Southern Miss alumnus and local radio personality Ben Willoughby will talk about his mother, Mamie Davis Willoughby, AKA Rose Budd Stevens, at the University Libraries’ first fall Speaker Series event on Wednesday, October 1st. The program, to be held in Cook Library room 123 at 3:00 pm, will be the first of three Speaker Series programs for the fall semester.

Those of us who have been around for a while will remember Rose Budd Stevens’ homespun columns that appeared in local and regional newspapers for 50 years. Set against a backdrop of everyday life in rural Mississippi, the columns were filled with anecdotes, recipes, arts and crafts information, tips on canning and home remedies, and musings on poetry and religion. Our Special Collections holds her papers, including copies of her books and the newspaper columns, correspondence, photographs, and other materials. This collection is a rich resource on southern culture and heritage and the role of women in the 20th century south.

Sweetly be.

–Shery Laughlin, Associate University Librarian

What do the following have in common?

1914 varsity basketball team, Aubrey Lucas bowtie, Favre 4 Heisman bumper sticker, State Teachers College beanie, Tomato Club canning pot, original deed to the USM Hattiesburg campus.

Give up? They are all the subjects of images in the Mississippi Digital Library. The MDL is an electronic library of images of documents, photographs, objects, and other interesting stuff. The images and files are contributed by libraries and universities around the state of Mississippi, and the project is headquartered at University Libraries here at Southern Miss.

Incidentally, the original property for the Hattiesburg campus was purchased on December 27, 1910, by the trustees of the State Normal College for $1. Talk about an increase in property value!

Check out the Mississippi Digital Library here.

–Sherry Laughlin, Associate University Librarian

Construction crews will return next week to the first floor of Cook Library. Renovation of the Speaking Center space is set to begin on Monday with completion of the project anticipated in about two months. Library staff are working with Physical Plant and the Speaking Center staff to minimize disruptions for those studying in the library. Stack areas on floors two and five in Cook Library have been designated quiet study space, so you should be able to find a quiet spot if construction noise gets out of hand.

The Writing Center space in Cook Library looks wonderful and we look forward to an updated Speaking Center to match.

–Sherry Laughlin, Associate University Librarian

I walked into a magical place in Cook Library this afternoon. “Hakuna Matata” was playing, a fierce competition was happening at the board game table, colorful objects and interesting books filled the room, and Orange Crush and popcorn were on the counter. In Cook Library?

It was the library staff preview of Game Night at the Curriculum Materials Center. On Tuesday, September 9th, from 5:00 until 6:30, the CMC on the first floor of Cook Library will host its first annual Game Night. Come by, have refreshments, play a few games, check out the educational displays, try out the Ellison dye cutting machines, and sign up for a door prize. Let’s play!

–Sherry Laughlin, Associate University Librarian

Two new video podcasts are now available on the library’s website. Highlighting features of Cook Library on the Hattiesburg campus and the Gulf Coast Library in Long Beach, the video podcasts are our first venture into this new format. If you would like to see additional podcasts on topics of your choice, please send us a suggestion via our online suggestion box.

–Sherry Laughlin, Associate University Librarian