Sailing, sailing

over the Ocean Blue...today we remember Christopher Columbus and his adventures that began in 1492.

There are several books available on-line that might open your eyes to the man, the myth, and the perception. Columbus Then and Now: A Life Reexamined by Miles H. Davidson takes primary and secondary sources to pull together the facts. Mr. Davidson in the epilogue notes he is neither a historian nor a biographer but an accumulator of facts. He has placed the sources he used and why at the beginning of the book. It's not a traditional bibliography but a telling of what, where and why the information came to be used in this history.

Amazon shares the review by Margaret Flanagan from Booklist:

Davidson offers a comprehensive overview of the life of Christopher Columbus while analyzing a host of modern versions of the Columbus myth. Rather than relying on secondary sources, the author utilizes fifteenth-and sixteenth-century manuscripts, diaries, letters, naval records, and shipping logs to compile a detailed chronology of the facts and events that shaped the life of the much lauded and much reviled navigator....

The facts add up to more than the myths. Read about the man - online through netLibrary!

-kls

Canadian Federal Election 2008

You Yanks aren't the only ones with a market on elections this season, eh?

That line, uttered by an imaginary Canadian who lives in my own mind, refers to the fact that there are two major elections in North America this fall. The first, long planned on a regular schedule that dates back to the late 1700's, is the US Presidential and Congressional election. The second, which will occur first, has only been in the works since September.

Canada will be having a general election on October 14, 2008. This will be the 40th Canadian federal election. The election was called when Prime Minister Stephen Harper asked the Governor General to dissolve Parliament and call elections. The Prime Minister and Governor General split the roles of the US President. The Governor General is a ceremonial position, while the Prime Minister is acknowledged as the leader of the country, fulfilling the decision making roles that our President does.

The Prime Minister is also similar to our Speaker of the House of Representatives. Like the Speaker of the House, the Prime Minister is elected to the Canadian House of Commons as a representative of an election district and is not elected directly to the office by a vote of the whole country. The members of the House of Commons, including the Prime Minister, are called 'MPs' for Members of Parliament. The district they represent is called a 'riding.' The Prime Minister's riding is called Calgary Southwest. Most of the ridings have geographic names rather than the generic state and number labels given to US Congressional Districts, ex. the Georgia First Congressional District. Some of the ridings in Canada are named for people in the province of Quebec, and some riding names are quite creative, such as Wild Rose in Alberta.

Canada operates under a Westminster system of government similar to the United Kingdom/Great Britain. As in our American system, there is both an upper house and a lower house in the legislative branch. The main difference is that in Canada and Britian, most of the executive power rests in the lower house of the legislative branch. Both nations call the lower house the House of Commons. The Canadian upper house, the Senate, is made up of appointed members whose function is ceremonial to a great degree.

Power in the Canadian House of Commons rests with the political party that gets the greatest number of its members elected to the House. The last election in 2006 saw the Conservatives come out with the greatest number of MPs. Their win ended a thirteen year run in power for their main competitors, the rival Liberal party. However, the Conservatives did not get over half the seats in the House, meaning that they are called a minority government. The Conservatives elect one of their own as Prime Minister, they appoint member to the cabinet, they are the governing party, but the other parties have more total members.

Which brings us back to the upcoming election. Prime Minister Harper decided to call for elections to try and increase his party's numbers in the House of Commons. Elections have to be called no later than five years from the last election, but can be called at anytime in between. This often occurs when the governing party thinks its popularity is at a peak, allowing them to maintain or increase the number of MPs they have in Parliament. Sometimes the governing party will wait until the last minute to hold an election if they are unpopular, hoping that their polling will improve before time. The old Progressive Conservative party tried this in 1993 to no avail. All of their members but two were defeated.

When elections were called, things looked good for Harper and the Conservatives. However, polls have tightened due in large part to a decline in the Canadian economy as a result of the financial office here in the US. It now looks as though the Conservatives will maintain their current amount of representation, with perhaps a slight increase. Still, anything could happen. Liberal leader Stephane Dion, referred to as the Leader of the Opposition in the House, is not viewed as the Liberal's greatest leader ever. Jack Layton leads the New Democratic Party, the third largest party in Canada, which is strong in Ontario and British Columbia. The fourth party, the Bloc Quebecois, is lead by Gilles Duceppe and is a regional party concerned with independence for the provence of Quebec. The Bloc does not field candidates outside Quebec. The Green Party has seen a slight rise in its modest support. The Conservatives, also called the Tories, are seeing a dip in their popularity as the election approaches.

It may all come down to Ontario. If the Conservatives take away seats in Ontario from the Liberals, it will probably be viewed as a successful election for them, especially if they come to hold the majority of the Ontario seats. The Conservatives will also be looking to take away seats from the Bloc in Quebec. Atlantic Canada is a strong area for the Liberals, while the Prarie Provinces, especially Alberta, are strong for the Conservatives.

Here are some links related to the Canadian election:

Election Prediction Project
A Blog on the election
Hill and Knowlton Election Prediction Project

The election should be covered by C-SPAN or C-SPAN2 here in the USA. They usually show the feed from the CBC for a few hours. Will the Conservatives Party continue to drop? Will the New Democrats close in on the Liberals as the second biggest party? Will the Edmonton Oilers win the Stanley Cup this year? Tune in and find out.

JWF

Who do they look like?

Have you played the 'who do they look like' game with babies? You gather family photos and look at the photo and look at the baby and everyone says 'oh, he has their nose' or 'oh she has their eyes'....it's a fun game. I love to play. But what if you don't have any pictures of ancestors? Folks who've lived through floods may no longer have their collection of family memorabilia.

I attended a webinar for Ancestry.com Library Edition yesterday. I learned about the photos section.

I have used the census section a lot. I had not checked out the photos though. Ancestry Library Edition has US Yearbooks!

About U.S. School Yearbooks
This database is a collection of middle school, junior high, and high school yearbooks from across the United States.While yearbooks may not provide information about the vital events that are usually associated with genealogical research, they do provide other information about individuals' lives. This information helps place people in historical context as well as provides detail that helps turn individuals, sometimes only known by names and dates, into actual people.

They provide the approximate birth year, the school name, the school location, and the year the yearbook was published. School pictures are school pictures - even those from 1915. They do capture the era. These pictures can provide a link with your family!

Ancestry.com Library Edition is only available at the library.

-kls

Saving arm muscles

You're looking for snippets of information. The Reference section has book after book with brief explanations arranged in dictionary style. Grab the book and flip to the page and voila- just the correct amount of information. Sometimes you need to pull one reference book after another to find the right fact but the facts are there. It's good for triceps and biceps- reach, pull, lift...

What if you're not in the physical library? A quick search in Google or even Wiki-pedia might turn up that elusive smidgen of information. Can you rely on those sources?

Credo Reference offers 354 reference books online. To test the search results in Credo, I tried to think of something I would need just facts about. A person's biography seemed the way to go. (Yes, I like genealogy so looking for folks birth dates and death dates was a natural choice.) I searched for Edison.

1706 results came up. Sources like The Columbia Encyclopedia from Columbia University Press, Britannica Concise Encyclopedia, The Cambridge Dictionary of Scientists, The Crystal Reference Encyclopedia and more....

Nice. I didn't have to stand in the library pulling volume after volume off the shelf.

NMTC has purchased access to all of Credo Reference. A search box for Credo is on the NMTC Library page and the Blog and the MySpace. Students can pick up the login password from the library or they can access it through GALILEO.

Save those arm muscles - use the online reference works!

A little color showing

Fall is in the air and the trees are beginning to turn just a bit. The color in autumn is so cheerful. It gives me a psychic lift just as we enter the cold and dark season. The "American household botany : a history of useful plants 1620-1900" [SB 108 .U5 585 2004] by Judith Sumner notes practical uses for plants.

The review from Booklist posted on Amazon

Sumner examines nearly two hundred years of American know-how, offering a captivating perspective on how plants have been used in the home. The foodstuffs of Native American agriculture and the gardens of European settlers are first studied, from the preparation of many kinds of grains to arrays of fruits, berries, and vegetables found in the kitchen gardens at Monticello. Early "herbals" and cookbooks provide background, which is supplemented by descriptions of botanical aspects such as toxic compounds or helpful medicinal properties..."

Ms. Sumner doesn't mention color as a useful feature of plants but I know the change of seasons helps this city person get through life!

The view changes a bit

North Metro will be joined by Chattahoochee Tech in Marietta to form the largest technical college in Georgia. Today the President of the new school was announced.

We'll have different resources to talk about!

Now this is a library!

Thanks to The Distant Librarian who thanked Darlene for this portrait of a spectacular personal library noted in Wired.com.

What an amazing space!

-kls

Pretty is, as pretty does

Shelving horticulture books is such a pleasure. The pictures are magnificent. I stand and flip through the pages all for the purpose of being able to tell students where the best books on horticulture may be found. At least that's what I tell myself.

Yet, sometimes one can't get to the shelves to peruse the pictures. Our netLibrary collection has 37 titles published by Timber Press. I found them by using the advanced search link in netLibrary and typing in Timber Press for the publisher. There are more books for gardeners in netLibrary just search by your favorite plant!

Hort folks know that Timber Press publishes some 'fine' books for gardeners!

You do need to create your 'free account' (your library card) in netLibrary either on campus or through GALILEO.

And where do you get the current password to use GALILEO? Yes, your Georgia librarian.


-kls

Online resources

There is a gas crunch in the Atlanta area. The lack of gas makes our online resources very attractive!

You may use the over 45,000 e-books in netLibrary (register for a netLibrary account at your Georgia library)) and the over 300 Reference books in Credo Reference, not to mention the over 2000 periodicals available through GALILEO(password from your Georgia librarian)!

We do offer a full service library online.

-kls

Registration

Four orientations today.
A full house at the first session.
Students coming to the library to register.
The Fall Quarter begins on Wednesday.

-kls

Calling all cars

In honor of Constitution Day- read the Preamble. This art piece was created by Mike Wilkins.

Please note the states are in alphabetical order! Mr. Wilkins must be a librarian at heart.


-kls

Shh, We're writing....

They wrote and wrote and wrote...fortunately the Library of Congress has collected and digitized some of the writings at the Documents from the Continental Congress and the Constitutional Convention.

The Continental Congress Broadside Collection (256 titles) and the Constitutional Convention Broadside Collection (21 titles) contain 277 documents relating to the work of Congress and the drafting and ratification of the Constitution. Items include extracts of the journals of Congress, resolutions, proclamations, committee reports, treaties, and early printed versions of the United States Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. Most broadsides are one page in length; others range from 1 to 28 pages. A number of these items contain manuscript annotations not recorded elsewhere that offer insight into the delicate process of creating consensus. In many cases, multiple copies bearing manuscript annotations are available to compare and contrast.

My title came from the book by Jean Fritz, "Shh! We're writing the Constitution".

Using GALILEO I found the title in Book Index with Reviews. The first time I searched in BIR, I had too many h's in the Shhhh. When I tried by author, the title came right up. Spelling does count.

I looked for the title in NoveList and couldn't find it by author or by title.I was surprised it's not listed in NoveList. I really was looking for extenders for the classroom. I noticed the NoveList K-8 as I was scrolling through the GALILEO list - so I thought- well, maybe it's in that database - nope - not there either.

All three databases are published by EBSCO. Interesting. You get the password to use GALILEO at home from your Georgia librarian.


-kls

Reference Wiki

Greetings.

One resource that we would like to make you aware of is our reference wiki North Metro Tech Reference Wiki.

First, what is a reference wiki? A reference wiki is a tool that is being increasingly used by libraries and librarians. The purpose of a reference wiki is to allow library staff, and in some cases library users, to create editable information about the library and its resources.

There are several reasons for creating this wiki:

The wiki provides alternate routes to valuable library resources in case that the other routes are disabled.

The wiki provides basic information about the library and its resources.

Librarians post received or asked questions to the wiki. This allows librarians to share with other librarians their past experiences in helping a patron. It also allows a librarian to remember how they did something in the past.

The wiki is easily editable in case resources become out of date or there is a better way of helping a patron with a particular issue.

The format we chose to use for the reference wiki is Wetpaint. We felt that this was the format that was capable of being edited the easiest. There have been some complaints about Wetpaint being too commercial. However, you can request Wetpain remove any ads from your wiki if you declare yourself to be an educational wiki.

JWF

violating copyright

I went looking for YouTube videos about the Preamble of the US Constitution. Someone has uploaded the School House Rocks version- which is very clever, easy to sing and probably violates copyright- but it is Constitution week- you may be tested on your knowledge of the Preamble and this is an easy way to learn it!

We the People

We the People of the United States,
.....(that’s all of us- you and me)

in Order to form a more perfect Union,
.....(better than the old country)

establish Justice,
.....(everyone is equal under the law)

insure domestic Tranquility,
.....(my neighborhood should be safe and so should your neighborhood)

provide for the common defense,
.....(we’ll fight together against attackers)

promote the general Welfare,
.....(we’ll look out for each other)

and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity,
.....(we’ll be free people and so will our children and grandchildren)

do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

Read All About it

Just in from Karen Minton at GALILEO:

The Digital Library of Georgia is pleased to announce the availability of a new online resource:

The Macon Telegraph Archive (1826-1908).

The Macon Telegraph Archive provides online access to early issues of the Macon Telegraph ranging from its inception as a weekly newspaper in 1826, through the daily issues of the early twentieth century. Consisting of over 50,000 newspaper pages, the archive provides historical images that are both full-text searchable and can be browsed by date.

Launched just three years after the city of Macon was incorporated, the Macon Telegraph provides an inside view into the initial years of the city’s growth. Macon’s central location within the state provided the paper with a unique perspective of the news through a period when middle Georgia was both geographically and politically a focal point of the state. During the early publication of the newspaper, Macon and its surrounding areas were guided politically, economically, and racially by the growth of cotton. Through that lens the paper provides historical insight into the development of the state during the sectionalism of the antebellum period, the devastation of the Civil War, and the rise of the “New South” in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

The Macon Telegraph Archive is a project of the Digital Library of Georgia as part of the Georgia HomePLACE initiative. The project is supported with federal LSTA funds administered by the Institute of Museum and Library Services through the Georgia Public Library Service, a unit of the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia.

-kls

The sky turned green

News from the Digital Library of Georgia:

Explore the dramatic story of “The 1936 Gainesville Tornado: Disaster and Recovery” at the Digital Library of Georgia (DLG) – now substantially expanded and enhanced through completion of the second phase of a collaborative digitization project with the Hall County Library System and the Walter J. Brown Media Archives and Peabody Awards Collection, as part of Georgia HomePLACE.

The initial phase, completed last year, provided online access to a digitized version of original historical film depicting extensive storm damage in Gainesville from the severe 1936 multi-funnel tornado strike, generally regarded as the fifth deadliest in U.S. history. An interactive map provided geographically-based access to selected film clips for which shooting locations have been identified.

The recently completed second phase adds a multi-media online exhibit to tell a more complete story covering both the tornado strike as well as the extensive recovery effort afterwards (including the important role of President Franklin D. Roosevelt). Website visitors can follow the exhibit narrative sequentially through chronological stages (tornado outbreak, damage and destruction, relief and rescue, rebuilding) or alternatively drill down to specific information about any particular aspect of the disaster or recovery. The exhibit integrates selected clips from the film footage, related still images (photographs and
postcards) from the Hall County Library Historic Photograph Collection and the Vanishing Georgia collection, and dramatic quotes from eye witnesses.

To accommodate the more complex selection and presentation of digitized historical materials, DLG also redesigned and enlarged the project website, which now includes separate tabbed sections for the exhibit, primary sources, the interactive map, and additional resources (archival, reading, related links). The project is supported with federal LSTA funds administered by the Institute of Museum and Library Services through the Georgia Public Library Service, a unit of the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia.

-kls

Career Advice for Those Who Don't Like to Read Books

Okay, let's admit it, not everyone likes to read books. There are a lot of reasons for this, which we shall not digress into at this juncture.

The growth of graphic novels, books that present their content in a format similar to comic books, is in part due to the preferences of some to not read traditional books. Even so, those who choose not to read or are uncomfortable doing so may find that they still need the advice and help that is available through books. This may be especially true of many of our students, who often seek guidance as to their future and their future career.

A solution has presented itself. The library has a copy of the book 'the Adventures of Johnny Bunko: the Last Career Guide You'll Ever Need.' This book is a career/work/life guide, but one that is presented in the format of a graphic novel. The book may be a career guide solution for those of you who don't want to read through a 'normal' book about careers or work choices. The book's website claims that you should be able to read the book within an hour. The graphic style of the book is manga, a Japanese format that is quite popular with younger readers in the United States. The website has other information about the book, including a brief trailer for the book, done in the anime style (which is animated manga). The book may offer some brief tips about career paths and choices while holding your attention with its unusual style.

JWF

Ping, whoosh, shush, ping, whoosh

What is that sound?
Did it come from the left front, the right front, the back left, the back right, under the hood.....
Is it rhythmic or sporadic?
Can the car make that sound for anyone but me?

When the automobile works, it works very well.
When it doesn't - oh my!

Fortunately most automobiles work very well with just the minimum of maintenance. What do you need to do to keep your vehicle running well? If you purchased a new car, the owners manual gives hints and tips. If you purchased from a large dealer they may send letters or e-mails reminding you when routine service needs to be done. What if you didn't buy a new car? How do you keep up with those oil changes, etc?

We purchased Auto Upkeep : Basic Car Care, Maintenance, and Repair 2nd edition [TL 152 .G6387 2007]by Michael E. Gray and Linda E. Gray. The Preface notes:

Auto Upkeep : Basic Car Care, Maintenance, and Repair is an introductory book that is intended to provide individuals with the knowledge to make economical decisions and take preventative measures to enhance the overall satisfaction of being an automotive consumer

Auto Upkeep is used by some as a textbook. The Gray's provide links both in the text and online to resources pertaining to each chapter (manufacturers, oil companies, etc).

Don't forget that Auto Repair Reference Center in GALILEO has the Chilton manuals for most vehicles. You remember how to get the password to use GALILEO at home?

Prevent odd and unusual noises from emanating from your vehicle by keeping up with the routine maintenance and care! We have print and online resources to keep you moving.

-kls

And their job was?

Labor Day always reminds me of the hymn "Come Labor On". I think about all the people who've worked to make our lives better. I started wondering how I could find statistics about how many people did a certain job at a certain time.

I played with Ancestry.com (Library edition) in GALILEO. It's not able to sort by job but then I got distracted. You know how it is to get distracted while online.

I typed in Scott Joplin as a person to search for- I'm not sure why I thought of Scott Joplin but there you go. He shows up in the 1880 Texas census as Going to School, in the 1900 Missouri census as Musician, and then in the 1910 NY census as a Musician Composer! This little be of searching helped flesh out what I "know" about Scott Joplin.

You may only access Ancestry.com through GALILEO on campus but it is a very intriguing primary source for any content area not just for your own personal genealogy.

-kls