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October 21st, 2025
In December 2025, Purdue University Archives and Special Collections will debut “Beyond the Binding: Medieval Manuscripts from Farm to Fragments,” a public exhibition showcasing original medieval manuscripts. Many of these rare items are on loan through the Manuscripts in the Curriculum program, administered by Les Enluminures, which promotes hands-on manuscript study in academic settings.
How it began
This project began in July 2023, when Dr. Michael Johnston, professor in the Department of English, reached out to Libraries Assistant Professor Kristin Leaman to explore bringing the program to campus. Leaman took the lead on planning and logistics, working closely with Clinical Associate Professor Adriana Harmeyer, archivist for university history. Purdue University Archives and Special Collections would house and provide access to the manuscripts for the duration of the loan.
Together, Johnston, Leaman, and Harmeyer submitted Purdue’s application in fall 2023, and were accepted into the program in November 2023 for a loan in fall 2025.
Making it happen
Thanks to internal Purdue support, the team was able to bring the manuscripts to campus. Funding came from the Troutner Teaching Fund, Libraries and School of Information Studies, and Archives and Special Collections.
This collaborative effort across departments and units—despite busy schedules and tight timelines—made the exhibition and accompanying course possible.
Teaching with medieval manuscripts
The exhibition is a product of ILS 59500: Medieval Manuscript Studies, a new course co-taught by Leaman and Harmeyer during the fall 2025 semester. The course offers students a rare opportunity to engage directly with medieval manuscripts—learning not just how to analyze them, but also how to curate them for public display. It also fills a gap in medieval studies and library studies, as it provides students with valuable curatorial training.
The class covers everything from materials, ruling, text layout, and binding to paleography and cataloging. Students build curatorial skills and learn how to think about audience, storytelling, and exhibition design—insights that go far beyond typical academic work—and work as a team to develop a final polished product.
Johnston has also led two medieval Latin transcription workshops, giving students additional experience with the manuscripts in their original language.
Beyond the classroom
“Beyond the Binding” is the first exhibition curated as part of an ILS course and the first exhibition fully focused on medieval manuscripts in Purdue University Archives and Special Collections. It is public-facing, free, and open to the community. While the manuscripts support instruction in the classroom, the broader goal is to bring these materials to a wider audience. Harmeyer has collaborated with instructors from three different Purdue departments to study the manuscripts on loan as part of their curriculum. In addition, several researchers have conducted research on the manuscripts during individual appointments.
The exhibition has already drawn interest from other departments and institutions. A class from Grace College in Winona Lake, IN, will visit to view the manuscripts and participate in a hands-on manuscript-making session with Leaman.
The loaned manuscripts were selected strategically from a list provided by Les Enluminures, in consultation with the Purdue team. They span different centuries, regions, and languages, providing a rich overview of medieval European manuscript culture. Additionally, volumes and leaves from Archives and Special Collections’ permanent collection will be on display.
Whether you’re a student, researcher, or curious visitor, “Beyond the Binding” offers a rare glimpse into the world of medieval manuscripts—once hidden away in private collections, now accessible and alive with new meaning at Purdue University Archives and Special Collections.
Learn more about the reception on our blog.
Filed under: general, News and AnnouncementsOctober 14th, 2025
Purdue Libraries Associate Professor Michael Witt is making a lasting impact beyond the classroom by serving as the faculty advisor for Scouting Purdue, a student club dedicated to fostering leadership and community among scouts on campus. Recently featured in Scouting Magazine by Scouting America, the club’s resurgence and dynamic programming highlight the power of dedicated mentorship and student engagement.
About the club
For many young adults, scouting ends when they graduate from high school, and they don’t get involved again until later in life when their children become scouts. When Witt was approached by students who wanted to continue scouting into college, he agreed to help them bring back the Purdue Eagle Scout Association—a once-active student club that had gone dormant.
The club recently rebranded itself as Scouting Purdue to better reflect the mission of Scouting America and to be more inclusive of all students who have scouting experience.
From helping to rewrite the constitution to electing student leaders and planning events, Witt has been a hands-on mentor—guiding the executive board and supporting club activities that blend service, leadership, and fun. The club is thriving again, giving students with a background in Scouting a way to stay connected, serve others, and grow as leaders.
Under his guidance, some recent Scouting Purdue activities include:
With hikes, service projects, social events, and professional networking, the club provides students with a strong, values-driven community that builds on their fellowship as Scouts.
For many members, Scouting Purdue has become a meaningful extension of their Scouting experience—providing a sense of belonging, leadership opportunities, and lasting connections.
“When I moved to college, I left a large Scouting community and didn’t think I would find something of similar impact and camaraderie again…until I noticed a Scouting Purdue callout flyer,” said Joshua Zapata, the current Scouting Purdue president. “My interest was piqued, and from that first meeting, I was immediately supported in my newfound leadership role and promised much more from my fellow students, especially Professor Witt.”
That sense of support and community has resonated with past leadership as well. Reflecting on his time as club president, Gahn Mungarndee shared:
“I needed something to call my home away from home, so I sought out a support network—personally, academically, and professionally—and I found that home in Scouting Purdue. It has unexpectedly supported my college journey by introducing me to amazing professors and professionals, opening doors to job opportunities, and helping me build a network of lifelong friendships. Overall, an experience I truly wouldn’t trade for anything.”
Continuing a legacy
Scouting Purdue stands on the shoulders of a remarkable legacy. Neil Armstrong, the Apollo 11 astronaut and Purdue alumnus, earned the rank of Eagle Scout in 1947 as a member of Troop 14 in Wapakoneta, Ohio. He graduated from Purdue in 1955 with a degree in Aeronautical Engineering.
When Armstrong set out on the Apollo 11 mission, he carried more than just the hopes of a nation—he brought a World Scout Badge tucked among his personal items. On July 20, 1969, that badge touched the surface of the Moon, symbolizing how the values of Scouting could travel as far as human ambition.
At Scouting Purdue, students carry forward that spirit. Just as Armstrong embodied Scouting’s ideals in space, club members aim to live those same values on campus and beyond—building leaders who aim high and act with integrity.
Witt’s dedication to reviving the club reflects his broader commitment to supporting students—not only as learners but as leaders and engaged citizens.
View the collection of Armstrong papers, courtesy of Purdue University Archives and Special Collections, and learn more at scoutingpurdue.org or follow the club on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
Filed under: general, News and AnnouncementsSeptember 21st, 2025
Parrish Library’s Featured Databases series will give you a very brief introduction to the basic features of one of Purdue Libraries’ subscription resources. This edition will feature Morningstar Investing Center, brought to you by Morningstar, Inc.
Morningstar Investing Center includes information on stocks and mutual funds, allows screening using a variety of criteria, and provides access to Morningstar Rating for mutual funds and stocks. Includes Morningstar Analyst Reports.
Please note that this database has a five concurrent user limit. Please log off when you are finished.
The List of Business Databases is an alphabetical list of databases filtered to those most applicable to business, entrepreneurship, and hospitality and tourism management programs of study.
Click Getting Started with Morningstar Investing Center to watch the basics of using this database.
Featured Database comes to you from the Roland G. Parrish Library of Management & Economics. If you would like more information about this database, or if you would like a demonstration of it for a class, contact parrlib@purdue.edu.
Want to see a specific database promoted in an upcoming edition? Send an email to parrlib@purdue.edu and we will gladly promote it.
Filed under: database, general, MGMTSeptember 19th, 2025
On September 17, 2025, Purdue University marked Constitution Day with a celebration in the West Commons of the Purdue Memorial Union. From 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM, students, faculty, and community members came together to commemorate the signing of the U.S. Constitution through interactive games, vendor booths, and educational contests. Highlights included a spirited Jeopardy-style competition featuring Purdue students and local celebrities, opportunities to register to vote onsite, and giveaways such as pocket Constitutions and Purdue Football tickets.
Purdue Libraries staff actively engaged with attendees to promote civic literacy during the event. They played a key role by leading discussions on Freedom of Expression, one of the core rights guaranteed by the Constitution. Staff also showcased several digital guides designed to support students’ understanding of free speech, civil liberties, and other related constitutional topics.
By blending fun, education, and civic engagement, the Constitution Day celebration highlighted the Constitution’s lasting impact. Purdue Libraries supports these efforts through resources and programs that empower students to be informed, engaged citizens.
View our government and law guides on our website.
Filed under: general, News and AnnouncementsSeptember 9th, 2025
The Mathematical Sciences Library (MATH) has reopened, welcoming patrons back to a refreshed and updated environment. Visitors can enjoy newly carpeted areas, upgraded furniture, and additional group study rooms. The library’s redesign features a thoughtful rearrangement of bookshelves to increase natural light and create a brighter, more inviting space for study and research.
A testing room is now available
A highlight of the reopening is the new testing room, designed for individual use. This small, windowless room is equipped with a desktop computer and also provides space for personal laptops. It is intended for students taking online exams and will be reservable upon request. Please note that the testing room is not proctored, as Libraries does not offer proctoring services. The reservation system for the testing room can be found on the Libraries website.
Looking forward
Library hours remain unchanged and can be found on the Libraries Hours page. Staff continue to assist with material requests and any questions.
The recent updates and new facilities reflect the Mathematical Sciences Library’s ongoing commitment to providing a comfortable, modern, and functional space to support academic success.
For questions, please contact Allen Bol at rbol@purdue.edu.
Filed under: general, News and AnnouncementsSeptember 7th, 2025
Parrish Library’s Featured Databases series will give you a very brief introduction to the basic features of one of Purdue Libraries’ subscription resources. This edition will feature Checkpoint Edge, brought to you by Thomson Reuters.
Checkpoint Edge provides primary tax documents and secondary analysis for federal, state, and local taxation, estate planning, pensions and benefits, international taxation, and payroll taxation.
The List of Business Databases is an alphabetical list of databases filtered to those most applicable to business, entrepreneurship, and hospitality and tourism management programs of study.
Click Getting Started with Checkpoint Edge to watch the basics of using this database.
Featured Database comes to you from the Roland G. Parrish Library of Management & Economics. If you would like more information about this database, or if you would like a demonstration of it for a class, contact parrlib@purdue.edu.
Want to see a specific database promoted in an upcoming edition? Send an email to parrlib@purdue.edu and we will gladly promote it.
Filed under: database, general, MGMTAugust 24th, 2025
Parrish Library’s Featured Databases series will give you a very brief introduction to the basic features of one of Purdue Libraries’ subscription resources. This edition will feature D&B Hoovers, brought to you by Dun & Bradstreet.
D&B Hoovers aggregates company profiles, business news, and industry reports.
The List of Business Databases is an alphabetical list of databases filtered to those most applicable to business, entrepreneurship, and hospitality and tourism management programs of study.
Click Getting Started with D&B Hoovers to watch the basics of using this database.
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Featured Database comes to you from the Roland G. Parrish Library of Management & Economics. If you would like more information about this database, or if you would like a demonstration of it for a class, contact parrlib@purdue.edu.
Want to see a specific database promoted in an upcoming edition? Send an email to parrlib@purdue.edu and we will gladly promote it.
Filed under: database, general, MGMTAugust 14th, 2025
Purdue Libraries and School of Information Studies is excited to share a new campus-wide resource: the Digital Accessibility Guide. This comprehensive guide is designed to help faculty, staff, and students create more accessible digital content—from instructional materials and research outputs to webpages and presentations.
The guide provides practical tools, best practices, checklists, and training links to help integrate accessibility into everyday work. Whether you’re building a syllabus, designing a slide deck, or uploading documents online, the guide offers support for creating materials that are inclusive and accessible to all users.
This resource was developed by the Libraries Accessibility Working Group, a team committed to improving accessibility across Libraries services, spaces, and digital resources. While rooted in Libraries, the group’s efforts aim to support broader campus accessibility goals and promote a “born-accessible” approach—building accessibility into the design of content, services, and programs from the outset, rather than addressing barriers after they arise.
The launch of the guide aligns with updated federal requirements under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which call on public institutions to meet more rigorous digital accessibility standards. Through this work, Purdue Libraries reaffirms its commitment to equitable access and contributes to a campus-wide culture where accessibility is a shared responsibility where everyone benefits.
Filed under: general, News and AnnouncementsJuly 29th, 2025
Since 1998, the Indiana State Library (ISL) has provided INSPIRE, a suite of online databases and resources, to all libraries, schools, and residents of Indiana. Due to recent budget cuts at the federal and state levels, ISL has had to renegotiate its INSPIRE contract with the library database vendor EBSCO, resulting in several EBSCO databases being replaced with lower-tier products or eliminated completely. Change in access is expected to occur on August 1. Please see our INSPIRE Libguide for more details.
Purdue Libraries has traditionally tracked the databases made available through the INSPIRE program on its discovery tools like the A-to-Z database list and will be updating those tools to reflect the changes to the INSPIRE EBSCO databases as they occur. Libraries is currently analyzing usage statistics for resources within INSPIRE to determine the most cost-effective way to provide access to eliminated content that has, up until now, been available to Purdue University at no extra cost.
Users are encouraged to use the Purdue Libraries’ interlibrary loan service to request articles no longer available via INSPIRE databases.
Please contact Rebecca Richardson, associate dean for collections and access, with questions or concerns at rarichar@purdue.edu.
Filed under: general, News and AnnouncementsJune 25th, 2025
Purdue Libraries Assistant Professor Zoeanna Mayhook has been invited to serve on the planning committee for the inaugural AI Academy, offered through the Purdue Innovation Hub. This week-long experience, scheduled for August 11–15, is designed to help faculty across campus build the skills and confidence to creatively and critically integrate AI tools into their teaching practices.
As a member of the planning committee, Mayhook brings an information literacy perspective to the conversation. “AI has certainly streamlined search and information synthesis in many ways,” she explained, “but now more than ever, it’s important to understand how these tools function, what data and sources they draw from, what they do well, and where they fall short. I take an AI-positive approach in my teaching, and I’m genuinely excited about what these tools can do, but I also want us all to stay sharp and thoughtful.”
Mayhook emphasized that even when AI-generated content appears credible, that doesn’t guarantee it is accurate or complete. Evaluating AI outputs requires a different approach than traditional methods used for human-authored sources. Developing the skills and strategies to critically assess AI-generated information will help faculty and students adapt to the evolving roles and expectations surrounding AI use in both academic and professional environments.
Through her involvement in AI Academy, Mayhook is looking forward to sharing best practices with colleagues across disciplines and learning alongside the planning team. “It’s an amazing team putting this together, and I’m thrilled to be part of it,” she added. “It’s shaping up to be a fantastic experience this August.”
Filed under: general, News and Announcements