Library News

Issue and Inquiry and Urban Confrontation: Two Radio Programs Covering Urban Issues in Uncertain Times

Two radio program collections available in the Digital Repository Service (DRS) — Issue and Inquiry and Urban Confrontation — document social progress and unrelenting difficulties within American cities in 1970-71. Airing on Northeastern University’s radio station WRBB, the programs were produced the university’s now-defunct Division of Instructional Communication. (Urban Confrontation noted that it ended in 1971 for financial reasons.)

Black and white image of two students sitting in a recording studio. They are wearing headphones and sitting at a table while surrounded by 1960s-era recording equipment
Students working in the WRBB (then WNEU) radio station in 1969. Photo courtesy of Northeastern University Archives and Special Collections.

Episodes were primarily hosted by Joseph R. Baylor and feature interviewees from across the United States discussing wide-ranging topics. From the threat of nuclear warfare to the farm labor rights movement, from the “longhair” youth subculture to de-facto school segregation, these episodes present a sweeping view of both common anxieties and optimistic ideas about the future of city life.

As a metadata assistant in Digital Production Services, I performed a survey of the episodes and their associated metadata records. This helped me understand how descriptive information should appear in the DRS. For example, I investigated how titles, creators, subjects, and abstracts should be recorded for each episode. Next, I created an editing plan, performed batch edits, and carefully listened to each episode. As I listened, I recorded accurate information about the episodes so it could be updated in the DRS.

I selected two interesting episodes to highlight here, but be sure to check out the full collection for more episodes.

Oil in Santa Barbara: The Pollution Tragedy (Issue and Inquiry, Episode 10)

In this episode from 1970, Al Weingand, Bob Solan, and Dick Smith discuss a Union Oil offshore drilling well explosion that occurred on January 28, 1969, expelling two million gallons of uncontrolled oil into Santa Barbara Channel off the coast of California. Topics include the oil’s effect on tourism, local economy, wildlife, fishing, and environmental safety concerns.

Weingand, a Santa Barbara resident and former California legislative member, explains that no other disasters can compare to the devastation of the oil pollution. Smith, a reporter for the Santa Barbara News Press, calls for greater investment in tourist value of beaches, saying that offshore oil well spills are dangerous both environmentally and economically. Solan, another reporter for the News Press, covers the psychological benefits of beautiful surroundings for Santa Barbara residents.

This episode was produced in a time of evolving standards for environmental safety and presents an intimate view of lives affected by oil pollution.

Afro-American Culture: The Black Artist Unchained (Urban Confrontation, Episode 11)
Elma Lewis, a Black woman with dark hair in a bun, stands in front of flowers with a huge smile on her face. Her hands are clasped over her chest.
Elma Lewis candid. Courtesy of the National Center of Afro-American Artists records (M42) at Northeastern University Archives and Special Collections.

“The business that I am about is resurrecting that dormant conscious pride that Black people have had and should have.” — Elma Lewis (4:57)

In this episode, airing in 1970, arts educator and activist Elma Lewis discusses the intertwined histories of Black labor and Black cultural impact in America. She speaks critically of modern art because she says it lacks a basis in life experience. This, Lewis explains, is why Black contributions to American culture transcend art and extend to labor and life experience, which has formed the basis of American society. Throughout the program, Baylor asks Lewis to respond to common racist comments about Black culture. Despite Baylor’s insistence that Lewis speak to his white audience, she intentionally denies this request. Laughing, she replies, “I don’t answer nonsense. I’m not in the business of answering nonsense.”

For more information on Elma Lewis, explore the DRS. More materials from the Elma Lewis collections (Elma Ina Lewis papers, Elma Lewis School of Fine Arts records) are expected to be available in the DRS in 2026.

I wanted to highlight these two episodes because they made me think deeply about both everyday problems and large socio-political injustices which continue to affect us today. “Oil in Santa Barbara” presents opinions from concerned community members in California. It focuses on their reaction to environmental pollution, showing common anxieties about business success, health, and the beauty of their local natural environment. By contrast, “Afro-American Culture” features distinguished Black arts educator Elma Lewis. She discusses fine arts movements, while also celebrating Black joy and artistry in the face of wide-scale systemic racism.

I greatly enjoyed the opportunity to help make these shows available in the DRS. Both Issue and Inquiry and Urban Confrontation hold potential research value for those interested in viewing snapshots of American life in the early 1970s.

Chelsea McNeil served as a part-time metadata assistant in Digital Production Services.

What is the DRS and who is it for?

What is the DRS?

The Digital Repository Service (DRS) is an institutional repository that was designed by the Northeastern University Library to help members of the Northeastern community organize, store, and share the digital materials that are important to their role or responsibilities at the university. This can include scholarly works created by faculty and students; supporting materials used in research; photographs and documents that represent the history of the community; or materials that support the day-to-day operations of the university.

While the DRS itself is a technical system that stores digital files and associated information to help users find what they need, we also consider the DRS to be a service for the university community: library staff are here to help you organize, store, share, and manage the digital materials that have long-lasting value for the university community and beyond.

Result listing in the DRS for a report titled "Exploring the Effectiveness of Bite-Sized Learning for Statistics via TikTok" and includes metadata and an image of the report
Published research from the Northeastern community available in the DRS.

Northeastern is not alone in this endeavor. Repository services are now standard practice for most academic institutions, including Harvard University Library (who also use the name “Digital Repository Service”), Stanford University Library (a leader in technical development for repository systems), Tufts Libraries, and other institutions around the world.

Who uses the DRS?

The DRS has been used by faculty, staff, students, and researchers from all corners of the university community for 10 years. There are too many use cases to mention in one brief blog post, but here are some trends we’ve seen in what users choose to deposit the last few years.

Data visualization from a research publication, containing multiple styles of data depiction
Fang, D., et.al. Bottom-up estimates of floor area and embodied carbon patterns in the US building stock. Presentation.
  • Open access copies of research publications, as well as working papers and technical reports
  • Publications and data that supports published research
  • Event recordings, photographs, newspapers, and almost any kind of material you can think of to support the day-to-day operations and activity at the university
  • Student research projects and classwork, like oral histories and research projects. Students are also required to contribute their final version of their thesis or dissertation.
  • Digitized and born-digital records from the Archives and Special Collections, including photographs, documents, and audio and video recordings

These files, and all the other audio, video, document, and photograph files in the DRS, have been viewed or downloaded 11.2 million times since the DRS first launched in 2015. Nearly half of the files in the DRS are made available to the public and are therefore available for the wider world to discover. Materials in the DRS have been cited in reporting by CNN, Pitchfork, WBUR, and Atlas Obscura, among others, and are regularly shared on social media or in Reddit threads. As a result, Northeastern continues to contribute the work produced here to the larger scholarly and cultural record, and to the larger world.

Who supports the DRS?

The day-to-day work managing, maintaining, and supporting users of the service comes from staff in Digital Production Services:

  • Kim Kennedy supervises the digitization of physical materials and processing of born-digital and digitized materials.
  • Drew Facklam and Emily Allen create and maintain the descriptive metadata that helps you find what you need.
  • And all of us in the department, including part-time staff, are responsible for general management of the system, including batch ingesting materials, holding consultations and training sessions, answering questions, and leading conversations about how to improve the system and the service.
Two people stand in front of a presentation with a screenshot of the DRS behind them
Sarah Sweeney and David Cliff, DRS staff, posing in 2015 with the homepage of the recently launched DRS. 

The DRS is also supported by a number of library staff members across the library:

  • David Cliff, Senior Digital Library Developer in Digital Infrastructures, is the DRS’ lead developer and system administrator.
  • Ernesto Valencia and Rob Chavez from the Library Technology Services and Infrastructure departments also provide development support and system administration.
  • Many librarians in the Research and Instruction department do outreach about the service and support faculty as they figure out how to use it in their work.
  • Jen Ferguson from Research Data Services also connects faculty and researchers to the DRS, while also providing data management support for those wishing to use the DRS to store their data.
  • Members of the library administration, including Dan Cohen, Evan Simpson, Tracey Harik, and the recently retired Patrick Yott have contributed their unwavering support and advocacy for developing and maintaining system an service.

We are all here to help you figure out how the DRS may be used to make your work and academic life easier. To dive deeper into what the DRS is and how to use it, visit the DRS subject guide or contact me or my team.

The library is celebrating 10 years of the DRS! Check out A Decade of the Digital Repository Service to read more about the history of the DRS.

Reading Challenge Update: June Winner and July Preview

The June Reading Challenge winner is Sam Nussbaum at Northeastern’s Seattle campus! Congratulations to Sam, who won a gift card to the Elliott Bay Book Company, a historic independent bookstore based in Seattle’s Capitol Hill district.

And a huge congratulations to everyone who read a Reading Challenge book in June! To be eligible for the prize drawing, make sure to read a book that fits the month’s theme and then tell us about it. In June, we asked you to read a story of resistance. Here are some of the books you read this month! (Comments may have been edited for length or clarity.)

What You Read in June

Cover of The Lilac People

The Lilac People: A Novel, Milo Todd
Listen to the audiobook

“A good read. Heart wrenching for sure. I would have liked an author’s note at the end about which (if any) aspects of the story are real, as with other historical fiction. A story of resistance, for sure, and a reminder to stand up early and often.” — Jodi

Cover of Parable of the Sower

Parable of the Sower, Octavia E. Butler
Find it at Snell Library | Find it at F.W. Olin Library | Read the e-book | Listen to the audiobook

“I’m kicking myself for not reading this sooner! American society is rapidly collapsing and the narrator is trying to find a better way to live than just surviving. She fights against the collapse by attempting to build a religion and a new kind of community. It’s engaging and harrowing, and somehow incredibly relevant, even now, 30 years after it was originally published.” — Sarah

Cover of Mistborn

Mistborn, Brandon Sanderson
Read the e-book

“Incredible world building, interesting characters, fascinating magic system. It’s easy to see why Sanderson is so acclaimed.” — Arjun


Cover of The Dream Hotel

The Dream Hotel, Laila Lalami
Listen to the audiobook

“Set in a near-future world where dreams are monitored by the government, The Dream House follows Sara Hussein, whose private thoughts suddenly make her a national threat. The writing is clear, gripping, and emotionally resonant, weaving together themes of surveillance, identity, and freedom in a way that feels all to real. It’s both a page-turner and a wake-up call — chilling, thought-provoking, and beautifully written.” — Sandy

Cover of Most Ardently

Most Ardently: A Pride & Prejudice Remix, Gabe Cole Novoa
Find it at Snell Library

“This is part of the Remixed Classics series, which reframes classic works of literature to center marginalized identities. Here, the main character is a trans boy named Oliver, who struggles to find ways to live as his true self in a world where he is relentlessly misgendered and pressured to become a wife. This version stays true to the original’s happy ending, and it’s so heartwarming to see Oliver and Darcy find each other.” — Amanda

Suggested Reads for July

This July, we challenge you to read a book of essays, poetry, or short stories. Check out our recommended e-book and audiobook titles in Libby, or stop by the Snell Library lobby from 1-3 p.m. on Wednesday, July 16, and Thursday, July 17, to browse print books and pick up Reading Challenge swag!

Cover of You Like it Darker

You Like it Darker: Stories, Stephen King
Find it at Snell Library | Read the e-book

“You like it darker? Fine, so do I,” writes Stephen King in the afterword to this collection of 12 stories. King is a master of the form, and these stories are as rich and riveting as his novels, both weighty in theme and a huge pleasure to read. King writes to feel “the exhilaration of leaving ordinary day-to-day life behind,” and in You Like it Darker, readers will feel that exhilaration too, again and again.

Cover of Waiting for the Long Night Moon

Waiting for the Long Night Moon, Amanda Peters
Listen to the audiobook

In this intimate collection, Amanda Peters melds traditional storytelling with beautiful, spare prose to describe the dignity of the traditional way of life, the humiliations of systemic racism, and the resilient power to endure. At times sad, sometimes disturbing, but always redemptive, the stories in Waiting for the Long Night Moon will remind you that where there is grief, there is also joy; where there is trauma, there is resilience, and most importantly, there is power.

Cover of Knife

Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder, Salman Rushdie
Listen to the audiobook

On the morning of August 12, 2022, Salman Rushdie was standing onstage at the Chautauqua Institution when a man in black rushed down the aisle toward him, wielding a knife. His first thought: So it’s you. Here you are. What followed was a horrific act of violence that shook the literary world and beyond. Now, for the first time, Rushdie relives the traumatic events of that day and its aftermath. Knife is Rushdie at the peak of his powers, writing with urgency, gravity, and unflinching honesty. It is also a deeply moving reminder of literature’s capacity to make sense of the unthinkable, an intimate and life-affirming meditation on life, loss, love, art — and finding the strength to stand up again.

Cover of How to Communicate

How to Communicate: Poems, John Lee Clark
Read the e-book

Deafblind poet John Lee Clark pivots from inventive forms inspired by the Braille slate to sensuous prose poems to incisive erasures that find new narratives in 19th-century poetry. Calling out the limitations of the literary canon, Clark includes path-breaking translations from American Sign Language and Protactile, a language built on touch. How to Communicate embraces new linguistic possibilities that emanate from Clark’s unique perspective and his connection to an expanding, inclusive activist community. Counteracting the assumptions of the sighted and hearing world with humor and grace, Clark finds beauty in the revelations of communicating through touch: “All things living and dead cry out to me / when I touch them.”

Cover of Never Whistle at Night

Never Whistle at Night: An Indigenous Dark Fiction Anthology, Shane Hawk and Theodore C. Van Alst Jr., eds
Find it at Snell Library | Find it at F.W. Olin Library | Listen to the audiobook

Many Indigenous people believe that one should never whistle at night. This belief takes many forms, but what all these legends hold in common is the certainty that whistling at night can cause evil spirits to appear — and even follow you home. These wholly original and shiver-inducing tales introduce readers to ghosts, curses, hauntings, monstrous creatures, complex family legacies, desperate deeds, and chilling acts of revenge. These stories are a celebration of Indigenous peoples’ survival and imagination, and a glorious reveling in all the things an ill-advised whistle might summon.

Whatever you read, make sure to tell us about it to enter the July prize drawing. Good luck, and happy reading!


Deep-Diving Personal Passions at the Library

Poster of Hamilton the musical

I’ve always believed that libraries are not just repositories of books, but also vibrant spaces for discovery, creativity, and connection. Whether you’re collaborating on group projects, diving into specialized research, or simply looking for your next favorite read, as a Library Ambassador, I hope to help you make the most of our library’s extensive resources.

Outside of my academic life, I am a fan of musicals. Over the years, I’ve immersed myself in shows ranging from the classic Phantom of the Opera to the modern MJ. However, one of the most noteworthy Broadway blockbusters in recent years is Hamilton (available to stream through the library). After watching this spectacular musical — a show that fuses hip-hop, jazz, R&B, and Broadway flair — I found myself captivated by the real historical figure of Alexander Hamilton. The musical beautifully highlights his ambition, intellect, and relentless drive.

Yet, it left me wanting to know more about the man beyond the stage. This curiosity led me to delve into Alexander Hamilton, a comprehensive biography by Ron Chernow, that I’m excited to recommend to you today.

Book Recommendation: Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow

Cover of Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow

Ron Chernow’s Alexander Hamilton meticulously chronicles Hamilton’s life story, from his humble origins in the Caribbean to his meteoric rise as an influential Founding Father of the United States. Spanning his time as George Washington’s right-hand man during the Revolutionary War, his role in shaping America’s financial system as the first Secretary of the Treasury, and his complex personal relationships, Chernow lays out Hamilton’s life with both impressive detail and narrative flair.

One of the most striking aspects is the breadth of historical context provided: Chernow not only profiles Hamilton, but also brings key figures like Aaron Burr, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison into sharp focus. This broader look at the era helps readers appreciate the magnitude of Hamilton’s achievements and the nuanced political environment in which he operated.

If you’ve seen the musical, you likely already know some of the highlights: Hamilton’s fearless spirit; his tumultuous personal life; and his electrifying duel with Aaron Burr. However, Chernow’s work goes well beyond the theatrical adaptation. The biography delves deeper into Hamilton’s early life on St. Croix, his self-taught brilliance, and the full scope of his writing — elements that are difficult to capture fully in a stage production. While the musical portrays Hamilton as impulsive yet visionary, Chernow’s account provides ample evidence of his calculated strategies, his sharp legal mind, and his extensive contributions to The Federalist Papers.

You’ll also discover complexities in his relationships that a two-and-a-half-hour show can only hint at. This includes the intricate dynamics with his wife, Eliza Schuyler Hamilton, and the lasting emotional toll of his son’s death. Furthermore, the book sheds light on Hamilton’s lengthy political disputes, such as his clash with Jeffersonian Republicans, painting a multifaceted portrait of a man whose passion for country both uplifted and, at times, undercut his influence.

Chernow’s approach to storytelling ensures that you’re not only informed about Hamilton’s achievements but also engaged with the era’s cultural and political nuances. By the time you finish, you’ll grasp just how influential Hamilton was in shaping America’s governance — and how the threads of his life are woven into the national tapestry. The musical may have brought Alexander Hamilton into the cultural spotlight, but this biography cements him as a fascinating, if sometimes controversial, historical figure whose legacy deserves our ongoing attention.

Where to Find the Book

If you’re intrigued and ready to dive deeper into the life of this remarkable statesman, head over to the library’s website and use Scholar OneSearch to find the title, which Huskies can read electronically (or, if you’re on the Oakland campus, physically through the F.W. Olin Library).

In the spirit of Hamilton’s famous line, “I’m not throwing away my shot,” I encourage you not to miss out on either the musical or this immersive biography.

Library Receives CPA Grant to Digitize “Black Art and Joy in Boston (and Beyond)”

Black and white image of Elma Lewis writing at a desk while wearing a cap and gown
Elma Lewis at the New England Conservatory of Music where she was conferred an honorary degree in 1977

The Northeastern University Library is proud to announce that the Archives and Special Collections has been awarded a City of Boston Community Preservation Act (CPA) grant to fund the project Black Art and Joy in Boston (and Beyond): Elma Lewis and the National Center of Afro-American Artists. This grant of almost $460,000 will support the digitization, cataloging, and publication of primary source materials from four archival collections that document the extraordinary work of Elma Lewis (1921-2004) and the cultural institutions she founded.

Dan Cohen, Vice President for Information Collaboration and Dean of the Northeastern University Library, said, “The University Archives and Special Collections department carefully preserves and protects access to some of the deep history and stories of Boston’s Black community. This project will augment and complement their and the Library’s Digital Production team’s effort to digitize significant portions of the Freedom House’s historical collection. We are thrilled to partner with the City of Boston and the Community Preservation team on this project.”

Lewis was a transformative force who trained a full generation of African American dancers, singers, musicians, actors, and visual artists in Boston. She formed the Elma Lewis School of Fine Arts in 1950 and established the National Center of Afro-American Artists in 1968, along with its museum in 1969. Her outsized influence on the Black arts movement in Boston, and how her ideas and techniques spread nationally and internationally, represents a crucial chapter in the city’s cultural history.

Black and white image of ballet dance class
A ballet class at the Elma Lewis School of Fine Arts, 1975
A green program for the Elma Lewis School of Fine Arts Children's Theatre presentation of FACES (A Play with Music)
A program for a children’s play at the Elma Lewis School of Fine Arts in 1981

This project amplifies the voices of those who were in Lewis’s orbit as teachers, collaborators, or students. It also highlights the influence of Afrocentric organizations on Boston, a necessary element to understanding Black civil rights work in the city and the rich network of organizations and individuals focused on community-building and empowerment.

The digitized collections will shed light on the decades of labor and coalition-building that are foundational to Boston’s existing Black arts infrastructure. By publishing them online, we make this history accessible to Bostonians at any time and for any purpose, while also reaching larger local and national audiences through participation in Digital Commonwealth and the Digital Public Library of America.

The curricular potential of this collection represents one of its most valuable forms of impact. The project will build on the successful Boston Public Schools Desegregation Collection, a collaboratively built collection of scanned archival materials documenting the desegregation of Boston’s public schools, in collaboration with the district itself. That project demonstrated how archival materials can be integrated into K-12 curriculum design, bringing primary source materials directly into classrooms across the city.

An archival box from the Elma Lewis collection, with a selection of photos and papers
A box of archival materials from National Center of Afro-American Artists records and some of its contents

These digital collections will enable Bostonians, including relatives and friends of those who appear in the collections, to access this evidence of their community’s rich cultural history. The materials will be freely available online, searchable, and integrated with our existing digital collections to provide a deeper and richer pool of resources illustrating the activities and accomplishments of Boston’s Black residents and leaders.

As we embark on this preservation effort, we honor not only Elma Lewis’s remarkable legacy but also the ongoing vitality of the Black arts movement in Boston that she helped establish. Through the CPA’s support, we ensure that future generations will have access to these invaluable records of creativity, resilience, and community building.

For more information about the project, please contact Giordana Mecagni at g.mecagni@northeastern.edu or 617-373-8318.

To learn more about what collections from Elma Lewis we hold, visit our research guide Finding Elma Lewis in the Northeastern University Archives and Special Collections.

This blog post was co-written by Giordana Mecagni, Head of Archives and Special Collections, and Molly Brown, Reference and Outreach Archivist.