Library Notes

The Missouri State University Libraries has renewed its annual membership in the Amigos library consortium, based in Dallas. As Amigos describes their mission, “We are a not-for-profit membership-based organization dedicated to serving libraries. At Amigos Library Services, we understand the needs and concerns faced by libraries and cultural heritage institutions. We’re librarians too. That is why we take pride in being one of the largest library service networks in the nation. Whether it’s for continuing education, member discounts, or professional advice, we…

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A new academic year brings with it the hustle and bustle of anxious students looking for classrooms, places to print their syllabi, and the perfect spot to sip coffee and catch up on the day’s events. With that in mind, the Public Services team of the MSU Libraries partnered with colleagues throughout the library to staff a table in the lobby to welcome faculty, staff, and students back to campus. The welcome table ran Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to…

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On Wednesday, August 26, 2020, the Springfield News-Leader newspaper published an article by Steve Pokin about the life of Shirley Jean Haworth, who passed away the previous Saturday. Pokin utilized several resources of the Missouri State University Libraries to research and write this article.  Shirley Jean Haworth was the daughter of Hershel (Speedy) and Wanna Faye Haworth. Aunt Martha, who among many accomplishments started the iconic restaurant Aunt Martha’s Pancake House, was her grandmother, and Slim Wilson was her great…

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Missouri State University is now in the third week of the fall semester. The Core Executive Team managing the university’s response to COVID-19 meets weekly — more often, if need be — to get updates on the effects of the pandemic on the university community, the immediate vicinity to campus, and the entire county and state. Dean Peters is a member of this team.  The leadership team of the MSU Libraries meets weekly, too, to discuss recent developments and to…

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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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“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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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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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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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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