Your source for what's new at Mizzou Libraries
Need research help? Working on your final 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.
Short on supplies? Mizzou Libraries is here for you!
Need a phone charger or whiteboard markers? Go to the Checkout & Information Desk. Need a place to store your belongings AND charge your devices? Personal storage lockers with USB chargers are now available in Ellis Library, next to the elevators on the main floor. These lockers are free to use, but a Mizzou Tiger Card (MU ID) is required for access.
Need pens, pencils, bluebooks, flash drives, or sticky notes? Checkout the supplies vending machine inside the north entrance of Ellis Library. This is stocked and maintained by the Mizzou Store. If what you are looking for is not in the vending machine, checkout the Mizzou Store. The vending machine accepts fresh bills, coins and student charge with student ID cards. If issues with the machine arise, please fill out a question/problem form (located on the vending machine) and give to the Check Out and Information desk staff.
Every student at Mizzou has many accounts they need to keep track of, and some of those accounts can help you out at the Mizzou Libraries!
Know the status of your Print Quota. Make sure you have money left if you still need to do a lot of printing! If you go over your semester allowance, you can add money to your Tiger card account to pay for additional printing. Unfortunately, student charge is no longer available for this service, so make sure and check your account regularly. To check the status of your Print Quota, click the link and log in with your username and password. You can also request refunds from this site if your print didn’t come out correctly. While you’re at it, make sure to download PrintAnywhere if you haven’t already. If you’ll be in the library, install those printers on your device now to save yourself time.
Another account to keep in mind is your MU Libraries account. This is the account that keeps track of all the books and materials you have checked out from the Mizzou Libraries. For MOBIUS items, check your MOBIUS account. If you have anything checked out through Interlibrary Loan, you can see that information by logging into your separate ILL Account.
Additionally, something else you always want to bring with you to the Mizzou Libraries is your Student ID. After 10 pm this is how you are granted access into Ellis Library, and this is also how you check out supplies (i.e., chargers, whiteboard markers, etc.) or use available lockers during all hours that library services are open.
Send a Pet Gram!- Feeling stressed? Need a pick me up or know someone else who needs a a dose of serotonin? Send yourself, a friend, a coworker, or whoever else a pet gram to make them smile.
Color our Collections– for the past few years, Special Collections participated in a week long, social media coloring fest. You can print out and color items from our special collections and archives. And to get you in the Mizzou spirit, there’s a homecoming edition featuring drawings, cartoons, and images from the Savitar, the yearbook of the University of Missouri, published from 1894 to 2004.
Library Ambiance– miss the sounds of the library while studying? One of our favorite things to do is pull up some videos on youtube that mimic the sounds of the library, coffee shops, or our house common room. We’ve curated a list of our favorites to share with you.
Finals Jam Playlist– need a playlist to help you study? We got you covered. This is a list of some of our favorite songs. If you have a suggestion let us know!
Virtual Puzzles– If puzzles are your thing, virtual puzzles can be a nice break from studying. You can even work on the Ellis Library Grand Reading Room.
Animal Cams at the St. Louis Zoo– Animal therapy is backed by science and instantly makes you feel better.
5 Best Mindfulness Apps– This website provides a break down, including pros and cons for each, that help you decide which app is best for you. We’ve become fans of Simple Habit.
Election Day is right around the corner: Tuesday, November 8th!
How are you supposed to know who and what you can vote for? Where can you get the information you need to make your voting choices?
Visit the Mizzou Election Hub for resources available to you on campus.
Hearnes Center is a central polling location on November 8th, which means any eligible registered voter can cast their ballot there. Remember that you will need to bring an ID to vote.
Banned Books Coalition had an amazing lineup of Facebook livestreams to mark the week.
All events are free — simply join the Banned Books Week Facebook page at the appointed hour!
Can’t make it live? All events will be recorded and released on the Banned Books Week YouTube channel after Banned Books Week.
Banned Books Week is an annual event celebrating the freedom to read. Banned Books Week was launched in 1982 in response to a sudden surge in the number of challenges to books in schools, bookstores and libraries. Typically held during the last week of September, it highlights the value of free and open access to information. Banned Books Week brings together the entire book community — librarians, booksellers, publishers, journalists, teachers, and readers of all types — in shared support of the freedom to seek and to express ideas, even those some consider unorthodox or unpopular.
What is it like to be the only teen protesting censorship at school board meetings? How do you go from being the only voice of opposition to leading the fight against censorship in your community – and inspiring others to do the same? In this program, Banned Books Week Honorary Chair Cameron Samuels (they/them) will lead a conversation with youth activists from around the United States. These inspiring young leaders will talk about their experiences and share their ideas for how others can get involved!
Banned Books Week Honorary Chair George M. Johnson’s Moment in the Spotlight
Tuesday, September 20, 1:00 p.m. EDT
Join Banned Books Week Honorary Chair George M. Johnson for an intimate conversation about censorship and how it impacts readers, especially young adults. Johnson will discuss the censorship of their critically acclaimed bestselling novel All Boys Aren’t Blue, which was the third title on the American Library Association’s Top 10 Most Challenged Books of 2021, and the ongoing attacks on books and information related to LGBTQ+ identity. This one-on-one conversation will be led by Freedom to Read Foundation President and librarian Peter Coyl and include a short Q&A.
We also have this book available for check out!
Join New York Times bestselling authors Angie Thomas (The Hate U Give, On the Come Up, Concrete Rose) and Jerry Craft (New Kid, Class Act) for a conversation about the censorship of books dealing with racial identity and racism. The authors will discuss the censorship of their work and the implications for readers, authors, and the community. They will be joined by Jeremy C. Young, Senior Manager of Free Expression and Education at PEN America, who will offer perspective on how legislation is impacting and even fueling censorship. The program will be moderated by Amber Payne Co-Editor in Chief for The Emancipator, a digital commentary platform born from a collaboration between The Boston Globe and Boston University’s Center for Antiracist Research.
Maia Kobabe and Mike Curato Explain Why LGBTQ+ Comics Belong in Schools and Libraries
Thursday, September 22, 5:00 p.m. EDT
Comic books have been targeted by censors for decades, from 1954 Senate subcommittee hearings about their alleged link to juvenile delinquency, to the implementation of a content code that nearly destroyed the industry, to today’s widespread attacks on comics, especially those that share the stories of LGBTQ+ individuals. Join the creators of two of today’s most acclaimed and frequently censored graphic novels — Maia Kobabe (Gender Queer) and Mike Curato (Flamer) — for a conversation about the attempts to censor their work and LGBTQ+ stories. Greg Rokisky, Senior Manager of Digital Strategy at PFLAG National, and Jordan Smith, Digital Editor at Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, will lead the conversation.
August is Pride Month in Columbia and to celebrate, Mizzou Libraries is showcasing queer texts found in our collection. Thank you to Jeron Hicks, senior English student, who curated this display to share with the Mizzou community.
Choices for this exhibit were not made to recognize the most prestigious poetry and prose of queer writing, nor to showcase the innumerable overshadowed works compiled by history: rather, the intention is to blend these categories and recognize that the value of LGBTQ+ literature is not fashioned purely by its initial or later reception. Instead, the aim is to provide a meaningful list of authors and their works from various times and categorical convergences to be used as introduction to wide array of styles in voice, imagery, and thematic contemplation found in queer writing.
Next time in you are in Ellis Library, take some time to visit this display on the 2nd floor.
In case you missed it, April was Arab American Heritage Month! We put together an A-Z list of music, books, poetry and more to celebrate Arab heritage in the United States.
Explore this three part series and join Mizzou Libraries in supporting Arab American voices:
Series written by: Rachel Brekhus, Melissa Fayad & Sireen Abayazid (Student worker, DMiL)
Before those long hours of studying during finals week, find a study spot at Mizzou Libraries. We have spaces for everyone. If you prefer silence, check out rooms 201 and 202 in Ellis Library. Check out this Ellis Library floorplan to see all the quiet spots. Journalism also has four private personal study pods on the bottom floor that are first come, first served.
If you don’t prefer complete silence, try the Information Commons (or the first main floor of Ellis Library). Or the Bookmark Café on the ground floor for coffee and conversation.
If it’s a group study spot you are searching for, try to reserve one of the group study rooms in either Ellis, Engineering, or Journalism. They can be reserved for up to two hours for each group. Some also have Solstice monitors to help groups studying together share information with one another. Whatever you need, make sure and plan ahead, as rooms fill up quickly! Currently, access to the Health Sciences Library is only accessible to those with badges authorized to enter the School of Medicine and MU Healthcare buildings.
Remember, if your program has its own library, be sure to check out those spaces, as they are often designated specifically for you!
Are you presenting at Health Sciences Research Day? Add your poster to MOspace to help boost your resume.
MOspace is the freely available online repository for scholarship and other works by University of Missouri faculty, students, and staff.
You retain copyright, and we provide access.
Once items are submitted, the platform can provide statistics like number of downloads, and from which countries.
Currently, all Health Sciences Research Day posters in MOspace have a total of 48,297 downloads from over 100 countries worldwide. That’s up from 39,061 from last year.
Interested in seeing the worldwide impact of your research? Submit your poster using our online form today.
You can further your impact by signing up for an ORCID ID at ORCID.org.