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Yearly Archives: 2009
Digital Exhibit Celebrates 75 Years of Alley Oop
MU Libraries celebrates the 75th anniversary of the syndication of the comic strip Alley Oop with a digital exhibition drawing from the libraries’ V.T. Hamlin and Comic Art Collections, which are permanently housed in Special Collections at Ellis Library. The exhibit explores the evolution of the strip, as well as its place in the history of the comic art medium and American culture. Personal photographs, correspondence, original artwork, daily and Sunday strips, books and various other ephemera are included.
This digital exhibit is inspired by the physical exhibition mounted in Ellis Library from September 10th through the 30th, 2008, and includes all of the items featured in the physical exhibit, plus some additional artifacts. Video of all of the events are available for viewing online as well, including the Keynote speech with Jack and Carole Bender, the current artists of Alley Oop; talks by local literary and art historians; a panel of young cartoonists from St. Louis and Chicago; and a talk by legendary underground cartoonist and MU Professor Emeritus of Art Frank Stack.
The online exhibit is available at http://mulibraries.missouri.edu/specialcollections/exhibits/alleyoop75th.htm.
The Game’s Afoot!
Dear Colleagues,
Some of our most memorable exhibits in past years have showcased the collections and talents of library personnel. The Exhibits Committee now calls upon its colleagues to provide the components for an upcoming show highlighting an area of special interest to many. A number of us are devotees of games and puzzles and have examples of these forms of amusement that are certain to prove an informative, visually compelling and thoroughly entertaining display. We hope that you will share with us your sets of Senet, Wari, Chinesenspiel, Shove Ha’penny, Alquerque, Go, the Royal Game of Ur, Nine Men’s Morris, Shogi, Fox and Geese, Asalto, Caroms, Cribbage, and others. Certainly the exhibit would not be complete without such standards as Chess, Monopoly, Trivial Pursuit, Checkers, Mastermind, etc. as well. If examples of these better-known games were somehow unique (a first, early, special or foreign made edition, or handcrafted) it would enhance the presence of that classic in the show. Game nights at some of your homes are occasions for the enjoyment of several of the latest entrants into the world of competitive fun and our exhibit would be enhanced by examples of such emerging pastimes. Puzzles and or toys that require skill such as ball in cup or paddle ball, spinning tops, Rubik’s Cube, etc would add a vibrant dimension to the show. Assuredly, computer games are welcome (the box in which a game came would probably be adequate to showcase many electronic diversions). We are looking forward to this exhibit and to your participation.
The show is scheduled for July 2009. Please contact me as soon as possible to reserve space in the upcoming display for your favorite game or puzzle.
Additionally in keeping with the theme for this show, we are holding a contest which will be announced in detail soon. To whet your appetite for the game, be aware that in addition to bragging rights, the first place winner will receive a $25 book store gift certificate, and the 2nd and 3rd place winners will be awarded concert tickets.
Paula Roper 168 Ellis 882-3326 RoperP@missouri.edu
“Wall Street and Main Street” opens June 6 at the State Historical Society of Missouri
NEWS RELEASE
May 12, 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Joan Stack (573) 882-9368
COLUMBIA, MO—The artistry and social commentary of Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist Daniel Fitzpatrick will be on display in the North-South Gallery of The State Historical Society of Missouri beginning on June 6, 2009, in “Wall Street and Main Street”: Editorial Cartoons on the Economic Crisis of the 1930s from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The exhibit demonstrates Fitzpatrick’s talents and the continued relevance of his work through more than 40 cartoons documenting political and social milestones of the depression era.
Born in Superior, Wisconsin, at the turn of the twentieth century, Daniel “Fitz” Fitzpatrick was a classically trained artist who was not afraid to use his lithographic crayon against any person, place, or event that he saw trampling the average American. Fitz ridiculed presidents and other politicians, took aim at Nazis, pressed for equal rights, and during the 1930s reflected the truth of the Great Depression for readers of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. He depicted the “Hooverville” shantytowns that plagued St. Louis and the rest of the country, and viewers could read in the faces of his characters the economic hardships brought to bear on both financial elites and “main street” America.
“In his dark, brooding drawings, [Fitz] made the pain felt by so many people almost palpable—the psychological, the sociological, and the economic pain,” said fellow former Post-Dispatch editorial cartoonist Tom Engelhardt, who took inspiration from Fitzpatrick’s work as a young man. “It was this sensitivity and honesty that infused his works and led to his being called ‘the dean of American editorial cartoonists,’ a title he carried for many years. It was his visual commentaries that added to the [Post’s] reputation as a powerful force working on behalf of the poor and downtrodden.”
“Wall Street and Main Street” will be on display through October 3, 2009. The State Historical Society of Missouri is located in Ellis Library at the intersection of Hitt Street and Lowry Mall on the University of Missouri campus, with parking available in three nearby garages.
About The State Historical Society of Missouri
Founded in 1898 by the Missouri Press Association and a trustee of the state since 1899, the Society is the preeminent research facility for the study of the Show Me State’s heritage and a leader in programming designed to share that heritage with the public. Through educational outreach, such as the Missouri History Speakers’ Bureau and genealogy workshops, or the performing arts, like MoHiP Theatre, the Society not only brings Missouri history to the state’s citizens, but also gives Missourians the tools to uncover the history in their own lives.
Brooks Receives Chapman Award
Congratulations to Terry Brooks, LIA in Circulation/Reserve, who recieved the Chapman Scholars in Religion award. Each year the Religious Studies department gives two $250 awards to majors for their accomplishments in the study of religion and their contributions to the program in Religious Studies. These awards have been made possible by a gift to the department from Dr. Charles L. and Paula Chapman.
Terry is graduating this semester with a degreed in Religious Studies.
Healthy for Life Update
Weight Watchers at Work
There will be two summer Weight Watchers sessions starting in May. All faculty and staff who miss no more than one class qualify for a rebate from Healthy for Life. Split payment plans are available. Please plan to attend one of these Open House sessions for more information:
• Clark Hall, Room 542 on Wednesday, May 13th from 12 p.m. until 1 p.m. Enrollment fee is $156 for 13 weeks. ONE more person is needed to enroll in the class in order for it to happen! Please email Melissa Willett at willettmd@umsystem.edu if you would like to participate.
• University Hospital’s School of Medicine, Room M586 on Wednesday, May 27th from 11:45 a.m.-12:45 p.m. (Please note this date has moved from May 20th to May 27th!) Enrollment fee is $186 for 17 weeks.
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction
Enroll now for this 8-week program to learn skills for responding to the stresses of life with skill and creativity. Classes include instruction in formal mind/body practices and information about stress, communication, and wellness. Regular class attendance and a commitment of approximately 30-45 minutes of practice per day for the duration of the course are required. Cost of $40 includes 3 CDs and a training manual ($20 to be refunded if you attend 7 of the 8 classes). An orientation session is required to enroll in the class and will be held on Tuesday, June 2 at 5:00 p.m. The 8-week class will be held on Tuesdays (June 9 – July 28) from 5:00 – 7:00 (in the Memorial Union). There will be a full-day retreat (9:00 – 4:00 p.m.) on Saturday, July 18 as part of the class. SPACE IS LIMITED. For more information or to register for the orientation meeting, please contact Lynn Rossy at RossyL@umsystem.edu
Body Conditioning
We would like to thank Nani Fudge for her dedication in teaching the lunchtime Body Conditioning class that was open to all faculty and staff. All profits Nani collected went to The United Way. This class has ended for the semester, but is likely to begin again this fall. Please contact Jaclyn Heider at heiderj@umsystem.edu if you would like to be notified when this class begins again.
Chancellor’s Walk
The annual Chancellor’s Walk for MU will be held Wednesday, May 20th with three tours guided by Landscape Services and a power walk provided by Healthy for Life. The Walk is part of Staff Appreciation Week and is sponsored by the Staff Advisory Council and Healthy for Life. Each tour will depart from the South Jesse Plaza at noon, with one focusing on perennials, another on trees and the third on shrubs. The power walk will leave at the same time. Healthy for Life will also be providing FREE blood pressure screenings and information about its programs, in addition to enrolling people in its Million Step Pedometer Program. If you would like to sign up that day, bring cash or check only. Pedometers are $15 and include a free log book.
Missouri Farmers’ Markets
Missouri is home to more than 140 farmers’ markets located in communities across the state providing a rich variety of homegrown fruits and vegetables as well as locally produced goods such as dairy, eggs and meats. Markets across Missouri offer consumers healthy, yet affordable, alternatives to the typical supermarket experience. Whether you are seeking healthy, high-quality foods and products, looking to add a variety to your everyday cooking or looking for a fun shopping experience, Missouri farmers’ markets will have something for you this season. Visit http://agebb.missouri.edu/fmktdir/index.htm for a list of Missouri farmers markets by region and also view a local harvest calendar.
H1N1 flu strain
“We continue to recommend that individuals follow the health guidelines that have been publicized earlier to avoid the spread of respiratory illness,” said Susan Even, director of the MU Student Health Center. Those recommendations include:
• Practice good hand hygiene, including washing hands and using hand sanitizers.
• Cough or sneeze into a tissue and place it in the trash, or cough or sneeze into your sleeve.
• Stay home until fever and symptoms resolve.
• Seek medical attention only as symptoms warrant.
Phil Sayer 5k Benefit Run/Walk
The MU Fire and Rescue Training and The University of Missouri Extension are sponsoring a 5k run/walk on Friday, June 5th at the North Jeff Pavilion in Jefferson City, MO. Proceeds go to the Phil Sayer memorial scholarship fund. Awards will be given to the top 3 overall male/female finishers. For more questions or to register, please contact Mark Lee at 800-869-3476.z
SDC and DAC Summer Program Information
The library’s Staff Development Committee and Diversity Action Committee are planning summer program activities. One way to stay current on their programs is to bookmark their websites:
SDC: http://mulibraries.missouri.edu/staff/committees/staffdevelopment/default.htm
DAC: http://mulibraries.missouri.edu/staff/committees/affirmativeaction/default.htm
Leo
HR-Related Updates
I recently shared the information with LMT on several HR-related actions and I want to bring library employees up-to-speed on these items. The following information is meant to provide a summary description. Feel free to ask for additional clarification (AgnewL@missouri.edu). I’ll be happy to gather these into a follow-up Q&A document.
Continuing appointments for graduating student assistants: There is an additional step to the process of keeping student assistants who just graduated and it is due to the hiring freeze – we need to secure Jesse Hall approval. Why? Well, we have been required to convert these students into a staff title each of the past few summers by HR since they no longer qualify to be in the student title. The wrinkle now is, whatever title we use is a classified staff title, thus requiring Jesse Hall approval since their view is that we are ‘establishing’ a position, even though it is very temporary.
What is the library’s process for requesting Jesse Hall approval? My advice is to check within your division for information on your internal approval process. Ultimately, what I need is confirmation that Jim has seen and approved the request before I submit it to Jesse Hall. Besides that, I’ll need a brief description of duties and why it’s essential they continue to be performed, i.e., complete a project, the FTE, hourly rate, and anticipated duration of the continued appointment.
Seasonal Leave: MU has a seasonal leave policy on the books and has used it for some time to provide affected employees with continued access to benefits and time served for retirement calculations. Affected employees typically work in units that experience reduced workloads during the summer, such as food services, residential life. Those employees return to work in the fall. Effective now, the seasonal leave policy has been extended to all campus to provide the same provisions for an affected employee.
The MU Libraries is not expecting to make use of this policy, but those departments who do can place employees on seasonal leave without the employees losing access to benefits or time served for retirement calculations.
I’ll go ahead and use this opportunity to remind staff that the library has an internal process for voluntarily requesting a temporary reduction in FTE. The policy can be accessed at http://mulibraries.missouri.edu/staff/policies/Reduction_of_Hours_memo_2000.htm.
Time and Labor: This is an online payroll system that increases the efficiency of reporting time to Payroll by eliminating the need for individuals, like those in Sheena’s position, to enter the information.
• Who does this affect? All hourly-paid employees, staff and students, will enter time online. Monthly-paid employees will report absences via the online system.
• Can paper copies still be submitted for payment? No.
• When will this start? We are scheduled to ‘go live’ mid-July.
• When will we be trained? Library Administration staff will conduct training for supervisors in June. Non-supervisor employees will be trained after that. Dates/times for both training sessions are to be determined.
• Does this differ much from using the current online Excel-based form? Not really. Employees will enter time In/Out of the office, and will distinguish between work hours and paid leave, and will be able to record release time, e.g., funeral leave, jury duty. The screen looks different and there are few extra bells and whistles, e.g., access to paid leave information, but the process for tracking time is not all that different. My working assumption is that individuals who use the current online form will have little trouble learning the new format.
• How does it work, process-wise? In a nutshell…Employees complete the online form. Supervisors review the information online and make corrections online, if necessary. Once approved, supervisors ‘release’ the time sheet and Sheena reviews it on behalf of Admin. She ‘releases’ it to Payroll who takes it from there.
• Will we adhere to the current timelines for forwarding these new e-timesheets and e-monthly absence forms to library Admin? Yes.
• Is there a users’ guide or such? Yes. There is an online tutorial which can be accessed at https://doit.missouri.edu/training/peoplesoft/HR/timelabor.html.
What other benefits will be realized by this new system?
1) Accuracy will be improved since there is no need to data enter hours/leave information a second time, i.e., in Admin.
2) The system will provide a link to current leave balances that is viewable by both employees and supervisors.
3) The system will not allow an employee to go into negative paid leave balances, thus eliminating the need to calculate repayment made by the employee or salary deduction in the next pay check.
CAPS Center
Since 2003, campus HR, with the support of campus administrators, has organized a handful of Core Administrative Processing Support centers (CAPS centers) which consolidate all PAF processing and related transactions to a central location for a specified grouping of departments/divisions. The MU Libraries will enter into a CAPS Center with Law, Engineering, and Journalism. Starting later this summer, this Center will complete all faculty, staff, and student PAFs for us and these other units.
Recently, UM President Forsee endorsed the centralization of services on each campus, where feasible. Moving to a CAPS Center puts us in-line with that directive.
Why is this advantageous? For 2008, these four units collectively processed 5,701 PAF’s, which HR computed to be equivalent to 1.98 FTE. Library Administration processed 870 PAF’s by itself (.29 FTE). What are the advantages?
• Allows individual departments to concentrate efforts on other mission essential activities.
• Allows for the training of a concentrated group of subject matter experts, i.e., the individuals working in the CAPS Center on our behalf.
• Increases accuracy and efficiency by utilizing subject matter experts.
• Alleviates the need to train at the department level.
• All related new hire/rehire paperwork will be completed at the CAPS Center, e.g., I-9, E-Verify.
Does this mean the HR Assistant position is being eliminated? No. It means we are transferring PAF processing to a CAPS Center. Sheena will stay busy, e.g., serving as our point person for Time and Labor questions and training.
Is there a cost to us? Yes. The CAPS Center will employ two full-time individuals. Our share of that cost is $9,700, prorated based upon our PAF load. In contrast, two units with a higher PAF volume are paying $25,500 each.
Does the library have a voice in the hiring process? Yes. I will be co-interviewing with representatives from the other departments.
Where will this CAPS Center be housed? Engineering has volunteered to house the Center.
How will our employees access the Center? New or rehired employees will visit the CAPS Center prior to their start date to complete the paperwork. While this is a change for individuals hired to work in Ellis, other library employees have had to walk to Ellis to complete their paperwork.
When will the CAPS Center be functional? We hope to hire the two positions this summer and hope to have them on board prior to the fall semester. These individuals could be new to the university or could be transfer employees, possibly from units seeking to downsize.
Again, feel free to ask for clarification on this information. I’ll do my best to answer any and all questions.
Leo
Library Issues Forum – “Google books settlement: The good, the bad, and the unknown.”
The Staff Development Committee invites you to attend a Library Issues Forum on June 30, from 10:00 – 11:30, Jesse Wrench Auditorium. A panel of library affiliated individuals will facilitate a discussion on the topic of the Google books settlement. As the title of the forum indicates, audience members will leave the session with a better understanding of issues surrounding the settlement, including those issues to be clarified over time. A schedule-a-meeting notice will be sent to all staff within the next few days. Release time is available with supervisor approval.
The Library Issues Forum was developed to fill a need for library employees to come together and talk about varied and broad library issues. If you have suggestions for additional forum topics, please send your ideas to Leo Agnew, AgnewL@missouri.edu.
You Are Invited to the Journalism Library Redication on May 15
Please join the MU School of Journalism and the MU Libraries in celebrating the rededication of the Frank Lee Martin Journalism Library. The Frank Lee Martin Journalism Library has been providing critical resources to students, researchers and working journalists since 1908. The new Journalism Library, located in the Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute, seeks to be the global information nexus for journalism on campus and around the world. We hope that you can join us as we honor Frank Lee Martin and dedicate the new Journalism Library facility.
Please RSVP to Helen Pattrin: pattrinh@missouri.edu or 882-0334 by May 11.