Happy Halloween! This week we celebrate the day for costumes, candy, and just the right amount of spooky fun. Whether you’re winding down after trick-or-treating or kicking off the festivities with a cozy storytime, Halloween-themed books are a great way to keep the excitement going. Be sure to stop by and check out our Spooky… Read more »
Tag: holidays
A classic Halloween playlist
Halloween, the greatest and best of all howlidays, boasts its own grand tradition of popular songs. Many of these tunes have their own fascinating origin stories. From urban legends to an interest in creating a new dance craze, these songs are timeless and embedded in October as much as witches, ghouls and goblins. “Werewolves of… Read more »
The Creation of the Constitution
September 17 is Constitution Day, commemorating the day in 1787 that thirty-nine Framers put their signatures to one of the most influential documents in history. Years earlier, in drafting the Declaration of Independence, some of these same Founding Fathers had asserted that “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal,… Read more »
Cats! Cats! CATS!
September is dedicated to celebrating our feline overlords, in all their photogenic, goofy, majestic glory. Cats are among the most successful species on earth, with felines found on every continent except Antarctica. Whether running for president, healing their human companions or collaborating with musicians on viral videos, cats are endlessly entertaining and deeply embedded into… Read more »
Women Who Serve
IU East is fortunate to have over 100 veterans as part of our student body, 52 of them women, including this year’s stirring commencement speaker, Brea Hunter. The perspectives and lived experiences of veterans and active-duty servicemembers adds immeasurably to the discussion in any classroom, from nursing to history to criminal justice. IU East seeks… Read more »
National Library Week 2025, April 7-11
Currently, the entire staff of The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) has been placed on administrative leave. Despite Congress’ support to continue funding this agency, President Trump signed an executive order to begin dismantling IMLS. This small agency, which only receives about 0.005% of the annual federal budget, greatly impacts communities across the… Read more »
Popeye Belongs to All of Us
On January 1st each year, Public Domain Day, new materials fall out of copyright and become free to use and adapt for anyone, without needing to clear rights or pay royalties. These include audio recordings first copyrighted in 1924, and books, films, plays, musical compositions, artwork, and characters copyrighted in 1929. In recent years, these… Read more »
The Christmas Eggnog Riot
In 1802, West Point Military Academy was founded, a pathetic joke of a military institution whose lax recruitment standards, negligible resources, and few teachers contributed little to the nation’s safety. Then the War of 1812 happened, and losing the White House to the British convinced Congress that it would be prudent to train better officers… Read more »
The Winter Solstice
On Saturday, December 21st at 4:19 AM, the winter solstice will usher in the season of Winter. Along with snow, lower temperatures and less daylight, however, the winter solstice also brings wonder, traditions and atmospheric changes that have inspired and connected humans for millennia. Take a look at some of the phenomena that accompanies the… Read more »
Leap Years Through History
Every four years, we have a leap year that adds an extra day to our calendar on February 29th. This helps keep our calendar in sync with the time it takes for the Earth to orbit around the sun, which is about 365.25 days. Even though we may not notice this extra day, some interesting… Read more »