Grinnell College Libraries News
Student walking into Burling Library

Month: May 2026

Exhibition: Sustainability at Grinnell – Then and Now!

By

On May 22, 2026

In Exhibitions

Squirrel holding globe of earth

Image by Katherine Owen

May 22-August 21, 2026, Burling Gallery, Lower Level

Grinnell College adopted a formal Sustainability Plan in 2018 and has been working toward that goal ever since. However, sustainability efforts at the college date back to the 1990s. This display explores past student- and college-driven initiatives and previews the Library Sustainability Certificate Series, which will begin in Fall 2026. In partnership with the Sustainability Department, students, staff, and faculty, Grinnell College Libraries will pursue this certificate to re-dedicate itself to sustainability. Learn more about the series of events and activities we have in store to inform and engage the community and celebrate progress made along the way. 

Curated by Kayla Reed, Discovery, Systems, & Digital Strategy Librarian

Library for Alumni

By

On May 11, 2026

In Resources

Students seated in graduate cap and gownsTo support alumni’s lifelong learning endeavors, the Grinnell College Libraries and the Office of Development and Alumni Relations are pleased to provide alumni with access to a range of academic databases including:

  • JSTOR* is a digital library of academic journals.
  • Project Muse is a digital library of humanities and social sciences academic journals.
  • Transparent Language helps millions learn over 100 foreign languages.
  • Adam Matthew publishes unique primary source collections from archives around the world.
  • Credo Reference is an easy-to-use online reference tool for starting research. Gather background information on your topic from hundreds of full-text general and subject-specific reference titles, as well as numerous images, audio files, and video clips.

For more information and to access these resources, please see the Library for Alumni web page.

Exhibition: Profanation, Mésalliances, Free Interaction and Eccentricity: Carnivalesque in the Grinnell Museum of Art Collection

By

On May 11, 2026

In Exhibitions

Grinnell College Alumni Art CollectionMay 11-August 30, 2026, Burling Gallery, Lower Level

Featuring artworks which embody the spirit of the Carnivalesque, this exhibition centers the absurd and chaotic, at times making larger statements about political issues and power structures. These works from Grinnell’s collection place various temporalities and spaces in conversation with each other, all through the lens of Carnival, a moment and locality when anything and everything can be turned upside down. Curated by Cornelia Di Gioia ’26

Libraries Call for Speakers

By

On May 8, 2026

In Activities

Library eventInterested in presenting about your research in progress or completed works of scholarship? The Grinnell College Libraries has openings for both the fall 2026 and spring 2027 semesters.

Faculty and staff can complete an interest form to nominate themselves or a colleague for a talk or panel discussion. View upcoming research lecture dates and topics.

  • Book Talks highlight campus authors and their recently published books.
  • Research Unbound highlights scholarship in non-book formats (e.g. journal articles, digital projects, data sets, artwork or exhibitions, etc.).
  • Research in Progress is a chance to talk about current research and works in progress.

Each of these series may include collaborative research with students, faculty, or staff.  Series events will be hosted throughout the semester in Burling Library Lounge, first floor, on Tuesdays at 4:15 p.m.

If you prefer another time slot or format, or have an idea for hosting a library talk diverging from these series, please get in touch!

Questions may be directed to Sharon Clayton and Micki Behounek.

Joint Publications Research Services (JPRS) Reports

By

On May 4, 2026

In Databases

Planet in outer space

Image: Created to mark the 50th Anniversary of the launch of Sputnik
Gregory Todd, 2007

The Joint Publications Research Service (JPRS) Reports , 1957–1995, is a unit of the Central Intelligence Agency, It prepared translations of foreign-language monographs, reports, journal and newspaper articles, and radio and television broadcasts from around the world, particularly communist and developing countries. These reports, covering military, socioeconomic, political, environmental, scientific, and technical issues and events, were used by U.S. government officials, various agencies, and the research and industrial communities. Now in a fully seachable digital edition, a vast body of foreign materials is available in English to researchers studying geopolitics, public policy, the Cold War, and more.

Questions?

Contact query@grinnell.edu or your liaison librarian for additional help on using this resource.

Or schedule a Library Lab which is a research consultation and an opportunity for a student or a small group of students to meet with a librarian and discuss an academic research project.

To find more library databases for your research, check out the Grinnell College Libraries’ Databases A-Z list.

Archived Scarlet and Black (S&B) Issues Available

By

On May 1, 2026

In Resources

Scarlet and Black printed newspaperThe archived Scarlet & Black (S&B) portal includes issues up through the spring of 2018.

The Alumni Scarlet & Black is also available, which is an alumni newsletter published from 1942 to 1965.

Questions?

Please use the contact form to reach the Grinnell College Libraries Special Collections and Archives staff.

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