After a long history with the Missouri State University Libraries, Dea Borneman will retire at the end of August. Her career began as a student employee in the late 1970’s, when the main library was housed within the current location of Cheek Hall. During her time as a student worker, the library moved to its current site and was renamed the Duane G. Meyer Library. She later joined the Acquisitions and Collection Development Department as a staff member in 1986….
Introducing our new 24/7 Chat Reference Service! This service allows anyone to get research help at any time, from any location, by providing continuous support from our own librarians, guided assistance from BotBear, and a cooperative network of librarians. Whether you have general questions, need assistance with getting started on your research, or finding and using resources, you’ll now have around the clock support. Ask us anytime, anywhere, and make the most of your academic journey with our on-demand chat…
On Thursday, August 1, 2024, Vanessa Lockhart will start as Administrative Assistant II for the Missouri State University Libraries. This is a new position at the MSU Libraries, emerging from the former Executive Assistant position. Vanessa’s principal work area will be in the Ozarks Room on the Third Level. Vanessa previously has worked as an Information Specialist in the Financial Aid Office at MSU, as well as at the Ozarks Small Business Incubator in West Plains, and the Titanic Museum…
The Kentwood Series of talks and presentations about various facets of Ozarks history and life continues this evening (Thursday, July 11th) beginning at 7:00 p.m., when the renowned author, educator, and historian Steve Wiegenstein will speak. His talk will focus on utopian communities in Missouri, past and present. Nineteenth-century Missouri was home to several alternative communities, often termed “utopian communities” for their emphasis on social betterment and a different way of life. But although their neighbors sometimes considered these utopians…
New Year’s Day January 1, 1934 Had a good time last night. Aunt Me and I went to the midnight show, ‘Convention City,’ at the Paramount…” This begins the 1934 diary of a Springfield teenager. Agnes Rita Walsh spends the next several months documenting her life – her plans, the people she knew, and…
Staff from the Missouri State University Libraries will be at PrideFest this upcoming Saturday representing the Ozarks Lesbian and Gay Archives (OLGA). This collection works to document the LGBTQ+ community in our region. Among the holdings are photographs, oral histories, records of organizations, and scrapbooks. Shown here are Tracie Gieselman France and Jeffrey Lawson as they practice putting up the new tent that will keep us out of the sun (and possibly the rain!). This tent and other outreach materials…
A recently completed collaborative project is “Our Food: Our Stories,” an oral history series containing sixteen interviews that seeks to preserve experiences of Ozarks farmers and the rich Ozarks agricultural heritage. Interviews have been collected from a diverse group of farmers across the region with particular emphasis on the stories of indigenous people, as well as immigrants, veterans, those who are underserved, the socially disadvantaged, individuals of color, as well as beginning and seasoned farmers. This project is a collaboration…
The Kentwood Series of talks and presentations about various facets of Ozarks history and life will continue on Thursday, July 11th, beginning at 7:00 p.m., when the renowned author, educator, and historian Steve Wiegenstein will speak. His talk will focus on utopian communities in Missouri, past and present. Nineteenth-century Missouri was home to several alternative communities, often termed “utopian communities” for their emphasis on social betterment and a different way of life. But although their neighbors sometimes considered these utopians…
Decades of dedication to documenting the Ozarks region led Gordon McCann to Columbia on May 19, where he was recognized as a Living Traditions Sustainer Fellow by the Missouri Folk Arts Program. The award, now in only its second year, honors individuals “and their deep-rooted contributions to traditional arts within their vibrant Missouri communities,” notes information on the MFAP’s website. Gordon McCann has long lived this reality. McCann, nearly 93, has spent much of his life working to…
Karen Durden, a Library Associate I in the Missouri State University Libraries, has completed MSU’s University Staff Ambassadors (USA) program as a valued member of the 2024 cohort. As Karen reflects on the experience: “Being part of the USA Program has been a wonderful experience. I have always been curious to understand what happens in other areas of the University and see behind the scenes. It has been good to meet staff from other areas and catch a glimpse of…