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About LSO

University of Missouri Library Systems (LSO) endeavors to disseminate and preserve cultural heritage, learning, and knowledge by providing electronic resources and digitizing services for the University of Missouri libraries, and other academic institutions in the state of Missouri.

Electronic Resources

Acting on the recommendations from the collection development and reference services librarians from each campus, LSO negotiates pricing and license agreements, sets-up trials, and establishes and maintains access to all shared electronic resources. In addition, LSO compiles and analyzes use statistics to assist in the ongoing evaluation of electronic resources. By consolidating purchasing power LSO saves the UM System money and frees funds for individual campus to allocate resources according to their priorities.

Electronic Resources Beginnings

Beginning in 1995, 10 databases were licensed by LSO for the UM System. As more resources became available online the acquisitions of electronic resources grew. In 2004, the UM Electronic Resource Initiative received nearly a $1 million award to expand electronic resources especially in the life sciences. Funding from this award came from the President's Innovation Fund with matching money from the four UM campuses. Recommendations for subscriptions to electronic resources are made by librarians of the four UM campuses. To date, there are over 75 electronic resources that are provided to the University of Missouri faculty, students, and staff by LSO.

Digital.Library

LSO has been actively engaged in digitizing activities since 2000. Funded by the University of Missouri System, LSO provides digitizing services to all UM campus libraries, at no charge.

We realize that not every library, museum, or historical society has the resources (hardware, software, and people) to make their valuable material available on the World Wide Web. LSO offers a range of services that can make your institution and material known to a much greater audience.

Digital.Library Beginnings

We began with the mission to provide a central infrastructure for digitizing to the University of Missouri Libraries. To accomplish this we added staff, purchased a server, search and OCR software, and various scanning equipment. Soon we found ourselves contracting with other institutions to provide digitizing support and services.

Projects Done for University of Missouri Libraries

  • 17th-19th Century British Religious, Political, and Legal Tracts
  • 1930 Plat Books
  • A Collection of Speeches given on the 4th of July
  • Daniel Webster Speeches
  • Devil's Island Paintings
  • Geology Book Collection
  • Guides to Special Collections
  • Historical Missouri Newspapers
  • The Civil War in Missouri
  • The Savitar (yearbook of the University of Missouri-Columbia
  • University High School Yearbooks
  • University of Missouri Alumni Magazine

Projects Done for Other Institutions

  • Achieve—the alumni magazine of William Jewell College
  • Civil War in Missouri (State Historical Society of Missouri)
  • Civil War Manuscripts (Western Historical Manuscripts—Columbia)
  • Collection of Glass Plate Negatives (Boone County Historical Society)
  • Liberty Tribune Newspaper (William Jewell College)
  • Mark Twain Zephr Collection (Hannibal Free Public Library)
  • Runcie Manuscripts (Missouri Western State University)