Author Archives: mdilwort

Author Archives: mdilwort

Disappearing Statistics: Why it should matter to you and what you can do about it

Disappearing Statistics: Why it should matter to you and what you can do about it

, , books, Matt Dilworth
Some of you who have come to the library needing statistics for your research may have seen me reach for a book called Statistical Abstract of the United States.  The Census Bureau, which has published it annually since 1878, has announced that it will discontinue producing it.  It is, in the Census Bureau’s words, a guidebook that “provides a comprehensive summary of industrial, social, economic, and political data. It serves as a statistical compendium and as a guide to other statistical publications and sources. It includes tables and charts drawn from data of almost 300 government, private, and international agencies.”  It is produced both to provide the public with clear and current statistical data, and also to facilitate the best … Continued
Presidents’ Day

Presidents’ Day

Library Resources, Matt Dilworth
Today is Presidents’ Day, but just like on Martin Luther King Day, not many of us are going to celebrate by reading a biography of George Washington.  This day has come to represent ideals far more than any one person’s life.  The idea of liberty, of our national character, is more the spirit of this holiday. As in the population at large, we’ve had presidents who were perceived as effective or not, and some have dealt well with the challenges that faced them, while others have failed in their tasks.  But we can learn from anyone in history, and your library stands ready to connect you with that kind of resource. Several of our databases are particularly good for finding … Continued
Say what?

Say what?

Frances Yates, Matt Dilworth
On Saturday, February 12, numerous students from regional counties competed and presented speeches in 14 different categories at an Indiana High School Forensic tournament.  The Library was a venue for Radio and Extemporaneous events and we enjoyed having these students and observing all the academic preparation that is involved.  The photo featured in this blog is Michael Lakes, of Connersville High School, who participated in the U.S. Extemporaneous event.   The IU East Campus library has several reliable resources available in an electronic format.  Here are links to some journals and databases that college students may find useful for research to prepare to write speeches, papers, or other projects. Also included are links to some e-books on the topics of … Continued
E-Books are “real books” – really!

E-Books are “real books” – really!

, , books, Matt Dilworth
Don’t be fooled by the format – e-books are ‘real’ books in every sense that matters, and can make your course assignments easier and better! Practically everyone who has used the Internet has had some experience with e-books.  You might not own a Kindle or an iPad but likely have read something interesting through GoogleBooks or Project Gutenberg, or in specialized archives like the Baen Free Library.  Some of us seek e-books, buying them for specific mobile devices.  You sometimes hear people say that ‘real’ books are going the way of the dinosaur – but no one makes the claim that reading is dying out. At IU East, we subscribe to several e-book sources.  The biggest are Ebrary, Books24x7, and … Continued
MLKJ Day

MLKJ Day

Matt Dilworth
Happy Martin Luther King, Jr. Day!  For many of us, it’s a day off, and easy to lose the significance of this holiday.  Much like how on President’s Day and Columbus Day we don’t honor George Washington or Christopher Columbus personally so much as the main virtue their life exemplified – liberty and discovery, respectively – so too today we remember not so much King the Baptist preacher as the great virtue he dedicated his life to – equality. Modern libraries were founded on the same concept.  Because there are few better routes to equality than access to information.  Due to the nature of King’s struggle, it is natural to think about multiculturalism today.  And we have a number of … Continued