2016

Happy New Year from the GIS Research and Map Collection!

Miss Universe Map Available from Ball State University Libraries

The Cartography of Beauty:  Miss Universe Winners Map

The Ball State University Libraries’ GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC) created this map of the Miss Universe pageant winners in 2014.  The map (click to enlarge) is based on the related map featured in The Penguin Atlas of Women in the World (published in 2009) available in the GRMC and the Atlas Collection on the second floor of Bracken Library.

The map identifies countries that have had one winner of the Miss Universe pageant, which began in 1952.  The map also teaches a lesson in the culture considerations of beauty.  According to the atlas, “International beauty contests promote and export a white, Western standard of beauty.  Globalization is accelerating the adoption of these standards around the world.”

The first winner of the pageant in 1952 was from Finland, and the first five winners of the pageant were from Western European countries or the United States.  A contestant from the United States has won the pageant eight times; Venezuela has won seven; Puerto Rico has won five; and the Philippines has won three crowns, including the 2015 pageant.

Most Middle Eastern and African countries do not participate in the pageant.  A contestant from Lebanon was the first from a Middle Eastern country to win the pageant in 1971.  And the first African winner was from South Africa in 1978.  And many communist-bloc countries did not participate in the pageant until recently.  Russia sent its first contestant in 1991 and won the pageant for the first time in 2002, although the winner was later dethroned.  China’s first contestant participated in the pageant in 1994.

This map is an excellent example of how cartographic resources can be used as visual aids to teach topical issues.  Topical maps from atlases can be easily scanned and inserted into papers and presentations for the classroom.  Using maps in this way can add visual interest and add impact for conveying messages.

The map is available for download from the Libraries’ Cardinal Scholar repository.

For more information about using maps and other cartographic resources for research and learning, please contact the GRMC at 765-285-1097. 

Holiday Hours at Ball State University Libraries

Holiday Break Hours in the GIS Research and Map Collection

The Ball State University Libraries’ GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC) will be open from 8:00 to 5:00 on Monday and Tuesday, December 21 and 22.  The GRMC will be open from 8:00 to 3:00 on December 23 and closed on December 24 and 25.

The GRMC will reopen from 8:00 to 5:00 on Monday, December 28 through Wednesday, December 30, and open from 8:00 to 3:00 on New Year’s Eve, Thursday, December 31.  The GRMC will be closed on New Year’s Day and reopen from 8:00 to 5:00 on Monday, January 4.

Bracken Library holiday hours are here.

Santa Claus Maps Available from Ball State University Libraries

The Geography of Santa Claus

The Ball State University Libraries’ GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC) is displaying a special map in its front windows on the second floor of Bracken Library.  The display features a map called The Santa Map: A Cultural Geography of the World’s Most Beloved Man.  The map shows the various incarnations of Santa Claus around the world, features a map of the Roman Empire and key cities during the time of St. Nicholas, a map of “Santa’s Europe,” and a map of early polar expeditions.  The map was published by the Hedberg Company in 2001.

ESRI, the world’s leading GIS software publisher, is also featuring a story map showing Santa around the world created by Matt Artz.  This interactive map shows the history of Santa Claus dating back hundreds of years to Nikolaos of Myra, Turkey.

Maps from the GRMC circulate for two weeks or longer and may be used for classroom displays and other research and learning projects.  Bracken Library offers GIS software on most of the computers in the building, and the GRMC offers access to GIS software, data, and one-on-one assistance from the GIS Specialist.

The GRMC is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 to 5:00.

Indiana History Maps Available from Ball State University Libraries

Happy Birthday, Indiana:  Indiana History Maps Available from Ball State University Libraries

Today marks the 199th anniversary of Indiana’s admission to the Union on December 11, 1816.  The Ball State University Libraries’ GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC) is creating custom maps about Indiana’s rich history.  The maps are geared toward the fourth-grade Indiana history curriculum and feature numerous people and places often neglected in the elementary social studies textbook. 

Indiana’s political history is depicted on the map Whigs, Willkie, and the White House: Indiana Political History.  This map features prominent figures in the state’s rich political history, including the five U.S. Vice-presidents from Indiana.  The map also includes lesser-known politicians like Eugene Debs from Terre Haute, who in 1920 became the only person to run for President while in prison, and George Dale, a Muncie mayor who became an early proponent of civil rights.

The Mapping the Crossroads: Indiana Automobile History map describes some of the people and car companies that called Indiana home.  In its history, more than 50 communities in Indiana produced over 200 makes of cars, including Studebaker, Auburn, and Westcott.  The Cole Motor Car Company in Indianapolis, for example, produced the first automobile for a U.S. President, William Taft in 1910.  And Elwood Haynes built the first successful spark-ignition automobile in Kokomo in 1893.

Indiana’s history in the field of sports is also significant and is described on the map, Horsepower to Hysteria: Indiana Sports History.  Indiana’s love of the game of basketball is depicted with hometown heroes like Larry Byrd of French Lick and John Wooden of Martinsville.  But the state is also the home of David Boudia of Noblesville, an Olympic gold medal diver; Marshall “Major” Taylor of Indianapolis, the first Black world champion in any sport—bicycling; and Dan Patch of Oxford—a world record-breaking harness racehorse in the early 1900’s.

Other maps in the series include a map of Indiana’s music history, Indiana women’s history, Indiana firsts, a map showing movies that take place in Indiana, a map of prominent authors from the state, a map of Indiana high school boys basketball state champions (before class basketball), and a map of Indiana points of interest.

The maps include photographs from the Libraries’ Digital Media Repository and from the Indiana Historical Society.  The Indiana history maps are all available in the Libraries’ Cardinal Scholar repository.  The maps may be printed and used in the elementary classroom or for research and learning projects.

For more information, please contact the GRMC at 765-285-1097.

Maps of Pearl Harbor Available from Ball State University Libraries

This Day in History:  Pearl Harbor Maps from Ball State University Libraries

In 2001 the National Geographic Society published a 60^th anniversary map commemorating the attack on Pearl Harbor that took place on December 7, 1941.  The map, Theater of War in the Pacific Ocean, includes an aerial view of Battleship Row and the Navy Yard (above, click to enlarge) three days after the Japanese raid.  Inset maps include the first and second waves of Japanese aircraft and a map of the harbor’s damaged ships (above).  The map is available for circulation from the Ball State University Libraries’ GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC).

The Atlas Collection in Bracken Library also includes cartographic resources depicting events in history.  The Historical Atlas of Weaponry by Brenda Ralph Lewis includes over 180 maps and illustrations chronicling the development of weaponry through the ages.  The map above from the atlas shows the locations of ships in the harbor, and the atlas describes the Kate bombers used by the Japanese in the attack.

For more information about using cartographic resources for historical research and learning projects, please contact the GRMC at 765-285-1097.

Mapping Art Project on Display at Ball State University Libraries

Student-Created Art of Cartography Exhibit in Bracken Library

Cartography is the science of drawing maps, and it should be noted that the word “art” is included in the word and the process of cartography.  So the Ball State University Libraries’ GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC) teamed up with faculty in the Department of Art to introduce the science of cartography to art students. 

Students in the Art 217 Watercolor class visited the GRMC in October to become acquainted with the thousands of types of maps available in the Collection.  The students learned about some of the history of cartography and key components of maps.  Hannah Barnes, Associate Professor in the Department of Art, then directed her students to create maps of places or subjects in a completely new, unique, and imaginative way.  The students’ task was to create an original map in a way that had never before been created.  And all of the maps would be hand-drawn.

The students created large maps, raised-relief maps, books, and even maps made as fall leaves for the project.  The Libraries’ Cataloging and Metadata Services staff then scanned the students’ original artwork to be incorporated into a new Digital Media Repository collection.  The maps will also be cataloged and included in the GRMC as circulating items.

Copies of the students’ maps are now exhibited in the front windows of the GRMC on the second floor of Bracken Library.  The exhibit, The Art of Cartography, will be featured through January.  The maps include A Map of Ransom’s Journey in Perelandra (Mars), Mapping Intuition, Map of Caffeine Addiction, Mapping the Space Between (which was inspired by planetary maps in the GRMC), and Pangaea Map of World War I, which was based on maps of Pangaea from atlases in the GRMC, and many others.

For more information about incorporating maps into research and learning projects, please contact the GRMC at 765-285-1097.

Thanksgiving Hours at Ball State University Libraries

The Ball State University Libraries' GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC) will be closed on November 26 and 27 for Thanksgiving.  The GRMC will reopen at 8:00 on Monday, November 30.   

Maps in the News: Syria, Paris, St. Denis, Molenbeek, Brussels, Bamako, Mali

Maps in the News

(Click to enlarge maps)

ITM Map of Mali, 2007

Ball State University Libraries' GIS Research and Map Collection

Tourist Information Bureau of Brussels, 1979

Molenbeek

Michelin Map of Paris, 1987

St. Denis

Maps4News Paris

New York Times, November 2015

New Maps Collection in the Ball State University Libraries' Digital Media Repository

Grain, Gas, and Gear:  U.S. Commodities Maps Available from Ball State University Libraries

The Ball State University Libraries’ GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC) has provided more maps for a new collection available online from the Libraries’ Digital Media Repository—the United States Commodities Maps Collection.  The Digital Media Repository (DMR) provides access to a broad range of digitized primary source materials, including artwork, architectural drawings, films and video, oral histories, photographs, publications, and historic maps and cartographic resources.

This collection provides online access to a set of maps published by the United States Army Engineer Institute for Water Resources.  The maps depict various commodity movement routes, including iron, steel, crude oil, and grain.  Pipeline transportation systems, major waterways, and ports are included in the collection.  The maps may be downloaded for use in research and learning.

For more information about the Digital Media Repository, please contact the Archives and Special Collections at 765-285-5078.  For more information about any of the maps in the collections, please contact the GRMC at 765-285-1097.

Veterans Day Cartographic Exhibits

Veterans Day Map Exhibits Available from Ball State University Libraries

Today is Veterans Day, and the Ball State University Libraries’ GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC) provides access to commemorative cartographic posters that can be used for special exhibits or classroom displays.  The GRMC created posters featuring maps and photographs depicting events of the major wars in which the United States has fought, and the posters are available from the Libraries’ Cardinal Scholar digital repository. 

The maps and images are from atlases and other cartographic resources in the GRMC and Atlas Collection on the second floor of Bracken Library.  Teachers, students, and other researchers can access the posters to be displayed digitally or printed off in large format.  (The GRMC offers large-format printing on two plotters with charges through the Bursar’s office).

Review all of the digital resources (posters, custom maps, lesson plans) available in Cardinal Scholar from the GRMC.  And the GRMC adds new resources every month, so check the list for updates.

For more information, please contact the GRMC at 765-285-1097.

GIS Day at Ball State University Libraries

GIS Day 2015 at Ball State University Libraries

GIS Day is celebrated around the world on Wednesday, November 18.  The Ball State University GIS Knowledge Group will be hosting a public GIS presentation and student poster competition in the Schwartz Digital Complex just off the lobby of Bracken Library from 2:00 to 4:00 pm.

According to ESRI, the world’s preeminent producer of mapping software, geographic information system (GIS) lets users visualize, question, analyze, and interpret data to understand relationships, patterns, and trends.  GIS benefits organizations of all sizes and in almost every industry. 

Colin Rose, Lead Research Assistant and PhD. candidate in the Department of History at the University of Toronto, will be presenting about the DECIMA project.  DECIMA (Digitally Encoded Census Information and Mapping Archive) is a powerful tool integrating a wide variety of social and economic historical data into a visualized spatial framework.  The talk will be from 3:00 to 4:00 pm in Bracken Library room 104 across from the Schwartz Digital Complex.

A student-created poster competition and exhibit will feature some of the innovative GIS projects of Ball State University students.  From 2:00 to 3:00 pm attendees can view the student-created research posters and vote for a favorite, discover more information about the GIS Knowledge Group, and browse the available GIS software and data resources on campus.

Students who wish to enter the GIS poster competition should contact Angie Gibson, Ball State University Libraries’ GIS Specialist.  (Awards will be presented for the top two posters).

The GIS Day event is free and open to the public.  The event is sponsored by the Ball State University Department of History; Office of the Dean, College of Sciences and Humanities; Office of the Associate Vice President for Research; Department of Geography; and University Libraries.

For more information, about the GIS Day event or using GIS software, please contact the GIS Research and Map Collection at 765-285-1097.

Ball State University Celebrates Geography Awareness Week

Ball State University Celebrates Geography Awareness Week

National Geographic celebrates geography every year with Geography Awareness Week, and this year’s theme is “Explore! The Power of Maps.”  This year National Geographic is celebrating 100 years of cartographic history the week of November 15-21. 

Ball State University is kicking off a week of geography-related events and exhibits with a special presentation, “Maps as (Em)power(ment)” on Monday, November 16 from 6:00 to 7:00 in Bracken Library room 104.  Dr. Jorn Seemann, Assistant Professor in the Department of Geography, will be presenting an informative session about the unique power of maps for conveying a “world of information” in a visual, spatial format. 

The presentation will acquaint the audience with a vast collection of maps used for numerous purposes of education and learning.  Anyone—young or old, geography buff to beginning learner, teacher, student, map lover—is welcome, and the session is free and open to the public.  (Paid parking is available in the Emens parking structure).

Dr. Seemann has a master’s degree in Geography from Universitat Hamburg in Germany and a Ph.D. from Louisiana State University.  The focus of his research is the relations between maps and society.  He is particularly interested in cultural and interdisciplinary perspectives, including mental maps, cartographic education, and creative ways of thinking, perceiving, and representing space and place.

A corresponding exhibit displaying a gallery of maps will be located in the front windows of the Ball State University Libraries’ GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC) on the second floor of Bracken Library.  This special exhibit of maps will be available through the end of November.

For more information about any of the Geography Awareness Week programs, please contact the GRMC at 765-285-1097.

Web Sites Provide Real-Time Flight Tracking

Mapping Flights:  The Sinai Peninsula         

The United Kingdom and now Russia have suspended flights over the Sinai Peninsula due to safety concerns following the crash of a Russian passenger plane in Egypt that killed 224 people last Saturday.  American airlines do not fly over the Sinai Peninsula. 

Flightradar24 is a flight tracking service that shows real-time location information about thousands of aircraft around the world.  A screenshot (above, click to enlarge) of flights occurring this morning reveals how aircraft are avoiding most of the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt.  (Flights are also avoiding the conflict zones in Syria, Iraq, and the Ukraine).

Freedom Bus Visits Ball State University on Friday

Civil Rights History Freedom Bus Exhibit at Ball State University Friday

A presentation on the Ball State University Freedom Bus immersive learning project will be held on Friday, November 6 in the Arts & Journalism Building 175 from 3:30 to 4:30 pm. 

The Freedom Bus began almost ten years ago when Muncie leaders dreamed of turning a retired city bus into a mobile museum teaching the history of the civil rights movement of East Central Indiana.  An interdisciplinary team of students began last fall researching and creating timelines, maps, and interactive exhibits for display on the bus under the direction of Dr. Beth Messner, Associate Professor in the Department of Communication Studies.

When completed in the spring of 2016, the Freedom Bus will function as a traveling museum, visiting schools, organizations, and other community events.  The mission of the bus is to educate about local civil rights history, celebrate the work of local civil rights activists, and inspire visitors to make a difference in their own communities.

This presentation will discuss the development of the Freedom Bus.  Visitors will have the opportunity to tour the museum to see the students’ work.

Sponsors of the Freedom Bus are the Martin Luther King, Jr. Dream Team, the City of Muncie/Muncie Human Rights Commission, and Muncie Indiana Transportation Service.  Ball State University sponsors include the Office of the Provost, the Virginia B. Ball Center for Creative Inquiry, Center for Peace and Conflict Studies, and the Department of Communication Studies.

Halloween Eve Map

Map of October 30

Joshua Katz from the North Carolina State University Department of Statistics created this map (click to enlarge) showing what Americans call October 30—the night before Halloween.  The night is most popularly celebrated in Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, and New York as “Mischief Night.”  In Michigan, Halloween Eve is called “Devil’s Night.”  But most Americans “have no word for this” night.

World Time Zone Maps Available from Ball State University Libraries

What’s the Time in Moscow, Tokyo, Nairobi?

The Ball State University Libraries’ Digital Media Repository (DMR) provides online access to a broad range of digitized primary source materials, including artwork, architectural drawings, films and video, oral histories, photographs, publications, and cartographic resources.  The GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC) has provided more maps for a new collection available from the DMR—the World Standard Time Zone Maps Collection.

This collection provides online access to world time zone maps dating back to 1944.  All nations use standard time zones based on degrees of longitude for commercial purposes, although individual countries do use half-hour and quarter-hour deviations.  The maps depict the changes in time zones over the ages.  For example, China currently uses a single time zone in spite of its large geographic size.  Prior to 1949, China used five time zones (above, from 1944 map).

For more information about the Digital Media Repository, please contact the Archives and Special Collections at 765-285-5078.  For more information about these or other historic maps, please contact the GRMC at 765-285-1097.

Map of the Favorite Halloween Candy for Each State

Trick or Treat Geography

Halloween is coming this weekend, and store shelves are filled with fun-size bags of candy.  But which candy is the most popular?  Influenster is a product review site that surveyed 40,000 people across the country to determine which candy is the most popular for each state.  The map (above, click to enlarge) reveals the winners.

Candy corn was the top treat in five states, with no other candy winning that many states in the survey.  Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups was the most popular candy with the most votes overall, but only claimed the top pick in Connecticut and Rhode Island.

Back to the Future Part Two in 3D Map

Back to the Future Map in 3D

In “Back to the Future II” (released in 1989) the Michael J. Fox character Marty McFly time-travels to October 21, 2015.  The movie and the events and inventions that it predicted have been in the news.  And now users can view the movie setting in a 3D map using ArcGIS Online.

The map was developed using the ESRI ArcGIS software, which is available on computers at Ball State University Libraries.  For more information about using GIS software, please contact the GIS Research and Map Collection in Bracken Library at 765-285-1097.

Muncie History Maps Class at the Cornerstone Center for the Arts

Community Maps Class:  From Magic City to Middletown:  The Geography of Muncie History

The Ball State University Libraries’ GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC) is celebrating the Sesquicentennial Anniversary of the City of Muncie with a public presentation.  From Magic City to Middletown:  The Geography of Muncie History is a special program featuring maps from the GRMC and historic photographs of Muncie from the Libraries’ Digital Media Repository.  The program will be from 6:00 to 7:00 pm on Wednesday, October 21 at the Cornerstone Center for the Arts (Forum Room, second floor) at 520 East Main Street.  (Free parking is available).

The program will include maps showing the evolution of the city of Muncie from a Native American village to a major industrial center of the Gas Boom.  Historic aerial photography, Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps, Ball State University campus maps, and maps depicting various socioeconomic issues will be included.  Historic photographs will reveal some of the lost architecture and other features in Muncie.

For more information, please contact the GRMC at 765-285-1097. 

GIS Mapping of New York City

Before Times Square and Rockefeller Center:  Interactive GIS Mapping of New York City

The Welikia Project (formerly the Mannahatta Project) is an interactive mapping project by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) to reconstruct and map how the island of Manhattan looked in 1609 when Henry Hudson discovered the island.  The project details how development has altered the natural ecosystems of Manhattan, including showing where water flowed and species of trees.

By cross-referencing data from soil samples, historical maps, and field studies and using GIS mapping, scientists/cartographers from the WCS created an interactive map of the heart of New York City.  Users can zoom in on any block or input a specific address to see what was happening at that location in 1609. 

The map uses data and layers from Oasis NYC (Open Accessible Space Information System) to show wildlife, landscapes, and modern day aerial photography.  Users can see how the Lenape Native Americans used the specific block—for example, in the modern location of Central Park for fishing and hunting.  A list of wildlife and plants living at the site is populated.  Topographic elements like elevation, bedrock geology, and hydrology are detailed.

The Ball State University Libraries’ GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC) on the second floor of Bracken Library offers access to ESRI GIS software and online GIS tutorials, datasets, online mapping applications, in-house GIS data, and one-on-one assistance from the GIS Specialist.  The GIS Research Area is equipped with 28 high-end Lenovo ThinkCentre N58 computers, and faculty may reserve the area for instructional or working lab sessions. 

For more information, please contact the GRMC at 765-285-1097.

Using Maps as Visual Aids in the Classroom

Picture This:  Using Maps as Visual Aids in the Classroom

Using visual aids and graphics is one of the essential ingredients for developing an effective paper or presentation.  Visual aids and graphics illustrate and emphasize your ideas more effectively than words alone.  They also add credibility and clarity to point of discussion.  Unique visual aids like maps can create excitement and interest and add impact to your message.

Maps are an excellent visual aid because they are a basic visual representation of geography and a unique method for conveying a great deal of information.  Maps can easily display information about an issue in a succinct way.

Atlases are also excellent resources because many include charts and other graphics in addition to maps that can add visual impact to papers and presentations.  Atlases usually offer a smaller size than maps, which allows for convenient scanning.

The Ball State University Libraries’ GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC) on the second floor of Bracken Library includes thousands of maps and atlases that may related to a relevant research project.  The Atlas Collection includes over 3,000 volumes with maps depicting a variety of social topics and current issues.

For example, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and Domestic Violence Awareness Month.  Students writing research papers about these two topics could use maps and charts available from just one atlas in the GRMC and Atlas Collection, The Penguin State of the World Atlas by Dan Smith published in 2012.

The map above from the atlas shows countries with incidences of breast cancer greater than 50 per 100,000 women and includes statistics about the disease.  The chart from the same atlas shows the percentage of physically abused women in selected countries who never reported domestic abuse.  The atlas includes other topics ranging from women’s issues, war, religion, education, and economic development.

For more information about using maps in research and learning, please contact the GRMC at 765-285-1097.

Baseball Maps Available from Ball State University Libraries

Mapping America’s Pastime:  Baseball Maps Available from Ball State University Libraries

The Ball State University Libraries’ GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC) on the second floor of Bracken Library includes over 140,000 maps of various destinations and topics.  The Major League Baseball playoffs begin this week, and the GRMC offers baseball fans a glimpse at some baseball-related maps in the Collection. 

The GRMC includes a travel map locating all of the Major League Baseball stadiums.  The Atlas of Sport available in the Atlas Collection features maps on the “American game,” including the map shown above (click to enlarge) depicting the number of high-school boys playing baseball in school leagues, with Iowa leading the nation.

The GRMC also created custom maps related to the history of baseball.  Black Diamonds: Negro League Baseball Teams, 1920-1949, (above) was created in association with the documentary Black Baseball in Indiana, a film created as a Ball State University immersive learning project.  The map shows the location of the Negro League teams in the United States.  Photographs featured on the map are from the book Playing America’s Game by Michael L. Cooper.  The map is available in the Libraries’ Cardinal Scholar digital repository or via interlibrary loan.

Another map, The Girls of Summer: All-American Girls Professional Baseball League Teams, 1943-1954, (above) commemorates the women who played professionally beginning during World War II.  The map features photographs from A Whole New Ballgame: The Story of All-American Girls Professional Baseball League by Sue Macy available from the Educational Technology and Resources Collections.  This map is also available in Cardinal Scholar.

Users can also find maps of historic stadiums in the collection of U.S. Geological Survey topographic maps and Sanborn Fire Insurance maps in the GRMC.  The map above shows the iconic Fenway Park in Boston on a Sanborn Fire Insurance map from 1975.

Maps from the GRMC circulate for two weeks or longer.  Atlases from the Atlas Collection circulate for 28 days or longer.

What Middletown Read Event in Muncie

Stephanie Mathis, Honors 409

(Click to enlarge)

What Middletown Read Event in Muncie

 Carnegie Library News: 

Dr. Frank Felsenstein and Dr. James J. Connolly will provide an insider’s look at the “What Middletown Read” project on Tuesday, September 29 at 6:30 p.m. at the Carnegie Library at 301 East Jackson in downtown Muncie.  The two have recently released a book What Middletown Read: Print Culture in an American Small City.

A large cache of circulation records circa 1891-1902 from the Muncie Public Library were discovered in 2003 and offer unprecedented detail about American reading behavior at the turn of the twentieth century.  The circulation records were mined for information and additional research was conducted to create the “What Middletown Read” database.  Muncie became known as “Middletown” from the Robert and Helen Lynd sociological studies beginning in 1929.

“What Middletown Read” is much more than a statistical study.  Felsenstein and Connolly researched diaries, meeting minutes, newspaper reports, and local histories to trace the development of the Muncie Public Library in relation to Muncie’s cosmopolitan aspirations.  The authors profiled individual readers and explored children’s reading in relation to schooling and books discussed by local women’s clubs.

Books will be available for purchase, and Dr. Felsenstein and Dr. Connolly will offer book-signings following the program.  Light refreshments will also be served.

The “What Middletown Read” program is sponsored by the Muncie Public Library, the Center for Middletown Studies, the Delaware County Historical Society, Ball State University Libraries and the Friends of the Alexander M. Bracken Library.  The event is free and open to the public, and free parking is available downtown.

For more information, please contact the Ball State University Center for Middletown Studies at 765-285-8037.

(More information about the "Where Middletown Readers Were" map is available in Cardinal Scholar).