Bring Your Research to LeapSpace: Faculty Workshops and Demos

Discover how LeapSpace can support research and scholarly work at a series of faculty-focused events from the Mizzou Libraries. Attend a workshop, stop by the Discovery Lounge or bring a current project to a guided research lab. Faculty can explore evidence, compare findings, refine scholarly writing, prepare manuscripts and develop repeatable research workflows. Participants can also apply LeapSpace to a manuscript, grant concept, course activity or interdisciplinary research question with support from the library and the Elsevier teams.

Faculty Workshop: Save Time Across the Research Workflow with LeapSpace

Date:Tuesday, September 22, 2026
Time:10:30am – 11:30am
Location:114A Ellis Library
Registration

LeapSpace Discovery Lounge and Drop-In Demos

Date: Tuesday, September 22, 2026
Time: 1:00pm – 3:00pm
Location: 114A Ellis Library
No registration required.

LeapSpace: Faculty Bring-Your-Own-Research Lab and Drop-In Demos

Date: Wednesday, September 23, 2026
Time: 9:00am – 10:30am
Location: 213 Ellis Library
No registration required.

home Events and Exhibits, Gateway Carousel, Resources and Services, Workshops Discover LeapSpace: Research Workshops and Drop-In Demo for Graduate Students

Discover LeapSpace: Research Workshops and Drop-In Demo for Graduate Students

Take your research from question to literature review with LeapSpace, a research-grade AI workspace from Elsevier. Stop by the Discovery Lounge for informal demonstrations and individual assistance, or attend a graduate research workshop to learn strategies for finding gaps, comparing evidence, following citations, and strengthening your thesis or dissertation.

LeapSpace Discovery Lounge and Drop-In Demos

Date: Tuesday, September 22, 2026
Time: 1:00pm – 3:00pm
Location:114A Ellis Library
No registration required.

Graduate Research Workshop: From Question to Literature Review with LeapSpace

Date: Tuesday, September 22, 2026
Time: 5:00pm – 6:30pm
Location: 114A Ellis Library
Registration

Graduate Research Workshop: From Question to Literature Review with LeapSpace

Date: Wednesday, September 23, 2026
Time: 11:00am – 12:00pm
Location: 114A Ellis Library
Registration

home Ellis Library, Gateway Carousel, Resources and Services Peer Navigator Corner: Digital Media Lab

Peer Navigator Corner: Digital Media Lab

Written by: Mekenzie Moffet

One resource on campus that I feel like a lot of students don’t realize they have access to is the Digital Media Lab located in Ellis Library. If you’ve ever needed to edit a video, record a podcast, create a presentation, or even just want a quiet space with good equipment to work on a project with, this is definitely the space worth checking out. If you’re wanting to try this, don’t let the talk of fancy equipment and reserving space stress you out! There’s always help available, whether you stop by the Peer Navigator desk for help reserving the lab space or get assistance from Digital Media Lab staff while using the equipment!

The Digital Media Lab is designed to give students access to different technology and software that we might not have on our personal laptops. They have high-quality computers with programs like Adobe Audition for video editing, audio recording, graphic design and other creative projects. For students in classes that may require you to make presentations or multimedia assignments, this could be a helpful resource so you don’t have to worry about your personal computer struggling to run larger programs. 

Another really useful part of the lab is the equipment. Things like high quality microphones, cameras, lighting equipment and other recording tools are available for students; whether for school or personal projects! So, if you’re recording a presentation, filming an interview, or working on a creative assignment, having access to that kind of equipment all for free can make a big difference in what you produce.

Just like everything at the library, the labs spaces for recording and editing are completely free! You just have to reserve the space and time like a study room. The Peer Navigators recently got a new project to create our own personal podcast, and I’m one of the people recording our monthly episodes, so trust me when I say I understand the struggle of using this equipment for the first time. During one of our weekly meetings, we met with Joey, who works specifically with the Digital Media Lab, and he walked me and my coworkers through how to use all the equipment and answered any questions we had.

My first recording was a few weeks after that training, so honestly, I didn’t remember much. Thankfully, like always, there was a staff member there who helped refresh our memory, and we were able to get started. Recording itself really isn’t too difficult, even coming from me, someone who’s not great with technology. Another huge plus is that the computers you record on can also be used for editing, and they have GarageBand and Adobe programs available for free. I definitely recommend trying something like this out.

It’s completely okay if you don’t know how to use the equipment yet. When you make a reservation it ensures that some of the amazing staff will be on hand to answer all of your questions, walk you through a program for the first time, help you get started with programs and point you towards resources if you’re learning. That support can make trying out new tools feel a lot less intimidating. Staff are always available in the Digital Media Lab, located in Room 153 on the first floor of Ellis, to help with whatever you need.

Overall, the Digital Media Lab is one of those campus resources that can really elevate your project quality and give you the chance to learn new tools. So go check it out because it’s worth stopping by and seeing what’s available. If you’re having trouble locating their website, just click the Digital Media Lab link located at the top, or go to the libraries home page and search in the box at the top right corner!

home Gateway Carousel, J. Otto Lottes Health Sciences Library, Resources and Services Discover LeapSpace: An AI-Powered Research Workspace

Discover LeapSpace: An AI-Powered Research Workspace

Researchers today face an overwhelming volume of scholarly literature, making it increasingly difficult to stay current, identify relevant sources and synthesize information efficiently. To help address these challenges, Mizzou Libraries now offers access to LeapSpace, Elsevier’s research-grade AI workspace designed to accelerate discovery, deepen understanding and support every stage of the research process.

LeapSpace combines publisher-neutral scholarly content, responsible AI technology and enterprise-grade security in a single workspace. Whether you’re exploring a new research topic, conducting a literature review, identifying funding opportunities or developing a manuscript, LeapSpace can help you work smarter and more efficiently.

Ask Research Questions in Natural Language

Using LeapSpace is as simple as asking a question. Researchers can enter inquiries in a natural, conversational style and receive synthesized responses drawn from scholarly literature. The platform is designed to support complex, interdisciplinary research topics, helping users quickly navigate unfamiliar concepts and cross-field connections.

Key Features

Topic Overview

Get up to speed quickly with concise overviews that highlight key concepts, themes, and findings related to your research topic.

AI-Powered Summaries

LeapSpace synthesizes information from relevant scholarly documents, helping researchers understand large bodies of literature without reading every article in full.

Trust Cards

Evaluate AI-generated insights with confidence. Trust Cards provide supporting references and include a “Link to Statement” feature that shows how closely an AI-generated claim aligns with the original source material.

Follow-Up Conversations

Refine your research by asking follow-up questions, allowing you to dig deeper into specific concepts, methodologies, or findings.

Claim Radar

Explore how a particular claim is supported across the broader research landscape, making it easier to identify consensus, differing perspectives, and evidence strength.

Funding Insights

Discover funding opportunities and investigate funding sources connected to specific research areas.

Deep Research

Generate detailed research plans and conduct extensive literature searches across curated scholarly content. Deep Research continuously refines its approach as new insights emerge, helping researchers uncover connections and opportunities they might otherwise miss.

Writing Coach

Support your scholarly writing process with a dedicated workspace designed to help strengthen arguments, contextualize evidence and identify gaps in reasoning.

Supporting Research at Every Stage

From exploring a new topic to preparing grant proposals and drafting manuscripts, LeapSpace offers tools that can save time while promoting responsible use of AI in research. By combining trusted scholarly content with transparent AI assistance, the platform empowers researchers to focus on analysis, creativity and discovery.

Whether you’re a faculty member launching a new project, a graduate student conducting a literature review, or an interdisciplinary research team exploring emerging questions, LeapSpace can help streamline your workflow and enhance your research process.

Ready to get started? Visit the Mizzou Libraries LeapSpace guide to learn more and begin exploring this powerful new research workspace.

Click here for faculty-focused workshops and demos.

Click here for graduate student workshops and demos.

home Gateway Carousel, Resources and Services Read, Recharge and Refocus with the Wellbeing Collection

Read, Recharge and Refocus with the Wellbeing Collection

The Wellbeing Collection consists of hundreds of new books for students, faculty and staff who want to focus on their mental health or just need a break from the stress of everyday life. The collection can be found on the first floor in Ellis Library, near the atrium (just ask any staff member to point you in the right direction).

The collection includes books from the following subject categories:

· General Wellbeing: sleep, yoga, movement, meditation

· College Basics: cooking, time management, laundry, dorm life

· Student Success: study tips, note-taking, first-year support, first generation student topics

· New Adulting: budgeting, personal finance, relationships, communication

· Mental Health: stress relief, anxiety and depression, happiness, neurodivergence support

· Skill Development: leadership, public speaking, self-help

· Leisure Reading: popular fiction and non-fiction titles

· Hobbies: gardening, crochet, manga drawing, gaming

This collection was made possible by Mizzou Forward Student Success Enhancement Grant.

home Gateway Carousel, J. Otto Lottes Health Sciences Library, Resources and Services New Open Journal Finder Helps Mizzou Researchers Identify Publishing Options

New Open Journal Finder Helps Mizzou Researchers Identify Publishing Options

The Mizzou Libraries now offer a tool to help Mizzou researchers identify journals where they can publish their work. The Open Journal Finder provides an easy way to explore journal publishing options, including open access status, article processing charges, and library-supported discounts or agreements.

Researchers can use the Open Journal Finder to look up individual journal titles and find important publishing details in one place. For each title, the tool may include the following information

  • whether the journal is fully open access, hybrid open access, or not open access;
  • whether article processing charges (APC) apply;
  • whether Mizzou Libraries support all or part of the APC (support only available for Mizzou-affiliated researchers);
  • instructions for authors;
  • the number of articles published by Mizzou authors in the journal over the last five years; and
  • how often Mizzou researchers have cited articles from the journal in the last two years.

When a journal is labeled “Library Supported” above the open access icon, Mizzou Libraries offers APC support for that title to Mizzou researchers. Researchers should click the journal title to view complete details, including any remaining costs they may be responsible for. Because not every title from a publisher is included in Mizzou’s APC agreements, researchers should always check the Open Journal Finder before submitting an article.

The tool also helps clarify common publishing categories. Fully open-access journals make all articles freely available, while hybrid journals include both open-access and subscription-only articles and may require an APC for open-access publishing. Journals that are not open access are marked with a gray lock icon. By bringing together publication costs, open-access status, author instructions, and MU-specific publishing metrics, the Open Journal Finder gives researchers a clearer picture of their options before they submit their work.

For more information about journal metrics, visit the Mizzou Libraries guide on journal rankings.

Chat with the Librarians Wherever You Are

Need research help? Working on a paper or project? You can ask a librarian for help using our chat service– almost 24 hours a day.

During the day you can chat with Mizzou librarians and library staff. At night, we offer access to a chat reference service called ChatStaff. They will be able to answer most research questions, except for some that are Mizzou-specific.

To access the chat service and see what hours chat reference is available, visit libraryanswers.missouri.edu.

home J. Otto Lottes Health Sciences Library, Resources and Services Overview of Recent University of Missouri Publications in Medicine and Related Fields: August 2026

Overview of Recent University of Missouri Publications in Medicine and Related Fields: August 2026

Each month we provide an overview of University of Missouri School of Medicine faculty-authored articles in medicine and related fields as well as a featured article with the highest journal impact factor.

This month’s featured article, “Early Detection and Surveillance of the SARS-CoV-2 Variant BA.3.2”  was co-authored by Dr. Marc Johnson of  Molecular Microbiology and Immunology. The article was published in MMWR Recommendations and Reports (impact factor of 51.3 in 2025).

See the list of publications in medicine and related fields we retrieved for this month: https://library.muhealth.org/facpubmonthlyresult/?Month=August&Year=2026

home Ellis Library, Gateway Carousel, Resources and Services Peer Navigator Corner: Casts Frozen in Time

Peer Navigator Corner: Casts Frozen in Time

Written by: Lottie Say

One of my favorite parts of freshman year at Mizzou was exploring Ellis. I recall wandering around The Grand Reading Room and coming across the many statues; I took pictures of them like a tourist. Little did I know these casts held more significance than artistic decor – they are a visible reminder of our university’s long-standing history and commitment to the humanities. These figures are actually precise plaster casts of some of the most famous sculptures in human history. The collection was assembled when 19th and early 20th century students studying ancient Greek and Roman culture in the Midwest were learning about plaster reproductions of famous sculptures. The educator in charge of this awesome, hands-on lesson plan was Professor John Pickard, who was also the first chairman of the Department of Art History and Archeology and creator of the Museum of Art and Archeology in Ellis Library. Pickard was able to travel to Europe in 1895 and 1902 with the mission of bringing the plaster casts home to Missouri. Pickard passed away in 1937, but his legacy lives on through these casts and fellowships named in his honor. 

To truly appreciate that legacy, we must look closer at the plaster itself. These casts are some of the few surviving collections of its type – many were destroyed after World War II and modern museums don’t allow castings any longer since the process can damage the original sculpture. Plaster casts are important in preserving fragile or lost sculptures, the original marble statues of the casts were made over 1000 years ago and have suffered decay since then. Mizzou’s plaster versions are able to maintain crisp details of these figures that have since worn away. Some of the detail can be seen through the thin lines while studying the casts closely, these are called “seam lines” from different multi-piece molds used when crafting the sculpture. Upon first look, these pieces seem heavy and stationary, but the cases are actually incredibly fragile! When moved across campus, multiple people wear gloves to avoid oil transfer along with foam padded carts to prevent breakage. Touching a piece of history would surely be a rush, but similar to the average museum, these pieces must stay as a legacy of ancient art which of course means… no touching! 

In the spirit of college rivalry, Mizzou has had more casts on display than KU for almost two centuries! These casts connect us to the first students of MU, linking our late night study sessions to theirs. Next time you are enjoying the peace in The Grand Reading Room, wander over to its neighbor and observe the stunning casts in room 202!

New Database: Social History Archive

Mizzou Libraries is pleased to provide access to the Social History Archive.

The Social History Archive provides full text of over 2,800 British and Irish newspapers , spanning 1699 to 2014, plus 2,900+ primary sources (vital records, maps & surveys, church, military, hospital, labor & travel records and more),  from the 13th century to 2025 across several countries.

If you have questions about the database or how to use it, contact your librarian at ask@missouri.libanswers.com.

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Taira Meadowcroft

Taira Meadowcroft is the Public Health and Community Engagement Librarian at the Health Sciences Library at the University of Missouri.