Over the past few months, I’ve had the pleasure of processing two collections of oral histories: one of I.U. president emeritus, Elvis J. Stahr, and the other of Czechoslovakian refugee and I.U. alumna, Alice Field Ginott Cohn. Part of this task has involved segmenting and describing the various topics of discussion. Consequently, I’ve spent a lot of time – perhaps too much time – listening closely to what these folks have to say about their lives. Having worked with these two collections for some time now, I’ve been struck by how different these oral histories are in both form and content. O ..read more

Behind the Curtain is a series highlighting IU Archives staff, partners from various departments of the IU Libraries, and students who make all of our work possible. Alex Caba, IU Archives Archives Assistant What was your title and role in the IU Libraries? I was a Graduate Assistant in the Indiana University Archives, for a year and a half. Additionally, during my time as an MLS student I have also enjoyed my work as a Scholars’ Commons Reference Assistant. What is your educational background? I got my bachelor’s degree in History with a minor in German Studies from Smith College in 2021. I ..read more

This post was originally authored by IU Archives graduate assistant Shannon Larson (now Shannon Tanhayi Ahari) in 2012. Shannon now works as the Librarian/Curator for European Studies at UCLA Libraries. According to IU legend, if a couple kisses within the Rose Well House at midnight on Valentine’s Day then that couple will stay together forever. Certainly the Rose Well House, with its charming façade and exquisite stained glass windows, is a romantic locale for any date. However, there is an even more romantic site on campus that not only has a love story to tell but is also the final restin ..read more

A newly processed collection, the College of Arts and Sciences (COAS) Curriculum Committee records, shares all course adjustments for the college from 1937 to 1996, and it’s a wonderful resource for anyone researching the history of their academic department, exploring major curriculum and instruction changes at a major higher education institution, or simply wanting to look at what interesting courses were taught at Indiana University in the 80s. An example of a course change reference card sharing the addition of “Introduction to College Thinking” to the Junior Division courses. My backgrou ..read more

This blog post is adapted from research and quotes compiled by Sababu C. Norris, friend of the archives and graduate of Indiana University (MA ’82). Norris was a key part of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. portrait initiative, and his research and firsthand recollections of this ambitious project, involving the entire Greek system, were invaluable to the construction of this blog. A number of outstanding IU alumni who served as student leaders for the initiative also provided related materials from their individual archives. Key supporters throughout the MLK initiative included former IU ..read more

A newly processed collection, the College of Arts and Sciences (COAS) Curriculum Committee records, shares all course adjustments for the college from 1937 to 1996, and it’s a wonderful resource for anyone researching the history of their academic department, exploring major curriculum and instruction changes at a major higher education institution, or simply wanting to look at what interesting courses were taught at Indiana University in the 80s. An example of a course change reference card sharing the addition of “Introduction to College Thinking” to the Junior Division courses. My backgrou ..read more

This post was written by former IU Archives Archives Assistant Ben Parnin, who is now the Archivist for Digital Preservation at the Purdue University Archives and Special Collections. Today the Kelley School of Business is a pillar of Indiana University. Making up 29 percent of the undergraduate enrollment, it is the second largest school on the Bloomington campus just behind the College of Arts and Sciences. The Kelley School of Business’s fame has drawn students from around the world. Despite this prestige, it did not always enjoy the same prominence as it does today and it went through sev ..read more

This post was written by Cole Lanosga during his time working at the Archives. He has now completed his BA in History is off pursuing opportunities in cultural heritage institutions! He did some terrific work for us during his time here and we wish him luck! Recently my supervisor Carrie Schwier gave me a small ..read more

Halloween will soon be upon us, and there is so much to discover at the IU Archives during this spooky season! I am currently processing the papers of famed former IU professor of Folklore, Dr. Linda Dégh (1918-2014), and wanted to share a couple of highlights. This is a excellent time of year to explore ..read more

I first encountered the Jacob Ammen papers during my interview for my current position as Archives Assistant at the IU ... Beyond the Reading Room: The Jacob Ammen Collection and the Contingency of Archival Work ..read more