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Author Archives: mdilwort

Keep Your Mind Sharp with Puzzles

puzzles, summer May 23, 2022 Library Resources, Matt Dilworth mdilwort

During summer breaks, students can forget part of what they learned in the preceding year. This phenomenon is referred to as the ‘summer learning loss’ or ‘learning slide’. There is a significant body of literature on it, particularly as it affects K-12 students. Estimates of the severity of the loss differ greatly depending on the test design, but it is a risk worth preparing against. One proposed solution calls for eliminating or reducing summer breaks. Locally, Richmond Community Schools now schedules a two-month summer vacation. Other proposals include having more frequent, but shorter, breaks spaced throughout the year; or using summer school to bolster at-risk kids. Absent a comprehensive community solution, however, a good strategy is to keep your mind … Continued

World Bee Day

Elizabeth South, holidays, online information, sustainability May 16, 2022 Library Resources, Research mdilwort

One of the most important aspects of getting food from the farm to the table is the necessity of bees to pollinate many of our crops. “Almost 90% of wild plants and 75% of leading crops depend on animal pollinations,” and bees are one of our most important pollinators (WWF-UK). In the US, bees pollinate approximately 130 different agricultural crops, including fruits, vegetables, and nuts, and add nearly 15 billion dollars in improved crop quality and yield. However, many bees are facing significant threats and extinction due to climate change, habitat loss, invasive plants, chemical pesticides, and disease and parasites. The U.S. honeybee population has declined by 60% since 1947 and the rusty patched bumblebee was the first bee to … Continued

Digital Gardening: Instruction Librarian KT Lowe shares her first-person perspective

digital gardening, fake news, information literacy, KT Lowe May 9, 2022 Research mdilwort

In December 2021, I was fortunate to be a member of the inaugural class of Digital Gardening Faculty Fellows at Indiana University. Thirty-five faculty members from throughout the IU system were selected to participate in the Digital Gardening Initiative, which aims to pull together faculty from diverse IU institutions and backgrounds to help them develop digital literacy pedagogy. The Fellowship consisted of a series of required workshops and meetings every two weeks, plus additional workshops and speakers that were voluntary. The required workshops covered topics such as Adobe Express and the Information Literacy Online Toolkit, while voluntary sessions brought in both student and professional presenters on topics such as Minecraft for Education. All IU East faculty, staff and students have … Continued

Celebrating Spring with a Nature Inspired Scavenger Hunt

discussion, environment, read, scavenger hunt, sustainability May 2, 2022 outreach, Programs mdilwort

In partnership with the Office of Sustainability, the Campus Library created a virtual scavenger hunt in support of Indiana Humanities’ One State/One Story: World of Wonders Community Read program. The Campus Library, along with 31 other non-profits around Indiana, was awarded funding and free copies of the book World of Wonders: In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, Other Astonishments by Aimee Nezhukumatathil. World of Wonders is a beautiful collection of essays, some somber, some humorous, that reflects on our relationship with the natural world and how we can find inspiration and appreciation in our environment. In each chapter, Nezhukumatathil focuses on a particular animal or plant, whose properties and habits remind her of various aspects of her life. She reflects … Continued

Types of Research Sources

peer review, primary sources, Research, scholarly resources April 25, 2022 Research mdilwort

Research projects may require a variety of specific sources, such as a peer reviewed article, a research study that uses quantitative methods, or a specific publication (for example, the New York Times). Library search tools can be used to hone in on special types of research material. Primary source Primary sources are created by someone who personally participated in the events described. This typically means something slightly different in the humanities compared to in the sciences, so the ideal search strategy will depend on the nature of the class. For humanities, primary sources include formats like letters, diaries, autobiographies, oral histories, and interviews. Fortunately, the library offers many whole databases that specialize in this type of material. African-American History Online, … Continued