Library Notes

Last week the MSU Libraries achieved a milestone: Over 1,000 subscribers to our YouTube Channel. Our primary YouTube Channel current has over 1,100 subscribers. We’ve gained 235 since September 1, 2018, with almost daily comments received about the Shannon County documentaries. Some of those documentaries have received over 100,000 views. Categories of content include: Gordon McCann Ozarks Folk Music Collection Route 66 Oral Histories “Country Classics: The Stories Behind The Songs” radio programs by country music disc jockey John Henderson Shannon County Film…

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The “Grand Finale” episode of The Great American Read aired on PBS (Ozarks Public Television) on Tuesday evening (October 23rd at 7 p.m.). The winning book was To Kill a Mockingbird, a 1960 coming-of-age novel by Harper Lee about racism and injustice. The other top vote-getters were Diana Gabaldon’s “Outlander” series about a time-spanning love, J.K. Rowling’s “Harry Potter” wizard tales, Jane Austen’s 200 year old comedy of manners, Pride and Prejudice, and J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings” fantasy saga….

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Rising costs in several key areas of operations for the MSU Libraries are putting significant strain on the current FY19 operating budget. Costs for OCLC services, MOBIUS membership and services, and MSU Networking and Telecommunications services all have risen. The biggest challenge, however, is posed by the rising costs for electronic content, including e-journals and online databases. Annual subscriptions to these types of e-resources now consume nearly all of the Libraries’ information materials budget of $2.26 million. When the annual…

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Mariah Turner from Nixa is our new Administrative Assistant II in the MSU Testing Center, a service from the MSU Libraries, located in the Lower Level of Duane G. Meyer Library. She began working here yesterday, Wednesday, October 24, 2018. Welcome Mariah! She has a BA degree in Psychology from MSU. While she was a student here she worked for the Departments of Psychology and Computer Sciences. Mariah also is a professional artist. Since 2012 she has owned and operated…

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On Tuesday officials of the Man Booker Prize announced this year’s winner from the six books (and authors) that had been “shortlisted” as the finalists: The Overstory, by Richard Powers (being cataloged) Nine strangers are summoned by trees to save what little is left of North America’s virgin forests. Washington Black, by Esi Edugyan (being cataloged) George Washington Black, or “Wash,” an eleven-year-old field slave on a Barbados sugar plantation, is terrified to be chosen by his master’s brother as his manservant….

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Mark Arnold, Library Systems Administrator/Support Specialist, is the MSU Libraries Employee of the Month! Mark has been a part of the University Libraries family since 1993. We talked with Mark recently in relation to this prestigious honor. Here’s what he had to say: What originally attracted you to library work? “I’ve been excited about libraries for as long as I can remember. When my mom wanted to encourage me to do something I really didn’t want to do, she would…

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Kudos to MSU Libraries Student Employee of the Month, Della McEntire. Della is a senior Global Studies major working in the Research & Informational Services unit of Duane G. Meyer Library. Della is known for consistently providing excellent customer service with a positive attitude. All-Time Favorite Book: The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien. Della says, “If you’ve only ever watched the movies, you’re missing out!” One Thing Students Should Know About the Libraries: The online chat feature, Ask A Librarian. Have…

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Once again, this election year the MSU Libraries is collaborating with the Southwest Missouri Chapter of the League of Women Voters to facilitate a voter education and participation campaign. Free voter education pamphlets, as well as quick-info cards, have been placed on the First Level of Duane G. Meyer Library — on the table next to the stairs, and on the RIS research help desk. Lisa McEowen, a Library Associate III in Special Collections and Archives, is facilitating this effort.

Joshua Lambert, a tenured member of the Library Science faculty at Missouri State University, will present on Friday, November 2, 2018 at the annual “Brick & Click” academic library conference in Maryville, Missouri. His talk will focus on “Key Performance Indicator Tracking Using Google Forms.” An excerpt from the abstract: “Key performance indicators (KPIs) can help libraries make informed decisions, but they can take a significant amount of time to track and analyze. Using a network of Google Spreadsheets, the…

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A new committee of the MSU Libraries has been formed: The Building Coordination Committee. Members include: David Adams, Chair Joshua Lambert Cherri Jones Lisa McEowen The committee is working on a formal charge, but essentially it will provide oversight, direction, and vision for such things as safety, security, and cleanliness in Duane G. Meyer Library. The committee also will work with other cost centers to ensure that all the major systems in the building — HVAC, lighting, time, plumbing, etc….

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