Library Notes

The Duane G. Meyer Library has hired two Distributed User Support Specialists. Scott Goodwin and Joshua Brotherton were hired in November after much anticipation. “November is the month of Thanksgiving in many ways,” said retired dean, Tom Peters, who presided over the library at the time of their appointments.  Distributed User Support Specialists (DUSS) do many things for the library. They facilitate the smooth operation of computer workstations and other technology. From scheduling student worker to training and supervising student…

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Reading through the acknowledgements for a new book on the history of the Landers Theater brings back memories of Covid. As author Kara DeBacker notes, Special Collections staff were willing to work with her to make the archival holdings contained in MSU’s Meyer Library available for her project. The resulting work, The Landers: Biography of a Theater, is a riot of color images, memories, and details about the people and productions in the theater. “It’s always exciting to see the…

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The Duane G. Meyer Library will have 19 rooms on the second floor renovated by the Missouri State University Campus Construction Team. Renovations are expected to be completed by February 2025, and a fresh coat of paint is just the beginning. “Our study rooms haven’t been updated since they were built,” said Holly Kouns, Coordinator of Public Services. “Students told us that there are certain study rooms you want because of the chairs.” For student’s seating comfort and functionality, the…

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Tonight at 8 p.m. on Ozarks Public Television’s show Sense of Community, authors Tom Koob and Curtis Copeland will be featured in conversation with host Gregory Holman to discuss their latest book, On The River: A History of the Ozarks Float Trip, published this summer by the Ozarks Studies Institute. Complete with personal interviews, classic photographs and historic newspaper and magazine articles, On The River examines the guides, camps, outfitters and gear that spawned and grew the distinctive sport of…

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Staff in Meyer Library’s Access Services department volunteered at Ozarks Food Harvest Food Bank last week as a part of their inclusive excellence goals. The group stretched their creative muscles as they crafted cards for the Weekend Backpack program. The Backpack program provides nutritious meals for children to take home every Friday for the entire school year. More than 1,700 children in 60+ schools in Springfield and across the Ozarks benefit from the program that began in 2003. Each backpack…

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As the Missouri State University provost, Dr. John Jasinski, has stated in a memo to the library, Rachel Besara will serve as interim dean of Missouri State Libraries following the retirement of Tom Peters in December 2024. Besara has been serving as Associate Dean since 2017.  “Meyer Library is central to Missouri State’s learning ecosystem,” Jasinski wrote. “We anticipate that its role will only grow as it continues to evolve in response to educational, scholarly and community needs. As we…

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Staff from Special Collections and Archives represented Meyer Library at the PSU in October at Missouri State’s second annual Pride Fair. Special Collections and Archives has happily participated both years the fair has been held and plans to continue their presence at future events.   MSU’s Pride Fair is an event that celebrates LGBTQ+ pride as well as connecting students with local community members and resources. The Pride Fair is held at the end of October, which is LGBTQ+ History…

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This week, the Ozarks Studies Institute, an ongoing initiative of the Duane G. Meyer Library, published the latest edition of OzarksWatch Magazine. Themed “My Ozarks,” this issue is a meditation on place and what this region means to many of the people who call the Ozarks home. This will also be the last issue of OzarksWatch edited by Susan Croce Kelly. She is resigning from her position in December 2024. Susan has served in this role for 8 years and…

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Missouri State University Library is proud to announce that SCOPUS and SCOPUS AI have been acquired for the library’s digital collections. SCOPUS is an industry leading abstract and citation database that helps students and faculty researchers find relevant and authoritative resources. SCOPUS also has features that help library users to identify experts in their fields while also gaining access to reliable data, metrics, and analytical tools. SCOPUS AI is an intuitive and intelligent search tool informed by generative AI that…

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Tom Peters served as Dean of Library Services at Missouri State University from August 1, 2012 through December 31, 2024 (12 years and five months) Reflective Thoughts from Dean Peters as he prepares to retire next month: For the past twelve years it has been an honor and a privilege to serve Missouri State University (MSU) and its many diverse communities as Dean of Library Services. The overarching goal of the MSU Libraries has always been to strive to meet…

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