Matt Dilworth

Matt Dilworth

Black History and the Military

Black History and the Military

, Matt Dilworth
February is Black History Month, and a perfect opportunity to spotlight black excellence – great inventors, leaders, social reformers, entertainers, and freedom fighters.  Often, we view this last group through the lens of social activism – people who sought equality under the law.  But African Americans have been safeguarding physical freedom as long as this country has existed, from the opening shots of the American Revolution, and the vigilance of black soldiers should not be forgotten. During demonstrations against the British in Massachusetts in 1770, sailor Crispus Attucks, an unarmed protestor, became the first American martyr when he was shot down by British troops.  Four other Americans died in the shooting, which touched off the Revolutionary War.  His body lay … Continued
Popeye Belongs to All of Us

Popeye Belongs to All of Us

, , Matt Dilworth
On January 1st each year, Public Domain Day, new materials fall out of copyright and become free to use and adapt for anyone, without needing to clear rights or pay royalties.  These include audio recordings first copyrighted in 1924, and books, films, plays, musical compositions, artwork, and characters copyrighted in 1929.  In recent years, these have included the original iterations of Winnie the Pooh and Mickey Mouse, who have featured in a plethora of new marketable for-profit works; most notoriously low-budget horror films. This year, books like William Faulkner’s The Sound and the Fury have now become free to use, adapt, and sell, as well as Ernest Hemingway’s A Farewell to Arms, Agatha Christie’s ninth novel, The Seven Dials Mystery … Continued
The Christmas Eggnog Riot

The Christmas Eggnog Riot

, Matt Dilworth
In 1802, West Point Military Academy was founded, a pathetic joke of a military institution whose lax recruitment standards, negligible resources, and few teachers contributed little to the nation’s safety.  Then the War of 1812 happened, and losing the White House to the British convinced Congress that it would be prudent to train better officers and soldiers.  In 1817, Colonel Sylvanus Thayer was appointed as superintendent.  Thayer was a hero of the War of 1812 who had studied in France, and a man known for strict discipline in every sense of the word – both military and personal.  He quickly moved to change the character of the institution, and the character of the men who graduated. He created a stable four-year … Continued
International Education Week

International Education Week

Library Resources, Matt Dilworth
The benefits gained from international education – from brief study abroad trips to full semesters spent in other countries – include enhanced perspective, communication, and a level of ‘big picture’ thinking that is hard to replicate with any other experience.  Not only does international education expand student horizons, it also increases future employment options; building connections and trans-cultural skills that are desirable to many multinational companies.  International Education Week, from November 18-22 this year, is a joint initiative of the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of State to increase awareness of and participation in study abroad programs and build these skills.  Numerous events are planned, including the public release of the Open Doors Report on International Educational … Continued
Get It From Anywhere Through ILL

Get It From Anywhere Through ILL

, Library Services, Matt Dilworth
As the semester progresses and research intensifies, scholars will inevitably encounter an important resource to which they do not have access.  It could be an out-of-print book, or an article behind a paywall – but something that would make your research deeper and better lies just out of reach. There are a number of library tools that can be used to get a resource.  For books, you can use IUCAT, Indiana University’s catalog, to request books be sent here from another campus – just click the red ‘Request Delivery’ button.  For articles in a library database, click ‘Find It’ or ‘LibKey Instant PDF’ – or download the LibKey Nomad browser extension, which will help link to the full text of … Continued