In October, the University Libraries hired Jennifer Thompson as electronic resources librarian for the University of Missouri System. Jennifer has a Master of Library and Information Science degree from the University of South Carolina, and a Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of Virginia, where she studied religion and architectural history. It was while studying the design of the Boston Public Library that she fell in love with libraries. Previously, Jennifer served as technology and resource sharing consultant for the Missouri State Library and as director of the library at the American College of the Building Arts in Charleston, SC.
For over 23 years, Tami Day has worked for the University of Missouri’s Health Care system receiving all her education from the MU’s Sinclair School of Nursing and utilizing the library a lot over the years.
Tami appreciates how helpful the librarians have been throughout her nursing education. Back when Tami first started nursing school, she’d find journals and make copies of the articles; now she can find articles online and email them out. “That has been a huge game changer in the 25 years I’ve been at the university,” she said. “Back then I’d physically go to the library and find the books, now you’re just a few clicks away from the information you want.”
A few years ago, Tami went back to school to work on her master’s degree. This program focused on evidence-based practice with an emphasis on approaches to clinical care and taking clinical problems to design improvement projects. Tami relies heavily on the librarians and their research skills. For Tami, Taira Meadowcroft, information services librarian at the Health Sciences Library, became an invaluable resource. Tami first met Taira when Taira was assigned to the Positive Individual Proactive Support (PIPS) program. Taira provided research support to the PIPs to help improve the quality of health in the hospital.
Taira Meadowcroft
Since Taira was providing support to the PIPS, Tami asked Taira for help in her master’s program as most of those projects would help Tami’s work in the hospital. For example, Tami said she can email Taira the topic of a project and ask for the highest level of evidence. In one instance, Taira sent Tami 23 articles within one hour. It would have taken Tami several hours to find the same information.
When Taira receives a request to find literature, she spends a good amount of time educating herself on the topic in order find the best evidence. ”A librarian should be one of the first steps before starting a project. Seeing what information is out there is important when deciding if and how to pursue that project,” said Taira. “It’s easier and more efficient to have a librarian do a search and it frees up your time.”
Tami and Taira’s working relationship continues to evolve and now Taira is supporting Tami with her doctoral program and in her new role as coordinator of Nursing Research and Evidence-Based Practice. As coordinator, she’s working to make University Hospital a Magnet designated hospital through the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). Achieving this designation would place MU Health Care in an elite group of hospitals, resulting in better patient outcomes and less nursing turn over through evidence-based practice.
”Nurses are busy people and searching for literature is just one more thing you are asked to do, but it’s important for the overall health of the patients,” said Taira. “My favorite part of my job is that I can help contribute to the health of patients, working behind the scenes to find the best evidence, while nurses tend to a patient’s bed side.” Taira’s searches are also assisting in the goal of the Magnet designation.
We had a successful Homecoming Open House last weekend with a huge crowd. We helped visitors make around 130 library buttons, almost 100 mini pumpkins and lots of tiger masks. We also handed out tons of pencils, post it notes, Special Collections bookmarks and black & gold beads. Visitors enjoyed cider, coffee, pumpkin bars and more!
To support United Way, we are going to have a bake off (really, it’s a bake sale) on Nov. 4-8. Please participate by bringing in your best bake goods or purchasing the yummy treats! All the proceeds will support United Way’s fight against poverty in Boone County.
To make it more fun and more like the Great British Bake Off, each day of the bake sale will have a theme!
Campus Writing Program Workshop
October 23, 2019
3:30 to 4:30 pm
Conley House, 602 Sanford Street
Presented by Joe Askins, Head of Instructional Services, University of Missouri Libraries
Writing intensive courses give students the opportunity to consider what constitutes scholarship and authority within a particular discipline. An information-literate student recognizes the constructed and contextual nature of authority, approaches research as a process of inquiry that examine increasingly complex or new questions, and understands scholarship as a sustained discourse within a community of researchers and professionals. Using the Association of College and Research Libraries’ Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education as a guide for discussion, participants in this workshop will explore ways to incorporate information literacy concepts and practices into writing intensive assignments.
Would you like to attend this workshop virtually? Register at the link below to attend via Zoom.
Celebrate International Open Access Week with the University Libraries! Learn how to make your research and scholarship more widely available via Open Access. Members of the Libraries’ Scholarly Communication Committee will share information and advice on the “hows” and “whys” of Open Access publishing. Topics will include assessing the quality of Open Access journals, navigating publisher agreements, and posting articles to MOspace, MU’s digital institutional repository.
Presenters:
Kate Anderson, Head, Zalk Veterinary Medical Library
Kimberly Moeller, Social Sciences Librarian
Steven Pryor, Digital Scholarship Librarian
U Publish Are you new to publishing your work? Do you have questions you need answered about the publishing process? This series provides University of Missouri authors with opportunities to hear from major academic publishers about their processes as well as learn from librarians and campus colleagues about important trends and issues related to academic publishing.
In October, the University Libraries hired Taylor Kenkel as a technical services librarian. Taylor will serve as the ILS manager for MERLIN, and is responsible for the overall maintenance of the ILS for the University of Missouri System. Taylor has a Master of Library and Information Studies degree from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, BC, and a Bachelor of the Arts degree in journalism from American University in Washington, DC. Previously, Taylor worked as a technical services and metadata librarian at Hollins University in Roanoke, VA.
