Library Notes

Dr. Michelle D. Olsen, Director of Institutional Research at Missouri State University, is publishing a book of photographs of frost flowers, a phenomenon unique to the Ozarks Mountain region of the country.     Also called Crystallofolia, frost flowers are sculptures of ice that extrude from the stem of the Verbesina virginica plant during the late fall, winter, and early spring seasons, when the temperatures are low enough for water in the plant’s stem to cool to a degree that is ripe…

Read More Read More

Laura French, marketing and communications specialist for the Missouri State University Libraries, will leave MSU for a social media strategist role with Amplify Education, a K-12 curriculum and assessment company based in Brooklyn, New York. Her last day at MSU is Tues. Jan. 24. In her new remote position, Laura will lead publishing efforts across Amplify’s social media channels to expand brand awareness by engaging with educators and thought leaders online, sharing creative media, and running growth campaigns. Laura has…

Read More Read More

The Missouri State University Staff Awards Luncheon was held on Tuesday, January 10, 2023 in the Hammons Student Center. Two staff members of the MSU Libraries were honored: Dwayne Swigert for 30 years of service to the university and the communities it serves. Christine Edwards for 35 years of service to the university and the communities it serves. Congratulations to all the staff in the Libraries and at the University on another great year. Thank you for all you do…

Read More Read More

Recently a new public address system was installed in Duane G. Meyer Library on the main Springfield campus of Missouri State University.  Some of the advances and features of the new PA system include: A little over 200 crackling and staticky old speakers throughout Meyer Library were replaced. No more snap, crackle, and pop.  The new Bogen paging system allows for Automatic scheduled paging Prerecorded paging Weather emergencies can automatically trigger a page We can play music through the system…

Read More Read More

The Office of the Provost at Missouri State University recently approved requests by the University Libraries to undertake three new searches to fill vacant positions: Coordinator of Library Information Technology (LIT). This is a staff position most recently held by Brooks Travis, who resigned in December 2021 to take a position at EBSCO, a vendor of library content, systems, and services. Digital Archivist and Head of the Digitization Lab. This is a staff position currently held by Shannon Mawhiney, who…

Read More Read More

The Missouri State University Libraries on the main Springfield campus continues to add primary source materials — recordings, images, and documents — about the Ozark Jubilee for the use of students, faculty, researchers, and members of the general public. The MSU Libraries already has the following key resources online and ready to use: 74 half-hour segments of the Jubilee, with heavy emphasis on 1955, the first year the program was broadcast live nationally over ABC-TV.  The Bryan T. E. Bisney…

Read More Read More

Shannon Mawhiney, Digital Archivist and Head of the Digitization Lab at the Missouri State University Libraries, soon will be leaving the university to take a new job at the Springfield Public Schools in their Launch Virtual Learning Center. Shannon has been with the MSU Libraries for nearly 20 years. Her last day in the Digitization Lab within the Karen Horny Special Collections and Archives area of Duane G. Meyer Library will be Friday, January 13, 2023.  “Launch is Missouri’s solution…

Read More Read More

The end of the year is nearly here, and the Missouri State University Libraries can help you finish what you’ve started. Stop by Meyer Library to study, de-stress and refuel as you head into Finals Week. Study Extended Hours:We’re extending our hours until 2 a.m. on select nights. Bookmark our hours and study the night away. Plus, the main lobby is open 24/7 via your Bear Pass Card.  Study Rooms:Reserve our private or group study rooms to stay focused and on-task…

Read More Read More

The Standard, Missouri State University’s student-run newspaper, announced the University Libraries earned not one but two “Best Of” awards in 2022. The awards are determined by an online student poll conducted by the newspaper. For several years now, Meyer Library has secured the “Best Place to Study” award. This year, the library received the “Best On-Campus Service” award as well. Tom Peters, dean of library services, thanked University Libraries employees for their contributions to these awards in the following statement….

Read More Read More

The Missouri Hub of the Digital Public Library of America (DPLA), to which the MSU Libraries contributes its Digital Collections records, recently voted to admit member institutions from outside of Missouri and has changed its name to Heartland Hub (with updated website coming soon).  The first new members are academic libraries from Iowa, including Drake University, the University of Northern Iowa, Iowa State University, and Grinnell College. The DPLA ties together records from across the country into a unified portal for searching, which are contributed…

Read More Read More