Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Ball State University Students Track Urban Growth Using Maps from University Libraries



Geography Students Map Urban Development

Students from Geography 150 classes at Ball State University researched urban development using maps from the GIS Research and Map Collection. Over 90 students visited the GRMC for a class assignment called “Cities @ Work.” The students used nearly 2,000 maps to complete their assignment. The assignment was created by Carol Shears, Assistant Professor in the Department of Geography, with assistance from Melissa Gentry of the GRMC.
Each student chose an American city and analyzed maps to determine how the city has grown. The students use historic maps, modern street maps, bird’s-eye-view maps, aerial photography, and topographic maps from the Map Collection to track each city’s urban development. Students analyzed industrialization, militarization, and housing starts and reviewed how the interstate highway system affected change to the city’s landscape.
Professor Shears urged students to take time to study the U.S. Geological Survey topographic maps from the GRMC in particular. “It has often been said that a single…topographic map shows at least a million pieces of information,” according to Shears. The GRMC has a large collection of topographic maps from the U.S.G.S. for all fifty states. Topographic maps from around the world—nearly every country—are also available.
For more information about creating class assignments using maps, please contact the staff of the GRMC at 765/285-1097.

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Indiana Music History Map from Ball State University Libraries

Indiana Rocks: Musical History Map of the Hoosier State

The GIS Research and Map Collection provides resources for teachers and other researchers through the University Libraries Cardinal Scholar institutional repository. The GRMC regularly creates maps, commemorative posters, lesson plans, and online tutorials and provides access to these resources on the GRMC Web page or the Cardinal Scholar repository located at http://cardinalscholar.bsu.edu/.

The newest map available as an educational resource is Hoosier Harmony: Music of Indiana. This map details some of the rich music history of Indiana. The map features photographs of musicians, songwriters, and music groups from Indiana like Cole Porter, the Jackson Five, and John Mellencamp. The map also shows the location of annual music festivals and important sites in music history like Elvis Presley’s last concert and the Gennett Records studio in Richmond.

The map can be accessed in PDF-format from the Cardinal Scholar at http://cardinalscholar.bsu.edu/334/. To review other resources from the GRMC, click on “Creator” on the left side of the Cardinal Scholar home page. Scroll down and select “GIS Research and Map Collection” for a complete list of available resources. Members of the Ball State University community may print off large copies of the maps and posters on the large-format plotter in the GRMC on the second floor of Bracken Library. (Plotter printing charges are sent directly to the Bursar’s account).

For more information about the musical map of Indiana, please contact the staff of the GRMC at 765/285-1097 Monday through Friday from 8:00 to 5:00.

Historic Preservation Research in Ball State University Libraries

Mapping the Past

The National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 was created because of a growing public concern that many of the nation’s historic sites and properties were not being protected and could possibly be harmed by federal and other development projects. This Act protects historic properties that are considered during federal project planning. Archaeologists research development sites and report findings and the identification of historic properties to state agencies like the Indiana Department of Natural Resources Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology.

Archaeologists frequently use maps and other resources from the GIS Research and Map Collection at Ball State University to research development sites. The archaeologists can then more efficiently do field studies.

Mitchell Zoll, archaeologist for Pioneer Consulting Services and the former assistant director of the Ball State University Archaeological Resources Management Service, and his staff regularly use maps to conduct preliminary investigations on government and other development projects throughout the Midwest. The map Indiana, the Influence of the Indian upon Its History: with Indian and French Names for Natural and Cultural Locations (shown above), helps Zoll and his staff identify locations that may be of historic value. The map shows the locations of Native American villages in early Indiana, battle sites, historic trails, and the locations of the first White settlers in the area.

Larry Stillwell of Archaeological Consultants of Ossian frequently uses historic maps and U.S.G.S. topographic maps to research the historic value of development sites. Stillwell used maps from the GRMC to provide information to state agencies for the planning of the Honda production plant near Greensburg.

May is National Historic Preservation Month. The Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology and other local agencies celebrate the month with special tours of historic sites, lectures and exhibits, award banquets, and highlight historic preservation efforts around the state and country. For more information, access the Department of Natural Resources’ Web page at http://www.in.gov/dnr/historic/

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Environmental Cartographic Resources Available from Ball State University Libraries

Celebrating Earth Day: Ball State University Libraries Offers Cartographic Resources for the Study of the Environment

Ball State University Libraries includes many cartographic resources for researchers studying issues of the environment. Hundreds of maps about numerous environmental topics are available, and many of the books and atlases offer unique charts, images, illustrations, and other graphics as well as numerous topical maps.

Researchers can find flood plain maps for numerous areas and topographic maps for areas around the world in the newly named GIS Research and Map Collection on the second floor of Bracken Library. The GRMC offers soils surveys and maps from counties around the country, Gap Analysis electronic resources for land cover, forest types, and other factors, maps of important farmlands in counties around the United States, watershed and ground water maps, natural gas and other energy maps, and national and state park and forest maps. Maps of ecoregions of numerous states and ecosystems for wildlife are also available from the GRMC. Researchers can use maps of threatened areas around the world from the GRMC: Africa Threatened, Australia Under Siege, and Millennium in Maps: World Biodiversity. The GRMC includes satellite image maps of the Amazon Basin, maps of the Okavango Delta, and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Researchers can also use dozens of maps focusing on world wildlife.

Other environmental atlases and resources can be found in the Atlas Collection, the General Collection, the Reference Collection, and the Science-Health Science Library. The Educational Resources Collection includes environmental books and atlases directed at a younger audience like the Atlas of Endangered Species and the Atlas of Threatened Cultures.

For a more complete list of the available cartographic resources in University Libraries, please review the environmental subject guide on the GRMC Web page at http://www.bsu.edu/library/article/0,,59405--,00.html.

Maps from the GRMC can be circulated for two weeks or longer. Atlases circulate for four weeks or longer. Please contact the GRMC at 765/285-1097 for more information about these resources.

Monday, April 20, 2009

Wildflowers Walks at Ball State University


Take a Hike: Wildflower Walks at Ball State University

The Ball State University Field Station is once again conducting wildflower walks at Christy Woods. The staff of the Field Station will lead the tours through Christy Woods, teaching about its history and management.

Tourists can learn about the wildflowers that decorate the forest floor. Tour dates are Saturday, April 25 and May 2 at 1:00 P.M. beginning at the Orchid Greenhouse near the south gate to Christy Woods (shown as #4 on the map from the GRMC above). The wildflower walks are approximately 50 minutes and are free and open to the public.

Please contact John Taylor, Field Station Manager, for details at jetaylor@bsu.edu or 765/285-2641.

Monday, March 30, 2009

Mexico Maps Available in Ball State University Libraries


Maps in the News: Juarez, Mexico

The Obama administration announced this week that it will send hundreds of federal border agents and crime-fighting surveillance equipment to the Mexican border to try to stop the violence from Mexican drug cartels from spreading into the United States. In Ciudad Juarez across the border from El Paso, Texas, more than 7,500 army soldiers have been sent to take over the police force. Many experts, however, do not think these measures will be effective in the war against this $30 billion a year industry.

The Geospatial Resources and Map Collection on the second floor of Bracken Library has a diverse collection of maps of Mexico. The map shown is a map of Juarez, Mexico, that includes a guide booklet. The Map Collection also includes maps of Mexico, maps showing the states of Mexico, and maps of the individual states.

The history Mexico and Central America is covered in maps about the Aztecs and Olmecs. Great Peoples of the Past: Ancient Mesoamerica is a National Geographic map detailing the great civilizations of the area.

The Map Collection also includes bathymetric maps and nautical charts of the Gulf of Mexico. Road atlases in the Collection cover the transportation network of Mexico. Several sets of topographic maps of Mexico are also available in the GRMC.

The Map Collection includes dozens of city maps of Mexico. Tourist maps of Acapulco, Cancun, and Cozumel are available. A map of El Paso, Texas, from 2004 was created in English and Spanish, and another map of El Paso includes the adjoining communities in Mexico like Juarez.

Maps from the GRMC may be circulated for two weeks or longer. Atlases circulated for four weeks.

For more information about these resources, please contact the GRMC at 765/285-1097 or visit Monday through Friday from 8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Ball State University Libraries Celebrates Women's Week 2009


The Geography of Women’s History: Ball State University Celebrates Women’s Week 2009

Ball State University is celebrating Women’s Week 2009 March 23 through March 28 in conjunction with National Women’s History Month. The annual event is planned by the Women’s Studies Program to commemorate the achievements and experiences of women. The Geospatial Resources & Map Collection is presenting a special maps exhibit, The Geography of Women’s History, in the windows of the GRMC and in the College of Architecture and Planning Archives display cases.

Vera Adams, Instructor in the Department of Urban Planning, and Rabita Rajkarnikar, graduate student in the Department of Urban Planning, will be discussing the life of Jane Jacobs, an urban writer and activist who championed new, community-based approaches to planning for over 40 years. The session is Tuesday, March 24 from 12:00 to 1:00 P.M. in the Architecture Building, room 100.

The GRMC will also be exhibiting maps during the Third Annual African Diaspora Research Conference: Sisters, Girls, and Women: Gender Solidarity and Struggle in Bracken Library’s Forum Room on Thursday, March 26 from 8:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M. This conference at Ball State University is in conjunction with Women’s Week and is a themed one-day conference exploring issues related to the roots and global dispersion of ethnically African peoples.

All Women’s Week events are free and open to the public. For a complete listing of events, please visit http://www.bsu.edu/womensstudies/Women's%20Week.htm or contact Julee Rosser, Interim Director of the Women’s Studies Program, at 765/285-5451.

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Friends of Alexander M. Bracken Library Annual Dinner Scheduled



Ball State University Libraries Friends of Alexander M. Bracken Library Annual Dinner Features Movers and Stakers

The annual dinner and meeting of the Friends of the Alexander M. Bracken Library will be held on April 1, 2009, at the Ball State University Alumni Center. The reception begins at 6:00 P.M. with the dinner at 6:30 P.M.

This year’s event will highlight an immersive learning project coordinated by the Telecommunications Department. Nancy Carlson (above) will present a sneak preview of the new documentary Movers and Stakers: Stories along the Indiana National Road and share her own stories of writing and researching the film.

Carlson, chair of the Telecommunications Department, coordinated a student team to create the documentary as an immersive learning project from a National Scenic Byways Grant from the Federal Highway Administration. Carlson and her students researched stories from residents who lived near the National Road in Indiana, which stretches from Richmond to Terre Haute near Indiana Highway 40. According to Carlson, “no one has told the many human stories of building the road, living along it or traveling across it.” The Geospatial Resources & Map Collection and University Libraries provided maps, books, and other research resources for the project.

Tickets for the Friends dinner are $25. For more information about purchasing tickets to the dinner or joining the group, please contact John B. Straw, Executive Secretary of the Friends of the Alexander M. Bracken Library at 765/285-5078. The Friends Web page is located at http://www.bsu.edu/library/collections/friends/ and includes programs and photographs from previous dinners.

Thursday, March 05, 2009

Maps of Darfur, Sudan in Ball State University Libraries

New Map of Darfur Region of Sudan in Ball State University Libraries

Sudan ordered a number of international aid agencies expelled from the country Wednesday after the International Criminal Court at the Hague issued a warrant for the country’s president for war crimes and crimes against humanity. The president’s arrest is related to the deadly violence against the people of the region of Darfur in western Sudan.

The Geospatial Resources & Map Collection acquired a new map of the region of Darfur (shown above). The map was printed by the Central Intelligence Agency and shows relief of the region, airfields, roads and cities.

Maps of the Sudan and Darfur in the GRMC are not fully cataloged and may not be located in the CardCat system, so please visit or contact the GRMC to review the complete collection of maps. This map circulates for two weeks or longer.

Bicycle Trail Maps Available from Ball State University Libraries

Spring Breaking Away: Bicycle Maps from Ball State University Libraries

The Geospatial Resources & Map Collection on the second floor of Bracken Library recently acquired a copy of the 2008 New York City Cycling Map, which includes 70 new miles of bicycle routes, historic districts, and updated bike rental and safety information. The New York City Cycling Map includes maps of all five boroughs and also lists bike shops and repair shops. This map “was developed to encourage more people to bicycle by identifying a network of the best streets and park paths for cycling; to educate cyclists about their rights and responsibilities as roadway and park users; to inform cyclists about access to mass transit, points of interest and bike shops; and to recognize cycling as a legitimate mode of transportation.”

The GRMC also has a large collection of bike trail maps for those cyclists motivated to use their bikes even more as spring approaches. The Collection includes bike trail maps published by the Adventure Cycling Association. Many of these maps provide information about the condition and elevation of the trails as well as the location of bike shops, grocery stores, hotels, and post offices. These maps cover the Trans-America Bicycle Trail and route crossing all points of the United States from California to Maine and Florida to Washington.

The GRMC has copies of other bike trail maps of states, state and national parks, and individual counties across the U.S. Another new addition to the Collection is the Bike the Bridge San Francisco and Marin County bike trail map.

Maps circulate for two weeks or longer. Some of these maps, however, have not yet been cataloged and may not be located using the CardCat system, so please visit or call the GRMC for more information at 765/285-1097.

Tuesday, March 03, 2009

Irish Cartographic Guide Available from Ball State University Libraries


In Time for St. Patrick’s Day: New Ireland Cartographic Guide from Ball State University Libraries

Students and other researchers of Ireland and Irish history can now access a cartographic guide to resources available in Ball State University Libraries via the Geospatial Resources & Map Collection Web page. The subject guide, Cartographic Resources in Ball State University Libraries: Ireland and Irish History, is available at http://www.bsu.edu/library/article/0,,59405--,00.html.

This guide provides a list with call numbers and locations of all of the maps, atlases, encyclopedias, and other resources available from University Libraries. There are atlases for Celtic studies and Irish history in the Atlas Collection and also an atlas focusing specifically on Irish family histories, New Genealogical Atlas of Ireland.

Street maps for numerous cities in Ireland, nature reserve maps, topographic maps of Ireland, and maps covering Irish history are available from the GRMC. The Irish Family Names Map features coats of arms and medieval locations, and maps showing the peat land and fishing resources of Ireland are also available.

The Reference Collection also includes atlases and other cartographic resources of Ireland and Irish history. Book of Irish Names: First, Family, and Place Names and Encyclopedia of Ireland: An A-Z Guide to Its People, Places, History, and Culture are reference materials in Bracken Library.

The guide also includes a listing of a set of reproduced historical maps from the National Library of Ireland that are not yet cataloged but do circulate for two weeks or longer individually or as a set.

For more information about these resources or the cartographic guides, please contact the Geospatial Resources & Map Collection at 765/285-1097.

Maps of Sri Lanka Available in Ball State University Libraries


Maps in the News: Sri Lanka

The Geospatial Resources and Map Collection on the second floor of Bracken Library has a wide collection of maps of Sri Lanka and the country as the former Ceylon. Most of these maps, however, are not cataloged and will not appear in the Libraries’ CardCat system so researchers should visit the GRMC to review the maps.

Since Sri Lanka is an island country, the GRMC has detailed nautical charts of the country’s coastal areas. The GRMC also has a unique geo-morphological map of Sri Lanka, a map of the country’s forest cover, and physical and transportation maps. The map of Sri Lanka shown above details the Mahaweli development project—a government program to improve hydroelectric power and irrigation throughout the country. Sri Lanka is also included on many of the maps in the GRMC of the Indian subcontinent.

Two maps from 2005 in the GRMC cover the cities of Colombo, Anuradhapura, Kandy, and Galle. The maps show physical relief and places of interest. The GRMC also has a map of the port of Colombo and a unique map of Polonnaruva (shown above).

The Atlas Collection also includes several resources for the study of Sri Lanka: Arjuna’s Atlas of Sri Lanka, Cultural Atlas of India and Sri Lanka, Road Atlas of Sri Lanka, the National Atlas of Sri Lanka, and A to Z Atlas of Colombo City are all available.

Maps from the GRMC circulate for two weeks or longer, and atlases circulate for four weeks or longer.

Please visit the GRMC Monday through Friday from 8:00 to 5:00, or for more information, please call 765/285-1097.

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Ball State University Libraries Acquires New GIS Data for Indiana Counties

Ball State University Libraries Acquires New GIS Data

The Ball State University Libraries’ Geospatial Resources and Map Collection (GRMC) has up-to-date GIS datasets for both the Indiana counties of Henry and Delaware. The GIS administrators for those counties generously provided these rich datasets to the GRMC to assist the research and learning of Ball State students, faculty, and staff. Each dataset includes detailed GIS layers that are not available for download anywhere on the Web.

Available layers for both Henry and Delaware Counties include street networks, land use, zoning, fire and police station locations, schools, churches, parcel data, hydrology, flood zones, and much more. New six-inch resolution 2008 aerial photography and two-foot contours for Delaware County are included in this update. These datasets are for educational purposes only and are subject to terms of use.

For more information on accessing these layers, contact Angela Gibson, GIS Specialist, at 765/285-1097.

Education Resources Available from Ball State University Libraries Cardinal Scholar

Learning with Maps: Using University Libraries Resources in the K-12 Classroom

Teachers and education students can now access classroom activities from the Ball State University Libraries Cardinal Scholar institutional repository located at http://cardinalscholar.bsu.edu/ or from the main University Libraries Web page. The Geospatial Resources & Map Collection in Bracken Library created several original lesson plans using maps, atlases, and other cartographic resources. These lessons are part of an online guide, Teaching with Maps: Lesson Plan Guide from the Geospatial Resources and Map Collection, located at http://www.bsu.edu/library/article/0,,54747--,00.html. The lessons cover grades K-12 and a number of different subjects. Activities from the lessons are now stored in the Cardinal Scholar depository, allowing teachers and education students online access to original games, worksheets, and posters to use in the classroom.

These activities can be used in their original form or adapted for different ages of students. In one of the lessons, students use a National Geographic map of the Amazon River basin to create an alphabet book about the rain forest. Teachers could use the sample book provided to inspire students to create a similar book; or teachers could use another map to create an alphabet book about the Australian Outback, the Grand Canyon, or Siberia or China. The posters available on Cardinal Scholar can be printed in small or large format, so teachers may wish to use the large-format plotters in the GRMC for printing.

Posters and other activities used in previous events (Black History Month, Veterans Day) are also available from Cardinal Scholar, and users can also access the GRMC online tutorials about maps through the repository. From the Cardinal Scholar home page, click on “Browse by creator” on the left, and scroll down to the Geospatial Resources and Map Collection to access a complete list of available resources.

Cardinal Scholar is available as a repository for all members of the Ball State University community. For more information, please contact the Archives and Special Collections at 765/285-5078. For more information about the lesson plans, please contact the GRMC at 765/285-1097.

Friday, February 20, 2009

Kyrgyzstan Maps Available at Ball State University Libraries

Maps in the News: Kyrgyzstan

Kyrgyzstan holds a strategic location for American troops fighting in southwest Asia, so the closing of an American base there may be critical. The Geospatial Resources and Map Collection on the second floor of Bracken Library has several maps of Kyrgyzstan available for research and learning.

Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan Geographical Map in the GRMC was published in 2006. This version includes a physical hypsometric map with roads emphasized. An index of places is listed on the verso. This map is displayed in English and five other languages. A map of central Asia published by Nelles Verlag in 2003 is two-sided and shows categories of roads with tourist features. Relief is shown on the map with shading and spot heights. An inset map of Bishkek is also featured on the map. This map is published in English, German, and French. The GRMC also has topographic maps of the region and several maps of Kyrgyzstan published by the Central Intelligence Agency.

Atlas of Russia and the Independent Republics in the Atlas Collection also features maps and statistics on Kyrgyzstan. This atlas includes information on natural features, history, population, and communications networks of the former Soviet Union.

Maps of Kyrgyzstan in the GRMC are not fully cataloged, so please call or visit the GRMC to research the entire collection of maps. Maps can be circulated for two weeks or longer.

Contact the GRMC Monday through Friday from 8:00 to 5:00 for more information about these Kyrgyzstan resources at 765/285-1097.

Wednesday, February 04, 2009

Ball State University Culture Exchange Program at Bracken Library

Around the World in One Hour: Culture Exchange Program at Ball State University Libraries

The Ball State University Rinker Center for International Programs is once again hosting its Culture Exchange. The Culture Exchange features speakers discussing various countries and international issues. The program is held every Wednesday from 12:00 P.M. to 1:00 P.M. in Bracken Library Room 225, the Forum Room. Visitors are encouraged to bring a sack lunch or refreshment.

The schedule for the Culture Exchange program for the spring semester of 2009 is:

  • February 11, Hillel Student Association
  • February 18, Argentina
  • February 25, Who is an American
  • March 4, Netherlands
  • March 18, Pakistan
  • March 25, Romania
  • April 1, Jamaica
  • April 8, Costa Rica trips from the Study Abroad program
  • April 15, Ask a Muslim Woman

Maps and atlases from the Geospatial Resources & Map Collection will be featured during the Culture Exchange programs.

For more information about these events, please contact Debra Goens at 765/285-5422.

Black History Month Maps Exhibit at Ball State University Libraries

People and Places of the Past: GRMC Black History Month Exhibit

The Geospatial Resources & Map Collection is celebrating Black History Month with a special exhibit on the second floor of Bracken Library. The exhibit (shown above) features maps and images from atlases in the Atlas Collection. The “Map of the Month” for February—a map of the Harlem Renaissance—is also in celebration of Black History Month.

The special Black History exhibit displays images of prominent figures in African-American history but also includes some lesser known leaders, such as Esteban Dorantes, a Spanish-speaking African slave who led explorations of the Southwest, one in search of El Dorado, the legendary “seven cities of gold.” Maps included in the exhibit feature African-Americans in the American Revolution, Black explorers in the West, a map showing the locations of slave uprisings before the Civil War, Black spy activity during the Civil War, African-American participation in World War I, missions of the Tuskegee Airmen during World War II, the location of Negro League baseball teams, and a map of the Selma to Montgomery civil rights march.

Students and faculty interested in learning more about African-American cartographic and other educational resources in Ball State University Libraries may wish to attend one of the upcoming informational sessions in the Archives and Special Collections of Bracken Library. The first session will be on Tuesday, February 10 from 12:30 P.M. to 1:30 P.M. The final session will be on Wednesday, February 18 from 4:00 P.M. to 5:00 P.M. Also, researchers can access the GRMC study guide for African-American resources on the GRMC Web page located at http://www.bsu.edu/library/article/0,,59405--,00.html.

For more information about these resources, please contact the staff of the GRMC at 765/285-1097.

Tuesday, February 03, 2009

New Google Earth Available for Research and Learning

New Google Earth Dives into Ocean Exploration

Google Earth 5 was launched on Monday, February 2, just four years after the original launch of the software that allows users to access geographical information through digital maps and satellite photography. The new Google Earth 5 possesses a number of new features and tools that can be used as a valuable resource for education and research.

Google Earth 5 includes a feature called Google Ocean. This tool allows users to interact with three-dimensional maps of the ocean floor. Previously the water was inaccessible in Google Earth. Users can now dive into the ocean depths and view articles and videos about everything from global warming to footage of shipwrecks provided by the National Geographic Society, the British Broadcasting Company, and many other organizations. Scientific data and links provide a vast resource for students, educators, and researchers.

The new Google Earth also includes the Historical Imagery tool. This allows users to archive satellite images of individual locations to track environmental or other physical changes. Users can also view three-dimensional satellite images of Mars with the Google Mars 3D tool.

The new software can be downloaded for free on the Google Web page.

Cardinal Quiz Bowl Features Maps from Ball State University Libraries

Primetime: GRMC Maps on Television Quiz Show

What countries border Paraguay? What is the largest lake in Europe? These are some of the geography map questions high school students must answer correctly on the Cardinal Quiz Bowl. Cardinal Quiz Bowl is a series airing on public television station WIPB in Muncie. According to WIPB producers, Cardinal Quiz Bowl focuses attention on the academic ability of area high school students and brings attention to what Ball State University has to offer. Students are quizzed about current events and their general knowledge of art, English literature, math, science, and, of course, geography.

Each year producers of the show borrow the most current maps available from the Geospatial Resources & Map Collection to use on the show. The first Cardinal Quiz Bowl episode airs on WIPB on Friday, February 27 at 6:00 P.M. The show then airs on Sunday, March 1 at 8:30 A.M. The quiz show then continues to air at the same times on Fridays and Sundays. Maps from the GRMC will be featured on the second, third, sixth, and seventh episodes.

Thursday, January 29, 2009

Celebrating Black History Month at Ball State University Libraries

Celebrating Black History Month at University Libraries

The Geospatial Resources & Map Collection will be participating in the Ball State University Libraries’ Black History Month celebration. Using Primary Sources and Maps to Study African American Heritage are informational sessions providing an introduction to the resources from the GRMC, the Archives and Special Collections, and the Digital Media Repository. These sessions are open to the public and are scheduled for February 10 from 12:30 P.M. to 1:30 P.M. and February 18 from 4:00 to 5:00 P.M. Both sessions will be held in Bracken Library Room 210, the Archives and Special Collections.

Researching Black History at Bracken Library are informational sessions providing an introduction to resources from the General Collection, Articles and Databases, and the Music Collection. These sessions will be held on February 11 from 12:00 P.M. to 1:00 P.M. and February 17 from 3:30 P.M. to 4:30 P.M. in Bracken Library Room 215.

Documentary screenings will also be a featured event every Monday evening at 7:00 P.M. in the Bracken Library Forum Room (Room 225): Eyes on the Prize: America’s Civil Rights Years, Volume 1, will be shown on February 2; African American Lives with Henry Louis Gates, Jr., will be shown on February 9; The Murder of Emmett Till will be shown on February 16; and Prince Among Slaves, featuring Mos Def, will be shown on February 23. All showing are free and open to the public.

The windows of the GRMC will be featuring a special exhibit of maps and atlases depicting people and places of Black history, The Geography of Black History. Archives and Special Collections will be presenting Voices of Freedom throughout African American History in the cases outside Room 210. Digital Resources Celebrating Black History Month: A Look Inside the Digital Media Repository is a digital exhibit featuring local citizens, campus events, publications, and milestones and will be presented on the lobby monitors in Bracken Library.

For more information about these events, please contact the Archives and Special Collections at 765/285-5078.