Now through Oct. 31
The Spooky Books display was curated by Isabella Bickhaus, library intern, and Janet Hilts, Humanties Librarian.
Looking for even more spooky titles? Check out Morbidly Curious Books. . .
Spooky Books Display
Events and Exhibits
Peer Navigator Corner: Exhibits
Written by: Mekenzie Moffet
Over the summer, Ellis Library opened a new opportunity to get to know art and appreciate the work of those around you with the Museum of Anthropology and the Museum of Art & Archaeology. Those of you who are consistent in visiting the library may have passed another location a hundred times and passed by the changes that go on with exhibit cases and displays. Recently, Megan Ballengee, our amazing Community Engagement Coordinator shared her knowledge with me so that I could pass along what goes on behind the display cases.
The pictured exhibit case doesn’t have an official name, but if you ever want to check it out, it’s right across from the peer navigator desk on the first floor. This exhibit is run by various committees and displays a huge variety of different materials: projects from various classes or individual students, student organizations, heritage celebrations, artwork, and of course books. Just last month, up for display was artwork created by your librarians and faculty members. The exhibits are changed anywhere from one month to once a semester. On the second floor, there is also a long-standing exhibit curated by the State Historical Society, choosing new themes every year celebrating Black History that stays up for a whole semester.
Megan decides what to showcase by receiving requests, or just reaching out seeing if anyone would like to show off their talent. When I asked what was special about these exhibits? She answered that, “The exhibit area is a great opportunity for people to be able to share their work and for the library to make connections with the campus community. Exhibits provide learning opportunities for people viewing the exhibit and a much-needed break from studying!”
The current exhibit is in celebration of Homecoming (which is coming up on October 19). Special Collections and Archives shared some copies of the Savitar (the Mizzou yearbook) to display, and there is a lot of Mizzou spirit to come view! I know we’re all excited for Homecoming Week to come, but that doesn’t mean we can’t show off our tiger pride in the meantime.
The IBM PC/AT: Groundbreaking Heartbreaker
Library Technical Services has created an exciting exhibit showcasing the history and inner workings of the IBM PC/AT (Model 5170). This machine from 1984 revolutionized the computer industry as a fast and powerful personal desktop.
The exhibit, located in the Engineering Library, includes a Model 5170 with numbered markers, and a blue information booklet detailing each of the parts. A special thank you to Dustin Hoffmann for all of his time and work putting the exhibit together.
For those interested in learning more about the exhibit, there is an online library guide available at https://libraryguides.missouri.edu/IBMPC/AT
New and improved exhibit in Special Collections: Fine Press Materials
Fall semester is just around the corner and with new faces comes a new digital exhibit! The exhibit is an updated version of our past “Fine Press Materials” LibGuide: https://library.missouri.edu/specialcollections/exhibits/show/finepress/. The original LibGuide was curated by Tim Perry and has since been reworked as an exhibit and updated by Clare Starkey. The exhibit features examples from fine press publishers held within our collection, showcasing traditional printing technologies and techniques from the modern fine press movement. This exhibit concentrates on presses associated with the fine press movement but also covers a selection of precursors to the movement. Presses founded after 1939 are excluded, except presses founded as continuations of earlier presses, presses founded by printers whose careers were well established by 1939, and prominent Midwestern Presses. Notable examples from the exhibit include items from the Kelmscott Press, Harbor Press, and the Limited Editions Club.
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 birds, cats, dogs, and ferrets are all on display in the exhibit. (The animal types are in alphabetical order, so please don’t think that the order of the pets in any way indicates our preference!) So, if you need to de-stress with some pictures of animals as you prepare for or recover from your exams, come check out the exhibit!
The exhibit features magazines from a recent acquisition, the Samir Husni Magazine Collection. The collection features magazines on topics ranging from beauty and fashion magazines to news and lifestyle magazines.
April 8th is Right to Read Day
Right to Read Day is April 8th and it’s the kick off to this year’s National Library Week!
So what can you do on Right to Read Day?
- Thank a Library Worker!
- Our library workers are dealing with unprecedented harassment and threats to their livelihoods. Whether in person or online, let them know you value their professionalism, dedication, and services they provide to your community!
- Check out (and read) a banned book
- Search our collection and if we don’t have the book you are looking for, you can request a copy from another Missouri library.
- Get involved with your local library
- Libraries are community institutions, and you can support your local library and spread awareness about its value in many ways. The best place to start is by talking to your librarian about how you can get involved. Did you know we have a Friends of the Libraries group at Mizzou Libraries?
- And there’s always more you can do! Visit the Right to Read website to find other ways to support your libraries and reading.
“Books bring us together. They teach us about the world and each other. The ability to read and access books is a fundamental right and a necessity for life-long success,” says Burton. “But books are under attack. They’re being removed from libraries and schools. Shelves have been emptied because of a small number of people and their misguided efforts toward censorship. Public advocacy campaigns like Banned Books Week are essential to helping people understand the scope of book censorship and what they can do to fight it,” Levar Burton, 2023 Honorary Banned Books Week Chair.
Peer Navigator Corner: Cast Gallery
Written by: Laide Agunbiade
The Cast Gallery in Ellis Library provides Mizzou students a unique opportunity to dive into art, history, and culture without ever having to leave campus! As you walk through the familiar corridors of Ellis, surrounded by the comforting scent of books and the stress of school, it’s easy to overlook the hidden treasures that are within the walls of the library.
On the second floor when you enter the quiet study area, you’ll find yourself surrounded by an impressive array of statues, but they’re all over Ellis as well. The gems that were hidden away for years are now on display to be seen by all.
However, the cast’s journey to Mizzou didn’t begin within the walls of Ellis Library. Their origins trace back to the vision of John C. Pickard and his vision for bringing cultural pieces to Mizzou. In the late 19th century, Pickard created the foundation for Mizzou’s Department for Classical Archaeology by collecting over 100 pieces of artwork. From ancient Greek sculptures to Renaissance masterpieces, Pickard created a gallery with a range of diverse pieces.
As the pieces began to arrive in 1896-1902, they were installed in Jesse Hall before being relocated to Pickard Hall in 1975. There, they displayed Pickard’s legacy and deep appreciation of the arts.
In the spring semester of 2022, the gallery moved to another home on campus, finding a new residence within Ellis Library. Mizzou’s decision to do this showed their effort to share a significant hidden treasure, mixed in with lore of its forgotten past, to make the art accessible to all users who pass through Ellis Library.
As Mizzou is gearing up for the introduction of the Museum of Art and Archaeology collection, which will be located on the lower floor of Ellis Library, this is a perfect time to spotlight the art Pickard brought to campus years ago. The pieces that we walk past daily will serve as a reminder of the university’s rich tapestry.
So, the next time you find yourself coming to study, print, or just wander the halls of Ellis Library, I urge you all to take a moment to explore the gems of our Cast Gallery. Who knows what insights and inspirations you might discover through Ellis’ silent guardians!
Mystery Date with a Book
Take a chance on a Mystery Date with a Book! We’ve carefully wrapped up a variety of books from the MU libraries and written you some clues. If the book sounds like a match, go ahead and unwrap and check it out! You can find them on the shelves in the Ellis Library colonnade during the month of January.
The Husni Collection: Magazine Mayhem!
Samir Husni Magazine Collection
Samir Husni, Ph.D., believes in the power of print. His decades of research, collecting, and consulting produced a picture of American culture, all told through magazines. Husni, born in Lebanon, is an internationally recognized magazine expert. He earned scholarships to pursue advanced degrees in the United States, receiving a master’s degree from the University of North Texas and a Ph.D. in magazine journalism from the University of Missouri. Nicknamed “Mr. Magazine” by his students, Husni knows what it takes to launch a successful magazine, and what makes the magazine format special. In his 2019 book The Definitive Guide on How to Launch Your Own Magazine, Husni emphasizes the magazine’s role as a reflector in the Twentieth Century:
“This is what a print magazine does best: it reflects the souls and mindsets of the human consumer and engages their concerns and delights in a way no other medium ever has or ever will.”
In October 2022, Husni donated his collection of nearly 100,000 magazines to the University of Missouri Libraries. This includes 24,000 first-issue magazines published after 1985, media kits and prototypes documenting the development of popular magazines, 10,000 magazines published before 1985 (2000 of which are premiere issues) dating back to the 1800s, foreign and non-English magazines, and Samir Husni’s publications about magazine publishing.
After a long year of work from Special Collections staff, Series 1: Samir Husni’s Guide to New Magazines is ready for use. This series contains every first issue published in the United States from 1985 to the present. Husni published a guide to new magazines each year; Simultaneously, he collected a physical copy of all magazines included in his guide. The Husni Collection has it all: Technology, Fashion, Pop Culture, Politics, Sports, Travel, and much more! Whatever your interests, this collection has a magazine for you. Contact Special Collections with questions on how to access materials and begin exploring the Husni Collection.
Black History Month Books Display
Stroll by Ellis Library to pick up a book from our Black History Month Book Display! Celebrate African American authors, stories, culture and arts and learn the history of the African diaspora. Thanks to Paula Roper, social sciences librarian, for providing a curated lists of books from the library collections for the display.