Library Notes

Decades of dedication to documenting the Ozarks region led Gordon McCann to Columbia on May 19, where he was recognized as a Living Traditions Sustainer Fellow by the Missouri Folk Arts Program.    The award, now in only its second year, honors individuals “and their deep-rooted contributions to traditional arts within their vibrant Missouri communities,” notes information on the MFAP’s website.    Gordon McCann has long lived this reality. McCann, nearly 93, has spent much of his life working to…

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Karen Durden, a Library Associate I in the Missouri State University Libraries, has completed MSU’s University Staff Ambassadors (USA) program as a valued member of the 2024 cohort. As Karen reflects on the experience: “Being part of the USA Program has been a wonderful experience. I have always been curious to understand what happens in other areas of the University and see behind the scenes. It has been good to meet staff from other areas and catch a glimpse of…

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This month, Ozarks Public Television’s Gregory Holman sat down with Bob Kipfer, one of the authors of Saving Bull Creek, to discuss the newest book from the Ozarks Studies Institute at Missouri State University. The 25-minute segment aired on OPT’s Sense of Community on May 16. Kipfer talked with the host about several topics ranging from his collaboration with co-author Loring Bullard to his property on the creek, conservation of the environment, the history of the peoples, flora, and fauna…

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The Missouri State University Libraries joined academic colleges and university organizations on Saturday, April 6th 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 Rare…

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The Missouri State University Testing Center, located on the Lower Level of Duane G. Meyer Library and administered by the MSU Libraries, was very busy during Final Exam Week earlier this month. For the Spring 2024 Final Exam Week, the Testing Center administered 791 exams, including: 119 accommodated exams for DRC clients 87 remote exams, primarily through Zoom 450 computer-based exams 54 paper-based exams 25 comprehensive program exams 27 placement/entrance exams This is a slight increase over the SP23 finals…

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One facet of MSU’s CAP (Continuous Agility Process) initiative focuses on Open Educational Resources (OER), and Tracy Stout, a library science faculty member of the Missouri State University Libraries, is providing local and statewide leadership on this initiative. The Academic Affairs CAP is a systematic, ongoing process that keeps academic affairs fresh, relevant and market-savvy. As part of a learning and growing organization, the process is designed to be continuous and agile. The April 30, 2024 CAP report to the MSU…

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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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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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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 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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