Library Notes

On Monday evening, April 9, 2018, approximately 125 people gathered in the Theater of the Plaster Student Union on the Springfield campus of Missouri State University to enjoy an evening of recitations and musical entertainment celebrating the publication of Living Ozarks: The Ecology and Culture of a Natural Place. This 300+ page anthology, with copious illustrations, is published by the Ozarks Studies Institute, an initiative of the MSU Libraries. Rachel Besara, Associate Dean of Libraries and one of three co-editors…

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Larry Ramos from Wichita State University, who is an active member of the National College Testing Association, will visit Springfield and the Missouri State University Libraries during the final full week of April to serve as the external reviewer of the MSU Testing Center, a service provided by the MSU Libraries. He plans to arrive the afternoon of Monday, April 23rd, and depart the afternoon of Wednesday, April 25th. The full schedule for his visit will be finalized and disseminated…

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America: History and Life is a complete bibliographic reference to research on the history of the United States and Canada from prehistory to the present. Published since 1964, the database comprises over 490,000 bibliographic entries for periodicals dating back to 1954, providing an incomparable research tool for students and researchers of U.S. and Canadian history. This extensive database covers over 1,800 journals published worldwide. In addition to covering all key English-language historical journals, America: History and Life coverage includes selected…

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Lynn Morrow, retired director of the Missouri State Archives’ Local Records Program, MSU alum, and an Ozarks historian, recently donated his collection of photographs, slides, postcards, and more to Meyer Library’s Special Collections and Archives.  The material dates from approximately the late 19th century through the 20th century and covers the Ozarks region, as well as some areas outside of the Ozarks, such as St. Louis.  In addition to the 6 cubic feet of research material, Mr. Morrow also donated some of the equipment he…

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Dr. Lemont “Monty” Dobson and members of his film crew, Patrick, Jack, and Alex, recently used the VR (Virtual Reality) Room 302 in Meyer Library and the garden area behind the library to film part of a documentary called “America From the Ground Up” that airs on PBS. Past episodes are available on YouTube. The focus of the visit included interviewing Dr. John F. Chuchiak IV about his and MSU alumnus Justin Duncan’s work, “A Three-Dimensional Multi-Media Recreation of the 1601 Public…

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On Monday afternoon, April 2, 2018, a small electrical fire in a control box in one of the penthouses on the roof of the new section of Duane G. Meyer Library caused the library to be evacuated and temporarily closed while fire and safety crews extinguished the fire and assessed the damage, which was minor. The fumes from the small fire could be smelled throughout the building. According to Building Coordinator, David Adams, “A control box for one of the…

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Funding in the amount of $40,000 is available again this summer to support MSU Libraries faculty and staff members who want to create or improve a service, a body of content, and/or a space (real world, online space, or virtual world). The innovation could involve a new service, body of content, or space (or combination of two or all three of these), or an improved, expanded, or extended existing service, body of content, or space. Eight grant applications were submitted,…

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The South Central Regional Library Council, headquartered in Ithaca, New York, has invited Tom Peters, Dean of Library Services as Missouri State University, to lead and facilitate the one-day “Reflecting on Reference” conference they are planning for Friday, May 11th in Freeville, NY. The South Central Regional Library Council’s (SCRLC’s) mission is to lead and advocate for member libraries by promoting learning, collaboration, and innovation. It is one of nine Reference and Research Library Resources Councils comprising the Empire State Library…

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Molly Gunderson, Access Services Manager at Portland State University in Portland, Oregon, visited Springfield and Missouri State University in late March to conduct a two-day external review of the Access Services Unit of the MSU Libraries. Access Services, which includes Circulation Services, Interlibrary Loan, and Building Services, is one of twenty programs of the MSU Libraries that are on a schedule for periodic two-year reviews. During the first year, program leaders and faculty and staff members conduct a self-study. During…

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The Children’s and Young Adult Book Review Board of Missouri, known and loved familiarly as the BRB, has released its annual report for 2017. The BRB, an initiative of the MSU Libraries, promotes and champions children’s and young adult literature, focusing on multicultural and series titles. In 2017, the BRB expanded its outreach efforts, presenting workshops on how to write a great book review for teachers and their students throughout the state. With an emphasis on 21st century skills, BRB…

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