In March of 2020 Amy Engel’s murder mystery, The Familiar Dark, was published by Dutton, an imprint of Penguin Random House. The story, set in the mythic Missouri Ozarks small town of Barren Springs, is about the bonds of family — women doing the best they can for their daughters in dire circumstances — as well as a story about how even the darkest and most terrifying places can provide the comfort of home. Please join us online via Zoom…
On Friday, November 13, 2020, six librarians from the Missouri State University Libraries met online via Zoom with several librarians from CalTech (California Institute of Technology), a major private research university located in Pasadena, to discuss the challenges and benefits of undergoing a systems migration. Representatives from CalTech had reached out to Brooks Travis, the head of Library Information Technology at the MSU Libraries, requesting an online group conversation and sharing of ideas and experiences, because of our recently launched…
Dea Borneman, head of the Haseltine Library in the Greenwood Lab School, and coordinator of the Infant Through Grade 12 area in Duane G. Meyer Library on the Springfield campus of Missouri State University, is the co-author of an article that appears in the current (October 2020) issue of Our America Magazine, the recently launched quarterly publication of the Missouri Cherry Blossom Festival. The article, “Mr. R. A. Barr: Remembrance of an Educator’s Life,” co-authored with Pat Barr, Dea’s brother,…
Tracie Gieselman-France was recently featured on the Missouri Library Association (MLA) website. As archivist for Missouri State University Libraries, Tracie works in Special Collections and Archives, where she helps preserve the important historical materials at MSU. A typical day might see her helping an international researcher access the labor archives, working with interns who are interested in becoming archivists, and meeting with a donor who is considering giving their family’s correspondence and photographs to MSU. Tracie says, “I’m passionate…
The offices of Sandra Johnson, the Administrative Specialist III who serves the MSU Faculty Senate, soon will relocate from Carrington Hall to Room 201D on the Second Level West of Duane G. Meyer Library. The move is expected to happen during the winter holidays break. In related office moves, Rowena Stone, Secretary to the MSU Board of Governors, will move her office from Room 115C in the Library back to Carrington Hall, to the office that Ms. Johnson is vacating. …
Finals Week is only a month away. No need to panic. Meyer Library on the Springfield campus of Missouri State University will have extended hours during Finals Week. As usual, face masks and social distancing are required. Sunday, Dec. 6, 2020: 11 a.m. to midnight Monday, Dec. 7, 2020: 7 a.m. to midnight Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2020: 7 a.m. to midnight Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2020: 7 a.m. to midnight Thursday, Dec. 10, 2020: …
The Special Collections and Archives unit of the MSU Libraries is excited to make available 34 episodes of “This Gay Life” on the Libraries’ dedicated YouTube channel. “This Gay Life” aired weekly on cable access in 1994-1995 and focused on LGBTQ issues. The show was created and hosted by local entertainer and activist Cruz Devon, and featured topics such as local politics, gay parenting, community activism, and life in the LGBTQ community in Springfield and the surrounding areas. Guests included…
For several years the library management and building coordination teams in Duane G. Meyer Library have been discussing and exploring ways to divide up access to various floors and areas within the building. Many of the possible solutions proved to be prohibitively expensive. For years, the gate at the top of the interior ramp and lockable doors on individual rooms were the only ways to limit access to various sections of the building sections of the building. We needed more…
Brooks Travis and Lindsey Taggart from the MSU Libraries were presenters at the recent Charleston Conference, a national library and vendor conference focusing on issues in book and serial acquisition. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the conference was held online. Alongside co-presenters Khalilah Gambrell, Senior Technical Manager at EBSCO Information Services, and Marie Widigson, Librarian at Chalmers University of Technology, the group presented “Diving in ERM First: Re-thinking Electronic Resources and Print Materials Management With FOLIO.” The online presentation focused…
Jessica Bennett and Tracy Stout attended the 2020 Distance Library Services Conference over the course of two days last week. This conference was previously hosted by Central Michigan University since 1982. However, this year Penn State University and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University carried the DLS torch to offer an online conference experience for those interested in techniques, trends, and theories of providing library services at a distance and in the online environment. Both faculty librarians attended several sessions and noted key takeaways in areas such…