Archival Science Commons^™

Mississippi Libraries Volume 88, Number 1 And 2

Mississippi Libraries

No abstract provided.

Book Reviews, Katie Gill, Audrey Beach

Mississippi Libraries

Reviews of:

Alsup, William. The Trial of Lee Harvey Oswald. Athens, GA: New South Books, 2022.

Loewen, James W., Byron D’Andra Orey, and Charles Sallis, eds. Mississippi, Conflict and Change. Jackson, MS: University Press of Mississippi, 2025.

A Brush With History: Shared Authority, Distributed Archives, And Artist M.B. Mayfield, Jeannie S. Latartara

Mississippi Libraries

In 2020, a school librarian volunteered to lead preservation of the papers of visionary artist M.B. Mayfield that were discovered during the restoration of the artist’s Mississippi home. In March of 2020, the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic threatened the success of the community-led project, due to the project’s physical isolation, limited resources, and inability to garner support for the paper’s preservation. In early 2021, the librarian and community partners formed a shared authority and distributed archives partnership with public history faculty at the University of Mississippi that would help preserve and increase awareness of the importance of the papers. …

Mississippi Library Association Annual Conference: 2025 Recap, Janessa Ullendorf

Mississippi Libraries

Recap from the 2025 annual conference of the Mississippi Library Association.

Slis Notes: Psst...Do You Have This Dirty Book?, Stacy Creel, Crystal Walker

Mississippi Libraries

Romance fiction is one of the most commercially successful and culturally significant genres in contemporary publishing, and this is not a one-year instance; it is a multi-year trend (Adams, 2026). In 2025, sales were up in the United States, and the growth was across platforms and formats—digital audio, e-books, and print. Two subgenres have sparked greater interest—romantasy and dark romance. Romantasy, the combination of romance and fantasy, has drawn new readers with the explosion of Sarah J. Maas, and dark romance, which gained some notoriety with Fifty Shades of Grey (2011) has seen strong growth and acceptance. In fact, the …

President's Page, Dawn Zimmerer

Mississippi Libraries

Update from the president of the Mississippi Library Association.

Front Matter

Mississippi Libraries

No abstract provided.

The Spring 2026 Issue, Destiny Dehart, Sara Gonzalez, Crystal Walker, Karen Winstead, Anthony Toledo, Lauren Nimon-Viola, Tristan Mioduszewski, Fatima Al Jaberi

Fonds and Feathers

The theme of this issue is "we explore what matters" – what matters to us, what matters to archives, and what matters to libraries. Different voices are reflected by writers in the formats of poetry, artwork, research, and articles.

Cultivating Empathy Through Exhibit Design To Engage Students In The Ai And Handheld Tech Era - Three Case Studies, Angela R. Whitlock

The Primary Source

This article examines how exhibition environments can foster empathy, participation, and meaningful connection among student visitors within an increasingly digital and technologically mediated cultural landscape. Through a comparative multi-site case study, it analyzes three exhibition environments that engage students through immersive design, participatory technology, and interpretive framing: the African American Military History Museum in Hattiesburg, Mississippi; the Ulysses S. Grant exhibit space within Mitchell Memorial Library at Mississippi State University in Starkville, Mississippi; and the in-progress redesign of the Southern Literary Trail exhibit, also located within Mitchell Memorial Library and scheduled for completion within the next year. While each site …

Entire Vol. 13, Iss. 1

SLIS Connecting

No abstract provided.

Gamification In Libraries: A Bibliometric Study, Alice Bessette

SLIS Connecting

This bibliometric research proposal addresses the use of gamification in libraries. Articles for this proposal can be divided into the following subtopics: patron orientation and engagement, information literacy, library instruction, and staff training. Readers of this bibliometric study will be able to locate some of the more impactful articles about gamification in libraries. Library & Information Science Source, a database located within EBSCOhost’s collection of databases, was used to collect data for this study.

Community College Library Digital Branches And Their Communities, Helen Cozart

SLIS Connecting

Community Colleges have long been a staple of American life. They offer an affordable education that is transferable to a four-year school or certification in a trade. Since they are in the community, costs can be further lowered by allowing traditional students to live at home and non-traditional students to be with their families and workplaces (Princeton Review, n.d.). Many community colleges actively engage with their communities, encouraging attendance and offering community enrichment programs. Community college libraries can occupy a powerful position in this relationship, creating an environment for the public that is inviting and encouraging through their physical offerings …

Beyond The Tropes: Viewing The Horror Genre Through The Lens Of Bipoc Readers, Kimberly Wade

SLIS Connecting

Horror novels have been and continue to grow in popularity among all age demographics in the United States. According to a 2020 Book Ad Report study, horror novels were the fifth highest-grossing genre, topping $79.6 million in 2020 (Herold, 2019, para. 16). With the growing popularity of horror novels within the market, authors and publishers have pushed for inclusion and diversity in who is writing the material, who is reading the books, and who is represented within the pages. This drive to include “Black, Indigenous, People of Color” (BIPOC) and other diverse authors and characters is necessary in allowing young …

Disobedient Women: A Quantitative Analysis Of Females In The Lowndes County, Mississippi Circuit Court Felony Criminal Cases Housed At The Columbus-Lowndes Public Library System Billups-Garth Archival Room, 1830-1899, Mona Vance-Ali

SLIS Connecting

This study concentrates solely on the court records dating from 1830 to 1899, comprising 4,740 individual cases. The date range covers local population shifts and larger historical events such as the Institution of Slavery, the American Civil War, and the rise of Jim Crow in the American South. Mississippi became a state in 1817 (Ownby, 2017, Mississippi Statehood). In 1830, Lowndes County formed out of Monroe County (Ownby, 2017, Lowndes County). At that time, the total population of the county was 3,173. A decade later, the population jumped over 357 percent to include 14,513 people. The number continued to rise …

A Citation Analysis Of Post-Postmodern Fiction Scholarship In Proquest Dissertations And Theses Global From 2000 – 2024, Jaren Swann

SLIS Connecting

The purpose of this study is to conduct a citation analysis of theses and dissertations on post-postmodern fiction published from 2000 – 2024, as indexed in ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global, to identify significant contributors, relevant resources, and important publication venues on this contemporary subject, helping academic librarians to enhance collection development and provide support for teaching, learning and research services.

Tattoo Archives: A Collection Analysis, Jennifer Neville

SLIS Connecting

Tattooing and body modification have been a part of human existence for thousands of years. Although for much of the 20th century, tattoos in America were seen as part of a subculture, in the late 20th century and into the 21st, they gained popularity and more widespread cultural acceptance. Despite the historical lack of mainstream acceptance, tattooing has a wide and varied history. Tattooing was and remains important to many indigenous people, it has always been popular within the military, especially during wartime, and it has a fascinating place in sideshow history. Even though many people now wear tattoos, the …

Subjective Cataloging And Acquisitions In Relation To Controversial Titles: A Collection Analysis Of Challenged Lgbtq+ Titles In Louisiana Libraries, Madeline Moghimi

SLIS Connecting

In late 2022, the Attorney General of Louisiana, Jeff Landry, began a campaign to block access to books considered sexually graphic in Louisiana libraries (Landry, 2023). In a report released in February 2023, Landry called for a system that would prevent minors from being able to access objectionable books (Landry, 2023). Despite Landry’s claim that this is not censorship or an attempt at banning books, this can prevent access, effectively censoring titles for a subsection of the population. While Landry did not call for books to be moved to a different collection, this attempt at blocking access has made censorship …

Miss Me With That Misinformation: A Content Analysis Of Library Websites’ Resources Against Misinformation, Cheyenne Brady

SLIS Connecting

From the C.R.A.A.P. test to webinars and videos on how to fact-check properly, it is now more important than ever that librarians aid patrons in sharpening their critical analysis skills, especially through passive means. However, on that front, are all library websites created equal? This research examined programming and resources related to information and digital literacy through a content analysis of public and academic library websites.

Comparing Library Websites At Four-Year Public Universities In Arkansas, Alice Bessette

SLIS Connecting

From accessibility to website architecture and everything in between, academic libraries can have a profound impact on the students of their institutions. Simmonds and Andaleeb (2001) argue that academic libraries are “the heart of the learning community” (p. 626). They go on to explain that the support librarians offer students and staff is vital to the community’s search for knowledge. Reitz (2017) said a variation of this as well, stating that academic libraries are “integral” parts of the institutions they support. In an increasingly digital world, websites serve as primary entry points for individuals looking to access their college or …

From The Gas: Publications, Congratulations, And Presentations, Stacy L. Creel, Ph.D.

SLIS Connecting

Includes book reviews by the graduate assistants for The Story Factory, Strong Like Me, and Lily the Pond Mermaid. Also, includes a list of what the faculty are currently reading.

Spotlights: Faculty, Alumni, Festival, Stacy L. Creel, Ph.D.

SLIS Connecting

Learn about keynote speakers at the Fay B. Kaigler Children's Book Festival and updates from Dr. Ashley Marshall and alumni Jennifer Ottinger.

Slis Director's Report, Stacy L. Creel, Ph.D.

SLIS Connecting

Welcome to Vol. 13, No. 1 issue of SLIS Connecting.

Mississippi Libraries Volume 87, Number 3 And 4

Mississippi Libraries

Complete issue of Volume 87, Number 3 and 4 of Mississippi Libraries.

Curriculum Materials Cataloged For Browsing, Michelle Emanuel

Mississippi Libraries

When the University of Mississippi Libraries acquired a collection of state-adopted school textbooks for K-12 from its School of Education, a decision was made to catalog the collection for browsing to anticipate the needs of its primary users, both “in service” and “pre-service” teachers. The textbooks would be grouped according to their grade level, and cuttered by subject area, instead of being classed according to its subject area. As the collection would be integrated into the regular circulating collection, and not into a curriculum materials center, issues arose for both technical services and access services throughout the process, from cataloging …

The Last Human Place: Efficiency Is Killing Libraries, Gabriel Morley

Mississippi Libraries

This essay argues that libraries should de-prioritize efficiency. Instead, libraries should promote their value around connective labor, which is the human work of attention, care, and emotional understanding. Libraries are increasingly dominated by automation, data metrics, and speed. This essay puts forward the idea that libraries should shift focus to human relationships as an organizing principle. Drawing on Allison Pugh’s concept of connective labor, this essay contends that human-to-human engagement is essential infrastructure, as vital as technology or buildings. Efficiency-focused metrics like circulation and attendance fail to capture the deeper social function libraries play in communities and on campuses related …

The Generative Turn: Ai And The Future Of Libraries, Deborah Lee

Mississippi Libraries

The Generative Turn introduces Mississippi librarians to the growing influence of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and what it means for the future of library work. Rather than focusing on fear or hype, the column invites librarians to explore how tools such as ChatGPT or DALL-E can support creativity and professional learning. It explains how these systems differ from earlier forms of AI and how they can be used in everyday library tasks. The article highlights the librarian’s role in helping communities use these technologies responsibly while continuing to emphasize digital literacy. The column provides recommendations for books, online resources, conferences, …

Slis Notes: Building Advocacy, Stacy Creel, Sarah Mangrum

Mississippi Libraries

In 2016, the Pew Research Center found that 66 percent of adults believe that the public library has a positive role in their communities and believe in the educational role of libraries. Beyond education, respondents felt that libraries had a role in supporting businesses, technology, and other services, and were important parts of the community (Pew, 2016). Libraries continue to be “among the most trusted public institutions in our democratic society. Nevertheless, public libraries are struggling to regulate the library space as a space for all in democratic societies with increasing polarization” (Yamagishi, Koizumi, & Larsen, 2024, p. 1359). As …

President's Page, Matt Gully

Mississippi Libraries

Updates from the President of the Mississippi Library Association.

Front Matter

Mississippi Libraries

Front matter for Mississippi Libraries Vol. 87, Nos. 3 and 4.

The Fall 2025 Issue, Destiny Dehart, Crystal Walker, Tritan Mioduszewski

Fonds and Feathers

The theme of this issue is "community in shared memory." The past, present, and future of a community's history binds people together through generations and stories,