Delores’s Desk Décor

Posted on August 13, 2014 by Erin Blower — 1 Comment ↓

Where can you find the largest button collection in Ellis Library? No doubt, that would be in room 102 (Access Services). The collection covers a partition behind Delores Fisher's desk. Delores says that many of the buttons have been gifts from co-workers who bring them back from vacations and conferences. There are many library-related buttons. One of Delores's favorites features the King himself, Elvis Presley. Regarding the extensiveness of her button collection, Delores says, "That's what 40 years does for you!"

Recipe: Adrienne’s Piña Coladas

Posted on August 7, 2014 by Erin Blower — 1 Comment ↓

On Wednesday, August 6, the ACTS division held its annual mocktails party to celebrate the closing of the fiscal year. The mocktails included margaritas, mimosas, sparkling grape juice, and root beer. Snacks included chips and dips, port wine cheese, meatballs, and watermelon.

Adrienne Arden treated her coworkers to delicious, freshly blended piña coladas, and she has been kind enough to share the recipe with Muse readers.

Vet Med Library Décor

Posted on August 6, 2014 by Erin Blower — No Comments ↓

(Story and photos submitted by Shelly McDavid.)

These pictures were taken out on the floor of the Zalk Veterinary Medical Library. Each semester one of the instructors over here at the vet school invites vet faculty, staff, and students to participate in having photos taken with their pet(s). As you can see, my family used this opportunity to have a family photo taken this past May, when my daughter Penny was only 3 weeks old. I was very happy to have this photo taken, since my dog of 14 years passed away this past June (about a month after the photo was taken). Having your picture taken automatically signs you up for having one hung up somewhere around the Veterinary Medical Building. They keep these up for a year, then pass it on to the person or family.

Office Décor

Posted on July 31, 2014 by Erin Blower — No Comments ↓

A common form of creative expression in an office environment is desk décor. Whether it be family photos, posters, knick-knacks, or crafts, desk décor brings personality to a space that could otherwise be a bit dreary.

Recipe: Bette’s Breakfast Casserole

Posted on July 24, 2014 by Erin Blower — No Comments ↓

"Food" seemed to be the theme at Ellis Library last week! On Thursday, the annual Diversity Event brought with it a smorgasbord of food from around the world. And on Tuesday, we celebrated our monthly Birthday Break in Technical Services. This month we recognized birthdays, welcomed a new addition to the department (Tammie Busch, Digital Services), and said farewell to Elaine Nelson and Kat Balek (both Digital services) and Jackie Blonigen (Collection Services). There was a great selection of food that day, from dips to desserts. One popular selection was Bette Stuart's breakfast casserole. Many people asked for this quick and tasty recipe, which Bette has been kind enough to share.

The MU Libraries and Enrollment Management Meet-and-Greet Diversity Event

Posted on July 18, 2014 by Erin Blower — 1 Comment ↓

Much meeting and greeting ensued at the MU Libraries, Cashiers and Enrollment Management Meet-and-Greet hosted by the MU Libraries Staff Association (MULSA) and the MU Libraries Diversity Action Committee the afternoon of July 17th. Employees from the Registrar and Admissions offices were also present. Attendees brought snack foods with some personal, ethnic or cultural history, and many provided recipes. The most frequent comment was “Will there be another one of these?”

Photos from the event can be found in the MULSA photo album.

(Description and photos submitted by Rachel Brekhus.)

Book Crafts

Posted on July 17, 2014 by Erin Blower — 2 Comments ↓

I love craft books — but I also love book crafts. Reading a great book is wonderful, of course, but we can also find joy in transforming a superfluous book into an artful, interesting, and/or useful object. For my wedding four years ago, I cut up a brown-edged Dover copy of Jane Eyre and created Kusudama balls. It was a very time-consuming project (and I felt a little bad about destroying the book), but it saved me some money with the florist and gave a unique, romantic touch to the decor. Instructions can be found here:

Kusudama Tutorial

This week, I came across a blog post by the publisher Quirk Books listing ideas for book crafts. Several of them look intriguing!

DIY Bookish Crafts

What do you think of book crafts? Are they worth the effort — and the emotional cost of destroying a book? Have you created anything from books? Comment below or email me at blowere@missouri.edu

Knitted Washcloths

Posted on July 3, 2014 by Erin Blower — 5 Comments ↓

My primary creative outlet is knitting. I learned the skill from a friend about five years ago and was instantly hooked. There has been much written about the benefits of knitting: it's calming, rewarding, keeps your fingers limber, provides a mental workout, and even burns a few calories. For a fidgety person like me, it's a way to keep my hands occupied while watching TV. I also enjoy the sense of accomplishment that comes with a finished project.

2014 MULSA Annual Picnic

Posted on June 24, 2014 by Erin Blower — No Comments ↓

MULSA’s annual picnic was held on Friday, June 20 at the Gordon Shelter, Stephens Lake Park. The theme was Caribbean Cruise. Fittingly, the park shelter was decked out as a cruise liner and christened the MULSA Island Jewel. Refreshments included Culvers fried chicken plus a variety of sides and desserts provided by attendees. Activities included steel drum karaoke, a piñata for the children, and a game of bocce ball. The picnic planning committee was comprised of Social Co-Chairs Tammy Green and Sheena Waggoner and volunteer Adrienne Arden. The set-up crew consisted of Sheena, Adrienne, Bill (Adrienne’s husband), and Mary Studer-Logsdon. Sue Barnes, Community Service Chair, organized a collection of food and monetary donations for the Central and Northeastern Missouri Food Bank. Sue also organized door prizes, which included Mizzou Concert Series tickets, Mizzou Store gift cards, and Culvers ice cream vouchers.

Photos from the picnic can be found in the MULSA photo album.

Welcome!

Posted on June 19, 2014 by Erin Blower — No Comments ↓

Welcome to the Muse, and greetings from your new content editor. My cohort, Corrie, has been doing a fantastic job so far on the technical side of things. Now it’s my turn – and yours! – to contribute.

Please show us your creative side – whether that be in the form of poems, stories, personal essays, photos, recipes, reviews (books, movies, restaurants, etc), musings, jokes, or DIY tips. The more variety, the better! I am planning to provide seasonal suggestions for content, but you are certainly not limited to those themes. Please also feel free to provide feedback to me; I am new to both blogging and Ellis, and I’d love to learn from others’ experiences.

I’m excited about the flexibility and interactivity of the blog format. We can share our unique talents and also provide encouragement to one another. During my short time as an Ellis staff member, I’ve felt a real sense of community in the library, and I’d love for that to extend to the Muse.

To contribute, please email me at blowere@missouri.edu or find me in Acquisitions (52 Ellis).

Thank you!

Erin

Author: Erin Blower