By: Ball State Marketing & Communications—
Muncie, IN—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, go to https://bsu.libguides.com/covid19/.
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. Submit your digital content at https://muncie.librariesshare.com/documentyourstory/. For more information or to donate a submission that is not digital, contact Muncie Public Library at https://www.munciepubliclibrary.org/contact/contact-us.
Additional “porch portraits” by photographer Amanda Kishel. Utilizing telephoto lenses and practicing safe distance guidelines of at least 10 feet, her series captures families during the “stay at home” order during the COVID-19 pandemic. 100% of the proceeds are being donated to Habitat for Humanity.
About Ball State
Founded in 1918 and located in Muncie, Ball State University is one of Indiana’s premier universities and an economic driver for the state. Ball State’s 22,500 students come from all over Indiana, the nation, and the world. The 790-acre campus is large enough to accommodate first-rate facilities and 19 NCAA Division I sports, but our welcoming and inclusive campus is small enough to ensure the friendliness, personal attention, and access that are the hallmarks of the University. Destination 2040: Our Flight Path establishes Ball State’s ambitious goals for our second century. We Fly!
