Tag Archive for ‘federal government’ at The University Library Blog

Tag Archive for 'federal government'

Memorial Day information

Published

on May 22, 2008

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Arlington National Cemetery We observe Memorial Day on May 26th. Although a Gallup Poll has shown that very few of us (28%) actually know what this day is about, it really isn’t just a day off from work and school!

The U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs provides the history of Memorial Day as well as a history of Taps, veterans statistics, information about displaying and folding the flag, and more.

The White House Commission on Remembrance has information about the Congressionally-established National Moment of Remembrance (3 pm on Memorial Day).

The General Services Adminstration’s USA.gov site has links to information about the day as well links to practical information for those of us who will be grilling, boating, etc.

Finally, if you’re in Whitewater on the 26th you can watch the parade (begins on Main St. at First Citizens Bank).

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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!

Economic Stimulus Payments

Published

Barbara

on May 1, 2008

in info.gov

. 1 Comment

money image When are you getting your economic stimulus payment? The IRS has published information about when and how you’ll get your payment.

You’re eligible for the payment if you have a valid Social Security Number, can’t be claimed as a dependent on a tax return and have either an income tax liability or “qualifying income” of at least $3,000. Most 2007 federal income tax return filers will qualify, but there’s a phase out for individuals with adjusted gross incomes (AGI) over $75,000 and married couples filing joint returns with AGI over $150,000.

If the IRS processed your return by April 15, and you use direct deposit, your payment should arrive on May 2, May 9 or May 16, depending on the last 2 digits of your social security number. If you do not use direct deposit, checks will be mailed between mid-May and mid-July. People who filed tax returns after April 15 will receive their payments about two weeks later than others. A return must be filed by October 15 in order to receive any stimulus payment this year.

For more information visit the IRS Economic Stimulus Payments Information Center online.

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FDA has new home page

Published

Barbara

on April 3, 2008

in info.gov

. 0 Comments

Food and Drug Administration logo
The Food and Drug Administration has redone its home page, and it looks good! They have made an effort to listen to their users and make the page understandable.

The navigation aids are at the top right: a search box and an a to z list. The top of the page has menus of information divided into the major categories of the FDA’s business: food, drugs, cosmetics, etc. They also have links to the most popular topics, such as Lasik surgery and animal cloning. Beneath the top half of the page are 3 columns:

Column 1 (left) has links to reference information (research, regulations and laws, and information about the FDA)
Column 2 (center) is all about news and information divided by the intended audience (consumers, industry, medical professionals, government officials)
Column 3 (right) is about services (report problems; check recalls, alerts or approvals; get RSS feeds, videos or podcasts)

Check it out! There’s news here we can all use, such as information about the recent recall of Honduran cantaloupes, and recently-issued warnings about certain dietary supplements.

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Thinking about study abroad?

Published

Barbara

on February 20, 2008

in around the library, around the world, campus connection and info.gov

. 1 Comment

World Map Image

If you are looking into study abroad, there are resources in your University Library that can help, providing information about travel, customs and etiquette, social conditions, etc., in other countries.

For example, search the Library Catalog for books.

Let's Go Paris cover

A “keyword” search for (guidebooks or travel) and ___ (fill in the name of a country). Using this search for France would find titles including Frommer’s Paris 2005 (online book), Let’s go: Paris, 2004, Let’s go: France 2001, and Global etiquette guide to Europe: everything you need to know for business and travel success.

Global Etiquette Guide to Europe cover

A “keyword” search for (etiquette or “national characteristics” or customs) and ___ (fill in the name of a country) would find titles including France: A quick guide to customs & etiquette and Au contraire! : figuring out the French.

The Library has a Guide to Locating Intercultural Communication Information that gives additional tips and examples of available titles for finding more information, and a guide to other sources of information on countries.

The U.S. Dept. of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs maintains a Study Abroad Resources web page with links to resources for those who may want to study abroad, including a searchable database of programs offered by institutions all over the country.

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Student Teachers: Government Resources

Published

davisk

on February 14, 2008

in info.gov

. 1 Comment

Student teachers, students in education classes, teachers, etc:
The Federal government produces materials specifically for classroom use. There are many such items in the University Library’s Federal Documents collection. Here are some examples:

Scenes of Science (Grades 6 - 12, DVD)
Call no. A 77.40:SCI 2 (ask at the Reference Desk)

Scenes of Science cover

Learn how the Agricultural Research Service is working to ensure a safe and high quality food supply, assess the nutritional needs of Americans, sustain a competitive agricultural economy, enhance the natural resource base and the environment, and provide economic opportunities for communities. Topics include; Foods and Health, Crops and Environment, Farm Animals, New Products, and Insects.

The Wisconsin State Capitol Activity Book
call no. WIS A 9/2:C 3/5/1993

This coloring and activity book for young kids will entertain as well as teach them about the history of the State Capitol building, its architectural designs, State Seal, State animal, the Governors of Wisconsin, and the flowers and trees planted around the square. Learning about the State of Wisconsin government is required for all 4th graders, but it’s also fun for those teaching and learning about it.

Wisconsin Quality Educator Initiative: PI 34 Professional Development Plan
call no. WIS ED 6/2:E 28/2/2005

Published by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, this document holds the very information all teachers within the state are concerned about: how to get licensed to teach. It gives teachers the necessary guidelines for renewing their teaching license with a professional development plan (PDP) and tells you how to write a PDP. Check out this important document today so you know what to do when you have to renew your teaching license so you can continue to have a positive influence on young kids within the education field today.

Helping Your Child Learn Math
call no. ED 1.302:C 43/35

Math isn’t everyone’s favorite subject in school. That’s why the Department of Education has published this informative document to give parents and teachers a guide to help children learn math through a variety of activities from kindergarten through fifth grade. From fractions to word problems, real life applications are used to show the important impact math has on our daily lives.

The Adventures of Echo the Bat
call no. NAS 1.19:2000-08-001-HQ

Combining a beautifully illustrated story with a set of activities for young children, this book seeks to teach kids about perspective, shape, pattern, color, and texture. It also teaches kids about the migrating adventures of bats throughout the United States.

Many of these educational kits and documents are freely available through the government. A library student worker in the Government Documents Department who is an education major frequently orders educational items to use in her classroom and highly recommends every future teacher to check out these items and order them for their classroom. You can order these free government kits and activitiy books at the Department of Education’s EdPubs website.

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Blog with your gov’t: TSA

Published

Barbara

on February 13, 2008

in around the world and info.gov

. 0 Comments

OK, you’ve been waiting for this one…if you travel by air and would like to, um, discuss or even question some of the security screening, well, this blog’s for you!

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) started a blog called Evolution of Security in January. OK, the title threw me, but this is the slogan: “Terrorists evolve. Threats evolve. Security must stay ahead. You play a part.” Yes, the blog is about PR, but its official purpose is “to facilitate an ongoing dialogue on innovations in security, technology and the checkpoint screening process.” The opening entry promised that “postings from the public will be reviewed to remove the destructive but not touch the critical or cranky.” So talk to them. You never know, a posting here or there (or maybe thousands of them) might actually make things easier for all of us at some point.

As you might expect, it has had a lot of interest already. Categories include liquids, shoes, inconsistencies, etc.

And one of the TSA bloggers is Ethel from Wisconsin, who loves ice cream. It can’t get better than that, can it? But yes, it can…sometimes there are links to videos!

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History in Pictures from LC

Published

kyle

on February 6, 2008

in around the world

. 0 Comments

Just like us, the Library of Congress has a flickr account. Unfortunately for us, LoC has kicked our behinds when it comes to content. They have over three thousand photographs from their collections for all the world to view, admire, study, and best of all - use. The best part - the photos are from the first half of the twentieth century (1910s-1940s), which means that the copyright has expired. That means you can use these pictures any which way you’d like. Of course, make sure you still credit the photographer (if known). The flickr account also nicely compliments the American Memory Project that the LoC does.

Library of Congress flickr account

Thanks to Kelly for the link!

Free File federal taxes online!

Published

Barbara

on January 31, 2008

in info.gov

. 0 Comments

Earlier I blogged about where to find tax forms in print. Of course, you can also file online. And if your 2007 adjusted gross income is under $54,000, you can prepare and file your federal taxes online for free–aka Free File!

Free File logo

To take advantage of Free File you must start at the IRS web site. From there you can select one of the companies partnering with the IRS to provide this free filing service. Read each company’s criteria to be sure which companies you can use.

Among the advantages of Free File:

a fast refund (within 10 days with direct deposit)
24/7 filing convenience

What if your adjusted gross income is too high to qualify for Free File? You can still file online, but not for free.

Wisconsin also has a free-file option. Go to http://www.revenue.wi.gov/ for more information, including a listing of circumstances/forms that render you ineligible for it.

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Finding tax forms isn’t taxing

Published

Barbara

on January 2, 2008

in info.gov

. 0 Comments

Looking for tax forms for 2007?

The University Library does not provide print copies of tax forms, however, forms are available online and can be printed out:

Forms and Publications (U.S.)
Forms (Wisconsin Dept. of Revenue)
Tax Forms/Publications (Illinois Dept. of Revenue)
State tax Forms (clickable map to other states’ forms online, courtesy of the Federation of tax Administrators)

The Post Office usually has the most common federal tax forms, and the Irvin L. Young Memorial (public) Library, 431 W. Center St.) usually has both federal and Wisconsin forms.

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Turkey Day Facts

Published

Barbara

on November 21, 2007

in info.gov

. 0 Comments

Here is some trivia to use to amaze your friends and family this holiday, brought to you from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Image of a turkey

Which states produce most of the traditional Thanksgiving Day foods many of us will be eating? Wisconsin is number one for producing cranberries (if you’re a native I hope you knew that). Minnesota produces the most turkeys (no mean comments, please, we’re talking about fowl only!), North Carolina produces the most sweet potatoes, and Illinois grows the most pumpkins. Wisconsin also leads in “contracted production of snap (green) beans.” So you see, Wisconsin is a great place to be for this holiday!

There are three places in the U.S. named after the bird of honor, the largest being Turkey, Texas (2006 population: 489 residents).

Thanksgiving became a national holiday in 1863, thanks to Abraham Lincoln.

Want more? Go to Facts for Features: Thanksgiving Day Nov. 22, 2007. For truly enquiring minds, there are fact releases for other observances throughout the year (going back to 2000), such as other holidays, the SuperBowl, the 50th anniversary of the launch of Sputnik, and the Presidential Elections.

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