Chat with MLC: Zach Burton

Hello, I’m Zach Burton, the current Cataloging Librarian for the Mississippi Library Commission. I began working with MLC in the fall of 2022 as the Patron Access Coordinator for the Talking Books Services department after working as an archaeologist for a few years. My bachelor’s degree in Anthropology led me into archaeological work, but I found myself dissatisfied with the field and was soon enrolled in a master’s program for Library and Information Sciences at the University of Southern Mississippi.

To some this change may seem sudden or obtuse, however, the curiosity my anthropological background curated in me met with a love for cultural preservation that seemed all too easily found within the institutions of libraries. So, after a short, two-year graduate program, I finished my master’s in Library and Information Sciences, as well as received a certificate in Archives and Special Collections, before making my way to the Mississippi Library Commission.  

As far as my day-to-day duties, they can be broad and expansive, from the cataloging of materials to larger projects such as the Mississippi Library Commission's podcast Stacks and Stories. Consider this: anytime you come into MLC or order a book from us, it has been checked, labeled, stickered, stamped, wrapped, and coded into our system by yours truly. This is a particularly rewarding experience: to be engaged in labor with a tangible and visible outcome, that of new book stocking our shelves! From the invoice which confirms delivery, to the monthly reports that confirm the item's inclusion in our catalog, I am there every step of the way. If you have handled any of the newer items in our collection, specifically since April of 2024, you’ve handled an item that I have given great care to... so please be kind and gentle with them.  

When I’m not preparing items for our shelves I can be found recording or editing episodes of our podcast, Stacks and Stories, as well as recording our weekly broadcast MLC Moments, which air every Saturday at 11:01 AM on Mississippi Public Broadcasting’s Mississippi Arts Hour. Stacks and Stories serves as an excellent vehicle for exploring all things library and literature related as members of our staff come together to discuss various topics that can range from literature reviews to library policy updates. Our MLC Moments serve similar purposes, but in smaller packages; coming in at just 5 minutes long they’re aimed at providing a short educational lesson spanning any and all themes of libraries, Mississippi, history, literature, and art.  

Another project that I have the pleasure of being involved with is the Veterans History Project. This is a project started by the Library of Congress which seeks to record firsthand experiences of living military veterans in the United States. This project includes conducting interviews, submitting memoirs, and collecting photographs of war veterans to be sent to the Library of Congress for preservation. So far, this project has given a coworker and myself the opportunities to visit with living Mississippi veterans, conducting in-person interviews relating to their time in the service, to collect these firsthand accounts for preservation on the national level.  

Overall, the work I’ve been engaged in with MLC has been incredibly satiating to both my curiosity and preservation interests. Prior to working as the Cataloging Librarian, I’ve had the pleasure of working as a Patron Access Coordinator with the Talking Books Services as well as a Reference Librarian for our Information Services Department. Now, serving as the Cataloging Librarian, I feel this past experience has given me a unique perspective of the inner workings of the Mississippi Library Commission, which affords me a greater understanding of my coworkers' roles and how they intersect with my own. It has been an incredibly rewarding experience to have had these opportunities which have led me to cataloging with at MLC, and I look forward to what the future could hold for the Commission.

Read with MLC: A Year in the Title

Happy New Year, everyone!

We're excited to start another year of reading packed to the brim with both learning and fun. We've come up with a brand-new year of reading prompts designed to help you step out of your comfort zone and find something new, all while celebrating the joy of reading with our Read with MLC 2025 Reading Challenge.

This month's challenge is to read a book with a year in the title. There are tons of options out there, as seen in this Guardian article and this Goodreads list. Here are some of our staff's favorite suggestions:

Nineteen Eighty-Four
George Orwell
MLC
hoopla at MLC
BARD
Orwell's warning is timeless and a classic everyone should read.
-Zach Burton, Cataloging Librarian

1Q84
Haruki Murakami
BARD
Take a wild, contemplative journey into alternate Tokyos with Japan's literary master.
-Elisabeth Scott, Reference Librarian

11/22/63
Stephen King
MLC
BARD
I enjoyed this book immensely when it came out and it made me vow to never change history, even if I have the chance.
-Alex Brower, Information Services Director

Still not sure what to read this month? Try MLC's BookMatch service! Fill out our short form telling us about your reading likes and dislikes; we'll send you a list of recommended reads tailored to your tastes. Until next time, happy reading!

My Journey into Librarianship: Embracing Media, Community, and Discovery at MLC

Hi, I’m McKenzie Haggard, a recent graduate of Belhaven University, and currently serving as the Social Media Coordinator for MLC. Coming from a creative background, I’ve always known that I wanted to pursue a career in media. Whether it was writing, content creation, or social media management, I felt a strong pull toward the world of communication and storytelling. After graduating, I was eager to dive into my career and find a role that would help me hone my skills and bring my passions to life. That’s when I stumbled upon MLC.

 

Read with MLC: Read a Book Adapted for the Screen and Watch the Adaptation

Welcome to December, and the last month of the 2024 Read with MLC reading challenge! This month's prompt is to read a book that has been adapted for television or the movies and then watch the adaptation. Finding a book you truly love can be a magical experience. It's always exciting when a TV or movie adaptation is announced, but there's always the niggling worry that the lead won't look how you imagine... Or that they'll leave out your favorite scene from the book... Or --worst yet-- plot will be drastically changed. Hollywood depends heavily upon the already published written word: Forbes reported a while back that movies based on books draw in 53% of that almighty cash than those written without the benefit of a previously published work. TV and streaming networks also have a field day each year (field year?) with adaptations; there were dozens and dozens in 2023 and 2024, and that's just the past few years. What do librarians think of the trend? Those here at the Mississippi Library Commission have quite a few favorites, which you can check out below!

Thankful for Libraries

We've rushed through the first months of the year at breakneck speed and now 2024's last days are dwindling away. With shorter, cooler days ahead and the holidays around the corner, it's the perfect time to focus on the important things in life, like the people we love and the things that bring us joy. While libraries might not necessarily be at the top of your "thankful for" list, they're wholesome, community-driven institutions that provide loads of enriching and educational services for nearly everyone. Back in 2013, a PEW report found that 94% of those polled believed that public libraries "improved the quality of life in a community". Moreover, 81% said that public libraries provided "many services people would have a hard time finding elsewhere". What's more to be grateful for? Check out what Mississippi Library Commission staff had to say below.

Read With MLC: Listen to an Award-Winning Audiobook

Welcome to November, and the eleventh month of the 2024 Read with MLC reading challenge! This month's prompt is to listen to an award-winning audiobook.

People listen to audiobooks for a lot of very different yet valid reasons. Some people can't see to read the words on the page, like those with blindness or visual impairments. Others, like those with dyslexia, have trouble processing the printed word. Still others, like people with arthritis or broken limbs, can't hold a book to read. Seriously, Marcel Proust's Remembrance of Things Past, the world's longest novel, clocks in at thousands and thousands of pages. (Incidentally, if you fall into one of these categories, you're eligible for MLC's Talking Book Services. You can learn more here.) Some people don't have time to sit and read a book, while others enjoy the experience of having someone read to them. Other people like to rest their eyes after a day staring at screens, and others find that the audiobook experience can be downright more enjoyable than a book that's slow or unwieldy. Truth be told, a lot of MLC staff love to listen to books! While not all of our suggestions below are "official" audiobook award winners, they are, in our hearts, exceptional audios.

A Stack, an Omnibus, A Veritable Repository

What do you call a group of librarians? While there's no official name, a large congress of librarians descended on the town of Natchez last week for the annual Mississippi Library Association (MLA) conference. MLA was officially organized 115 years ago on October 29, 1909 and is even older than the Mississippi Library Commission (MLC). (FYI: MLC was created 17 years later in 1926.) You may be wondering what a collection of librarians does at a librarian conference. Shelve your thoughts of rooms of quiet readers shushing one another and let me share the highlights of last week's memorable meeting.