CSPAN-2’s Book TV tour to visit campus

On Sept. 21, C-SPAN2’s Book TV Bus will be visiting IU’s campus. \nThe Book TV Bus has been touring the nation since 2005, promoting C-SPAN2’s weekend-long programming of non-fiction books and authors. \n“Its visit will provide students, faculty members and the community with a unique opportunity to learn more about Indiana books and authors as they are introduced to a broader audience of readers around the country,” said Janet Rabinowitch, director of the Indiana University Press, in a press release.\nIU Press invited C-SPAN to visit the campus so it can showcase and interview three of its books’ authors as well as another IU professor who also is an author. \nThe bus will be parked from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the south drive bordering the Indiana Memorial Union, at 900 E. Seventh St. \nC-SPAN will also be presenting a free public lecture at noon Sept. 21 at the IU School of Journalism in Ernie Pyle Hall, Room 220. \nScott Peterson, a spokesperson for C-SPAN, said the last time C-SPAN came to IU, it did a lecture in one of the communications courses and Antwaan Randle El, former IU quarterback, was one of the students present in the lecture. The lecture piqued Randle El’s interest and he decided to change his major to communications, Peterson said. \nPeterson said that the great part about C-SPAN’s Book TV is that it was a way of giving primary source information to the public versus the secondary source “infotainment” that is provided by cable media outlets such as CNN or Fox News. Infotainment is described as treating factual manner in an entertaining manner. \n“Authors are the greatest minds about any subject matter,” Peterson said. “It allows us to communicate to students what a resource we are and we are a resource that many people skip and don’t look at.”\nNot only will this visit help promote C-SPAN’s book tour, but it will help IU’s publishers as well. \n“It’s a great opportunity for IU professors and IU authors who have published through IU Press,” said Valerie McClanahan, a publicist for IU Press. \nFor graduate students looking to get their dissertations published following their Ph.D, IU Press offers assistance getting works published in the future.\n“It is an area where we stand to be helpful,” Rabinowitch said.\n McClanahan added, “Research various publishing companies before contacting them about your manuscript. Not all publishers are the same nor publish books in the same areas. Finding the right fit for you, your book and your publisher is important.”\nDuring IU’s visit, CSPAN2’s Book TV will interview the following authors: James H. Madison, Robert L. Ivie, Dawn Knight and Jennifer Meta Robinson.