University Libraries

By Adam Schwartz

The University of Dayton Libraries website is a wealth of knowledge. From it, you can link to the catalog, events, exhibits and more. One of the treasure troves I found is eCommons, UD’s institutional repository. It’s an online showcase of the history, scholarship, and creativity of UD through the years.

Browsing through eCommons, I found undergraduate, graduate and faculty research, as well as digital collections from the University archives dating back to UD’s founding. It’s a great resource for people who want to see their professors’ work, what past students have written about, and how campus has changed over time. UD staff also have pieces on the site, allowing a fuller look at the culture and talents within the UD community.

One such piece of work I found interesting was from one of my history professors from last year, Dr. Haimanti Roy, who had published an article on the partition of India and Pakistan. I was able to find the abstract, see where her article was published, and find it in the library (here it is on eCommons). Having taken her History of India course, I found it quite enriching to read more of what she had to say about the 1947 partition, recall the lectures she had given my class and connect the lectures to her own writing.

Another great thing about eCommons is its streamlined design; it’s simple to navigate and easy to find exactly what you’re looking for.

As a history major, I find that looking into the history of the institution I attend is quite fun and entertaining. I learned of visits from cardinals to the chapel and campus and was able to read some of my past professors’ work. For anyone interested in a quick, fun read or the history of UD, I would highly recommend checking out eCommons.

- Adam Schwartz, a senior, is a library student employee in the Knowledge Hub.