New Stuff Tuesday – April 29, 2014

Brainstorm

Brainstorm:
The Power and Purpose of the Teenage Brain
by Daniel J. Siegel
BF724 .S49 2013
New Arrivals, 2nd floor

It’s always interesting (though sometimes uncomfortable) to get insight into one’s own behavior. So here’s a book that will be illuminating for college students who wonder why they think and act so differently from the adults in their lives.

Daniel Siegel is a professor of psychiatry at UCLA and he offers this work as, “An Inside-Out Guide to the Emerging Adolescent Mind, Ages 12-24.” He explores important brain developments that take place during adolescence and help turn kids into adults. Not only does Siegel explain the biochemistry and physiology of what’s happening in the brain, but more importantly, he explores why these changes happen and how they prepare children for adulthood. Siegel writes both to children and their parents and includes a number of exercises designed to help kids work through difficult issues on their own.

Whether you are an adolescent yourself or a parent or teacher of adolescents, this book helps to demystify the adolescent brain and suggests practical ways to smooth some of the rough patches on the journey to adulthood.

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Money Mondays: Retirement

Though it seems like it’s a long way off, retirement is something you have to start saving for early in life. Think back to when we discussed compound interest a few weeks ago. The benefits of compound interest are particularly evident when talking about retirement. Take a look at this infographic from Bankrate, which illustrates the importance of saving for retirement when you’re young. If you start investing in your 20s, you’ll have a lot more money at retirement than if you start investing later in life.

Retirement, by Tax Credits (flickr)

There are a number of different retirement plans out there. Some are offered through employers, while others are not. For the employer-sponsored plans, what you have access to may vary based on where you work. In the private sector, employers may offer a 401(k). In the non-profit and public education sectors, the 403(b) is common. Make sure you understand what options are available to you and how they work. If you have questions, talk to your employer’s Human Resource Department. There are a number of benefits to participating in employer-sponsored retirement programs, the primary one being that employers often contribute to the plan as well, which means free money for you. Another positive is that the money you contribute is deducted from your paycheck before taxes. You don’t have to pay taxes on the money until it is withdrawn.

An IRA, or Individual Retirement Account, is another type of retirement plan. The most common options are the Traditional IRA and the Roth IRA, which are not available through employers. Roth IRA’s are usually encouraged for younger people, because you will probably be in a higher tax bracket when you retire than you are in right now. However, make sure you talk to a financial specialist to determine which account best fits your needs. The IRS has a helpful comparison chart you can look at, as well.

If you’re wondering how much you should save for retirement each month, the answer is as much as you can. Some plans have restrictions on how much you can set aside each year. The closer you get to that limit the better. The more money set aside now, the more that money will grow.

Below are a few resources to give you additional information retirement. Even if it seems like a long way off, it doesn’t hurt to start planning now!

Via Andersen Library:

  • Financial Asset Management and Wealth in Retirement, by Terrance G. Waverly. Available online.
  • Pensions: Backgrounds, Trends, and Issues, by Henry J. Mullen. Available online.
  • Individual Retirement Accounts: A Primer, by Felix R. Burnes. Available online.

Retirement Calculators:

Other Resources:

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Lineage Societies – Are You Eligible??

Did an ancestor run a tavern before the American Revolution?  You qualify for The Flagon and Trencher Society, a group established in 1962 for the descendants of tavern, inn and pub owners working in America before 1776.

Did a grandparent fight in World War II?  You qualify for one of the newest lineage societies, The Sons and Daughters of World War II Veterans, established 2011.

Have a Salem witch among your ancestors?  Learn more about the Associated Daughters of Early American Witches (membership by invitation only).

Lineage societies are groups of people organized around a genealogical heritage they have in common.  The heritage may be as common as being of Scottish ancestry – many cities have St. Andrew’s Societies, including Milwaukee.  It may be as esoteric as the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Massachusetts, established in 1638 (oldest in North America) and still going strong.  Societies number in the hundreds, see Cyndi’s List – Societies & Groups – Lineage Societies for lists.  All societies limit membership to those who meet the heritage criteria established for the group.  Many organizations also limit membership by gender and may require an invitation to join from current members.  Prospective members will be asked to supply genealogical proof of the heritage requirement.  Most maintain libraries of genealogical research on the families of their members and the history of their topic of interest.

Some of the better known societies include the Daughters of the American Revolution, the General Society of Mayflower Descendants (commonly called the Mayflower Society), the United Daughters of the Confederacy, and the Descendants of the Illegitimate Sons and Daughters of the Kings of Britain (aka “The Royal Bastards”).

For more information on joining lineage societies, see the staff in Special Collections, 1230 Andersen Library.

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Wisconsin Talking Book and Braille Library

Did you know there are free library services for people who have a visual impairment or reading disability? Wisconsin’s Talking Book and Braille Library, located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, has many services and resources available to those who are visually impaired or who have physical limitations due to cerebral palsy, Parkinson’s, arthritis, and strokes.

The program offers free access to magazines, newspapers, and best selling books from the classics to current trends in literature and popular fiction, including Spanish language and other languages for everyone.

If interested or know of someone who would benefit from these services and resources, here is a link to an application to get signed up for these services: Wisconsin Talking Book and Braille Library

Searching Andersen Library’s catalog, using the keyword “braille” will give you many results, including several books and government documents that are solely in braille.

FDLP logo 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 many formats, including online. Check out your government at Andersen Library!

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New Stuff Tuesday – April 22, 2014

Claiming Tribal Identity book cover

Claiming Tribal Identity:
The Five Tribes and the Politics of Federal Acknowledgment
By Mark Edwin Miller
E78.O45 M56 2013
New Arrivals, 2nd floor

The Office of Federal Acknowledgment is charged with establishing that an American Indian group exists as a federally recognized Indian tribe, and therefor eligible for certain rights as sovereign Indian nations. They review, verify, and evaluate groups’ petitions, and make final recommendations. As of November 2013 the U.S. OFA lists 344 tribes waiting for federal acknowledgement. Of these, 269 groups have submitted only letters of intent or partially documented petitions, and are not ready for evaluation. Seven petitions under active consideration, while two petitions are ready and waiting for active consideration. The others are somewhere in between.

In Claiming Tribal Identity: The Five Tribes and the Politics of Federal Acknowledgment, Miller (History, Southern Utah University, Cedar City) deals with the issue of federal acknowledgement of “new” tribal entities of the southeastern United States from the point of view of the Cherokees, Chicasaws, Choctaws, Creeks (Muscogees), and Seminoles, known collectively as the “Five Civilized Tribes.” In particular focusing on the histories of those five tribes, stories and histories of groups originally from that area who try to maintain or create tribal identity, and other local groups that, for a variety of reasons, are not currently federally recognized and wish to be. These are divided into groups of vetted tribes, contested tribes, and fraudulent tribes for the purpose of organization in the book.

One of the things I find fascinating about this book is how many groups, 68, are trying to gain federal recognition claiming ancestry with one of the Five Civilized Tribes and with part of their name containing Cherokee, Chicasaw, Choctaw, Creek (Muscogee), and Seminole. That’s over 20%, and it’s easy to see how the Cherokee Nation might want to investigate this and separate out the wheat from the chaff by eliminating the acknowledgement prospects of wannabes and fraudulent tribes. They are also against state recognition as that process tends to not be nearly as rigorous as the federal one, and many of those state “approved” tribes have not continued on to pursue federal recognition, which gives pause. The Cherokee Nation believes that only federally acknowledged tribes should be considered Native Americans, and other’s should not. It would be interesting to read more about other tribal nations’ points of view on this point.

Mark Edwin Miller has produced a well-documented book worth hours of pondering, and I think it’s worth the effort. Now if he would only write a follow-up book on other parts of the country I’d be even more happy.

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Earth Week 2014!

It’s Earth Week from April 21-25, 2014. There are campus events planned Monday-Thursday…what will you be doing? At various events you can at least recycle your plastic bag collection and maybe even buy a spider plant.

photo of UW-Whitewater greenhouse taken Sept 29, 2012

  • Monday April 21
  • Tuesday April 22
    • Birds of Prey Exhibit 10am-3pm in front of Upham Hall (in the atrium if it rains), with demonstrations at 10:30am, 12noon, and 1pm
    • Bicycle Recycle (free bike checkups and some basic maintenance) 10am-2pm outside the UC’s north side
    • Start Your Own Herb Garden! noon-4pm in Andersen Library
  • Wednesday April 23
    • Garden Volunteering and Greenhouse Tour 9am-noon in the Upham Greenhouse
    • ECOFair in UC Hamilton Room noon-3pm
    • Recyclable Fashion Show 4-5pm in Hyland Hall’s Timmerman Auditorium: build an outfit out of recyclable materials
    • Food Patriots Documentary at 6pm in UC Summers Auditorium
  • Thursday April 24
    • Pinterest Upcycling Workshop 7-9pm in UC259B (bring your toilet paper rolls and large cereal boxes)

Andersen Library has related resources, e.g., search HALCat to find titles such as the book, Bottled lightning: superbatteries, electric cars, and the new lithium economy (3rd-floor Main Collection), the Congressional committee hearing Opportunities and challenges presented in increasing the number of electric vehicles in the light duty automotive sector (online), and even a copy of the video Revenge of the electric car (2nd-floor Academic DVDs TL220 .R48 2011).

Please ask a librarian for assistance with finding materials, if desired.

FDLP logo Andersen Library is a federal and Wisconsin depository library with federal and state government documents on a variety of current and relevant issues available to you in various formats (print, DVD/CD-ROM, online). Check out your government at Andersen Library!

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Money Mondays: Understanding Your Paycheck

For some of you, starting a full-time job may be just around the corner. The prospect of a salary is likely very exciting, but there are some things you should understand about your paycheck. A few weeks ago we discussed how the cost of living affects how much you make. A more expensive city (like Manhattan) will have a higher salary simply because it is more expensive to live there. You have to take this into account when deciding whether or not to accept a position. You also have to consider the value of the benefits offered to you by the employer.

Employee benefits, sometimes called perks, can make a job with a slightly lower salary more valuable overall. Examples of benefits may include the following:

Kimbo Latte Art, by rooracer (flickr)

  • Insurance (including health, dental, vision, disability, and life)
  • Retirement plans
  • Paid and unpaid leave (including holidays, vacation, and sick days)
  • Child care
  • Tuition reimbursement
  • Relocation assistance (to help with moving costs)
  • Wellness programs
  • Stock purchase plans
  • Latte art classes

The benefits listed above, among others, have monetary value. In addition to your salary, the employer is paying all or part of the cost for benefits. There are benefit calculators like this one from Calc XML available online that can help you determine the total value of your salary and benefits package. Make sure you understand exactly what you’re getting before you accept a position.

When you receive your first paycheck, you may find that you are receiving less than you anticipated. This is likely because of taxes and any required employee contributions to the benefits listed above. Here are the taxes you’re likely to see listed on your paycheck:

  • Fed OASDI/EE: This is your contribution to Social Security. Every employee contributes 6.2% of his or her paycheck.
  • Fed OASDI/ER: This is your employer’s contribution to Social Security. They match the amount you were required to pay.
  • Fed MED/EE: This is your contribution to Medicare. Every employee contributes 1.45% of his or her paycheck.
  • Fed MED/ER: This is your employer’s contribution to Medicare. They match the amount you were required to pay.
  • Fed Withholding: This is your income tax. Rather than paying the tax once a year, a portion is withheld from your paycheck each month. The amount withheld is determined by what information you filled out on your W-4 (which is completed at the start of employment). When you file your taxes each year, you either receive a refund (if too much was withheld) or you send a check to the IRS (if not enough was withheld).
  • State Withholding: This is your income tax paid at the state level. It functions much like the Fed Withholding.

Other taxes may vary by state, so if you see something you don’t understand on your paycheck ask the Human Resource Department at your workplace.

Find books about employee benefits available in Andersen Library by doing a keyword search in Research@UWW.

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Library “Mini-Break” Hours Apr 18-20

Mini Break!
Andersen Library’s hours will be:
Fri Apr 18: 8am-4:30pm
Sat Apr 19: CLOSED
Sun Apr 20: 3pm-2am (only 2nd floor is open midnight-2am)

Remember that even when the Library is closed or you are traveling, you can:

  • Search library databases …just login when prompted with your campus Net-ID (same as for your campus email or D2L),
  • Search the HALCat Library Catalog and use links to the titles that are online, including ereserves for classes,
  • Renew your checked-out books, DVDs, etc., online (once) through your Personal Record,
  • Consult online guides for assistance, including citation guides for APA, MLA, and Turabian format, and class assignment guides, and
  • Ask a librarian for help using email or chat, or phone us at the Reference Desk (262-472-1032) during Reference Desk hours (Fri 9am-4:30pm, Sunday April 20th 3-10pm).

Regular Spring Semester hours resume on Monday, April 21.

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Stuffed Animals at the Library?

Screen Shot 2014-04-15 at 4.00.41 PM

On April 11, children and their favorite stuffed animals occupied the Andersen Library for the 2nd Annual Stuffed Animal Sleepover.

The event kicked off with the children (helped by parents and volunteers) creating unique nametags for their animal best friends. Once the animals were properly accounted for, the children joined together in a few songs and story time.

All the singing and reading really got the stuffed animals tired! It was time for the stuffed animals to take their nap – so the children tucked them and headed on home.  Sometime later in the night, the stuffed animals woke to the library being completely empty. This was when all the late-night shenanigans could truly begin.

After sleeping for so long, the animals were starving. So they acted like all the college kids on campus and ordered a pizza from Toppers. We are still not sure how the pizza deliveryman reacted when he saw that stuffed animals were the ones who ordered!IMG_2402
Once they filled their bellies, the animals got together to play different games like Guitar Hero and Dominoes. This was fun for a while, but there were different parts of the library offering to be explored. Soon enough, the animals found themselves lost in a stack of books 10 times bigger than they were!

After reading, they ended the night by watching cartoons on the big screen TV. Once falling asleep again, the animals woke up in their owner’s arms the next day. Each child was fitted with their own booklet filled with camera footage of their stuffed best friend’s fun the night before!

After everything has been said and done, the Andersen Library staff would like to thank all the children participants and volunteers for another successful year of the Stuffed Animal Sleepover. We are already looking forward to next year!

-By Andrew E.

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New Stuff Tuesday – April 15, 2014

Breaking Bad

Breaking Bad:
Critical Essays on the Contexts, Politics, Style, and Reception of the Television Series
Edited by David P. Pierson
PN1992.77.B74 B739 2014
New Arrivals, 2nd floor

Missing Walter White already? Need a fix? Now that the series is over, it’s time to reflect on the impact the award-winning and crowd-pleasing television series had on viewers. This collection of essays engages with the series as it both reflected and helped shape popular culture. The essays range from meditations on the portrayal of Latinos on television to the political ideology (if there is one) of the characters on the show. For the true fan, this book will help the reader think more deeply about the show and its legacy in American culture.

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