MISSISSIPPI LIBRARY ASSOCIATION

News

  • Tuesday, February 17, 2015 8:49 AM | Tina Harry (Administrator)
    This spring, you’ll want to “ankle” quickly to Mississippi State University Libraries for the ninth annual Charles Templeton Ragtime & Jazz Festival– it’s the “bee’s knees!” Dress up in ’20s fashion and be an “Oliver Twist” on the dance floor at the second annual Gatsby Gala, enjoy performances from some of the country’s most talented pianists, and learn more about ragtime, jazz and early American music at a number of lectures.


    Previously an event exclusively featuring piano and concentrating mainly on ragtime, the festival is spreading its wings to include more instruments and styles. Look forward to the sounds of Stride, Boogie, Blues, Novelty, Swing, New Orleans Jazz, some Gershwin and of course, a healthy serving of Ragtime. From the wild, hot piano of Dr. Dave Majchrzak to the pastel-tinged Art Deco pianisms of Richard Dowling, from the torrid New Orleans Rag, Jazz and Blues heritage of Scott Kirby to the impressive eclecticism of Ivory&Gold®, this year's Templeton Festival truly has something for everyone!


    The festival features the Charles H. Templeton Sr. Collection and Museum in MSU Libraries, which houses over 22,000 pieces of sheet music, 200 musical instruments, and unique musical memorabilia from the 1880s to the 1930s. The collection highlights the industry during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, when ragtime dominated popular American music.


    Events kick off with the Gatsby Gala on Thursday, March 26 at 6 p.m., featuring a fashion show of ’20s designs created by students in the Apparel, Textile and Merchandising program. A series of Templeton Museum tours, seminars and silent movies will be held throughout the day and evening concerts featuring our guest performers will be held in the evenings, Friday, March 27 and Saturday, March 28. Daytime events and the Gatsby Gala will be held in Mitchell Memorial Library, and the concerts will be held at the McComas Hall Auditorium on the MSU Campus.


    The Festival is sponsored by grants from the Starkville Area Arts Council, Greater Starkville Partnership Development and the Mississippi Arts Commission, a state agency, and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. Tickets are available for daily events, evening concerts, and for the entire festival online at http://library.msstate.edu/ragtime. For questions or concerns, contact Lynda Graham at lgraham@library.msstate.eduor (662) 325-6634.


    Submitted by
    Stephen Cunetto
    Administrator of Systems
    Mississippi State University Libraries

  • Tuesday, February 17, 2015 8:42 AM | Tina Harry (Administrator)

    At places like Walt Disney World and the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, more than four million people have viewed The Kinsey Collection's artifacts, manuscripts, books and art documenting African American history.

    Soon, the collection, comprising one of the largest private collections of African American pieces in the world, will make its first visit to the Magnolia State at Mississippi State University. Free, public viewings of The Kinsey Collection's "African American Treasures" will be open March 21-June 20 in the John Grisham Room at Mitchell Memorial Library.

    Because the collection is private, not a permanent public display, viewing "African American Treasures" is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, according to organizers. They suggest residents, schools and media make plans to see the pieces during its short three-month visit.

    Pieces in The Kinsey Collection, owned by Bernard and Shirley Kinsey of Los Angeles, celebrate African Americans' achievements and accomplishments throughout U.S. history, especially through their impacts on culture and art.

    Highlights of the "African American Treasures" display coming to MSU include an early copy of the Emancipation Proclamation and a signed copy of Brown v. Board of Education. Also, rare works from early 19th century African American artists will be displayed.

    The Kinsey family, including son Khalil, will visit campus to celebrate the opening of The Kinsey Collection at MSU. Bernard Kinsey will speak at a 3 p.m. public presentation on March 22 to offer insights into the respective pieces on display at the university, as well as why he and his wife are so passionate about gathering items for the collection.

    The collection is presented by the Bernard and Shirley Kinsey Foundation for Art and Education. The organization seeks to educate the public about African American history by highlighting African American accomplishments over time, closing societal and cultural gaps between African Americans and other populations, and eroding the stereotypes undercutting equality.

    The exhibit is made possible by MSU Libraries, African American Studies at MSU and grants from Visit Mississippi, Starkville Visitors & Convention Council and the Mississippi Humanities Council, through support from the Mississippi Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this exhibition do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities or the Mississippi Humanities Council.

    To discover more, schedule group tours or view exhibit hours for "African American Treasures" from The Kinsey Collection at MSU, visit http://library.msstate.edu/Kinsey. More information about the Kinseys, The Kinsey Collection and its history is available at www.thekinseycollection.com.

    African American Treasures


    Submitted by

    Stephen Cunetto
    Administrator of Systems

    Mississippi State University Libraries

  • Friday, January 16, 2015 1:03 PM | Tina Harry (Administrator)
    The de Grummond Children's Literature Collection at The University of Southern Mississippi will feature 60-plus original watercolor and mixed media art pieces of Rosemary Wells, award-winning children's book author and illustrator, at an exhibit in February.
     
    Wells' illustrations, featuring some of her most famous characters such as Max and Ruby, Yoko and Mother Goose, will be on display from Feb. 7-28 at Oddfellows Gallery in downtown Hattiesburg. The public will also be invited to attend a reception to celebrate the opening of the Wells exhibit Saturday, Feb. 7 from 4 - 6 p.m. Wells will be in attendance at the reception for a book signing, and selected pieces of her artwork will be available for purchase.
     
    During a recent visit to Hattiesburg, Wells donated illustrations from her personal collection to the de Grummond Collection.
     
    "Having Rosemary Wells here in Hattiesburg provides us with the opportunity to have a high-caliber exhibition. Wells' work has been read and loved by children all over the world," said Ellen Ruffin, curator of the de Grummond Children's Literature Collection. "We are also fortunate to have a gallery like Oddfellows in which to present the work of this noted artist. People attending this event will see a first-class exhibit."
     
    Wells has won many awards for her work, including the Golden Kite Award for Forest of Dreams, an International Reading Association Children's Choices citation for Max's Chocolate Chicken; Edgar Allan Poe Special Award, Mystery Writers of America, 1981, for When No One Was Looking; many of her books have been named among the best books of the year by School Library Journal or received American Library Association Notable Book citations or American Bookseller "Pick of the Lists" citations.
     
    In 2002, Wells received The University of Southern Mississippi Medallion, an award for distinguished service in the field of children's literature. Unique among literary prizes, the medallion is awarded for an individual's total body of work, rather than for one particular work. Since the first award at the second annual Children's Book Festival, the Southern Miss Medallion has been presented to an outstanding array of children's authors and illustrators.
     
    Wells' career as an author and illustrator spans more than 40 years and 120 books. She has given readers such unforgettable characters as Max and Ruby, Noisy Nora and Yoko. She also gave Mother Goose new life in two definitive editions, and created an unforgettable world for grown-ups and kids alike in Voyage to the Bunny Planet.
     
    The community will be treated to more literary and arts culture the weekend of Feb. 6-7 during the Take a Look: Poetry, Art and Books event in downtown Hattiesburg. The weekend begins with the national event, Poetry Out Loud, on Friday and continues on Saturday with the Little Free Library and Rosemary Wells' Exhibit. The Hattiesburg Tourism Commission will provide trolley service from the Cultural Center to Oddfellows Gallery for those interested in attending both events on Saturday.
     
    Schedule of Events:
    • Friday, Feb. 6: Poetry Out Loud - noon - 2 p.m. - Cultural Arts Center
    • Saturday, Feb. 7: Little Free Library - 3-5 p.m. - Cultural Arts Center
    • Satruday, Feb. 7: Rosemary Wells Exhibit and Book Signing - 4-6 p.m. - Oddfellows Gallery
    For more information on the Rosemary Wells exhibit, contact the de Grummond Children's Literature Collection at 601.266.4349.
     
     
    Submitted by
    Dawn Smith, M.S.
    Assistant to the Dean for Publicity and Outreach
    University Libraries

  • Friday, December 19, 2014 7:53 AM | Tina Harry (Administrator)

    The St. Martin Public Library is showing the art of local artist Vincent Feranda during the month of December and January.


    Vincent, a patron of the library for many years, is a resident of St. Martin and is showing several wooden sculptures in the library. Most are hand-carved items of discarded logs, boards, and other wood scraps that are crafted to look like animals and fantasy characters with many suspended on poles.


    He began his wood working craft by checking out books on the subject from the library back in 2010. Vincent started with hand tools carving smaller items. Recently, he added chain saw sculpting to his new-found talent and is still learning new techniques.


    For more information on his work, call the library or visit at 15004 Lemoyne Blvd.



    Photo by JGRLS public relations


    Library patron Vincent Feranda is showing several wooden sculptures at the St. Martin Public Library this month.


    Submitted by
    Rex Bridges
    PR & Marketing Manager
    Jackson-George Regional Library


  • Friday, December 12, 2014 12:16 PM | Tina Harry (Administrator)
    The Mississippi State University Libraries Special Collections Department is proud to announce the inclusion of over 300 manuscript collection finding aids to the Library’s online catalog and OCLC Worldcat. These collection finding aids, which were previously accessible only in-house, have been linked to the library’s website and corresponding bibliographic records added to the Libraries’ online catalog and OCLC Worldcat.
     
    The digital finding aids, most of which were developed using Archivist Toolkit, cover a wide variety of subjects from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries that will be of interest to both scholars and the general public alike. Subjects include: agriculture, slavery, the Civil War in Mississippi, the lumber industry, African-American history, clubs and organizations, the Civil Rights movement, journalism in Mississippi, church histories, and numerous other subjects.


    Frances Coleman, Dean of Libraries, said, “The release of these digital finding aids represents many hours of work on behalf of a variety of people in the Library’s Special Collections department. The addition of these finding aids will ensure that these exceptional and unique collections are discoverable by researchers worldwide.”
     
    Types of materials found in the manuscripts collections include: correspondence, diaries, journals, plantation records, slave schedules, ledgers, newspaper articles, photographs, audio and video recordings, microfilm, and a variety of articles of clothing and artifacts.


    Examples include the Eugene Butler papers (Progressive Farmer editor-in-chief Eugene Butler); the Charles Johnson Faulk papers (Pulitzer prize-winning reporter and later editor of the Vicksburg (MS) Evening Post); the Turner Catledge papers (journalist, and editor of The New York Times); the Douglas Conner papers (prominent African-American physician and civil rights activist in Mississippi); and the Lenoir Plantation papers featuring the Lenoir family who migrated to Mississippi from South Carolina in the 1830s, eventually building a plantation home in the late 1840s on 3500 acres at Prairie, Mississippi.
     
    For assistance with finding resources in Special Collections, please visit our website at http://library.msstate.edu/specialcollections or call the Special Collections at 662-325-7679.
     
    About the MSU Libraries:
    Mississippi State University Libraries is a premier research library providing its communities of users an ongoing, creative, technologically advanced library program that provides new and emerging technologies; enhances and inspires teaching, research, and service of the highest caliber in an environment of free and open inquiry and with a commitment to excellence. For more information about MSU Libraries, please visit http://library.msstate.edu/


    Submitted by
    Ben Nagel
    Library Associate / Public Relations Committee
    MSU Libraries


  • Monday, November 17, 2014 8:24 AM | Tina Harry (Administrator)

    Pike-Amite-Walthall children’s librarian Mattie Rials, affectionately known as Miss Mattie, hosted a “Little Lady” tea October 12, 2014, at the McComb Library.  Little girls came to the party, dressed up in their mothers’ clothes with long beads, brimmed hats, and high heels.  As the little girls modeled their outfits, Nancy Jackson played “A Pretty Girl Is like a Melody” on her electronic organ.  Following the fashion parade, Alice Rhea Mitchell read her children’s book entitled My Mama’s Closet.  Then the little girls enjoyed refreshments of finger foods on pink party plates with fruit juice served in stemmed plastic cups.  The little girls took home gift bags filled with paper dolls, a feathered fan, and a bookmark. 


    Submitted by

    Alice Rhea Mitchell

    Photos by Trulee Torres



    Top:

    Scarlet Dickerson

    Sophia Torres, Olivia Torres, Mattie Rials, and Alice Mitchell


    Bottom:

    Mattie Rials and Raven Dillon

    Tiffany Hall

  • Thursday, November 13, 2014 12:22 PM | Tina Harry (Administrator)

    Tracy Englert, reference librarian for science and technology at The University of Southern Mississippi University Libraries has been selected to participate in the "Implementing the Sharing Science Workshop and Practicum” sponsored by the Nanoscale Informal Science Education Network (NISE). This immersive workshop was held November 14-16, 2014, at the Museum of Science in Boston.


    “I am excited about this opportunity to provide a professional development program to nanoscale and materials science researchers at Southern Miss that will cultivate their science communication and pubic engagement skills. This program will expand upon existing University Libraries education outreach partnerships such as the Cook Library science café series. By partnering with University Libraries, the content expertise of the faculty researchers can be leveraged with the engagement expertise of University Libraries to deliver effective and rewarding informal educational outreach experiences to broader audiences,” said Englert.


    Englert is one of seven chosen to participate in this workshop. The workshop will provide information and resources on planning and hosting a Sharing Science Workshop & Practicum (SSW&P) for Southern Miss nanoscale and materials science researchers that will enhance their science communication skills, engage their interest in education and outreach and prepare them for providing effective and rewarding outreach experiences. Englert will also observe how the SSW&P is implemented at the Museum of Science in Boston with graduate students from local research center partners such as MIT and Harvard. She plans to implement an SSW&P workshop at Southern Miss in early 2015.


    The NISE Network is a national community of researchers and informal science educators dedicated to fostering public awareness, engagement and understanding of nanoscale science, engineering and technology. The Nanoscale Informal Science Education Network is a major National Science Foundation (NSF) initiative. The NSF has formed a national infrastructure that links science museums and other informal science education organizations with nanoscale science and engineering research organizations to foster public awareness, engagement and understanding of nanoscale science, engineering and technology.


    If you are interested in participating in the Sharing Science Workshop and Practicum (SSW&P), contact Tracy Englert at tracy.englert@usm.edu or 601.266.6396. To find out more about the NISE Network, visit http://www.nisenet.org/.

  • Thursday, November 13, 2014 12:20 PM | Tina Harry (Administrator)

    Jennifer Wann has been named Director of the Bolivar County Library System, MS effective January 1, 2015. She has served as the Director of Development Services at the Mississippi Library Commission since 2010. Jennifer received her MLIS from the University of Southern Mississippi in 2006.

  • Thursday, November 13, 2014 12:13 PM | Tina Harry (Administrator)

    The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), has announced the winners of its 2014 Maker Contest.


    Over the summer, libraries were encouraged to implement ‘making’ activities into their summer reading and learning programming efforts. At the conclusion of their making programming, libraries were invited to enter YALSA’s Maker Contest. YALSA received a total of 27 entries from across the country, which were vetted by a taskforce of YALSA members.


    Jaclyn Anderson from the Madison County Library System in Canton, Mississippi was one of the five winners of the Maker Contest. She offered ArtBot workshops that challenged teens to create robots that could create drawings.


    Winners received a prize pack with various STEM and making related tools and resources.

  • Tuesday, September 09, 2014 7:45 AM | Tina Harry (Administrator)

    Beal


    Billy Beal, beginning his 38th year on Meridian Community College's administrative staff, has been promoted to the position of Associate Vice President for Learning Resources, according to MCC President Dr. Scott Elliott. Beal's promotion was ratified by the MCC Board of Trustees during its monthly meeting in August.

     

    "Billy is richly deserving of this recognition," Elliott said. "He has served MCC long and well. He is one of our state's most respected learning resources officers and has been a great asset to MCC during his tenure. As just one example, Billy is without question one of the most knowledgeable professionals I've worked with in terms of learning resources accreditation standards."

     

    Elliott announced Beal's promotion during the opening session of MCC's fall semester faculty in-service program, presenting him with some new business cards. Beal received a rousing reception from the faculty when the announcement was made.

     

    "The sustained and enthusiastic applause by Billy's colleagues at MCC was reflective of their appreciation for his dedication to the institution," Elliott assessed. "It was a heart-warming moment."

     

    Beal served as the dean of the College's Learning Resources from 1992 until his associate vice president appointment.

     

    A native of Meridian, Beal holds an A.B. from Loyola University of Chicago and an M.S. in library science from Simmons College in Boston. After his academic studies at Simmons, he returned to Meridian where he became circulation librarian at MCC. During his tenure at the College, he has served as Self Study Title III director, acquisitions librarian, ACE/HEMI coordinator, computer-assisted instruction supervisor and head librarian, as well as chairman of the Student Appeals Committee.

     

    He has been the recipient of the John Johnson, Lamplighter and Employee of the Month awards as well as installed into the Talon Club, which salutes MCC employees who have served the College for 30-plus years.

     

    Off campus, Beal is a trustee for the Mississippi Heritage Trust, is president of the Lauderdale County Mental Health Association and is a commissioner on the Historic Meridian Commission.  Additionally, Beal is a member of the American Library Association, the Mississippi Library Association. Beal also serves as organist at St. Joseph Catholic Church.

     

    A founding member for the Meridian Council for the Arts, Beal was a former board member of the Meridian Symphony Orchestra. He was also a board member of the Meridian Historic Foundation, which became the Grand Opera House, now known as the Mississippi State University Riley Center.

     

    Beal credits current and former colleagues for support, and a former mentor especially. "I owe a debt to the late Dr. Clarence Roberts, vice president of instruction at MCC, from whom I learned the intricacies and inner workings of higher education."

     

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