Library Notes

Planning continues for the big Ozarks Program at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival on the National Mall in DC from June 28th through July 9th of 2023. Here are some updates: The open call for online expressions of interest has resulted in over 180 proposals from individuals and groups. Various groups involved in planning the Ozarks program at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival are busy reviewing and ranking all of the proposals.  Several sponsorships recently have come in. Stay tuned for upcoming…

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The Missouri State University Libraries marketing and communications team members Laura French and Ethan Danner will share the Libraries’ Instagram Reels strategy with a national audience at the 2022 Access Services Conference. The hybrid event will be held at 1:30 p.m. EST on Nov. 17 in Atlanta, Georgia. Since beginning its Instagram Reels journey last fall, the team has also shared its strategy and tactics with departments across Missouri State including Strategic Communications and Religious Studies.   More about the Libraries’ Instagram…

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Most of the time, information work relies on thorough, thoughtful planning and quiet, consistent, persistent effort. Sometimes, however, information professionals need to respond very quickly and effectively to emergency situations, in order to save important information. Planning and preparedness remain vital, but rapid response is crucial.  On Tuesday, October 25, 2022, John Thomas (“T”) Woodruff III died after being ill for several years. He was the son of Catherine (“Cass”) and David Brand Woodruff, an exemplary juvenile justice officer in…

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Ernie Bedell will give an author talk on Thursday, December 8th at 7:00 p.m. in the Ozarks Room on the Third Level of the Duane G. Meyer Library on the main Springfield campus of Missouri State University.  His book, Generation B Music & Melodies, recently published, tells the story in the twentieth century and into the twenty-first, of the many generations of the Bedell family who contributed mightily to the contributions of Blacks to the local, regional, and national music…

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Dr. Grace Jackson-Brown is pleased to announce that her new book, Promoting African American Writers: Library Partnerships for Outreach, Programming, and Literacy, is now in print. The product of years of writing and publishing delays that coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic, the book was released in October 2022 by Libraries Unlimited, an imprint of ABC—CLIO. Promoting African American Writers: Library Partnerships for Outreach, Programming, and Literacy is a guidebook for all librarians interested in library outreach programming, as well as…

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When Mohammed AlHamad, our E-Resources Librarian and Interim Head of Library Information Technology (LIT), leaves at the end of November to take a new position at Texas A&M – Corpus Christi, we will need to have an Acting Head of LIT in place to continue the good work that unit does for the Missouri State University Libraries and the communities and populations we serve.  Nathan Neuschwander has agreed to serve as Acting Head of LIT until the vacant position can…

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Special Collections and Archives, part of the Missouri State University Libraries, presents a new exhibit on the third floor of Plaster Student Union focused on campus life during the upcoming centennial of 1923. With an estimated enrollment of a whopping 3,000 students, life at Southwest Missouri State Teachers College (now Missouri State University) was very different in 1923 compared to today. This exhibit shares photos and information from yearbooks, student and local newspapers, and other university publications to offer a glimpse into…

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Mohammad AlHamad, who has served as the E-Resource Strategist for the Missouri State University Libraries since June 2021, recently accepted an offer from Texas A&M University — Corpus Christi to serve as Director of Resource Management & Discovery, a faculty position. His final day at MSU will be November 30th. Best wishes, Mohammad. We appreciate the good work you did for the Missouri State University Libraries and its users, and we wish you the best in all your future endeavors.  

Explore and learn about the world of sound and music found in the Smithsonian Folkways collection from the comfort of your little device. A Field Guide to… the Ozarks was curated by Jason Morris (Smithsonian Folklife Festival) with support from Drew Beisswenger (Performing Arts Librarian, University of Arkansas) and the curatorial team of the upcoming 2023 Festival program The Ozarks: Faces and Facets of a Region. There are 26 tracks in this compilation, with a total run-time of 75 minutes. Full…

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Last week the Missouri State University Libraries was notified that an LSTA grant in the amount of $3,500 had been awarded to bring the award-winning author Kwame Alexander to the main Springfield campus next April. With matching funds from various sources, the total project cost will be $12,500.  Dr. Grace Jackson-Brown, a Professor of Library and Information Science at MSU, wrote the grant application and will serve as Project Director.  Dr. Jackson-Brown applied for an Educator Presenter Grant titled “Springfield’s…

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