The Andersen Library Blog

New Stuff Tuesday – June 26

Posted on June 26, 2012 by kyle

Taking Sudoku Seriously

Taking Sudoku Seriously:
The Math Behind the World’s Most Popular Pencil Puzzle
by Jason Rosenhouse & Laura Taalman
GV1507 .S83 R67 2011
New Arrivals, 2nd floor

While I don’t want to rub it in, I had the positive fortune to spend nearly a full two weeks away from the library. Part of me being away meant that I spent a lot of time in airports and airplanes [eight flights, twenty-eight hours in the air, and even more time getting through security]. With all that time in limbo, there’s nothing like stretching your mind with this week’s featured subject, Sudoku.

Rosenhouse and Taalman, math professors at James Madison University, utilizes the numbers game as a springboard for a discussion about puzzles and higher mathematics. They explore such questions as the number of possible Sudoku puzzles, the necessity of math in solving them, the minimum number of clues needed to solve one, and much more. The authors then steer into the areas of graph theory and polynomials and its applicability to Sudoku [it’s probably for the hardcore mathematicians – all over my head]. The best part is that the book provides a number of original puzzles to put your newly-learned skills to the test.

Posted in new stuff tuesdays | Tagged books, games, mathematics, new stuff, puzzles, sudoku | 1 Comment

Expanded gTLDs coming…

Posted on June 25, 2012 by Barbara

Did you ever wonder about the online domain names and how they are managed? Well, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) coordinates the Domain Name System (DNS), Internet Protocol (IP) addresses, generic (gTLD) and country code (ccTLD) Top-Level Domain name systems, and more.

Those familiar generic top-level Internet domains are going to expand soon, perhaps as soon as 2013. The original list from the 1980’s consisted of seven domain names: .com, .edu, .net, .org, .gov, .mil, and .int). This isn’t the first time the list has expanded; 15 new TLDs have been introduced since 1990, including .xxx (you may have heard of some controversy around that one), but 8 are “sponsored” or sTLDs, and restricted. But the upcoming expansion is going to be much larger. The opportunity to apply for a new gTLD ran from January through May 2012, and the list of applied-for gTLD strings is now publicly available.In the next 12-24 months there will be a period for filing objections to the proposed gTLDs, followed by a period for resolving disputes. In cases where more than one party applying for the same string survive the dispute process, there will be an auction. For example, L’Oréal applied for .loreal as well as .hair and .beauty, but others applied for .hair and .beauty.

If you scan the list you’ll see that several (307!) were applied for by Daniel Schindler of Donuts, a web registry that was created to take advantage of this expansion. You can read the article “Donuts’ startup lands $100 million for dot-brand domains” (CNNMoney, June 5, 2012) that explains Donuts’ plans, and tells you the amount of money these gTLD applications cost. Let’s just say I won’t be applying for my own gTLD if they ever have another round of applications.

Why might this impact us? Well, one way to quickly see what type of site you are reading is the gTLD, and that can help you assess how trustworthy it is. A .gov site is lot more trustworthy than .com. Internet searching can be enhanced by limiting results to certain domains too, which could get more interesting if the domains expand greatly. Are you curious about the content in some of the domains in use now? You can search either Bing or Google for site:gTLD, e.g., site:.aero.

You also can read more about this if you are interested. More of an explanation of the gTLDs is available from the ICANNWiki. Search Andersen Library’s article databases to find articles such as “Internationalization and Expansion of Web Addresses” (Online, 2011, vol.35:no.6, pp.44-46) and “Rockefeller, NTIA, IGOs Urge Caution on gTLD Expansion” (2012, Telecommunications Reports, vol.78:no.2, pp.37-38). You can read online the Federal Trade Commission’s concerns about increased fraud as a result of the expansion. Search HALCAT to find materials such as testimony by a senior vice president of ICANN at a hearing before the Subcommittee on Intellectual Property, Competition, and the Internet of the Committee on the Judiciary, House of Representatives on May 4, 2011: ICANN generic top-level domains (gTLD).

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

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 print, microfiche, CD-ROM, and online. Check out your government at Andersen Library!

Posted in around the world, info.gov, tech tips | Tagged articles, Congressonal hearings, domain names, federal government, generic top-level domain names, government info, gTLDs, ICANN, Internet, searching, web sites | Comments Off

Music and more (summer in Whitewater)

Posted on June 20, 2012 by Barbara

montage clip art of food, music Looking for something to do in Whitewater this summer?

The Whitewater Arts Alliance is sponsoring a Savory Sounds series of music and food at the Birge Fountain (lawn of the Cultural Arts Center at 402 West Main Street) on Thursdays, from 11:30am-12:45pm. Bring your lunch, or purchase one from the lunch vendor of the day. Then peruse the art exhibit in the Cultural Arts Center (open noon-5pm on Thursdays).

June 21: Daylillies (women’s a capella group), lunch vendor Subway
June 28 (RESCHEDULED to Aug. 2)
July 12: The Dirty Bucket Band (bluegrass), lunch vendor LaPreferida Mexican
July 19: UW-W Faculty Brass Quintet, lunch vendor Black Sheep
July 26: Jay Crags & Friends (jazz), lunch vendor Rocky Rococco
Aug. 2: Steve Meisner & Friends (polka), lunch vendor SweetSpot

More information is available from the Whitewater Banner or the Whitewater Arts Alliance.

Also check out free concerts and family fun in the Cravath Lakefront Park on Thursday evenings (bring your lawn chair and/or blanket):

June 21, 7pm: The Dang-Its
July 12, 5:30-7pm: “The Big Bounce” and Big Rig Gig (don’t need lawn chairs for this one)
July 19, 7pm: The Fort Atkinson Community Band
August 2, 7pm: The Bel-Cats
August 9, 7pm: David Stokes
August 16, 7pm: Piper Road Spring Band

More information is available in the Whitewater Parks & Recreation Summer Guide 2012. The guide contains other opportunities, like renting kayaks or paddleboats at the Cravath Lakefront or open gym hours at the Old Armory.

Posted in around wisconsin | Tagged art, concerts, events, fun stuff, music, performances, summer, whitewater | Comments Off

New Stuff Tuesday – June 19

Posted on June 19, 2012 by kyle

Corn Palaces & Butter Queens

Corn Palaces & Butter Queens:
A History of Crop Art & Dairy Sculpture
by Pamela Simpson
NA6750 .A2 U6 2012
New Arrivals, 2nd floor

When I was younger, I had the [mis?]fortunate of taking a cross-country road trip with my family. We usually went to the east because of family, but this time, we headed towards the Left Coast. We ended up covering a lot of ground on our way out to Wyoming. One of the places that we stopped: the Corn Palace in Mitchell, SD. I can’t say that I understood the significance then, but with this week’s New Stuff Tuesday, I have a better idea and appreciation for it.

Simpson, a longtime professor from Washington and Lee University, details the seemingly bizarre practices of the incorporation of food into art and architecture in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The use of grains and other foodstuffs displayed the bounties of the region’s soils and thus the country’s superiority as an agricultural powerhouse. The author describes the art forms themselves, as well as in the context of the time period, with events like the World’s Fair going on. Peppered with photographs of the quirky yet impressive works, Simpson provides excellent insight into an interesting part of American art history.

Posted in new stuff tuesdays | Tagged agriculture, architecture, books, butter, corn, history, new stuff, united states | Comments Off

Archaeological excavation south of Fort Atkinson

Posted on June 18, 2012 by Barbara

clip art of archaeologist digging Did you know there was an archaeological excavation site south of Fort Atkinson? The Finch Excavation Site, studied by the Great Lakes Archaeological Research Center since 2009, will be the topic of a talk by Richard H. Kubicek, Principal Investigator, at the Hoard’s Historians quarterly enrichment program on Thurs., June 21, 2-3:30pm (at the Hoard Historical Museum in Fort Atkinson, 401 Whitewater Avenue). It’s a free program, although donations to the Museum are always welcome.

There have been a few articles in area newspapers about this site, including “Archaeologists uncover prehistoric Indian site” (by James Debilzen, for the Daily Union, Dec. 1, 2009), “Anthropologists explore treasures near Lake Koshkonong” (by Neil Johnson, for the Janesville Gazette, May 2, 2010), and “Koshkonong dig yields wealth of artifacts” (Neil Johnson, Janesville Gazette, Sept. 4, 2010).

According to these articles, tools and pottery consistent with cultures from the Middle Woodland, Late Woodland, and some items from the Mississippian Era were uncovered at the Finch Site. Want to know more about these cultures? Andersen Library can help. Search HALCAT to find books such as The Woodland Indians of the western Great Lakes (3rd-floor Main Collection, E78 .E2 R5 1983) and Twelve millennia: Archaeology of the upper Mississippi River Valley (3rd-floor Main Collection, E78.M75 T44 2003). Search article databases such as America: History and Life with Full Text to find articles including “The archaeological contexts and themes of Middle Woodland symbolic representation in the American Bottom” (Illinois Archaeology: Journal of the Illinois Archaeology Survey, 2008, vol.20, pp.1-47) and The Woodland tradition (Wisconsin Archeologist, 1997, vol.78:no.1/2, pp.141-201; available in print in Andersen Library’s 1st-floor Bound Periodicals collection).

Please ask a librarian for assistance with finding materials.

Posted in around wisconsin | Tagged archaeology, articles, books, Fort Atkinson, historians, history, indians of north america, lectures, local history, Mississippian Culture, Woodland Culture | Comments Off

Al-Qaida Ten Years Later

Posted on June 12, 2012 by Kate

Cover of Al=Qaida Ten Years Later While the United States has been at war during the past 10 years fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan, this book chronicles the proceedings of a conference held by the Marine Corps University attempt to “comprehend the multidimensional aspects of Al-Qaida’s threat in various theaters where it has operated over the past decade since the events of 11 September 2001” and more importantly, what Al-Qaida may plan for in the future.

The book and the presenters discuss the far-reaching effects of Al-Qaida all around the world, from Asia to Africa as well as the struggles of the United Nations to quell the organization. According to one presenter, the recent Arab Spring uprisings may have a positive influence on bringing a change to the Al-Qaida organization by getting rid of the roots of religious, cultural, and political underpinnings of terrorism.

This book provides even those with a basic understanding of Al-Qaida and Middle Eastern policies with insight into the ongoing and ever-evolving strategies in diplomacy during and after war. Pick it up at the UW-Whitewater Andersen Library and check it out.

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 print, microfiche, CD-ROM, and electronically. Check out your government at Andersen Library!

Posted in info.gov | Tagged Afghanistan, Al-Qaida, Arab Spring, september 11, united states, war | Comments Off

New Stuff Tuesday – June 12

Posted on June 12, 2012 by kyle

Stuff

Stuff:
Compulsive Hoarding and the Meaning of Things
by Randy Frost & Gail Steketee
RC533 .F76 2010
New Arrivals, 2nd floor

Back when I had cable, I was a big fan of the design shows. More specifically, I loved the organization ones, where the pros would come in and help people get everything in order. It’s a glimpse into the lives and houses of others, and especially interesting to see how personalities play out with respect to how much junk they have. This week’s featured title looks at the people that just have too much stuff.

While Hoarders has brought hoarding to the general public for five seasons, Frost and Steketee have been studying it for over twenty years. They have put their knowledge together in this book, which details compulsive hoarding, a disorder that affects more than an estimated six million people. The pair use case studies to explain the facets of what compels individuals to attach emotions and feelings to objects. In addition, they provide insights into causes and treatments of the disorder, as well the impulses that govern our relationships with things. If you want to learn more about it, they also conveniently list their references for further research.

Posted in new stuff tuesdays | Tagged books, medicine, new stuff, psychology | 1 Comment

Ray Bradbury (summer reading)

Posted on June 12, 2012 by Barbara

Cover of Farenheit 451 graphic novel American author Ray Bradbury passed away last week, on June 5th. I couldn’t let his passing go by without a blog entry in his honor, because I’ve enjoyed many a tale by him. Most of you probably have read some of his works, especially Farenheit 451, but he also wrote The Martian Chronicles, The Illustrated Man, Dandelion Wine, Something Wicked This Way Comes, and others. Dandelion Wine has a special place in my heart because it includes a moment when a young boy realizes he’s alive. That may sound odd, but I remember having a moment exactly like that when I was very young and out on my swing. I’m alive, I suddenly realized. I suppose you could say that’s the moment, in Terminator-speak, of becoming self-aware. There’s much more in that book that made an impression on me, but you’ll have to read it to see if it has any effect on you! I can assure that I am not alone in appreciating Bradbury’s talent; Bradbury received many honors, from the National Medal of Arts in 2004 to the title Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master from the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America in 1989. When he received the Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters in 2000 from the National Book Foundation, he credited libraries for his education (You’ll have to read the speech to learn how Farenheit 451 is connected to both the UCLA library and Playboy):

“This is quite amazing because who you’re honoring tonight is not only myself but the ghost of a lot of your favorite writers. And I wouldn’t be here except that they spoke to me in the library. The library’s been the center of my life. I never made it to college. I started going to the library when I graduated from high school. I went to the library every day for three or four days a week for 10 years and I graduated from the library when I was 28.”

Andersen Library has several of Bradbury’s books, and I recommend them to you. Search the HALCAT to get their call numbers. Three of his books are available as graphic novels here, too (Farenheit 451, The Martian Chronicles, and Something Wicked This Way Comes).

RIP, Ray Bradbury. I think I’ll reread my copy of Dandelion Wine this summer!

Posted in around the library, around the world, summer reading | Tagged authors, awards, books, deaths, dystopian novels, fantasy, fiction, fun stuff, graphic novels, literary awards, science fiction, web sites | Comments Off

“I’ll Have Another!” Books on horses and horse racing

Posted on June 7, 2012 by Barbara

Are you going to be breathlessly awaiting the results of the Belmont Stakes on Saturday? Are you hoping I’ll Have Another wins? Crazy about horses?

Cover of Gamble book You could have a fun time this summer reading about horses, and Andersen Library can help! Search HALCAT (the Harold Andersen Library catalog) to find nonfiction titles such as The horse God built: The untold story of Secretariat, the world’s greatest racehorse (3rd-floor Main Collection, SF355.S42 S29 2007), Seabiscuit: An American legend (3rd-floor Main Collection, SF355.S4 H55 2001), and Run for the roses: 100 years at the Kentucky Derby (3rd-floor OVERSIZE Main Collection, SF357 .K4 B64). Fiction is available too, including Dick Francis’s gamble (2nd-floor Browsing Books, PR6106.R4523 G36 2011).