Milner Library newsletters join institutional repository

  • Author By Karmine Beecroft
  • October 25, 2024
Black-and-white drawing of Milner Library.
Architectural imagining of the "new" Milner Library circa 1972.

A total of 396 issues of internal and public-facing newsletters created by Milner Library between 1967 and today have been added to Illinois State University’s institutional repository, ISU ReD. Researchers, alumni, and the general public can now access this extensive archive online, offering an easy way to explore Milner Library’s storied past and keep up-to-date on library happenings.

These publications chronicle great changes for the library and the university over the past 57 years, including the move from what is currently Williams Hall to the “new” Milner Library and the gradual shift to a digital-forward library infrastructure. Charming mundanities such as staff recipes and life milestones flavor the pages and reflect the changing times. One article from 1971 titled “The Pants Revolution!” gave advice to Milner’s mostly-female librarians about how to appear professional when making the shift from skirts and dresses to pantsuits. It concluded with the dictate to “Be your own best critic and be tough. Look at yourself from all angles… Pants aren’t for everyone.” Readers will also find announcements about new collections, changes in administration, and the expansion of library programs designed to support Illinois State’s growing academic community.

Image of an article from the vol. 1, no. 39 (July 23, 1969) issue of the Milner Library newsletter Corner Quotes. It reads, "IT WAS UNFORGETTABLE. Through the magic of television people around the world viewed man's greatest adventure when Neil Armstrong planted his size 9 1/2 left boot on the powdery surface of the moon at 9:56 p.m., Sunday, July 20, 1969. "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." History books will record the first words of Neil Armstrong beside other famous first words."
This 1969 newsletter reacts to the Apollo 11 moon landing.

This project represents the beginning of a new initiative by Milner Library’s Digitization Center to document Illinois State’s history on a granular level through newsletters, bulletins, reports, and other periodicals. Departments who wish to see back issues of their internal or public-facing publications made available through ISU ReD are encouraged to reach out to Digitization Coordinator Karmine Beecroft at kbeecro@ilstu.edu. Many units’ newsletters have been preserved in whole or in part by the Dr. Jo Ann Rayfield Archives, but assistance may be required to fill in gaps or locate missing issues.

ISU periodicals that are already available through ISU ReD include:

Units

Digital Collections, Milner Library, Scholarly Communication