Latest Posts

Latest Posts

Early American protest music

Early American protest music

, , Research
What’s a protest song? According to musicologist David King Dunaway, a protest song functions more as a mode for a message, rather than a distinct art form itself.  “It is not popular music… it is not per se folk music…the field of political music includes everything from an electoral song of the 1730s to a punk-rock protest of the 1980s,” he observed in 1987. That means there are a lot of different songs that qualify as protest songs, and we’ll take a brief look at some of the very earliest American protest songs ever written. Yankee Doodle Written around 1755 by a British doctor, Richard Schuckburgh, “Yankee Doodle” has a rather interesting and perhaps unintentionally hilarious history. Although an author … Continued
Grassroots Patrons of IU East

Grassroots Patrons of IU East

, Jesse Whitton, outreach
On October 16, 1974, the Pioneer Press (v. 2, no. 3) noted that work was “nearly 99% done on the new IU East campus. All that is left is to install the bookshelves in the library and bookstore and sort out some carpeting issues.” (The first building would not be called Whitewater Hall until 1992). Within 3 months, students would be using the new classrooms, faculty and staff would be set up in their new offices, and everyone would be walking past the wall opposite the administrative offices displaying glossy white tiles with little black marks across the middle of them and a plaque at the top that reads “Grassroots Patrons.” From afar these more than 800 tiles all look … Continued
Archeology and Intercultural Dialogue

Archeology and Intercultural Dialogue

, , Library Resources, Matt Dilworth
In recent blogs, library tools related to archeology and sustainability have been explored, in support of a documentary film and a presentation by assistant professor of anthropology Dr. Aaron Comstock, given on November 10.  The video, Common Ground: The Story of Bears Ears documents the many competing concerns over the Bears Ears monument in Utah, including the preservation of  art and historical artifacts (materials of outsized importance in understanding pre-literate native cultures), conservation, the development of energy and rare resources, and providing space to live.  The need for input from all shareholders, particularly from Native Americans, is a primary and ongoing concern. In his work, Aaron Comstock has sought to foster dialogue with and inclusion of Native American stakeholders in … Continued
Climate Resilience and Sustainability at IU East

Climate Resilience and Sustainability at IU East

, , Library Resources, outreach, Programs
The 2021 UN Climate Change Conference took place in Glasgow, Scotland from October 31 to November 12.  Aligned with that, there were several events at the IU East campus focused on climate change, climate resilience, and sustainability.  Participation by student organizations included the College Democrats of Indiana and the Animals and Earth Club. A Climate March for Our Lives event in the campus quad on October 26 inspired discussion on the importance of sustainability efforts, both small and large, and how there is much that we can still do at the campus, community, and state levels to make a difference. An active member of the Campus Climate Resilience Committee, Assistant Librarian of Access and Technical Services Beth South worked with the … Continued
Digital Gardening: A new way to think about digital literacy

Digital Gardening: A new way to think about digital literacy

, , Programs
Most of us know the basics of gardening – tilling the soil, digging holes, adding plants, weeding, watering.  It’s a useful metaphor, however, for other subjects and ways of thinking, and IU has done just that.  Digital gardening is a method of instill digital literacy and digital competency in students, starting with their very first semester on campus.  On October 1, IU East librarians KT Lowe and Beth South participated in the Digital Gardener Summit, a day-long workshop addressing digital gardening and how it can be infused into a classroom curriculum. Digital literacy incorporates a number of ideas related to understanding media.  Not only does it include fact-checking fake news, deepfake videos and memes, but also a greater understanding regarding … Continued