home Events and Exhibits Honors Students Explore Curatorship in Ellis Library Showcase

Honors Students Explore Curatorship in Ellis Library Showcase

Creatively Curating Cultures
Ellis Library Colonnade
November and December 2019

The new exhibit “Creatively Curating Cultures” showcases works by undergraduate students who engaged with artmaking and the role of creativity in curatorship practices while enrolled in the Fall 2019 Honors Tutorial GN_HON 1050H “Get Real, Go Places! Let Objects Take You There.” The eight-week course takes as its focus the study of material culture, specifically the opportunities for research that objects and artifacts make possible. Students are introduced to the practice of interpreting, inspecting and writing about objects through regular use of a sketchbook journal and weekly syntheses shared with classmates. The course is taught by Dr. Sarah Buchanan of the iSchool at the University of Missouri (in the College of Education) and by gallery, library, archive and museum professionals based on the Mizzou campus who contribute to the Material Culture Studies Group, established in 2014.

Our student showcase features 17 art objects created by 14 undergraduate students, each based on the class visit to a particular collection on the Columbia campus. Students created weekly syntheses reflecting on curators’ decisions in displaying an object, and a culminating object analysis aligning with students’ future academic interests.

On display here are a clay tablet inscribed in Sumerian cuneiform with the opening line of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, a model of the new Center for Missouri Studies grand staircase, a 3D collage of the career of President Harry S. Truman, a material analysis of a Mongolian Composite Bow in our Grayson Archery Collection, a visual study of polychromy (pigment and color restoration) in ancient sculpture, a photo essay inspired by Vanessa Viruet’s recent “Flagged” exhibition in the Bingham Art Gallery, and a zine narrating the plants along Lowry Mall within Mizzou Botanic Garden, among others. For their contributions to the success of the course we gratefully thank: Catherine Armbrust, Jessica Boldt, Buck’s Ice Cream, Cathy Callaway, Bede Clark, Marie Concannon, Kyla Drozt, John Fifield, Lisa Franko, Danielle Griego, Kelli Hansen, Rachel Harper, Nicole Johnston, Jenna Rozum, Candace Sall, Karlan Seville and Joan Stack. The course will next be offered in Fall 2020 – join us!

home Cycle of Success Fulbright Scholar Appreciates Journalism Library Resources

Fulbright Scholar Appreciates Journalism Library Resources

By Christina Mascarenas

Going to America was more a dream than reality to Indah Setiwati, a 30 hour plane ride dream. Indah was the deputy editor for the Jakarta Post in Jakarta, Indonesia when she decided to make a change and apply to graduate school.

In the beginning, Indah only applied to local scholarships even though studying abroad is a goal for many Indonesians. Indah had her family to think about. Not wanting Indah to limit her academic potential, a friend encouraged her to apply for the Fulbright Foreign Student Program, which enables graduate students, young professionals and artists from abroad to study and conduct research in the United States. If Indah was accepted, she would finally have her ticket to the United States.

After weighing the pros and cons, Indah decided to go for it and applied to four scholarships including the Fulbright program. One day, she was taking the train to work when she received an email telling her she was accepted into the Fulbright program. “It was surreal,” she said. “The Fulbright Scholarship is the most prestigious scholarship on earth.”

Indah did research to find the best journalism school in the U.S. that would fit her interests. She chose the Missouri School of Journalism because it was the best journalism school and was affordable with her Fulbright Scholarship.

According to Indah, the Journalism Library at Mizzou has extremely knowledgeable librarians. “Sue is really helpful and resourceful,” she stated referring to Sue Schuermann, senior library specialist. Sue took the time to show Indah how to do precise searches and search for specific journals. “She is very helpful. She is a great resource, all you have to do it ask,” she said.

When Indah needed a book that the library didn’t have, Sue was able to purchase the book for the library. Indah was especially grateful for the “really cool” interlibrary loan program. When she wanted to read a particular book, she was asked if she’d like to read the PDF or the book, she chose both. She thought it was great to get the book in three days.

“Books in Indonesia are precious. They are like a treasure,” she said. “Especially children’s books, it’s really hard to get English children’s books in Indonesia, they are expensive.” In addition to the Journalism Library, she has used Ellis Library and the Daniel Boone Regional Library. She said, “American libraries are like wow.” In Indonesia, according to Indah, “If you want to get an affordable children’s English book. You have to go to a second-hand store. The upper-class Jakartans donate or sell their books to the second-hand stores. You can only find books at certain places.”

“I’m happier here to see the library resources,” she said. “Another cool thing about the library is you have access to the New York Times and other publications, and you don’t have to spend your money to subscribe to them since the library already subscribes to them.”

 

home Staff news Great University Libraries Bake Off!

Great University Libraries Bake Off!

As promised, here are some more details about our United Way bake sale next week. See the original post below.

  • The bake sale will be in the Admin office, but we will send out photos each day. If staff who are not in Ellis want to participate, just email me with your request. We will try to make deliveries.
  • If you want to buy baked goods, it will help if you have change. So plan ahead!
  • Bakers, please bring your items to the Admin office in the morning. Also, please price your items and have them bagged or wrapped. We will sell large items, like cakes and pies by the slice. We can sell small items in groups, like 2 or 3 smaller cookies.
  • Thanks to Gwen Gray and Sheila Voss who are helping out with the coordination of the bake sale.
  • Can’t wait to see all the yummy treats!

 

To support United Way, we are going to have a bake off (really, it’s a bake sale) on Nov. 4-8. Please participate by bringing in your best bake goods or purchasing the yummy treats! All the proceeds will support United Way’s fight against poverty in Boone County.

To make it more fun and more like the Great British Bake Off, each day of the bake sale will have a theme!

  • Monday: Cakes and Pies
  • Tuesday: Cookies and Brownies
  • Wednesday: Muffins and Scones
  • Thursday: Free for All
  • Friday: Leftovers!

I will send out more details soon!

If you would like to give to United Way right now, go to https://unitedway.missouri.edu.

home Staff news New Muse Posts

New Muse Posts

BOOK IT! Turns 35

Do You Want to Live Like Jane Austen?

Weekend Fun: The Wiz, Ralph Vaughn Williams, Race to the Ag Park 5K

home Staff news In the News

In the News

“In making more room for students, MU libraries will move more print materials off-site”
The Maneater, October 29, 2019

home Staff news RJI and University Libraries Receive Mellon Grant

RJI and University Libraries Receive Mellon Grant

The Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute (RJI) and University of Missouri Libraries received a $250,000 grant this fall from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to help ensure the survival of today’s digital news record for future generations.

During a yearlong project, a team from the Journalism Digital News Archive, a joint initiative of RJI and University Libraries, plans to visit news outlets across the U.S. and Europe. Edward McCain, digital curator of journalism at RJI and the University Libraries, said that during these visits, the team will identify what’s hampering the process of preserving online content by examining the outlets’ technology, workflows and policies.

This project builds on work done during the Journalism Digital News Archive’s five Dodging the Memory Hole conferences, which brought together librarians, memory institutions, newsroom leaders and others between 2014 and 2017 to have conversations about how to preserve and protect “the first rough draft of history.”

For more information, visit Mizzou News.

home Staff news New Muse Posts

New Muse Posts

Bag of Snakes in a Library

The Death Positive Movement and Anthropodermic Books

Weekend Fun: Quizney Trivia Night, Goat Yoga, MizzouThon’s Miles For Miracles

home Cycle of Success RJI and University Libraries Receive Mellon Grant

RJI and University Libraries Receive Mellon Grant

The Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute (RJI) and University of Missouri Libraries received a $250,000 grant this fall from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to help ensure the survival of today’s digital news record for future generations.

During a yearlong project, a team from the Journalism Digital News Archive, a joint initiative of RJI and University Libraries, plans to visit news outlets across the U.S. and Europe. Edward McCain, digital curator of journalism at RJI and the University Libraries, said that during these visits, the team will identify what’s hampering the process of preserving online content by examining the outlets’ technology, workflows and policies.

This project builds on work done during the Journalism Digital News Archive’s five Dodging the Memory Hole conferences, which brought together librarians, memory institutions, newsroom leaders and others between 2014 and 2017 to have conversations about how to preserve and protect “the first rough draft of history.”

For more information, visit Mizzou News.

 

home Cycle of Success Welcome to Jennifer Thompson, Electronic Resources Librarian

Welcome to Jennifer Thompson, Electronic Resources Librarian

In October, the University Libraries hired Jennifer Thompson as electronic resources librarian for the University of Missouri System. Jennifer has a Master of Library and Information Science degree from the University of South Carolina, and a Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of Virginia, where she studied religion and architectural history. It was while studying the design of the Boston Public Library that she fell in love with libraries. Previously, Jennifer served as technology and resource sharing consultant for the Missouri State Library and as director of the library at the American College of the Building Arts in Charleston, SC.

home Cycle of Success, J. Otto Lottes Health Sciences Library Library Research Support Assists Nurse with Evidence-Based Practices

Library Research Support Assists Nurse with Evidence-Based Practices

For over 23 years, Tami Day has worked for the University of Missouri’s Health Care system receiving all her education from the MU’s Sinclair School of Nursing and utilizing the library a lot over the years.

Tami appreciates how helpful the librarians have been throughout her nursing education. Back when Tami first started nursing school, she’d find journals and make copies of the articles; now she can find articles online and email them out. “That has been a huge game changer in the 25 years I’ve been at the university,” she said. “Back then I’d physically go to the library and find the books, now you’re just a few clicks away from the information you want.”

A few years ago, Tami went back to school to work on her master’s degree. This program focused on evidence-based practice with an emphasis on approaches to clinical care and taking clinical problems to design improvement projects. Tami relies heavily on the librarians and their research skills. For Tami, Taira Meadowcroft, information services librarian at the Health Sciences Library, became an invaluable resource. Tami first met Taira when Taira was assigned to the Positive Individual Proactive Support (PIPS) program. Taira provided research support to the PIPs to help improve the quality of health in the hospital.

Taira Meadowcroft

Since Taira was providing support to the PIPS, Tami asked Taira for help in her master’s program as most of those projects would help Tami’s work in the hospital. For example, Tami said she can email Taira the topic of a project and ask for the highest level of evidence. In one instance, Taira sent Tami 23 articles within one hour. It would have taken Tami several hours to find the same information.

When Taira receives a request to find literature, she spends a good amount of time educating herself on the topic in order find the best evidence. ”A librarian should be one of the first steps before starting a project. Seeing what information is out there is important when deciding if and how to pursue that project,” said Taira. “It’s easier and more efficient to have a librarian do a search and it frees up your time.”

Tami and Taira’s working relationship continues to evolve and now Taira is supporting Tami with her doctoral program and in her new role as coordinator of Nursing Research and Evidence-Based Practice. As coordinator, she’s working to make University Hospital a Magnet designated hospital through the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). Achieving this designation would place MU Health Care in an elite group of hospitals, resulting in better patient outcomes and less nursing turn over through evidence-based practice.

”Nurses are busy people and searching for literature is just one more thing you are asked to do, but it’s important for the overall health of the patients,” said Taira. “My favorite part of my job is that I can help contribute to the health of patients, working behind the scenes to find the best evidence, while nurses tend to a patient’s bed side.” Taira’s searches are also assisting in the goal of the Magnet designation.

Written by Christina Mascarenas