Author Archives: mdilwort

Author Archives: mdilwort

The Power of Fiction

The Power of Fiction

IU is at the forefront of digitizing content, from books to music to archival material – and fiction is among that content. One prominent example is Wright American Fiction, a collection of important novels and fiction from the middle to the late 1800s, chosen from a survey conducted by librarian Lyle Wright. Seminal works of 19th century American fiction are present, from Herman Melville’s Moby Dick to Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin, but there is a lot more to discover – almost 3,000 books are included. Books can be viewed as plain text, or in scanned images of the original books. Other full-text resources in a similar vein include Early American Fiction 1789 – 1850, which covers the period … Continued
One Book 2016: A Chance in the World

One Book 2016: A Chance in the World

Annually since 2012, IU East selects a book that connects the campus and community in reading, study, and service.  This year’s One Book selection, A Chance in the World by Steve Pemberton, has themes that intersect identity, family, child welfare, community, culture, education, and more.  On Tuesday, October 25, IU East will host a day of activities which enhance connections between campus and the community, with a focus on the themes in Pemberton’s book. One Book events are open to all.  A full list and additional information is available here: http://iue.libguides.com/OneBook2016/eventschedule Empty Bowls, a fundraiser for Gleaners Food Pantry, begins at 11:30 am and continues through 1:00 pm.  For $10, you can buy a handmade bowl created by an IU … Continued
Alumni Oral Histories

Alumni Oral Histories

Hello! My name is Cassidy Clouse; I’m the bicentennial intern at IU East this semester. I’m an Honors student double majoring in Psychology and Human Life Science with minors in Chemistry and Neuroscience, and after graduation I will attend graduate school to obtain my PsyD. On campus I am a student ambassador, Supplemental Instructor for Physics, Treasurer of Student Government Association, Vice President of Psychology Club, and Secretary of the service-learning Circle K Club. My main purpose as the bicentennial intern is to document IU East history. Along with other student workers in the library, I’ve been indexing and categorizing archived student newspapers, The Pioneer Press, from the 1970s. The biggest way history will be documented on our campus is … Continued
Finding Your Past

Finding Your Past

In A Chance in the World, this year’s One Book, Steve Pemberton recounts his history as an orphan in the foster care system. Untethered from any roots, he conducted a search for his birth family and located his grandparents and all four of his siblings, who had been fostered with different families.  The experience was part of a long effort to reconcile his personal identity. Most of us don’t face nearly the same challenge in identifying our family, but even so, how many of us can go much further back than our great-grandparents? Genealogy is the search for our roots, building a family tree of names, dates, and history that shaped how we came into this world. And it can … Continued
Are you planning to join the Banned?

Are you planning to join the Banned?

Have you read any of the following books in the past year? a. The Fellowship of the Ring, by J. R. R. Tolkien b. Any book in the Harry Potter series c. Looking for Alaska, by John Green d. The Holy Bible If you have read at least one of the above books in the past year, congratulations: you’ve read a banned book. Banned books are titles that have been challenged or banned from public institutions, schools and other places, often at the behest of concerned parents or members of the public. While the aims of these individuals seem wholesome on the surface, their actions constitute censorship, denying you access to books and other reading or viewing materials you want … Continued