Watch That Footprint Too!

Posted on June 2, 2008 by kyle

DSCN0180.JPG

Everyone has probably heard that you should be mindful of your carbon footprint – you know, what you do and its environmental impact. Well, as I was flipping through a magazine, I read that there’s another footprint to consider!

In the June issue of Discover Magazine, Thomas Kostigen, the author of the article, writes that our water consumption not only includes the actual water consumed from the tap, but also the virtual water that we intake. What does he mean by virtual water? Virtual water encompasses the water used in the production of food and products, like clothing and furniture. When you compare foods, grains and vegetables require less water, which are harvested after a growing season, than their meat-bearing counterparts. Nothing is without a water footprint – even a sheet of paper and that leather bag you carry footprints of three and 6,340 gallons of water. Makes you think twice about what you eat and buy, no?

For more information about water footprints, check out waterfootprint.org, which information about virtual water and the water footprint concepts, as well as a calculator to see just what sort of wet footprint you’re leaving on the planet.

Sources

Posted in around the world | 1 Comment

Library open for summer business

Posted on May 30, 2008 by Barbara

Yes, we’re open! The west-side Library building entrances are closed off for work being done on the mall all summer, but we’re still here for you so c’mon in!

Library entrance map summer library hours

Following the red arrow on the map above, enter from the courtyard on the east side of the Andersen Library building (entrance #3), or enter from the north end of McGraw (on the mall corner entrance go down the stairs) and walk the tunnel that links McGraw to Andersen, then come up the stairs to the Library entrance).

Posted in around the library | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

New Stuff Tuesday – May 27

Posted on May 27, 2008 by kyle

Major

Major:
A Black Athlete, A White Era, and the Fight To Be the World’s Fastest Human Being
by Todd Balf
GV1051 .T3 B35 2008
New Book Island, 2nd floor

Ahh, the first day of classes for the summer. Some of you might be taking/teaching these courses, some of you may not. This week’s featured book will appeal to both researchers and pleasure readers.

Balf, former editor of Outside magazine, takes on the story of Marshall Major Taylor, a man that aspired to be the “World’s Fastest Human Being.” The author chronicles not only the life of the athlete, but also the surrounding time period. The turn of the twentieth century saw the world riveted with cycle racing, with large crowds and full stadiums watching six-day events. Taylor not only faced his opponents on the track, but also faced discrimination and segregation due to the color of his skin. Major tells his story as America’s first black sports celebrity.

Posted in new stuff tuesdays | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on New Stuff Tuesday – May 27

May is Nat’l Bike Month

Posted on May 26, 2008 by Barbara

bike image

May is National Bike Month. Across the U.S. more than 43 million people enjoy riding their bikes. However, most of us still drive to work, according to the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey. Maybe the gas prices will change that this summer, eh?

Believe it or not, your University Library has materials on many different aspects of bicycling, which you can find using the online catalog. For example, check out The economic impact of bicycling in Wisconsin online or in print (2nd-floor Wisconsin Documents GO BIC.6/2:E 36/2006), Bicycle repair by the editors of Bicycling magazine (3rd-floor Main Collection TL430 .B53 1985) or Fitness through cycling (3rd-floor Main Collection GV1043.7 .F57 1985). There is even the book The bear’s bicycle (2nd-floor Curriculum Collection, Easy Books E Mac) to read to your young children. For somewhat older children there is an online bicycle safety “comic” book from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission: Sprocket Man. There’s also Bicycling Magazine, available online through the MasterFile Premier database.

Ride on!

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!

Posted in around the world, info.gov | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on May is Nat’l Bike Month

Saying things nicely

Posted on May 23, 2008 by Barbara

How not to say what you mean cover
Have you ever struggled to say something and wanted to put it nicely? Or, have you ever wondered about the euphemisms you’ve heard?

Well, R.W. Holder’s How not to say what you mean : a dictionary of euphemisms (2nd-floor Reference Collection, PE1449 .H548 2007) might be the book for you!

You can look up a word or phrase and get its meaning, or you can look up a subject area (like death or religion).

For example, you can learn that pick (as in to steal) is noted in the OED (Oxford English Dictionary) as being used in 1300, and in continuous usage since. According the Holder book that “makes it one of the oldest euphemisms in the language.”

Posted in around the library | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Memorial Day information

Posted on May 22, 2008 by Barbara

Arlington National CemeteryWe 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).

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!

Posted in around the world, info.gov | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Memorial Day information

New Stuff Tuesday – May 20

Posted on May 20, 2008 by kyle

The Transgender Phenomenon

The Transgender Phenomenon:
by Richard Ekins & Dave King
HQ77.9 .E55 2006
New Book Island, 2nd floor

After attending the UW System LGBT Conference in Green Bay last month, I came away with lots of think about. I also realized that I don’t know much about the T in LGBT. Conveniently, I found this book to fill in the gaps.

The authors, professors in the UK, have been following the “transgender phenomenon” for over thirty years, back when researchers didn’t pay serious attention. That all has changed and the featured book is the result of their dedication to the subject. The researchers presents the historical background of the relatively ‘new’ area of inquiry, as well as define ‘transgender,’ which means different things to different people. They then launch into their study, using personal narratives to illustrate the “four major modes of transgendering,” from “crossing the [gender divide] temporarily” (oscillating) to “crossing the [gender] divide permanently” (migrating). This volume provides an excellent scholarly view and tons of references for further research.

Posted in new stuff tuesdays | Comments Off on New Stuff Tuesday – May 20

Stay in touch with Whitewater

Posted on May 16, 2008 by Barbara

Congratulations to all UWW graduating students!
…and so long for now to all the students who are not going to be on campus again until fall.

Want to keep up with the goings-on in the City of Whitewater this summer? There are a couple of online options:

And of course, you’ll want to keep reading the University Library blog! At the bottom of every entry you can click on “Entries Feed” to have new blog entries sent to you.

Posted in around the library, around the world | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Stay in touch with Whitewater

GovGab: government blog for consumers

Posted on May 14, 2008 by Barbara

GovGab may be the blog for you if you are looking for consumer advice from the federal government, such as help selecting a good auto repair shop or a day care, how to get off all those catalog mailing lists, or tips for saving energy (and money) or dealing with a stolen wallet. These and more items are categorized under money, health, travel, home and family and more.

GovGab blog banner

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!

Posted in info.gov | Tagged , | Comments Off on GovGab: government blog for consumers

New Stuff Tuesday – May 13

Posted on May 13, 2008 by kyle

Who's Your City

Who’s Your City:
How the Creative Economy Is Making Where to Live the Most Important Decision of Your Life
by Richard Florida
GF21 .F56 2008
New Book Island, 2nd floor

Leave it to a guy with the last name Florida to write a book about where to live. All jokes aside, Dr. Florida, Professor of Business & Creativity at the University of Toronto, examines how deciding where to live tops the list of most critical choices in one’s life. As the author contends, globalization has opened up the world, but where you live directly affects every other aspect of your life. He introduces the concept of “mega-regions,” which “range in size from 5 to more than 100 million people and produce hundreds of billions—sometimes trillions—in economic output.” This well-researched book contains a wealth of information and top places to call home for every stage of your life. And the book’s companion website offers a brief snapshot of Florida’s research if you don’t feel like reading the entire book.

Posted in new stuff tuesdays | Comments Off on New Stuff Tuesday – May 13