For many people, the New Year prompts thoughts of leaving bad habits behind or maybe trying something new. If you’re determined to do better in the coming year than you did last year, the Library can help. You may not have had the Library in mind when you made your resolutions, but once you’ve made ‘em, we can help you keep ‘em. The Library is a great place to find books that will help you turn over a new page in your life.
Here are a few searches in the Online Catalog that will help you find books and videos on these popular New Year’s Resolutions:
Whitewater’s very own Matt Scott is featured in a Nike commercial set to air next week. He’s an excellent representative of the University and of wheelchair athletics. In case you haven’t seen the commercial, check it out below.
Matt, I have another excuse for you: I have to go to the library.
Did you think of that one? =)
Nike commercial to feature wheelchair basketball player Matt Scott - press release from Marketing & Media Relations
Thanks to Ronna for the link!
As everyone takes a break from classes to enjoy the holidays and the impending new year, the blog’s going to take a mini-break as well. To keep you tied over until we start posting again next week, feel free to sit by our virtual fire, courtesy of YouTube.
If you’re traveling this season, please be safe. There are websites (usually from a state’s department of transportation) that can help you make decisions about when and where to drive.
Driving Conditions (Wisconsin Dept. of Transportation)
This site provides a map showing conditions on interstates and other major highways in Wisconsin, info on work zones, links to traffic cameras and congestion maps for Madison and Milwaukee, and links to weather sites.
Other states may have similar sites, e.g.,
There are often toll-free phone numbers to call also, e.g,. for Wisconsin’s road report call 1-800-ROADWIS (762-3947).
The University Library is a federal depository with many federal, state, local, and international 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 the University Library!
When people think of the library, they don’t necessarily think to turn to us for investment advice. While we wouldn’t advise anyone on where to put their money, we can point you to credible and respectable sources for that sort of information. Conveniently enough, Morningstar, one of the top investment analysis firms and financial resource, has released their picks on the stocks and funds that will perform well in the coming year. Reknown for their mutual fund Where to Invest in 2008 contains information on the ‘Four Funds for an IRA,’ the ‘10 Best Companies in the World,’ the ‘Best Funds for 2008,’ and ‘Tune Up Your Portfolio in the New Year.’
To access the Morningstar report, use the following link - the report is linked under Important Articles in the center of the page.
Be on the lookout in March for an upcoming library session about the investing resources that we offer!
Polish your Cha-Cha shoes and get ready to dance to our three new CDs by Cuban legend Ibrahim Ferrer.
In 1999, Ferrer was “discovered” by American Guitarist Ry Cooder with the release of “Buena Vista Social Club Presents: Ibrahim Ferrer” (New Book Island M 1681 C918 F477 1999). What “discovered” really means is that the finally, after years of shining shoes for a living, the 72 year-old Ferrer got the popular attention he deserved.
Before the Buena Vista Social Club, Ferrer had been performing in the streets, clubs and dance halls of Santiago, Cuba. Over the years he, along with many other great talents, helped to develop the unique blend that characterized the Cuban music during the 1950s. Many of the gaugaucos and yambas that made up the Cuban “sound” can be found on the Essential Ibrahim Ferrer (New Book Island M1681 C918 F47 2006).
In 2007, two years after his death, Ferrer’s final recording Mi Sueño (New Book Island M 1681 C918 F4 2007) was released. The slower, more romantic and intimate, known as boleros, beautifully showcases Ferrer’s incredible voice and style.
sample of Ibrahim Ferrer (MP3 - 330K)
Global warming has been making headlines for a while now and has become a major issue on the radar of the world’s citizens. Believe or not, there are other global threats with which we should concern ourselves - like urban expansion and its effects on the surrounding areas or the current state of the world’s plants and animals.
Conveniently enough, PBS, with support from the National Science Foundation, has released a ten-volume video series to help explain the issues that affect our planet. The series entitled Journey to Planet Earth, narrated by Matt Damon and Kelly McGillis, takes you on a trip around the globe to look at how nature is holding up. Topics include water and air pollution, extinction, land use and other environmental issues.
To check the status and location of the videos, do a keyword search for “journey to planet earth” in the catalog or use the following link.
No, seriously - turn yourself or a friend into a dancing elf. OfficeMax started the promotional website to obviously cause millions of people to waste time either creating or admiring others’ work of the elfamorphosis.
Since it’s Friday, I thought I’d display some of the fine work of my co-workers. Check it out!
the ‘kids’ of the library as elves
Have fun with Elf Yourself, but make sure that you don’t procrastinate too much.
Looking for international statistics? Country info? The United Nations may have just the numbers you need!
There are several United Nations statistical databases available free (for non-commercial use) online at http://unstats.un.org/unsd/databases.htm:
- Census Knowledge Base
The Census Knowledge Base, a fundamental part of the resource centre for the 2010 World Population and Housing Census Programme, is a repository of documents relevant for the field of population and housing census taking. more…
- Common Database (UNCDB)
UNCDB provides selected series from numerous specialized international data sources for all available countries and areas. more…
- Demographic Yearbook system
Statistics on population size and composition, births, deaths, marriage and divorce, more…
- Distat, the United Nations Disability Statistics Database
Basic statistics on human functioning and disability, more…
- Good practices database
View this valuable source of information in good practices in official statistics, more…
- InfoNation
Experience this global learning project for middle and secondary students with statistical information on countries. more…
- Joint Oil Data Initiative (JODI)
View the monthly oil data for the countries reporting to UNSD, more…
- Millennium Indicators Database
48 indicators, to measure progress towards the achievement of the Millennium Declaration development goals. more…
- National Accounts Main Aggregates Database
Contains a complete and consistent set of time series of main national accounts aggregates from 1970 onwards, more…
- Population of capital cities and cities of 100,000 and more inhabitants
Population of city proper urban agglomeration, more…
- Population and housing censuses: census dates
Population and housing census information, more…
- Population and Vital Statistics on Internet
Quarterly report on the latest census and mid-year population; latest vital statistics of births, deaths and infant deaths, more…
- Service Trade Statistics
UN ServiceTrade, the United Nations database with Statistics on International Trade in Services, contains annual detailed trade in services data. more…
- Social Indicators
Tables with social indicators covering a wide range of subject matter fields such as education, housing, health, water, more…
- Statistics and indicators on women and men
Statistics and indicators on six specific fields of concern: population, families, health, education, work and politics and human rights, more…
On the same web page you’ll see a couple of subscription (”restricted”) databases also, which are not available. However, the University Library’s first-floor Periodicals Collection does contain Monthly Bulletin of Statistics issues (which provide economic data for countries and regions) since 1971 (and a few other earlier years as well).
The University Library is a federal depository with many federal, state, local, and international 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 the University Library!
Most people that walk by my office have seen the facebook me sign in my window. Well, now you can facebook the Library too. Check out our profile page on there and become a fan. It’s the place to get all of the information about what’s going on - events, photos, blog, discussion boards, the wall - it’s all there.
I know a lot of people use the library computers to go on facebook, so what are you waiting for? =)
