Ottenheimer Library at UA Little Rock

We miss seeing our community on campus! ☀️ These sunny patio tables under the blue sky are sitting empty for now, but we are counting down the days until they're filled with students studying, laughing, and connecting together again.

In just two weeks, campus will be complete. We can't wait to welcome you back—your favorite study spot is waiting for you! 📚☕️

Happy ! 🌸🦴

Ever seen a flower made of stone?

Stop by the first-floor lobby display case in the library this week to check out the Blastoids! Often nicknamed "rose buds" because of their close resemblance to budding flowers, these fascinating creatures weren't plants at all—they were ancient ocean animals related to modern starfish and sea urchins.

Here’s a quick peek into their world:

Petals of Stone: Like their crinoid cousins, blastoids were filter-feeders, using long, spindly arms to capture food floating in the current.

Why the "Bud" Look? Those delicate arms were extremely fragile and rarely survived the fossilization process, leaving behind only the central body that looks just like a closed flower bud.

A Lost World: Blastoids thrived for millions of years before disappearing during the End-Permian Mass Extinction—the largest extinction event in Earth's history.

Interactive Challenge for Your Visit! 🔍
When you stop by the display case on Floor 1, take a close look at the top of a blastoid bud. Can you spot the symmetrical grooves that give them their flower-like shape?

📚 Have you found your study spot yet? 👀

Whether you're all about a quiet corner, a comfy chair, a group study room, or a window with a view, now's the perfect time to find your favorite place before the fall semester gets underway.

And to everyone attending tomorrow's New Student Orientation—welcome to UA Little Rock! 🎉 Stop by Ottenheimer Library, explore the spaces, and see what makes it a great place to study, collaborate, create, and recharge between classes.

💬 Returning students: Where's your favorite place to study in the library? Share it in the comments and help our newest Trojans discover their future favorite spot!

🔥 IT’S TROJAN FORGE TUESDAY! 🔥

The wait is almost over! Mark your calendars for the Trojan Forge Makespace Grand Opening during Welcome Week! 🛠️✨

📍 Where: Ottenheimer Library, 1st Floor

📅 When: Tuesday, August 25 | 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM

Here’s what’s in store:

✂️ Official Ribbon Cutting with the Chancellor

🍕 FREE Food (Light Refreshments)

👀 Exclusive First Look at the brand-new space

💡 Hands-On Activities & live tool/tech demos

Come see all the incredible tech and tools available to help bring your biggest ideas to life. See you there, Trojans! 🚀

It is finally Fossil Friday!

This week we will explore Sea Lilies (Crinoids):

Crinoids, also known as sea lilies, may look like strange, prehistoric plants but they are actually animals! Crinoids are in the same group as animals like starfish, sea urchins, and sand dollars, all of which have pentagonal symmetry, meaning they have five symmetrical sections around their body. Like other animals in this group, crinoids are still alive today! In the past, crinoids had long stalks made of stacked coin-like pieces called columnals. Crinoids used these stalks like an anchor, holding onto the seafloor or large debris, and used their long feather-like arms to catch small bits of food that would float by in ocean currents. Today, crinoids lack those stalks and only live in deep water, but they used to be so prolific that they have become Arkansas's most common fossil! They can be found throughout the Ozarks and Ouachitas and you may even find them along the gravel beaches of the Buffalo National River! If you ever find a rock that looks strangely like a coin, you just might be looking at a crinoid fossil!

Are you curious to know more? Check out the links below!

https://www.nps.gov/articles/park-paleo-fall-2018-fossil-record.htm

https://paleoaerie.org/2014/02/28/fossil-friday-the-red-faced-fossil/

Paleo Reconstruction with the red sea creatures image byJulius Csotony

Paleo Reconstruction image with the sharks and eels by Peter Nickolaus

It is Fossil Friday!

Today's featured fossil is the Mosasaur Jaw & Teeth.

The mosasaurus is an iconic marine reptile from the Cretaceous Period, but did you know that mosasaurs weren't dinosaurs? Mosasaurs belong to the reptile order Squamata, while dinosaurs belong to the clade Archosauria. Even so, mosasaurs were fearsome predators that dominated the Mesozoic seas alongside the dinosaurs.

We've determined that this fossil is characteristic of Thalassotitan atrox, one of the largest and most formidable mosasaurs known.

Come see it for yourself in the display case in the library lobby!

Below next to the fossil is a life depiction of the thalassotitan by Andrey Atuchin.

Today is fossil Friday! Check out the Horsetail Plant:

The group of plants commonly called "horsetails" is one of four subgroups of ferns which have existed since the Devonian (Late Paleozoic) period, all the way to the modern day. Modern day horsetails grow in generally wet environments and are recognizable by their "whorl" of needle-like leaves present along a simple vertical stem. In the past, horsetails were much more common when compared to the modern day. Whereas most horsetails today are relatively small, prehistoric groups grew to the size of trees. The specimen in this display may have been a small branch of an otherwise massive horsetail tree!

Ottenheimer Library will be closed Friday, July 3, in observance of our nation's 250th birthday.

We will be open regular hours on Sunday, July 5, from 1 to 9 p.m.

It is Fossil Friday! Today we are focusing on a Marine Reptile!

Keichousaurus is a marine reptile from the Early Triassic period of China, in the same group as other large marine reptiles of the Mesozoic, including mosasaurs and plesiosaurs. While these reptiles didn't quite have flippers like some of the other groups, they were still entirely aquatic, using their paddle-shaped limbs to swim and feeding almost entirely on fish. These fossils are the most common, and often most complete, fossils of this group. They almost always appear as entirely complete specimens as seen in this display. Their abundance and exceptional preservation has also allowed paleontologists to observe characteristics of the group which are normally unobservable in the fossil record. Several fossils have been found showing that females of these species gave live birth instead of laying eggs. Because of the exceptional preservation and abundance of these organisms, scientists have also determined that they had sexual dimorphism, a condition where different sexes of the same species will show different traits. There are many modern examples of this, including a lion's mane, the vibrant coloration of male peacocks, and male humans being generally larger than female humans. From what our team at UA Little Rock can determine, we believe this Keichoisaurus specimen is a female!

The life reconstruction image is by Gabriel Ugueto.

The photos are contributed by Kylie Colter

Creativity met innovation during the AI Hackathon as students participated in a hands-on clay exercise led by Carolyn Wray and Erin Larkin and sponsored by Crystal Bridges and held on the 5th floor of Ottenheimer Library. Their unique creations will be on display, showcasing the power of imagination in the design process.

Join them for Demo and Pitch Day on June 12 from 2:00–5:00 p.m., where students will demonstrate and pitch their AI Health Tech ideas. Learn more: https://ualr.edu/event/ai-hackathon-healthtech-demo-and-pitch-day/