Submitted by Tim Perry

Although I have been at Mizzou since last November, I am still new enough that I thought it would be worth introducing myself on this blog!

My name is Tim Perry and I am the new Special Collections librarian at Ellis Library. Although I have not lived in the Midwest before, this is not my first time living in the US – from 2010-2012 I lived in New Hampshire, where I was teaching Classics at Dartmouth College. Most of the last ten years or so, though, I have spent in Toronto, where I received both my PhD (in Classics) and my MI in Library and Information Science. I have also lived in France, Belgium, and the UK, but I am originally from New Zealand, which is where I did my undergraduate studies (in Classics and French) and my MA (in Classics), both at the University of Canterbury.

My first few months at Mizzou have been spent familiarizing myself with the wonderful special collections that we have here at the Ellis Library. Since my background is in Classics, I have been particularly happy to find that we have an extensive collection of classical texts, including some fine Medieval manuscripts and early printed texts. I also have some training in letterpress printing, so I have enjoyed going through our collection of modern fine press books too. And, of course, I have had plenty of opportunities to share these materials (and more) with students, as I have also been doing plenty of teaching, including classes on everything from Greek oratory to the Brontës, and from bookplate design to pirates.

Beyond the walls of the library I’ve been exploring Missouri with my partner (who has a post-doc in Classical Studies here at Mizzou), including visits to St. Louis and Kansas City, as well Columbia itself. (I’ve also found time to catch a couple of Tigers games, though American sports remain something of a mystery: I grew up in a country where hockey is only played on grass and football means rugby!) My interests include photography, so I am looking forward to exploring the countryside around Columbia with camera in hand, especially as we move into spring and summer.

I look forward to seeing you around the library!