Library Notes

Each spring the Missouri State University Libraries, located on the main Springfield campus, has the opportunity to award three student scholarships. All of them support library assistants or students who want to pursue a master’s degree in library science. They are made possible by long-term library supporters. Full details about the scholarships and requirements are available here. Karen Horny Library Student Employee Endowed Scholarship Fund Awarded annually to a student in good academic standing at Missouri State University that has…

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The Missouri Affordable and Open Educational Resources Conference (A&OER) planning committee invites you to the 5th annual virtual conference. The MO A&OER Conference will be held virtually on March 7, 2024. A Creative Commons (CC) Pre-Conference Workshop will be held virtually on March 6, 2024. Registration for the virtual A&OER Conference is free to all attendees and we welcome out-of-state and international participants. Pre-conference training from Creative Commons will be limited to 50 attendees based in Missouri. Registration for both the CC Pre-Conference Workshop…

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The Kentwood Series of monthly events, talks, and presentations is taking shape for the remainder of 2024. Here is the current schedule: Thurs. March 14: Rachael West from Eating the Ozarks presents about the Wandering Forager Thurs. April 11: David Harrison and Chris Craig perform in poetry and song Thurs. May 9: Creative writer Laura McHugh talks about her latest novel, Safe and Sound Thurs. June 13: TBD Thurs. July 11: Author Steve Wiegenstein explores 19th century utopian communities in…

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The COVID-19 Pandemic had a profound impact on the way we all live our lives. Sadly, approximately seven million people worldwide died from the disease.  In the grand scheme of things, one relatively minor impact was a decline in the number of on-site users of the Duane G. Meyer Library on the main Springfield campus of Missouri State University.  Years before the pandemic, the annual number of visits to Meyer Library often was close to three-quarters of a million. For…

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Two Independent Women, Changing Times, And A Bully Pulpit:  Join Author Susan Croce Kelly on February 8th For the Low-Down on Pioneer Newswomen Lucile Morris Upton and Betty Love, Lucile Morris Upton was one of the people who made reading newspapers worthwhile, and she is the subject of a new biography published by the University of Arkansas Press: Newspaperwoman of the Ozarks: the Live & Times of Lucile Morris Upton, by Susan Croce Kelly. Come and listen to author Kelly discuss…

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Dr. John Schmaltzbauer, the Blanche Gorman Strong Chair in Protestant Studies in the Department of Languages, Cultures, and Religions at Missouri State University in Springfield, will give the spring lecture at the Johnson Library & Museum in Osceola, Missouri. The lecture has been rescheduled to begin at 7:00 p.m. CDT on Thursday, May 16, 2024. A buffet dinner will precede the lecture at 6:00 p.m. This event is free and open to the public. Ample parking is available on the…

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The Missouri State University Libraries is actively exploring using artificial intelligence to assist with the basic functions of an academic library. Here are two promising AI applications: Using AI to Assist with Creating Metadata Representatives from Meyer Library are in conversation with OCLC reps concerning an upcoming AI metadata and cataloging resource. OCLC’s AI for metadata maintenance and cataloging is developed by academic catalogers and aims to use AI for the purposes of metadata enrichment, classification and categorization, AI-driven recommendations,…

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The Ozarks Lesbian and Gay Archives (OLGA) is looking at ways to elevate its presence at community events and a grant from Springfield Black Tie will make that happen!  For twenty years Springfield Black Tie has been the region’s premiere fundraiser for LGBTQ+ organizations and activities. This year’s grant to OLGA will allow staff to create a pilot program to preserve audio files created at events, including Pride and AIDS Walk. Participants will use a portable vocal booth to share…

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Tara E. Benson, Associate Director Plaster Student Union/Director of Student Engagement at Missouri State University, recently reached out to Special Collections and Archives regarding an upcoming celebration for the National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) chapters on MSU’s campus. University Collections including the Ozarko yearbooks, the Southwest Standard, the Office of Publications Collection, and the Greek Life Collection contain great photographs, articles, and records that document the importance of the NPHC chapters on campus and in our surrounding communities. The Archives are…

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Last week, Professor Tracy Stout from the Missouri State University Libraries braved the winter weather to attend the 2024 Midwestern Open Education Summit. Five representatives from each Midwestern Higher Education Compact (MHEC) state attended the summit in Rosemont, Illinois. Nicole Allen, Direction of Open Education at SPARC provided the summit’s plenary presentation and guided state teams through an advocacy plan exercise. Throughout the summit, all State OER teams worked on creating a strategic plan for their state, visited with other…

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