Library Notes

Local children’s book author David Harrison is working with the Ozarks Studies Institute, an ongoing initiative of the Missouri State University Libraries, to publish his autobiography, tentatively titled There Once Was A Boy. This week, he met with the new OSI managing editor, Elaina Kersey, to discuss his hopes for the book and ideas for cover design, distribution, and more.    Harrison, a Springfield native, is in his mid-eighties and has had a long and successful career, publishing books as…

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Clif Smart, President of Missouri State University, addressed the full-time employees of the MSU Libraries during an all-library meeting held on Wednesday, April 24, 2022.  He began his remarks by noting that the university had a very good year during Academic Year 2021/22, despite the lingering impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The university now had the authority to add new doctoral programs following normal regulatory processes, and we have $80 million in capital improvements funding for the Temple Hall expansion…

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The Missouri State University Libraries is excited to have the annual conference of the Missouri Library Association come to Springfield next month. Katie Hopkins and Jesse East from the Springfield-Greene County Library District are serving as the coordinators of this conference, which will be held September 28-30, 2022 at the Oasis Hotel and Conference Center.  Several members of the MSU Library Science faculty will be presenting at this conference, and other faculty and staff will be attending to learn from…

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Tracy Stout, a member of the MSU Library Science Faculty, gave an excellent presentation on Open Educational Resources (OER) on Wednesday morning, August 17, 2022 at the 37th MSU Showcase on Teaching and Learning.  Tracy provided a general overview of the fast-growing and ever-changing OER universe. She discussed the benefits of and ability to customize course content, innovate teaching practices, expand selection of teaching materials, provide equitable access to learning resources, and reduce the cost of student materials in an…

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The 2023 Smithsonian Folklife Festival will be held on the National Mall in Washington DC from Wednesday, June 28th through Sunday, July 9th.  Two main programs are being planned for the 2023 Festival: Creative Encounters: Living Religions in the U.S. The Ozarks: Faces and Facets of a Region The Ozarks Program is being organized around four basic themes: Celebrations and Gatherings  Stories, Sounds, and Show Business  Migrations, Movements, and Pathways   Connections to Land and Place  Here are some updates on…

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The 2022 Missouri Library Association Conference will be held in Springfield on September 28-30, 2022. This is a great opportunity for local librarians to learn and network. As part of the conference this year, Joshua Lambert, associate professor and Missouri State University Libraries faculty, will give a lightning round presentation about converting Greene County election information into usable data.

Derek Moser has accepted the offer from the Missouri State University Libraries to serve as Director of Resource Management and Discovery.  This is a 12-month, tenure-track position at the initial rank of Assistant Professor. Derek’s first day will be Monday, August 15. His office will be located in the Room 007 workspace on the Lower Level of Duane G. Meyer Library on the main Springfield campus of Missouri State University.  Derek is at the ABD stage (All-But-Dissertation) of his doctoral…

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Victoria (3rd grade) and Olivia (1st grade), students at the Greenwood Laboratory School on the main Springfield campus of Missouri State University, were winning authors within their grade levels for the 2022 OPT/PBS Kids Writers Contest. Victoria won first place for her story, “Teresa, Katrina, and the Dragon,” and Olivia won second place for her story, “Lovely the Unicorn – Butterfly Made Friends.” Their prizes included a new set of books by Laura Ingalls Wilder, which they donated to Haseltine Library,…

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The MSU Libraries’ signature event, Rare Wine Rare Books, grossed a record-breaking $20K this year. All proceeds support the Fraley Family Rare Books Endowment at Missouri State. The event, held on Friday evening, July 22nd in the stacks of Duane G. Meyer Library, featured French cuisine, French wine, and new acquisitions to our rare book collection. The success of Rare Wine Rare Books 2022 was made possible with generous support from our sponsors: Dinner Sponsors: Karen Horny, Dr. Walter &…

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The Ozarks Studies Institute, an ongoing initiative of the Missouri State University Libraries, located in the Ozarks Room on the Top Level of Duane G. Meyer Library on the main Springfield campus, is one of several sponsors of the fabulous new “Order Up!” exhibit at the History Museum on the Square.  The exhibit highlights and celebrates many of the iconic restaurants that existed along the Route 66 corridors (plural because the route through town changed over time) through Springfield and…

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