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Author Archives: mdilwort

Primary Sources

archives, good information, oral history, primary sources, Research October 21, 2019 Library Resources, Matt Dilworth mdilwort

“The whole modern method of historical research is founded upon the distinction between original and derivative authorities. By original authorities we mean either statements by eye-witnesses, or documents, and other material remains, which are contemporary with the events which they attest. By derivative authorities we mean historians or chroniclers who relate and discuss events which they have not witnessed but which they have heard of or inferred directly or indirectly from original authorities.” – Arnaldo Momigliano, Studies in Historiography, 1966 When conducting research, you will often need to find and use specific types of resources. That could include peer-reviewed work, or to use a book or a video as a reference. One common and very important type of source students … Continued

The 200 Festival Collections Showcase

archives, bicentennial, Elizabeth South, lgbtqs October 14, 2019 Programs mdilwort

Assistant Librarian of Access & Technical Services and IU East Archivist Beth South presented at the 200 Festival Collections Showcase in Bloomington, IN on September 27, 2019. The showcase aimed to show how IU students, staff and faculty are using technology to enhance preservation, conservation, and use of collections and to develop new collections for public engagement. Beth showcased the IU East LGBTQ+ Archive Collection, a new student-created collection which uses the IU Pressbooks platform. The e-book platform allows the collection to be easily accessible to the public, with chapters denoting different themes, focusing on people, places, or events and it can be easily searched for those wanting to find content related to gay marriage, drag shows, asexuality, and more. … Continued

This is Halloween

halloween, holidays, KT Lowe, lgbtqs, multicultural October 7, 2019 Library Resources, Programs mdilwort

With a documented history spanning roughly two millennia and traditions spanning across the world, Halloween is one of the most widely celebrated holidays in the United States. It’s also an incredibly lucrative holiday, with this year’s spending total expected to reach $8.8 billion in the US alone. Halloween, according to folklorist Jack Santino, is a holiday that is intended to stretch borders – those of exploration, identity, marginality and, in some cases, rules themselves. The celebrations, which involve costumes, jack o’ lanterns, candy, horror movies and remembrance of the dead, demonstrate a great deal of syncretism, blending Celtic, Hispanic and American traditions into one magnificent event. A mere sample of the Halloween-related items in the collection of IU East librarian … Continued

Get Educated on Education Databases!

education, good information, reference databases, Research September 30, 2019 Jesse Whitton, Library Resources mdilwort

As we finish the 5th week of school, it’s not too late to plan for future assignments such as mid-terms and final projects. Education students have a lot on their plate with placements for field experiences, creating lesson plans, and making sure they are on track to graduate. The IU East Campus Library has a wide range of information resources that can help Education majors and others, in navigating research about education topics. Check out ERIC-EBSCOHOST, the Education Resource Information Center, that contains more than 1,194,00 records and links to more than 100,000 full-text documents pertaining to Education. Just look at the number of results you get from searching “kindergarten or preschool or early childhood education.” The Education Database by … Continued

Organized Research

citation, good information, reference databases, Research September 23, 2019 Library Resources, Matt Dilworth, Research mdilwort

We are now a few weeks into the semester – long enough to get comfortable with the trajectory and expectations of a class, but not far enough, in most cases, to feel pressure from a final paper or project. More and more, though, students want to keep it that way. If you’re one of this new type of student, you may be doing some of your major research early, to reduce the demands on you at the end of the semester. A little pre-research, or ‘presearch’, if you will. And that’s great – that sort of dedication and forethought is commendable. But how do you make sure the value of what you do now is maximized later? If you forget … Continued