A Plastic Free Life?

Is living a plastic-free life even possible? Beth Terry of Oakland, California, author of the blog, MyPlasticFreeLife.com, thinks we should try. Read her Plastic-free Living Guide for a long list of ways to–if not completely eliminate–at least dramatically reduce the amount of plastic you and I use every day. I ran across mention of this blog in a book review, and I had to check it out.

One of Beth’s top 2 suggestions for reducing plastic use is probably something many of you already do: use reusable cloth shopping bags. It seems like every store has their own reusable bag these days, but you don’t have to buy one for each store you visit. I use my Woodmans’ green-cloth bags everywhere, even in other grocery stores. I especially like Target’s 5 cent discount, given if you bring your own bag, no matter what store name is stamped on it.

Number 2 on her list? Stop drinking bottled water. Really, who needs it? Buy yourself a good plastic-free water bottle and fill it up every day. This is Whitewater, folks. The water is clean.

There are a total of 95 suggestions on her list. Some are easy to do (stop using those plastic baggies provided for produce in the grocery store), others not so much (make your own clothes).

You were looking for a summer project, right? Why not see how much you can cut back on your use of plastics? Check out MyPlasticFreeLife.com to get started.

Interested in learning more about plastics and the environment? Try the DVD, Addicted to Plastic, available in our Academic DVD collection at TD798 .A33 2008. Or how about the book, Plastics and the Environment, available in our Main Collection at TP1120 .A54 2003. Search the Library’s online catalog for other possibilities.

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GoodGuide

GoodGuide claims to be “the world’s largest and most reliable source of information on the health, environmental, and social impacts of consumer products.” You can use it on the web or get the mobile app for your tablet or smartphone.

At this site you can search for specific products or browse categories to identify the best products. Of course, there will be products that are not rated, like the first dry cat food I tried to find (naturally) and the Kindle.

Screen shot of a GoodGuide product ratingGoodGuide assigns three ratings to products and companies to indicate how healthy, environmentally friendly, and socially responsible they are, ranging from 0 to 10 (10 is best). Ratings also are color-coded (green is good, red is bad, tan or orange hues are in the middle). Both product-level data and company information are used. I strongly recommend reading more details about the ratings on the web site, so you can decide how much to rely on them. While looking at a product’s ratings, click on the overall rating to see more detail about it.

The usefulness of ratings like these depends on the data available for examination, which in many cases is not much. Learn more in article, “The trouble with green product ratings” (Fortune International (Europe), vol.164:no.3, pp.32-36).

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Holy New Website, Batman!

new website

That’s right – the Andersen Library will be launching a new website next Tuesday (May 15). Don’t you worry, it’ll be relatively similar to the current site, with the navigation bar at the top to lead to the major sections of the website. It will still have the search utility on the home page for quick access to HALCAT, the online catalog, as well as the top databases and journal holdings.

However, just as with our previous redesign several years ago, many of the links to library pages will break. Links to the course guides (the links start with http://libguides.uww.edu instead of http://library.uww.edu) will remain the same, but all others will no longer work after Tuesday. If you have any links to the Library’s web pages embedded in D2L or elsewhere, you will most likely have to change them. Contact a library staff member if you have any issues finding the new locations for the pages.

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Library Hours May 14-28

clip art of lilac-like flowerAnother Spring Semester over, and Summer Session not yet begun! Andersen Library’s hours from May 14-28 are:

  • Mon., May 14 (makeup exam day): 7 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
  • Tues.-Fri., May 15-18: 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
  • CLOSED Sat.-Sun., May 19-20
  • Mon.-Fri., May 21-25: 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
  • CLOSED Sat.-Mon., May 26-28 (Monday is Memorial Day)

Enjoy the break, everyone, maybe smell a few lilacs, and we hope to see you during the summer!

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Where the arts & crafts are this summer

Cover of Wisconsin Art & Craft Fair 2012 DirectoryAre you looking for the arts and crafts fairs around Wisconsin this summer? Check the online Wisconsin Art & Craft Fairs Directory for 2012!

It’s listings are chronological, but there are indexes by city and county.

There’s information here for those of you who want to display and sell your work too!

FDLP logoAndersen Library is a federal and Wisconsin depository library with many federal and state government documents on a variety of current and relevant issues available to you in print, microfiche, CD-ROM, and electronically. Check out your government at Andersen Library!

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Horicon Marsh Bird Festival, May 11-12, 2012

Looking for something to do this weekend? Do you like the outdoors? Hiking? Birding? Well, go to the Horicon Marsh Bird Festival!

The Horicon Marsh is the largest freshwater cattail marsh in the United States, a “Wetland of International Importance,” and an “Important Bird Area.”

Every year the Horicon hosts a Bird Festival in May. This is the 15th year, and a full list of events is available from the Horicon Marsh Bird Club’s web site. Check the event listing to see if any opportunities are full already (the bus trips fill up)!

You can learn more about the marsh from the websites of the Wisconsin Dept. of Natural Resources and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Andersen Library is a federal and Wisconsin depository library with many federal and state government documents on a variety of current and relevant issues available to you in print, microfiche, CD-ROM, and electronically. Come check out your government at Andersen Library!

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New Stuff Tuesday – May 8

Fat, Drunk, and Stupid

Fat, Drunk, and Stupid:
The Inside Story Behind the Making of Animal House
by Matty Simmons
PN1997 .A4255 S57 2012
New Arrivals, 2nd floor

Sitting at the Reference Desk, I have the pleasure of overhearing some really interesting conversations [some of which I'd wish that I didn't]. Based on what I’ve gathered the last few days, it would seem that finals week is a good time for people to go out and get wasted [just be safe, alright?]. Speaking of mixing academics and alcohol, this week’s featured title discusses the cult classic detailing the ‘best days of your life.’

Simmons, the founder of National Lampoon, talks about how Animal House, the 1978 film that propelled the career of John Belushi and provides the quintessential view of fraternities, came to fruition. According to the author, the screenwriters based the movie on their time in college at Dartmouth and put together a cast of unknowns to create the on-screen magic. The shoestring budget of $3 million was enough to produce a film that grossed $141 million at the box office. Simmons utilizes his intimate knowledge and access to the major contributors to its success for an unrivaled firsthand account of Hollywood serendipity.

[Sadly, there was no mention of Whitewater in the book.]

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Where the Wild Things Are author dies

If I said, “Maurice Sendak passed away today,” that might not mean much to a lot of you. But what if I said, “The man who wrote and illustrated Where the Wild Things Are passed away today”? Now you know who I’m talking about, right?

Maurice Sendak, author and illustrator of the children’s book classic, Where the Wild Things Are, died today, May 8, 2012, at the age of 83. In his lifetime, he wrote and/or illustrated dozens of children’s books, including the recent picture book Bumble-Ardy, which spent 5 weeks on the New York Times children’s bestseller list in 2011.

But, he is best known and remembered for Where the Wild Things Are. The book was first published in 1963, and was a 1964 Caldecott Medal Winner for the Most Distinguished Picture Book of the Year. Who could forget Max in his wolf suit, sent to bed without supper, then sailing off until he “came to the place where the wild things are”? And they made him their king, and Max and the wild things danced, and hung from trees, and they carried him on their shoulders. Until Max got lonely, “and wanted to be where someone loved him best of all.”

So he sailed home.

In addition to the Caldecott Medal, Mr. Sendak received many other awards, including the National Medal of Arts in 1996. You can read more about him in the New York Time‘s article, “Maurice Sendak, Author of Splendid Nightmares, Dies at 83.”

Thanks, Mr. Sendak. Rest in peace.

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How old are you, biologically?

Are your habits aging you prematurely and taking years off your life expectancy? Take the Vitality Compass, a life expectancy quiz which will tell you how long you can expect to live given your current lifestyle. You might not want to do this while you’re stressing over exams, though!

Cover of Blue ZonesWhat’s the basis of this compass? You’ve probably heard of the “blue zones,” those pockets around the planet where people live longer at a higher rate than elsewhere. Well, the team studying the lifestyles of people in those zones say they share nine characteristics. You can read the book, The blue zones: Lessons for living longer from the people who’ve lived the longest (currently on reserve at Andersen Library’s Circulation Desk, RA776.75 .B84 2008; request it from another UW campus library using the free “Universal Borrowing” service; or get it at Whitewater’s public library, Non-Fiction call no. 613.2 B928 ).

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Study Tips

Good luck on your exams! Here are some college study tips for students from CollegeTips.com:

Create Mnemonics

Mnemonics are devices that can help you memorize formulas, key concepts, definitions, etc. A really basic example of a mnemonic is “Please excuse my dear Aunt Sally” which stands for parenthesis, exponents, multiplication, division, addition, and subtraction.

Make a Study Guide

Whether or not your professor gives you a study guide for an exam, making a study guide is very helpful when studying for tests. Go through the textbook, notes, and any other material and write down any information that you think may be on the test such as important concepts, definitions, and formulas. Reading and writing the information will help you memorize it faster. If your professor gives you a study guide, make sure to cover all the points listed.

Make Flash Cards

Making flash cards can be a bit time consuming, but flash cards are helpful tools in remembering vocabulary, formulas, and key concepts. They are also easy to carry around with you so you can review them anytime.

Quiz Yourself

To ensure that you are prepared for your test, make a mock quiz to test how well you know the material. Write down a list of keywords or questions and make sure to leave room underneath each one. Then, pretend that you’re taking the test and write down as much as you can.

Set Time Goals

Setting time goals for yourself will help make sure that you stay on track especially when you have time constraints. You’re more likely to be productive if you have goals to achieve.

Remember to Take Breaks

Studying is hard stuff. You need to take short breaks to allow your brain to process and retain the information. Otherwise, you may confuse yourself or forget something you have already studied. Be sure to take only a short break, otherwise, it may be hard to go back to studying. When you begin studying again, review the material you have already studied, then, move on to something new.

Don’t Study Alone

Studying with other people is always easier, because you are all there and you know nothing else is going on. If possible convince your college friends to meet at the library at a specific time on a regular basis. If you and your friends have different schedules, do your best to find time when at least two of you are able to meet. This will also help you and your friends develop good study skills, keep tabs on your friends, and make sure they will be with you on graduation day.

Study During the Week

For those college students who like to party, studying during the week is the way to go. Typically studying Monday through Thursday is the way to go. When it’s not football season, Sunday could also be a good day, but never count on it. If you have time between or after classes while you are still on campus, that is the best time to pop into the library for a quick hour of studying. This will allow you to enjoy your nights without worrying about studying later. Thursdays are notorious for being college party nights, so dont plan on studying late that night. College students that are big partiers will be hungover Friday, Saturday and Sunday, so the week is usually the best time. Having self control and studying hard all week should allow students have the weekends free.

Schedule Time for Studying

College students who regularly have gaps in their class schedule should mark off those hours as study time. By making it part the routine, students should get into the habit after a few weeks, and not even think about it. The key is to start right away and try not to cheat. College students who do not have gaps in their schedule should plan for times before or after class, or schedule time at night.

Get lots of sleep

College Students who get a full night of sleep are usually more alert, more focused and learn things easier than those who are sleep deprived. Try to keep your sleep schedule as consistent as possible. On the weekends avoid sleeping in too late, because it will make it harder to wake up for your first class.

Avoid Studying on Coffee, Ritalin and Adderall

Since studying is no fun, students look for ways to enhance their ability to study an stay focused. Coffee has been used by college students to pull "all-nighters" or just to prevent falling asleep in an open book. If you choose to use coffee as a study aid, monitor your sleep patterns and how you feel throughout the day before making it a regular habit. Ritalin and Adderall are prescription drugs used to treat ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) and ADHD (Attention Deficit Disorder). These drugs are hard to predict because they are made for students with ADD/ADHD. Students without either disorder are advised not to take these if not prescribed, but there are always college students who choose to sell some or all of their prescribed medication. If you choose to go that route and try it (not recommended), be sure to try small doses at first (5 mg or 10 mg) so you can see its effects. As always, students should only take things from those who are trusted.

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