Library Notes

Death, funeral and burial traditions — from services to superstitions to headstones and more — are an evolving part of Ozarks culture. These topics, shared by individuals who know them best, have been documented as part of an ongoing oral history series produced by Missouri State University Libraries and Ozarks Alive.   On Tuesday evening, Nov. 19, Kaitlyn McConnell of Ozarks Alive, who has been conducting these oral history interviews, will share some of what she’s learned through this research,…

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In 1963, Missouri State University Libraries became a depository library as part of the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP), which helps to make sure that government information is widely available. For over two centuries, this program went on without much change. But at the beginning of 2024, the Government Publishing Office stopped printing most print publications and instead provides those documents digitally through https://www.govinfo.gov.   MSU libraries continue to provide access to older print documents and expertise in locating newer…

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Derek Moser, Assistant Professor of Library Science and Head of Content Management and Discovery at the Missouri State University Libraries, has been appointed to serve on the MSU Strategic Plan Committee.  Zora Mulligan, Executive Vice President, and Ken Brown, Chief Academic Strategy Officer, are serving as co-chairs. The committee brings together faculty, staff, student, alumni, and community voices and ideas on how to move the university forward over the next five years. Quoting from the MSU website: “The new plan…

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While death has always been part of life in the Ozarks, the way it is recognized has evolved with time. A new oral history series, jointly produced by the Missouri State University Libraries and Ozarks Alive, explores different traditions and recognitions, from customs to casket styles. The first interviews in this series are now available on the dedicated YouTube Channel of the MSU Libraries, and can be accessed here. Watch for additional interviews to be added in the coming weeks.

Rachel Besara, Associate Dean of Libraries, will be presenting as invited speaker on a panel titled “FOLIO: Hear from the First Sites in Four Countries” at the upcoming World Open Library Federation Conference (WOLFcon) in London on September 26th. This presentation will provide an examination of Missouri State University Library’s experience with the FOLIO Library Services Platform, including their rationale for adopting FOLIO, the implementation process, and their current progress.   The panel will also feature contributions from Paula Andrea…

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Fall festivities are in full swing and with it comes the start of college football season. MSU’s Football schedule will bring five games to Robert W. Plaster Stadium this year, with the first home game scheduled for Saturday, September 14. University Library is implementing “study hall hours” during these home games to prioritize study and research.   Here’s what you need to know:   The library will open and close at its usual Saturday times (9am – 6pm). Study hall…

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This Friday, August 30 at 6:00 p.m., The Library Center will host authors Tom Koob and Curtis Copeland in their auditorium for a discussion and signing of their new book, On The River: A History of the Ozarks Float Trip. Published this month by the Ozarks Studies Institute, an ongoing initiative of the Missouri State University Libraries, On The River explores the history of man’s attraction to water and the story of a popular Ozarks sport. This book examines the guides,…

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The Missouri State University Libraries, located on the main Springfield campus, is becoming the first library outside of Europe to join Harrassowitz’s APC Waiver Program.  As the demand for Article Processing Charges (APCs) increases among journals offering Open Access (OA) models, the MSU Libraries and Harrassowitz are looking for ways to assist researchers in waiving and/or paying of such fees. As a longtime customer of Harrassowitz, the MSU Libraries is expanding use of the journal aggregator’s resources by setting up…

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The entire corpus of digital content from JSTOR is now available to MSU students, faculty, and staff.  This summer the Missouri State University Libraries, located on the main Springfield campus, purchased access to the JSTOR Access Initiative, JSTOR’s new model for complete content delivery.  This new model provides MSU students, faculty, and staff full unlimited access to all of JSTOR’s digital content. In addition to all previous content the library subscribed to, the initiative provides access to 1,326 additional journal…

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As of this week, the Missouri State University Testing Center, located on the Lower Level of Duane G. Meyer Library in the heart of the main Springfield campus, has added certification exams through Epic.    Epic develops software to help people get well, help people stay well, and help future generations be healthier. It provides software for electronic health records and is used by both the Mercy and Cox healthcare systems. Their headquarters is located in fair Verona, Wisconsin, about…

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