This semester the MU Libraries piloted two evenings of Board Game Night in Ellis Library as a new way to engage students in the library. The first was in February and the second took place on April 9th. Both events were small, but definitely a success! Students came and enjoyed an evening of meeting new people and learning new games. Students played games such as Ticket to Ride, Sentinels of the Multiverse, Word Dominoes, Bang and many others. Each evening had different games as student and staff brought games from home to share and play.

The students who came really appreciated the efforts of the library to provide this event, and they asked who they needed to talk to in order to make these more frequent!  So we know this is something the students would like to see in the future.

As coordinator of these evenings, I would like to thank everyone who helped make these events possible. 

Nancy Messina

The new Test Prep Collection, populated with books donated by the MU Society of Undergraduate Researchers in Life Sciences (SURLS), is now located in the last section of Ready Reference shelving behind the Reference Desk in Ellis Library. The location is marked with signs. The official MERLIN location is:  MU Ellis Reference Ready Reference Test Prep. Currently there are about 25 books in the collection. Most of the books deal with preparing for the MCAT test, but hopefully the scope of the collection will expand as SURLS members donate more titles to the collection. The books can circulate for one month.

Many thanks to all the people who assisted with this project:  Jackie Blonigen, Shannon Cary, June Deweese, Michaelle Dorsey and the Physical Processing staff, Felicity Dykas, Mike Knoll, Judy Maseles, Esther Schnase, Wayne Saunders and the Cataloging staff and Sean Wizman.

Janice Dysart
Test Prep Collection Project Coordinator

President Obama and governors in nine states now recognize October as Information Literacy Awareness Month.  Information Literacy Awareness Month is an initiative of the National Forum on Information Literacy.  When members of the MU Libraries Instruction Committee were contacted by NFIL over the summer, we asked Missouri Governor Jay Nixon to participate in the initiative, he issued Missouri’s proclamation, which reads, in part:

WHEREAS, information literacy provides the tools and skills need to find, evaluate and use credible information from all sources in our constantly evolving, information-inundated world; and […]

WHEREAS, information literacy is a crucial component of education and should be taught from kindergarten throughout an individual’s lifespan by schools and other agencies involved in the collection, conservation and dissemination of information […]

NOW THEREFORE, I, Jeremiah W. (Jay) Nixon, GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF MISSOURI, do hereby proclaim October 2012 to be INFORMATION LITERACY MONTH IN MISSOURI.

In recognition of Governor Nixon’s proclamation, the MU Libraries and the MU Bookstore are sponsoring an online Information Literacy Quiz, to be open during the month of October.  Two prizewinners will be selected from among all entrants with 100% correct answers on the quiz for bookstore gift certificates totaling $150.

 

Related links:

Full text of Obama’s proclamation (2009)

PDF: Full text of Nixon’s proclamation (2012)

National Forum on Information Literacy

Libraries Thriving Blog

Yesterday, the MRI crew finished work relating to our Reference and Documents collections.  The crew may return to store the shelves and supports that were generated as a result of our reduced footprint, but this is a separate issue that does not impact our collections directly.

Now that the “dust has settled,” there will be some corrections, tweaking and refinements to bring the collections up to a certain level.  These include shelf reading, producing end panel labels, producing “pull-out tray” labels, etc.  Some tasks have been delegated to begin.

For orientation purposes, here are some of the main points:

• The Reference print collection begins with the “A” classification on the north side, and ends with the “Z” classification on the south side.
• Because there are no counter shelf ranges in this new Reference collection footprint to serve as countertops, there are now pull-out trays distributed throughout for this purpose.  There is always one of these trays within 10 feet of any location point, either on the north side or the south side of each range.  Most ranges have both sides covered.
• The ERIC and FDLP microfiche cabinets are now on the north end of the Documents print collection.
• Unique microfiche sets are near the windows on the east and on the outside north wall of the Documents office.  For example, the TIM (Tests In Microfiche) cabinet is near a window.
• A microfiche reader is near a window, close to the bulk of the microfiche collection.

Items to be moved:

• The scanner/digitizer is to be moved near the microfiche reader, but the electrical outlet near an appropriate table needs to be activated.
• The Adaptive Workstation will be returned to its original location after reading tables west of the Documents office have been relocated.

I’ll keep you posted as changes occur.

Early last week, authorization was granted to move ceased titles of Reference indexes and abstracting sources to the three 202 study rooms—202H, 202I and 202J.  The following morning, that move was set in motion.  It is now complete.

Listed below are those indexes and abstracting sources that ceased publication, or subscriptions were cancelled.  Many of these print titles have been replaced by databases that now provide online access.  No dictionaries, encyclopedias or handbooks were included in this particular move.

The list is arranged by call numbers as they appear within the rooms in a continuous format, beginning in Room 202J and ending in Room 202H.  This is consistent with the sequence of the BIBLIO arrangement on the periphery in the outer large 202 reading room.  The list includes the last year of each publication, the amount of its shelf space and the new location in Bold, e.g., Room 202J.  Because each title now has a new location, MERLIN Catalog records will be changed, and new location labels will be applied to the physical volumes.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Regarding the main Reference collection, that shift to the new footprint was completed March 5.  Various individuals are to be commended for their outstanding work in the completion of this major part of the overall project:

Nicki Everett and Brent Willman – for the necessary prep work in shifting

Pat Jones and Julie Rogers – for securing areas for construction, especially Room 202

Al Messner – for providing the necessary components for shelf installation

MRI crew – for installation of shelves, anchoring shelf ranges, and the major part of the book shifting, including 202 study rooms

Cindy Cotner and Michaelle Dorsey – for producing labels

Felicity Dykas and her crew – for MERLIN Catalog changes

The new Reference area is the former location of Documents Lite.  Because the Reference shift is now complete, the collection in the new footprint is now open to the public.  Reshelving has also moved, now on the last south shelving range.

Disassembly of the shelf ranges in the old footprint has begun in order to provide open space for new carpet to be placed.  This area is closed to the public.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In Documents, almost all of the print materials, microfiche cabinets and map cases have been moved, but some bulk items need to be positioned.  Many of the tables in front of the Documents office have been placed there temporarily, some of which will probably be relocated to the new carpeted area.  As usual, aesthetics and function will be the guidelines for table selection and arrangement.

–Wayne Barnes
Ceased Titles in 202 Study Rooms

1.     Arts & Humanities Citation Index.    REF AI 3 .A7    Last 1979.    1 shelf.
Room 202J
2.     Science Abstracts, Section A:  Physics/Physics Abstracts.    REF Q 1 .S3    Last 1968.    7 shelves.
Room 202J

3.     Astronomy and Astrophysics Abstracts.    REF QB 1 .A84    Last 2000.    5.2 shelves.
Room 202J

4.     Aquatic Sciences and Fisheries Abstracts.    REF QH 90 .A633    Last 2007.    13.5 shelves.
Room 202J

5.     Biological Abstracts.    REF QH 301 .B37    Last 1979.    29 shelves.
Room 202J

6.     Genetics Abstracts.    REF QH 431 .G432    Last 2006.    10 shelves.
Room 202J

7.     Applied Ecology Abstracts.    REF QH 540 .A73    Last 1979.    1 shelf.
Room 202J

8.     Ecological Abstracts.    REF QH 540 .E27    Last 2000.    3.5 shelves.
Room 202J

9.     Entomology Abstracts.    REF QL 461 .E9853    Last 2000.    4.5 shelves.
Rooms 202I & 202J

10.     Behavioural Biology Abstracts, Section A:  Animal Behaviour/Animal Behavior Abstracts.
REF QL 750 .B4212    Last 2007.    3.5 shelves.
Room 202I

11.     Nucleic Acids Abstracts.    REF QP 551 .N82    Last 1979.    1.5 shelves.
Room 202I

12.     Fertilizer Abstracts.    REF S 631 .F4    Last 1981.    1 shelf.
Room 202I

13.     Agricultural and Horticultural Engineering Abstracts.    REF S 671 .A3    Last 1966.    0.5 shelf.
Room 202I

14.     Tropical Abstracts.    REF SB 111 .A2 A198    Last 1974.    1.5 shelves.
Room 202I

15.     Abstracts on Tropical Agriculture.    REF SB 111 .A2 A2    Last 1995.    3.2 shelves.
Room 202I
16.     Agriculture and Environment for Developing Regions.    REF SB 111 .A2 A37    Last 1999.
0.6 shelf.
Room 202I

17.     Tobacco Abstracts.    REF SB 273 .T6    Last 2001.    4.2 shelves.
Room 202I

18.     Sport Fishery Abstracts/Fisheries Review.    REF SH 1 .S82    Last 1995.    2.5 shelves.
Room 202I

19.     Wildlife Abstracts.    REF SK 351 .U52    Last 1980.    0.4 shelf.
Room 202I

20.     Wildlife Review.    REF SK 351 .W58    Last 1995.    3.7 shelves.
Room 202I

21.     Textile Technology Digest.    REF TS 1300 .T35    Last 1999.    4.5 shelves.
Room 202I

22.     Agricultural Index/Biological & Agricultural Index.    READY REFERENCE Z 5073 .B5    Last 2000.
5.5 shelves.
Room 202I

23.     Education Index.    REF Z 5813. E23    Last 1970.    1.7 shelves.
Room 202I

24.     Mass Spectrometry Bulletin.    REF Z 7144 .S7 M3    Last 2008.    2.2 shelves.
Room 202I

25.     P.A.I.S. Bulletin.    REF Z 7163 .P9    Last 1990.    4.5 shelves.
Room 202I

26.     P.A.I.S. International in Print.    REF Z 7163 .P912    Last 2003.    1 shelf.
Room 202I

27.     Cumulative Subject Index to the Public Affairs Information Service Bulletins, 1915-1974.
REF Z 7163 .P914    Last 1974.    1 shelf.
Room 202I

28.     Social Sciences Citation Index.    REF Z 7163 .S6    Last 2000.    11 shelves.
Rooms 202H & 202I

29.     Accountants’ Index Supplement.    REF Z 7164 .C81 A5    Last 1991.    3.2 shelves.
Room 202H

30.     Accounting & Tax Index.    REF Z 7164 .C81 A52    Last 2000.    0.8 shelf.
Room 202H

31.     Business Periodicals Index.    REF Z 7164 .C81 B983    Last 2003.    4 shelves.
Room 202H

32.     Current Literature on Aging/Abstracts in Social Gerontology.    REF Z 7164 .O4 C8    Last 2000.
1 shelf.
Room 202H

33.     Alternative Press Index.    REF Z 7164 .S66 .A42    Last 2007.    2 shelves.
Room 202H

34.     Current Literature in Traffic and Transportation.    REF Z 7164 .T5 C8    Last 2000.    0.5 shelf.
Room 202H

35.     Environment Information Access.    REF Z 7171 .E59    Last 1973.    0.5 shelf.
Room 202H

36.     Environment Abstracts/Environment Abstracts Annual.    REF Z 7171 .E592    Last 2002.
4.5 shelves.
Room 202H

37.     The Environment Index.    REF Z 7171 .E594    Last 1987.    1 shelf.
Room 202H

38.     Catalogue of Scientific Papers.    REF Z 7403 .R88    Last 1900.  1.5 shelves.
Room 202H

39.     Catalogue of Scientific Papers, Subject Index, 1800-1900.    REF Z 7403 .R881    Last 1900.
0.2 shelf.
Room 202H

40.     Science Citation Index.    REF Z 7403 .S3    Last 1999.    19.2 shelves.
Room 202H

41.     The Industrial Arts Index.    REF Z 7913 .I7    Last 1957.    4 shelves.
Room 202H

42.     Women Studies Abstracts.    REF Z 7962 .W65    Last 2001.    1.3 shelves.
Room 202H

43.     Zoological Record.    REF Z 7991 .Z87    Last 2004.    25.3 shelves.
Room 202H

_________________

Total shelves:  197.7

We are entering the last year of the Summon contract.  The MERLIN libraries are reviewing discovery tools and presentations have been scheduled for MERLIN in the Telepresence Rooms.  Given the limited space available in that room, I have scheduled separate demos for the MU Libraries.

In addition to the demos for the discovery tools, the vendors have been asked to present on their open URL resolvers.

The presentations are open to any libraries’ staff member.

Tuesday, November 8, 8:30-11:00 – Room 4G41– WorldCat Local

Friday, November 11,  1:00-3:30  – Room 4F51A – Primo

Tuesday, November 15, 9:30-11:30 – Room 4F51A – Encore Synergy

Wednesday, November 16,  10:30-1:00 – Room 4F51A – EBSCO Discovery

Friday, November 18,  12:30-3:00 – Room 4F51A – Summon

We have been busy…
In September, the Ellis Reference Department did 69 instruction sessions reaching over 1340 students.  Additionally, we did 65 FIG and other freshmen orientations sessions (a total of 115 tours) reaching over 1000 freshmen.  In August we were all over campus representing MU Libraries at various campus orientations including Graduate and Professional Student Fall Orientation, Minority Graduate Student Orientation, Residential Life Staff Resource Training, New Faculty Orientation, International Student Orientation, etc. reaching over 1000 students, faculty and staff.

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• The number of computers available for use in the Information Commons has been increased by 25%.  For more information, contact Ernest Shaw, Mary Ryan or Wayne Barnes. 

•  The Engineering Library has 19 additional computers and 2 large screen plasma monitors, one for each study room.  For more information, contact Judy Maseles.

•  On behalf of the Engineering Library staff, Judy Maseles will accept an award at the Engineering Graduation Ceremony on Saturday.  For more information, contact Judy Maseles. (A full press release will be issued shortly.)

•  The Journalism Library is sponsoring an Asian Affairs student next semester.  For more information, contact Dorothy Carner or Leo Agnew.

–Submitted by Sarah Cron.