Government Information
A Middletown Thrall Library Blog
Government information, news, advisories,
and other information on the web and in the library.
Your Government 2.0: Youtube, Twitter, Facebook, and More
June 4, 2009
Various agencies within the United States Government
are trying to make more of their information accessible
through social networking websites such as Twitter,
Youtube, and Facebook.
A recent blog post at the
GovGab, the U.S. Government Blog
announced progress on these efforts:
read their complete blog post.
Three Government "Twitters" mentioned in their post are:
Did you know there is also a
U.S. Government Channel on You Tube?
But wait, there's more!
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
offer a
"Social Media Tools for Consumers and Partners" page.
The Library of Congress
is on Youtube
(
see their blog post here).
The LOC is also on Twitter:
"We Tweet, Therefore We Are"
(
click here for their direct Twitter link).
Did you know even NASA's
Mars Rovers are Twittering from Mars?
Some searches at
USA.gov provided even more U.S. Government
social networking feeds and pages:
Add Thrall's
own Government Blog RSS feed
to the mix, and there you have it:
easy and instantaneous 24/7/365 access to your Government!
Enjoy!
NYS Project Sunlight Website
April 24, 2009
The
New York State Attorney General's office has announced
a new website that "enhances the public's ability to access and review state and local government information":
www.SunlightNY.com
You can
read the full press release by clicking here.
There are three main sections: Browse, Search, and Maps:
- The Browse section allows you to view information on "bills, bill jackets, State elected officials, member items, campaign finance, State contracts, State corporations, charities, local elected officials, local government by county."
- The Search function contains information on contracts, member items, corporations, charities, lobbyists, and campaign financing.
- The Map feature allows you to browse, geographically, elected officials, member items, and local governments by county.
Also included are video tutorials, frequently asked questions, and "State Gov 101" (where you can "learn the basics of State Government").
A Spanish edition of the website is available (click the "Español" link at the top of their site).
Please click here to visit the www.SunlightNY.com website.
FinancialStability.gov
April 1, 2009
The White House website blog has announced the creation of another new website:
"The Treasury Department has just launched FinancialStability.gov, a website dedicated
to bringing transparency and clarity to the immensely complex problems in the financial
system and the President's plans to address them."
You can read more about this new website in
the press release from the White House.
If you would like to go to the new site,
please click here for FinancialStability.gov.
MakingHomeAffordable.gov: A New Website
March 20, 2009
The White House has announced a new website for homeowners:
A quote from the White House Blog:
"At midnight last night the Treasury Department took a great step to ensure that everybody who can take advantage of the President housing plan can do so, helping to put the brakes on the foreclosure crisis, launching MakingHomeAffordable.gov - a site where you can find out everything you need to know about the President's plan and whether you qualify."
Please click here to access the MakingHomeAffordable.gov website.
New York State Recovery Guide
March 11, 2009
The New York State Government has a new website
concerning funds and activities relating to the
recent American Recovery and Reinvestment Act:
New York State Guide to the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
Sections include: News, Resources and Links (including the "New York American Recovery and Reinvestment Handbook" - PDF format: view with
Adobe Reader),
Certifications, New York's Share, and Submit Proposals.
The website also invites you to sign up to receive updates from the NYS Governor concerning steps the state
is taking to "implement the provisions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act."
You can also find this website in the
New York State Government section of our
Economy information guide on the web.
Recovery.gov
February 19, 2009
A new website has been created by the U.S. Government
to help people learn more about the American Recovery
and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
The new website is
Recovery.gov,
and it has been described as follows:
"Recovery.gov is a website that lets you, the taxpayer, figure out where the money
from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is going. There are going to be
a few different ways to search for information. The money is being distributed
by Federal agencies, and soon you'll be able to see where it's going -- to
which states, to which congressional districts, even to which Federal contractors."
The website includes a video from President Obama as well as
announcements, contact information, and answers to frequently asked questions
concerning economic recovery plans and activities.
Where Is It Now?
February 9, 2009
From the Government Information Librarian, Karen A. Heil:
A new President, a new Administration and a new look for
the White House website
(
www.whitehouse.gov).
It's fresh, timely (including lots of video and audio) and interactive
(
highlighting a Blog).
Now that digital information is quickly taking the place of paper, what happens to documents
from past administrations? If you missed the
"100 Things Americans May Not Know About the Bush Administration Record,"
featured on the old White House website on January 19th, but not the 20th (on the new website), all is not lost!
The U.S.
National Archives is responsible for keeping
historical information from disappearing. Through
their link to the Presidential Libraries,
one can access historical materials from Herbert Hoover to George W. Bush.
The most current entry includes a "snap shot" of the recent past (and the old White House website):
georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov
Living in the moment is all the style, but forgetting our past would be a terrible loss!
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
January 31, 2009
Our
Special Coverage Economy web guide
has been updated to include information concerning the "American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 of 2009."
Information concerning this, along with the "Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008" (EESA) and TARP (the Troubled Assets Relief Program),
can be found in the
EESA section of our guide
under various government branches, departments, agencies, and committees.
For the full text of H.R.1 ("American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009"), you can
click here to jump to the U.S. House of Representatives section.
News concerning H.R.1. and related economic policy announcements from President Obama and Vice-President Biden
can be found in the
2009 area of The White House category.
Our Economy guide continues to be updated as new information becomes available.
AStrongMiddleClass.gov
January 30, 2009
President Obama and Vice-President Biden announced
the creation of a new task force (and website) focusing
on the economy and the middle class:
The formal name of the new task force is "The White House Task Force on Middle Class Working Families,"
and it is described as follows
at WhiteHouse.gov:
"The Task Force is a major initiative targeted at raising the living standards of middle-class, working families in America."
The corresponding website is
www.AStrongMiddleClass.gov.
For more on the task force and related information, checke out these other areas at WhiteHouse.gov:
You can learn more about these efforts, as well as the "American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan of 2009,"
in the
Government Information: U.S. President section of our
Special Coverage: Economy web guide.
President Obama's Inaugural Address
January 21, 2009
In case you missed it, or if you would like to experience it again,
President Barack Obama's Inaugural Address
can now be read online at
The White House (whitehouse.gov) and
at America.gov.
The White House website includes a video of President Obama's Inaugural Address (
Adobe Flash Plugin required).
The
Library of Congress has a blog post with information on and high-resolution
images of the Bible used at the Presidential Inaugural ceremony:
"The Lincoln Inaugural Bible"
If you would like to delve some more into the history of inaugurations, the Library of Congress has
a web page called
"I Do Solemnly Swear"
where you can find inaugural speeches of past U.S. Presidents, all the way back to George Washington.
Poet
Elizabeth Alexander was asked to compose
a poem for the Inauguration.
The New York Times offers a transcript of the poem,
as does
About.com as well.
To read other works by this author, please
click here to browse titles available in the catalog.
For more information on the current Inauguration, please check out
our earlier blog post.
Inauguration 2009
January 15, 2009
If you are one of the many who will attend the 2009 U.S. Presidential Inauguration in Washington, D.C., congratulations!
If not, you can still witness history as it unfolds either at home or in the library by virtually attending the ceremony either through televised coverage or through streaming audio/video clips, blog posts, and relate news articles provided at some of the U.S. Government websites mentioned below:
Our
Election 2008 Special Coverage guide contains a section called
"The Presidential Transition."
There you find links to U.S. Government websites, including
Change.gov (the official President-Elect and Vice-President-Elect website),
PresidentialTransition.gov, the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies,
and "Presidential 09 Inauguration."
The "Presidential Inauguration 09" website offers a
Calendar of Events as well as a
"Getting There" section for travelers, a
"Discover DC" section for tourists,
and a
"Fun Facts" section for everyone.
CNN, MSNBC, and other major news providers online are said to be planning to offer live coverage on the web of Inauguration events. You can access these websites through the
"International News" section of our Current Interests Center.
Once the Inauguration concludes, you can follow President Barack Obama and Joe Biden's administration through
Change.gov and
www.WhiteHouse.gov.
New York State Budget
December 18, 2008
Information concerning New York State's 2009-2010
proposed budget has been published at the
New York State government website:
State of New York, Division of the Budget Home Page
A press release from NYS offers this overview of the Governor's budget proposal:
"Governor Paterson's Executive Budget Eliminates Largest Deficit In State History, Reins In Spending"
Change.gov and the Presidential Transition
November 14, 2008
Our
Election 2008 web guide
has a new category covering post-election developments and the transition to the next U.S. Government Administration:
Election 2008: The Presidential Transition
Here you will find links to sites such as Change.gov ("the Official Website of the Office of the United States President-Elect"),
PresidentialTransition.gov, as well as websites prepared by the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA),
the Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs and the House Committee on Government Reform,
and National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).
In addition to news about President-Elect Barack Obama and Vice President-Elect Joe Biden,
you will find biographical entries about them and their spouses, job announcements,
appointments, blogs, details about the upcoming Inauguration, information and laws
concerning presidential transitions, as well as major issues to be addressed
by the new Administration.
EconomicRecovery.gov
October 24, 2008
The U.S.
Department of Commerce
has created "an interagency website" called
EconomicRecovery.gov.
The Department of Commerce states, "The web site will be a resource for the
latest information about important economic issues, and what the U.S. Government
is doing to strengthen the economy and restore prosperity."
The website currently has three sections: Help for Americans, Help for Workers, and Help for Small Businesses and Financial Institutions.
EconomicRecovery.gov's topics currently include: Guide to Avoiding Foreclosure, Securing Your Retirement, Consumer Protection Guide, Is My Account Fully Insured?, Eating Right when Money is Tight, Nutrition Assistance Program,
Jobs and Opportunities in Your State, Work for the Federal Government, Information about Unemployment Insurance in Your State, One-Stop Career Center, Help for People with Disabilities,
Helping Main Street: Loan Programs, Training and Mentoring to Meet Business Challenges, Contracting Opportunities for Minority Businesses,
Grow Your Business Overseas, Strengthening America's Banking System, Protecting Investors, Helping Manufacturers Grow their Businesses and Stay Competitive, and Farm Loan Programs.
You can read more about the new website in the
Commerce Department's press release.
For even more information on what the U.S. Government is doing
in response to the current economic situation, you can also check out the
Government Information section of our
Global Economic Crisis special coverage guide.
Our web guide includes extensive information on the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act
(formerly known as "the Bailout Bill") as well as TARP (Troubled Assets Relief Program).
Information in this section are arranged chronologically by each U.S. Government agency.
USASpending.gov
October 2, 2008
Citizens wondering how the U.S. Government spends money will be interested in this website:
"USASpending.gov: Where Americans Can See Where Their Money Goes"
Find out where grant awards and federal contracting dollars go or, as the website says, "what the government is really doing with your money."
Data sources include the Federal Procurement Data System and the Federal Assistance Award Data System.
More information about data sources is located at this web page.
More information about the website (and the
Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 "Transparency Act"
requiring the website to exist) can be
viewed at this web page.
Ready to Start a Business?
August 11, 2008
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has an online assessment tool
designed to help people determine whether or not they are ready
to start their own businesses:
Click here to access the SBA's "Are You Ready to Start a Business?" website.
You can also
click here to browse related information (under the heading of "New Business Enterprises") available in the library system.
Homelessness Resource Center
July 25, 2008
The U.S.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
(SAMHSA) has established a new website:
Homelessness Resource Center
SAMHSA describes this website as "an interactive community of providers, consumers,
policymakers, researchers, and public agencies at federal, state, and local levels."
The website has been added to our
Homelessness Special Coverage Guide
in the
Government section.
Jewish American Heritage Month
May 15, 2008
In April 2008, the President of the United States
proclaimed May as Jewish American Heritage Month,
describing it as "an opportunity to celebrate the history,
culture, and faith of Jewish Americans and their
contributions to our Nation."
You can read more about the President's proclamation in
this official press release from the White House.
To help celebrate this month and to provide information
on its theme, a new website has been created by the U.S. Government:
www.jewishheritage.gov.
On the About page the website is said to be "a collaborative project
of the Library of Congress and the National Archives and Records Administration,
National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art,
National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum."
DTV Transition and Coupon Program
April 3, 2008
Are you ready for the digital television (DTV) transition?
If your answer is "no" or "I'm not sure," the U.S. government has created
a website to answer your questions and to inform you of a coupon
that will become available to help you (and your television) move
into the digital age in the event you need to purchase a new converter.
Here's a quote from their website explaining what will happen in 2009:
"At midnight on February 17, 2009, all full-power television stations in the
United States will stop broadcasting in analog and switch to 100% digital
broadcasting. Digital broadcasting promises to provide a clearer picture
and more programming options and will free up airwaves for use by
emergency responders."
Click here to visit the DTV2009.gov website.
The website is also
available in Spanish.
You can also check out these two earlier blog posts of ours for more on digital television and HDTV:
FBI Advisory: House Stealing Scams
March 26, 2008
Amidst the current challenges faced by home owners and the housing market,
there are also scams out there that could make an already difficult
situation even more dangerous.
To educate you on some of these scams, the
U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
has just issued the following advisory:
"House Stealing: The Latest Scam on the Block"
Click on the "House Stealing" link to educate yourself on the potential problems,
or
click here to read about other known scams
or
here for information about "E-scams" (electronic scams, usually on the Internet or in e-mail).
Women's History Month Facts
February 25, 2008
The
United States Census Bureau
has published a "Facts for Features" guide highlighting various
statistics relating to this month. Categories include Businesses,
Motherhood, Earnings, Jobs, Voting, and Education.
Click here to access the Census Bureau's "Women's History Month: March 2008" guide.
Goverment Information Center Update
February 14, 2008
Middletown Thrall Library's Government Information index (also known as "GovSites")
has been updated and expanded. In addition to a new menu and newly incorporated
and annotated resources, the overall appearance has evolved to make for easier
reading and to accommodate widescreen monitors.
Click here to check out our new Government Information on the Web section.
Aviation Safety Report from NASA
January 2, 2008
NASA, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration,
has published some information concerning its study
of airline and air travel safety on the
National Aviation Operational Monitoring Service (NAOMS) website.
NASA's description for this publication states, "This Web site contains responses collected from the air carrier and general aviation pilot surveys as part of the NASA National Aviation Operational Monitoring Service (NAOMS) project from April 2001 through December 2004."
NASA also states, "Efforts will be made in 2008 to release additional NAOMS information that was redacted for this release."
Most of the documents at the NAOMS website have been published in the PDF format. To view them
you will need the
free Adobe Reader software.
Happy Holidays
December 3, 2007
USA.gov
has published
a "Happy Holidays" information guide
offering related advice, resources, and services
from various government agencies that include
the following topics:
- Charities
- Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa: Background and Symbols
- Decorating Safely
- Food for the Holidays
- Holiday Fire Prevention
- Holiday Season Safety
- Holiday Shopping Tips
- Holidays at the White House
- Military Troop Support: E-mail a Message
- News Year's Resolutions - Most Popular
- Support U.S. Troops
- Track Santa Claus
- Travel Safely
- White House Christmas Trees
You'll also find related websites on meat and poultry safety,
holiday recipes, government stores (including holiday ornaments
and gifts), and volunteering.
National American Indian Heritage Resources
November 29, 2007
In honor of National American Indian Heritage Month,
USA.gov has
published a collection of links to websites
realting to American Indians.
Sections include: Cultural Resources, Legal Resources Tribal law, Education, Jobs,
Economic Development, Housing, Family and Health, and Tribal Land and the Environment.
Some of the many U.S. Government and educational websites USA.gov highlights include:
Hot Docs
October 11, 2007
"Hot Doc" is a nickname those of us involved in Government information
use to describe new or popular Government documents, especially those
that may relate to current events or conditions throughout the world.
At Thrall.org, in our
GovSites web guide,
we have established links to a number of such "hot docs" over the years
that were published on the web.
Some recent additions to this section include:
- Benchmark Assessment Report: Assessment of the Situation in Iraq
- Government Secrecy: Decisions without Democracy
- Hearing on Private Security Contracting in Iraq and Afghanistan: House Committee on Government Oversight and Reform
- Hearing on Private Security Firms Standards: Cooperation and Coordination in the Battlefield
- National Intelligence Estimate: Prospects for Iraq's Stability: Some Security Progress but Political Reconciliation Elusive
- National Intelligence Estimate: The Terrorist Threat to the US Homeland
- North American Plan for Avian and Pandemic Influenza
- Report Card on American Education: State-By State Analysis 1983-1984 to 2004-2005
- The Report of the Independent Commission on the Security Forces of Iraq
- The United Nations Secretary General's "World Report on Violence Against Children," 2007
Most of these documents have been published in the PDF format, which means you will need the
free Adobe Reader software
to be able to view them on your computer. If you're at the library, all our computers have the Adobe Reader already installed.
You can click here to see even more current and past "hot docs."
Government Blogs
October 10, 2007
USA.gov is featuring a
list of currently active Government blogs.
These include the "Big Read Blog" (National Endowment for the Arts),
"Flow of the River" (EPA), "Health and Human Services Department Blog," "Peace Corps Volunteer Journals,"
among many others.
There's also the
Gov Gab blog right at USA.gov.
Each of these blogs explore a variety of topics and offer new and personal insight
(and even some humor) concerning goverment happenings and projects as well as some
of the people involved in those endeavors.
Thrall Librarian Awarded
October 2, 2007
We are delighted and honored to announce Karen Heil, our Government Information Librarian, has been recognized by the New York Library Association (NYLA) for her ongoing efforts to make government information, in all its forms, available and accessible to the public. Here is the official press release we have received from NYLA:
Jesse Daly, President of the New York Library Association Government Information Roundtable (NYLA/GIRT), has announced that Karen Heil, Government Documents Librarian for the Middletown Thrall Library since 1993, is the 2007 recipient of the NYLA/GIRT Mildred Lowe Award for outstanding contributions to government information librarianship.
Ms. Heil has developed an extensive, attractive, user friendly collection of government information links and materials available at the library's website at www.thrall.org which averages several thousand accesses each month. She is also being recognized for her proaction in making the wide variety of government documents available, easy to use, and better known to borrowers and researchers.
She actively shares information with government documents colleagues and beyond. In addition, she conducts workshops on the use of federal and state documents in the classroom for teachers from area school districts.
The Mildred Lowe Award honors librarians who have made significant contributions to government documents librarianship, access to government information, and/or the encouragement of the use of documents in New York State libraries. It is given in memory of Mildred Lowe, Dean of the Library School at St. John's University and a tireless advocate for public access to government information.
We are most thankful to NYLA/GIRT for this significant recognition. Middletown Thrall Library, a designated Federal Depository Library, houses tens of thousands of past and current local/state and federal government documents in print, microform, and electronic format. We encourage you to explore these collections and take advantage of the wealth of information available at our library.
And the Winners Are...
October 1, 2007
Each year the Government Documents Round Table section of the American Library Association chooses the year's
Notable Government Documents. The choices this year, some of which are on display near the Government Documents
collection, are as varied and vital as the critical issues that face us everyday.
A Failure of Initiative: Final Report of the Select Bipartisan Committee to Investigate the Preparation for
and Response to Hurricane Katrina, a must for those who hope to be better prepared for future disasters;
The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke: A Report of the Surgeon General,
"In 2005, it was estimated that exposure to secondhand smoke kills more than 3,000 adult nonsmokers
from lung cancer, approximately 46,000 from coronary heart disease, and an estimated 430 newborns
from sudden infant death syndrome." National Strategy for Pandemic Influenza Implementation Plan,
a look at responses needed from an international to a local level; Al-Qaeda: The Many Faces of
an Islamist Extremist Threat: Report of the U.S. House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence,
a brief but very readable summary of the ongoing threat. On the lighter side, Research-Based Web Design
& Usability Guidelines, a great book for anyone involved in Web site design;
Library of Congress Law Library: An Illustrated Guide offering a fascinating history of the law
and the United States Senate Catalogue of Graphic Art, a beautiful compilation and history of art
work in the Senate. Come and see our display!
More Hidden Treasures
June 27, 2007
The hidden treasures of our history live in the pages of documents found tucked away on our library shelves. They seem like plain little books, lined up in boxes, labeled with long complicated numbers showing to which Congress they belong. Here are some samples:
- "In the hotel where Joseph Edwards works he is classified as a vacuum man, which means that he cleans the rugs and halls. He has worked here steadily for 3 years without any interruption, earning a yearly income of $1,800.53". This quote comes from a Joint Committee Print entitled "Making Ends Meet On less Than $2,000 A Year", 1951.
- In 1998, a hearing entitled "American Worker Project: Innovative workplaces for the future" highlights ENRON, "named America's most innovative company in Fortune Magazine". "At ENRON, everyone feels the freedom to pursue new ideas. In fact, our President, Jeff Skilling, recently told all employees that he believes the best ideas at ENRON are directly proportionate to their distance from the executive floor". (Statement of Elizabeth A. Tilney, Senior VP)
- "If you will go up on a deck, you will see the ice on the fore part of the ship." So I did so. I went up there. I suppose the ice had fallen inside the rail, probably 4 to 41/2 feet. It looked like shell ice, soft ice. But you could see it quite plainly along the bow of the boat. I stood on deck for a few minutes, talking to other friends, and then I went to see my friend, Mr. Hugo Ross. To tell him that it was not serious; that we had only struck an iceberg". - quoted from Senate hearings - "Titanic" Disaster, 1912
Interested in more? Come to the library's Government Document collection and dig for your treasures!
Family Jewels and Other Declassifed Documents
June 27, 2007
The U.S.
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
has
announced the publication of two historic collections of declassified documents.
Hostedt at the CIA's
FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) Electronic Reading Room,
the two new collections are:
- "Family Jewels," which is described as "almost 700 pages of responses from CIA employees to a 1973 directive from Director of Central Intelligence James Schlesinger asking them to report activities they thought might be inconsistent with the Agency's charter."
- The "CAESAR-POLO-ESAU papers," which "studied Soviet and Chinese leadership hierarchies, respectively, and the ESAU papers were developed by analysts to inform CIA assessments on Sino-Soviet relations."
For more links to declassified historic documents from the CIA and other U.S. government agencies,
check out our GovSites web guide, including the
Hot Documents,
Historic Documents,
and
UFOs categories.
Also come in to the library and browse our extensive Government Documents collection, which contain many
"hidden" truths and treasures. Many of these documents can be checked out.
Independence Day
June 22, 2007
July 4th, "Independence Day," is fast approaching.
To help you understand and safely celebrate this historic holiday,
USA.gov
has assembled a variety of links to "Fourth of July" web pages.
You can access their web guide here.
If you're interested in learning more about the signing of the Declaration of Independence
and Independence Day in general,
try these links:
To learn more about the history of the United States, check out
our American History web guide.
For current information about the U.S. Government (local/state/federal), visit our
Government Information
home page and our
GovSites web guide.
Flag Day
June 5, 2007
Flag Day is June 14. Here are some websites to help you learn more about the U.S. Flag:
- Federal Citizen Information Center: Our Flag. Sections include: History of the Stars and Stripes, An Early Stars and Stripes, The Grand Union Flag, Fifteen Stars and Stripes, Early American Flags, Historical Flags, The Flag Today, Flag Laws and Regulations, Flag Presentation, Folding the Flag, Care of your Flag, Sizes of Flags, Flags at the United States Capitol, How to Obtain a Flag Flown Over the Capitol, American War Mothers Flag, How to Obtain a Burial Flag For a Veteran, Flags of States and Territories, Flag Day, The Great Seal of the United States, Fort McHenry, The Flag House, Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag, The American's Creed, and School Projects.
- Library of Congress - Today in History: June 14th
- The Department of Veterans Affairs: The Origins of Flag Day
- The Department of Veterans Affairs: Guidelines for Display of the Flag
- Ben's Guide to U.S. Government for Kids: Symbols of U.S. Government: The Flag
There are some items in the library catalog that might also interest you:
Popular Baby Names
May 22, 2007
The
Social Security Administration has published
a list of the most popular baby names for last year
as well as a database of popular names for previous years back to 1879.
There are items in the library catalog for more information about baby (and adult) first and last names, including what they mean and their respective histories.
Our
Ready Reference Guide also has a section of
websites about names and baby names.
Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month
May 18, 2007
Library of Congress has published
a resource guide to help commemorate Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month.
Included at their website are highlights from the Library of Congress collection, including
texts,
photographs,
audio and video,
illustrations,
country studies,
and related
Internet resources.
To learn more about this region, its culture, history, and more,
consider using our databases, including
CountryWatch and
Worldmark Encyclopedia of the Nations.
Memorial Day
May 17, 2007
USA.gov has published
a page of links to information about Memorial Day,
including facts as well as tips for activities you might be planning to attend that day.
Some of the many categories of information at their websites include:
Origins of Memorial Day, Facts about U.S. Military Who Served in WWII,
Korean War Veterans Memorial, National Moment of Remembrance,
Patriotic Melodies, Recipes from and for Americans, Soldier's Memorial Day,
Barbecue/Boating/Swimming Safety, Veterans Stories, Vietnam Veterans Memorial,
and World War II Memorial.
For more informationabout Memorial Day, you can try these links:
Library of Congress Blog
April 25, 2007
The
Library of Congress has launched
its very own blog! In the words of LOC blogger
Matt Raymond,
the spirit of the blog will be to "make resources available and useful to the Congress and the American people and to sustain and preserve a universal collection of knowledge and creativity for future generations,"
words which come from the LOC's
mission statement.
Please click here to access the Library of Congress blog.
IDTheft.gov
April 25, 2007
The U.S. government has launched a new centralized website to promote the awareness and prevention of identity theft:
View the press release from FDIC.gov here
or
follow this link to go to www.IDTheft.gov.
Some other links for your consideration:
IRS Issues Warning about Fake E-mail Messages
April 3, 2007
The
Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has issued a new advisory:
"IRS Warns of Phony e-Mails Claiming to Come from the IRS"
Included in their advisory is an e-mail address where you can direct suspicious e-mail to their attention.
New York State Budget
April 2, 2007
Details concerning the 2007-2008 budget for New York State
have been
published at the New York State government website.
United States Postal Service Announces STAR WARS stamps
March 30, 2007
To mark the 30th anniversary of the original
Star Wars
trilogy, the
United States Postal Service (USPS.gov) is
making available
Star Wars stamps and express mailers
and has set up an animated website in support of their latest offering.
At their site you can vote for your favorite stamp. The most popularly selected stamp
will be produced on its own sheet in the future.
If this has you curious about stamp collecting and want to learn more,
there are some books
in the library catalog that might interest you as well.
Recreation.gov
March 30, 2007
This just in from
USDA.gov:
"Federal Leaders Launch New One-Stop, Interagency Website For Recreation Reservations."
The new website is
Recreation.gov.
As the USDA explains in the above press release:
"This interagency web site allows the public to view photos and information on thousands of recreation sites and activities from sightseeing at the Washington monument to canoeing in a Minnesota forest. The public can also use the recreation.gov site to make reservations and payments online."
MyMoney.gov
March 30, 2007
MyMoney.gov is described as "the U.S. government's website dedicated to teaching all Americans the basics about financial education."
The website goes on to say, "Whether you are planning to buy a home, balancing your checkbook, or investing in your 401k, the resources on MyMoney.gov can help you do it better. Throughout the site, you will find important information from 20 federal agencies government wide."
Subjects covered include: Budgeting and Taxes, Credit, Financial Planning, Home Ownership, Kids, Paying for Education, Privacy, Fraud and Scams, Responding to Life Events, Retirement Planning, Saving and Investing, and Starting a Small Business.
There is also
a Spanish version of MyMoney.gov.
Copyright Resource Guide
March 15, 2007
"Copyright Resources on the Web: Sites to Keep you Current"
offers an annotated list of informative websites that can help you catch up with copyright law, including such topics as the Digital Millennium Copyright Act and Fair Use.
This guide was compiled by David Hodgins of the
Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL), a division of the
American Library Association (ALA).
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