By: Faith Brown

Whether you’re an under or upperclassman, starting a research project can be difficult. While the University of Missouri provides plenty of outlets to find sources and peruse the internet for materials, doing so on your own can be overwhelming. Thankfully, MU Libraries offers a solution to all that stress: meeting up with a research librarian.

Research librarians have expertise in several specific fields of study and provide a variety of services related to finding articles/journals, citations, data management, literature reviews, using databases such as JSTOR and PsychInfo, digital media, and so much more.

To contact a research librarian, simply go to library.missouri.edu and click “Directories” at the top right of the page, or the “Contact Us” link toward the bottom left. From there, click the “subject librarians” tab, scroll through the A-Z list of names and subjects, then send them a message requesting to meet either virtually or in-person. You can also contact a research librarian through MU Connect, and the librarian needed for your subject should automatically be listed in the system. If you’re still unsure about the process of getting in touch with a librarian, you can always use the “Ask the librarians” feature posted on every MU Libraries website, or visit libraryanswers.missouri.edu.

Figuring everything out on your own is a daunting task when it comes to research, so don’t hesitate to get help when help is needed! Librarians are always here to lend a hand with whatever research task you may have, and with 90 subjects to choose from you’re bound to find one that’s perfect for you.

By: Clementine Arneson

Since I work at the library, it probably comes as no surprise that I’m very interested in the books that Ellis has to offer. I often feel that I should read as many as I can, as they are often unavailable at my local county library. I had thought that once I graduated, I would never have the chance to read some of Ellis’s rarer volumes again. However, using MOBIUS, this is not the case.

MOBIUS is a service that links together different library systems to allow patrons to access books that another library has. Since the MU libraries and the St. Louis County Libraries are linked, I can access new novels at school and research-based texts from home. I can make these requests over winter and summer breaks as well. Even once I graduate, I’ll be able to place long-distance requests for academic texts from St. Louis if I want to. Since MOBIUS links lots of different libraries, this isn’t just true for St. Louis County. The MU libraries are linked to county libraries in Springfield, Tulsa City, Central Arkansas, and more, as well as other university systems. For students at Mizzou, this also means that if the UM library system doesn’t have a book that you need for research, you can check MOBIUS to see if a library we partner with does.

If you want to see if a book is accessible via MOBIUS, run a search on the Library webpage as usual, but click the MOBIUS link on the right side of your screen. This will take you to the MOBIUS page for that same search, and will show you if the book, author, or subject you’re looking for has more resources at another library. From here, you can place a request for the materials you are interested in, and pick them up at your library of choice.

Written by: Faith Brown

As the semester winds down, some professors require students to watch and analyze films for an assignment or for the course itself.  However, with streaming services raising their subscription prices and kicking mainstream DVDs out of relevancy, students often wonder where they can find cheaper alternatives to watching films. What many students don’t know is that MU Libraries offers a wide selection of films to browse and has many partners that do the same!

MU Libraries offers both free online movie services as well as copies of films (and the tech you need to watch them). To get started, visit MU Libraries’ main website and type the movie/DVD you’re looking for in the search box. After you’ve been redirected to the search results, you can limit results on the left to just include films then browse through the list to see if you can find the DVD you’re looking for along with its location. If the film you’re looking for isn’t found on in the list, you can click the “MOBIUS” icon on the right side of your screen to expand your search to other partnering libraries in Missouri. Interlibrary Loan (ILL) is also available to students where you can request a copy of your film through an online form and a librarian will send you a copy from any around the world.

Looking for musical performances, theatre, and documentaries? Visit the available through the MU Libraries website where over 4,000 titles are available for streaming. Need something a bit more educational and history oriented? also gives students access to over 1,000 titles from networks like BBC, PBS, Sony Pictures and many more.

MU Libraries doesn’t just have educational films, and with the holiday season in full effect, find a movie is a crucial part of the celebration. If you’re not sure which film you want or aren’t feeling very picky, head over to Ellis Library and check out their DVD collection next to the computer lab on the first floor or use the Ellis Library map provided on our website. When you’ve found the film you’re looking for, bring it to the Check Out and Information Desk at Ellis just as you would a typical book. You can also check out any DVD players or external drives needed.

If your search is still at a dead end, try visiting the Daniel Boone Regional Library (DBRL) or their website. You can apply for a library card online, or visit DBRL in person to get it set up. Once you have a library card, streaming services such as Kanopy, Freegal, and Hoopla can be used at your leisure.

Written by: Lexi Tucker

If you spend a regular amount of time in Ellis Library, I think it’s safe to say you have a ‘designated spot’ that seems to get the job done when doubling down on assignments. The space I tend to occupy while studying late at night is the Information Commons on the first floor of Ellis Library.

The James B. Nutter Family Information Commons, formally named to honor Mizzou philanthropists and alum James B. Nutter Sr., was opened in the Fall of 2004. With 22,000 square feet, the Information Commons provides 63 computers (22 Apple iMacs and 41 Dell PCs), 11 Black and white printers, one color printer, and two KIC scanners, all conveniently clumped together and available for student use during regularly scheduled Ellis Library operation hours.

Only a few steps in when you enter Ellis from Lowry Mall, or directly at the top of the stairs when entering from speaker circle, the Information Commons, divided as Information Commons 1 and 2, takes up the majority of the first floor of Ellis Library as indicated on the map. In this section, you will find students collaborating in small groups, lounging between classes at comfortable one-seaters, or tuning out the tour teams to focus on individual assignments.

Some may ask, how is going to arguably the most populated area in the library going to help me focus during crunch time in the semester? For myself and maybe others, it’s sometimes more distracting to be alone in a study room, and I find the keyboard strokes, the paper flipping, and the calculator punching fill the silence perfectly, bringing a sense of peace when I’m otherwise stressed about schoolwork. If your study habits are best suited to particular conditions, the library has a map of locations designed to support sensory needs as well as quiet spaces to foster the best environment for you.

The Information Commons is my go-to space, and as the first area that made me feel comfortable in the library, I soon discovered my other favorite study locations in Ellis. If you have questions or want suggestions on how to utilize the Information Commons and the library in general, please feel free to stop by the Peer Navigators desk, conveniently located between the two sections of the Information Commons.

Written by: Sophie Lanzone

If you are looking to find a specific book when you know the title, first go to the bottom of the Mizzou Libraries homepage and the Looking For section.

Under this heading there are specific links to help find a specific database, article, journal, or book.

Click on the link that says A specific book. This will take you to a new page where you will enter the title of the book you’re looking to find. If there are multiple editions, or versions with that title, you’ll be prompted with a link that says Proceed to Discover@MU to see all the options.

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This will take you to a new page with books that have the exact title you entered. Each listing will show all the information about the book such as the title, author, number of pages, location, call number, status, etc. Once you have found the record, look at the location, call number and status. The location will tell you which library it is located at (make sure you’re in the right one!), the call number indicates which floor and shelf this book is located on, and the status indicates whether or not the book is available at the moment.

You can place a request for the book at this point, and have it brought for you to the circulation desk. This takes time though, and sometimes you can find other things you’d like if you go to the stacks yourself.

Since the call number tells you where the book can be found, make sure to save it by writing it down or taking a screen shot. You can always ask for help finding the location at the circulation or peer navigator desks, but you can also find call number locations on the Libraries main website. At the very top of the page, in the yellow bar, there is a drop-down menu that says In the Library. Click on that drop-down menu and then click Call Number. This will take you to a new page with a tab that says How to Find a Book, at the very top in yellow. This tab will bring up a list of call numbers and which floor they are located on.

Look at your call number and then find which floor and location it falls under. In this example, the call number is PS3511, meaning this book is located in 2 East.

After you have figured out which stack it is in, you can ask for directions, or follow the link at the very top of the Libraries website that says Maps and Floorplans.

Choose Ellis Library (Main Library), and you’ll see the option to click on a map of each floor. Since our example is in 2 East, that means it is on the second floor. The map shows where each stack is, and what each stack has. Since the call number for this book is PS3511, it falls under the PQ-QK stack. In this case you would take the elevator or stairs up to the second floor, take a slight right past the bathrooms and then walk down until you have reached the PQ-QK stacks. You’ll look for the P section, then the PS section, then the 3000s, and so on until you’ve run through the entire call number.

If you are wanting to go through the process yourself, those are the steps. If you run into any issues or questions, always feel free to ask the Peer Navigators and the Circulation Desk, or hop on the Libraries chat for more assistance!