Ball State University Libraries has announced a series of community programs for the 2026-27 academic year, kicking off on Sept. 25 with a celebration marking the 100th anniversary of Homecoming at Ball State.
Additional programming throughout the academic year will feature Delaware County history, poetry, local food traditions, and more.
“We’re excited to offer a wide range of programs that invite people to come together and discover something new,” said Dr. Nancy Abashian, dean of University Libraries. “These events offer opportunities to explore the stories, traditions, and history of Ball State and the Muncie community while experiencing the unique resources and expertise University Libraries has to offer.”
All events are free and open to the public:
• Celebrating 100 Years of Homecoming
Sept. 25, 4:30-6:30 p.m., Bracken Library
University Libraries Archives and Special Collections will exhibit memorabilia marking 100 years of Homecoming at Ball State, including photographs showing the evolution of Charlie Cardinal. The event will include games, live music, and a presentation by Ball State President Geoffrey S. Mearns about his decade of Homecoming experiences at the University. Sherman Burdette, a 1982 Ball State graduate and producer and reporter at FOX59 in Indianapolis, is scheduled to highlight the event for a newscast.
• Finding Our Voices: An Evening of Verse and Conversation with the Indiana Poet Laureate
Oct. 1, 6:30-8 p.m., Ball State Multicultural Center Multipurpose Room
Presented in collaboration with Ball State’s Department of English, the program will feature Indiana Poet Laureate Curtis Crisler and Ball State students who have had the opportunity to workshop their poetry with him.
• Muncie Recipe Swap
Nov. 21, 2-4:30 p.m., Westminster Village, 5801 W. Bethel Ave., Muncie
The program will explore the history of home cooking in Delaware County through antique recipe cards from University Libraries’ Archives and Special Collections. Community members are invited to bring family recipes to share. University Libraries will scan submitted recipes and compile them into a booklet, which will be distributed free to community members, with a digital version available online.
• Snowflakes and Special Collections
Dec. 1, 6-8 p.m., E.B. and Bertha C. Ball Center
This archives crawl will take attendees through the house to view holiday-themed materials from the Paul W. Stout Map Collection, the Andrew Seager Archives of the Built Environment, Minnetrista archives, Muncie Public Library archives, and the Delaware County Historical Society. Presenters are Melissa Gentry, Sara McKinley, Susan Smith, Cody Sprunger, and Karen Vincent.
• Unsolved Mysteries of Delaware County
Jan. 16, 2027, 1-3 p.m., Bracken Library
Program narrators will share mysteries and true-crime stories from Delaware County’s history. Participants will also have an opportunity to work through a murder mystery case. Refreshments will be served.
• Mapping Muncie’s Black History
Feb. 17, 2027, 7 p.m., Bracken Library, Room 104
The Black History Month program will highlight African American community leaders in Muncie in industry, civil rights, education, and social welfare. It will include a virtual tour of locations connected to the history, contributions, and activism of the “Other Side of Middletown” and examine the effects of redlining and other cultural factors on residents. Melissa Gentry will present; Catherine Reynolds, assistant teaching professor in Ball State’s Department of Urban Planning, is tentatively scheduled to participate.
Additional information about University Libraries programs is available at bsu.edu/libraries.