KT Lowe

KT Lowe

Happy Birthday, World Wide Web!

Happy Birthday, World Wide Web!

, Website
On August 1, 1990, Tim Berners-Lee, a computer scientist at CERN created the term “world wide web” to describe an interconnected universe of information.  The first graphics-based web browser, Mosaic, was developed only a few years later by computer scientist Marc Andreesen, then working for the University of Illinois.  While other text-based browsers already existed, like Gopher and Lynx, it was Mosaic that pointed the way toward what most people think of as the Internet today.  Considering the ubiquity of online information, commerce and entertainment, it is worth examining tools and tricks that make the Internet safer, easier and more useful.  For instance, special operators are an easy way to make any search engine work better.  A tilde (the ~ … Continued
Join the Banned!

Join the Banned!

, books
In 2022, a historic number of book challenges were made across the country, targeting school, community and university libraries.  In Florida alone, where over 500 books have been banned or challenged since 2021, authors ranging from inaugural poet Amanda Gorman to contemporary novelist Kurt Vonnegut have been the subject of targeted removal from classrooms and libraries.  Yet according to the Washington Post, most book challenges are made by only a handful of individuals, often bonding together via social media.  That means a very small number of people have attempted to create an outsized impact on the reading material allowed to a significant portion of the country.  Libraries maintain collections for the benefit of heir communities, and communities are comprised of … Continued
A brief history of Gennett Records

A brief history of Gennett Records

, , , outreach
The empty tower that looms over Whitewater Gorge in Richmond, Indiana is the last vestige of what was once a highly influential American recording label.  While never very profitable, Gennett Records holds a number of distinctions important to the development of American music.  It was here, in Richmond, that some of the first jazz recordings were made, and a series of other important performers, from Wilbur Sweatman to Guy Lombardo to Gene Autry, waxed their music in the cramped, overheated studio built just off the railroad tracks. Gennett Records was founded in 1917 and named after Henry Gennett, then the president of the Starr Piano Company.  In 1915, Starr Piano started building phonograph machines to compete with models such as … Continued
Drop-in Poetry and more at your Campus Library

Drop-in Poetry and more at your Campus Library

, , , Library Resources
Every April since 1996, the US has celebrated National Poetry Month.  While the Academy of American Poets has developed a 30-day list of activities, the IU East Campus Library has resources and databases to help students, staff and faculty observe year ‘round.  To kick things off this year, the Library is hosting a drop-in poetry activity on Thursday, April 13 from 12:30 to 1:30 PM. Snacks will be provided for this free, fun event The Library has an array of poetry books and databases.  From books by former US Poet Laureate Joy Harjo to a video about current US poet laureate Ada Limon, the library offers a variety of materials to assist with research.  The library’s list of poetry databases … Continued
International Women’s Day

International Women’s Day

, , , Library Resources
Since 1911, International Women’s Day has served as a salute to the capabilities and accomplishments of women throughout the world.  This year’s theme is #EmbraceEquity. What does it mean to #EmbraceEquity?  If women are to be counted as full members of society, they need more than acknowledgement.  They need real opportunities and the knowledge that women can and do anything they choose.  To that end, the IU East Campus Library offers a variety of databases dedicated to the creative, sociopolitical and scientific achievements and changes by women. Women have been leaders for social change since the founding of the United States.  From voting rights to social justice, women have led the charge for a host of causes, all dedicated to … Continued