Northern Illinois University Libraries staff members have ended work on two federally funded projects in light of the White House’s sudden change in policy regarding libraries and the humanities. On March 14, 2025 the president signed an executive order dissolving the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and
Read more
Building the Contemporary Children’s and Family Collection at Founders Library
The following article was written by Assistant Professors Alissa Droog and Dee Anna Phares. Thanks to the incredible generosity of our donors, the University Libraries have taken an exciting step toward establishing a new Contemporary Children and Family Collection on the first floor of Founders Memorial Library. Contributions from our
Read more
NIU Booklab Celebrates Grand Opening
On April 28 approximately 200 NIU students, faculty and staff members, alumni, and community members gathered on Founders Memorial Library’s fourth floor to celebrate the grand opening of the NIU Booklab. The lab is an interdisciplinary initiative originally developed by faculty members in the English Department and University Libraries, which
Read more
NIU Libraries Hosts Horatio Alger Society Conference
Northern Illinois University Libraries proudly hosted the annual conference of the Horatio Alger Society from May 1–4, 2025, marking the fourth time the university has welcomed the event. Previous conferences were held on the NIU campus in 1999, 2004, and 2012. The conference was expertly organized by Matthew Short, Head
Read more
Departments recognized as leaders in course materials affordability
This spring, NIU’s Course Materials Affordability Task Force (CMAT) presented the third annual Affordable Course Materials (ACM) Department Awards. These awards are part of the task force’s Leading Impact Program, which supports and recognizes academic departments and individual faculty for their adoption of Open Educational Resources (OER) and low-cost materials in courses. Starting in 2022, affordable
Read more
Earth Fest Brings 1,500 to Founders Memorial Library
On Saturday, April 5 Northern Illinois University and DeCarbon DeKalb, a local nonprofit group, collaborated to present Earth Fest at Founders Memorial Library. An estimated 1,500 people attended the free event, which included a variety of programs. Those taking part in Earth Fest enjoyed an opportunity to visit 35 tables
Read more
New study about selecting the best databases for research in education co-authored by NIU Libraries faculty
A new study about selecting the best databases for research in education just came out and was co-authored by NIU Libraries faculty member, Alissa Droog along with co-authors Sarah Fitzgerald (University of Massachusetts, Amherst) and Kari D. Weaver (University of Waterloo, Canada). The article, Selecting a specialized education database for
Read more
NIU Libraries Newsletter Spring 2025 Now Available
Check out the Spring 2025 issue of Founders Type, the University Libraries newsletter. Our newsletter is available to download.
Read more
Feathers & Ink: Exploring the Art of Medieval Quill Cutting
In her debut article, Bosompemaa, a graduate teaching assistant for the BookLab course Technologies of the Word, takes us on an exciting journey into the world of quill cutting. She shows us how, just like the scribes of old, quills must be carefully shaped to create the perfect writing instrument.
Read more