Author Archives: mdilwort

Author Archives: mdilwort

Go to the sources! Primary sources at IU East

Go to the sources! Primary sources at IU East

, Library Resources, Research
A primary source is an original “real thing.” It could be a song written in your favorite artist’s handwriting – maybe even on the back of an envelope.  Or Leonardo da Vinci’s sketch of one of his early paintings.  It could even be your family’s old Bible, with the names of your ancestors written, with dates of birth, marriage and other life events.  “Real things” come in a variety of forms, shapes, contexts and types. Through IU East, you have access to a number of these types of documents. Check out these highlights! African American Communities This database includes a variety of materials related to the African American experience, across multiple communities.  From documentation of segregation and racist activity against … Continued
Flying near and far: Birds in your backyard and beyond

Flying near and far: Birds in your backyard and beyond

, , , Frances Yates, Library Resources, outreach
Whether you want to enjoy bird activities locally or online, identity birds and their songs from around the world, or take actions to help birds, check out these ornithological opportunities. In addition to local parks and your neighborhood, the Whitewater Memorial State Park in Liberty is designated by the National Audubon Society as an “important bird area” that supports “one of the most significant assemblages of migrant and nesting avian species in eastern Indiana,” including waterfowl, a diversity of neotropical passerines, and endangered raptors. At the Hayes Arboretum in Richmond, you can use the Bird Watching Room or several different trails to see a variety of birds. Options include exploring independently, participating in a variety of nature activities, including the … Continued
You should Like us!

You should Like us!

, , Jesse Whitton, Library Resources
Interested in fascinating facts, reliable resources, and delightful databases? Then be sure to “like” us on the IU East Campus Library Facebook page. We provide updates on library resources and services, as well as special feature days of Wednesday Wisdom, Thinking Thursday, and Fake News Friday. If you haven’t already, head on over to the IU East Campus Library Facebook page and LIKE us! If you have not visited the Facebook page lately, here are some highlights of databases from our A-Z Index and various libguides. eBooks There are several databases that are currently offering free access to thousands of eBooks. For instance, from now until end of July, the De Gruyter database provides free access to 600 Journals and … Continued
Raiding the Corporate Info

Raiding the Corporate Info

, , Library Resources, Matt Dilworth, Research
When thinking about research, we often think about searching for discrete, published items – books, journal articles, videos.  But some information is quite different, and some is fluid and ever-changing.  One area where this is the case is corporate research, whether examining a specific company or looking into a whole sector of the national or global economy.  As businesses change and adapt and merge and re-strategize, the information about them fluctuates constantly, and researchers of any kind – investors, academics, etc. – need tools which keep up with the changes. For an individual company, stock prices, corporate strategies, and financials are likely to be major points of interest.  Mergent Online or Hoover’s Company Records are solid databases for this – search by … Continued
Living in Interesting Times

Living in Interesting Times

, , Library Resources, Matt Dilworth, Research
Do you keep a diary?  In times of crisis, firsthand, contemporaneous accounts are among the most valuable to the historians of later decades.  We call these ‘primary’ sources – those created by the people who lived the events that are described.  Letters and diaries have long been fertile sources for understanding history, and the blogs and emails of today will likely inform the historians of tomorrow.  While our times can seem unprecedented, calamities of various sorts have always shaped the eras they happened in.  The Influenza pandemic of 1918, commonly called the Spanish Flu, is often held up as a comparison to today’s struggle with the COVID-19 coronavirus.  Studying how people survived previous crises and catastrophes; and the lived experience … Continued