Topics: COVID-19, University Libraries

April 3, 2020

Bracken Library on the campus of Ball State

In a collaborative effort, Ball State University Libraries Archives and Special Collections, the Everyday Life in Middletown Project, and the Muncie Public Library are asking community members to document life during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The three organizations will collect and preserve materials from both the Ball State community and the surrounding geographic area, and they will collaborate to publish an online community archive of those materials.

“Future historians will want to look back at the lived experiences of our communities to understand this challenging moment,” said Matthew C. Shaw, dean of University Libraries. “You can be a part of this history by writing, drawing, taking photographs, or interviewing a family member about life during this pandemic. Events continue to change day by day. They are specific to you and to your families, friends, and communities.”

There are three ways to contribute:

  • Content submitted to Ball State Libraries Archives and Special Collections will be added to the Stoeckel Archive of Local History Collection. There is no deadline for submissions. If you are interested in contributing to the COVID-19 Pandemic Project, visit the project's web page. If you wish to donate physical material or have additional questions, please email Head of Archives User Engagement Sarah M. Allison at smallison@bsu.edu. Archives and Special Collections preserves and provides access to over 1.5 million rare and unique archival materials of enduring research value. Collections are accessible to all researchers and the general public.
  • The Everyday Life in Middletown project, an ongoing effort to document ordinary daily experiences, is gathering accounts of life during the pandemic. Become a diarist with the Everyday Life in Middletown Project by answering a directive (questionnaire) about the pandemic by signing up on the project website or read the directive. Contact edlmiddletown@gmail.com for more information.
  • Muncie Public Library welcomes diaries and creations in either analog or digital form.  There is no deadline for submissions. Muncie Public Library is building this collection to be featured permanently within its local history collection on Biblioboard, available to everyone at all times. Visit the Muncie Public Library's website to submit your digital content. For more information  or to donate a submission that is not digital, contact Muncie Public Library.