Congratulations to John Henry Adams

Special Collections librarian John Henry Adams was awarded the William Reese Company Scholarship to attend California Rare Book School through Zoom in August. He shared his thoughts with us on his experience in the course. What is your background in instruction? JHA: I’m a new Special Collections librarian and most of my background in teaching …

Welcome to John Henry Adams, Research & Instruction Librarian for Special Collections

In November, the University Libraries hired John Henry Adams as a research and instruction librarian for Special Collections & Rare Books. John Henry has a PhD in English literature from Arizona State University and a Master of Library Science with a specialization in rare books and manuscripts from Indiana University. He has previously worked as …

Welcome to John Henry Adams

We are excited to announce that John Henry Adams will be joining the Libraries as Research and Instruction Librarian for Special Collections on November 1. Thank you to the search committee and to everyone who participated in the hiring process.

Special Collections Update

The MU Libraries wish Kelli Hansen good luck with her new position at Cornell University. While we work to hire a new Head of Special Collections, we thank John Henry Adams, Michaelle Dorsey and Anselm Huelsbergen for providing interim assistance with Kelli’s responsibilities. Anselm – administrative oversight for Special Collections Michaelle – supervision of part-time …

Thank You to Special Collections Field Trip Volunteers

Along with the museums, Special Collections hosted field trip visits for all the sixth grade classes in Columbia Public Schools during April and May. Over 1,300 kids and teachers visited and learned about palm leaf books from Southeast Asia, cuneiform tablets from ancient Mesopotamia, and papyrus from ancient Egypt. We have gotten feedback that the …

New online exhibit: “Fancy Magazines for Pet Fanciers”

Finals week is here and so are we with another digital exhibit! The exhibit is called “Fancy Magazines for Pet Fanciers”, curated by John Henry Adams and Haley Lykins. The exhibit features fourteen magazines about pets, the animals that we keep around not just because they are useful but because they are fun. Magazines about …

Preservation Update

Michaelle Dorsey is now the contact person for all issues related preservation for all libraries. Contact her for questions about data loggers and environmental monitoring, advice on enclosures or repairs, and any other preservation issues. dorseym@missouri.edu Special Collections Contacts • Instruction services and tours: John Henry Adams, j.adams@missouri.edu • Potential acquisitions and donations for Special …

Black History Month: “Life in America” Online Exhibit

Special Collections has a new digital exhibit in honor of Black History Month: Life in America: Sixteen Black Magazines from 1953 to 1998, curated by John Henry Adams. Magazines offer a snapshot of everyday life, both as it was and how some people might have wished it to be. What makes someone beautiful? What should …

New Resource: Attack of the Collational Formula

When librarians and booksellers describe books, they often include a collational formula, a nightmarish collection of Roman and Greek letters, Arabic numerals, and all manner of subscript and superscripts. If you are interested in learning how to decipher collational formulas, then you may be interested in watching The Attack of the Collational Formula, a series …

Thank You to All the Escape Room Helpers!

We had another successful escape room event during Welcome Week this year! We had 150 students register with a few dozen on the waiting list. The students had a great time and that is thanks to all of those who helped this year! You can see the photos of the groups and their different times …