While it is not impossible to do adequate research on a specific feature of Indiana State University or Terre Haute, it can be challenging and more time consuming than you realize, especially keeping in mind your resource requirements. There may be some information in books but you will have to search, and there is little to be found in the periodical literature. Sometimes you'll luck out and someone will have written a thesis on a local topic that you will be able to use. Consult with your librarian at your earliest opportunity, in order to help ascertain if your topic will fit into the speech/presentation parameters.
ISU does not have a Yearbook anymore; older copies can be used for background. The Normal Advance [1896-1924] and The Sycamore Year Books, 1925-1993 [last year of publication] have been scanned in their entirety and added to the Wabash Valley Visions and Voices. Find them by browsing [to retrieve cover to cover] or doing a word searchUse for info and images.
Tribune-Star has 2 archives, one for recent news [look for ARCHIVES: SEARCH THE NEWS on opening page, and one for news items back to 1992. The archive often has loading problems and is very hard to search; prepare for a lengthly search process. Vigo County Public Library has the Tribune Star on microfilm for over 100 years but it is not indexed.
Much information on issues, trends, etc. of a local nature is going to be found on governmental web sites. It is helpful to know something about city, county and state government structure. For example, is the Health Department a county- or city-level department? Figuring out who is responsible for what is something the librarian can help you with.
