To celebrate Women’s History Month, the Departments of Classics, Women’s and Gender Studies, and the American Association of University Women, Columbia Branch, partnered to salute the life and legacy of Eva Johnston. Johnston, a native Missourian, was the first female professor of Classics at MU as well as its first Dean of Women. A residence hall is named in her honor.

The display is entitled “Eva Johnston: Classicist, Leader, Mentor” and can be found in a wooden case on the main floor of Ellis Library from March 2 to 31, 2009. It includes photographs, letters, reports, translations, books, and pamphlets all made available courtesy of MU Archives, Western Historical Manuscript Collection, the Classics Department, Ellis Library, and the AAUW- Columbia Branch.

The display text, written by Carlynn Trout, highlights Johnston’s work as a scholar, teacher, dean, and organizer of various organizations at the University and in Columbia. Dr. Jane Biers, AAUW, assisted with the installation.

Thursday, March 5, 2009
7:00 PM
Ellis Library Colonnade

MU’s Center for the Literary Arts is proud to present – in conjunction with the English Department and MU Libraries – a reading by one of America’s finest travel writers: William Least Heat-Moon. This event is free and open to the public; no tickets are necessary.

Friday, March 13
7:00 p.m.
Conley House Parlor
602 Sanford Street

In honor of the 200th anniversary of Edgar Allan Poe’s birth this year, the Friends of the MU Libraries and the Life and Literature Series will be presenting a very special evening of dramatic readings of some of Poe’s most beloved poems and short stories, performed by members of MU’s theatre department. If you are interested in attending, please contact Sheila Voss at vosss@missouri.ed or (573) 882-9168.

Thank you to everyone who participated in answering a series of pop-up questions on the Libraries Web site. The questions were designed to gather quick feedback on user preferences. The information gathered will inform decisions the Libraries make regarding allocating resources and setting priorities for Ellis Library and the branch libraries.  Several participants were randomly chosen to receive a $15 gift certificate to the University Bookstore.

The MU Libraries will sponsor an exhibition in the Ellis Library Colonnade from March 3rd to March 31st in conjunction with the 5th Annual MU Life Sciences & Society Symposium commemorating the 200th birthday of Charles Darwin and the 150th anniversary of the publication of his On the Origin of Species. “150 Years of On the Origin of Species: The Historical Journey from Specimens to Species to Genes” will trace the concept of biological variation from the Renaissance through the 20th Century using rare and historical books and illustrations, primarily from the MU Libraries Special Collections & Rare Book Department and the Ellis Library general collection.

In conjunction with the “150 Years of On the Origin of Species” exhibit, the Libraries will host a presentation titled “Darwinism New and Old” by MU Philosophy Professor Andre Ariew on Thursday the 5th of March at 1 p.m. in the Ellis Library Colonnade on the philosophy of evolution and creationism. In this talk, Dr. Ariew will examine the differences between Darwin’s theory of natural selection and modern versions.

Register at http://mulibraries.missouri.edu/guides/classestours/endnotefridays/default.php

Register at http://mulibraries.missouri.edu/guides/classestours/workshops/default.php

Trenton Boyd, head of the Zalk Veterinary Medical Library, received the 2009 Murray Gottlieb Prize from the Medical Library Association. The Murray Gottlieb Prize is awarded annually for the best unpublished essay on the history of medicine and allied sciences written by a health sciences librarian. The Gottlieb Prize was established in 1956 by Ralph and Jo Grimes of the Old Hickory Bookshop, Brinklow, MD, in order to recognize and stimulate the health sciences librarians’ interest in the history of medicine.

The title of Boyd’s paper is “The Lost History of American Veterinary Medicine: the Need for Preservation.” A version of the paper has already been accepted for presentation at the 2009 ICML/ICAHIS Conference in Brisbane Australia in September of this year.