Author Archives: Meg Miner - Page 2

You can be a Citizen DJ!

citizen_dj_logo

citizen_dj_logo

The Library of Congress sponsors many kinds of residency programs. One of them involves different kinds of digital humanities projects.

Citizen DJ is a project by Brian Foo developed during his time as an Innovator in Residence at the Library of Congress. The application invites the public to make hip hop music using the Library’s public audio and moving image collections. By embedding these materials in hip hop music, listeners can discover items in the Library’s vast collections that they likely would never have known existed. For technical documentation and code, please see the report.

Archives for the Centennial of Women’s Right to Vote

Equality is the Sacred Law of Humanity

Equality is the Sacred Law of HumanityThis post is from a news release courtesy of the Society of American Archivists’s Committee on Public Awareness. Be sure to visit the poster exhibit on The Ames Library’s entry level, too!

Archives contain primary sources such as letters, photographs, and audio and video footage that document the work of early suffragists such as Carrie Chapman Catt, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Minnie Fisher Cunningham, Angelina Weld Grimke, and Ida B. Wells-Barnett. In making these materials available, archivists hope to remind the public of the long history of the battle for the right to vote and the suffragists’ roles in the fight for equality.

Here are a few archives and history organizations that are remembering the suffrage centennial via online exhibits, social media, and lesson plans. You are invited to join in the celebration!

  • The National Archives Museum in Washington, DC, created Rightfully Hers: American Women and the Vote, a 3,000-square-foot exhibit that draws from more than 90 documents, photographs, and artifacts in its collection – including the original Nineteenth Amendment, which will be on limited display. Check out the virtual exhibit led by archivist and curator Corinne Potter. The National Archives also has created a nationwide traveling exhibit, pop-up displays for classroom use, and educational resources and lesson plans for educators to incorporate into their curriculum.
  • The Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commission was established by Congress in April 2017 “to commemorate and coordinate the nationwide celebration of the 100th Anniversary of the 19th Amendment.” The non-partisan commission has created a federal legislative tracker to note all suffrage-related congressional legislation, as well as a chronological list of press releases on suffrage news, programs, and events.
  • The National Organization of Women is highlighting past and present “sheroes” via its Sisters in Suffrage website and social media campaign. Each day in the 100 days leading up to the anniversary of the vote, NOW has released a new image and biographical sketch that illustrate the extraordinary work of these remarkable and diverse women. The public is encouraged to participate and follow along via social media with the hashtags #sistersinsuffrage#Celebrating100#righttovote.
  • The Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum is celebrating the centennial via a Google Arts and Culture exhibit about Rosalynn Carter’s fight for the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA); an article for The Text Message, the blog of the National Archives and Records Administration, about President Carter meeting an original suffragist prior to the Alice Paul Memorial March of 1977; and a new interview of Rosalynn Carter by her former daughter-in-law, Judy Langford Carter, about the fight for ERA.
  • The Radcliffe Institute’s Schlesinger Library at Harvard University has invited researchers, writers, and teachers to create a series of digital teaching modules for its Suffrage School. Each lesson connects to the library’s Long 19th Amendment Project, tackling the tangled history of gender and American citizenship, and includes a short video in which the instructor shares a primary source from the Schlesinger’s collections. Lessons include a link to the digitized documents, questions to guide further reflection, and additional readings.
  • The National Women’s History Museum provides a wide variety of lesson plans, modules, downloadable documents, PowerPoints, and videos for educators wanting to integrate the history of Women’s Suffrage into their educational curriculums. Each specific lesson plan is tailored to meet the requirements of students from grades 6 to 12. Additionally, a timeline of the suffrage movement and corresponding educational activities test students’ knowledge of the timeline.
  • The National Park Service, through its 20 Suffragists to Know for 2020 profiles, spotlights the biographies of diverse women of color, such as  Marie Louise Bottineau BaldwinMabel Ping-Hua LeeNina Otero-Warren, and Zitkala-Ša, whose work  contributed to the passage of the 19th Amendment even as they waged their own battles against racism and discrimination.

Newspaper archive database to explore

newspaperarchive promo
newspaperarchive promo

Extra! Extra!

The Ames Library has acquired temporary access to a collection of historical newspapers from the NewspaperArchive.com.

Dating from 1607-2020, the database contains more than 15,495+ different titles from every US state and twenty-eight other countries around the world. Every newspaper in the archive is fully searchable by keyword, date, place, and title making it easy for you to quickly see if we have the article you’re seeking.

Test it out and let us know what you think!

 

Information on the Coronavirus

Covid-19_stop-spread

Today, Dean of Students Karla Carney-Hall and Interim Executive Director of Health/Counseling Vickie Folse distributed the message copied below about staying safe and healthy during Spring Break. You may also consult this resource guide on the Coronavirus for sources about this disease.

Click on the image below to get a halfsheet-sized poster you can put in your room or office for others to see!Covid-19_stop-spread

[copied message]

Students, faculty, and staff,
As we look forward to Spring Break which typically brings some travel, we want to remind you to stay healthy and take preventative precautions. Between flu season and ongoing concerns about the Coronavirus, we want to be mindful and vigilant about public health. We have many confirmed instances of flu on campus, but no cases of Coronavirus at IWU or in the Bloomington/Normal community. Our study abroad partners are monitoring the spread of Coronavirus in Italy and other areas of the world. If you are abroad now or scheduled to study abroad in May, summer or other international travel, you will receive a separate update from the International Office.

While we believe our campus risk remains low, we will continue to monitor this global health crisis. Please note the following preventative strategies:

  • Wash your hands often with soap and hot water for at least 20 seconds.
  • Use antibacterial hand solution when available.
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth
  • Avoid close contact with people who are sick. If you are sick, stay home and avoid public contact.
  • Cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze.
  • Clean and disinfect surfaces.
  • If you are traveling out of the US, research health advisories for your travel area. Review the ‘CDC Travelers’ Health website: (https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel) to learn how to stay healthy during your trip.
  • Monitor the CDC website for updated information.

We want to be mindful of our students from highly impacted areas around the world – our support and care go out to you as your home communities respond to the virus. We encourage all members of our campus community to be inclusive and respectful in supporting each other through this difficult global crisis.

The health and safety of our community is our top priority and we will continue to monitor updates from state, federal and international health organizations. Please contact Arnold Health Services with any questions or concerns.

Sincerely,
Karla C. Carney-Hall, Dean of Students
Vickie Folse, Interim Executive Director of Health/Counseling

Getting the Cold-Weather Blues? Library Has Light Boxes for SAD!

Thanks to the Counseling Center, the library has Sunbox lamps to assist with seasonal affective disorder (SAD). One is installed on the 3rd floor West side’s living room (in the center of the wing’s outer edge) and the other is on the 4th floor on the East side’s living room.

Just 20–30 minutes with the Sunbox can boost energy and improve your mood. Detailed information regarding the use of the Sunbox is posted by each lamp.


(Images are courtesy this infographic from Yellowbrick.)

Exhibit Opportunities and Student Learning

La guerra civil en el arte y el cine -Photo credit: Carmela Ferradans

In November, the four exhibit cases and interactive wall in the library’s entry level showcased research done by students in SPAN 314: Iberian Culture & Civilization (follow link for more images). The focus of the exhibit was on four aspects related to The Legacy of the Spanish Civil War.

Exhibits are listed among the Association of American Colleges and Universities’ (AAC&U) high-impact practices. This is a creative process, involving a deep understanding of one’s subject in order to distill it to brief but informative elements.

On December 2nd, students in ENGL 243: Survey of English Poetry, 1500-1700 will be installing an exhibit on the practice of Commonplace books.

Anyone in IWU’s community may use these spaces to promote student work, class
projects, guest speakers, organizations, events, achievements or any topic of interest you’d like
to share with the campus community. Contact Meg Miner (mminer@iwu.edu or x1538) to reserve a space!

Viewing The Saint John’s Bible at IWU

Ruth and Naomi
Ruth and Naomi

Ruth and Naomi, Suzanne Moore, Copyright 2010, The Saint John’s Bible, Saint John’s University, Collegeville, Minnesota USA. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Through May 2018, IWU will have the Heritage Edition of The Saint John’s Bible Gospel and Acts on campus.  From June – December 2018, we will have the Pentateuch Heritage Edition.

Public viewings of Gospel and Acts Heritage Edition are available in the First Floor Rotunda, The Ames Library on Mondays 12-1 p.m. and Saturdays 11 a.m.-1 p.m. through February 26th.

During these times, docents will be available to guide your viewing of the beautiful illuminations and calligraphy and to answer questions about the making of this hand-written, hand-illuminated manuscript.

For more information, including a calendar of other events, visit www.iwu.edu/chaplain/saint-johns-bible-at-iwu.html.

To learn more about the Heritage Edition Program or to schedule a visit of The Saint John’s Bible for your campus organization, class, civic organization, school, or faith community, please contact University Chaplain Elyse Nelson Winger at 309-556-3179 or email her at chaplain@iwu.edu.

 

Additions to Special Collections

Awadagin's 1997 recital
Awadagin's 1997 recital

Awadagin Pratt’s 1997 recital poster

Over a decade ago, Dr. Mildred Pratt designated IWU as the repository for her son Awadagin’s performance materials. Several times since then, we’ve received additional primary sources related to both of Awadagin’s parents and his sister Menah. An archives blog post contains a detailed analysis of The Pratt Family Collection that is available for use in Tate Archives & Special Collections, located on the Ames Library’s fourth floor.

The Pratt family’s impact on Bloomington-Normal includes the Pratt Music Foundation, established in the memory of T.A.E.C. Pratt in 1996, that provides scholarships for lessons at Illinois Wesleyan University’s Music Preparatory Program. In addition, Dr. Mildred Pratt established the Mildred Pratt Student Assistance Fund at Illinois State University.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at IWU

View of Fieldhouse crowd from behind Dr. King
View of Fieldhouse crowd from behind Dr. King

Dr. King at IWU February 10, 1966

This image shows the kind of crowd drawn to Dr. King on his second visit to our campus. Visit the University Archives’ blog to learn more about these events, including the role IWU students played in bringing him here.

IWU Professor Emily Dunn Dale and the ERA

The death of famed conservative activist and constitutional lawyer Phyllis Schlafly brought to mind an IWU connection from the 1970s. The University Archives contains a recording of a faculty member rebutting a position Schlafly took on the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA).

Read a post from the University Archives to find out what this cartoon and former Anthropology & Sociology Professor Emily Dunn Dale have in common!

February 12, 1982 Argus p. 3

February 12, 1982 Argus p. 3