holidays

holidays

Independent but Intertwined

Independent but Intertwined

, Library Resources, Matt Dilworth
On July 4th, Americans celebrate our Independence Day, and the anniversary of our declaration of ‘no more rule by redcoats’.  At the time – a mere 245 years ago – the United States and Great Britain were bitter enemies.  But today, there is a ‘Special Relationship’ between the two, and both affirm the other as their most important foreign ally.  What would become the United States was hardly the only territory that chafed under the rule of the British Empire.  The peoples of Ireland, India, China, Apartheid South Africa, Aborigines in Australia, and more had grievences with the Crown.  Immediately after the Revolutionary War, average Americans viewed Great Britain as synonymous with everything bad in the world, and vice versa.  … Continued
Native American Heritage Month

Native American Heritage Month

, , Library Resources, Matt Dilworth
November is Native American Heritage Month – an opportunity to pay tribute to the traditions and ancestry of the tribes and people groups who originally occupied this continent.  It is an opportunity to learn and to foster dialogue. Library resources are among the most vetted and authoritative available. One of the best databases is American Indian History Online, which features primary sources, maps, documentary videos, and other media.  It is searchable by region, tribe, person, event, or topic.  Of special note are sections on influential court cases and legislative history.  Another database is Early Encounters in North America, which covers material from the 1500s to the 1800s that document the relationships among the inhabitants of what are now the United … Continued
A Month of Pride

A Month of Pride

, , , Library Resources, Matt Dilworth, outreach
June is the 50th anniversary of National LGBTQ Pride Month, originally organized by the ‘Mother of Pride’ Brenda Howard, who first scheduled it in 1970 to commemorate the Stonewall demonstrations the previous year.  While it is painful this year to have so many public celebrations of LGBTQ identity curtailed or cancelled for health reasons, a movement so dedicated to the incredible diversity in how people come together and love each other cannot truly be kept apart. The library offers many digital resources to inform and educate us all about sexual identity, from videos to books to databases and other educational materials.  Our Libguide is a great place to start, and databases like Archives of Sexuality & Gender: LGBTQ History and … Continued
Women and Online Connectivity

Women and Online Connectivity

, Library Resources, Matt Dilworth
This March, with IU East (as well as almost every other college in the country) switching to online-only classes, the celebration of Women’s History Month has been curtailed, with many events and activities cancelled.  But the very act of e-learning offers an avenue to honor a particular way that women’s innovation and accomplishment have improved our world, in the form of the computer technology that is now so vital to maintaining any semblance of higher education in this country today. Women have always been instrumental to the development of computing technology.  The world recently lost mathematician and innovative computer programmer Katherine Johnson, whose life and contributions to early computer development are well known thanks to having been recently dramatized in … Continued
Awareness and Celebration of LGBTQ+ Community

Awareness and Celebration of LGBTQ+ Community

, , , , , Library Resources, outreach
International Transgender Day of Visibility (TDOV) is March 31st, 2020. It is a day to celebrate transgender people, their contributions to society, as well as raise awareness of the discrimination they face worldwide. The Indiana University East Campus Library is a dedicated Safe Space and our librarians and staff participate in regular training and professional development, such as Safe Zone, to better serve those members of the community who identify as LGBTQ+. This past month, IU East librarians Beth South and KT Lowe had the opportunity to attend the National Association of Social Workers 3rd Annual Conference on Serving Sexual & Gender Minority (GSM) populations. This conference was hosted by NASW’s Indiana Chapter Committee on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity.  … Continued