Libraries News Blog

"Here Comes Athena: A Representation of Kansas City in the Priests of Pallas" examines the Priests of Pallas Parade from its inception in 1887 to its decline in 1912.

Miller Nichols Library Dean's Gallery, 2nd floor

July 13 - September 14, 2012

Opening reception July 13 at 3:00

Evolving with the city itself, the parade became a reflection of the social and economic construction of Kansas City. Like many other nineteenth century street parades the Priests of Pallas was a vehicle used by the town’s wealthy and business elite to manipulate the commercial and social environment of Kansas City at the turn of the century.

The exhibition is conceived and created by UMKC student Sarah LeRoy as part of her Master of Arts degree in History with an emphasis in Public History from the UMKC Department of History.

Collection of arrangements, manuscripts, recordings and more to be housed at Miller Nichols Library
 
The collection of saxophonist, composer, and educator Ahmad Alaadeen has been donated to the LaBudde Special Collections and Marr Sound Archives in the Miller Nichols Library at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

Fanny Dunfee, widow of the acclaimed Kansas City jazz icon, donated the collection, which includes arrangements, music manuscripts, photos, memorabilia, performance videos and audio tapes along with other material related to Alaadeen's life and career.
 
Renowned musician and producer Najee applauded the gift. "This is a wonderful effort to preserve the legacy of one of our jazz legends," Najee said. "I am pleased that the Marr Sound Archives will safeguard this legacy of one of the profound influences on the history of Kansas City jazz." (continued)

Marr Sound Archive (ground floor) and Interactive Learning Center (4th floor) Build Out begins

Sprinkler Line Replacement, MNL 3rd floor:
The main feeder lines for the MNL 3rd floor sprinkler system have been replaced.  Flushing of the lines began Monday, July 2, 2012 and was done after hours. After the flushing is complete and the pipes have passed inspection then UMKC Facilities staff will replace the ceiling tiles. he project should be complete in 2 weeks.

Marr Sound Archive Build Out, MNL ground floor:
The Marr build out will begin Monday July 9, 2012. New patron listening and collaboration space as well as new office space will be built on the east side of Marr.  Additionally a new ground floor corridor to the west side of MNL for access to the new addition will be built.  Improved vending machine space and a security gate will be added.  The Marr build out should be completed before Fall Semester 2012 begins.  The vending machines will be temporarily relocated on the ground floor to accommodate construction.  New security screens similar to the one at the RooBot café will be installed at a later date near Marr and the Music/Media service desk.

Interactive Learning Center Build Out, MNL 4th floor:
Construction work to expand the ILC located on the 4th floor of MNL will begin Monday July 2, 2012.  A construction dumpster will be placed near the Fine Arts building. Carpet removal may be noisy but only last a couple of hours.  Building material will be delivered through one of the windows openings on the 4th floor northeast corner.  Core drilling will be complete during off hours.  Completion is scheduled before Fall Semester 2012 begins.

Miller Nichols Learning Center Addition:
Old utilities removal work will continue for the next few weeks.  A power, water and sewer outage is planned for Friday evening July 6, 2012 to connect new pipes and an electrical ground to the building water pipes.  All services will be restored before opening Saturday July 7, 2012. Earthwork, piers, foundation and new utilities work will continue this summer with noise and exhaust fumes possible.

3rd Flr Sprinkler line Replacment, Ground Floor Marr Sound Archives Build out, 4th floor Interactive Learning Center Build Out, Miller Nichols Classroom Addition

MNL 3rd Floor Sprinkler Line Replacement:
The main feeder lines for the MNL 3rd floor sprinkler system is scheduled to begin replacement work on Monday, June 11, 2012.  Work in MNL 304, will be done at night.  Work on the public side will be done during the day.  The contractor is to have the system operating each day after they finish.  They are to minimize obstructions as they work and to clean up work areas every day.  They will move piping in and out through windows on the west end of the building.  UMKC Facilities staff will start the project by removing ceiling tiles so the contractor can access the pipes.  The project is expected to take 3 to 4 weeks.

Marr Sound Archive Build Out:
New patron listening and collaboration space as well as new office space will be built on the east side of Marr.  Additionally a new ground floor corridor to the west side of MNL for access to the new addition will be built.  Improved vending machine space and a security gate will be added.  The Marr build out should be completed before Fall Semester 2012 begins.  The vending machines will be temporarily relocated on the ground floor to accommodate construction.  The MERLIN computer in the stacks will be temporarily removed during construction.

Interactive Learning Center Build Out:
Construction work to expand the ILC located on the 4th floor of MNL is scheduled to begin this summer with completion planned before Fall Semester 2012 begins.  The Corky Pfeiffer Collection and reading area furniture will be relocated to the northeast corner of the 4th floor.  The MERLIN computer will be moved to the west end of the 4th floor.

MN Learning Center:
Old utilities removal work will continue for the next few weeks.  Piers, foundation and new utilities work will begin this summer with noise and exhaust fumes possible.

Desire for the Medieval Past: Book Collecting in Midwestern Monastic Libraries

Miller Nichols Library Dean's Gallery, 2nd floor

June 1 - 30, 2012

There is a wealth of materials in Midwestern monastic libraries that are virtually unknown to the outside world. These books include a variety of religious materials, including donations from other religious communities, gifts from benefactors, and purchases by the communities themselves.

Focusing on three Benedictine libraries near Kansas City—Conception Abbey (Conception, MO), Mount St. Scholastica (Atchison, KS), and St Benedict's Abbey (Atchison, KS) whose collection is now housed at Benedictine College—this exhibition will feature manuscripts and early printed books from the fourteenth to the sixteenth century, some in original bindings, including:

• thirteenth-century Latin textbook in which a later German nun has inscribed her name
• hand-written book of astronomical charts from 1483
• copy of the Nuremburg Chronicle, printed in 1493
• choir book dated about 1650 given to a Spanish nun
• German atlas showing Benedictine missions throughout the world, printed in 1753
• hand-written German prayer book from 1803
• unique book of saints’ lives, hand-decorated and written in 1887 by a French priest for his niece, when she joined a convent

Together this eclectic gathering of materials demonstrate,  a "desire for the medieval past" of Benedictine scholarship, and this tradition of producing hand-written books continues as the more recently made books demonstrate.