Library Notes

This week, 5 student workers from the libraries at the Springfield MSU campus are graduating. Ainsley Frieling, Gabriella Martin, Claire Russell, Georgeanna Cannon, and Annie Simphaly are heading off to the next phase in their lives. Ainsley has worked at the service desk and now works with Interlibrary Loan. Georgeanna and Claire are student managers at the service desk. Gabriella works in the Marketing and Communications department. Annie works in Special Collections.  “Students are at the heart of everything we…

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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 Johnson Family Student Ephemera Collection documents the Johnson family’s experiences at State Normal School #4 and Southwest Missouri State Teachers College. Two aunts, an uncle, and the donor’s father all attended what is now Missouri State University in the 1910s and 1920s. The collection includes university bulletins, programs, sports memorabilia, a 1920s football and helmet,…

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The next phase of the Ozark Jubilee Digitization Project is underway. Newly processed episodes are being uploaded to the dedicated YouTube channel of the MSU Libraries. As of today, 130 segments ( approximately 30 minutes each) have been uploaded and are available free of charge to all.  Thanks to the persistence and perspicacity of Wayne Glenn, the Old Record Collector, and the hard work and technical expertise of Craig Amason, another batch of Ozark Jubilee recordings is being uploaded to…

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The spring issue of OzarksWatch Magazine will be back from the printer soon, ready for distribution to subscribers and sales to the general public. The theme of this issue is Ozarks Treasures. As Susan Croce Kelly notes in her managing editor’s overview, “Almost from the time that Hernando de Soto trekked across the southern Ozarks, there have been stories of treasures hidden in our Ozark hills, secreted in caves, or buried deep in the woods. All those stories of Spanish…

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The Ozarks Studies Institute, an ongoing initiative of the Missouri State University Libraries, is publishing a new book on float fishing. Authored by local writer Tom Koob with cartographic specialist Curtis Copeland, the book charts the history of a unique Ozarks past time from its origins through the decline of the sport and industry. The book is in production currently and is expected to be available for purchase in late summer or in the fall of 2024. This spring, the…

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The Missouri State University Libraries joined academic colleges and university organizations on Saturday, April 6, 2024 for the Spring Showcase. The event, organized by the Office of Admissions, gave students an opportunity to meet faculty, tour campus, and learn more about the application process, financial aid, and scholarships. We enjoyed talking to participants and other academic colleges and departments about the different resources available in the Library. Special Collections and Archives were excited to share examples of primary resources, the…

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Tom Peters, Dean of Library Services at Missouri State University in Springfield, announced today that he plans to retire at the end of December 2024.  Peters will have served the university and the region for over twelve years, beginning in August 2012. During his time at MSU, several major things have been accomplished:   First FOLIO: In the spring of 2020, during the first months of the COVID-19 global pandemic, Missouri State University Library became the first library in the world…

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Dr. Grace Jackson-Brown announces her retirement from Missouri State University (MSU) Libraries after sixteen years of service. Before coming to MSU, Grace served sixteen years with Indiana University Libraries where she was a tenured Associate Professor. She served at IU as a Reference Librarian for graduate students and faculty in the, presently named, Herman B Wells Library, and as a branch head librarian for both IU’s Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center Library and former Weil Journalism Library. Dr. Jackson-Brown started as…

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This afternoon, April 18, 2024, beginning at 4:00, Kitty Ledbetter will speak about the life of Si Siman, music mogul, entertainment director, and executive producer of the Ozark Jubilee. This talk will concentrate particularly on Si’s relationship with Chet Atkins.  The event will be held in the Ozarks Room on the Third Level of Duane G. Meyer Library on the main Springfield campus of Missouri State University. The event is free and open to all. Refreshments will be served.  Ledbetter’s…

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David Harrison, Missouri’s Poet Laureate and well known children’s author, will be presenting at MSU’s Kentwood Hall Chrystal Room on Thursday April 11th beginning at 7:00 PM. This event is free and open to the public. Ample parking is available on the grounds of Kentwood Hall.  David will be joined, later in the program, by friends and musicians Chris Craig and Gale Clithero, who together form the Byron Bigger’s Band.  The trio will perform selections of David’s children’s  classic poems…

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