• Spring 2025 Message from the Dean school Dean's Communication

  February 25, 2025

  Welcome! I hope the beginning of the 2025 spring semester was inspiring and enjoyable for all. As we look ahead to spring break, I wanted to take a moment to share some important updates.Spring semester hours. Regular hours following spring break resume Monday, March 10. The MSU Libraries is typically open 24 hours per day on Monday through Thursday, with later opening and earlier closing times on the weekends. Regular hours will shift beginning the final day of exams for the spring semester on Friday, May 2, as we head into our shortened summer hours. Please note that for safety and security purposes, all students, staff and faculty are required to scan their MSU ID to access the MSU Main Library building between 10:00 p.m. and 7:30 a.m. on Sunday – Thursday. A complete schedule for the Main Library hours is available on our website.MSU Libraries Associate Dean appointment. In December, Dr. Melanie McGurr was appointed Associate Dean of Collections and Technical Services at MSU Libraries. McGurr comes to MSU from University of Akron University Libraries, where she was directly responsible for collections, including selecting, negotiating and licensing content. Prior to Akron, McGurr held librarian roles at Northeast Ohio Medical University, Ohio State University and Urbana University. She received an MLIS and her doctorate in English literature from Kent State University, as well as a master’s in English Literature from Slippery Rock University in Pennsylvania. As Associate Dean of Collections and Technical Services at MSU Libraries, McGurr oversees collections strategies and infrastructure, including access and discovery of the Libraries’ collections.Reopening of Murray & Hong Special Collections. In Nov. 2024, MSU Libraries completed a $13.8 million renovation project to relocate the Special Collections from the basement of the Main Library to the third floor of the building’s East Wing. Project renovations totaled 26,000 sq. feet, including more than 12,000 linear feet of storage space for the Libraries’ most valuable collections. Further improvements include an increase in the size of the Libraries’ existing rare materials vault by about 50 percent from just under 1,000 sq. feet to 1,500 sq. feet; two large processing rooms; glass-walled offices on the north wall facing Beaumont Tower, replacing the cinderblock formerly along the faculty carrels; and additional conference rooms and informal touchdown office spaces. To view MSU Libraries newly renovated Special Collections space, or to view materials within the collections, please make an appointment with our Special Collections staff.We are looking forward to supporting your learning and research needs as we approach the end of the spring semester (and beyond!). As a reminder, if you are unable to find an answer on our website or would like to speak to someone in person, we are available at our information desks as well as by phone at (517) 353-8700.With warm wishes for a productive semester,Neil Romanosky, Ph.D. Dean of LibrariesView All News Articles

  
• MSU Libraries Interlibrary Services Reaches 1.5M Request Milestone

  March 12, 2025

  Aaron Tomak

  This month, Interlibrary, Document Delivery, and Distance Services received their 1.5 millionth request in the InterLibrary Loan internet accessible database (ILLiad) system. Built in 1999 by Atlas Systems, the ILLiad system is a request management software designed for interlibrary loans. Michigan State University Libraries implemented ILLiad around 2004 and has since utilized it more expansively in order to manage requests for scanning, delivery of library materials to users and purchase-on-demand service. In addition to patron-driven requests, the ILLiad system also manages all interlibrary requests the MSU Libraries receives from institutions worldwide. The MSU Libraries has consistently been in the Online Computer Library Center (OCLC) list of top 25 lending institutions globally for the last decade, so around half of those requests are filled for non-MSU patrons.ILLiad has undergone many improvements over the last few decades, but its core functionality has remained the same. While it continues to be platform agnostic, it has built-in transaction handling for the OCLC’s interlibrary loan (ILL) system as well as several other prominent ILL services, including RAPID and Docline. In addition to ILL requesting, the “Get This” button in the library catalog links directly to ILLiad request forms, making requesting a breeze for our users.Questions or feedback about ILLiad are welcome and available by contacting lib.ill@msu.edu.View All News Articles

  
• Black Student and Faculty Contributions to Michigan State University Celebrated in New Book

  February 09, 2025

  Nicole Utter

  EAST LANSING — Michigan State University Press is proud to announce the release of “Forever in the Path: The Black Experience at Michigan State University” by Dr. Pero G. Dagbovie, a distinguished historian and current Vice Provost for Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies at MSU. This comprehensive 682-page volume explores the rich and complex history of Black students, faculty, and staff at America’s first agricultural college.In “Forever in the Path,” Dr. Dagbovie weaves a detailed narrative that spans from the 1890s through the late 20th century, highlighting the transformative roles played by African Americans in shaping the university’s identity. The book blends intellectual, social, and institutional history with African American biographical tradition, capturing the trials and triumphs of the Black community at MSU.Dr. Dagbovie, a University Distinguished Professor in MSU’s Department of History, is renowned for his rigorous scholarship and dedication to making history accessible and relevant to a broad audience. His previous works and his role as an editor for the Journal of African American History have established him as a pivotal figure in the field of African American studies.“Dr. Dagbovie’s work is more than just a historical account; it is an examination of the indomitable spirit and contributions of the Black community at MSU,” said MSU Press Director Elizabeth Demers. “This book is essential for anyone seeking to understand the complexities of racial history in American educational institutions and its implications for today.”Keith R. Widder, author of “Michigan Agricultural College” shared praise for the new book and recognized the care that went into writing it.“Dagbovie’s exhaustively researched ‘Forever in the Path’ introduces us to the Black students, staff and faculty who courageously built the path to racial integration at Michigan State University during the twentieth century,” Widder said. “Along the way, Dagbovie tells us how people and events on the local, state and national stages influenced developments at MSU and how the university’s story fits into the larger historical picture. To understand the history of MSU, this magnificent book is a must-read.”“Forever in the Path” delves into the arrival of the first Black students at MSU, their challenges, and their enduring legacies. It chronicles significant events such as the hiring of the university’s first full-time Black faculty member and the contributions of Black individuals during the Civil Rights Movement. Through personal stories and institutional analysis, the book sheds light on the broader impact of these pioneers on both MSU and society at large.Dagbovie depicts and imagines how his numerous subjects’ upbringings and experiences at the institution informed their futures, and how they benefitted from and contributed to MSU’s vision, mission and transformative role in the history of higher education.The book will be available in hardcover and eBook formats from MSU Press. For more information, visit https://msupress.org/9781611864946/forever-in-the-path.Sidebar“Forever in the Path” Book Launch DateDate: Monday, February 24, 2025Time: 6:00 pm – 8:00 pmLocation: Green Room (Main Library, 4 West)More InformationView All News Articles

  

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