News and Events at the UMKC Libraries:
Archive From 2004
- UMKC Libraries: How are we doing?
- University Libraries releases poster featuring Associate Professor Jane Greer
- Coffee shop comes to the Miller Nichols Library
- "UMKC University Libraries Patron Rights and Responsibilities" issued by University Libraries
- Library guide to UMKC Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Resources
- University Libraries launch communications campaign
- The Friends of the Library sponsors Fall 2004 first Friday book sales
- Expanded hours for Kenneth J. LaBudde Special Collections
- "Building a Culture of Peace for the Children of the World" exhibit at Miller Nichols Library
- University Libraries awarded $10,000 for Mutual Musicians Foundation history Website
- Wireless access available at Leon E. Bloch Law Library
- Miller Nichols Library hosting traveling exhibit “Lewis & Clark’s Missouri”
- "Kansas City: Paris of the Plains" on view at the Kansas City Public Central Library until September 27, 2004
- Wireless access available at Miller Nichols Library and Health Sciences Library
- Dr. Joan FitzPatrick Dean, UMKC Curators' Distinguished Teaching Professor, named Interim Dean of Libraries
- Dr. Ted Sheldon, Dean and Director of Libraries, retires
- Miller Nichols Library Task Force
- Paul Revere Exhibit at Miller Nichols Library
- Friends of the Library 2004 Annual Program
- Treasures from the Special Collections of the Zentralbibliothek Zurich (ZBZ), Switzerland
- New homepage for the UMKC Libraries
- News and Events
Note: Web addresses were active and accurate at time of publication. These addresses are not maintained.
UMKC Libraries: How Are We Doing?
The UMKC Libraries want to know what you think. We will be posting several questions, one at a time, on our Website over the next several months. Each question will be posted for three weeks. After the responses are tabulated you will find the results on the Website.
Please help us improve by giving us your comments and ideas!
Our first question: When visiting one of the UMKC Libraries or when using the Website, did you receive the assistance you needed?
Go to the "Monthly Question" page to send us your answer.
(November 2004)
University Libraries Communications Campaign continues with release of poster for November-December 2004
Dr. Jane Greer, UMKC Associate Professor of English & Women's & Gender Studies, speaks for the University Libraries in the latest library poster. This is the second in a series of posters featuring faculty, staff and a student and highlighting library services.
Dr. Greer is featured
conducting research in the Kenneth J. LaBudde Department of Special Collections located in the Miller Nichols Library. She incorporates the use of Special Collections materials, such as diaries and letters, in her research and encourages her students to make use of these materials as well.
The Kenneth J. LaBudde Department of Special Collections is a vital resource for UMKC students, faculty, researchers, and visiting scholars from throughout the United States and around the globe. Visitors have an opportunity to enhance their research through the examination of a range of original materials including rare books and manuscripts, photographs, correspondence, pamphlets, broadsides, diaries, and music scores. Special Collections houses the Snyder Collection of Americana, the Suzanne Statland Collection on Holocaust Studies, the Richard W. Bolling Papers, the Truman Library's Student Research File, and a number of other smaller collections. The department also offers marvelous research opportunities in music history, especially American music history and the history of American jazz.
The Marr Sound Archives, a unit of Special Collections, has extensive collections of sound recordings documenting American social and cultural history.
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"Special Collections is a place
where you can make history!"
Dr. Jane Greer
Associate Professor of English & Women's & Gender Studies
English Department
College of Arts and Sciences
University of Missouri-Kansas City
Special Collections: Get it fast, get it friendly @ your library®
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Link to
additional information including an enlarged version of the poster.
(October 2004)
Coffee Shop Comes to the Miller Nichols Library
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Library Café!! |
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UMKC Dining Services/Sodexho and Miller Nichols Library work together to satisfy student requests for coffee shop in the Miller Nichols Library
Mark your calendars and come over to the Miller Nichols Library on October 18 from 7:45 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. and buy coffee, juice, soft drinks and breakfast snacks at the new coffee service provided by UMKC Dining Services/Sodexho. The coffee service, similar to the Café ala Cart in Royall Hall, will be located at the south entrance on the first floor of the Miller Nichols Library. It will continue throughout the fall semester as a cooperative pilot project between the University Libraries and Sodexho. This new service will be available 7:45 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., Monday through Friday in response to requests from students who use the library. If café traffic is adequate, the service will continue in 2005.
Elizabeth Henry, University Libraries Assistant Director for Public Services, reports that the library will continue to work with Sodexho to see what might be possible on an on-going basis all hours and days the library is open. During the academic year the library is open nearly 90 hours a week, 7 days a week and she believes that "students working throughout the day and late at night would certainly appreciate being able to get coffee, a soft drink or a snack to reenergize while they are studying."
"We recognized from comments we received in surveys related to library services and directly from library users that students want to have coffee, soft drinks and snacks when they are studying and doing research in the library," reports Henry. "We are very excited about this service and hope the demand will be great enough to insure we will be able to continue the coffee shop in the library."
The pilot project is supported by the Student Government Association and Dr. Pat Long, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs. "We are pleased with this support and enjoy working with Bill Phillips, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, Bob Nold, General Manager Sodexho Campus Services, and Jody Jeffries, Director University Center - their expert assistance and enthusiasm is essential to us in getting this started at the library. Many thanks are due to UMKC Campus Facilities personnel for their hard work and assistance as well," reports Henry.
Please join us and your friends for coffee, soft drinks and snacks at the Miller Nichols Library Monday through Friday from 7:45 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.!
(October 2004)
UMKC University Libraries Patron Rights and Responsibilities
The UMKC University Libraries worked with representatives from UMKC LGBT and the UMKC Women's Center to develop this statement on Library Rights and Responsibilities. We hope other campus groups will join us in endorsing this statement derived from our UMKC Core Values to reflect the expectations of library users and library staff who serve the students, faculty, staff, and community.
The essential endeavors of an academic community are learning, teaching, research, and scholarship. As a member of the UMKC community of learners making the world a better place, all of us support the UMKC Core Values: Education First; Discovery and Innovation; Integrity and Accountability; Diversity, Inclusiveness and Respect and Energized Collaborative Communities.
Library users have a right to expect:
- Well organized library resources to support study and research;
- Courteous, efficient, and effective service;
- Reasonable accommodation for learning styles and challenges;
- Instruction in the development of library research skills;
- Confidential access to library resources;
- A clean, safe environment;
- A library environment free from harassment and physical danger;
- Timely responses to expressed concerns.
Library users have the responsibility to:
- Learn how to use the library effectively;
- Allow sufficient time for library research;
- Be courteous and respectful of all library users and staff;
- Avoid smoking in the University Libraries;
- Use equipment, services, and furnishings appropriately and report problems;
- Keep library resources in good condition;
- Maintain the security of personal belongings;
- Make the best use of library resources and services.
(October 2004)
Library guide to UMKC Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Resources
Monday, October 11, 2004, is National Coming Out Day. In celebration and recognition of this day of diversity, inclusiveness and respect, the University Libraries, in collaboration with the UMKC Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Office, has created a "
Library Guide to UMKC Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Resources."
Investigation of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender history, politics, and cultural expression is a fairly recent area of academic study. Using our listed databases and print resources can aid in that research. Searching for personally useful information such as LGBT housing on the UMKC campus or financial aid available to LGBT students can be a daunting task if one is not sure where to turn or exactly what questions to ask. This guide brings together both types of LGBT resources and makes them easily accessible to UMKC students, faculty and staff.
(October 2004)
University Libraries launch communications campaign
With the unveiling of a poster featuring Dr. Richard Murphy, Professor of Physics, a communications campaign is underway at the UMKC University Libraries. Helen Spalding, Associate Director of Libraries explains, "Through this campaign we hope to gain a better understanding of the needs of our library users and more clearly communicate the library services that can help them meet their learning, research, career, and personal goals. The Libraries' goal is to bring an understanding to students, faculty, staff, and community members of the continuing relevance of libraries in their lives in the age of Google. We look forward to incorporating what we learn to improve library services and resources."
"UMKC University Libraries: Connecting Learners to the World of Knowledge" is the message that encompasses the Libraries' marketing campaign. Over the course of the coming year, posters and public notices will be displayed to share this message and the slogan "Information: get it fast, get it friendly@ your library®" with the UMKC community. The poster campaign will feature prominent faculty, staff and a student and highlight important library services. The first poster profiling Murphy and focusing on Reference Services will be displayed on campus during September and October.
Diane Hunter, Head of Reference Services at the Miller Nichols Library, points out, "Reference librarians and staff have the expertise to find valid information and answers to questions from millions of electronic and print resources, most of which are available only through libraries." Librarians and staff are prepared to assist students and faculty with such questions as: What resources are available to help me market a product I have invented? Can you help me learn how to use the Academic Search Premier database assigned by my professor? How can I get an electronic copy of a journal article at home on my computer? What is the latest therapy for angina?
"Our reference librarians and staff have lots of experience assisting students and faculty", reports Elizabeth Henry, Assistant Director for Public Services. "Over the past five years UMKC University librarians and staff answered 400 questions a day on average. I encounter students who have spent hours searching the Internet for a journal article that could be found in a library database in a matter of minutes with the help of a librarian."
Reference librarians and staff are available in the Miller Nichols Library, the Health Sciences Library, and the Dental Library. Students and faculty also can find reference assistance by phone, email, and appointment. The University Libraries Web site library.umkc.edu is designed to provide 24/7 access for UMKC students and faculty to a rich variety of information resources, available in the libraries, on the UMKC campus, and from any location with Internet access.
Instruction including skill development for locating and evaluating information is another service offered by the Libraries. According to Carrie Donovan who coordinates instruction at the Miller Nichols Library, "UMKC faculty may schedule library instruction for their classes. Through this instruction students gain skills and knowledge to address their course research assignments." Henry adds, "In five years we have provided library skills instruction to nearly 25,000 UMKC students."
"Further", Henry comments, "none of this is possible without the expertise of the University Libraries Technical Services Division librarians and staff. They work to ensure the high quality of our online catalog and manage the very complicated issues related to providing access to the growing number of electronic books and journals which are essential to public reference services."
Reference Service: Get it fast, get it friendly@ your library®
"The libraries, and especially the superbly qualified and always helpful library staff, are a wonderful resource for all of us in the UMKC community. I urge all students to learn how to use these facilities: your lives will be better!"
Dr. Richard Murphy
Professor
Department of Physics
College of Arts and Sciences
University of Missouri-Kansas City
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Link to
additional information including an enlarged version of the poster.
(September 2004)
Coming Soon! The Friends of the Library Fall 2004 First Friday Book Sales
The University of Missouri - Kansas City Friends of the Library are having
their Fall 2004 First Friday book sales.
What:
- Once again, the Friends of the Library will hold sales of used and nearly
new books and other materials. These sales provide an opportunity for you
to purchase books while supporting the Libraries' collections.
Where:
- Ground Floor, Miller Nichols Library, 51st and Rockhill Road
When:
- Friday, October 1, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
- Friday, November 5, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
- Friday, December 3, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Your donated used books can make the next sale happen! To make a donation,
please call (816) 235-1531. We will be happy to provide you with acknowledgement
of your tax-deductible gift to the Friends of the Library.
(September 2004)
Expanded hours for Kenneth J. LaBudde Special Collections Department in Miller Nichols Library
We are pleased to announce a service improvement in access to the resources in the University Libraries. For the Fall 2004 semester, effective September 1, 2004, the Kenneth J. LaBudde Special Collections Department in the Miller Nichols Library will be open to the public Monday through Friday for 28 hours each week. The department was previously open 13 hours per week; this change represents a 115% increase in service for walk-in library users. Our long-term goal is a schedule of forty hours of in-library service each week. Telephone and email reference assistance are provided already for 40 hours weekly. The new daily schedule is listed below.
The Kenneth J. LaBudde Special Collections Department is a teaching and research resource that is increasingly utilized for student learning and research as these areas are emphasized in the curriculum.
This service improvement is in line with the LibQual+ survey and is consistent with requests from faculty, students, and the research community. The increased hours in Special Collections are made possible by a staff reassignment within the Miller Nichols Library and we thank all those involved for cooperating to increase service to UMKC students and faculty in an environment that values "Information, Get It Fast, Get It Friendly"!
The Kenneth J. LaBudde Special Collections Department
New Hours - Fall Semester 2004 (effective September 1, 2004)
| Monday: |
1:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m., 5:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. |
| Tuesday: |
9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m., 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. |
| Wednesday: |
9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m., 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. |
| Thursday: |
9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. |
| Friday |
9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. |
(September 2004)
As part of a community of learners, making the world a better place, the
UMKC Miller Nichols Library will host the "Building a Culture of Peace for the Children of the World" exhibit September 20 through October 2, 2004. Mayor Pro Tem Alvin Brooks will be presenting a Mayoral Proclamation for the exhibit at a Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony on Monday, September 20, 2004 at 7:00 p.m. at the Miller Nichols Library. All are welcome to attend this ceremony and to view the exhibit during regular library hours!
The exhibit will premier in Kansas City in conjunction with the Building A World Fit For Children: The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child Conference to be held at the Kauffman Foundation September, 17-18.
It will then move to the Miller Nichols Library second floor exhibit area.
Soka Gakkai International (SGI)-USA launched the original, larger exhibition in August 2003 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City, to support the United Nations' Culture of Peace initiative. The purpose of the exhibit is to raise awareness about how individuals, institutions and entire nations will need to transform their violent and destructive thoughts and behavior so that they may overcome the current global impasse and usher in a future of peace and hope. The exhibition was involved in a peace forum at Columbia University in New York City, supported discussions on human security at the Club of Rome annual meeting in Amman, Jordan, and inspired thinking about education's role for peace at Harvard University. The exhibit has most recently been on display at the Parliament of World Religions in Barcelona, Spain and the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland.
Other resources:
(August 2004)
UMKC University Libraries awarded $10,000 by the William T. Kemper Foundation to create a Mutual Musicians Foundation history Website documenting Kansas City's Protective Union Local 627
The William T. Kemper Foundation awarded $10,000 to the UMKC University Libraries to create an Internet Website on the history of Kansas City's Local 627, the African-American Musicians Union, founded in 1917, and now known as the Mutual Musicians Foundation. The Website will be accessible to anyone around the world interested in the history of jazz in America. The Mutual Musicians Foundation building is a national historic landmark located at 1823 Highland Avenue in the Historic 18th and Vine Jazz District.
The Website is an exciting venue to present historic information, including photos and sound recordings, on this important Kansas City institution for today's audiences. The award was granted on May 14, 2004. The project estimated cost is $14,500. The Website project will be completed by May 1, 2005 in celebration of the 75th anniversary of the Musicians Association Building, which was originally dedicated on May 4, 1930 (see photo below).
This community project partners the Mutual Musicians Foundation, the William T. Kemper Foundation, Mrs. Betty Crow, and the UMKC University Libraries. The Mutual Musicians Foundation history Website project will document the vibrant and diverse cultural life of Kansas City, demonstrating that UMKC and the UMKC University Libraries are "an essential community partner and resource."
Mrs. Betty Crow, board member of the Mutual Musicians Foundation (MMF), approached the UMKC University Libraries with a bold plan to preserve the heritage of Local 627 and the MMF, a vitally important institution in the history of Kansas City and the history of jazz in America. Mrs. Crow and the MMF Board envision the need for a strong MMF presence in the Kansas City community, which will actively promote jazz history, the history of the African-American musicians in Local 627, and actively partner with the exciting developments of the jazz district at 18th and Vine. To this purpose, the MMF Board transferred its collection of nearly 700 photographs to the UMKC University Libraries and Mrs. Crow gave a generous personal contribution of $10,000 as seed funding to start the photographic preservation work (September 2003).
The Mutual Musicians Foundation Photograph Collection includes signed portraits of members of the African-American Protective Union Local 627, Kansas City, coverage of union functions and social events, as well as group photos of the legendary bands of Andy Kirk, Harlan Leonard, Jay McShann, Bennie Moten, Count Basie, George E. Lee, the Blue Devils and other bands that created the internationally recognized Kansas City style of jazz. The collection is currently being processed in the Kenneth J. LaBudde Special Collections Department in the UMKC Miller Nichols Library.
The UMKC University Libraries partnered successfully with the MMF Board and Mrs. Crow on MMF projects in 2003, including creating temporary wall displays for the 25th October 2003 celebrations for the re-dedication of the Foundation building site at 1823 Highland Avenue as a National Park Service Historic Landmark.
Based on enthusiastic support from the UMKC University Libraries and the MMF Board, Mrs. Crow proposed that the University Libraries ask for project support from the William T. Kemper Foundation on behalf of the Mutual Musicians Foundation. Dr. Ted P. Sheldon, Dean and Director of the UMKC University Libraries, now retired, submitted a proposal for the project in December 2003.
Mrs. Crow and the MMF Board think the UMKC University Libraries are a logical choice for the Mutual Musicians Foundation website because of the strength of its holdings in Kansas City history from the LaBudde Special Collections Department and the Marr Sound Archives. The University Libraries have a proven track record in creating innovative local history websites. The digital projects include: "Club Kaycee: The History of Kansas City Jazz" (an initial partnership with the KC Star newspaper); "Kansas City - Paris of the Plains: The Jazz Age in Kansas City, 1920-1940"; and "Voices of World War II: Experiences From the Front and at Home - KMBC Radio," featuring speeches, contemporary news broadcasts, and popular music in a partnership with the Truman Presidential Museum and Library and the Missouri State Library/LSTA federal grant. All three of the digital projects include full-length audio recordings, graphics, and text. The sound recordings for these projects are from the collections of the Marr Sound Archives in the Miller Nichols Library. All of these digital library projects can be accessed from the University Libraries Website address at library.umkc.edu.
UMKC University Libraries staff working on the Mutual Musicians Foundation Website project include (in alphabetical order): Marilyn Carbonell, Assistant Director for Collection Development; Chuck Haddix, Marr Sound Archives Specialist; and Robert C. Ray, Special Collections Librarian. Dr. Joan FitzPatrick Dean, Curators' Distinguished Teaching Professor, UMKC Department of English, is the Interim Dean of the University Libraries.
(July 2004)
The Law School offers wireless connectivity throughout most of the building including the Law Library. The courtroom is the only area of the Law School that does not have wireless connectivity available.
Only UMKC students, faculty, and staff may use the wireless network and it is necessary to have activated a UMKC single sign on account. UMKC Information Services offers instructions for connecting to the wireless network and these are found at: www.umkc.edu/networking/wireless/authentication.htm . This is a welcome addition to library services and we hope library users will find it helpful.
(June 2004)
Miller Nichols Library Hosting Traveling Exhibit "Lewis & Clark's Missouri"
UMKC is participating in the celebration of the bicentennial of the events in 1804 when Captains Meriwether Lewis and William Clark led the Corps of Discovery from St. Louis up the Missouri River into the vast, newly acquired Louisiana Territory. From
July 6 to July 28, the Miller Nichols Library will have on display
Lewis & Clark's Missouri, a traveling exhibit developed by curators, researchers and exhibition designers at the Missouri Historical Society in St. Louis. The exhibit can be viewed on the second floor of the library during regular library hours. For further information about the exhibit and related resources, see the library's
Lewis & Clark's Missouri web page at library.umkc.edu/spec-col/lewis-clark.htm.
(June 2004)
The University Libraries partnered with the Kansas City Public Library to present the exhibit "Kansas City: Paris of the Plains."
Kansas City history during the Jazz Age is the focus of "Kansas City: Paris of the Plains," a special exhibit designed by Miller Nichols Library staff at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. The exhibit will be on display at the Kansas City Public Central Library May 23 - September 27, 2004. The exhibit was originally developed by the University Libraries for the Kansas City 150 celebrations in 2000. This partnership means the physical exhibit can be enjoyed again in Spring and Summer 2004.
"Kansas City: Paris of the Plains" chronicles life in Kansas City during the Jazz Age, a time when the city was one of the most dynamic arts centers in America. The exhibit examines the social, cultural, literary, and political heritage of Jazz Age Kansas City and highlights personalities of the era.
For more information, check the Kansas City Public Library Website at: www.kclibrary.org/calendar.cfm?eventID=126. The Kansas City Public Library Website address is www.kclibrary.org/index.cfm.
Visit the UMKC Miller Nichols Library Exhibit "Kansas City: Paris of the Plains" on the Web at: library.umkc.edu/spec-col/parisoftheplains/WebExhibit/.
(June 2004)
Wireless Access Available at Miller Nichols Library and Health Sciences Library
The UMKC University Libraries now offers wireless connectivity for UMKC students, faculty, and staff!
In the Miller Nichols Library, the strongest connections will be found in the Information Commons on the first floor, the Music/Media area on the ground floor, and the lounge areas on the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th floors ( the areas directly south of the entrance to the stairwells and the elevator hallway). Wireless connectivity may be available in other areas of the library, but can be weaker and less dependable.
In the Health Sciences Library the strongest connections are found in the computer area, the Reference area, and the New Journals areas. Again, wireless connectivity may be available in other areas of the library, but can be weaker and less dependable, especially in the study carrels.
Only UMKC students, faculty, and staff may use the wireless network and it is necessary to have activated a UMKC single sign on account. UMKC Information Services offers instructions for connecting to the wireless network and these are found at: www.umkc.edu/networking/wireless/authentication.htm. This is a welcome addition to library services and we hope library users will find it helpful.
(June 2004)
The UMKC University Libraries welcomed Joan FitzPatrick Dean who was named Interim Dean of Libraries and began her new duties on April 28, 2004. Dr. Dean has been with the university 29 years, during which time she has been a productive, respected scholar and teacher in the Department of English. Joan Dean was named a UM Curators’ Distinguished Teaching Professor in 2003.
Dr. Dean will be supported by a transition team as she assumes the duties previously carried out by Dr. Ted Sheldon. She is well-primed for this role, having served on the Miller Nichols Library Expansion Task Force as well as being an active advocate for the Libraries in the Faculty Senate. Dr. Dean joined the Department of English in 1975. In 1982-83 she was a Fulbright lecturer at the University of Nancy in France and a Fulbright scholar at University College, Galway, Ireland (1992-1993). She served as the co-director of the honors program in the College of Arts and Sciences (1985-1999), and was elected to the UMKC Faculty Senate (2001-2004). In addition to her teaching and service, Dr. Dean is a noted scholar whose latest book, Riot and Great Anger: Twentieth Century Stage Censorship in Ireland will be published by the University of Wisconsin Press in June 2004. She has written scholarly articles and presented many papers at professional meetings.
Long-time colleague and Curators’ Professor Emerita Linda Voigts comments, “Joan Dean is a superb teacher and widely respected scholar who has long been interested in the role the library plays in the university.”
Her history of involvement will be instrumental in carrying the library forward on its strategic initiative to drastically expand the library and incorporate campus life components into the proposed new space. Dr. Dean also feels the library is at a crucial juncture in terms of continuing to integrate technological advances into the resources which serve faculty and students campus-wide.
Joan Dean is eager to meet the challenges of her new role. On her decision to transition, she reflects, “I have enormous respect for the librarians, the staff and all they’ve accomplished. I am confident that together we will continue to make great strides.
(May 2004)
The UMKC University Libraries bids a fond farewell to Dr. Ted Sheldon, Dean and Director of Libraries, upon his retirement after 21 years of service to the University of Missouri—Kansas City.
Dr. Sheldon joined the UMKC University Libraries (which includes the Miller Nichols Library, the Health Sciences Library and the Dental Library) in 1983 and served as the Associate Director until 1985. He was appointed as Director of Libraries after a national search in 1985. In 2001, his title was changed to Dean and Director of Libraries.
During Dr. Sheldon's leadership as Dean and Director of the University Libraries, his notable accomplishments clustered in the areas of technology, strong partnerships, service innovations, securing endowments and gifts, and building projects.
- The first purchase of an electronic database as an abstracting and indexing service was made in 1985. A wide array of over 100 subscription database titles now supports the learning and research of students and faculty. Electronic books were added to the University Libraries holdings in 2003. Specialized electronic medical reference books were added in 2003 with funding from the Perry Bequest for the Health Sciences Library.
- In 1985, Dr. Sheldon was a leader in the establishment of the LUMIN online bibliographic library system for the libraries of the four University of Missouri campuses. LUMIN signaled the important technological transition from separate institution card catalogs. UMKC students and faculty could now easily review the holdings of the entire UM system. LUMIN was superseded by the MERLIN system (1996).
- In 1987, the Marr Sound Archives, a unit of Special Collections, was established with the gift of 43,000 sound recordings from UMKC Professor Gaylord and Mrs. Olga Marr. The Marr Sound Archives collection holdings now exceed 271,000 sound recordings. The Sound Archives ranks in the top five largest academic library sound recording collections in all formats, and is noted as a national leader in recognizing the importance of preserving audio and sound as cultural digital assets. Recent project partners include: Florentine Films (Ken Burns’ film company), the Truman Presidential Museum & Library; the composer Raymond Scott Audio Archive; and the Chicago Jazz Archive.
- The Friends of the Library funded over $441,000 of purchases covering 20 years of Annual Gifts to the Libraries (1985-2004). Faculty submit proposals for books, audiovisual materials, microforms, and backfiles of periodicals needed for teaching and research. A committee of the FOL selects the organization's annual gift, and many friends have also individually funded faculty proposals. Without support from the FOL, these teaching and research resources could not be purchased for UMKC students and the community.
- Digital Library projects were initiated, including: “Club Kaycee: the History of Kansas Jazz,” a partnership with the Kansas City Star newspaper (1987); “Kansas City: the Paris of the Plains” (2001); “Brush Creek Follies” (2002, selected as Yahoo! Site of the Day, July 18, 2003); and “"Voices of World War II: Experiences from the Front and the Home Front—KMBC-Radio” (2002).
- Grant projects include the Missouri Newspaper Project, 1988-1994, a cooperative activity of the UMKC University Libraries and the State Historical Society of Missouri. The Missouri Newspaper Project (MNP) is Missouri’s contribution to the United States Newspaper Program (www.neh.gov/projects/usnp.html), a collaborative national effort to locate, catalog, preserve on microfilm, and make available to researchers newspapers published in the United States from the eighteenth century to the present. The Missouri Newspaper Project focuses on newspapers held in public institutions and private organizations in Missouri. The $900,000 project was funded in large part by the National Endowment for the Humanities, and by the contributions of the cooperating institutions.
- Another grant project set standards for digital preservation and access to sound recordings. The Missouri State Library/federal LSTA grant-supported 2002 UMKC project: "Voices of World War II-Experiences from the Front and the Home Front-KMBC-Radio" was based on unique World War II transcription discs from the Marr Sound Archives. The “Voices of World War II” project includes preservation of rare recordings that are presented in a publicly-accessible Website featuring text, graphics, and archival film footage located online at library.umkc.edu/spec-col/ww2/index.htm. The Truman Presidential Museum and Library was a project partner.
- The General Library building was renamed the Miller Nichols Library after a major renovation project from 1990-1991. The existing three floors were completely renovated and two new floors were added. The flexible arrangement of spaces provided for new functions and services, including the increased use of technology to support students, faculty, and staff.
- In 1996 the four University of Missouri campuses launched the MERLIN online library system with St. Louis University. MERLIN is the model and cornerstone for the statewide MOBIUS integrated library system, using a common technology platform, to represent the holdings the holdings of more than 50 higher education institutions, research, and public libraries in Missouri, and deliver information services across the state. MERLIN/MOBIUS services include online databases, express interlibrary loan, and book delivery for students, faculty, and community members.
- In July 1999, the Technology for Learning and Teaching Center, a UMKC faculty development center in the Miller Nichols Library, was established. The center provides resources to faculty from all academic disciplines in the use of technology to enhance and extend teaching and learning. The TLTC has offered numerous workshops and assisted faculty members to achieve their goals regarding the use of on-line learning; currently TLTC supports over 600 courses reaching thousands of students each year.
- In October 2000, the Information Commons area was opened to the public after a major redesign and renovation of the Miller Nichols Library Reference Department. With generous funding from the Nichols Family, this area was transformed into a beautiful and functional collaborative learning environment for students. The Information Commons is a collaborative, interdisciplinary, learner-centered, lap-top-ready lounge and study space to meet the needs of the UMKC students and faculty as they study and conduct research staffed by faculty reference librarians and library staff. There are over thirty scholar’s workstations with 44 additional networked jacks for laptop computers. The applications environment on the PCs supports the curriculum, student learning, and productivity. The Information Commons also includes specialized equipment and software intended for use by students with visual disabilities, and serves a model for accessibility on campus.
- The Health Sciences Library was furnished with similar student computer work stations with access to productivity software. The Dental Library was renovated.
- In January 2002, the Libraries Website new design heralded a combined online presence for the University Libraries and the School of Law Library to enhance student, faculty, and community access to information and services at the four UMKC campus libraries. The new Website includes interactive forms, links to the MERLIN and MOBIUS online catalog systems, access to online databases and full-text books and journals, online reserves, digital collections, and a text-only version at library.umkc.edu/index-text.html. The Website welcomes students, faculty, and community members into the UMKC libraries. Over 2.9 million hits to the Website were logged from 2000 to 2003.
- The University Libraries sponsored or co-sponsored scholarly conferences. UMKC and the Linda Hall Library of Science, Engineering, and Technology jointly sponsored the 23 Annual Conference of the International Association of Technical University Libraries, June 2002. Participants attended from 33 countries attended the IATUL conference.
- In Spring 2003, the UMKC Libraries participated in a national study known as LibQUAL+TM, a project of the Association of Research Libraries. To date, the project participants include more than 400 institutions, including colleges and universities, community colleges, health sciences libraries, law libraries, and public libraries – some through various consortia. The growing LibQUAL+TM national and international community of participant institutions and the resultant extensive datasets are rich resources for improving library services by identifying best practices, analyzing deficits, and effectively allocating resources. As a participating institution, the UMKC Libraries have access to (1) institutional data and reports to assess whether library services are meeting user expectations; and (2) aggregate data and reports to allow comparisons of library performance with that of peer institutions. The data are being studied and confirmed by follow-up surveys and other methods to devise an action plan and schedule improvements of library services.
- In late 2003, visioning and planning was started for the new Miller Nichols Library and Academic Commons. The Miller Nichols Library Task Force, with membership drawn from UMKC faculty and administrators and a team of architects, envisions a greatly expanded library which incorporates traditional library services with new opportunities provided by technology, supports the role of informal and group-based learning which has been found central to student success, and integrates social and academic campus life components in a magnet environment that serves commuter students and local community while creating an engaging campus crossroads for an expanding residential student body. The first project draft was released in April 2004.
Another hallmark of Dr. Sheldon’s leadership is the highly motivated and organized group of faculty librarians and library staff. Their knowledge and professionalism is the cornerstone for the future of the library. Dr. Sheldon will be continuing his national work in standards for audio engineering and digital preservation, and will assist the Mutual Musicians Foundation in promoting the importance of Kansas City jazz.
(May 2004)
UMKC Provost Steve Ballard has formed a campus-wide task force to design a world-class learning resources facility that advances academic excellence and is an essential resource for students, faculty, staff, and community. Members of the Task Force include
UMKC faculty,
UMKC administrators, and the UM System University Architect. Provost Ballard is the chair of the task force.
The Task Force has a Website at www.umkc.edu/provost/initiatives/mnlcomm/. At this site you will find suggested readings, committee meeting minutes, committee membership, and more.
(April 2004)
Each year outstanding examples of graphic design are selected to be honored by the Paul Revere Award, given by the Music Publishers Association. This award acknowledges publishers for their efforts in creating art for the music industry. UMKC Miller Nichols Library will host the exhibit from March 26 - April 25, 2004. The complete list of 2003 Paul Revere Award winners can be found at www.mpa.org/03revtbl.html.
(March 2004)
Friends of the Library 2004 Annual Program
- Sunday, April 4, 2004
- 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
- Miller Nichols Library
- 3rd Floor, Room 303
The UMKC Friends of the Library: A Legacy of Giving Enriching Teaching and Learning @ your libraryT The 2004 Program features talks by UMKC Faculty Gift Recipients on the importance and impact of the Friends' Annual Gift on their teaching and student research achievements:
- Assistant Professor William Everett
- Conservatory of Music and Dance
- Associate Professor James Falls
- History Department, College of Arts & Sciences
- Associate Professor Jane Greer
- English Department, College of Arts & Sciences
The Program will be preceded by a brief FOL Business Meeting and the announcement of the 38th Annual Gift to the UMKC Libraries. A selection of books and information sources purchased by the Friends over 37 years will be on display.
This library event celebrates National Library Week, April 18-24, 2004. There is no charge for this program, featuring faculty speakers and a display of selections funded by 37 years of Annual Gifts. Please invite family, friends, colleagues, and students! The Miller Nichols Library is located at 800 East 51st Street (Rockhill Road & 51st Street, Kansas City, Missouri). Metered parking and parking for the disabled are available in the lots north of the library building. The library is handicapped accessible.
If you have any questions, please call the UMKC Libraries Administrative Office at 816-235-1531.
(March 2004)
"Treasures from the Special Collections of the Zentralbibliothek Zurich (ZBZ), Switzerland"
The University of Missouri-Kansas City University Libraries and Friends of the Library of the University of Missouri-Kansas City sponsor "Treasures from the Special Collections of the Zentralbibliothek Zurich (ZBZ), Switzerland": a talk by Prof. Dr. Christoph Eggenberger, Head, Manuscript Department, Special Collections, Zentralbibliothek Zurich And Professor of Medieval Art, University of Zurich on:
- Friday, March 19, 2004, 2:00 - 3:00 p.m.
- Miller Nichols Library, Room 303, 800 East 51st Street
Professor Christoph Eggenberger will speak on the "Treasures of the Special Collections, ZBZ, from Medieval Manuscripts and Early Books to 20th-century Manuscripts and Fine Printing." The talk encompasses the wide range of the ZBZ Special Collections from the Purpursalter (600 AD) to the papers of the painter Oskar Kokoschka and the writer Elias Canetti, who was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1981, along with materials from the Reformation and Zurich in the 18th century. The talk will be illustrated in a PowerPoint presentation. The Zentralbibliothek Zurich serves as both the main public library of Zurich and the research library of the University of Zurich.
Refreshments and an opportunity to meet Professor Christoph Eggenberger and his wife Dr. Dorothee Eggenberger, whose areas of research are Medieval and Baroque art and architecture, will follow the talk.
For more information, call Marilyn Carbonell at (816) 235-1580 or send email to carbonellm@umkc.edu. This talk is free and open to the public.
(March 2004)
UMKC Provost Steve Ballard has formed a task force to design a world-class learning resources facility that advances academic excellence and is an essential resource for students, faculty, staff, and community. Members of the Task Force include
UMKC faculty,
UMKC administrators, and the UM System University Architect. Provost Ballard is the chair of the task force.
The Task Force has a Website at www.umkc.edu/provost/mnlcomm/. At this site you will find suggested readings, committee meeting minutes, committee membership, and more.
(March 2004)
The
UMKC Libraries new homepage was launched on January 12, 2004. This page incorporates many suggestions we received, including a request for more links on the homepage.
New links on this page include direct links to hours, locations, forms, Special Collections, Music/Media, and online exhibits. In addition, you will find a link to Serials Solutions, a new service which lists full-text journals, magazines and newspapers available through many of the databases to which the UMKC University Libraries subscribe.
Currently in progress is a text only version of the UMKC Libraries Website. View the text only version of our homepage and check back for updates on the development of this version.
(January 2004)
