Anniversary of flight

This Wednesday marks the 105th anniversary of an important day in the history of the world, the day when the first flight took place with a machine that was heavier than air. On December 17, 1903 Orville and Wilbur brought their aircraft out on the sandy beaches of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina and started the motor and flew several flights that day. The world did not know the impact of those few flights would have on the course of world history. To find more information about this event, see the following:

• The Wright Brothers and the invention of the aerial age


• The Time 100: The Wright Brothers


• The Wright Brothers National Memorial


• The Wright Brothers Flying Machine

New Web site: Encyclopedia of Life

This post is about the Encyclopedia of Life website at: http://www.eol.org. The organizations responsible for this website are: The Field Museum of Natural History, Harvard University, Marine Biological Laboratory, Smithsonian Institution, and Biodiversity Heritage Library. They joined together to initiate the project, in May of 2007. And it says on the press release page that: "The effort is spurred by a $10 million grant from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and $2.5 million from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and will ultimately serve as a global beacon for biodiversity and conservation."
"The Encyclopedia of Life (EOL) is an ambitious project to organize and make available via the Internet virtually all information about life present on Earth. At its heart lies a series of Web sites—one for each of the approximately 1.8 million known species. Each site is constantly evolving and features dynamically synthesized content ranging from historical literature and biological descriptions to stunning images, videos and distribution maps. Join us as we explore the richness of Earth’s biodiversity!"

Sunday-A Day that has lived in Infamy

The words rang out in the Capital of the United States: "Yesterday, December 7, 1941, a day that will live in infamy...." The words were spoken by President Franklin Deleno Roosevelt, and he was referring about the recent suprise attack of the naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan on Pearl Harbor, a United States Naval base in the Pacific Islands of Hawaii, which were owned by the United States. This Sunday marks the 67th anniversary of that attack. Some feel that the attack was a setup, that Roosevelt knew that the Japanese would attack. Others feel that it truly was a suprise attack. Whatever the viewpoint, that attack changed the United States forever. At the end of World War II, the United States stood as as the supreme protector of democracy and freedom in the world, one of only two superpowers in the community of nations, a role that it still has. Those who did not survive the attack on Perl Harbor should be honored, and those who survived it should be regarded as heroes. In fact, all those who participated in World War II should be rightly regarded as Tom Brokow put it, as the "greatest generation".

New Website on Terrorism

There is a great website on the Internet about terrorism. It is called the Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism (MIPT). It is located at: http://www.mipt.org. It is located in Oklahoma City and is was created by those who were involved in the Oklahoma City Federal Bombing in 1995. Those people “believed it important to create an Institute to actively engage in research and study, programs and reporting, to help policymakers and leaders have the best and most complete information in their hands to avert terrorism and/or lessen the impact of a terror event.”

It contains an information portal for those who are first responders to a terror event, and information for all citizens, and a information for researchers and academics. In this area, there is a large collection of documents about terrorism that has been collected and are available to the public. Also there is the Lawson Terrorism Information Center, in which you can access many ebooks from the Gale War and Terrorism collection and the Gale Virtual Reference Library about terrorism by registering (it is free to do so) with the Lawson Terrorism Information Center.

So come and take a look at this free website on terrorism. There are more resources being added to this collection all the time. A link will be added to this site under terrorism on the Social Issues Page, which is located as a link on the Internet Resources By Subject Page at: http://www.se.edu/lib/search2.htm.

The Red ribbon is a symbol for solidarity with HIV-positive people and those living with AIDS. Source graphics by Niki K. Date 14/12/2006 Author Gary van der Merwe

"The 1st of December, World AIDS Day, is the day when individuals and organisations from around the world come together to bring attention to the global AIDS epidemic. 2008 marks the 20th anniversary of World AIDS Day. Whilst we have come a long ways since 1988, there is still much more to be done."

See World AIDS Campaign for more details.

History of Thanksgiving, Part 2

In the midst of the great Civil War, President Lincoln thought it proper to give thanks. Said he in his proclamation of October 3, 1863:

"The year that is drawing toward its close has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To those bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added which are of so extraordinary a nature that they can not fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever-watchful providence of Almighty God."
"In the midst of a civil war of unequaled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign states to invite and to provoke their aggression, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere, except in the theater of military conflict, while that theater has been greatly contracted by advancing armies and navies of the Union."
"Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defense have not arrested the plow, the shuttle, or the ship; the ax has enlarged the borders or our settlements, and the mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore. Population has steadily increased notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege, and the battlefield, and the country, rejoicing in the consciousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years with large increase of freedom."
"No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy."
"It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently, and gratefully acknowledged, as with one heart and one voice, by the whole American people. I do therefore invite my fellow-citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next as a day of thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens."

Thanksgiving became a national holiday in 1939 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Whatever you religious persuasion, it seems fitting and proper to be grateful for whatever we have. We do live in a great nation blessed with liberties that others can only dream of.

History of Thanksgiving

In 1620, Separatists from the Church of England, better known as the Pilgrams, came to America and settled in Massasschuetts. After a hard winter, by the fall of 1621 they had several days of feasting with the local Indians that has come to be known as the First Thanksgiving. This is what History.com has to say about Thanksgiving:
"In 1621, the Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Indians shared an autumn harvest feast which is acknowledged today as one of the first Thanksgiving celebrations in the colonies. This harvest meal has become a symbol of cooperation and interaction between English colonists and Native Americans. Although this feast is considered by many to the very first Thanksgiving celebration, it was actually in keeping with a long tradition of celebrating the harvest and giving thanks for a successful bounty of crops. Native American groups throughout the Americas, including the Pueblo, Cherokee, Creek and many others organized harvest festivals, ceremonial dances, and other celebrations of thanks for centuries before the arrival of Europeans in North America."

Here is more information taken from History.com about the first thanksgiving feast:

"What Was Actually on the Menu? What foods topped the table at the first harvest feast? Historians aren't completely certain about the full bounty, but it's safe to say the pilgrims weren't gobbling up pumpkin pie or playing with their mashed potatoes. Following is a list of the foods that were available to the colonists at the time of the 1621 feast. However, the only two items that historians know for sure were on the menu are venison and wild fowl, which are mentioned in primary sources. The most detailed description of the "First Thanksgiving" comes from Edward Winslow from A Journal of the Pilgrims at Plymouth, in 1621:
"Our harvest being gotten in, our governor sent four men on fowling, that so we might after a special manner rejoice together after we had gathered the fruit of our labors. They four in one day killed as much fowl as, with a little help beside, served the company almost a week. At which time, among other recreations, we exercised our arms, many of the Indians coming amongst us, and among the rest their greatest king Massasoit, with some ninety men, whom for three days we entertained and feasted, and they went out and killed five deer, which they brought to the plantation and bestowed upon our governor, and upon the captain, and others. And although it be not always so plentiful as it was at this time with us, yet by the goodness of God, we are so far from want that we often wish you partakers of our plenty.""

See the Library Blog tommorrow and read about President Lincoln's Thanksgiving proclamation of 1863.

That event in Dallas forty-five years ago

The early afternoon sun shone on the city as the procession of cars went through the downtown streets of Dallas. The procession of cars turned unto Elm Street, on the north side of Dealey Plaza on the western side of the downtown area. On the north sat the Texas School Book Depository building. In one of the cars of the Motorcade sat the President of the United States, John Fitzgearald Kennedy. Beside him sat his wife, Jacqueline. In front of the Kennedys sat Texas Governor Connally and is wife. Outside of the car police on motorcycles guarded the President. Suddenly several shots rang out, the President slumped over, and the History of the United States changed forever. Tomorrow, November 22, 2008 marks the 45th anniversary of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Those over 45 years old may be able to remember what they were doing when word was broadcast over television or radio about the shooting. However, there is now a raising generation who have no memory of this tragic event. Today, over 60% of the people of the United States were not alive when shocking event happened.


The Warren Commission decided that one man was responsible for this action, Lee Harvey Oswald, who was killed by Jack Ruby two days after the assassination of President Kennedy. Whether Oswald acted alone, or in conspiracy with others remained a heated debate for years afterwards.

The Library has many books on the assassination:

• Kallen, Stuart A. Are Conspiracy Theories Valid? Greenhaven PRess, 2006


• Johnson, Lyndon Baines The Kennedy Assassination Tapes. Alfred A. Knopf, 2004


• Semple, Robert D., Ed. Four Days in November: The Original Coverage of the John F. Kennedy Assassination by the Staff of the New York Times St. Martin's Press, 2003.


• Posner, Gerald L. Case closed : Lee Harvey Oswald and the assassination of JFK Random House, 1993.


• Scheim, David E. Contract on America : the Mafia murder of President John F. Kennedy Shapolsky Publishers, 1988


• Epstein, Edward Jay. Legend : the secret world of Lee Harvey Oswald Readers Digest Press, 1978.


• Belin, David W. November 22, 1963; you are the jury Quadrangle, 1973.


• Bishop, Jim. The day Kennedy was shot Funk & Wagnalls, 1968.


• Manchester, William Raymond. The death of a President, November 20-November 25, 1963 Harper & Row, 1967.



• United States. Warren Commission. Investigation of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy; hearings before the President's Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy U.S. Government Printing Office, 1964.

New! Salem Press Medical Guide

The Library has purchased a four volume set, called the Magill's Medical Guide, published by Salem Press. This set, in the words of the publisher's note at the begining of volume 1, "describe[s] major diseases and disorders of the human body, the basics of human anatomy and physiology, specializations in medical practice, and common surgical and nonsurgical procedures...In addition, other areas of medical practice are represented: alternative medicine, ethical issues, genetics, organizations, procedures in the field of psychiatry, testing and examinations, and various types of transplantation."

One of the benefits of the purchase of the print edition, which is housed in the Library's reference section, is access to the online version of this set. Access is done via the library's home page, at: http://www.se.edu/lib/
Then you click on Find, then articles. After clicking on Articles, scroll down the page until you get to Medical/Nursing, and the only link under that heading is the Salem Press Medical Guide. Once you click on the link, you are taken directly to the Guide. Access is done remotely via the proxy server.

Announcement of new web content at the SE Library

Salem Press has published several reference sets that deal with American History:

• Milestone Documents in American History


• The Fifties in America


• The Sixties in America


• The Seventies in America


• The Eighties in America

Our Library has the paper copy of all of these sets. Salem press has granted access to the online version of these reference sets. Access can be gained by:

1. Going to the Library Webpage at: http://www.se.edu/lib/
2. Click on Find
3. Click on Articles
4. Scroll down to History Resources
5. Click on Salem Press History

Now you are ready to start searching. On this website, a search preformed automatically searches all the reference sets listed above. If you want to limit your search to one of the reference sets, then you will need to go into advanced. Search and click on the set that you want to search.

I hope that you enjoy having this online resource, and that it will meet your information needs.

Dennis Miles
Systems Librarian
Henry G. Bennett Memorial Library
Southeastern Oklahoma State University
Durant, OK 74701

dmiles@se.edu

Thanksgiving

A week from Thursday we will all be celebrating Thanksgiving, a day set aside to be thankful for our blessings, and yes, of course, to eat turkey and be with friends and family. There is so much to be thankful for. We live in a wonderful land, were we can enjoy freedoms that many in other nations cannot enjoy. We live in a nation where power is transferred from one person to another peacefully and always has been so. We have had not kings nor dictators in this nation's history. We can be thankful that we are not starving. We can be thankful that the nation's common people, for the most part, are basically good people. We can be thankful for the right to vote, to speak, to assemble peacefully, and the freedom of the press and religion, to worship how we choose or not to worship at all. At this time of national financial crisis, we need to reflect on these and other blessings that we have.
I will touch on the history of Thanksgiving at a later time.

Tim Tingle, Choctaw Storyteller, Visits Southeastern

Tim Tingle, Choctaw storyteller and author, came to Southeastern Oklahoma State University on Wednesday, November 12, 2008, to speak at the Native American Symposium Insights 2008 event. He spoke in the Fine Arts building at 9 AM and then a "meet the author" session was held in the Library afterwards. The Library has several of his books:

• When Turtle grew feathers : a folktale from the Choctaw nation. 2007


• Crossing Bok Chitto : a Choctaw tale of friendship & freedom. 2006


• Walking the Choctaw road

Veterans Day

Today is Veterans Day, a day now for all Veterans or any war, but before World War II it was called Armistice Day, the day when all fighting stopped in World War One.
Here are some links about Veterans Day:

• United States Department of Veterans Affairs: Veterans Day--November 11/


• Veterans Day: infoplease.com


• Today in History: Veterans Day--November 11


• The History of Veterans Day

Halloween--What is it?

Today is Halloween, the day to fun and scary things, and of course, trick or treat. But where did this holiday come from? According to the book Holiday Symbols (found in the Library) "Halloween can be traced directly back to the SAMHAIN, the ancient Celtic harvest festival honoring the Lord of the Dead. Observed on November 1 in the British Isles and parts of what is now France, Samhain also marked the beginning of the Celtic New Year. Beacuse it was a time of transition between the old and the new, the Celts believed that the souls of those who had died during the previous year gathered to travel together to the land of the dead. They lit bonfires and sacrificed fruits and vegetables, hoping to win the favor of the spirits of the decased and to avoid their punishments. Sometimes the living disguised themselves in masks and costumes so that the spirits of the dead wouldn't recognize them...By the fourth century, the Christian church was doing everything it could to stamp out pagan festivals like Samhain, but the Celts wouldn't give up their ancient rituals and symbols. So the Christian church gave them new names and meanings. November 1 became All Saints' Day (All Hallows' Day in England), a celebration of all the Christian saints. The night of October 31 became All Hallows'Eve (later Halloween). But is association with the supernatural persisted. Halloween came to America with the Irish immigrants of the 1840's."

Source: Thompson, Sue Ellen, ed. Holiday Symbols: A guide to the Legend and Lord Behind the People, Places, Food, Animals, And Other Symbols Associated with the Holidays and Holy Days, Feasts and Fasts, and Other Celebrations, Covering Popular, Ethnic, Religious, National, and Ancient Events, and Observed in the United States and Around the World. Detroit, MI: Omnigraphics, 1998.

Other sources are:

• Chambers, R., ed. The Book of Days. London : W&R Chambers, 1906?


• New Catholic Encyclopedia New York : McGraw-Hill, 1967-1979


• Etzion, Amitai. We are What We Celebrate: Understanding Holidays and Rituals New York University Press, 2004.


• Harper, Wilhelmina. Ghosts and Goblins: Stories for Halloween. E.P. Dutton, 1965.

Black Tuesday The Stock Market Crash, October 29, 1929

Today marks the 79th anniversary of when the Stock Market fell in October 1929 that brought on the Great Depression of the 1930's. This crash is important to us today because of what is going on right now with our economy. On Tuesday, October 29, 1929, over nine million shares had traded hands, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average declined 12.8 percent, the highest in the history of the Stock Market up to that time. (Information on the Stock Market taken from Martin Gitlin's book, The 1929 Stock Market Crash, Edina, Minn: ABDO Publishing Company, 2008.)
In September-October, 2008, the Stock Market fell again, losing billions of dollars, and it is unknown what the outcome will be. Are we in a recession now, or are we heading for a depression?

Election 2008 Voters Guide

With the Election only a week away, I thought that it would be useful post websites that will be useful in finding out more about the candidates.

Texas Secretary of State: Elections Divisions.

This site contains information about the candidates in Texas, Voter information, and a Voter FAQ.
Oklahoma State Election Board

This site is the counterpart to Texas' Election site.
2008 Presidental Election Interactive Map and History of the Electoral College.
Election 2008: NPR

Teddy Roosevelt--born 150 years ago today

He is an interesting character from U.S History, A rich man who is interested in reform, a robust man who as a boy was weak and sickly, and a war hero, governor and finally President of the United States. He was one who brought back power and influence to the Presidency after several post- Civil War presindents who were weaker and when the balance of power was shifted more towards congress. He was born on October 27, 1858, and while he was alive, he was always stirring things up. HE was a man made for the Presidency, and the greatest mistake that he made was when he promised that he would not be a candidate for the Presidency in 1908.

He is one of four U.S. Presidents on Mount Rushmore, and most historians rate Roosevelt near the top of the list of Presidents. HE was a man who experienced tradgey in his life. His wife and mother died on the same day in 1884. He went out west to the Dakotas and tried his hand at ranching and captured thevies by himself.


The Library has several books on this great American.

• 973.911 R781M Morris, Edmund. Theodore Rex. Random House, 2001.


• 973.911 R 781G Grubin, David. TR, the Story of Theodore Roosevelt. PBS Video, 1996


• NA 973.0497 R67B Hagan, William Thomas. Theodore Roosevelt and six friends of the Indian. University of Oklahoma Press, 1997.
  
• 973.913 W754COO Cooper, John Milton. The Warrior and the Priest: Woodrow Wilson and Theodore Roosevelt.Belknap Press of Harvard University Press,1983.


• 973.911 R781R Morris, Edmund. The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt. Coward, McCann & Geoghegan, 1979.
• 
  

NationMaster, a new website

Nationmaster (http://www.nationmaster.com) is an online resource about countries. Read what Luke Metcalfe, the Manager/Developer says about why he made this site: "The idea for NationMaster arose as I was surfing around the CIA World Factbook. It's a great read but I felt the individual figures (like number of TV's, or kilometres of coastline) didn't mean much on their own. They'd be more illuminating if they were placed alongside other countries and shown relative to population."

"So I decided to put together a website that allowed users to generate graphs based on numerical data extracted from the Factbook. The next (rather obvious) realisation was that there's no reason I couldn't take in data from other sources. Why shouldn't the net have a central location that allows you to compare countries on any statistic you like?"

But why did I do it? To promote education and understanding about the world. To make it easy to engage with the indicators that shape global commerce, health, politics and ecology. To make the facts easily accessible and meaningful. To bring the works of academics, public agencies and private researchers to a wider audience.

One intended use for this site is, during debates in discussion groups, people link to comparisons of specific countries. I hope students, educators and librarians will find the site a useful teaching aide. More generally, I hope the figures will spark people's interest and they'll want to read more.

Further information from the About page says this about NationMaster: "This website was created by Rapid Intelligence, a web technology company based in Sydney, Australia. We produce original sites that provide people with unique views of content."

All statistics on this site are cited. If you are concerned about authenticity and authorship, please view the "Source:" field, found below each graph. Or when viewing country statistics, click the "View with citations" link below the bottom of the page.

Other sites similar to NationMaster include:

UNdata
GlobalEdge
The World Factbook
Background Notes

Columbus sighted America 516 years ago

Yesterday marked the 516th anniversary of when Columbus first sighted land in the Carribean Sea that started the flow of Europeans to the Americas. Today, Monday, October 13, is when this event is observed. Whether this event began the colonization and civilization of the Americans, or the destruction and slaughter of thousands and thousands of Native Americans, and the destruction of many Native civilizations is left to you to decide. However you feel about this event, here are some links that contain more information:

The Columbus Navigation Homepage

1492: Christopher Columbus: Man and Myth

Catholic Encyclopedia: Christopher Columbus

Famous People: Christopher Columbus: BBC

Images of Christopher Columbus and His Voyages

Christopher Columbus and the Flat Earth Myth

The Scandalous Flat Earth Myth

Zarahemla Research Foundation: Christopher Columbus: Man of Vision and Faith

Christopher Columbus: Hero or Murderer?

Today in History: October 12

The History of Columbus Day

Examining the Reputation of Christopher Columbus

The Library has many books on Columbus:

• 970.015 C781 Columbus, Christopher.  The Log of Christopher Columbus. Camden, Maine:  International Marine Pub. Co., c1987.



• B C72cEk   Colon, Fernando. The Life and Times of Admiral
  Christopher Columbus by His Son Ferdinand.  New Brunswick, New Jersey: Rutgers University Press, 1959.



• 973.1 Ir8D  Discovery and Conquest of the New World: Containing the Life and Times of Christopher Columbus (by Washington Irving). Chicago: Chas. Webb & Co, 1892




• B C72d2 Downworth, Albert Bernard. Why Columbus Sailed. New York: Exposition Press, 1953.



• R 970.015 C46 Christopher Columbus Encyclopedia. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1992



• 929.7315 C776L   Landstrom, Bjorn. Columbus; the Story of Don Christobal
  Colon, Admiral of the Ocean. New York: Macmillan, 1967.



• B C72mor Morrison, Samuel Eliot, ed. Journals and Other Documents on the Life and Voyages of Christopher Columbus. New York: The Heritage Press, 1963.



• B C72m Morrison, Samuel Eliot. Admiral of the Ocean Sea, A Life of Christopher Columbus.  Boston: Little, Brown and Co, 1942.



• 970.015 C726p  Phillips, William D. The Worlds of Christopher Columbus.   New York: Cambridge University Press, 1992.



• R 912 T48   The Times Atlas of World Exploration: 3000 Years of Exploring, Explorers and Mapmaking. New York:
  HarperCollins Publishers, 1991.



• B C72w   Wassermann, Jakob. Columbus, Don Quixote of the Seas.
  Boston: Little, Brown and Co., 1930.

Finincial Crisis

The financial situation in our country is precarious. Here are some links to some sites on the Internet that might be of help in learning more about what is going on:

The United States Department of the Treasuary
Finaicial Crisis: A Guide to the Recent Financial Crisis by the Colorado State University Libraries
Yahoo Finance
CNN/Money
Forbes.com
MSN Money
NYSE: The New York Stock Exchange
The Financial Times London-Global Financial Crisis
The Guardian: The Observer: The 2008 Crash
America's Money Crisis
HowStuffWorks LibGuide: Economy 101 and Financial Crisis Guide

Equinox (That is Fall) approaching

Equinox! What does it mean? Well, the term is from Latin and it means "equal night."
Further definition comes from Infoplease:

"In the language of science, an equinox is either of two points on the celestial sphere where the ecliptic and the celestial equator intersect. For the rest of us, it's one of two times a year when the Sun crosses the equator, and the day and night are of approximately equal length.

At the autumnal equinox (Sept 22, 2008; 11:44:18 A.M. EDT), the Sun appears to cross the celestial equator, from north to south; this marks the beginning of autumn in the Northern Hemisphere."

Here are some other websites that explain all about the Autumnal Equinox.

"The Autumnal Equinox" Infoplease
Fall Equinox Celebrations
The First Day of Autumn
National Weather Service: Why Do We Have Seasons?
Seasons of the Year
Interplanaetary Fall

Constitution Day

Today marks the 221st anniversary of when the United States Constitution was signed, on September 17, 1787. We need to remember the freedoms thet we enjoy through the Constitution on this day. For more information on the signing of the Constitution and on Constitution Day, see the following: Constitution Day

9-11 Seven Years Later

Seven years ago, on September 11, 2001, the World Trade Center buildings were attacked by terrorists that flew two commercial airliners into each building. The two towers were destroyed with great loss of life. A third airliner crashed into the Pentagon, while a fourth crased in rural Pennsylvania. More information about that awful day may be found at this site: 911 Remembered

Labor Day

While you are enjoying Labor Day this comming Monday, I thought that you might be interested to know what Labor Day is all about and how it came to be. This information comes from the U.S. Department of Labor web site:

"Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country."

"More than 100 years after the first Labor Day observance, there is still some doubt as to who first proposed the holiday for workers."

"Some records show that Peter J. McGuire, general secretary of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners and a cofounder of the American Federation of Labor, was first in suggesting a day to honor those "who from rude nature have delved and carved all the grandeur we behold.""

"But Peter McGuire's place in Labor Day history has not gone unchallenged. Many believe that Matthew Maguire, a machinist, not Peter McGuire, founded the holiday. Recent research seems to support the contention that Matthew Maguire, later the secretary of Local 344 of the International Association of Machinists in Paterson, N.J., proposed the holiday in 1882 while serving as secretary of the Central Labor Union in New York. What is clear is that the Central Labor Union adopted a Labor Day proposal and appointed a committee to plan a demonstration and picnic."

"The first Labor Day holiday was celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in New York City, in accordance with the plans of the Central Labor Union. The Central Labor Union held its second Labor Day holiday just a year later, on September 5, 1883."

"In 1884 the first Monday in September was selected as the holiday, as originally proposed, and the Central Labor Union urged similar organizations in other cities to follow the example of New York and celebrate a "workingmen's holiday" on that date. The idea spread with the growth of labor organizations, and in 1885 Labor Day was celebrated in many industrial centers of the country."


More information can be found at the U.S. Department of Labor site at: http://www.dol.gov/OPA/ABOUTDOL/LABORDAY.HTM

Textbooks Now Available in the Library!

The cost of textbooks has increased markedly in the last few years and many students are having difficulty in purchasing all the required texts for their courses. To help alleviate this challenge, SE has established the Textbook Reserve Program (TRP). The TRP cannot provide textbooks for every course offered; however, the program wishes to serve as many students as possible.

• The TRP currently targets currently enrolled undergraduate students.
• Textbooks are available for the following courses: College Success; all zero-level courses; all general education courses.
• Number of textbooks available for a class is based on enrollment (ca. 1 for every 33 students)
• Textbooks may be checked out from the Circulation Desk at the Henry G. Bennett Library for a 2-hour period with a valid student ID.
• Textbooks are for room use only and may not be removed from the library or checked out overnight.
• A list of textbooks available in the TRP may be found on the TRP website (textbooks are listed by Instructor, Course Title, and Course Number).
• There are plans to expand the program in the future.

The web address for the TRP program is as follows: http://www.se.edu/lib/trp/

Welcome/Welcome Back SE Students!

The Library faculty and staff would like to take this opportunity to welcome all new students to Southeastern Oklahoma State University, and to welcome back those returning students. We hope that your time here at SE will be enjoyable and that you will drink freely in the fountian of knowledge that is being offered to you while you are here.

Hiroshima--The Atomic Bomb 63 Years Later

On August 6, 1945, a single U.S. airplane dropped one bomb on Hiroshima. The Japanese who lived in the city were not afraid of a single airplane. But the ensuing destruction caused by the bomb to the city, and the thousands who died in the blast and in the years afterward.
Whether the atomic bomb was needed to end the war with Japan, or whether the U.S. used the bomb to scare the Russians is debatable, but this much is known: that the destructive power of the nuclear bomb is so great, that such a weapon has been used on people in wartime only twice, in August 1945. Since then the destructive power of nuclear bombs have grown tremendously, but since 1945 they have not been used. Here are some websites that discuss Hiroshima nad Nagasaki:

The Atomic Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Hiroshima Archive
The Voice of Hibakusha: Eyewitness Accounts of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima
Hiroshima and Nagasaki Remembered

Anniversary of the westward migration of a people

This Thursday, July 24, is the 111th Anniversary of when the the vanguard company of the Mormons arrived at their new home, in the Salt Lake Valley. They had traveled from Winter Quarters, Nebraska, and followed the Platte River on the north side, and stopped at Ft. Larime. They then crossed Wyoming and arrived in the Salt Lake Valley on July 24th. This began the exodus of the Mormons from the east over the next several years. Over the next fifty years, many were began in Utah, Arizona, Nevada, Idaho, Wyoming, Canada, and Mexico.






Here is what the Library of Congress has to say about the exodus of the Mormons:



"Completing a treacherous thousand-mile exodus, an ill and exhausted Brigham Young and fellow members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints arrived in Utah's Great Salt Lake Valley on July 24, 1847. The Mormon pioneers viewed their arrival as the founding of a Mormon homeland, hence Pioneer Day. The Mormons, as they were commonly known, left their settlement in Nauvoo, Illinois, and journeyed West seeking refuge from religious persecution. The final impetus for their trek was the murder of founder and prophet Joseph Smith on June 27, 1844."

"Determined to settle in an isolated region, the pioneers made their way across the plains and over the Rocky Mountains to Utah. They lost many of their party to disease during the winter months. By the time that they reached Utah, the desolate valley was a welcome sight. Potatoes and turnips were soon planted, and a dam was built. With solemn ceremonies, the settlers consecrated the two-square-mile city, and sent back word that the "promised land" had been found. By the end of 1847, nearly 2,000 Mormons had settled in the Salt Lake Valley."



Whatever you think about the Mormons, this was truly an amazing accomplishment to travel across the plains and build community in such hostile land as the Salt Lake Valley.

Other sources include:

The Mormon Pioneer Trail
The Pioneer Story: The Mormon Pioneer Trial

PBS: The West: Brigham Young

Brigham Young, 2nd President of the Church

Newspaper Archives are Now Available on the Internet

It used to be that if you wanted to have access to the archives of a newspaper, you had to go to a library that had those archives in its holdings. Newspapers were housed in libraries on microfilm reels. This made accessing non-local newspapers difficult.

The Internet is making access to historical newspapers easier. Many newspapers are being scanned and made available on the Internet. Most of the large newspapers, such as the Dallas Morning News, The Los Angeles Times, and the New York Times offer searching their newspaper archives, but to get the full text of the article, it costs money. There are other companies who have gathered together a large number of newspapers and scanned them and they are available to be searched for a fee.

However, there are some local towns and also some states that are beginning to put historical archives of newspapers on the Internet that can be searched and viewed and printed for free. I have provided links to many local and regional newspapers that are available for free at the following website: http://www.se.edu/lib/ecollect.htm.
These newspapers are arranged by state, and not every state has newspaper archives freely available.

These digitized newspapers have been scanned in as pdf documents, so they are very clear to read, and can be enlarged or shrunk down as desired. They can also be searched much easier than paper newspapers on microfilm. Articles from these scanned online newspapers can also be printed out. In some cases, entire pages of the newspaper can be printed out.

These newspapers would be great for researching history topics, or to just view the advertising in these newspapers. It is great to have access to more newspapers from the country. There are several that highlight the Civil War period.

Fourth of July

The 4th of July is Independence Day for the United States of America. On this day in 1776, 232 years ago in Philedelphia, members of the Continental Congress completed signing the Declaration of Independence, establishing the United States of America. It took seven long years of war before that independence was a reality, and four more years before a government was established that really united the United States.
The Library at SOSU has many books on this topic, and here is a good internet site on Independence Day: http://www.usa.gov/Topics/Independence_Day.shtml.

Are We Running out of Oil?

The amount of oil left in the world is debatable depending on the source that you use. Some people think that we have already or soon will reach peak oil production, and that after the peak has been achieved, that declining production rates coupled with rising demand from different countries of the world, particularly China and India, will cause wars and eventually the end of our way of life. Others say that peak oil production is still 10 to 30 or longer years away and that we don’t have to worry now. One thing is clear, we will eventually run out of oil, and that we need to find an alternative source of energy or our way of life as we know it now will come to an end.

The peak production theory was formulated by M. Hubbert. He said that for any non renewable commidity, when half of that commidity has been produced, then you have reached the peak of production for that commidity, and after the peak has been reached, production will fall rapidly. He predicted in 1956 that U.S. oil production would peak in 1970, which it did. He also predicted that world oil production would peak at around 2000. Most now feel that the peak has yet to be reached, but some say that it is looming in the very near future.



Come to the Library and see the display on Are We Running Out of Oil?. Also you can go to the Internet Resources by Subject page, at http://www.se.edu/lib/search2.htm, and click on Energy Resources. It has links to oil energy sites, plus alternative energy sites.

Two agencies of the federal government, The Energy Information Administration of the Department of Energy http://www.eia.doe.gov/, and the U.S. Geological Service, http://energy.usgs.gov/ contain information about energy. They contain information about petroleum, and other energy sources. Some people say that the information about the amount of oil left in the world is flawed, and that the amount of oil left in Saudi Arabia is less than they report. The Energy Information Administration publishes two reports report each year, called Annual Energy Outlook.http://www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/ieo/index.html and the International Energy Outlook http://www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/ieo/index.html.

Gettysburg

July 1-3 marks the 145th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg, the turning point of the Civil War. Thousands go to the battle site each year, located near a small town in Southern Pennsylvania. The SOSU Library has many books on this famous battle.

D-Day is this Friday

This Friday marks the 64th anniversary of the Allied landings at Normandy in Northwest France during World War II. This landing opened up the second front against Hitler's Nazi Germany. The end of that regime would come less than a year later. More information about D-Day can be found by going to the following website:
http://www.se.edu/lib/dday.htm

We Know We Belong to the Land Exhibit

Southeastern Oklahoma State University will host the traveling exhibit “We Know We Belong to the Land: A Hundred Years of Oklahoma and the Congress” from May 5 through June 6.
The exhibit was created in conjunction with Oklahoma’s statehood centennial. It charts important American historical and political milestones as they affected our state, such as the territorial government, both World Wars, the Great Depression, and the civil rights movement.
The exhibit features photos of each Oklahoman who represented our state in Congress from the late 1800s to our current delegation, more than 100 in all.
Southeastern Director of Library Services Sharon Morrison said, “This exhibit started in 2007 and has been on the road for more than a year and a half throughout our state. We’re very honored to be able to host this event.
“We are hosting the exhibit on the main floor of the Henry G. Bennett Memorial Library on campus. It was created in commemoration of our statehood and this is an excellent opportunity for our entire community, adults and students, to revisit our history.
“We will complement the exhibit with some books and other items from our library. There is no admission charge and we encourage everyone to come out and experience a great look at our past.”
This exhibit was created by the Carl Albert Congressional Research and Studies Center at the University of Oklahoma with support from the Oklahoma Humanities Council.
There is also an online version of the complete exhibit which features audio clips of campaign jingles, speeches, and a press conference. Also available online is a PDF teachers’ guide to the exhibit. To view the online exhibit, please visit http://www.ou.edu/special/albertctr/archives/ .

Cinco de Mayo

CINCO DE MAYO!

This is a holiday that celebrates not Mexican Independence, which occurs on September 16, but the Mexican Victory at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. Mexico was in a bad way after years of rule of Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, and in 1861, Benito Juarez, the president of Mexico, decided to suspend payments on the foreign debt for a couple of years. England, Spain, and France decided that they couldn't wait for payment and invaded Mexico to collect the debt owed them. Spain and England made seperate deals with Mexico, but France decided to stay and create an empire in Mexico. They marched from Vera Cruz and headed for Mexico City. But the Mexicans defeated them at the Battle of Puebla. See more about Cinco de Mayo at these sites:
http://www.vivacincodemayo.org/history.htm

http://www.mexonline.com/cinco-de-mayo.htm

May Day

Tommorrow is May Day. Here is a description of what May Day is from Infoplease.com:
"May 1st, often called May Day, just might have more holidays than any other day of the year. It's a celebration of Spring. It's a day of political protests. It's a neopagan festival, a saint's feast day, and a day for organized labor. In many countries, it is a national holiday." See more about May Day at the Infoplease site, at: http://www.infoplease.com/spot/mayday.html.

Annual Library Faculty and Student Surveys

It is April and that means that it is time for the Annual Library Faculty and Student Satisfaction Surveys! You can be a part of making the library better! You can say what is good and what isn't good about the Library! You can help make the library serve you better! All you have to do is to read the following informed consent statement and then click on the appropriate link at the bottom of this post!


SOUTHEASTERN OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY
INFORMED CONSENT STATEMENT

Annual Faculty and Student Library Satisfaction Surveys

You are invited to participate in a research study. The purpose of this study is to find out what the faculty at SOSU feel about the SOSU Library in order to improve the services that we offer. It will be greatly appreciated if you can take this survey.

Information

If you choose to participate in this study, you will be presented with 13 questions which are all multiple choice, except the last one. We estimate that participation in this survey will take less than 10 minutes. We hope to recruit at least 100 people for participation in this survey. Your participation is greatly appreciated!

Risks

There are no foreseeable risks associated with this study.

Benefits

As a faculty member of SOSU, your Library needs are important to us. By taking this survey, you will assist us in providing you better Library services.

Confidentiality

No personally identifying information is maintained in connection with survey results. Your responses are not connected with you in any way. In other words, this is an anonymous survey.

Contact

If you have questions at any time about the study or the procedures, you may contact the researcher, Dennis Miles, LIB 103, 580-745-2396, or by email at dmiles@se.edu. If you feel you have not been treated according to the descriptions in this form, or your rights as a participant in research have been violated during the course of this project, you may contact the chair of the office for the Southeastern Oklahoma State University Human Subjects Research Review Committee, at 580/745-2338, or by e-mail at bflippen@se.edu.

Participation

Your participation in this study is voluntary. If you decide to participate, you may withdraw from the study at anytime, and you may refuse to answer any question.

Consent

If you would like, please print this page for your records.

HERE IS THE LINK FOR THE FACULTY SURVEY


http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=CwdfHm4LzKiEsBL31FpmXg_3d_3d

HERE IS THE LINK FOR THE STUDENT SURVEY




http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=TWNxT10qTUMwTAxIH0LEkQ_3d_3d

Titanic Sinks 96 Years ago

At 2:20 AM on April 15, 1912, the White Star Liner Titanic sank after hitting an iceburg. This has become the most well known sea disaster of all time. The Henry G. Bennett Memorial Library has several books on this disaster. For more information on the ship, see the Titanic Historical Society Website, at: http://www.titanic1.org/

New Display in Library

The Display Case in the Library now holds materials relating to Thomas Jefferson, Third President of the United States. Thomas Jefferson was born 265 years ago on April 13, 1743. Jefferson was one of our founding fathers and should be honored for his accomplishments. The display was expertly done by Brooke Reynolds. Come into the library to see this display. To find out more about Thomas Jefferson, the library has several books on him.

Welcome New Cataloging Librarian!

A new cataloging librarian has joined the staff of the Henry G. Bennett Memorial Library. Kathryn (Kate) Plunkett comes to SOSU from Austin College in Sherman, TX, where she was the cataloger and serials supervisor. Kate is an SOSU alumna graduating in 1993 with a BA in Psychology. Her MLS is from Texas Woman’s University in Denton, TX with an emphasis in Technical Services.
Kate lives in Denison with her husband Henry. They live in a geodesic dome which they built themselves. She has one daughter, Alexa, who is a Montessori teacher in Seattle, WA.

In her free time, Kate enjoys travel, fitness, meditation and communing with nature.
Kate has volunteered to be the SOSU contact person for anyone wishing to form a carpool. Just email her (kplunkett@se.edu) with your location and schedule and she will let you know if there is a possible match with someone else on campus.

Students get creative at library

I would like to announce a new link on the Library’s main page called: yourspace.com—a place for student tutorials.
This page contains links to four PowerPoint presentations created by students in the library section of the Orientation (College Success) classes taught by Sharon Morrison and Susan Webb this past fall semester and the current spring semester. There is one called “So You Have to do a Research Paper?” that explains how to use EBSCOhost, another one called “Searching the Library for a Book” on the catalog. A third one is called “The Spot for What’s Hot” which talks about using the Internet, and the final one is called “Wilson Select Plus Tutorial, which explains how to use FirstSearch databases. Take a look at what creative things that students can do!
The link is: http://www.se.edu/lib/studentppt.htm

St. Patricks' Day

"St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, is one of Christianity's most widely known figures. But for all his celebrity, his life remains somewhat of a mystery. Many of the stories traditionally associated with St. Patrick, including the famous account of his banishing all the snakes from Ireland, are false, the products of hundreds of years of exaggerated storytelling." Who Was St. Patrick? on the History Channel Online for more information on St. PAtrick and from where the above information came from.
"St. Patrick's Day is celebrated on March 17, his religious feast day and the anniversary of his death in the fifth century. The Irish have observed this day as a religious holiday for thousands of years....Today, St. Patrick's Day is celebrated by people of all backgrounds in the United States, Canada, and Australia. Although North America is home to the largest productions, St. Patrick's Day has been celebrated in other locations far from Ireland, including Japan, Singapore, and Russia." See St. Patrick's Day History on the History Channel Online for more information on the History of St. Patrick's day and from where the above information came from.

Why Do We have Daylight Savings Time?

This Sunday Americans in most states will move their clocks forward one hour in observance of Daylight Savings time. But what is daylight savings time?

"Daylight Saving Time was instituted in the United States during World War I in order to save energy for war production by taking advantage of the later hours of daylight between April and October. During World War II the federal government again required the states to observe the time change. Between the wars and after World War II, states and communities chose whether or not to observe Daylight Saving Time. In 1966, Congress passed the Uniform Time Act which standardized the length of Daylight Saving Time."

"Arizona (except some Indian Reservations), Hawaii, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and American Samoa have chosen not to observe Daylight Saving Time. This choice does make sense for the areas closer to the equator because the days are more consistent in length throughout the year."

"Other parts of the world observe Daylight Saving Time as well. While European nations have been taking advantage of the time change for decades, in 1996 the European Union (EU) standardized a EU-wide European Summer Time. This EU version of Daylight Saving Time runs from the last Sunday in March through the last Sunday in October."

"On Sunday, March 9 (the second Sunday in March) at 2 a.m., Daylight Saving Time begins in the United States. This is the second year that Daylight Saving Time is four weeks longer due to the passage of the Energy Policy Act in 2005. The Act, which extends Daylight Saving Time by four weeks from the second Sunday of March to the first Sunday of November, is expected to save 10,000 barrels of oil each day through reduced use of power by businesses during daylight hours."
From Daylight Saving Time (Not Daylight "Savings" Time)" by Matt Rosenberg at About.com Geography

Thanks to Judy Hodges for the picture

Thank you Judy Hodges for the picture of the Library in the snow. The picture was taken Tuesday morning after the early morning snowfall.

Alexander Graham Bell Birthday

Today marks the 161st anniversary of Alexander Graham Bell's birth. Born March 3, 1847, Bell is best known for the invention of the telephone in 1876. Here are some web sites that are about Bell:

Alexendar Graham Bell, Biography

Alexendar Graham Bell and His Telephone

Alexendar Graham Bell's Path to the telephone

Alexendar Graham Bell Family Papers

More About Bell from PBS

Why do We Have a February 29th This year?

February 29th comes only once every four years. The reason for this is the earth goes around the sun every 365 and 1/4 days, or 6 hours. So after 4 years, enough time has elapsed to insert an extra day into the calendar, and that day is February 29th. This occurs in the calendar that is used by most of the world, the Gregorian Calendar. A person born on leap year is called a leapling, and can celebrate their birthday on February 28 or March 1st. For additional information, please consult:

The Leap Year and Leap Day
Leap Year 101
Leap Year Explained
Wikipedia: February 29th