Library Notes

Robert Stephens, former mayor of Springfield, has donated ten London playscripts from the early 18th to the early 19th centuries to Special Collections and Archives, part of the Missouri State University Libraries.  Stephens was friends with Bill Burling, a professor of English at Missouri State University. They met often for lunch, and they began collecting these playscripts as a joint venture-hobby. Burling wrote many books, including  “Summer Theatre in London, 1661-1820, and the Rise of the Haymarket Theatre” and “The…

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Yesterday the Smithsonian officially released the schedule of activities, presentations, and performances at the Ozarks Program at the upcoming Smithsonian Folklife Festival on the National Mall in Washington DC.  Missouri State University (MSU) is the lead partner with the Smithsonian Institution, collaborating to plan, promote, and present an exciting array of events at the Ozarks program at the ten-day Smithsonian Folklife Festival, from Thursday, June 29 through Sunday, July 9, 2023. Festival activities will occur daily from 11:00 to 5:30,…

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On Friday, May 26, 2023 the Ozarks Studies Association (OSA) will hold their third annual one-day conference in Duane G. Meyer Library on the main Springfield campus of Missouri State University.  OSA 2023 Program Details   Host: Ozarks Studies Institute, Missouri State University   Sponsors: Ozarks Studies Institute, Missouri State University; Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Missouri State University; English Department, Missouri State University; African American Studies Program, Missouri State University   8:00-8:15 Coffee, snacks, registration   8:15-8:30 Introduction…

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Special Collections and Archives, part of the Missouri State University Libraries, is excited to announce the addition of a new finding guide available online. The James River Basin Partnership Collection documents the organization’s commitment to improve Ozark waterways. Formed in 1997 in response to an algae bloom in the James River arm of Table Rock Lake, the James River Basin Partnership (JRBP) advocates for continued improvements in water quality, conservation, and environmental education in areas affected by the James River….

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On Friday evening, May 12, 2023, a crowd of over 200 assembled in the new John Goodman Amphitheater (JGA) on the main Springfield campus of Missouri State University to enjoy an Ozarks Jamboree, hosted by Jeff Houghton.  This was the first public event in JGA, held on a beautiful spring evening when the newly renovated pedestrian walkway under Grand Street finally opened after a prolonged construction period.  The audience was treated to three fantastic groups during the two-hour concert: David…

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The Missouri Humanities Council (MHC) has awarded a grant of $7,000 to Springfield Community Gardens in support of the project, “Our Food: Our Stories”. The MHC is the only state wide agency in Missouri devoted exclusively to humanities education for citizens of all ages. It has served as a state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities since 1971. Springfield Community Gardens is sponsoring this progroject in partnership with Missouri Humanities and with support from the Missouri Humanities Trust…

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Melissa Eiken, Executive Assistant II for the MSU Libraries, recently accepted an executive assistant position with the Conservation Division of Bass Pro Shops at their Base Camp corporate offices on East Kearney Street in Springfield. Melissa is excited about this new opportunity and is looking forward to working closely with projects funded through the Johnny Morris Conservation Foundation. Her last day at MSU will be Friday, May 12. Melissa has served the MSU Libraries since March 2018. A farewell reception…

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You and your family and friends are invited to attend an old-fashioned, up-tempo Ozarks Jamboree to be held on Friday, May 12th from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. in the new John Goodman Amphitheater (JGA) on the main Springfield campus of Missouri State University. This event, the first public event to be held in JGA, is free and open to the public, but registration is required. Jeff Houghton will serve as the host with the most. Originally from Iowa City, Iowa,…

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Dr. John Schmalzbauer, the Blanche Gorman Strong Chair in Protestant Studies in the Department of Religious Studies at Missouri State University, will give the spring lecture in the semiannual lecture series organized and hosted by the Johnson Library and Museum (JLM) in Osceola, Missouri. The lecture will be given at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, May 11, 2023 at the Johnson Library and Museum located at 220 Main Street in Osceola, overlooking the Osage River. Thomas Moore Johnson, a neoplatonic scholar…

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On April 17, 2023, the Missouri State University Libraries, in conjunction with the MSU Department of English, kicked off English Week with a panel discussion on Robert Wallace and a book launch reception for the book The Orbit of Meter: Writings on Poems and Prosody by Robert Wallace. This latest publication of the Ozarks Studies Institute, an ongoing initiative of the Missouri State University Libraries, was edited by James S. Baumlin and Anne Marie Baker, and includes a foreword by…

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