Tag Archive for 'federal government'

Geography Awareness Week

Published
by
Barbara
on November 19, 2009
in around the world and info.gov
. 0 Comments

Geography Awareness Week, November 15-21, 2009, is upon us and has the theme of exploring the world through mapping. How are you celebrating?

If nothing else, “test your geography smarts” online with one of these challenges:

Yikes! They even ask about all those islands out there…

CIA world political map imageNeed to brush up (as I do)? Check out CIA World Factbook maps and “World Maps” available through the Oxford Reference Online Premium database. Or, Andersen Library has a number of print atlases and books about mapping–please ask a librarian for assistance with finding materials.

Quasars, Black Holes & Galaxies talk Nov. 20

Published
by
Barbara
on November 18, 2009
in around the world, campus connection and info.gov
. 0 Comments

Dr. Marsha Wolf, UW-Madison Astronomy Dept. research scientist, will talk about “Quasars, Black Holes and Galaxies: Which Came First?” (UWW Physics Dept.’s 4th Fall 2009 Whitewater Observatory Public Lecture) on Fri., Nov. 20, 8pm, 141 Upham Hall. Public viewing at the Whitewater Observatory will follow, weather permitting. Also enjoy Upham’s lobby exhibit, “From Earth to the Universe.”

ABSTRACT:  As a result of research using telescopes such as the Hubble Space Telescope, we know that most galaxies contain a supermassive black hole whose mass is nearly a constant fraction of its galaxy’s mass. Quasars are supermassive black holes (SBHs) consuming matter at a prodigious rate and giving off light & radio waves in proportion to the matter consumed. Most SBHs in nearby galaxies are not quasars, and quasars as a group are quite distant — implying that a SBH’s quasar phase happens early in its galaxy’s life. Some scientists theorize that SBHs, while growing in their quasar phase, control the rate of growth in mass of their galaxies. If true, which came first: the galaxy feeding the SBH, or the supermassive black hole controlling the growth of the host galaxy?

Chasing Hubbles Shadow coverRelated materials are available in Andersen Library! For example, a search of the HALCat library catalog would find titles such as Chasing Hubble’s Shadows (3rd-floor Main Collection, QB500.262 .K36 2006) and Bright galaxies, dark matters (3rd-floor Main Collection, QB857 .R83 1997). Searching the Library’s article databases, such as the Institute of Physics electronic journals, would find articles such as “Co-Evolution of Supermassive Black Hole and Host Galaxy From z ~ 1 TO z = 0” (The Astrophysical Journal, vol. 696, pp. 1051-1062, doi: 10.1088/0004-637X/696/1/1051).

The European Space Agency’s web pages devoted to the Hubble Space Telescope include the page “Black holes, quasars, and active galaxies.” You also can learn more about the Hubble Space Telescope and its accomplishments and images from NASA’s web site.

Please ask a librarian for assistance with finding materials.

Government Printing Office logo

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!

Coral Reef & Ocean Educational Materials

Published
by
Barbara
on November 9, 2009
in around the world and info.gov
. 0 Comments

Teachers, student teachers, and others with the desire & opportunity to educate youth groups: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has issued two discs of resources for educators on coral reefs and and other ocean topics. Both contain lesson plans, videos, posters, and more:

Screenshot from Living Reef movie Contents of the 2008 NOAA Coral Reef Educational Resources CD are described online, with links to play videos and the coral reef song (yup, a theme song for the International Year of the Reef 2008) online. (My personal favorite is “The Living Reef” video.) See the NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program web page “Resources for Educators” for more K-12 material. You also can visit the Marine Photobank to see images in its “Coral Degradation and Potential Solutions” photo gallery.

Orphan Orca movie screenshotThe 2009 Year of Science: NOAA Education Sampler DVD includes materials about oceans, coasts, atmosphere, and climate science. Resources provided include movies & animations, facts sheets & data sets, story books, activities & lesson plans, and podcasts for use with grades 3-12. I found the “Arctic Sea Ice Changes” animation sobering, and on a lighter note, I was a sap for the “Orphan Orca: Saving Springer” movie (Who doesn’t love a happy ending, and it’s a true story too!).

Hello Fish coverBoth discs are available from the federal depository collection of CDs & DVDs (ask at the Reference Desk), if you prefer that to using the links from the web pages. Additional related materials are available in Andersen Library. For example, search the HALCat Library catalog for “coral reef?” and limit to the Curriculum Collection to find juvenile titles such as Hello fish! Visiting the coral reef (2nd-floor Curriculum Collection, Oversize Juvenile Nonfiction, 597 Ear).

Please ask a librarian for assistance with finding materials.

Government Printing Office logo

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!

Autism

Published
by
Barbara
on October 7, 2009
in around the world and info.gov
. 0 Comments

Earlier this week two government studies indicating increasing prevalence of autism spectrum disorder in children in the U.S. were in the news, including “Autism is more widespread, U.S. studies show, but why?” in USA Today.

The first study, “Prevalence of parent-reported diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder among children in the US, 2007,” was published online by Pediatrics, the official journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, on Oct. 5.

In response, the Centers for Disease Control issued a statement that similar findings will appear in a report from CDC’s Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network later in the year, and “these data affirm that a concerted and substantial national response is warranted.” CDC recommended the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) web site for more information, such as its “Summary of advances in autism spectrum disoder research: Calendar year 2008.”

Students With Autism coverIn addition, Andersen Library has materials on autism. Search HALCat (Andersen Library’s catalog) to find books titles such as Healing and preventing autism: A complete guide (2nd-floor Browsing Books, RJ506.A9 M4252 2009), Autism spectrum disorders: Psychological theory and research (3rd-floor Main Collection, RC553.A88 B694 2007), and Students with autism spectrum disorders: Effective instructional practices (3rd-floor Main Collection, RJ506.A9 H42 2007). Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders coverSearch article databases to find articles such as “Trends in autism spectrum disorder diagnoses: 1994–2007″ (Journal of Autism & Developmental Disorders, Aug. 2009, v.39, no.8, pp. 1099-1111) and “Timing of identification among children with an autism spectrum disorder: Findings from a population-based surveillance study” (Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, May 2009, v.48, no.5, pp. 474-483).

Please ask a librarian for assistance with finding materials.

Government Printing Office logo

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!

Nat’l Alcohol Awareness Week @UWW

Published
by
Barbara
on October 2, 2009
in campus connection and info.gov
. 0 Comments

UWW will observe National Alcohol Awareness Week with several events:

  • Mon., Oct. 5, 6:45 pm: The “Day of Dialogue” program will include stories from students, faculty & staff about alcohol and other drug experiences. Thomas Farley, brother of the late comedian Chris Farley, will speak at 7 pm about his brother’s struggles with addiction. (Hamilton Center, James R. Connor University Center)
  • Tues., Oct. 6, 6:30 pm: Former UW-Whitewater prof. Dan Sable’s video presentation will chronicle his wife’s battle with alcoholism. Sable lost both his wife and son to alcohol-related circumstances. (Room 1303, Hyland Hall)
  • Wed., Oct. 7, 8 pm: Party without drinking–root beer pong, simulated sobriety testing through UW-Whitewater Police Services, a pouring station to illustrate the amount of alcohol in one serving, and musical guest De La Buena. (Down Under, James R. Connor University Center)

College Drinking book coverInterested in research about alcoholism? Andersen Library has materials. Searching HALCat (Andersen Library’s catalog) could find titles on various aspects of alcohol and alcoholism, such as College drinking: reframing a social problem (3rd-floor Main Collection, HV5135 .D69 2009) which explores why students binge drink, what are links to campus crime and sexual assault, and what are effective prevention programs and countermeasures. Another title that could be found is Secondary effects of heavy drinking on campus, an online government publication from the Higher Education Center for Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse and Violence Prevention. A search of the Library’s article databases will find many articles as well.

Please ask a librarian for assistance with finding materials.

Int’l Day of Older Persons (Oct.1)

Published
by
Barbara
on October 1, 2009
in around the world and info.gov
. 1 Comment

The 10th annual International Day of Older Persons, a United Nations-sponsored observation, is Oct. 1, 2009. Each year has a theme, which in 2009 is “Towards a Society for All Ages.”

Graph of aging population increases 1900 to 2050Why is this important? The introduction to the Vienna International Plan of Action on Ageing (1982), the first international instrument intended to guide the formulation of policies on aging, commented on the “social, economic, political and scientific questions raised by the phenomenon of ageing on a massive scale” unknown in previous years, and the trend toward increasing numbers of people living longer is continuing. Since I am, ahem, slowly but relentlessly approaching membership in the “older person” group, since most if not all of us know and care about people who are “older persons” already, and since (with a little luck) most of us will one day be “older persons’ ourselves, these issues affect all of us.

At the second world assembly on aging in 2002, a plan of action was adopted that had three priority directions: older persons and development; advancing health and well-being into old age; and ensuring enabling and supportive environments. The report states that the increase in persons over 60 years of age

“will be greatest and most rapid in developing countries where the older population is expected to quadruple during the next 50 years. This demographic transformation challenges all our societies to promote increased opportunities, in particular opportunities for older persons to realize their potential to participate fully in all aspects of life.”

World Alzheimer's Report 2009 coverUnless we are hiding under a rock, we all hear about a number of issues facing our aging populations, such as financial concerns, nursing home quality control, and many age-related health issues. Recently, for example, I was listening to a segment on NBC’s Today show about one of the health issues related to aging: Alzheimer’s. The cases of people with this dreadful condition are increasing faster than was predicted; according to the World Alzheimer Report dementia cases will nearly double every 20 years, and by 2050 it will affect a “staggering 115.4 million people.” The implications are rather staggering as well. How would we provide decent care for so many? In the meantime, the National Institute on Aging has some information online for this and other age-related health issues. Continuing research on these issues is important so that our increasing numbers of older persons can enjoy a high quality of life for as long as possible. And it will benefit all of us (eventually). It’s also important to consider how our treatment of our older population reflects on us now, and how it will impact the way we are treated as we ourselves age.

Social Policy and Aging book coverIf you are interested in doing research on topics related to aging, Andersen Library has materials you can use. Searching the HALCat, Andersen Library’s catalog, would find titles such as Exploitation of seniors: America’s ailing guardianship system: hearing before the Special Committee on Aging, United States Senate (online or 2nd-floor Federal Documents, Y 4.AG 4:S.HRG.109-753) and Social policy & aging: a critical perspective (3rd-floor Main Collection, HQ1064.U5 E76 2001). Please ask a librarian for assistance with finding materials.

Government Printing Office logo

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!

Distracted Driving Summit, Resources

Published
by
Barbara
on September 30, 2009
in around the world, info.gov and online @ the library
. 0 Comments

screenshot from the online summitWatch the Distracted Driving Summit live webcast Sept. 30 (7:30am-4pm)-Oct. 1 (6:30am-12:15pm). The archived summit will be available for a year. The agenda is online as well.

Driver Distraction coverIf you are interested in researching driver distraction, Andersen Library has materials. A search of HALCat (Andersen Library’s catalog) will find titles such as Driver distraction: theory, effects, and mitigation (3rd-floor Main Collection, HE5620.D59 D75 2009) and Driver distraction, a review of the current state-of-knowledge (an online document from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration). Searching the Library’s article databases would find articles such as “Engrossed in conversation: The impact of cell phones on simulated driving performance” (in Accident Analysis & Prevention, Mar. 2006, v.38, no.2, pp.415-421).

Please ask a librarian for assistance with finding materials.

Government Printing Office logo

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!

John F. Kennedy & Warren Commission

Published
by
Barbara
on September 24, 2009
in around the library and around the world
. 0 Comments

On Sept. 24, 1964, the President’s Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy (aka the Warren Commission) delivered its report on John F. Kennedy’s assassination to President Lyndon B. Johnson. President Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, TX, on November 22, 1963. You may be aware that there was a lot of controversy about this assassination. Who dunnit? Was it really just “lone gunman” Lee Harvey Oswald, as the Warren Commission concluded? There have been other theories over time, some pointing to conflicting details within the Commission’s own report.

Killing of a President coverIf you are interested in this bit of history, Andersen Library has materials that you could use! You can read the Warren Commission report and supporting volumes of evidence (2nd-floor Federal Documents Collection, PR 36.8:R 29 or 3rd-floor Main Collection, E842.9 .A55 1964a). There also are many books about the assassination and the investigation that can be identified by searching the HALCat Andersen Library Catalog, Conpsiracy title coversuch as Rush to judgment: A critique of the Warren Commission’s inquiry into the murders of President John F. Kennedy, Officer J. D. Tippitt, and Lee Harvey Oswald (3rd-floor Main Collection, E842.9 .L3), The weight of the evidence; the Warren report and its critics (3rd-floor Main Collection, E842.9 .A68), The killing of a president: the complete photographic record of the JFK Assassination, the conspiracy and the cover-up (3rd-floor Main Collection, E842.9 .G76 1993), and Conspiracy in Camelot: The complete history of the assassination of John Fitzgerald Kennedy (NetLibrary online book).

There also are many articles in journals, magazines and newspapers that could be found using the Library’s article databases. For example, searching America: History and Life would find articles including “Top ten myths of the Kennedy assassination” (American History, 2003, v.38, no.5, pp58+).

Please ask a librarian for assistance with finding materials.

Government Printing Office logo

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!

Peace Corps anniversary

Published
by
Barbara
on September 22, 2009
in around the world and info.gov
. 0 Comments

In September 1961, Congress passed Public Law 87-293 authorizing the Peace Corps. It was signed into law by then-president John F. Kennedy on September 22nd, although prior to this Congressional authorization he had established the Corps by Executive Order 10924 on March 1st.

So You Want To Join the Peace Corps coverToday Peace Corps volunteers are in over 70 countries, working with local people in areas of education, business and community development, technology, agriculture, youth outreach, health, and the environment. Learn more from the Peace Corps web site, which provides the quarterly Peace Corps Times newsletter, its mission, statistics (94% of volunteers have their bachelor’s degree), and application information for those considering volunteering. There also is an opportunity on Wed., Sept. 30th, to chat online with a returned volunteer and recruiter (preregistration required).

Crossing Cultures coverYou also can find digital images and text (including the public law and executive order noted above) from the National Archives (search the Archival Research Catalog for “peace corps” (the “Digital Copies” button should be highlighted), and search HALCat (Andersen’s Library’s catalog) for the keyword phrase “peace corps” to find titles in our collection such as Crossing cultures with the Peace Corps: Peace Corps letters from the field (online), A Life Inspired coverA life inspired: tales of Peace Corps service (2nd-floor Federal Documents collection, PE 1.2:L 62), and So, you want to join the Peace Corps–what to know before you go (3rd-floor Main Collection, HC60.5 .B34 2000).

Please ask a librarian for more assistance with finding materials.

Government Printing Office logo

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!

Remembering 9/11

Published
by
Barbara
on September 11, 2009
in around the world and info.gov
. 1 Comment

Sept. 11 is a National Day of Service and Remembrance, as authorized by the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act (Public Law 111-13).

I remember the morning of Sept. 11, 2001 very well. I was working at the Reference Desk when my colleague arrived and asked if I knew planes had hit the World Trade Center towers. I had no idea what she was talking about until I checked a news website. I could hardly believe what I was seeing. Today I looked again at 9/11 images preserved in the October and November 2001 issues of The Digital Journalist, and I can still hardly believe it.

The Library of Congress has an extensive September 11, 2001, Web Archive preserving images and statements of individuals, groups, the press and institutions in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks.

Tower Stories cover9/11 Report coverAndersen Library also has material on 9/11, including titles that you can find by searching HALCat (Harold Andersen Library’s Catalog), such as Tower stories: An oral history of 9/11 (3rd-floor Main Collection HV6432.7 .T69 2007) and The 9/11 Commission report: Final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States (online or 2nd-floor U.S. Documents Y 3.2:T 27/2/FINAL).

New York Times front page excerpt Sept 12 2001Of course there also are many articles in newspapers, magazines, and journals that can be found by searching the Library’s article databases. Use ProQuest Historical Newspapers™–The New York Times, for example, to see articles at the time of the attacks.

If you would like assistance with finding materials, please ask a librarian.

Government Printing Office logo

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!