IU Libraries relive the Great Depression

As the nation recovers from the recession, IU Libraries is remembering a far worse economic time.

IU Libraries will spend the next month documenting the Great Depression as part of the nationwide observance of Archives and Special Collections Month.

Throughout October, IU Libraries will sponsor exhibitions, films, discussion panels and even a sing-along. The focus will be on the culture and experiences of people living in America in the 1930s depression era.

The month-long campaign will recognize the importance archives and special collections have on education and research, according to an IU press release.

This is IU’s fourth year participating in the celebration. Each year a new theme is chosen, and because of the current economic status, the Great Depression theme is this year’s pick.

One of the speakers, author Mildred Kalish, will talk about her personal experiences during the Great Depression.

Eric Bartheld, director of communication for IU Libraries, said he hopes that the events in the coming month will bring more attention and interest to archives.

“That’s one of the great things about archives,” Bartheld said. “They are first-hand accounts. You can learn so much.”

The final event, a performance and reception titled “Brother Can You Spare a Dime: Popular Music from the Great Depression,” coincides with the anniversary of the stock market crash on Oct. 29, 1929.

The performance features Christopher Goodbeer and Alicia McCarther of the IU Jacobs School of Music, who will sing songs such as “We’re in the Money” and “Hallelujah I’m a Bum” from the sheet music collections at IU’s Lilly Library, according to an IU press release.