News & Events
Politics and Presidents Highlighted in October
10/01/2008
As part of a nationwide campaign to recognize the importance of archives to teaching and research, in October the Indiana University Libraries will celebrate Politics and Presidents, a monthlong series of events for the university and Bloomington communities.
In September, the national Society of American Archivists awarded
Indiana University’s annual campaign top honors for its
creative programs and thematic approach.
"Academic research libraries, increasingly homogenized by widely
available electronic collections, will in the future distinguish
themselves largely by their unique holdings," says Ruth Lilly
Dean of University Libraries Patricia Steele. "IU has an
astonishing array of archives and special collections, and this
annual event showcases them in a way that engages our community."
In 2006, Indiana University showcased Indiana-related materials,
and in 2007, film-related collections. "We’re honored the
Society of American Archivists applauded our thematic approach.
Politics seemed a natural match this year," says Phil Bantin,
university archivist. "Because it’s an election year we
wanted to feature materials relating to the political process.
" All events are free and open to the public.
Exhibitions occur throughout the month. For more information go
to: www.indiana.edu/~libevent/08
Events include:
Opening Reception
"Sex and the Presidential Election: Selections from the Kinsey Institute Collections"
Friday, September 26
5 – 7 p.m.
The Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender, and Reproduction
Morrison Hall 302
From bawdy political cartoons to insightful Playboy interviews, the Kinsey Institute collections include a surprising number of materials relating to the modern presidency. Viewed together, they offer a unique perspective of evolving societal attitudes regarding sex and the White House.
Archives Talk
"Building a Campaign" Kate Cruikshank, Political Papers Specialist, IUB Libraries
Wednesday, October 1
4 – 5 p.m.
Office of University Archives and Records Management
Herman B Wells Library E460
Stump speeches, parade appearances, and rope lines are all part of running for office, but, as the archives of politicians often reveal, the key to winning an election is often building a solid campaign.
Film and Panel Discussion
"The Man" (1972) starring James Earl Jones
Tuesday, October 7
7 – 9 p.m.
Fine Arts 102
Facilitator: Michael Martin, Director Black Film Center/Archive
James Earl Jones plays Senator Douglass Dilman who becomes president of the United States due to circumstances beyond his control. He battles power-hungry politicians, his daughter, and his own doubts while learning to govern. The Man was the first film to depict an African American as U.S. president.
Sponsored by the Black Film Center/Archive, the Department of Communication and Culture, and the Department of History
Exhibition and Reception
"A Change is Gonna Come": Black Music and Film from the Civil Rights and Black Power Eras
Tuesday, October 7
5 – 6:30 p.m.
Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center, Bridgwaters Lounge
Through rare visuals and artifacts from the collections of the Archives of African American Music and Culture and the Black Film Center/Archive, this exhibit explores music and film of a pivotal time in U.S. history. The exhibit also weaves the story of how black communities drew on their sacred and secular musical traditions to create the powerful sounds of an era.
Sponsored by Archives of African American Music and Culture and Black Film Center Archive (with support from the IU Moveable Feast of the Arts program and ArtsWeek)
Program and Reception
"We Want to Be President!"
Presidential Campaign Songs throughout History
Thursday, October 9
5 – 7 p.m.
Slocum Room, Lilly Library
The vast sheet music collection at the Lilly Library features campaign songs of presidents from Thomas Jefferson to Richard Nixon. Christopher Goodbeer of the IU Jacobs School of Music will perform selections ranging from the upbeat to the obscure, including Happy Days Are Here Again and Get Yourself A Nice Brown Derby (And Fall in Line for Al).
Sponsored by Friends of the Lilly Library.
Keynote Address
Lee Hamilton
"The Congress and the President"
Thursday, October 16
7:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Fine Arts Auditorium
Lee Hamilton, who served the ninth district of Indiana in the United States House of Representatives from 1965 to 1998, will discuss the relationship between the executive and legislative branches of government and how executive power has changed over time.
Patten Foundation Lecture
James O’Donnell
Tuesday, October 28
7:30 p.m.
Ballantine Hall, Room 109
Classicist James O’Donnell, provost at Georgetown University considers the meaning of history. Is it the long-term movement of DNA-carrying peoples and their economic development, or the crises of a given president or prime minister? Ancient history and its narratives shaped much of what we think of as history, so this lecture will use Greco-Roman examples to think through these issues, and show that the lecture title is a daring proposition for a historian to utter.
Student Essay Competition
Deadline: November 7, 2008
Submit to: libadmin@indiana.edu
Prize: $100 for IU graduate student winner; $100 for IU undergraduate winner
Tell us how Politics and Presidents influenced your thinking this election year. Write a brief essay (not more than 300 words) describing an experience related to any of the activities of the month-long celebration. Entries will be judged by curators of the campus’s archives and special collections.
Submissions must include name, student year, university ID, home address, and phone number.
IU holds the Congressional papers of Lee Hamilton and more than
50 Indiana political figures whose manuscripts form an impressive
university resource. Among the notable Hoosiers represented:
William Henry Harrison, who was governor of the Indiana Territory
in the early 1800s and later U.S. president; Charles Warren
Fairbanks, U.S. senator for Indiana and vice president under
Theodore Roosevelt; Birch Evans Bayh, who served as
Indiana’s U.S. senator from 1962 to 1980; and Wendell
Willkie, Republican nominee for president in 1940.
Although usually thought to be the institutional documents of a
university or government, archives may also contain collections
of personal papers, sound recordings, films, or memorabilia.
Special collections are materials that because of their rarity, subject matter or format are best handled separately from the main book collections. Photos, sheet music, or manuscripts are good examples at IU. To enhance their research value, such materials are brought together to form a "special collection."
