Library Notes

At the MSU Libraries we strive to help the university community, sometimes in unusual ways. One of those ways takes place in Special Collections and Archives. For the last fifteen years, Special Collections has worked with Dr. Billie Follensbee (professor, Art and Design) to improve her students’ research skills through hands-on study of art and artifacts.  Dr. Follensbee found she could borrow objects from individuals or other institutions, as long as they are secure. Special Collections supplies the storage and…

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In Fiscal Year 2020 (July 2019 through June 2020), the use of the dedicated YouTube Channel of the MSU Libraries remained very strong. Items in this growing collection of video content were accessed 819,911 times. The total amount of “watch time” was 16,458,739 minutes. The average watch time per access of a video file was 20.07 minutes.  In FY19 our collection of video content was accessed 450,140 times, with a total watch time of 7,498,068, making the average watch time…

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“LibGuides” are handy, useful online subject guides to various topics of interest to members of the university community, from Accounting to the United Nations. They are created, maintained, and updated locally by the faculty and staff of the Missouri State University Libraries. We currently offer hundreds of LibGuides.  Usage of these LibGuides is one of the Key Performance Indicators of the MSU Libraries. The software system we use to create and present these LibGuides keeps anonymous statistics on the number…

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A research group of librarians from the Missouri State University Libraries will be conducting a survey of MSU Springfield campus faculty to gain additional knowledge about the faculty’s scholarly information discovery processes. Faculty are encouraged to complete an online survey which aims to provide greater insight into the following: What are faculty looking for? Where are they looking? Where and how are they encountering difficulty or barriers in discovery of and access to information? What is the anticipated end product…

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August 18, 2020 marked the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment, which granted women the right to vote. Organizations, archives, and museums are offering exhibitions and events in commemoration of this special anniversary, and this includes local entities such as Missouri State University Libraries and the History Museum on the Square. We are excited to share a pop-up exhibition created by the National Archives, Rightfully Hers, on the third floor of Meyer Library, located just outside of Special…

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As of late last week, the third and most recent publication of the Ozarks Studies Institute (OSI), an initiative of the MSU Libraries, is available for sale. Living Waters: The Springs of Missouri, written by Loring Bullard, is a collaborative publishing effort between the OSI and the Watershed Committee of the Ozarks.  In this book Bullard explores the rich variety of Missouri springs, placing them in the state’s patterns of settlement and development. From the founding of towns — including…

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The collection of oversized books in the main circulating collection in Duane G. Meyer Library have been consolidated into one double-sided range in the newly refurbished Skylight Study Area on the Second Level. Several years ago this area was named in honor of James F. and Mary Asher Tearney, based on their generous supporting gift to the MSU Libraries. James passed away several years ago.  Many of these oversized volumes contain splendid photos, drawings, maps, and other images and useful…

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Have an idea of something that should be added to the collections of the  MSU Libraries? Use our “Request New Materials” form to let us know the ebooks, electronic materials, or other items that you’d like us to consider for purchase.    To use the form, please visit our “Services” page and scroll down to “Request New Materials”. After logging in with your BearPass, you will be able to request new items for purchase.   The form also includes the…

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Last week the Board of Governors finalized the FY21 Action Plan for Missouri State University. The plan organizes its action steps around several Focus Areas, including: Crisis Management Planning Academic and Career Initiatives Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Student Success and the Student Experience Economic Development Globalization Infrastructure Funding Athletics West Plains Campus The action plans and long-range goals of the MSU Libraries align well with the current MSU Action Plan. Here are just a few examples: MSU: Reevaluate the university’s…

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