The report of new items added to the digital collections of the North Dakota State Library for March 2025 is now available here: https://library-nd.libguides.com/ld.php?content_id=80395349
The Digital Initiatives Department of the North Dakota State Library (NDSL) is excited to announce the opening of another online exhibit called the “Scandinavian American Bank.” The exhibit uses information and content from NDSL’s Political Prairie Fire digital collection, which focuses on the political battle between the Nonpartisan League (NPL) and the Independent Voters Association (IVA).
This exhibit tells the story of the scandals surrounding the Scandinavian American Bank of Fargo from the late 1910s to well into the 1920s. This seemingly normal bank in downtown Fargo was at the epicenter of the political battle between the NPL and IVA. The scandals would impact more than just this bank. The State Banking Board, the State Examiner's office, the Attorney General's office, NPL enterprises, the Bank of North Dakota, a bank in Valley City, the State Auditor, the courts (including the North Dakota Supreme Court), and several prominent individuals would also be pulled in (many of which, at different times, would be labeled "bank wreckers" for their varied involvement). The arrests, trials, and fanfare lasted for years.
Today, the Scandinavian American Bank has become a mere footnote in the history of the NPL, overshadowed by some of the enduring legacies of that time (like the Bank of North Dakota and the Industrial Commission). However, the bank played a pivotal role in the NPL-IVA era of North Dakota history.
The primary way to navigate the exhibit is to start on the homepage and then progress through each sub-page under “The Story” in sequential order (using the “Next” and “Previous” buttons at the bottom of each page). The “Timeline” page/ tab is a supplement to the main story, and it provides another way to experience the story (in a chronological and slightly condensed way).
This online exhibit is the department’s most comprehensive and ambitious yet. Check it out today! The exhibit is available on NDSL’s LibGuides at https://library-nd.libguides.com/exhibits/sab
The report of new items added to the digital collections of the North Dakota State Library for February 2025 is now available here: https://library-nd.libguides.com/ld.php?content_id=80038627
The Digital Initiatives Department of the North Dakota State Library (NDSL) is excited to announce the opening of another online exhibit called "LMB 100." This exhibit celebrates the 100-year anniversary of the Liberty Memorial Building (LMB) on the North Dakota State Capitol grounds in Bismarck. The exhibit tells the story of the building from its inception to today.
The report of new items added to the digital collections of the North Dakota State Library for January 2025 is now available here: https://library-nd.libguides.com/ld.php?content_id=79712951
Public Domain Day 2025 has come and gone. What is Public Domain Day? It’s better known as New Year’s Day, but it is a celebration of when copyrights expire on certain works from the past (books, movies, music, etc.) and they enter into the public domain.
The report of new items added to the digital collections of the North Dakota State Library for December 2024 is now available here: https://library-nd.libguides.com/ld.php?content_id=79344643
The report of new items added to the digital collections of the North Dakota State Library for November 2024 is now available here: https://library-nd.libguides.com/ld.php?content_id=79099540
There have been some interesting developments in the world of copyright recently, involving ice cream, video games, and the public domain.
In regards to the ice cream, it specifically involves McDonald’s and their temperamental soft-serve machines. These machines are frequently out of order, enough so that there have been a flurry (or perhaps a "McFlurry") of memes. There is even an online tracker (McBroken) that provides the status of McDonald’s ice cream machines across the United States. McDonald’s even poked fun at itself in 2020 and tweeted: "we have a joke about our soft serve machine but we’re worried it won’t work."
The report of new items added to the digital collections of the North Dakota State Library for October 2024 is now available here: https://library-nd.libguides.com/ld.php?content_id=78791528
Many of these resources and programs are funded under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act from the Institute of Museum and Library Services.