Author Archives: mdilwort

Author Archives: mdilwort

Latin American Resources

Latin American Resources

, Frances Yates, Library Resources, Matt Dilworth, Programs
The United States is undergoing a massive demographic shift, as immigration again changes our national character and makeup. But in recent decades, the influx of people has not been from Europe but from our own hemisphere – Mexico, Central, and South America. And like generations of previous immigrants, these new Americans bring their own vibrant culture, interweaving it with the multifaceted tapestry that is already here. Richmond seems far away from the southern border, but almost all of us have still been touched in some way by Hispanic culture – neighbors, friends, coworkers, and colleagues. Perhaps you’re curious about these cultures, and want to know more. The library has plenty of tools to study Latin American and Hispanic culture – … Continued
Independence Day

Independence Day

Library Resources, Matt Dilworth
This week we will celebrate the Fourth of July. John Adams advocated celebrating it with “pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations from one end of this continent to the other”. Whether any of these factor into your own festivities, or whether you have your own traditions, the day marks a major change in human events. In 1776, the Declaration of Independence was signed by fifty-six men, putting our country on a path to freedom and self-determination that has since been copied by dozens of other nations. Before 1776, the evidence was scant that any people could successfully govern themselves without kings or aristocracy. Today, it is common knowledge. John Adams and Thomas Jefferson were … Continued
LGBT Sources

LGBT Sources

, Library Resources, Matt Dilworth
June is National LGBT Pride Month in remembrance of the Stonewall riots in June 1969, the beginning of the modern gay liberation movement. IU East has always taken an interest in nurturing and empowering our gay students (and their straight allies) – the LGBTQS Alliance is one of our most popular organizations, and many university employees have Safe Zone training, offering a supportive and affirming place for LGBT students to discuss any issue that weighs on them. And the library has reliable resources to learn about LGBT history or the issues facing the homosexual community today. We have resources for any interest or age group. For scholarly needs, databases like LGBT Studies are great starting points, including sources like films, … Continued
Building a Student-Friendly Course

Building a Student-Friendly Course

, books, Library Resources, Library Services, Matt Dilworth
Summer may be a welcome respite for students, but it rarely is for faculty! Research, writing articles, attending professional conferences, preparing new programs and courses – a professor’s job is never done. The library has always been a great tool for professors in teaching their classes. It’s a place to send students to broaden their understanding, and find books and journals that support their arguments. But it can be an asset right from the beginning, in the planning phase of new courses. Most classes require a lot of material. This is sensible – students have to be exposed to a lot of ideas and perspectives, after all. It follows that they would need to read the work of a lot … Continued
More from your MUSE

More from your MUSE

Library Resources, Matt Dilworth
A few weeks ago, we looked at the Humanities Collection of Project MUSE, a newly added database provided by the School of Humanities and Social Science and the Library, which adds significantly to material available for writing, education, literature, social science, and other fields. But Project MUSE has a lot of parts, and one other part that we have acquired is the Global Cultural Studies journal supplement.  This section adds access to 20 additional full text journals that are relevant to any student of contemporary culture.  This includes American studies, ethnic studies – including Asian, Latin American, African-American, and indigenous studies – women’s and gender studies, disability studies, and more. One of the new journals is The Global South, which … Continued