New student-curated online exhibits now available

By John Henry Adams Posted in Events and Exhibits Special Collections and Archives Staff news

Posted on May 17, 2021April 18, 2023

There are two new digital exhibits in Special Collections, curated by our spring 2021 interns: John T. McCutcheon: A Cartoonist in his Prime, 1930s, curated by Allison Cathey, and The Art of Cartography, Cartes-à-figures, curated by Lily McEwan. Our students have worked very hard over the past semester on these exhibits and now we’re ready to share them with you. Read on below for our interns’ descriptions of their projects. We hope that you enjoy the exhibits!

John T. McCutcheon: A Cartoonist in his Prime, 1930s

by Allison Cathey

My exhibit is formed around American cartoonist John T. McCutcheon and his work during the peak of his career at the Chicago Tribune. The exhibit showcases 11 of the cartoons that MU Digital Library has access to. The others can be found in the John Tinney McCutcheon Collection of Editorial Cartoons in the MU Digital Library or in person at the Special Collections if you wish to use them for further information.

The exhibit is focused on the use of cartoons in the 1930s during which some consider to be the prime years in John T. McCutcheon’s career as a cartoonist. Amidst the economic struggles of the 1930s, McCutcheon brought light to political, social, and economic issues. His ability to cover a variety of subjects showed his versatility and the reason that people refer to him as the American dean of cartooning. Additionally, in the 1930s McCutcheon was awarded an honorary doctoral degree and Pulitzer Prize for his exceptional work. He spent the last years of the decade beginning his autobiography that reflects on his personal and work life. The exhibit includes cartoons pertaining to McCutcheon’s view on: economics, American holidays, global politics, marriage and divorce, automobile crashes, administrative programs, local news, war, technological advancement, and treaty breaking.

The Art of Cartography: Cartes-à-figures

by Lily McEwan

I chose to create the digital exhibit The Art of Cartography: Cartes-à-figures as a passion project for my interest in art history. As a student studying Art History and Anthropology, I loved the hands-on opportunity to conduct research and over the course of the semester have gained valuable interpretive critical-thinking skills. The creative process and the designing element of an exhibit was a new experience that was thoroughly delightful. I have a new appreciation for librarianship and researchers – as there is a lot that goes on behind the scenes.

My favorite aspect of this experience was visiting the reading room! Seeing with my own eyes these wonderfully old and preserved maps has reconfirmed my interest in Art History and preservation work. I am grateful to have this opportunity as it will help prepare me for a life of research. In fact, this summer I will be attending archaeological field school in Pompeii under the direction of Dr. Kate Trusler for a month-long research endeavor in public sanitation.

I have thoroughly enjoyed my time as in Intern for Ellis Library’s Special Collections Department. I am so grateful to have had the experience in digital exhibition research, writing, and publication. I want to thank John Henry Adams, Kelly Hanson, Anne Stanton, and the entire department of Special Collections for assisting with research, guidance, and allowing me to have this opportunity in exhibition research.

home Ellis Library, Resources and Services Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Book Recommedations

Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Book Recommedations

By Danielle Gorman Posted in Ellis Library Resources and Services

Posted on May 7, 2021April 18, 2023

May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, and at Mizzou Libraries we are celebrating Asian and Pacific American stories and authors! Join us in celebrating these stories and authors by picking up one of these books at your Mizzou libraries!

The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan:

The Joy Luck Club is a story that focuses on the relationship between mothers and daughters and the deep feelings that connect us all. We follow four Chinese women in 1949 after their recent immigration to San Francisco. As these women begin a routine of meeting up to eat dim sum, play mahjong, and talk with one another, the reader and the women see how between their shared history, loss, and hopeful optimism, these women share a connection and, through this connection, they create the “Joy Luck Club”. Amy Tan writes a tender and immersive story that highlights the beauty and deep feelings that connect all mothers and daughters that will hopefully leave everyone feeling understood by these characters and stories.

http://merlin.lib.umsystem.edu:80/record=b4049057~S1

A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki:

In this unforgettable novel, we follow two stories: the first takes place in Tokyo, where we meet sixteen-year-old Nao, who, after being bullied by her classmates, contemplates taking her life. However, before she does anything drastic, she wants to document her great grandmother’s eventful life as a Buddhist nun. Recording everything in her diary, Nao writes without understanding how important her words will eventually become. Across the ocean on a remote island, a novelist discovers a washed-up Hello Kitty lunchbox containing a collection of artifacts and believes it to be debris from the 2011 tsunami. However, as the story develops and these artifacts’ contents are uncovered, we learn how these two characters overlap and how their stories can hopefully help each other. http://merlin.lib.umsystem.edu:80/record=b9598306~S1

American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang:

In this action-packed graphic novel, we follow the lives of three very different characters: Jin Wang, the new kid in town, who quickly realizes he is the only Chinese-American student; a character named “Monkey King”, who is the subject of one of the oldest Chinese fables; and Chin-Kee, a personification of negative Chinese stereotypes, who ruins his cousin Danny’s “popular” image every year when he comes to visit. This modern fable is filled with twists and turns perfect for young adult readers or anyone curious to see how these three characters’ stories unfold. http://merlin.lib.umsystem.edu/record=b5854219~S1

Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri:

From Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jhumpa Lahiri, Unaccustomed Earth consists of eight stories that range from Seattle to India to Thailand. In these stories, we follow a diverse cast of characters as they navigate different relationships in their lives. In the titular story, a mother has just moved to a new city and watches the bond between her father and son grow, but is unaware of her own father’s secrets. In “A Choice of Accommodations,” a husband attempting to turn a friend’s wedding into a romantic getaway finds the night taking dark and surprising turns. In “Only Goodness,” a sister eager to give her younger brother the picture-perfect childhood she never had must now wrestle her guilt and anger when his alcoholism threatens her family. Filled with rich stories and stunning writing, Unaccustomed Earth is a powerful piece of work you have to check out! http://merlin.lib.umsystem.edu:80/record=b6304064~S1

Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning by Cathy Park Hong:

Author Cathy Park Hong, daughter of Korean immigrants, didn’t understand why she grew up feeling ashamed, suspicious, and sad. Later in life, she would coin these feelings as “minor feelings” that often occur when American optimism deeply contradicts and affects your realities. Using her own story, Hong examines racial consciousness in America and unpacks each of her relationships, from her family to her feelings towards the English language. Minor Feelings is a unique and eye-opening memoir that will blow you away with Hong’s honest and critical writing! You can request a copy here: http://merlin.lib.umsystem.edu:80/record=b13651982~S1

Danielle Gorman / English Intern / Spring 2021

home Ellis Library, Resources and Services Arab American Heritage Month Book Recommendations

Arab American Heritage Month Book Recommendations

By Danielle Gorman Posted in Ellis Library Resources and Services

Posted on April 23, 2021April 18, 2023

Did you know that April is National Arab American Heritage Month? This month, we celebrate and recognize Arab American heritage and culture and pay tribute to contributions made by Arab Americans. Join Mizzou Libraries in celebrating this month by supporting Arab American voices and stories with these books!

Palace Walk, Naguib Mahfouz

This novel is the first novel in the Cairo Trilogy written by Nobel Prize-winning author Naguib Mahfouz. The Cairo Trilogy follows the family of a tyrannical patriarch, who keeps a strict ruling household while he lives a secret life away from those pressures and expectations. Throughout this novel, we follow the stories of Amina, his oppressed wife, Aisha and Khadija, his sheltered daughters, and his three sons, Fahmy, Yasin, and Kamal. As you turn each page, you begin to see how the family’s own struggles mirror the world around them, as we follow their stories through two world wars and a changing country.

http://merlin.lib.umsystem.edu:80/record=b2327182~S1

The Words of My Father: Love and Pain in Palestine, Yousef Bashir

In this candid memoir, author Yousef Bashir details his life growing up next to an Israeli military base and his childhood in Gaza during the Second Intifada. Bashir expresses his commitment to peace in the wake of devastation and brings insightful stories to the reader that highlight the importance of moving past anger, fear, and prejudices. http://merlin.lib.umsystem.edu:80/record=b13062042~S1

Amreekiya: A Novel, Lena Mahmoud

This novel follows the story of twenty-one-year-old Isra Shadi, who, after the death of her mother, is forced to move to California with her uncle and aunt. Remaining an outcast in her house, her family strongly encourages Isra to get married and move out. She believes it is hopeless among the multiple suitors she rejects until she finds Yusef, a man she loved from her past, and marries him. Amreekiya switches between the two storylines of Isra’s adolescence and her present-day married life as we watch her struggle between two cultures and how she can define herself.

http://merlin.lib.umsystem.edu:80/record=b13217031~S1

Hope and Other Dangerous Pursuits, Laila Lalami

In her debut novel, Laila Lalami tells the gripping story of four Moroccans illegally crossing the Strait of Gibraltar in a boat heading to Spain. We follow the characters of Murad, an educated man who has been forced into hustling tourists for money; Halima, a woman fleeing her alcoholic husband; Aziz, a man forced to leave behind his wife to find work in a new country; and Faten, a young, religious student who finds herself at a crossroads between her faith and an influential man who is determined to destroy her future. This novel has the reader on the edge of their seat, as you wonder will they survive this risky journey, and if they do, will it have been worth it?

http://merlin.lib.umsystem.edu:80/record=b5371575~S1

Sex and Lies: True Stories of Women’s Intimate Lives in the Arab World, Leila Slimani

In this eye-opening and heartbreaking expose, Slimani documents the lives of Moroccan women and the struggles they face toward sexual liberation. In Morocco, adultery, abortion, homosexuality, and sex outside of marriage are punishable by law, which creates a difficult standard for the women who live there. Women must decide between being a wife or remaining a virgin. Sex and Lies shines a light on the best-kept secrets of women’s sexual lives in Morocco and makes a strong case for a sexual revolution in the Arab world. This book isn’t yet available to check out from MU Libraries, but you can request it here: http://merlin.lib.umsystem.edu:80/record=b13695020~S1

Danielle Gorman / English Intern / Spring 2021

home J. Otto Lottes Health Sciences Library, Resources and Services Copies of White Fragility Available At The Health Sciences Library

Copies of White Fragility Available At The Health Sciences Library

By Taira Meadowcroft Posted in J. Otto Lottes Health Sciences Library Resources and Services

Posted on April 19, 2021April 18, 2023

Signed up for the June diversity, equity and inclusion book discussion on White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo? Several print copies are available for check out through MOBIUS. You can request a copy be sent to the health sciences library for easy access. Request your copy here

Looking for a digital copy? There are two copies available for online viewing.

The Women in Medicine and Medical Sciences (WIMMS), in partnership with the SOM Office of Diversity and Inclusion, invites anyone interested to join in reading and discussing “White Fragility” by Robin DiAngelo. The discussion, a Caroline McGill Society event, will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 15, via Zoom. Register for the discussion

home Ellis Library, Resources and Services Mizzou Libraries’ Favorite Female Authors

Mizzou Libraries’ Favorite Female Authors

By Danielle Gorman Posted in Ellis Library Resources and Services

Posted on March 26, 2021April 18, 2023

National Women’s Month may be coming to an end, but there are still many ways you can support female voices throughout the rest of this month and beyond! Whether you chose to donate to a nonprofit organization or decide to learn more about women’s history through sites such as https://womenshistorymonth.gov/, here at Mizzou Libraries, we encourage you to continue showcasing and uplifting women’s voices however you can. One of our favorite ways to celebrate anything at our libraries is by supporting our favorite books and authors! To celebrate National Women’s Month, we asked some library staff members who their favorite female authors are!

Rachel Brekhus (Librarian III, Humanities/Social Sciences Librarian, Instruction Department): Octavia Butler, Sheri S. Tepper, and Harriet Washington.

William Morgan (Library Information Specialist, E-Learning): Marilynne Robinson and Jesmyn Ward.

Gwen Gray (Librarian III, Business, Economics, & Entrepreneurship): Donna Leon, Agatha Christie, Carol Carnac, Sujata Massey, Anne Perry, and Charles Todd.

Corrie Hutchinson (Associate University Librarian for Acquisitions, Collections, and Technical Services): Jane Austen and Agatha Christie.

Rebecca Graves (Educational Services Librarian, Health Sciences Library): Ursula Le Guin and N. K. Jemisin.

Erin Merrill (Library Info Specialist): Sophie Kinsella and Gail Carriger.

Dorothy Carner (Head, Journalism Libraries): Deborah Willis (here is an online exhibit curated by Journalism Libraries showcasing Willis’ work https://spark.adobe.com/page/ZYMtHBO9rPcTn/ )

You can check out many of these authors at your Mizzou Libraries: http://merlin.lib.umsystem.edu/search/X.

Along with reading from your favorite authors, it is also important to remember why supporting female voices is essential when consuming literature. Here is why Mizzou Libraries’ staff members believe reading work by women is important to them!

Corrie Hutchinson: I think it’s important to read female authors so that you have a balanced viewpoint. Books and stories are how people share viewpoints and experiences, so why limit yourself to only one perspective? Why escape to a world that only men created? That’s just silly. No limits.

William Morgan: Because male authors were so much of my own education as well as what I had to teach in World Literature as a high school teacher, I feel I need to focus more on female authors so that I have a more well-rounded view of both historical and modern literature.

Rebecca Graves: Their writing is rich and deep. It is not so filtered through the lens of “I” of being the focus of attention when walking into a room. There’s more depth to even the minor characters. I.e., the characters are there for the story and have their own backstory. They aren’t just there to prop up the lead. I find more variety in their writing. True, all genders of writers have tackled the hero’s journey, but there are more stories to be told than simply the hero’s. I also find it confirming that women have written brilliant stories. To read Le Guin or Jemisin is to have excellent language, rich worlds, and well-crafted plots. They are masters of the craft.

Whatever way you decide to celebrate the duration of Women’s History Month, we hope you visit one of our Mizzou Libraries and pick up a book to support female authors!

Danielle Gorman / English Intern/ Spring 2021

home Cycle of Success Mizzou Libraries Display Students’ Creative Work Even During Pandemic

Mizzou Libraries Display Students’ Creative Work Even During Pandemic

By Shannon Cary Posted in Cycle of Success

Posted on March 19, 2021April 18, 2023

In the Fall of 2020, Dr. Sarah Buchanan was teaching an Honors seminar on material culture and had planned to exhibit work created by her students. Restrictions on gallery visits due to the pandemic meant that her students would be accessing materials primarily online, with the possibilities for displaying their work curbed greatly. Buchanan conferred with Kelli Hansen, Head of Special Collections, and Marie Concannon, the head of government information at Mizzou Libraries, who had collaborated with her to display the physical exhibit in Ellis Library in previous years. Concannon brought in Shannon Cary, the Libraries’ communications officer, who offered to display the exhibit on the Libraries’ website.

The exhibit “Making Art for All/Our Time” showcased work by undergraduate students for the Honors seminar “Get Real, Go Places! Let Objects Take You There.” Over eight weeks, the students gathered on Zoom to peer inside the galleries, shelves and sidewalks of campus where objects of material culture are prudently managed for public interactions. The course introduces students to the practice of interpreting, inspecting and writing about objects through regular use of a sketchbook journal and weekly syntheses shared with classmates. The course is taught by Dr. Buchanan of the iSchool at the University of Missouri along with gallery, library, archive and museum (GLAM) professionals based on the Mizzou campus who contribute to the Material Culture Studies Group, established in 2014.

The Mizzou Libraries were also able to contribute to the class by providing some of its own material culture for the curriculum. The students were introduced to Special Collections through a Zoom session that focused on a broad range of items, including cuneiform tablets, maps, artists’ books and works of art. Items selected for this class are browsable on the Special Collections website.

Buchanan stated that, her “desired outcomes for the exhibit of Honors student works are to showcase themed explorations of objects we encounter across Mizzou’s galleries, libraries, archives, and museums – promoting collection uses while introducing students to material culture research.” The seminar is a central part of Buchanan’s research and teaching activities focused around provenance research, recently funded by an IMLS Early Career Development grant (the first to MU). Provenance research when applied to objects from cultures past and present can foster stronger connections between a person’s heritage, homelands, and present-day learning.

The digital display, which is still available online, includes a clay sculpture recreation of a political cartoon, a colored pencil response to works shown in the Bingham Art Gallery, and an embroidered fiber art piece depicting the plants and native species of Missouri, among others. “One digital artwork revisits the 1916 Golden Lane protest in St. Louis,” according to Buchanan, “and reminds us that art persists and connects our communities to each other.” She says the exhibit title also sought to capture the alternating sense of time being suspended yet urgent in the virtual semester, when “traveling” involved more screens and fewer miles.

The Libraries were happy to contribute to the success of the exhibit by displaying it on our website. Buchanan said she appreciated the “librarians’ flexibility in transitioning from a planned in-person exhibit to a digital post, given the physical risks right now. The students are thankful and happy to see their work alongside their classmates’.”

home Events and Exhibits, Journalism Library Deborah Willis, Artist and Photographer – Interviews and books held at the MU Libraries

Deborah Willis, Artist and Photographer – Interviews and books held at the MU Libraries

By Schuermann, Sue Posted in Events and Exhibits Journalism Library

Posted on March 11, 2021April 18, 2023

A virtual display of the life and books of the artist and photographer, Deborah Willis.

https://spark.adobe.com/page/ZYMtHBO9rPcTn/

home Ellis Library, Resources and Services Black History Month Book Recommendations

Black History Month Book Recommendations

By Danielle Gorman Posted in Ellis Library Resources and Services

Posted on February 25, 2021April 18, 2023

Just because February is almost over doesn’t mean there isn’t still time to pick up a great read to celebrate Black History Month. This month, at Ellis Library, we are appreciating all the wonderful reads written by Black authors, showcasing Black stories. Here are just a few of our favorite picks you can find available at Mizzou libraries or request through our website.

For the Non-fiction Lovers:

Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson

Told in verse, Brown Girl Dreaming tells the story of author Jacquelin Woodson’s childhood and her experience as a young African American girl growing up in the 1960s. From her growing awareness of the Civil Rights movement to her self-discovered love of writing and reading, Woodson crafts beautiful poems that share an emotional and connective journey of self-discovery and adolescence. Brown Girl Dreaming is the perfect read for poetry and auto-biography lovers looking for an embracive and powerful read about a young girl’s coming-of-age.

http://merlin.lib.umsystem.edu:80/record=b10675107~S8

Redefining Realness by Janet Mock

This powerful memoir documents the honest journey of writer and activist Janet Mock’s childhood, as we follow her story growing up as a lower-class, multiracial, trans woman in America. Mock captivates the reader with her unapologetic writing as she recounts tales from her experience transitioning as a teenager up into her college years and falling in love for the first time. This memoir is a fascinating read for readers who enjoy powerful and personal stories that leave you feeling inspired and changed for the better.

http://merlin.lib.umsystem.edu:80/record=b13586285~S1

Born a Crime by Trevor Noah

In this moving and gripping memoir, comedian Trevor Noah reflects on his life, as a young boy growing up in apartheid South Africa, to his present-day reality as one of the biggest comedians of his time. Noah begins his story with the event of an unexpected crime: his own birth. Born a Crime is a captivating read about the struggles of finding your identity and place in a world in which you were never supposed to exist. This read is perfect for those looking for an insightful yet humorously told coming-of-age story that leaves you feeling everything from heartbroken to unnerved to fully inspired by Noah’s ability to compose an unforgettable memoir.

http://merlin.lib.umsystem.edu:80/record=b11701060~S1

For the Fiction Lovers:

My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite

This dark and quick-paced read follows our main character, Korede, who has always felt second to her younger sister, Ayoola. Ayoola is seemingly the perfect daughter, except for one problem—she cannot stop killing her boyfriends, leaving Korede to clean up her mess. My Sister, the Serial Killer, takes the reader on a frightening journey, making you question how far one can go to protect those they love. This novel is perfect for readers looking for a short and fun yet truly haunting read.

http://merlin.lib.umsystem.edu:80/record=b12642462~S1

The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates

Ta-Nehisi Coates’s best-selling novel is the best pick for readers looking for a challenging yet profound read that will leave you feeling impacted and heartbroken by Coates’s beautiful storytelling. This novel follows Hiram Walker, who was born into slavery; when his mother is sold away, he believes he has truly lost all memories and remains of what he knew of her. Years later, when Hiram experiences a brush with death, in which he only survives because of a strange and magical power he possesses, he wonders if he contains more of his mother than he realizes. This discovery leads him on a dangerous and unexpected journey to find the answers he has always sought and attempt to find and rescue the mother he has not seen since he was young.

http://merlin.lib.umsystem.edu:80/record=b13058080~S1

If Beale Street Could Talk by James Baldwin

In this heartbreaking and beautifully honest novel, by legendary writer James Baldwin, we follow a young artist named Fonny who is unjustly arrested and sent to New York’s notorious “Tombs”. His girlfriend, Tish, who is pregnant with his child, refuses to let him stay locked away and is determined to free him. If Beale Street Could Talk is a powerful novel that addresses necessary and prevalent topics like punishment and crime in America and is perfect for readers looking for an unforgettable classic read.

http://merlin.lib.umsystem.edu:80/record=b1867248~S1

By Danielle Gorman / English Intern / Spring 2021

home Events and Exhibits Saturday Night Is Black History & Culture Trivia Night

Saturday Night Is Black History & Culture Trivia Night

By Shannon Cary Posted in Events and Exhibits

Posted on February 22, 2021April 18, 2023

Test your knowledge, make new friends, and win real prizes at Black History & Culture Trivia Night Online this Saturday, February 27 at 6:45 PM. There’s still time, so…

Trivia Night 2021 will be held online, this year, but it will still be a fun & exciting evening, emceed by the great Cyndi Frisby, and full of fun surprises that may or may not include a “name that dance” video clue category and some dance breaks.

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: