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.

Getting to Know Us, Getting to Know All About Us

Elisabeth Scott

Reference and Social Media Librarian

Did you know that the Mississippi Federation of Women's Clubs (MFWC) was instrumental in the establishment of the Mississippi Library Commission (MLC) and 75% of the public libraries in the state? The organization was so important to libraries in the state that, when MLC was officially formed by the state legislature in 1926, Senator Belle Kearney--the first woman elected to the Mississippi State Senate only four years earlier--and her committee ensured that the President of MFWC was a permanent fixture on MLC's Board of Commissioners. MFWC has continued its interest in literacy and libraries over the years. The President's Special Project, which changes with each club president, is "Get Back to Your Roots by Promoting Public Libraries, Education and Literacy". Current President Theresa Buntyn chose this theme because of her close involvement with libraries, both within her family and her local club.

 

Women's Club members across the state are answering Buntyn's call to "get back to their roots" by getting even more involved in their local libraries. The Women's Club of Poplarville partnered with the Pearl River County Library System to hold a sewing club for area children. The Fine Arts Club of Bruce volunteered during the Summer Library Program at the Jesse Yancy Memorial Library in Bruce. Another group of Club Women led a special storytime at the Lee County Library in Tupelo. The list goes on and on, and we are absolutely delighted.

Several months ago, MFWC asked MLC's Public Relations Coordinator Kristina Kelly to create a BINGO card about MLC and MLC's services. A fun game all about us? No problem: Kristina delivered in spades. She created a beautiful card that highlights many of MLC's features: ways that we serve libraries and you, our adoring library public. The BINGO squares are listed below to give you the fun of scoring a BINGO too.

• Like the MLC Facebook or Instagram page
• Try MLC's Bookmatch 
• Read On the Same Page - MLC's newsletter
• Share info about Talking Book Services
• Invite local officials to experience an SLP program
• Check a Book Club in a Box kit out
• Share info about Patents and Trademark Resource Center
• Read the FY22 Annual Report
• Use the MLC catalog to search for a book
• Sign up for a hoopla account
• List your favorite online database
• Search a topic on MAGNOLIA
• Explore a tutorial on LearningExpress
• Write an article for your local newspaper about the importance of libraries
• Help someone sign up for a library card
• Watch a webinar on the MLC YouTube channel

This Saturday, the MFWC holds their annual Summer Institute here at MLC. We look forward to this event and many, many more in the years to come. What a beautiful partnership!

You can download your own copy of the BINGO card here:

Come Work at the Library!

Have you ever dreamed of working at a library? This is your chance to work at the Mississippi Library Commission (MLC)!

Our mission is strengthening and enhancing libraries and library services for all Mississippians, through leadership, advocacy, and service. Our award-winning facility is located at the Research and Development Center in Jackson, just off Lakeland Drive and Ridgewood Road. We are home to the Mississippi Center for the Book, a Patent and Trademark Resource Center, and the Mississippi Talking Book Service for the Blind and Print Disabled. We also offer extensive reference and interlibrary loan services for Mississippians and library consulting services and network services for libraries and librarians across the state.

MLC is hiring a Grant Programs Coordinator to oversee the state and federal subgrants to library systems in the state. Duties include opening subgrants, receiving applications, awarding grants, reviewing requests for approval of reimbursements, communicating with directors, close out of awards and final reporting.
Preferred knowledge/experience in federal and state rules, fluent in Excel, attention to detail, good communication skills, and proactive work ethic needed to be successful. If interested, please email mslib@mlc.lib.ms.us. You can also apply directly with the State Personnel Board website here.

We can't wait to add you to our team. Email us today!

PR Isn't Hard When You Have a Library Card

All Arthur references aside, we'd like to wish a huge congratulations to MLC's PR Coordinator Kristina Kelly!

We Can Help With That

Alex Brower
Information Services Director

What do To Kill a Mockingbird, The Color Purple, and The Sun Also Rises have in common?

They’re all banned books! These classics have been banned, nearly banned, and everything in between for a variety of reasons, some of which you can read here.

On one side of those challenges there is always a librarian or teacher who was incorporating a novel into their collection or classroom. They had reasons behind choosing to add these books to their collection and teaching them to generations of students. When a book is chosen for a collection in a library or added to a school curriculum, there is typically a vetting process that involves reviews and research, as well as knowledge of a community. It is a deliberate and thoughtful decision. When a book is challenged or opposed, the librarian or teacher must defend their choice and dig up those reviews and articles and awards.

Or could someone else do the heavy lifting for them?

The Mississippi Library Commission is now offering a service for Mississippi teachers and libraries who face materials challenges or can feel one brewing and want to be prepared. We will do the research for you: finding awards lists, reviews, and articles that discuss the title in question so that you can more easily defend your collection and your community’s right to read. All you need to do is call our Reference Desk at 601-432-4492, text us at 601-208-0868, or email us at mlcref@mlc.lib.ms.us. We will compile the information that you need so you'll have more time for other thoughtful and deliberate decisions.

For other information about dealing with materials challenges, feel free to visit our Intellectual Freedom Resources page here. We hope that you will not need this service, but know that it will be invaluable if you do.

Let's Go StoryWalking®, Mississippi!

Storytime is one of the most iconic services public libraries provide children. They're a great way to engage kids with books and get them up and moving around . You would be hard pressed to find someone who doesn't remember attending one at least once when they were small, whether with a family member, a day care, or a school group. When Covid-19 struck and social distancing became the norm, libraries were left scrambling to fill that gap. Many responded with successful virtual storytimes and outdoor storytimes, but StoryWalksⓇ, the 2007 brainchild of a Vermonter named Anne Ferguson, have exploded in popularity across the state and become the unexpected champion of storytime during the pandemic.

 

StoryWalksⓇ are a relatively simple concept. Break a book down to just its pages. Post those pages along a walking trail or around the library. Wait for the squeals of glee. Earlier this year, the Mississippi Library Commission invested a small portion of  its LSTA funds into creating four initial StoryWalksⓇ for public libraries to borrow. We chose several popular picture books: Not Norman by Kelly Bennett, The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson, How to Fold a Taco/Como Doblar un Taco by Naibe Reynoso and Ana Varela, and Kitten and the Night Watchman by John Sullivan and Tae-eun Yoo. Then our team of workers got to work disassembling the books, laminating pages, and cutting up velcro. We set up a Google document so that StoryWalkⓇ visitors could check in via QR code and we were up and running. Six library systems have already taken advantage and checked out these kits, and many more were inspired to create their own. They are a new welcome addition to festivals and parks that we hope will be around for years to come. 

This year, Let's Move in Libraries and the Association of Bookmobile and Outreach Services have partnered to celebrate StoryWalksⓇ--and the librarians who create and promote them--across America with the first ever StoryWalkⓇ Week. Definitely visit their Facebook and Instagram pages to view the libraries showcased there. Want to check out one of our StoryWalkⓇ kits? Contact our Digital Consultant Charlie Simpkins at csimpkins@mlc.lib.ms.us to learn how. Want to create your own StoryWalkⓇ? The steps are outlined for you right here. Been to a StoryWalkⓇ in Mississippi? Tell us about your experience in the comments! And last, but certainly not least: happy reading!

Join MLC's Talking Book Services!

Our Talking Book Services Department is hiring! Seize this opportunity to serve Mississippians who are unable to read standard print due to a visual, physical, or print disability and work in a great environment at the Mississippi Library Commission.

We are located at the Research and Development Center in Jackson, Mississippi, just off Lakeland Drive and Ridgewood Road. Our award-winning facility is the home to the Mississippi Center for the Book, a Patent and Trademark Resource Center, and, of course, the Mississippi Talking Book Service for the Blind and Print Disabled. We also offer extensive reference and interlibrary loan services for Mississippians and library consulting services, digital services, and network services for libraries and librarians across the state. Our current openings include:

• Librarian I
  Closes Friday, November 15, 2021
• Librarian II
  Closes Friday, November 5, 2021
  

If you are interested in joining our team, please submit an application to the Mississippi State Personnel Board.

Come Library With Us!

The Mississippi Library Commission is hiring! Several beloved staff recently left for positions at other libraries and agencies. While we celebrate the new paths in their careers, we also can't wait to meet the people who will fill their shoes in the months to come. 

We're located at the Research and Development Center in Jackson, Mississippi, just off Lakeland Drive and Ridgewood Road. Our award-winning facility is the home to the Mississippi Center for the Book, a Patent and Trademark Resource Center, and the Mississippi Talking Book Service for the Blind and Print Disabled. We also offer extensive reference and interlibrary loan services for Mississippians and library consulting services, digital services, and network services for libraries and librarians across the state. Our current openings include:

• Administrative Assistant III
  Closes November 1, 2021
  
• Librarian III
  October 25, 2021
  
• Special Projects Officer IV
  Closes October 19, 2021
  

If you are interested in joining our team, please submit an application to the Mississippi State Personnel Board. Please keep an eye out in the coming weeks for additional openings at our agency.

A Letter from Your Friendly MLC Archivist

Miranda Vaughn

Reference/Archives Librarian

Dear Reader,

While organizing the MLC archives, I’ve come across a number of letters, reports, etc. regarding programs and services the Library Commission has offered over the years. Some of these were standard library services, while others were quirky and creative. Since September is Library Card Sign Up Month (and since those magical library cards get you all kinds of amazing FREE services), I thought it would be appropriate to share a few of the programs and services MLC has offered over the years.

Throughout MLC’s history, we have collaborated with other organizations in the state to provide programs and services to library patrons across Mississippi. Beginning in the 1950s, the Library Commission offered training and resources to Mississippi’s Choctaw schools. MLC also assisted the Choctaw Indian Agency in setting up a bookmobile, pictured below. 

Mississippi Library News, September 1963

Thank you letter from Pearl River Indian School student

Thank you letter from Pearl River Indian School student

Through grants and partnerships, MLC has offered films, slide shows, and special performances to our public libraries. In the late 1970s, MLC partnered with Mississippians for Educational Television to offer puppet show performances by Puppet Arts Theatre’s Peter Zapletal to some of Mississippi’s public libraries. I came across some photos of these puppets. I think they could definitely be used for the next Tim Burton movie. What do you think? 

If you want to know more about the cool services and programs the Library Commission and Mississippi public libraries offered in the 70s and 80s, check out our digitized copies of The Packet.

Did you know that MLC had a catfish mascot? In the mid-1990s, MLC partnered with the Catfish Farmers of Mississippi to hold a “name the catfish” contest. The winner was Reada the Catfish. Reada made visits to Summer Library Programs across the state and was greeted with looks of astonishment and delight.

Clarion Ledger, November 12, 1994, p. 19

The 1990s brought another important service to Mississippi libraries: the internet. Not quite as imaginative but certainly more useful, the Mississippi Information Network (called MissIN) was created by the Library Commission to give internet access to libraries across the state.

The Library Commission continues to offer a variety of services and programs, which you can check out here. To learn more about the services we offer to public libraries, as well as unique services and programs that individual libraries offer, visit your local public library. Don’t forget to sign up for a library card, so you can access all these great services and programs for FREE!


All the best,

Your friendly MLC archivist

Meet MLC Monday: John Shaman

Elisabeth Scott

Reference Librarian/Social Media Coordinator

 

Meet John Shaman, Reference Librarian at the Mississippi Library Commission! John has a variety of job duties, including shelving, assisting with reference questions, and taking care of MLC's large print extended loan program. He holds a bachelor's degree in English from the University of Southern Mississippi. 

John began work at MLC at the beginning of June, and so far really enjoys answering the variety of reference questions that come his way. He says that his coworkers have helped ease the transition into his new position. When asked why he thinks libraries are important, John responds, "Libraries are vital social infrastructure. Everyone deserves free access to books, the internet, and a quiet place outside of home and work." It seems that one of the reasons John got an English degree is his love for reading. He enjoys literary fiction and philosophy, and his favorite books are My Ántonia by Willa Cather and Dubliners by James Joyce. John also likes to write, watch anime, ride his penny board, and take an occasional road trip.

Meet MLC Monday: Keith Thompson

Elisabeth Scott

Reference Librarian/Social Media Coordinator

Meet Keith Thompson, a Circulation Librarian in the Talking Book Services Department here at the Mississippi Library Commission. Keith does everything from checking in digital books, and cleaning and repairing Talking Book Players to maintaining our braille collection and readying introductory packets for new patrons. He holds a bachelor's degree in Information Technology (Networking) from the University of Southern Mississippi.

Keith started back in June, and says that so far, his favorite part of his job is preparing information for people new to the service. He says, "Libraries are important because they can be a gateway for people to experience new ideas through books. They also provide internet access to their communities, which is key." Keith enjoys reading. His favorite book of all time is The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison, and the last book he read was Anthem by Ayn Rand. When he isn't hard at work or relaxing with a book, you can find Keith exploring one of his favorite hobbies: digital drawing, traditional landscape drawing, and listening to Jazz.

A Letter from your Friendly MLC Intern

Rose Pendleton

Archives Intern

 

Dear Reader,

My name is Rose and I am currently working towards a master's degree in Library and Information Science and a graduate certificate in Archives and Special Collections at the University of Southern Mississippi. As part of the program, I had to do an internship at a library with a special collection or an archival records repository. For my internship, the Mississippi Library Commission was gracious enough to be my host facility. 

These blue vinyl discs were used with a Gray Audograph
machine to make recordings. They were introduced in 1945.

 

The staff was very friendly and generous with their time and assistance. I learned a lot about processing and handling archival items on both a physical and a digital scale, preparing metadata to be accessed by digital collections, and even a little bit of cataloging! I found a lot of amazing photographs and correspondence, from photos of Cicely Tyson and Eudora Welty, to early printing and recording items like stereotypes and audographs.

The project I worked on during this internship was to identify, document, and rehouse correspondence and construction documents that were kept in-house in the archives. In the end, there were 106 boxes in total. I felt very accomplished to be able to finish such an undertaking during my time here. One of my favorite parts of working on this project was to be able to watch a library grow on paper: from humble beginnings as a plot of land to a fully realized and constructed library!

As part of the curriculum of the class, I was tasked with maintaining an online blog with weekly update posts about my progress and what I found that week. You can check it out at: hurricanerose.wordpress.com.

All the best,

Your friendly MLC intern

A Letter from Your Friendly MLC Archivist

Miranda Vaughn

Reference/Archives Librarian

Dear Reader,

Don’t you just love when your favorite hobbies and interests collide? Today’s letter is all about two of my favorite things: libraries and film.

Movie poster for
The Gun in Betty Lou's Handbag

The state of Mississippi is famous for birthing some of the world’s great artists and entertainers, but did you know that our beautiful landscape has been featured in a number of films over the years? One of those films is The Gun in Betty Lou’s Handbag (1992). This movie stars Penelope Ann Miller, who has been in dozens of movies over the years, but who I will always affectionately remember as the teacher and love interest of Arnold Schwarzenegger in Kindergarten Cop. Miller plays the title character, Betty Lou Perkins, a small-town librarian who finds herself caught up in a murder mystery adventure after she and her loyal Boston terrier discover a gun near the river. This screwball comedy also features well-known actresses Julianne Moore and Alfre Woodard. 

Front page news for The Greenwood Commonwealth

The Gun in Betty Lou’s Handbag was filmed in Oxford, Greenwood, Clarksdale, and parts of Louisiana. Filming in these areas provided a great opportunity for locals to work in character roles and as extras, as well as work behind-the-scenes. It also provided a great opportunity for the Mississippi Library Commission to feature some our assets as props for the movie. According to an agreement between then Library Services Director, Sharman Smith, and Set Director, Meredith Charbonnet, we loaned the production 

Check out this movie
stationary from our archives.

• 14 busts of authors
  
• 3 dark wood tables
• 4 metal book trucks
• 3 wooden book trucks
• 1 atlas stand
• 1 CBI stand
• 1 library ladder
• 3 kick stools
• 5 single-faced shelving – 5 sections
• 1 AV projection stand
• 8 double-faced wood shelving – 8 sections
• 2 USPS corrugated plastic mail containers
• 3 metal rolodexes
• 3 metal card-size file boxes
• 10-15 brown cardboard film boxes
  

 

 

In return, In the Bag Productions donated $3,000 worth of microfilm cabinets to the Library Commission. 

Same author busts, same microfilm cabinets? We think so!

To watch the trailer for The Gun in Betty Lou’s Handbag, click here.

All the best,

Your friendly MLC archivist

A Letter from Your Friendly MLC Archivist

Miranda Vaughn

Reference/Archives Librarian

Dear Reader,

Today’s letter is all about stereotypes and cliches. No, not those stereotypes and cliches. Well, sort of. Let me explain.

A stereotype (also called a cliché) is a plate of metal used for making copies of prints. First developed in the 1700s in Europe, these plates were traditionally used for printing newspapers. Stereotypes were created from a “mat,” which is essentially a papier-mache mold containing the print that is to be turned into a stereotype. The dried mat was then used to cast the stereotype from hot metal. These metal plates were made primarily of lead and tin and were used on linotype machines or “slug-casting” machines to make the newspaper copies. Stereotypes made it possible to send casts to multiple printers, thus making more copies in less time. 

Purser Hewitt was a notable Mississippi journalist who worked for the Clarion Ledger for
47 years and retired as executive editor in 1973. He was appointed Chairman of the Mississippi
Library Week Committee in 1958 as part of the first annual National Library Week. Pictured here
is the mat containing his image, his image as a stereotype, and the final image in the
Mississippi Library News article featuring the announcement of his role as Chairman.

 

What does this printing technique have to do with the MLC archives? During the mid-20th century, the Library Commission printed Mississippi Library News, a quarterly journal produced by MLC and the Mississippi Library Association. Since stereotypes were commonly used in printing during this time, MLC used this printing technique to make copies of Mississippi Library News in house. Our archive has a number of stereotypes and mats of photographs used in these newsletters. We also have bound copies of Mississippi Library News to which you can compare these stereotypes. Mississippi Library News is no longer in print and has been replaced by the Mississippi Library Association’s Mississippi Libraries journal.

During the 1970s, more modern printing techniques began replacing stereotypes. Today, we are seeing a shift toward digital printing techniques as well. Despite the rapid changes technology brings, I’m sure there are printing and photography connoisseurs out there who can appreciate our little collection of stereotypes. 

I think it’s only appropriate to end a letter about clichés with an actual cliché: “A picture is worth a thousand words.” Don’t you agree?


All the best,
Your friendly MLC archivist

Meet MLC Monday: Margaret Smitherman

We're grateful we can help you get to know our MLC staff better, doubly so when it's our veteran staff. Welcome back to another edition of Meet MLC Monday "Senior Edition"! Margaret Smitherman has been a Readers Advisor with the Mississippi Library Commission's Talking Book Services for the Blind and Print Disabled for nearly 15 years; she started with the agency back in April of 2006. Margaret works directly with Talking Book Services members: assisting with their applications, helping with book requests and suggestions, pointing them in the right direction for other library issues, and, of course, “other duties as assigned”. Some people may not realize this, but our readers advisors are in a unique relationship with their patrons. They talk to many of these library users weekly about books they need and issues they're having. It can become a true labor of love--connecting people with books and the outside world.

 

Over the years, as Margaret helped people across the state with their book needs, she also helped them adapt to technology and service changes. She says, "When I first came to work here, we had a program called Lobe Library, which was a kind of trial of what our digital book program has become. I was put in charge of this program, where I sent downloaded books from an Audible platform out to a list of participating patrons on a little device that would only hold one book. We did this until the digital book service was well established in 2010."

We asked Margaret a few more tough questions, but she graciously gave us frank answers. We learned that she is a cat-loving early bird who thrives in the warm summer months. She also said that, if she had to hook up two characters from different books, that she would set up David Copperfield with Sara Crewe. "I don’t think there is any danger of them getting married, but I would love to read their letters to each other." Margaret, who is a big fantasy and sci-fi fan, told us about the most famous person she met. She and her husband took a Star Trek cruise with most of the original cast back in 1987. She says, "They were all interesting people to meet, but the one who made the biggest impression on me was Mark Leonard, who played Spock’s father. We got to know him very well, and were even part of an organization that hosted a Star Trek Convention in Jackson with him as the guest in the 1990s."

Stay tuned as we check back in with other long-time MLC staff from time to time here on Meet MLC Monday. Until next time, happy reading!

Meet MLC Monday: Brian McGee

Meet Brian McGee, Facilities Maintenance employee at the Mississippi Library Commission (MLC)! He helps clean, maintain, and beautify MLC's building and grounds, as well as assisting with any repairs that are needed.

Brian started working at MLC in February and says that he enjoys learning new skills here. He also likes the easygoing relationship he has formed with his supervisor that allows him to do the job he was hired to do.

Brian finds libraries very helpful for researching. He also says, "Libraries give people opportunities to do things like find jobs and explore the world of reading." When he's not at MLC, he enjoys being around family and friends.

Welcome to the World of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

One of the many reasons I enjoy working at the Mississippi Library Commission (MLC) as a Reference Librarian is the constant flurry of information that finds its way across my desk. There's always something new to learn, no matter how much I think I know about a subject. We receive more questions about certain areas than others, so my knowledge about genealogy and Mississippi history, for instance, have burgeoned in comparison to my knowledge about, say, pop icons. (Sorry, Beyoncé!) The 91^st anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birth is today, January 15, and the  official observance of the day is Monday the 20^th, when MLC will be closed. I realized that I have learned a lot less about Dr. King's life and work than I have our homegrown Mississippi civil rights icons, like Medgar Evers, Fannie Lou Hamer, Vernon Dahmer, and Anne Moody. I hustled myself to the shelves!

These are just a few of the many books and resources I found here at MLC to check out and peruse:

• At Canaan's Edge: America in the King Years, 1965-68
  Taylor Branch
• A Call to Conscience: The Landmark Speeches of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
  Clayborne Carson
• I May Not Get There With You: the True Martin Luther King, Jr.
  Michael Eric Dyson
• The Dream: Martin Luther King, Jr., and the Speech that Inspired a Nation
  Drew Hanson
• To the Promised Land: Martin Luther King and the Fight for Economic Justice
  Michael K. Honey
• The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr.
  Martin Luther King, Jr.
• The Papers of Martin Luther King, Jr.
  Martin Luther King, Jr.
  
• Why We Can't Wait
  Martin Luther King, Jr.
• Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community
  Martin Luther King, Jr.
• Hellhound on his Trail: the Stalking of Martin Luther King, Jr., and the International Hunt for his Assassin
  Hampton Sides

Sometimes I want more than just a book, funny as that may seem for a bookworm, so I decided to browse the Library of Congress's website to see what they have. Y'all. I stumbled across this half-hour documentary called A Time for Freedom. It's about the 1957 Prayer Pilgrimage for Freedom and features the first King speech to a national audience, the Give us the Ballot speech. Dr. King appears at the 24:07 mark.


They have even more interesting entries about this inspiring leader, so be sure to take a look at their catalog here. You're going to want to check out these excellent Internet resources as well.

• The Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change
• Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park
• Martin Luther King and the Nobel Prize (includes biographical facts and his Nobel lecture) 

I hope you've enjoyed this quick dip into the world of resources libraries offer about Dr. King. There are events planned across the state for Monday, so check with your local library or chamber to find out what's on tap. There's even free admission at the Two Museums January 18-20! Happy birthday, Dr. King!

Holiday of a Lifetime

What do you get when two state agencies partner to host a holiday event? Holiday of a Lifetime!
The Mississippi Library Commission (MLC) recently partnered with the Mississippi Film Office (MFO) to screen the Lifetime holiday film Christmas in Mississippi at three of the state's libraries.

The partnership came about when Library Consultant Louisa Whitfield Smith brilliantly reached out to Nina Parikh with MFO to see if there was some way to show off Mississippi communities that go all out during the holidays. Christmas in Mississippi was filmed in Gulfport in 2017, and highlighted the annual event Gulfport Harbor Lights Winter Festival. Featuring an all-star cast, the feel-good Lifetime Channel holiday movie even addressed the challenges of dealing with the aftermath of a devastating hurricane and the resilience of Mississippi coastal residents. It is hoped that this partnership will serve as an opportunity to secure another Lifetime Channel holiday movie that will be filmed in the state

The three Mississippi libraries that agreed to participate were the Canton Public Library, the Laurel Jones County Library, and the Columbia-Marion County Public Library. MLC worked with library staff to create special promotional graphics, and facilitated a community question and answer time  about what makes their town special during the holidays that was held after the film screenings.

The Canton Historic Courthouse on the Square

Madison County Library System Director Tonja Johnson and her team were excited to showcase their lovely town decked out for the season. They partnered with Canton Tourism and used it as an opportunity to draw visitors into local businesses by offering discounts from participating merchants. The film was shown in beautiful Canton Historic Courthouse located on the square.

The Laurel-Jones County Library was decked out for the holidays!

A large group of kids from Laurel enjoyed the screening.

The community of Laurel has experienced a great deal of notoriety since the HGTV show Home Town began and the library has been a bustling place ever since! This booming community makes the holidays a very special time for their residents, and the library is no exception. Popcorn and warm apple cider made watching the film an even more enjoyable experience.

Showtime at the Laurel-Jones County Library

The Marion County community of Columbia was the third location for a film screening. Called the "Most Magical Christmas Town in Mississippi," Columbia goes the extra mile when it comes to getting into the holiday spirit. Train rides, ice skating rinks, and visits with Santa himself are all a part of this fun and festival holiday treat. The film was shown at the Marion Theater and a community gathering was held afterward at the Marion County Development Partnership offices.

Nina Parikh with the Mississippi Film Office capturing the beauty of Columbia all decked out for the holidays.

Special thanks to MFO for partnering with MLC to celebrate the holidays by bringing families together and to the libraries that participated in the fun and festive film screening.

A Mississippi Holiday of a Lifetime

December is here, and so is the frantic rush toward one of the biggest Christian holidays of the year. To help slow things down, give us all time to reflect on the meaning of the season, and create space to spend some special time with family, friends, and community, the Mississippi Library Commission and the Mississippi Film Office have partnered to offer a free screening of Christmas in Mississippi in three Mississippi communities. After each film screening, guests are invited to participate in some lively discussion about what makes their community special during the holidays.

This feel-good Lifetime movie, which was filmed on location in Gulfport, Mississippi, is produced by Daniel Lewis and stars Jana Kramer, Faith Ford, and Barry Bostwick, and provides holiday fun for the entire family. Three Mississippi library systems are serving as hosts for the screening along with their community partners. The dates and locations are as follows:

• December 7
  6:00pm
  Canton’s Historic Courthouse on the Square
  hosted by the Madison County Library System and Canton Tourism
  Facebook event
• December 12
  2:00pm
  Laurel-Jones County Library, 530 Commerce Street, Laurel, MS
  hosted by the Laurel-Jones County Library System
  Facebook event
• December 12
  6:00pm
  The Marion Theater, 604 Courthouse Square, Columbia, MS
  Hosted by South Mississippi Regional Library System, Columbia Main Street, Marion County Development Partnership, and the Marion Theater

The leaders of each agency were quick to share their thoughts about this important partnership that will bring families together during the holidays. Mississippi Library Commission Executive Director Hulen E. Bivins stated,

In the hustle and bustle of the holidays, many times what is lost is the human dimension of family, friendships, and associations. The Mississippi Library Commission cherishes the opportunity to, in this cooperative venture, promote the preservation of the many joys of the holidays and the joys of being Mississippians.

Nina Parikh, Director of the Mississippi Film Office added,

What a gift to partner with our friends at the Mississippi Library Commission to celebrate the holidays in communities across the state, showcasing the locations in Gulfport used in the Lifetime television movie Christmas in Mississippi.

We can't wait to see you and your community at these fun and relaxing Christmas-themed events!

Challenge Accepted (And Reported)!

Alex Brower

Reference Manager

 

Modern libraries are havens of intellectual freedom. They uphold the spirit of the first amendment by providing access to all sorts of information and allowing anyone to come in and learn. However, librarians can face pushback from members of their communities about some of the material in their collections. This pushback usually comes in the form of a challenge, where someone disagrees with the content or ideas of a piece of material and would like it to be removed from the shelf. These challenges happen every day, and I’m hoping to better understand challenges and censorship in Mississippi by growing the Mississippi Challenged Book Index.

Alex Brower and her MCBI poster at the
Mississippi Library Association's 2019 annual conference

What is the Mississippi Challenged Book Index? In short, it’s a way to learn about the challenges that Mississippi libraries receive about their materials. Librarians can anonymously report when someone makes a challenge in their library using our Google form. The form has basic questions about the type of material, the reason that it was challenged, and how the library responded. Don’t let the name fool you! We aren’t just looking for book challenges. We’ve received entries with all types of challenges, including a situation where a link to Planned Parenthood’s website on a teen resource list was challenged for containing information about sexuality. Any type of library material that can be challenged probably will be, and we want to hear about it!

It had never occurred to me that someone could keep track of challenged material before starting library school and learning about the ALA Office of Intellectual Freedom’s national database. When I started at MLC, I was thrilled to learn that they had something similar! I’m looking forward to working with ALA and submitting the data we gather for addition to the national database. I’m also planning on releasing a yearly report during Banned Books Week that details the previous year’s challenges here in Mississippi. We don’t release library names, but it’s still fascinating to see what material is challenged and why, and to see how libraries respond.

Recently, I was given the opportunity to present a poster about the MCBI at MLA, and it was such a great opportunity! I got to talk to a lot of people about the MCBI, and I was so proud to see an increase in participation. I’m hoping to keep raising awareness so that we get more and more participation and the index continues to grow. I’m excited to be able to do my part to gather information about challenges in Mississippi so that people can study it, and we can have a better understanding of censorship in our state.