Matt Dilworth

Matt Dilworth

Staying Sharp

Staying Sharp

, , Library Resources, Matt Dilworth
With the close of another semester, you’ll have a well-deserved break to spend time with family, catch up on pursuits you put off during the semester, and generally enjoy yourself. But the things you’ve learned – particularly critical thinking and how to research – can accentuate your everyday pleasures, too. For example, lots of us like to unwind after a long day with some time watching television. Plenty of TV shows and movies create immersive worlds for us to enjoy, but oftentimes the particulars have been changed to suit the dramatic narrative, and can give a skewed impression about what’s real and what isn’t. Maybe you watch history-inspired fiction on the History Channel, like Vikings, Knightfall, or The Curse of … Continued
Around the World

Around the World

, , Library Resources, Matt Dilworth
The world is becoming a smaller place, and many students are incorporating travel to other countries into their college years. Studying abroad can be a boon to numerous degree fields – and not just the obvious ones, like a foreign language, international studies, literature, or humanities degree. Perhaps you want to get a job teaching English as a second language in another country. Perhaps you want to be involved in an international business. Or maybe you want to provide health care and training for humanitarian organizations. For all, you can benefit from the culture you experience and the contacts you’ll develop in an international program. IU East has many international programs and trips to choose from. Perhaps you’re thinking about … Continued
Media Savvy

Media Savvy

, Library Resources, Matt Dilworth, Research
Media Literacy Week is coming up, starting November 6th, and it is perfectly timed as you think about sources and what you want to include in your upcoming papers and projects. Media literacy is vital to anyone, teaching you how to understand and critique the many messages news, entertainment, advertising, and more send to you, and protecting you from manipulation by those who would influence your opinion or behavior (or, at least, minimizing that influence).   The National Association for Media Literacy Education defines media literacy as “the ability to ACCESS, ANALYZE, EVALUATE, COMMUNICATE and CREATE using all forms of communication”. It’s worth taking time to think about each of those abilities as you move forward in the semester. Access You … Continued
Constitution Day

Constitution Day

, , Library Resources, Matt Dilworth
Sunday was Constitution Day (sometimes called Citizenship Day), marking the anniversary in 1787, when 39 delegates in Independence Hall in Philadelphia signed the Constitution, bringing our form of representative democracy into being. It’s worth noting that, while our founders described the equality of “we the people” as being “self-evident”, in 1787 it was actually an open question. No similar government had ever yet succeeded. But because ours did, it has become a model for all similar governments founded since. Studying this historic document is a privilege of citizenship, and IU East is offering plenty of opportunities for doing just that. On Wednesday, September 20th, from 11 am to 2 pm in the lobby of Springwood Hall, there will be contests … Continued
Class Prep

Class Prep

, , ILL, Library Resources, Library Services, Matt Dilworth, outreach, Reserves
Welcome to all our new students, and to our returning students, welcome back! As you enjoy your ice cream, pancakes, movies, and other Back with the Pack activities, you’ll quickly be settling into a routine of coursework, study, research, and writing. And the library is a vital part of that – not just later, when things are coming due, but right now, at the beginning of the semester – whether you need scholarly resources, computers, a place to print out your syllabi (remember to bring your new Crimson Card, available in room 109), or just a quiet place to study. One common request we get at this time of year is for textbooks. Like most college libraries, we have a … Continued