Library Notes

The Ozarks Studies Institute at Missouri State University Libraries invites you to join us for “Giraffe Style Stone Architecture in the Ozarks,” a one-hour virtual panel discussion via Zoom.  Prevalent throughout much of the 20th century, this architectural feature gets its name from colorful mortared stone arranged in web wall construction with patterns resembling a giraffe’s coat. The primary material was sandstone, although builders incorporated limestone and dolomite, all of which are found rising from the ground or close to…

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Alex Primm, author of the recently published book, Ozark Voices: Oral Histories from the Heartland, will give an author talk on Thursday, April 7, 2022 beginning at 4:00 p.m. CDT in the Ozarks Room on the Third Level of Duane G. Meyer Library on the main Springfield campus of Missouri State University. This event is free and open to the general public.  The promotional paragraph for the book reads: “Discover the stories passed down over time from the people of…

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Mohammad AlHamad, e-resources strategist for the Missouri State University Libraries, has been selected to be an IMLS Fellow at the 2022 IDEA (Innovation, Disruption, Enquiry, Access) Institute on Artificial Intelligence to be held at UT-Austin in July. According to the IDEA website: “IDEA (Innovation, Disruption, Enquiry, Access) Institute on AI is a one-week intensive, interactive, evidence based and applications-oriented professional development program for library and information professionals funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) Laura Bush 21st Century…

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SFF23OZ is the acronym that the planning team has been using to refer to the Ozarks program being planned for the 2023 Smithsonian Folklife Festival to be held in late June and early July on the National Mall in DC. Missouri State University is serving as the lead organization in the Ozarks on this massive planning effort, and the Ozarks Studies Institute , an ongoing initiative of the MSU Libraries, is leading the program planning effort throughout the region, in collaboration with many…

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The Ozarks Studies Institute, an ongoing initiative of the Missouri State University Libraries, will host Mara W. Cohen Ioannides for an author talk and signing of her newly published book, “Jews of Missouri: An Ornament to Israel.” The discussion will be held Monday, March 7 at 4 p.m. in the Ozarks Room (302) of the Duane G. Meyer Library on the MSU Springfield Campus. The event, which is free and open to the public, will also belivestreamed via Zoom. “Jews…

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A digitized version of the Johnson Library Card Catalog is now available online along with a finding aid. This project was funded through a grant from the Missouri Humanities Council. Missouri State University Associate Professor Andrea Miller, Assistant Professor Raegan Wiechert, Digital Archivist Shannon Mawhiney, and Haley Frizzle-Green (now Archivist with the State Historical Society of Missouri), with the support of Assistant Professor Anne Baker, carried out the grant on behalf of Missouri State University and the Johnson Library and…

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The Missouri State University Testing Center, administered by the MSU Libraries and located in the Lower Level of Duane G. Meyer Library, recently added the paper version of the TOEFL iBT to its arsenal of exams available to our students, community, and region. TOEFL is the premier test of academic English communication, offered at test centers worldwide.    In addition, the Testing Center is in the process of adding Advanced Placement (AP) exams to the options available for those attempting…

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SFF23OZ is the acronym that the planning team has been using to refer to the Ozarks program being planned for the 2023 Smithsonian Folklife Festival to be held in late June and early July on the National Mall in DC. Missouri State University is serving as the lead organization in the Ozarks on this massive planning effort, and MSU’s Ozarks Studies Institute is the leading university unit on this initiative.  Here are some updates of progress to date:  The core…

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The Missouri State University Libraries 2021 Annual Report is now available to view online. The publication showcases our recent projects, partnerships and initiatives – all of which culminated into one of our most successful years to date. Most notably, the report features our new agreement with the Smithsonian Institution to bring the Ozarks region to the national stage in 2023 as part of the annual Smithsonian Folklife Festival. This once-in-a-lifetime opportunity will be a major effort of the MSU Libraries…

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The age range of the hundreds of musical, comedic, and dance groups that appeared on the Ozark Jubilee was very wide, from children as young as five, such as some members of the square-dancing Lake of the Ozarks Tadpoles, to elderly vaudevillians, such as Uncle Cyp and Aunt Sap.  Ralph Foster, Si Siman, Bryan Bisney, and the other members of the Ozark Jubilee eventually decided to embed a “spin-off” show within the Ozark Jubilee weekly broadcasts that would focus on…

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