Matt Dilworth

Matt Dilworth

Primary Science

Primary Science

, Library Resources, Matt Dilworth, Research
The use of primary sources is a staple of academic research – these are sources created by someone involved in the matter being described.  In the humanities, these typically take the form of letters, diaries, or the like – for the historian, a diary is usually valued more than a book written by someone who wasn’t involved.  This isn’t to say that secondary sources have no worth, as those can often take a longer or more nuanced view than that of a person in the thick of things – but the value of a direct witness cannot be understated.  Numerous databases are built around these types of materials, like American Civil War: Letters and Diaries, Gale Primary Sources, or The … Continued
Money and Smart Choices

Money and Smart Choices

Library Resources, Matt Dilworth
Money Smart Week, a public awareness campaign for personal financial literacy, has become completely virtual this year.  The official program features webinars targeted towards the economic needs of those hit hardest by the last year.  Some of these are particularly useful for colleges, such as the Understanding the Basics of Federal Student Loans session – which also includes a toolkit of helpful links and information.  The library offers lots of vetted resources to help anyone make prudent financial decisions, too, in a variety of formats.  These range from the broad and global issues – covered by ebooks like Understanding the World Economy by Tony Cleaver, Fixing Global Finance by Martin Wolf, or Understanding the Process of Economic Change by Douglass … Continued
History of HIV/AIDS

History of HIV/AIDS

, , , Library Resources, Matt Dilworth, outreach
The history of AIDS, and the human immunodeficiency virus that causes it, has left a long and bloody mark on world history, moving from an academic concern, to an always-fatal but poorly understood disease, to an inflection point in civil rights, to what is now, in much of the world, a survivable chronic condition.  It has been an instrument of death and division which has cost perhaps 35 million lives. HIV was a zoonotic disease transmitted to humans from apes, mutated from the related simian immunodeficiency virus.  While the nature of its first transfer to humans remains a point of debate, it spread rapidly via unsterilized injections (commonplace in most of the regions of Africa where infected apes were known) … Continued
African Americans in Film

African Americans in Film

, , Library Resources, Matt Dilworth
African American History Month offers a wonderful opportunity to reflect on cultural and artistic achievements of African Americans. They have been making films as long as the medium has existed but faced unique challenges. African American film grew out of a caricatured, othered presentation of black culture to mainstream audiences, and had to reclaim its own narrative.  But the pernicious influence of cultural stereotypes was not the only challenge. African American cinema blossomed from decades of black performers limited to working for white directors, producers, and censors; to films that now enjoy African American talent in the writing, direction, editing, and production (and independent of white capital), which allows for richer self-expression.  But earlier films should not be ignored; African … Continued
How To Trust the News

How To Trust the News

, , Matt Dilworth, Research
In examining the current news environment, it can be disheartening to see the vast divide in political perspective that colors or slants vital reporting.  While partisan reporting allows consumers to feel more comfortable, having their own biases reinforced, it makes searching for the facts that inform opinions more difficult.  It also complicates finding common ground amongst differently aligned stakeholders. A deeply divided and partisan press has been a hallmark of American media since the beginning, when the Gazette of the United States (supported by Alexander Hamilton and unrepentantly Federalist) and the National Gazette (funded by Thomas Jefferson and rabidly anti-Federalist) were representative of the leading newspapers of the day.  Moreover, anyone could print up leaflets, broadsheets, or pamphlets with whatever … Continued