Brewton Area Earth Day Observance

EARTH DAY: The Greater Brewton Area Chamber of Commerce along with the cities of Brewton and East Brewton would like to invite you to participate in our Earth Day Clean Up set for Saturday, April 24, 2010. The Jay Road Landfill will be open between 7:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m., free of charge, for residents to dispose of electronics (please note that television and computer components will cost $7 per item) and trash only, no household garbage or chemicals. The City of East Brewton will have their trash truck available for East Brewton residents; call 867-7998 for pickup. Here is a list of how to dispose of certain items:

Automobile Batteries: Advance Auto Parts, Auto Zone, and O’Reilly Auto Parts all located on Douglas Avenue.

Automobile Oil: Advance Auto Parts, Auto Zone and O’Reilly Auto Parts

Old Appliances: You may take these to the Jay Road Landfill, free of charge, during Earth Day Cleanup, 7:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m., including television and computer components, which will cost $7 per item to dispose of. RESIDENTS ONLY!

Dumpsters will be located in various locations: Burnt Corn Creek Park, College Drive in Alco, parking lot behind the old Wal-Mart building and the corner of Sowell Rd and Liles Blvd.

Tires: Put in dumpsters in various locations, RESIDENTS ONLY!

We appreciate the efforts of each individual that is dedicated to helping keep our environment clean. Thank you for your support. If you need additional information, call the Greater Brewton Area Chamber of Commerce, 867-3224 or East Brewton City Hall, 867-6092. Residents only, no businesses or commercial organizations please.

Sponsored by:
The Brewton City Council’s Earth Day Committee
The Greater Brewton Area Chamber of Commerce

April 22 is Earth Day!

To help create a greener future, please visit the following sites:

• Earth Day Network
• Earth from Above
• Earth Island Institute
• Earth Site
• Ebsco's GreenFile
• The Nature Conservancy
• The Rainforest Site
• We Earth
• Worldwatch Institute

Amnesty during National Library Week!

To help celebrate National Library Week, the library staff will waive all overdue fines between now and Friday, April 16. Please take advantage of this opportunity, especially if you have overdue DVDs.

April is National Poetry Month

Our National Poetry Month celebration this year will culminate with the observance of Poem in your Pocket Day on the 29th. The idea is simple: select a poem you love during National Poetry Month then carry it with you to share with co-workers, family, and friends on the 29th of April. Poems from pockets will be unfolded throughout the day with events in parks, libraries, schools, workplaces, and bookstores.

• Subscribe to Poem a Day and receive a new poem each day during April: http://www.poets.org/


• Pocket-sized poems from the Academy of American Poets: http://www.poets.org/page.php/prmID/409


• New York City’s Poem in your Pocket page: http://www.nyc.gov/html/poem/

March is Women's History Month

This year’s NWHP theme is Writing Women back into History. To explore the many historical contributions of women, please visit the following links:

• National Women's History Project Blog
• Women’s History on the History Channel
• Women's History Quiz
• Women's History Timeline

We also recommend the following title: When Everything Changed: The Amazing Journey of American Women from 1960 to the Present by Gail Collins. (HQ 1421 .C64 2009)

Image from http://www.marciaweberartobjects.com/; used with permission.

Photographs by Robert Radin

“This Beautiful World,” a traveling art exhibition on display in the Fine Arts Center, features works by Los Angeles-based photographer Robert Radin. Thirty pieces of his photograph collection will be on display beginning February 11th with a premier showing at 6 p.m. Everyone is invited to attend. The exhibit will remain open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. through February 19th. A special thanks to Susan Chapman and Jerry Simmons for securing and displaying the work.

African American History Month

African American Art
African American Mosaic
African American Writers
African Americans at War
Black Facts Online
Black History Hotlist
Black History Pages
Black History Resources
Ethnic News Watch
From Slavery to Freedom
Guide to Black History
Museum of the African Diaspora
National Geographic's Underground Railroad
Reflections in Black
Speak to My Heart
Underground Railroad Experience

Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr.

The third Monday in January is set aside to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., perhaps the most important figure in the history of Civil Rights in the United States. Strongly influenced by the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi, Dr. King advocated the use of nonviolent means to end racial segregation. He organized the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955, founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in 1957 and led the 1963 March on Washington. He was also instrumental in the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, effectively outlawing discrimination in public accommodations, facilities, and employment, and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Dr. King was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1964 and died four years later at the hands of an assassin on April 4, 1968.

December is Universal Human Rights Month

Article I

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.

Article II

Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty.

Article III

Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.

The Birmingham Pledge

• I believe that every person has worth as an individual.


• I believe that every person is entitled to dignity and respect, regardless of race or color.


• I believe that every thought and every act of racial prejudice is harmful; if it is my thought or act, then it is harmful to me as well as to others.


• Therefore, from this day forward I will strive daily to eliminate racial prejudice from my thoughts and actions.


• I will discourage racial prejudice by others at every opportunity.


• I will treat all people with dignity and respect; and I will strive daily to honor this pledge, knowing that the world will be a better place because of my effort.

Sign the Pledge!

November is Native American Heritage Month

Please visit the following sites for information about the culture, history, traditions, and contributions of the indigenous peoples of North America.

Aboriginal Links
Eitleljorg Museum of American Indians
First Nations Peoples
First People of America & Canada
Indigenous Peoples Literature
Native American Code Talkers
Native American Heritage Month
Native American Lore
Native American Technology & Art
Native American Tribes of Alabama
Poarch Band of Creek Indians
Poarch Creek Pow Wow

Awesome Website - ProCon.org

The http://www.procon.org/ website promotes critical thinking, education, and informed citizenship by presenting controversial issues in a straightforward, nonpartisan, primarily pro-con format. All ProCon sites are free, require no registration, and have no advertising.

ProCon.org at a glance:

• over 1,000 questions on controversial issues
• date and source information for all research cited
• over 4,800 biographies for the sources used on the sites
• research done or vetted by experienced professionals
• strict editorial guidelines to ensure journalistic integrity

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Help raise awareness about the dangers of breast cancer and the benefits of early detection. The websites below offer free e-cards to remind the women in your life to get an annual mammogram:

• http://www2c.cdc.gov/ecards/message/message.asp?cardid=196
• http://www.bluemountain.com/category.pd?path=34939
• http://www.mammosite.com/e-card-reminder/
• http://makingstrides.acsevents.org/site/PageServer?pagename=MSABC_FY09_mammogramreminder

Banned Books Week Sep 26−Oct 3, 2009

Celebrate the freedom to read by learning more about Banned Books Week. Observed since 1982, Banned Books Week serves as a reminder of one of our most empowering rights, the privilege to freely choose what we wish to read. To quote Franklin Roosevelt: “Books cannot be killed by fire …books never die...no force can take from the world the books that embody man's eternal fight against tyranny.”

Please visit our Banned Books Week page.

Hispanic Heritage Month: Sep. 15 - Oct. 15

The following Central American countries share a common language and similar cultures:

Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua.

In the course of their development, they also share a major historical connection - what is it? The answer provides an explanation for the unusual time-frame for Hispanic Heritage Month. For this and other interesting facts about this important national observance, please visit our Hispanic Heritage page.

September 17 is Constitution Day!

On September 17, 1787, George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, James Madison, and Alexander Hamilton were among the patriots who secured their place in history by signing the United States Constitution. Constitution Day is yearly reminder of their legacy and serves to promote greater awareness of our great nation’s history. For additional information, please visit our Constitution Day page. Test your knowledge at http://www.constitutionfacts.com/.

September is Library Card Sign-up Month

If you have not already discovered the wealth of information available through the Alabama Virtual Library, we encourage you to sign-up for an AVL Card at either campus library sometime during this month. The Alabama Virtual Library provides convenient and user-friendly access to thousands of full-text journal articles covering a wide range of topics from the convenience of your home computer.
See the AVL FAQs page.

Library Materials for the Visually Impaired

The Regional Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped in Montgomery provides audiobooks to qualifying individuals. Interested persons should download an application from the Library of Congress website: English Application / Spanish Application. After completing the application and having it certified by a medical professional, it should be mailed to: Regional Library for the Blind & Physically Handicapped, 6030 Monticello Dr, Montgomery, AL 36130.

Severe Weather Information

Online Emergency Resources

• Escambia County FL Dept of Public Safety
• Intellicast Weather
• My Fox Hurricane
• National Hurricane Center (NWS)
• WEAR-ABC 3-Pensacola
• WKRG-CBS 5-Mobile/Pensacola
• WPMI-NBC 15-Covering the Coast

Saffir-Simpson Scale

• Category 1 - 74-95 mph winds
• Category 2 - 95-110 mph winds
• Category 3 - 111-130 mph winds
• Category 4 - 131-155 mph winds
• Category 5 - 155+ mph winds

New TEMPORARY location!

The library has established a temporary home in Wallace 107. We are still able to provide a number of important resources and services:

• access to Blackboard and online courses
• access to the Alabama Virtual Library
• current magazines
• daily newspapers
• growing collection of DVDs
• Interlibrary Loan Services
• Internet access
• personal assistance with research
• photocopiers, a fax machine, and a networked printer
• scheduling of instructional equipment
• test proctoring