Butler University Libraries

Interested in learning more about the history of Butler University? Make sure to follow Butler University Archives on social media!

Butler University Archives Olympic Games Feature (1 of 8): Rilus Eastman Doolittle, Butler University Athlete, 1924 Paris Olympic Games.

Indianapolis native and Butler University Alumni Rilus Eastman Doolittle competed for the United States in the 1924 Paris Olympic Games in the 5,000 Meters Run. Doolittle would struggle in the semifinals of his heat, finishing 7th and not advancing to the finals. Only 1 of 4 Americans competing in the 5,000m run would advance to the finals, led by John Roming, who would finish 4th overall. 5,000m Run Final Results: Paavo Nurmi (Finland) - Gold and Olympic Record, Ville Ritola (Finland) - Silver, Edvin Wide (Sweden) - Bronze.

Rilus Doolittle's run in France would take place during his time as a student and athlete for Butler University (also known as Butler College), as he was enrolled at the school from fall 1920 until spring 1925. The 1925 alumnus was a track star for Butler University, winning the 1924 Western Conference (later Big Ten Conference) Championship in the 2-mile, was the 2-mile champion in Indiana from 1922-1924, and competed in the 1924 Paris Olympics. Doolittle was also a good student for Butler, participating in the Biology Club and graduating with a Bachelor of Sciences degree in 1925 with a concentration in zoology and chemistry. He would later become an engineer and metallurgist for the P.R. Mallory and Company in Indianapolis.

This post is the first of eight posts highlighting Butler University alumni that represented the university at the Olympic Games. Make sure to follow Butler University Archives for all things history!

⏱ Rilus Doolittle is pictured here winning the 5,000 meter Olympic Finals Trial at Ann Arbor, Michigan in 1924.
📸 The Drift
🥇 Sources: The Drift, Butler Athletics, LA84 Foundation, Olympics, Olympedia

Happy National Mascot Day!

In honor of today, we share with you “Good Boy, Blue!”, which was written in 2014 by Michael Kaltenmark and illustrated by Jingo M. de La Rosa. The book allows you to “Join Blue for his first day on the job as he learns The Butler Way and what it means to be a good boy.”

You can find a copy of the book for viewing in the Education Resource Library and a signed copy in the Butler University Archives - Special Collections.

Today marks the centennial of the first intercollegiate athletic contest held at the present Butler University campus! ⚾️🏟️

On May 17, 1924, the university hosted a baseball game at the future Fairview campus between Butler University and the University of Chicago. Coming into the game, Chicago was well known for its academics and athletics, along with being a founding member of the Big Ten Conference (1896-1946). The stakes on the field were even higher for bragging rights, as Chicago was the alma mater for Butler’s Athletic Director Pat Page and Coach Tony Hinkle. This important game would take place nearly four years before the opening of Butler Fieldhouse (now Hinkle Fieldhouse) and Jordan Hall in 1928.

To drum up more interest for the game and the future campus, May 17, 1924, was designated Fairview Day and the Indianapolis community was invited to attend. To showcase the future campus to the community, blue and white pennants were placed on the grounds laying out the sites of the future buildings and boulevards. According to reports, over 3,000 individuals from the community attended Fairview Day.

The baseball field was located in the present mall area between what we now know as Jordan Hall, Irwin Library and the Lacy School of Business. The field on campus was dedicated with a historical home plate marker in 1976, marking the batter’s spot. Now to the action on the field in 1924. The blue and white squad of Butler came from behind to defeat Chicago’s maroon and white squad, overcoming a four-run deficit in the 5th inning. The Bulldogs would score the winning runs in the 7th inning, leading to an 8-6 victory against the Maroons. Tony’s baseball squad would finish the 1924 season with a 13-9 record, defeating well-known teams such as Chicago, Cincinnati, Indiana, Northwestern, Ohio State and Purdue.

⚾️⚾️⚾️⚾️⚾️⚾️⚾️⚾️⚾️⚾️⚾️⚾️⚾️⚾️⚾️⚾️⚾️

Interested in learning more about Butler University’s history? Visit the Special Collections, Rare Books, and University Archives department on the third floor of Irwin Library.

Note: Baseball plaque photographs taken back in March 2024.

This March, Butler University Libraries returns with its workshop series by offering free, lunchtime Zoom sessions highlighting Zotero, Google for Business, Scopus, and archival primary sources! Space is limited, so register today! Sessions are open to all faculty, staff, students, and alumni.

For more information, check out Butler Libraries’ free Zoom workshops here: https://butler.libcal.com/calendar/libraryworkshops

*Please note the March 28th workshop is IN PERSON*

Contact Jennifer Coronado ([email protected]) or Brittany Heer ([email protected]) for any questions.

This January, Butler University Libraries returns with its workshop series by offering free, lunchtime Zoom sessions highlighting Zotero, MRI-Simmons, and SimplyAnalytics! Sessions are open to all faculty, staff, students, and alumni.

For more information, check out Butler Libraries' free Zoom workshops here: https://butler.libcal.com/calendar/libraryworkshops

Contact Jennifer Coronado ([email protected]) or Brittany Heer ([email protected]) for any questions.

This November, Butler Libraries will be offering free lunchtime Zoom workshops highlighting Google for business information, the citation management tool Zotero, and fresh ideas for diversifying your pedagogy. Sessions are open to all faculty, staff, students, and alumni.

For more information, check out Butler Libraries' free Zoom workshops here: https://butler.libcal.com/calendar/libraryworkshops

Contact Jennifer Coronado ([email protected]) or Brittany Heer ([email protected]) for any questions.

Butler Libraries Film Series Presents: Godard's Band of Outsiders
TONIGHT at 7:30

Butler Libraries Film Series Presents: Godard's Band of Outsiders
Thursday, September 14 at 7:30

Throughout the Fall semester, Butler Libraries will be offering free lunchtime Zoom workshops highlighting getting started at the library, the citation management tool Zotero, our new authentication system OpenAthens, and a stipend opportunity exploring generative AI. Sessions are open to all faculty, staff, students, and alumni.

For more information, check out Butler Libraries' free Zoom workshops here: https://butler.libcal.com/calendar/libraryworkshops

Contact Jennifer Coronado ([email protected]) or Brittany Heer ([email protected]) for any questions.

Anyone else catch that Blue Moon last night?

Summer Fun on the 8s! Thanks to everyone who joined the Staff Assembly Duck Drop at Irwin Library!

Congratulations to Butler University Libraries 🥰

PALNI awards Library Innovation Grants to three supported institutions PALNI has awarded Library Innovation Grants to three of its supported institutions: Butler University, University of Indianapolis and Wabash College.

Free People Read Freely. Freedom to Read Foundation, American Library Association

July 17, 2023



To the dedicated and hardworking librarians of America:



In any democracy, the free exchange of ideas is an important part of making sure that citizens are informed, engaged and feel like their perspectives matter.



It’s so important, in fact, that here in America, the First Amendment of our Constitution states that freedom begins with our capacity to share and access ideas—even, and maybe especially, the ones we disagree with.



More often than not, someone decides to write those ideas down in a book.



Books have always shaped how I experience the world. Writers like Mark Twain and Toni Morrison, Walt Whitman and James Baldwin taught me something essential about our country’s character. Reading about people whose lives were very different from mine showed me how to step into someone else’s shoes. And the simple act of writing helped me develop my own identity—all of which would prove vital as a citizen, as a community organizer, and as president.



Today, some of the books that shaped my life—and the lives of so many others—are being challenged by people who disagree with certain ideas or perspectives. It’s no coincidence that these “banned books” are often written by or feature people of color, indigenous people, and members of the LGBTQ+ community—though there have also been unfortunate instances in which books by conservative authors or books containing “triggering” words or scenes have been targets for removal. Either way, the impulse seems to be to silence, rather than engage, rebut, learn from or seek to understand views that don’t fit our own.



I believe such an approach is profoundly misguided, and contrary to what has made this country great. As I’ve said before, not only is it important for young people from all walks of life to see themselves represented in the pages of books, but it’s also important for all of us to engage with different ideas and points of view.



It’s also important to understand that the world is watching. If America—a nation built on freedom of expression—allows certain voices and ideas to be silenced, why should other countries go out of their way to protect them? Ironically, it is Christian and other religious texts—the sacred texts that some calling for book bannings in this country claim to want to defend—that have often been the first target of censorship and book banning efforts in authoritarian countries.



Nobody understands that more than you, our nation’s librarians. In a very real sense, you’re on the front lines—fighting every day to make the widest possible range of viewpoints, opinions, and ideas available to everyone. Your dedication and professional expertise allow us to freely read and consider information and ideas, and decide for ourselves which ones we agree with.



That’s why I want to take a moment to thank all of you for the work you do every day—work that is helping us understand each other and embrace our shared humanity.



And it’s not just about books. You also provide spaces where people can come together, share ideas, participate in community programs, and access essential civic and educational resources. Together, you help people become informed and active citizens, capable of making this country what they want it to be.



And you do it all in a harsh political climate where, all too often, you’re attacked by people who either cannot or will not understand the vital—and uniquely American—role you play in the life of our nation.



So, whether you just started working at a school or public library, or you’ve been there your entire career, Michelle and I want to thank you for your unwavering commitment to the freedom to read. All of us owe you a debt of gratitude for making sure readers across the country have access to a wide range of books, and all the ideas they contain.



Finally, to every citizen reading this, I hope you’ll join me in reminding anyone who will listen—and even some people you think might not—that the free, robust exchange of ideas has always been at the heart of American democracy. Together, we can make that true for generations to come.



With gratitude,

Barack

Thank You to America’s Librarians for Protecting Our Freedom to Read I wrote a letter thanking librarians across the country for everything they’re doing to protect our freedom to read.

The Farm at Butler University
I see you! Nice work! ❤️🌸🌻🌼🪻

Hey Butler Bulldogs- remember those beautiful calming stones you might have been lucky enough to get this week at the library? The organization that we commissioned to make those for you is looking for an intern!!! Go check out Artmix!

On the hunt for a unique internship opportunity this summer? ArtMix is looking for an Outreach & Events Intern! Interested in applying? Please email your resume to Sarah Jane Bryant at [email protected] .

Paws and Think Therapy Dogs at Irwin Library on Thursday from 4-6

The Irwin Goose seems to have given up on Irwin...
Dean Petrusa claims VICTORY

It's the time of the month for 📚🐩

Many of our therapy teams visit libraries, schools or are invited to read aloud to a group of children through our Paws to Read program. Many times, we are asked about recommendations for children’s books that feature dogs, and boy, are there some great ones out there!

Each month, Paws & Think’s Youth- Services Coordinator, Shannon Gaughan- Kelly, is going to share her recommendation of a dog-themed children’s book. You may want to add it to your library/school bag, check it out at the library, or perhaps buy a good dog-themed book for a child in your life.

This month’s book spotlights a local favorite, Butler University's The Butler Blue! Good Boy Blue by Michael Kaltenmark was the most read book in my collection when I visited the library as a therapy team. The story starts with a young puppy just learning about his new role and what it means to be a good boy. Blue meets many new friends as he goes on various adventures around the Butler campus. When he encounters a St. Bernard he isn’t too sure about, Blue has to learn how to play nice with others!

Since he is just a puppy, sometimes he doesn’t always make the best choices! Throughout the book, Butler Blue learns how to be the best boy he can be so he can grow up to be the next mascot at Butler University! Blue is not just a local celebrity; he has also been featured in the Netflix series Dogs!

Hoosier Jingo DeLaRosa’s illustrations of Blue and the Butler campus really bring the story to life. This story is perfect for reading aloud. Early readers would need assistance with this book and fluent readers would enjoy this story independently. Children and adults will both enjoy this book that celebrates some great Hoosiers, canine and human!

Continue enhancing your skills by joining Butler Libraries throughout March as we explore PubMed and Zotero. The sessions are open to all faculty, staff, students, and alumni.

For more information, check out Butler Libraries' free Zoom workshops here: https://butler.libcal.com/calendar/libraryworkshops

We’re still the winning team against our Versiti Blood Battle with Marquette University! Let’s keep the winning streak going and save lives. Register for the next blood drive that is happening tomorrow in the Butler Tarkington Neighborhood. ➡️

https://donate.indiana.versiti.org/donor/schedules/drive_schedule/159116

"Remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Try to make sense of what you see and wonder about what makes the universe exist. Be curious. And however difficult life may seem, there is always something you can do and succeed at." --Stephen Hawking

Get ready NYC cause I’m coming for you tomorrow!