MISSISSIPPI LIBRARY ASSOCIATION

News

  • Tuesday, August 18, 2015 8:05 AM | Tina Harry (Administrator)
    Jennifer Brannock and Sarah Mangrum in University Libraries at The University of Southern Mississippi are recipients of a Big Read grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). Brannock and Mangrum will receive $10,000 and University Libraries was one of 75 organizations to receive the grant, which total more than $1 million.


    “Southern Miss has a tradition of receiving this grant to benefit the campus and the local community. With assistance from the Department of English, Department of Theatre, Department of History, Department of Art & Design, School of Mass Communications & Journalism, and the Hattiesburg Public Library, we will be able to host the amazing events we have planned,” said Brannock, Curator of Rare Books and Mississippiana.


    The Big Read grant will support programming related to the stories and poetry of Edgar Allan Poe including book discussions, exhibits, scholarly lectures, film showings, and a live radio performance. These events will occur this fall, with a kick-off event in early October on campus and across the community. A schedule of events will be released at a later date.


    “This grant project is a wonderful opportunity to connect the University with the Hattiesburg community as we all join together to promote literacy and encourage discussions around our selected book,” said Mangrum, Circulation Librarian.“We are fostering partnerships not only within the community, but also within the University. The campus partnerships will provide hands-on opportunities for student learning. We have such talented students and faculty at Southern Miss, and I am looking forward to showcasing their talents through some of our planned programs.”

    The Big Read broadens our understanding of our world, our communities and ourselves through the joy of sharing a good book. Managed by Arts Midwest, this initiative offers grants to support innovative community reading programs designed around a single book. Each organization will develop unique programming that will provide their communities with the opportunity to read, discuss, and celebrate one of 37 selections from U.S. and world literature.


    NEA Chairman Jane Chu said, “The Big Read is a powerful example of how the arts can bring communities together and help us to connect with one another. These 75 organizations are creating valuable opportunities for their communities to share wonderful stories and characters and to have meaningful conversations.”


    For more information on the grant and the events, contact Jennifer Brannock and 601.266.4347 or Jennifer.Brannock@usm.edu or Sarah Mangrum at 601.266.4251 or Sarah.Rials@usm.edu. For more information on the Big Read visit http://www.neabigread.org.


     Mangrum

    Brannock and Mangrum



    Submitted by

    Dawn Smith, M.S.

    Assistant to the Dean for Publicity and Outreach

    University of Southern Mississippi Libraries

  • Tuesday, August 18, 2015 8:04 AM | Tina Harry (Administrator)

    The University of Mississippi Libraries has hired Kristin Rogers as Electronic Resources and Discovery Librarian. Her previous work experience includes thirteen years as a Library Specialist in Acquisitions at the University of Mississippi Libraries. She received her bachelors from Bryan College in Dayton, TN in 2001 and her Masters of Library and Information Science from the University of Southern Mississippi in 2006.

  • Tuesday, August 18, 2015 7:51 AM | Tina Harry (Administrator)

    The de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection at The University of Southern Mississippi will feature 130 original works of art by award winning illustrator, Tasha Tudor, at an exhibit from October through December at Oddfellows Gallery in downtown Hattiesburg. These pieces are part of a traveling exhibit organized by Norman Rockwell Museum, Stockbridge, Massachusetts.


    The exhibit, entitled Tasha Tudor: Around the Year, will include original paintings, books, cards and calendars, studies, manuscripts, doll cards & letters, and ephemera, artifacts including hand-painted goose eggs and hand-decorated floral box. The exhibit illuminates the changing seasons and special celebrations with outstanding, rarely seen examples of this beloved author and illustrator’s original art for children’s books and greeting cards highlighting the holidays, including Christmas, a favorite of Tudor’s.


    “Rarely do we have a world class exhibit, such as Tasha Tudor: Around the Year, come to Hattiesburg. Through the generosity of the C.E. and S. Foundation and the Norman Rockwell Museum, we are able to recognize the centenary of one of America’s most significant illustrators. Those who view the exhibit will have an opportunity to purchase one of a kind Christmas cards as well as books and prints. We look forward to celebrating the work of Tasha Tudor,” said Ellen Ruffin, de Grummond Curator.


    The de Grummond Collection has events scheduled throughout the exhibition, and while details are still to be determined, events will include a symposium at the opening of the exhibit in October, a lecture in November, and a mother-daughter tea in conjunction with the Victorian Candlelight Christmas in downtown Hattiesburg. Notable Tasha Tudor scholars, Jeanette Knazek and John Hare, will be featured presenters at the October symposium.


    Knazek has enjoyed Tasha Tudor’s writings and illustrations for over 50 years and has been a consultant for Tasha Tudor exhibitions organized by major museums in the United States and the United Kingdom. The author of many published articles about Tudor's artistry and life, Knazek also co-curated the traveling exhibit.


    John Hare, creator of the Tasha Tudor Bibliography Collection, has spent 25 years assembling books, illustrations, photographs and manuscripts that encompass Tudor’s contribution to the genre of children’s literature. The collection now contains more than 1,500 books and 1,500 other items exhibiting Tudor’s art and writings.


    Tasha Tudor (August 28, 1915-June 18, 2008) is one of America’s best-known and beloved illustrators. Her first little story, Pumpkin Moonshine, was published in 1938. She illustrated nearly one hundred books, the last being the 2003 release, The Corgiville Christmas. She received many awards and honors, including Caldecott Honors for Mother Goose and 1 is One. Many of her books are printed in foreign languages and distributed around the world. She also created thousand of Christmas cards, Advent calendars, valentines, posters, and other works throughout her 70-year career.


    Tasha Tudor

    Artwork by Tasha Tudor.


    Submitted by

    Dawn Smith, M.S.

    Assistant to the Dean for Publicity and Outreach

    University of Southern Mississippi Libraries

  • Tuesday, August 18, 2015 7:40 AM | Tina Harry (Administrator)

    Dixie Regional Library System is pleased to announce new staffing changes with the selection of Regina Graham as Director and Emily Sutherland as Assistant Director.


    Although new to these positions, both Graham and Sutherland are familiar faces at DRLS. Graham was Assistant Director at the system for 11 years before taking over the duties of Director on May 1, 2015, at the retirement of Judy McNeece. Sutherland served as system Branch Manager at Jesse Yancy Memorial Library in Bruce for eight years and began her new duties as Assistant Director July 1, 2015.


    Graham received her B.A. in History from the University of Mississippi and completed her Master of Library Science at the University of Southern Mississippi. She returned to the Pontotoc County Library to assume the duties of Branch Manager where she once served as a Student Library Clerk during her high school and college years. Graham was Branch Manager at Pontotoc for nine years prior to serving as Assistant Director.


    Graham said that she looked forward to serving the communities in Calhoun, Chickasaw, and Pontotoc counties in this new capacity.“From meeting the bookmobile as a child in the summer, visiting after school and then as a teen working as a clerk, the library has always been a part of my life. It’s an honor to be able to give back and promote the many things our libraries offer. I look forward to working with the community, staff and trustees.”


    Sutherland received her B.A. in Music from Mississippi College and her Master of Library and Information Science from the University of Southern Mississippi. She, too, began her library career as a Student Library Clerk at Pontotoc County Library, shelving books and assisting patrons, so both Sutherland and Graham have a long history of service to the library community!


    Sutherland is ready to be an advocate for DRLS. “I am grateful and excited for the opportunity this position provides to represent, support, and promote the wonderful things happening in Calhoun, Chickasaw, & Pontotoc Counties.”


    Sutherland, Graham

  • Tuesday, August 18, 2015 7:37 AM | Tina Harry (Administrator)

    There are two staff job changes at Millsaps College Library. Jamie Wilson, formerly Acquisitions Librarian, is now Electronic Resources and Web Services Librarian and was elected Secretary of MLA for 2016. Elizabeth Beck continues as Cataloger with added responsibilities as Systems Librarian.

  • Tuesday, August 18, 2015 7:34 AM | Tina Harry (Administrator)

    The Jackson-Hinds Library System has hired Miao Jin as Assistant Director for Technical Services. Her previous work experience includes four years as catalog librarian at Hinds Community College and seven years as technical services librarian at the University of Southern Mississippi Libraries. She received her Masters of Library and Information Science from the University of Rhode Island in 2000 and her bachelor’s degree in information management from Nanjing University in China in 1998.

  • Tuesday, August 18, 2015 7:25 AM | Tina Harry (Administrator)

    Hanna Lee is the new Head Librarian for the Batesville branch of First Regional Library. Hanna Lee comes to First Regional from The Princeton Public Library, in Princeton, NJ. She holds a MA in Teaching from John Hopkins University and an MLIS from Rutgers University.
     
    She has been a Youth Services Librarian; a classroom teacher, teaching language arts to 7th through 9th grade students; an instructor for ESL and much more. As part of her work at the Princeton Public Library, she oversaw an afterschool tutoring program for several years. She was recognized by the American Library Association as one of a handful of Emerging Leaders in 2014 for her work at Princeton Public Library and elsewhere.
     
    Collaborating and communicating with the community she serves is extremely important to Hanna. “I plan to spend my first year getting to know Batesville and the outlying communities the library serves. I want to know what the community wants from their library, and become acquainted with potential schools, businesses and community groups with which the library can partner so we all serve our community to the best of our abilities.”

  • Wednesday, June 03, 2015 6:58 AM | Tina Harry (Administrator)

    Dr. Joy Greiner, long-time faculty member at SLIS, University of Southern Mississippi, and Director from 1991-1999, passed away on May 19, 2015. Dr. Greiner joined the SLIS faculty in the mid 80s and retired in 2008. A memorial service will be held at Hulett-Winstead Funeral Home in Hattiesburg on June 20th at 11:30am, followed by a reception at the Thad Cochran Center on the USM campus at 2:00.

  • Friday, May 15, 2015 12:49 PM | Tina Harry (Administrator)


     
    Judy
     
    McNeece retired from Dixie Regional Library System on April 30, 2015.


    McNeece became Director of DRLS in 2004. She earned a Masters of Library Science from George Peabody College for Teachers. Throughout her career Judy has worked in many types of libraries. She has worked in college, high school, church and special libraries in addition to her service to public libraries.


    While at DRLS McNeece wrote and received many grants, including one from Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Mississippi, Inc. and another from the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation.


    New Director, Regina Graham worked with Judy McNeece as Assistant Director to DRLS for 11 years and said that working with Judy has been a pleasure. “She has been a good boss. She has excelled in scheduling a diverse selection of authors for Lunching with Books. She has never been afraid to tackle a big project like rearranging whole libraries. She has brought many good ideas to the system and is truly passionate about public libraries.”
  • Friday, May 15, 2015 12:41 PM | Tina Harry (Administrator)
     
    Mariah
     
    Grant joined the Millsaps College Library as Acquisitions Librarian in February. Mariah has an MLIS from the University of Arizona, her native state, and previously worked at MVSU. She replaces Jamie Wilson who is now the Electronic Resources and Web Services Librarian.

     

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