university of missouri winter 2013 volume 9, number 2 Rajmohan Gandhi, Research Professor and Grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, to Speak at Table of the Library Society Dinner, April 12, 2013. Contents he MU Libraries are pleased to organization with a primary objective to announce that Rajmohan Gandhi build trust across the world’s divides of Twill be this year’s speaker at the culture, nationality, belief and background. annual Library Society Dinner Since becoming involved with Initiatives April 12, 2013. Gandhi is a research for Change, Gandhi has been engaged professor at the Center for South Asian and in international efforts for trust-building, Middle Eastern Studies at the University reconciliation and democracy, and in battles of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. He also against corruption and inequalities. His is the grandson of Indian political and efforts have included speaking, performing ILL ENDOWMENT spiritual leader Mahatma Gandhi. public interventions and organizing 2 Gandhi was born in India in 1935 and dialogues. He served as the president of the attended St. Stephen’s College in New organization from 2009 through 2010. MEET MARY RYAN Delhi. In 1956 he began working with Gandhi is known not only for his 3 Initiatives of Change, a nongovernmental humanitarian and peacemaking initiatives but also for his writing. He has written LANFORD WILSON extensively on the Indian independence 4 movement, great Indian leaders, Indo- Pakistan relations, human rights and FALL EVENT PHOTOS conflict resolution. 6 (continued on Page 7) Rajmohan Gandhi, the grandson of Mahatma THEATRE CONFERENCE Gandhi, will speak at the Library Society 7 Dinner April 12. He is a research professor at the University of Illinois and author of several books, including Mohandas: A True Story of a Man, His People and an Empire. Photo by Rajmohan Gandhi. Carnegie Biographer to Speak at Friends of the Library Luncheon teven Watts, a history professor at MU and has published work in Sat the University of Missouri the American Quarterly, Journal of specializing in the cultural and American History, Journal of the Early intellectual history of the United Republic and American Studies. He States, will speak at the Friends also is the author of biographies of the Libraries Luncheon April covering the lives of Walt Disney, 20 at noon in the Reynolds Henry Ford and Hugh Hefner. Alumni Center. Watts has won His biography of Dale Carnegie is two prestigious teaching awards scheduled for publication in 2013. Library Connections • 1 A Letter from the Director Meet the Librarian: Mary Ryan, Head of Reference ow that 2012 has come to a close, I can report that • Our Faculty Lecture Series has continued with Can you tell us a little about your been my good fortune to interact Nthe past year was both eventful and successful. presentations in the Ellis Library colonnade. This background and experience and with students more directly in my Thankfully, the year was not as eventful as 2011, when fall, we hosted lectures by Professor Devoney Looser, what led you to MU Libraries? earlier years and to supervise reference the disastrous fire in Ellis Library occupied our entire fall speaking on contemporaries of Jane Austen, and retiree After graduating from St. Louis librarians who carry out that work semester, so I am especially happy to share some of the Emma Jean McKinin, on humorists of the 19th century. University with a bachelor’s in today. Even though our libraries have successes of 2012 and a few upcoming events in 2013. • In November, we co-sponsored the Mizzou history, I worked in the U.S. subject specialists, all of the reference • On April 13, 2012, the annual Library Society Dinner Advantage symposium Cultural Bricolage: government for two different librarians are comfortable dealing with was held in the Grand Reading Room of Ellis Library. Artist Books of Cuba’s Ediciones Vigía. This agencies but the experience left me a variety of questions and concerns. We The event featured a fascinating talk by Nicholas multidisciplinary conference explored various topics yearning for a career that had more are simultaneously subject specialists Basbanes, author of eight books about books and the surrounding the work of a unique artists’ collective academic appeal. After four years in and generalists. Our work provides a people who collect them, write them, sell them and in Matanzas, Cuba, that produces limited edition civil service, I went to the University constant intellectual challenge. care for them. We now look forward to this year’s handmade books by Cuban and international of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign How has the role of the reference dinner on April 12, featuring Rajmohan Gandhi, authors and artisans. to work on a master’s degree in department changed since you grandson of Mahatma Gandhi and noted speaker on • This spring we will co-sponsor with the MU political science and history. I had first started working in reference? conflict resolution and human rights. [See calendar of the good fortune to meet other Department of Theatre, Angels in Performance: The most remarkable change is the role Photo by Marie Concannon events on Page 6] Documenting LGBTQ Lives in Theatre & graduate students, including students technology has played in transforming working on beginning and advanced Mary Ryan is head of the Ellis Library Performance, April 24-27. This conference also will the field of library and information reference department. • In May, U.S. Rep. Blaine Leutkemeyer, UM President degrees in library and information feature a celebration of the recent bequest to the science. In 1972 when I came to MU, Tim Wolfe, and U.S. Superintendent of Documents science from a variety of disciplines Mary Alice Baish were among the dignitaries on hand university of papers from the estate of Lanford Wilson, there was no Internet, no Google After serving 43 years at the MU and backgrounds. Although this Libraries, you have plans to retire to celebrate 150 years of the MU Libraries as a public Missouri’s own Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, who capability; reference resources were was a new field to me, I already primarily indexes, books, newspapers this year. What are your plans after depository of U.S. federal documents. Of the more died in March 2011. This notable collection of letters, had an interest not only in liberal and government documents searchable you retire? than 1,200 such libraries in the country, MU Libraries photographs, recordings and other unique artifacts is arts but also presidential libraries. I via hard copies or microfiche. We had has the distinction of being the 15th oldest. currently being catalogued by our University Archives completed my master’s and returned I would like to volunteer to help for use by students and scholars. print and even handwritten catalog low literacy adults develop better • During the fall semester, the MU Libraries hosted four a year later to the University of cards to search manually as we helped I hope to see many of you at these and other upcoming Illinois to pursue a master’s degree in reading skills whether it is English colloquia in the digital humanities. The combination patrons find needed books and journals. as a second language or others of computing technology and humanities scholarship events. As always, I offer everyone a standing invitation to library and information science. Electronic searching of databases, visit Ellis or any of our branch libraries to experience first- Upon graduation, I answered a who for a variety of reasons have has resulted in new methods of research and teaching, Internet resources, online searchable reading difficulties. Literacy deficits reflection on new media, and new modes of scholarly hand the many wonderful things happening here. Thank posting for a reference librarian at the catalogs with new discovery tools MU Libraries for an opening in the are likely to limit these individuals’ communication and collaboration. Each month, the you for your continued support of the MU Libraries. and e-books have brought rapid undergraduate library (which no longer functionality in their lives. I also series hosted presentations and meetings of MU Jim Cogswell change to our field and to the work exists). I started in February 1972 and would like to do some additional faculty, staff and students interested in these areas. Director of Libraries of the reference department. Online knew I had found the ideal career that traveling. I have been to Ireland three information and instruction content times and would enjoy going back! matched my interests and aptitude. provided by the reference staff has What are some of the unique expanded rapidly. We also have seen What has been your favorite Unique Endowment Supports the aspects of your job? the migration of books, journals and thing about working for the MU Libraries? MU Libraries Borrowing and Lending The reference department provides manuscripts scanned and stored in the important public interface and databases for access in this explosion My favorite part of my career has hanks to the support of for its return. Although books husband Edward H. Hunvald Jr., library assistance that students need as of information and knowledge. In been working with the university TKatherine Hunvald, PhD ’91, and journal articles are the most professor emeritus of law at MU, she they pursue their education. Knowing addition to providing face-to-face, students and knowing I am making the MU Libraries have the only frequently requested items, some decided it was her time to complete how our department impacts their mail and telephone reference as we a difference in their education in endowment in the country devoted libraries will lend audio recordings, her studies. educational lives through individual did in the early days, we now also such a positive way.