Sunday, September 15, 2024, will be the 100th anniversary of the Fiestas Patrias parade in Indiana Harbor (East Chicago). One hundred years ago, this Mexican American community, coupled with the smaller community in Gary, gathered to celebrate Mexico’s Independence from Spain (1821). However, this inaugural Indiana parade had a deeper meaning. The early Mexican American […]
Director of Collections Management Maire Gurevitz (aka my supervisor) and I have spent most of 2024 processing the records of the Junior League of Indianapolis, or JLI. The JLI is a women’s service organization that uses the power of voluntarism to affect positive change in our community. The Junior League has its roots in the […]
The Women’s Department Club was started in Indianapolis in 1912 by Mrs. Luella McWhirter. While still presently active, this club and its members focus their efforts on community service, arts, and education related causes and projects. This club was and still is presently known to host a public lecture series. On October 10, 1945, the […]
July’s best-known celebration day is likely Independence Day, which commemorates the founding of the United States of America. But even before the Declaration of Independence was adopted in 1776, the Post Office of the United States (a precursor to the U.S. Postal Service) was established in 1775 with Benjamin Franklin as the first Postmaster General. […]
From the Indy 500 to Mother’s Day and Memorial Day, May contains many celebratory days. In addition, the Tuesday of the first full week in May marks National Teacher Appreciation Day, or National Teacher Day. The National Education Association says that National Teacher Day is for honoring teachers and recognizing the lasting contributions they make […]
As we continue our series exploring fun celebratory months noted within the National Day Calendar, I couldn’t help but pick this one. It’s National Get Caught Reading Month! As a librarian, I get caught reading all the time: at work, at home, at the doctor’s office, etc., etc. It can be difficult to find a […]
Hopefully, you’ve read my previous blog about the Rosie Books and what they mean to me. So, let’s explore who Eliot Rosewater was! …or rather, who he wasn’t. Eliot Rosewater wasn’t exactly an Indiana resident, but rather a fictional character created by Hoosier author Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. Vonnegut was born in Indianapolis on November 12, […]
A good map provides an understanding of a place or region that words cannot convey. Added to deep research and compelling writing, maps can help us see where long-gone forts, Indigenous villages, and early settler farms were located. They can show us how people moved from one place to another through forests, over mountains and […]
When I approached our department’s fearless leader, Suzanne, I had no idea that leadership and prominence ran in the family. She was kind enough to share with me a couple of surnames from her family lines which I could connect to our collections. One of those names was Goss. One of the most prominent Goss’ […]
As an introvert, I found myself reading books more than playing as I grew up. I have been a library user as far back as I can remember; I’d visit the library every Sunday with my dad growing up, borrowing a stack of books measuring from my hips to my chin, all to be finished […]
