The IU East Campus Library is host to two students immersed in two different, and very interesting, research topics.

An art tradition for forty years: The Whitewater Valley Art Competition

Brittany Yoder, a Junior Communications major, was selected as an IU Bicentennial intern for summer 2018, to work on a “Connecting Campus and Community through Art” project. This internship is hosted by the IU Office of the Bicentennial.

Under the supervision of IU East Archivist Beth South, Brittany will document the history of ways in which the campus engages with the community through art outreach. The project will be housed in an Omeka presentation site, within the “Arts in Culture” theme.  Selective content highlights will also be integrated into the module for the IU East history course.

Featured content will include a narrative and photographic history of Whitewater Valley Art Competition, and its connection to Indiana University East. It will highlight the works and accomplishments of Tom Thomas and Ed Thornburg. Various other artists and artworks will be profiled, including prominent local muralist Pamela Bliss and mixed media artist India Cruise-Griffin.

IU East has a strong history of supporting arts in the community and these efforts will be researched and documented. A primary example is the Area IX Agency on Aging seniors’ exhibits. Another example focused on older adults is the Opening Minds through Art (OMA) partnership with Friends Fellowship Community (FFC). This program provides an artistic outlet for seniors with dementia, and their artwork will be highlighted in the Omeka site.

As a communications major and with her experience of several years as library student staff, Brittany is well-prepared to contribute to the on-going Campus Library efforts to document and make publicly accessible the rich history of campus and community partnerships through art.

Writing herstory: introducing physician Ann Preston to young readers

Katelyn Groff, a Junior majoring in elementary education, has received a research summer scholarship to focus on documenting the life of Ann Preston. Katelyn’s culminating project will be a picture book biography.  This scholarship is sponsored by the IU East Office of Academic Affairs.

As library student staff for three years, Katelyn has been a research assistant on several projects. For the past eighteen months she has been involved in accessing and organizing primary sources for the Women of Valor resource guide. This project highlights women in history who are under-represented in history books. Katelyn noted the lack of children’s literature, particularly the picture book biography genre, about many of these important women. She proposed to create a picture book biography manuscript on the life and accomplishments of Dr. Ann Preston, a woman featured in the resource guide, who was one of the first female doctors in the United States. The manuscript will include relevant primary sources, such as photos and letters, integrated throughout the text and in a source notes section. This book will help younger students integrate into their critical thinking the perspectives gained from authentic sources while learning about a fascinating woman in American history. Picture book use in the classroom and home, for any age level, can lead to important discussion about whose stories are told and what we can do to learn more about lesser-known women throughout history.

This project will lead Katelyn to a deeper understanding of nonfiction picture books and their application in the classroom, as well as the process of writing a picture book. Researching, writing, and submitting her book manuscript for publication will provide a unique learning experience and we hope to see Katelyn’s book in print in the near future!

If you are using Campus Library resources for a unique and interesting research project, let us know! liblearn@iue.edu