Library Notes

The National Mall in DC rang with sounds from the Ozarks last Sunday as we offered a musical preview of the 2023 Smithsonian Folklife Festival. The performance celebrated the rich musical landscape of the Ozarks region, from a decades-long old-time music jam session in rural Missouri, to some of the youngest talents on the vibrant bluegrass scene in Arkansas. To open the show, a trio of skilled musicians led an old-time Ozarks jam session. Musicians at the McClurg Jam in…

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The exhibit “Those Who Served: A Look at Military Collections in Special Collections and Archives” is on display now through September 16 in Duane G. Meyer Library 306.  This exhibit includes materials from many archival collections in the MSU Libraries.

The National Mall in DC will resonate with sounds of the Ozarks this Sunday afternoon when we offer a preview performance of the 2023 Smithsonian Folklife Festival program, “The Ozarks: Faces and Facets of a Region.”   This free and open-to-the-public preview event will be held from 4–6 p.m. (EDT) June 26 on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The performance will also be livestreamed via YouTube.   Titled “Ode to the Ozarks,” the event will feature old-time Ozarks music….

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On Saturday, June 4, 2022, there was a panel discussion about Ozarks mules held at the Civic Center in West Plains, Missouri as part of the annual Old-Time Music, Ozark Heritage Festival. The Missouri State University Libraries organized this event as one lead-up to the big  ten-day Ozarks Program at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in the Summer of 2023 on the National Mall in DC.  Richie Dement of Centerville, Missouri, who coordinates the annual Hirsch Feed & Farm Supply Mule…

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Since in inception over five years ago, in February 2017, the weekly e-newsletter LibNotes has presented more than one thousand articles about initiatives, accomplishments, and milestones of the Missouri State University Libraries, including its faculty and staff.  One of the published stories during the first week invited everyone to a retirement reception for Lynn Cline! LibNotes is available free to charge to anyone who wants to keep up with all the good things happening at the MSU Libraries. It is…

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Dean of Library Services Tom Peters has been accepted as a member of Signature Class 44 of the Leadership Springfield program.  According to the Leadership Springfield website: “Leadership Springfield seeks to inspire, develop, and connect leaders to serve the Springfield community. We provide community leadership programs for area professionals of all ages and stages and local students, unlocking the potential in our community and plugging in people to meet real needs in Springfield. As a member of the national Association…

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The Missouri Bicentennial Quilt will be on display on the Third Level of Duane G. Meyer Library on the main Springfield campus of Missouri State University beginning next Wednesday, June 15th, with an opening reception from 4 to 6 p.m. CDT. This reception is free and open to the public.  Since the pioneer days of the American Midwest, quilts have been a cornerstone of Missouri culture, fashion, and tradition. The multi-state Ozarks Region has a rich history of quilts, quilting,…

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Special Collections and Archives, a part of the Missouri State University Libraries, is pleased to unveil the new exhibit in the lobby of Craig Hall at the entrance to Coger Theatre on the main Springfield campus of MSU. This new exhibit features artifacts and ephemera from the history of Tent Theatre, which celebrates its “Dream Big” 60th anniversary season this summer.

The ongoing series of talks given by authors of books (both non-fiction and fiction) about the Ozarks will continue on Thursday, July 7th beginning at 4:00 p.m. CDT in the Ozarks Room on the top level of the Duane G. Meyer Library on the main Springfield campus of Missouri State University. This event is free and open to the public.  Todd Parnell will give this author talk, then answer questions. He has two recently published books in this ongoing series…

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MSU Libraries’ Special Collections & Archives was in the spotlight during a recent Ozarks Public Television episode of OzarksWatch Video Magazine. The program featured interviews with archivist Tracie Gieselman-France and digital archivist Shannon Mawhiney. The half-hour program first aired on May 26, 2022 and is now available online. The program coincides with the official 25th anniversary of the Special Collections & Archives cluster of collections and services at the Missouri State University Libraries. The Labor Union Archives, however, got started…

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