CEF Libraries

As the space shuttles make their final flights to museums on both coasts of the United States, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) closes an important chapter in human space flight. Throughout the 30-year history of the program there have been incredible achievements and devastating setbacks.

Space Shuttle Mission Information (find it on the ipl2)

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/main/index.html

NASA’s official Space Shuttle site is loaded with information about the Space Shuttle and other programs. This resource includes links to images, videos, and official mission reports.

History of the Space Shuttle in Images (find it on the ipl2)

http://www.theatlantic.com/infocus/2011/07/the-history-of-the-space-shuttle/100097/

This site provides a look back at the history of the Space Shuttle program through more than 60 photographs going back to 1972.

Space Shuttle Launches (find it on the ipl2)

http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/missions/missions.html

This site provides links to details about every shuttle mission. Information includes crew, milestones, mission objectives, launches, landings, and mission highlights.

How the Space Shuttle Works (find it on the ipl2)

http://science.howstuffworks.com/space-shuttle.htm

This site provides diagrams, images, and videos explaining how many systems on the space shuttle function.

New Homes for Retired Space Shuttles (find it on the ipl2)

http://www.nasa.gov/topics/shuttle_station/features/shuttle_homes.html

NASA has announced the locations where the retired shuttle fleet will be housed. Other parts and equipment from the program will be sent to a number of museums as well.

Thank you for supporting the ipl2. We hope you found these resources informative.

Reminder: You can now subscribe to ipl2’s newsletter and weekly blog posts via email as well as RSS. The “Email Subscription” feature appears prominently in the upper left-hand side of the page on the ipl2’s News and Information WordPress blog. Subscription is free and open to all!

Love it or hate it, Wikipedia is here to stay.  It’s popularity and use have brought to light the existence of the wiki, something some of us understand and some of us can’t figure out.   Technically, a wiki is a website that users can modify, add or delete content to by using a web browser (Internet Explorer, Foxfire, etc.).  There are lots of different uses for wikis—my family tried using a wiki as a means of posting pictures and communicating with far-away relatives, with limited success.  Wikis let us write documents collaboratively, which brings us to the validity or voracity of anything wiki.  As long as we understand the source of wiki contents, we can use wikis as I think they were intended to be used—a communal vehicle for sharing information.  Since libraries are in the business of information access, it makes sense that we would be interested in this technology.  We seem to use blogs more than wikis as corporate information portals, maybe because we as librarians are still dedicated to protecting sources of shared information.

Wikipedia is administered by the Wikimedia Foundation, with a complex set of rules and guidelines for posting and editing.  Can anyone post to Wikipedia?  Yes.  I’ve posted an article to Wikipedia, and edited another.  Not as an official Wikipedia editor, but as someone who knew more about the subject of the article than the person who originally posted it.  My article—on the rasbora fish has now become a long entry with vastly more information than I ever knew about the fish.  This is the beauty of a wiki—one person starts the movement of information and others add on what they know.  Yes, there are great risks with wikis, and there are ways to control and edit entries.

During the next few weeks I’ll be looking at wikis administered by the Wikimedia Foundation—Wikipedia, of course, as well as Wicktionary, Wikibooks, Wikinews, Wikiquote and Wikispecies.  Wikimedia Foundation has local chapters in 39 countries, and Wikipedia is one of the five most-visited websites in the world, giving it bragging rites as to popularity and belief in the medium.  Is this use well-founded?  That’s a topic that longs for continued debate.

In last week’s discussion of library rental fees, someone commented: It is about our customers. In many cases, the rentals aren’t available either, and then they go and buy the book or check another library system.  Yes patience is a virtue, and I can see that argument, but we also need to [...]

Anyone following the news in academia probably saw this article last week about the increasing number of people with graduate degrees on welfare. A kind reader sent it to me with a note: “This should be required reading for anyone pondering an MLIS degree.” Those of you who don’t work in higher might [...]

The original suspense writer is once again in the news due to the current cinematic release named for Edgar Allan Poe’s famous poem “The Raven.” Poe (1809-1849) wrote many poems, short stories and a few essays that live on in the literary world. His macabre style attracts many current readers. Here are some resources about the man being immortalized on screen.

Edgar Allan Poe Museum (find it on ipl2)

http://www.poemuseum.org/index.php

Visit the virtual site of this museum that was established in 1922. Visitors may sift through letters, newspaper articles and photographs of Poe and those he was closest to. Samples of his most famous and lesser known works are also available to read.

Edgar Allan Poe- Poets.org (find it on ipl2)

http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/130

The Academy of American Poets maintains this informative web site to provide not only poems, but also poet biographies, recordings of poetry, interviews with poets and essays. Along with biographical information about Poe, sixteen of his poems are available to be read.

Times Topics: Edgar Allan Poe (find it on ipl2)

http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/p/edgar_allan_poe/index.html

The fascination with Poe has been evident for many decades. The New York Times created an entire site that chronicles the various times Poe has been covered by this legendary paper. Articles from as far back as 1984 up to as recently as two weeks ago are included. There are also slide shows available that detail both the history of Poe and the celebrations of his works.

Nevermore: The Edgar Allan Poe Collection of Susan Jaffe Tane (find it on ipl2)

http://rmc.library.cornell.edu/poe/index.html

Cornell University celebrated Edgar Allan Poe with a special exhibit during 2006 and 2007. This web site was intended to provide users with an online version of the exhibition. The site includes both history about Poe’s life and digitalized primary sources of the varities of works he created (poems, lectures and editorials). “The Raven,” his most famous poem is also profiled.

Thank you for supporting the ipl2. We hope you found these resources informative.

Reminder: You can now subscribe to ipl2′s newsletter and weekly blog posts via email as well as RSS. The “Email Subscription” feature appears prominently in the upper left-hand side of the page on the ipl2′s News and Information WordPress blog. Subscription is free and open to all!

A kind reader sent in this link wondering if there was really a controversy. It’s a reader poll in Rhode Island that asks the question: “Should Libraries Charge Fees for ‘Popular’ Books?” The writer expressed surprise that the Newport Public Library has a rental collection of very popular books and charges $.25/day [...]

The biggest news hitting the library world last week, at least as far as I could tell from the headlines, was the book Fifty Shades of Grey being pulled from a Florida county library system for being too pornographic. It must have been big news, because even the New York Times covered it. The [...]

I’ve been busy weeding our adult non-fiction collection, and made it through the gardening books recently.  We have a large collection of books on every aspect of gardening, including some good regional gardening books.  What struck me was that, though some of these books are 10-15 years old, they’re still circulating quite a bit.  This made me wonder if patrons use the same books over and over, or if they are always looking for new books.  I garden (nominally) and know that I’ve used the same books many times throughout the years; books from my personal collection.  It’s sort of like trying to identify wildflowers: you just keep pouring over the information year after year, looking at the pictures and reading the descriptions, hoping to remember at least some of it.

As I work my way through the non-fiction, I find this sort of thing in more categories.  Cookbooks, for instance, get used a lot by our libraries’ patrons, even if they’re 10 years old.  The good ones, we know, have color pictures of what the food is supposed to look like, and have recipes we could all master.  Do patrons crave new cookbooks?  Or do the ones we’ve had for a long time meet their needs?  How do patrons use cookbooks?  Do they ask for the same ones over and over?  As with gardening books, I have my favorite cookbooks, the standards, which I use for almost everything.  When I’m thinking of making something new and different I use the Internet almost exclusively.  Has the Internet made cookbooks less useful?  The browsing element belongs to books—cruising through a cookbook is always a good time, and books lend themselves more readily to browsing than some websites do.

So we have a lot of cookbooks because they’re always in demand, and we have a lot of gardening books because our populace is largely rural dwellers.  People always use our books; we have a healthy circulation of materials in these categories.  With our latest, exciting new service of offering e-books, we’ve entered the realm of electronic cookbooks.  It’s too soon to see if these will be as widely used as the print books are, but in asking around I’ve heard that some people do indeed like to have their computers or e-readers in the kitchen when they work.  Of course, use of e-books is limited to those who have good Internet connections–with a rural public this is often an issue.  Far too many of us have dial-access to the Internet from home.

Not only are librarians becoming carnies, they’re also becoming beggars, even at the ALA. Is this a small anomaly, or a glimpse of the future? A kind reader concerned that librarians are turning into beggars sent me a couple of links: this sad page in American Libraries on Why You Should Go to ALA [...]

Mental health is an important, but often misunderstood, aspect of our lives. Understanding the various mental disorders is vital for all, which is one of the reasons that May is designated as Mental Health Month.

To learn more about several common disorders, check out the resources below. Topics include:

• Depression
• Anxiety
• Attention Deficit Disorder/Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
• Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
• Bipolar Disorder
• Alzheimer’s Disease

Depression
This disorder afflicts many American adults and is often misunderstood. The following resources help those investigating this disorder and provide resources for those who are currently affected.

Depression: Out of the Shadows (find it on the ipl2)
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/takeonestep/depression/resources.html
This specific link will provide resources about both the statistics about depression and the different associations that seek to help those suffering from depression. These are a result of the PBS-produced special dealing with the current stigma connected to depression.

Depression and Unipolar Varieties on MentalHelp.net (find it on the ipl2)
http://www.mentalhelp.net/poc/center_index.php?id=5
This site includes resources that allow a user to understand the symptoms and mood episodes associated with depression. Forums and Question/Answer areas are provided for those seeking personal or general information.

Depression on the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (find it on the ipl2)
http://www.dbsalliance.org/site/PageServer?pagename=about_depression_overview
This site allows individuals who suffer from depression or are close to a person who suffers to find information about the kinds of depression and treatment options. The intent is to provide users with knowledge so that they can feel less discouraged when dealing with depression. There are other publications available through the site.

Anxiety
This mental health issue is often related to stress. Many people who suffer with anxiety must deal with other disorders as well. Depression is one of the disorders that frequently accompany anxiety.

Anxiety Disorders Association of America (find it on the ipl2)
http://www.adaa.org/
This association seeks to provide users with knowledge about preventing, treating, and curing disorders connected with stress. The website is constructed to allow a person with stress-related questions to find information, help, and methods to take action. There are also links to connect with a professional if needed.

Anxiety-Panic Disorders on HealingWell (find it on the ipl2)
http://www.healingwell.com/anxiety/
This site seeks to provide users with practical information coupled with testimonials of encouragement. There are blogs, forums, videos, and even a live chat with a doctor.

ADD/ADHD
Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a disorder that is found most commonly among children. Lack of attention, impulsive behavior, and issues of distraction characterize this disorder.

Attention Deficit Disorder Association (find it on the ipl2)
http://www.add.org/
This resource provides information and networking opportunities to help adults with ADD. The site is also intended for professionals who serve those with ADD. It contains factual information, advocacy, lists of various kinds of resources and support, event calendars, webinars, and webcasts.

ADHDNews.com (find it on the ipl2)
http://www.adhdnews.com/
This site includes general information about ADHD, such as a glossary and collection of articles, links, and other resources about the condition. There are also message boards, blogs, and places for individuals and families to share their stories. It also includes information about treatments, including medications and side effects, diet, behavior modification.

ADDinSchool.com (find it on the ipl2)
http://www.addinschool.com
ADDinSchool.com provides information and resources for school-aged people who suffer from ADD or ADHD and their families. It is also a resource for the teachers who have them in class, providing interventions, such as tips for increasing time on task and how to present your lesson to ADHD students. There are some commercial products sold.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a mental illness that primarily revolves around anxiety and coping mechanisms that the individual has developed in order to handle that anxiety. Many people have OCD, but it can be hard to understand. The following links provide information and resources regarding this disorder.

International OCD Foundation (find on the ipl2)
http://www.ocfoundation.org/
The International OCD Foundation is a resource for people all over the world that suffer from or want more information on obsessive compulsive disorder. They provide links to assist in finding help for those that need it, recommend a list of books and materials about OCD, and more. In the words of the ipl2, the International OCD Foundation is “[a]n international organization of over 10,000 members [that] offers explanations, resources, and access to annual conferences on Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and related disorders.”

Anxiety Disorders Association of America: Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) (find on the ipl2)
http://www.adaa.org/understanding-anxiety/obsessive-compulsive-disorder-ocd
ADAA provides a wealth of information on multiple anxiety disorders, including an in-depth section on OCD itself. They explain symptoms, treatment for OCD, news and research on the disorder, and have a special section on hoarding, which can stem from OCD. ipl2 says, “This site has descriptions and treatment options for generalized anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), panic disorder, phobias, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It includes resources for practitioners and the public, including a therapist finding aid listing members of ADAA.”

PsychCentral: Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder (find it on the ipl2)
http://psychcentral.com/disorders/sx26.htm
PsychCentral, a website that has made Time.com’s 50 best websites list, has information on various personality disorders, including OCD. They give an overview of the disorder, discuss symptoms, how the disorder is diagnosed, causes, and various treatments that are available.

Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar disorder is a mental disorder that causes one to go through extreme manic and depressive episodes. In addition to these mood swings, one can also experience hallucinations or delusions.

NEW! Bipolar Disorder by Mayo Clinic
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/bipolar-disorder/ds00356
This source provides background on bipolar disorder as well as various treatments, such as medicinal, home, and alternative remedies. The Mayo Clinic also discusses how one can best prepare for a doctor’s visit if one has recently been diagnosed or suspects he/she may be suffering from the disorder.

A Complete Guide to Bipolar Disorder (find it on the ipl2)
http://www.bipolarhome.org/
This resource is dedicated solely to helping those with this specific mental condition. It details the symptoms of the disorder and also differentiates between the different stages that one can experience. The website also offers help for parents whose children have been diagnosed and provides support on living with the affliction, including how to tell others that one is bipolar.

National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI): What is Bipolar Disorder? (find it on ipl2)
http://www.nami.org/Content/NavigationMenu/Mental_Illnesses/Bipolar1/Home_-_What_is_Bipolar_Disorder_.htm
National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) is dedicated to helping those with bipolar disorder and their families find support and educational programs in their local area. NAMI also offers online discussion groups so one can easily connect with others.

Alzheimer’s Disease
Alzheimer’s Disease is a mental health disorder affecting one out of every eight senior citizens in the United States. It affects not only those with the disease, but also friends and family members who have to learn how to adjust to a loved one’s condition. This section provides resources for people of all ages to learn about Alzheimer’s.

The Forgetting: A Portrait of Alzheimer’s (find it on the ipl2)
http://www.pbs.org/theforgetting/
The Forgetting: A Portrait of Alzheimer’s is an Emmy award-winning documentary which was originally aired by PBS in 2004. This website includes the full documentary as well as stories from people with Alzheimer’s, information about the disease, and information for people who have been recently diagnosed. Most of the information is in video form, making this an excellent website for visual learners.

Alzheimer’s Association: “Just for Kids” (find it on the ipl2)
http://www.alz.org/living_with_alzheimers_just_for_kids_and_teens.asp
The Alzheimer’s Association’s “Just for Kids” page includes information which helps kids and teens who have family members with Alzheimer’s understand the disease, as well as resources for parents and educators. Information is provided via videos, articles, and an interactive tour.

Alzheimer’s Disease Research (find it on ipl2)
http://www.ahaf.org/alzheimers
Alzheimer’s Disease Research provides a comprehensive website with information about risk factors, symptoms, stages and treatments. In addition, the site provides detailed information about life with Alzheimer’s, from legal and financial matters to everyday living. There is also an “Ask the Experts” section for any questions you may have.

Reminder: You can now subscribe to ipl2’s newsletter and weekly blog posts via email as well as RSS. The “Email Subscription” feature appears prominently in the upper left-hand side of the page on the ipl2′s News and Information WordPress blog. Subscription is free and open to all!

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A kind reader sent in this news story from Atlanta with the following comment: “Lots to chew on in this substantive account of how self-preservation is the #1 job of library staff.” Indeed there is. The story is the by now typical one of how this isn’t your grandfather’s public library anymore. [...]

Both the trilogy and the movie adaptation of the first book in The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins have become smash hits not just in the United States, but across the world.  This series, which has captured the attention of both youth and adults, has been making waves for its symbolism and depiction of an incredibly dystopian future.  The following resources will prove highly useful for anyone interested in learning more about this provocative series.

New resources that will be added to the ipl2 are noted NEW! All other resources can already be found in the ipl2 collection.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins on Scholastic.com

http://www.scholastic.com/thehungergames/index.htm (find it on the ipl2)

This page, maintained by Suzanne Collins’ publisher, offers a wide variety of informative content.  Videos and interviews with the author are provided, along with synopses of the books and downloadable content.  Those new to the series have the opportunity to preview the first several chapters of the novels and can watch a trailer for the new movie.

The Hunger Games Discussion Guide

http://www.scholastic.com/content/collateral_resources/pdf/h/HungerGamesTrilogyDiscussionGuide.pdf (find it on the ipl2)

Informative and thought-provoking, this book guide is excellent for promoting insights and assisting readers of the series in understanding more of the nuances that can be found in the trilogy.  Whether the book guide is for a single reader or a group, the summaries of the novels and the discussion questions will be stimulating for all.

The Politics of ‘The Hunger Games’

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/hunger-games-politics-jennifer-lawrence-303601  (find it on the ipl2)

Paul Bond’s article discusses the political side of the trilogy and the movie adaptation, which have been making wide ripples in the world of government.  The article provides multiple views of the political messages that can be found in the books and movie, which allows the reader to see how the work has impacted the country in a fashion much larger than domestic box office figures.

NEW! The Hunger Games Film Website

http://www.thehungergamesmovie.com

This website will be highly useful for those who are interested in the film adaptation of Collins’ novels.  It provides links to the film’s social pages to make it easy for fans to connect and get up-to-date news on what is happening with the trilogy, along with links to news and articles on the film, which include discussions on the merits of the novel versus the movie and the female role model that Katniss has become, and even examples of how the series has had an impact on the world of fashion (“Capitol Couture”).

The Hunger Games IMDB

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1392170/ (find it on the ipl2)

IMDB provides a fantastic array of information about the movie version of the first book in the trilogy.  Photos, trailers, trivia, cast information, and reviews can be found on this site, along with other facts about the film and links to over 8,000 news articles.

Thank you for supporting the ipl2. We hope you found these resources informative.

Reminder: You can now subscribe to ipl2’s newsletter and weekly blog posts via email as well as RSS.  The “Email Subscription” feature appears prominently in the upper left-hand side of the page on the ipl2’s News and Information WordPress blog. Subscription is free and open to all!

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The last post took a look at an example of some of the unpleasant mail sent to the AL. Fortunately, for every email like that, I get several pointing to fun or interesting things. Here’s a selection that I liked, but weren’t quite big enough for a full blog post. The current [...]

I’ve gotten quite a bit of email in the last couple of weeks. In the next post, I’ll point to some fun stuff people have sent in, but for today I want to reply to some nutter who double dared me to respond. First, check out this email to the AL: To the “Annoyed [...]

Someplace job search site  has created yet another job rankings list based on the sort of rigorous methodology you’d expect from people trying to hustle money out of you. Librarian ranks 61, just below nuclear engineer and aerospace engineer and just above judge and heating/refrigeration mechanic. But why would the job of [...]

Last week I criticized a lazy journalist for doing what lazy journalists do: write about stuff they know nothing about. In his case, he knew nothing about libraries, but wrote with the assurance of an expert. That’s why he ended up sounding stupid, with his talk of bun-wearing shushers and [...]

I expected it in Brooklyn, and even in California, but I never expected hip, stereotype shattering librarians to finally arrive in Minnesota, even if they’re not really librarians. This article has to be the most painful example of the hip librarian genre that I’ve ever seen, and I’ve seen them all. It [...]

In the comment section of my last post, Will Manley asked, “why do librarians love to trash library work?” Another commenter responded, “because it’s a thankless job,” to which Will replied, “whose fault is that?” There are plenty of librarians who do trash the work, whether in the comments section [...]

In my last post, I ended with a question that should be easy to answer. If their library is outsourced to LSSI, and their pay and benefits are going to be cut, what should librarians do? The easy answer is, quit. Find another job. Wait, some of you might say! That’s not so easy [...]

A kind reader sent this article asking, are privatized public libraries so bad? The answer, as with so many questions, seems to be, it depends on who you ask. The writer is writing as a library user. Examining the Santa Clarita, CA library after it was taken over by LSSI, she seems to conclude [...]