Matt Dilworth

Matt Dilworth

By Data and by Design

By Data and by Design

, , Contests, Matt Dilworth
The greatest business idea will struggle to find success without good marketing and design.  The converse is also true; no amount of pretty packaging will make a bad product better.  Over the last eight years, the IU East Business and Economic Research Center (BERC) has offered an incredible product – the East-Central Indiana Business Survey.  This survey draws data from experienced local businesses – over 100 of them – in Wayne, Fayette, Franklin, Henry, Randolph, Rush, and Union counties.  From this data, the local confidence in business prospects is measured, looking at factors like workforce size, capital investment, and profitability in addition to optimism or pessimism in the future.  This data in turn improves the community’s understanding of the local … Continued
Digging Into Research

Digging Into Research

, , Library Resources, Matt Dilworth, Research
Learning the principles of good research is a key component of digital fluency, and the freedom that comes with it.  This requires expertise beyond the skills obtained with commercial search engines like Google or Bing.  In conducting scholarly research, it is best to start with repositories of vetted information like academic databases and datasets.  Often these seem more complex to use than free search tools, but their robustness allows for more and richer information than a tool designed to help you find a time for a movie or sporting event, or a place on a map. The library offers a guide to research using these tools, describing what you can find and how you can best find it.  These techniques … Continued
The Sinking of Saint Mary

The Sinking of Saint Mary

, Library Resources, Matt Dilworth
In 1453, Christian-controlled Constantinople (now called Istanbul) fell to the Ottoman Empire, and the major trade routes to India and China were closed to Europe.  Demand for Eastern goods like silk and spices did not decrease, though, and explorers looked for alternate routes.  In 1492, one of those explorers, Christopher Columbus, convinced the government of Spain to sponsor his attempt to find a Western route, across the Atlantic Ocean.  Instead, on October 12th, he encountered the Caribbean, mistaking it for the East Indies, and met the indigenous Taíno people. Columbus initially traded for gold, spices, and slaves (called ‘naborías’ by the Taíno); but found no silks or any other expected Chinese or Indian luxury goods.  His first voyage concluded towards … Continued
The Peoples of the First Thanksgiving

The Peoples of the First Thanksgiving

, Library Resources, Matt Dilworth, Uncategorized
Thanksgiving commemorates one of the most durable early alliances crafted between indigenous American tribes and European settlers.  Intertribal Chief Massasoit of the Wampanoag (Pokanoket) and Governor William Bradford of the Plymouth settlers adopted this historic peace treaty in 1621.  By 1620, Massasoit’s confederation was imperiled by the larger and stronger Narragansett tribe; and had suffered significant losses from an unknown disease (almost certainly Smallpox).  At the same time, the Plymouth colony had lost half of their members due to starvation and new diseases, as well.  Both consulted their religious advisors, interpreting the deaths as a supernatural punishment, but neither saw clear spiritual signs as to a course of action. Massasoit sent Samoset to feel out the intentions of the pilgrims, … Continued
Look, Up In the Sky

Look, Up In the Sky

, , Library Resources, Matt Dilworth
This year, eclipses are major news.  On October 14th there will be an annular eclipse (that is, one where the moon is too far away to completely block out the sun, and you can still see the outer ring of it). On April 8, 2024, a total solar eclipse will be happening. For about four minutes, the sun will be completely blotted out of the sky, and only the solar corona will be visible. Many events are being planned locally around the eclipses, and special filtered glasses that allow people to look directly at them without damaging their eyes will be available from several organizations in our region, including IU East and the Morrisson-Reeves Public Library. Eclipses are academically important … Continued