Here's another fun discovery from our closed stacks! Who doesn't love a View-Master?
Mushrooms in Their Natural Habitats by Alexander Hanchett Smith
Published 1949
Resources and Services
Bibliography of Asian Studies Cancellation
Due to low usage, the MU Libraries have canceled the subscription to Bibliography of Asian Studies, effective October 1, 2014.
Until October 1, 2014, Bibliography of Asian Studies will still be available.
The MU Libraries provide access to numerous databases indexing resources within the subject areas covered by Bibliography of Asian Studies. You can find other databases for your research by selecting the appropriate subject listing of databases.
If you have any questions, please contact the Ellis Library Reference Desk or call 573-882-4581.
Reader Request: The Magic of MERLIN
Last week we posted the first in an occasional reader request series, focusing on what you want to see from the University of Missouri Libraries Special Collections. This week, I'm going to show you exactly how to find what you're looking for using our catalog, the Missouri Education and Research Libraries Information Network. Or, you know, MERLIN.
Since you are interested in Special Collections, we're going to do an advanced search. Starting from the main MERLIN screen, click on the Advanced tab.
On the Advanced Search page, enter your keywords at the top. You can use the dropdown menu to search within Author, Title, or Subject (Table of Contents and Notes are not advised for Special Collections materials). Or you can leave it open to search all available fields.
Scroll down to Add Limits. Under Specific Library Location, choose MU Ellis Special Coll.
You can use additional limits such as language or year of publication. Because Special Collections holdings include lots of microfilms (about 8 million titles, in fact), it's useful to limit by Material Type.
Hold down the CTRL key to make multiple selections.
- Looking for books, pamphlets, journals, etc.? Limit to Books and Journals/Newspapers.
- Posters – limit to Images
- Maps – limit to Maps
- If you ARE looking for microfilm/fiche, limit to Microforms
But Wait! Not Everything is in MERLIN!
That's true; not everything is in MERLIN. That's where the Special Collections website comes in. It contains collection descriptions and finding aids that can also help you track down the resources you need. A finding aid contains a detailed description of a collection and its organization. It doesn't have an inventory of particular items (usually), but it will lead you to the right places to look. Here's a complete list of collection descriptions and finding aids on the Special Collections site.
Now you're all set to search! Have fun, and let us know via Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, or email if you find anything you want to see!
Fridays @ the Library Workshops: Be Aware of What Your Library Offers You
Staying Ahead of the Curve:
Be Aware of What Your Library
Offers You
Aug. 29 1:00 – 2:00 p.m.
Room 213, Ellis Library
Learn how other faculty and students are using the Library’s
services and find out about the newest tools and information
sources.
Goodie Bhullar, Library Instruction Coordinator
Rachel Brekhus, Humanities Librarian
Registration Preferred. http://tinyurl.com/MULibrariesworkshops
Congratulations to Rebecca Graves
Rebecca Graves has been appointed adjunct instructor in the Department of Health Management and Informatics. Congratulations!
Doctor Whoot
Image from: Nests and Eggs of Birds of the United States by Thomas G. Gentry, 1882.
Is Liberal Education Out of Style
Is ‘Liberal’ Education Out of Style? – a conversation with former Chancellor Richard Wallace, UM President Emeritus Mel George and Interim Deputy Provost Patricia Okker
Stotler Lounge, Memorial Union
3-4 pm, September 16, 2014
Reception of light refreshments immediately following
This event is sponsored by the MU Libraries on the occasion of the 175th Anniversary Commemorative Week.
The word “liberal” has a nomenclature problem – it carries baggage for some people because of its political connotations. What does a “liberal education” really mean? The origin of the word is the Latin word “liber” (free), and the history of the concept goes back at least as far as ancient Greece. A common misunderstanding is that the concept describes specific subject matter (such as “Great Books”); but a liberal education is less about specific subject matter content than about the goals and emphases of the education. For example, a liberal education carries public benefit, not simply private benefit.
There are many threats and challenges to liberal education today, including financial pressures and vocationalism. In this conversation, two highly regarded MU educators lay out compelling reasons suggesting that a liberal education is even more important today than in the past and promote the idea that its continued vitality and central role in American higher education should be ensured.
Reader Request: Quackenbos’ English Grammar
Thanks to a conversation with our friend Coffee and Donatus (Twitter, Tumblr) we're kicking off a new occasional series featuring the materials you want to see from our collections. This week's request fits in perfectly with our back-to-school theme this week. It's An English Grammar by George Quackenbos (New York, 1862), from the Historic Textbook Collection.
@MUSpecColl It's hard to choose, but how about your first edition of Quackenbos' An English Grammar? http://t.co/0G7RZGgL7O
— Coffee & Donatus (@CoffeeDonatus) August 14, 2014
Quackenbos was born in New York in 1826 and became a well-known educator and author of textbooks. When he died in 1881, his obituary in the New York Times stated,
"There are few English-speaking schools in the United States where the name of Quackenbos is not familiar, for during his studious and busy life the deceased published a great many series of text-books of elementary histories, grammars, arithmetics, rhetoric, and natural philosophy. His later publications were regarded as occupying the very first rank among educational text-books. … He was an enthusiast in educational matters, and it was the aim of his life to simplify and improve the prevailing methods of instruction." (New York Times 26 Jul 1881, pg. 5)
An English Grammar is a thorough introduction, starting with a chapter entitled "Letter, Syllables, Words, Sentences" and ending with chapters on rhetoric and prosody. This particular volume once belonged to William Hudson of Hiram, Ohio, who signed his name on the flyleaf. He may also have added the date in pencil: Oct. 11th, 1865. Interesting to us, the book also includes advertisements on the front and back endpapers, which give an idea of the other textbooks in use at the time.
Reading through the textbook, my favorite was the section on interjections. Next time you need to express wonder, exultation, or weariness, why not try some of these?
- "Hoity-toity! Look at all those students studying in the library!"
- "Heyday! I found an empty study carrel in the west stacks!"
- "The library's open until 2am, but heigh-ho! I'm going back to my dorm to sleep."
Try on some rhetorical gestures while you're at it, and you'll really be communicating old school.
As we mentioned on Twitter, we think of our blogs/social media as an extension of the reading room. Here's a link to the MERLIN catalog. What will you request?
Unlock the Secrets of Ellis Library! Join Us on a Tour
Friday, August 22 11:00 am
Monday, August 25 9:00 am
Tuesday, August 26 10:00 am
Wednesday, August 27 11:00 am
Thursday, August 28 Noon
Friday, August 29 1:00 pm
Tuesday, September 2 4:00 pm
Wednesday, September 3 3:00 pm
Thursday, September 4 2:00 pm
Friday, September 5 1:00 pm
Monday, September 8 Noon
Tuesday, September 9 1:00 pm
Wednesday, September 10 2:00 pm
Thursday, September 11 3:00 pm
Friday, September 12 4:00 pm
Tours start at the West Entrance of Ellis Library, Ground Floor, near the Security Desk.
A Stereoscopic Atlas of the Chick
Working in a Special Collections Departments has its perks. One such perk is being able to browse the closed stacks and treasure hunt for unique items. I ran across this little gem a few weeks ago.
A Stereoscopic Atlas of the Chick by Joseph Long
Published 1937