Tom Peters, dean of Missouri State Libraries, announced his plan to retire later this year. He tells us that November 22 (the Friday before Thanksgiving) will be his last day on campus.

He’s looking forward to more road trips, a pastime he loves, and more visits to see his 97-year-old mom and three brothers.

Looking Forward, Looking Back

We sat down with Peters to hear his thoughts on his 12 years at Missouri State, what he thinks made the biggest difference at the library and what he loves about a tiny town called McClurg.

On the effort he thinks had the biggest impact

“I think 50 years from now, the thing that will have the most impact is our digitization efforts,” Peters says. For the past several years, the library team has worked to make many of its materials digitally accessible. These efforts paid off, especially when the COVID-19 pandemic pushed research and learning activities online. Users can access a huge range of materials through Meyer Library’s digital collections — everything from articles and manuscripts to artwork, photos and videos. Subject matters range from the medieval era to the present day. 

In the future, Peters sees digitization as a way for libraries to preserve items that don’t have significant commercial value. If something has commercial value, he says, it’s likely to survive. But plenty of things that don’t command high commercial interest have significant scholarly or cultural value. For these items, Peters sees digitization as a path to survival. Making the digital versions available online helps new audiences discover them. Peters says that libraries have unique resources and infrastructure that can implement large-scale digitization programs, and he’s hopeful these efforts will continue to thrive.

On becoming the center of Ozarks culture

Collections related to Ozarks culture have experienced exponential growth during Peters’ tenure, and this was intentional. “I think our university is well positioned to become the premier Ozarks research center,” he says. “It’s a perfect fit with the public affairs mission.”

Missouri State Libraries hosts a YouTube channel dedicated to Ozark Jubilee, a beloved music and variety TV series that was produced in Springfield during the 1950s. Today, viewers can find 130 half-hour segments of the show on the YouTube channel. Episodes have been viewed more than 500,000 times.

The Ozarks Studies Institute (OSI), which is managed by Missouri State Libraries, publishes two issues of OzarksWatch Magazine each year. OSI also manages a growing collection of books about the Ozarks and hosts author talks. A milestone event occurred last year, when the Smithsonian Folklife Festival presented “The Ozarks: Faces and Facets of a Region,” a 10-day celebration of Ozarks culture on the National Mall. In-person attendance for this event clocked in at 626,851. Peters says his team captured plenty of video footage, which is currently being cataloged and compiled.

On rethinking the space

Peters also says, “We’ve done a good job of renovating the library to make it more usable.” From his perspective, this transformation at Meyer Library is part of a culture shift. “Back in the day, we had a bunch of rectangular tables and a lot of the same types of chairs,” he says. “When we started renovating Meyer, one of our ideas was to offer different seating options. For example, we put in many booths because a booth defines your space — it’s great for group work.”

Where we can find him in the future

When he’s not road tripping, Peters plans to spend plenty of time in a tiny Taney County town called McClurg. Several years ago, he bought a home there. He also bought the old general store. Although the store ceased retail operations years ago, it’s hosted jam sessions every Monday night for decades. These days, Peters serves as host, and each week, he welcomes a crowd that he calls “about 35 of my best friends.”

Around Campus…

Chief Academic Strategy Officer Dr. Ken Brown is chairing the search process for the next dean of Missouri State Libraries. In the coming weeks, you’ll receive a survey asking for your ideas about needs for the library.

“We’re thankful for the dedication and passion Tom has demonstrated during his 12 years of leadership — and for the remarkable service our library team provides students, faculty, staff and other stakeholders in our community,” says Provost Dr. John Jasinski. “As we look to our libraries’ future, we’re thinking about ideas like innovation, digital excellence, placemaking, internal and external partnerships and an ongoing service orientation. We’re confident that we’ll find the right leader for this next chapter.”