and still talking about their dads’ storied college experiences. Natalie decided to celebrate that with a unique gift last Christmas.

“When you listen to our dads talk about their college years, that’s something special,” Natalie said. “This year has been hard on everyone and I just wanted Christmas to be significant.”

So, Natalie turned to the sage wisdom of Google and searched for the 1956 Junior Rose Bowl. She was surprised to find a pennant on eBay and wondered if there was more to uncover—so she kept Googling.

“One of the first things that came up was UTA Special Collections,” she said. “I was excited to see where that trail would lead.”

She sent an email inquiry—and received a reply the next day from Photo Collections Specialist Sara Pezzoni.

Pezzoni receives on average two to three requests of this kind per week, usually from researchers or publications. Depending on the subject matter and size of the request, the process can take anywhere from one hour to a week to complete.

Natalie’s request took a few days, Pezzoni says, mostly because the images she was looking for were tucked away in an unprocessed collection—a collection that has not yet been arranged and described.

“Most unprocessed collections in Special Collections come with an inventory that serves as a temporary finding aid until the collection can be processed,” Pezzoni said. “I saw that we had a few boxes of UTA Athletics Records that came to Special Collections in 2018 and the inventory list had a mention of ‘Scrapbook – 1956 Junior Rose Bowl,’ so I was able to find the majority of relevant photos and clippings there.”

Natalie also specifically asked for a photo of the 1956 team with a 500-pound cake made to look like the Junior Rose Bowl football field. While UTA didn’t have the original photo, Pezzoni was able to find the clipping showing that particular photo in a Vertical File, a collection of documents and ephemera that are put into file folders and cataloged by surname or subject.

The majority of photo requests lead to reproduction of Special Collections’ photographs and maps in published books, but Pezzoni does get the occasional licensing request from image research teams working on Netflix shows/documentaries. Pezzoni also recently worked on a request to provide several photographs for the 12 Mighty Orphans film, which is set to release in June 2021.

“It is so fulfilling to me to see materials in Special Collections providing historical context out in the world in so many different ways,” Pezzoni said. “It’s just as fulfilling to be able to connect families with cherished memories and photos of their loved ones like what we could provide for Mrs. Darland and her family.”

In the end, Pezzoni found dozens of items related to Natalie’s request, including photos of both Darland and Lee. Natalie arranged most of the materials she received into elaborately designed shadowboxes, which she presented to her father and father-in-law at Christmas.

One of the first things Darland and Lee will tell listeners about the shadowboxes is where they are hung in their homes (for Bill, it’s where he watches TV; for Calvin, it’s in the main hall). The next is how often the men look at them.

“I have a big ole heart and I cry when things are nice and good and I cried [when I received it],” Darland said. “It’s such a great gift—as long as I am alive, I’ll keep looking at it.”

“I’ve never been so surprised with anything in my life,” Lee said. “I come over and look at it every single day.”

Darland and Lee make sure to let Natalie know how impactful the gifts are, too.

“They bring it up every time we talk—how special it was, how meaningful it was,” Natalie said. “They are still beaming about it.”

Darland and Lee were impressed with UTA Special Collections and their digitization services.

“It’s such a pleasure that the Libraries would have all [these materials],” Darland said. “It’s just a fabulous piece of work.”

Lee especially felt that the preservation of these materials—and community access—provides great historical value, both for individuals and the University.

“It allows people to look back on other generations and gives a little history of the school,” Lee said. “It preserves our history.”

For Natalie and Brad, the experience with Special Collections exceeded their wildest expectations.

“You never really realize how significant parts of your life are until you’re older,” Natalie said. “Our dads playing in the game was their legacy—they created something memorable, and it has stayed with them the rest of their lives.

“To have a department like [Special Collections] that preserves the history and legacy of the school is so important—I can’t say enough.”

“In general, my dad has used the UTA experience as a [kind of] fraternity,” Brad said. “To capture memories of something that was your life and your passion and to share, is pretty incredible.”

Natalie wants more people to learn about the service that Pezzoni provides so that they too can connect with the collections available at UTA.

“I think if more people know about it, they would be as amazed as we are,” Natalie said. “It could impact a lot of lives.”

Readers can make their requests to Sara Pezzoni by emailing her directly with a list of research needs.

Sara Pezzoni is a valued team member of UTA Libraries Special Collections. Special Collections holds materials in a variety of subject areas, including Texas history, cartography, Spanish Language Archives, photograph collections (including the Fort-Worth Star Telegram collection), Texas Labor Archives, University Archives, and more. These collections are preserved by experts like Pezzoni using the appropriate technologies with the mission of present and future accessibility. Learn more and contact Special Collections on their website.

Interested parties can also view some of the pieces included in the Darlands' shadowboxes in our Digital Gallery.

When Ángeles Margarida, master’s student in landscape architecture, was ready to bring her thesis project to life, she knew just the resource to turn to—the University of Texas at Arlington FabLab.

“[I] knew that we had that resource that gave affordable price options, good timely work, and it was near where I live,” Margarida said. “They are also very knowledgeable in assisting you to make your design into a reality.”

Margarida’s project, called “Empowering Artists Who Have Experienced Homelessness Through Temporary Public Art in the city of Dallas, Texas,” is a collaboration between Margarida and five DFW-based artists who have a connection with homelessness.

The temporary public art installation features multiple large wall-like structures built and designed by Margarida. These pieces required significant woodwork, as well as vinyl cutting—and that’s where the FabLab came in.

“Ángeles contacted us to request components be fabricated on our ShopBot CNC Router in the Shop Room,” said Timothy Neill, FabLab Technician. “Over the course of multiple consultations, we discussed the fabrication constraints of the equipment and different materials we provide, then helped Ángeles prepare her design file. From there, the Shop Room student workers and I made final preparations to her files and operated the ShopBot CNC Router on her behalf.”

Neill, along with Morgan Chivers, FabLab Librarian, and their student workers, assisted Margarida through the FabLab Alternate Consultation Experience, a virtual service that connects Mavericks with FabLab staff and equipment during the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, one FabLab team helped Margarida cut the top and bottom bases and middle inserts using the CNC machine, while another helped cut the vinyl stickers for her panels.

“She did a great job, not only with the fabrication, but also working with the city and partnering with them and collaborating with different artists, as well,” Neill said.

Margarida’s constructions were later adorned with murals painted by her artist collaborators. The installation was displayed in the Main Street Garden Park in April and will be moved to the College of Architecture, Policy, and Public Affairs building for a secondary installation later this year.

Margarida’s goal is to discover if temporary art can become a tool of empowerment in the public landscape for homeless individuals. Her hope is that stories by artists who have experienced homelessness can alter misconceptions about homelessness, provoke creative solutions, and make an impact.

“This project matters to the artists who have experienced homelessness because their opinions are heard and valued,” Margarida said. “In the past, landscape architecture has divided and excluded communities by not including them in the process; however, this project aims to unite, include, and improve the quality of life of the homeless community in Dallas, Texas.”

Margarida’s work was inspired in part by her time working with a vulnerable community in Tanzania in 2019, as well as the public art of the Black Lives Matter movement.

“I was awestruck by the impact these statements had on the public and wondered if my project could do the same,” Margarida said.

Margarida will graduate in Fall 2021 after she defends her thesis this summer. Once she is finished with school, she hopes to continue her work with a company that shares her values.

“I want to work for a landscape architecture firm that works with communities in a meaningful way,” Margarida said. “I am looking to stay in the DFW area for now, but I don’t know what the future holds!”

Margarida expressed immense gratitude for the support of the FabLab as she worked on her final thesis project.

“I am very grateful and thankful for their work, especially to Timothy Neill, Morgan Chivers, and their student workers,” Margarida said. “They are a very supportive and hard-working staff.”

Located on the first floor of UTA Libraries, the FabLab is a creative hub for students, faculty, and staff, providing access to technologies, equipment, training; opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration; and inspirational spaces in support of invention, and entrepreneurship. Learn more about the FabLab on the UTA FabLab website.

The University of Texas at Arlington Libraries is celebrating Black History Month by hosting several events throughout the month, reflecting on past events held in Central Library, and pushing themed content on social media.

“We are committed to participating in and contributing positively to the annual celebration of Black History Month, as well as the year-round education on and recognition of the contributions and impact of Black Americans,” said Rebecca Bichel, dean of UTA Libraries. “Our Library colleagues have been hard at work to develop virtual programming that is robust, comprehensive, and engaging, and we can’t wait to hear what our users learn and share with us.”

Experiential Learning Librarian Milaun Murry is spearheading the Libraries Black History Month programming for 2021 and says the events were designed to give users a broad range of experiences.

“Our programming throughout the month offers a diverse array of opportunities for our students to learn more about Black history, as well as the contemporary Black experience,” Murry said. “We hope they take advantage of this time to participate and ask questions in these fun and safe spaces.”

Virtual events include:

• Feb. 4 – Make History: Black Scientists and Inventors
• Feb. 11 – Makers Workshop: Black Hair-itage
• Feb. 12 – Black Hair-itage Panel Discussion
• Feb. 17 – Language Café: African-American Vernacular English (Featuring Kalen Allen)
• Feb. 18 – Level UP! Black Professional Gamers
• Feb. 19 – UTA Black History Month Wikipedia Meetup

The Libraries is also reflecting on last February, when former Arlington mayor Elzie Odom and his wife Ruby donated their family papers to UTA Libraries Special Collections.

On social media, users can expect Black History-themed Tuesday Trivia on the Libraries Twitter, staff participation in campus initiatives on the Libraries Facebook, glimpses into the archives on the Libraries Instagram, and more.

Libraries users can find out more about these events on the Libraries events calendar.

The University of Texas at Arlington Libraries is excited to announce its renewed partnership with Cambridge University Press—and the benefits of its transformative agreement, particularly to UTA faculty.

Access has now been set up for all libraries—including UTA—who joined the Cambridge Read & Publish deal. For 2021, this means UTA has access to the 400+ titles available on the Cambridge Journals Online platform.

“UTA Libraries is a proud to champion transformative agreements that include both read and publish rights,” said Peter Zhang, UTA Libraries Associate University Librarian for Discovery and Technology. “The current model—where 100% of the subscription pays to access materials—is unsustainable for both journals and authors, and we hope to be part of the future that sees agreements focusing instead on publishing rights and open reading access for all articles.”

The immediate benefit of this agreement to UTA faculty is that they will not have to pay Author Processing Charges (APCs) when they publish with an eligible Cambridge University Press journal to make their articles open access.

“UTA Libraries has basically prepaid APCs for UTA faculty with our subscription,” Zhang said. “Articles published in eligible journals will be made open access at no cost to the authors. This is particularly beneficial to faculty members who are not financially supported by grants (or otherwise) to pay for APCs.”

Zhang said there are additional benefits to faculty who make their work available through open access publications—namely, retaining their copyright and broadening their reach.

“These articles will be open to scholars all around the world,” Zhang said. “This will help increase readership and boost scholarly impact.”

UTA Libraries will also archive articles published through this agreement in its institutional repository, UTA ResearchCommons.

This agreement with Cambridge University Press has been endorsed by UTA as well as other UT System libraries. It is a big step by UT System schools towards a paradigm shift in scholarly communications.

Zhang says he and others at UTA Libraries are monitoring closely as more transformative agreements are being developed and negotiated, including the Association for Computing Machinery’s Transformative Model for Open Access Publication.