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Introduced in 1997 by The National Association of the Deaf (NAD), National Deaf History Month recognizes the accomplishments of people who are Deaf and hard of hearing. Celebrated from March 13 - April 15, Deaf History Month strives to bring awareness about three key historical events that impacted America’s deaf community.

The first milestone was on April 15, 1817, the opening of the American School for the Deaf (ASD), the first public school for deaf students. This was a huge leap for equality because education is the foundation of a more equal world as it provides stability, financial security, and self-dependence. It is a powerful way to change the future.

The second event took place on April 18, 1864, the establishment of Gallaudet University, the world's first deaf and hard of hearing higher education institution. When it began Gallaudet had twelve students but today there are over 1,500. The sheer number of students demonstrates the necessity for a deaf university as well as the empowerment of the deaf community through education.

Finally, March 13, 1988, was the day Dr. I. King Jordan was elected the first deaf president at Gallaudet University. This occurrence was brought about like many others, through protest. The Deaf President Now (DPN) protests began after a hearing candidate was selected by the Board of Trustees as the next university president. The Gallant students, faculty, and staff, however, believed that a deaf person should be the one running the world's only university for deaf and hard of hearing. By refusing to be relegated to a degraded status in their own community, the protest began bridging equality gaps in the deaf community. This movement also served to educate the nation on the rights and abilities of deaf and hard of hearing persons.

This heritage month acknowledges the complexity and importance of Deaf culture. Deaf culture is as vast and expressive as any other. This heritage stems in part from discrimination which bonds deaf and hard of hearing individuals into a community, relating through their marginalized identities. Deaf culture relates the linguistics, values, and identity of the Deaf experience. Deafness is experienced differently by all individuals.

The keystone of Deaf culture is language. Many deaf individuals do not consider themselves as disabled because nothing fundamental is missing from their ability to communicate. There are more signed languages than spoken. Each language varies in level of expression, emphasis, and context. Each language has its own grammar, structure, and style much like spoken languages. Also similar to spoken language, regional slang and notations exist within signed languages. These languages create a strong community.

Furthermore, not all deaf people know signed language. Some individuals choose to wear hearing aids, cochlear implants, or learn to lip read. These personal choices vary from person to person depending on their individual experiences. No matter their choice of communication, deaf individuals experience a life as full and rich as hearing individuals.

If you're interested in learning more about the Deaf community, check out the Library’s display on the third floor featuring: A Loss For Words: The Story of Deafness in a Family; Talking Hands: What Sign Language Reveals About the Mind; and Deaf World: A Historical Reader and Primary Sourcebook. Interested in becoming a better ally? Here is a list of tips from the Hearing Allyship.

Clean drinking water is available from our kitchen faucets. Water flows freely in our showers, whisking away dirt and grime from our bodies. Outdoor spigots allow us to easily hydrate our gardens. We interact with water every day, but how often do we think about where it comes from? How does it stay clean? Can it make us sick? How does the local public water system test my water?

In 1993 the United Nations established March 22 as World Water Day in order to raise awareness of and address issues regarding fresh water. The day is utilized for advocacy of sustainable management of freshwater resources. This is vital as we rely on water for everyday living. In addition, there are currently 2 billion people living without access to safe drinking water. By promoting the value of fresh water, World Water Day attempts to inspire action towards sustainable water. Every year there is a theme to World Water Day. This year's theme is Groundwater- Making the Invisible Visible.

Despite being hidden under our feet, groundwater is everywhere. For some parts of the world this water is the only kind available. A majority of the world's freshwater comes from groundwater. It supplies our streams, lakes, and rivers. Where is it? In aquifers, geological pockets underground made from rocks, sand, and gravel that can hold water. While fantastic sources of freshwater, we are draining aquifers faster than they can replenish. In addition to draining them, we are polluting them in a manner that can take an aquifer decades to recover.

How are they being polluted? Agriculture. Roughly 40% of land in the United States is used for agriculture. In Iowa, more than 85% of the land is used for agriculture. Unfortunately, agricultural contaminants, such as pesticides, move through every component of the hydraulic system. This happens when it rains and the chemicals are washed into lakes and streams. What does not get washed away into these water sources gets pulled underground and absorbed into aquifers. This directly impacts our water quality as well as quantity.

What can we do about it? One way to protect our water sources is to use them sustainably. This can be done at home by conserving water. Here are 45 ways you can do so at home. Another way you can protect our waterways is to urge local, state, or federal politicians to adopt sustainable water policies.

If you're looking for more information regarding our water systems the Loras Library has some great books including: Water Reuse; Water Ethics; Water Resource and the Aquatic Environment; Water Pollution Policies and the American States. If you are looking for something a bit lighter, check out the display of juvenile water books on the Library’s first floor.

Since the early seventeenth century, March 17 has been celebrated as the feast day of Saint Patrick, the fifth century Christian missionary and bishop in Ireland. Initially the day focused on Patrick and the arrival of Christianity in Ireland, but more recently the day has also become a celebration of Irish culture and heritage, especially in the United States. So, this month we remember the strong Irish heritage of our own community of Dubuque.

Irish-born immigrants were one of Dubuque’s largest ethnic groups as early as 1835. They were attracted by the inexpensive farmland, jobs in the mines, as well as freedom from the derision they sometimes experienced in the eastern US. Early Irish settlers then encouraged others to follow them to Iowa. Charles Corkery, one of Dubuque’s first settlers, reported that wheat, oats, and potatoes of Iowa were equivalent to those of Ireland. Bishop Loras also encouraged the Irish to come west to Iowa. And come they did. In 1846, Dubuque's first ward became known as "Little Dublin," and the Irish accounted for approximately one-quarter of the city’s population in the 1850 and 1860 census counts.

Despite his encouragement of Irish settlers, the relationship between Bishop Loras and these new Iowans was sometimes tense. Irish Catholics in Dubuque accused Loras of favoring French Catholics. In 1852 the Irish also were angered when Loras proposed St. Patrick's Church remain a mission congregation rather than an independent parish. Still, it was by personal invitation of Loras that brought the first religious community to Dubuque, the all-Irish Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The Irish immigrants were followed by a small group of Germans who over the years grew to become another major ethnic group in the city. Each group while embracing its new land, also had strong ties to their native heritage. The Irish had the Irish-American Club and the Ancient Order of Hibernians, a men's fraternal organization that helped members of the community experiencing hard times and also served as a social center. There continues to be a division of this group in Dubuque County today.

Over time, as Iowa grew and evolved so did Dubuque. Little Dublin's homes began to disappear with the construction of the Julien Dubuque Bridge beginning in 1942. New immigrants continued to come to Dubuque looking for a better life, but they were no longer from Ireland or Germany. Instead, they have come from Sudan, Ivory Coast, Somalia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Iraq, Haiti, Cuba, Bosnia, the former Yugoslavia, Mexico, and Central America. Many older Dubuque families though are descendants of German and Irish immigrants. To learn more about Irish American and Irish history, check out our book display on the Library’s third floor.

March 7-11 is week is Open Education Week, a celebration of the global Open Education Movement. Its goal is to raise awareness about the movement and its impact on teaching and learning worldwide. 

So, what are Open Educational Resources or OER? While there are a number of different definitions, they all agree that OER are teaching, learning, and research materials that are freely accessible and adaptable, either because they are in the public domain or by the nature of their usage license. Many also discuss this adaptability in terms of the 5R activities: the ability to reuse, retain, revise, remix, and redistribute.

Much of the focus on OER has been on the free aspect. This is especially true for OER that are designed to replace commercial textbooks. This, indeed, is an attractive piece of OER. Textbooks costs have become a financial burden to many students. According to the US Bureau of Labor and Statistics textbook costs have increased by 1041% since 1977 and 88% between 2006 and 2016. But affordability is not the only benefit of OER.

OER also contribute to student success. A large-scale study at the University of Georgia showed that switching from a commercial text to an OER, resulted in positive grade changes as well as a decrease in the percentage of D, F, and withdraws. While these changes were more significant for lower income students, all students saw improvement.

Central to this success is OER’s emphasis on equal access. To adapt to the high cost of textbooks, some students try to share textbooks or go without. Faculty may seek to help by allowing older editions of texts or putting copies of the text on reserve in the library. However, all these methods result in unequal access to required course materials. OER provide each student equal access to the same information.

The adaptability of OER also allows modifications of materials to better reflect diverse perspectives. A variety of viewpoints and images can be included in the content which allows students to identify with and better relate to course materials.

To learn more about OER at Loras check out our OER Research Guide or talk to one of the librarians.