Ellis Library and Unique Media
By: Josiah Abbott
I am sure everyone reading this article is aware that Ellis Library houses a large collection of books. If you’ve explored the library due to a project or just fascination, you may have come across journals or perhaps government documents. However, Ellis has an even larger collection of special media, ranging from oversized books to DVDs to children’s books.
First, one of my personal favorite forms of media: oversized books. If the name has not made it clear, these are books that are far larger than typical, to the extent that they often don’t fit in the stacks. I find these to be some of the most artistic and intriguing forms of literature. They are mostly in the large reading rooms on the second floor but can also be found on the east side of the 4th floor.
Most guests don’t come to a University Library looking for DVDs. However, Ellis has 100s of video DVDs on its shelves. From The Godfather to Napoleon Dynamite, there are DVDs for everyone to enjoy. These have a special location on the east side of the 1st floor. If you don’t have a DVD player, you can check one out at the circulation desk (in addition to external disc drives, or a projector if you want to have a watch party).
Next to the DVDs is a large collection of current journals and magazines, with the loose flimsy volumes from the current year on display before they are bound and sent upstairs to the stacks. Nearby is a special section of Government Documents, Microfiche (a card made of transparent film used to store printed information in miniaturized form) and reference books (books for consultation; ex. dictionaries, atlases, encyclopedias).
Newspapers are also a quite important piece of media, and certainly one of the most useful sources for any project. Many visitors likely expect newspapers to be in Ellis, and they would be correct. Our newspapers are kept in room 115 on the opposite side of the Lowry Mall entrance from our circulation desk. This is also where the popular reading collection from the public library, DBRL, can be found.
While not often a unique form of media, I think it is important to mention our new books are kept on two shelves in the Colonnade right near the Peer Navigator desk. The display rotates every month, so definitely something to check out every once in a while.
Finally, we have juvenile media. I was completely unaware that we had any children’s books in Ellis until I began researching for this article, but it turns out we have an entire section dedicated to them. They are kept on the East side of the 4th floor. While juvenile fiction certainly wasn’t something I expected in the University of Missouri’s library system, it is quite refreshing after weeks, months, or even years of dealing with peer-reviewed articles. If you need a break when studying, flipping through an old childhood favorite (or a new one) is a great way to pause and slow down.
Hopefully, this has sparked a curiosity that will lead you to check out various media in Ellis. If you want to learn more about these unique forms of media or need help locating them, you can stop by the peer navigator desk.