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

CINCO DE MAYO is a Mexican holiday which commemorates the defeat of French forces on May 5, 1862, in the Battle of Puebla during which General Ignacio Zaragoza led the vastly outnumbered Mexican army to victory over the forces of Emperor Napoleon III. This triumph became a symbol of Mexican unity and patriotism.

CINCO DE MAYO is sometimes confused with Mexican Independence Day (September 16), which commemorates the anniversary of the day in 1810 when revolutionary priest Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla issued a proclamation declaring Mexico independent from Spain.

¡Feliz Cinco de Mayo! [source: Encarta Academic Online]

Celebrate Poem in Your Pocket Day on April 30th!

Poem in Your Pocket Day! The idea is simple: select a poem you love and carry it with you to share with co-workers, family, and friends. Poems from pockets will be unfolded throughout the day in parks, libraries, schools, workplaces, and bookstores.

Celebrate Poem in Your Pocket Day in a baker’s dozen ways:
· Text a poem to friends
· Add a poem to your email footer
· Use a poem for your screen saver or wallpaper
· Send a poem to a friend or loved one by snail mail
· Post a poem on your blog or social networking page
· Browse the links on the library’s Poetry Resources page
· Read a few poems by an author you’ve never heard of before
· Try to compose your own poem when you have some free time
· Look for a poem in the library’s display cases (we still have a few books)
· Make copies of your poem to distribute to friends, colleagues, classmates
· Use a poem on your answering machine, voice mail, or cell phone greeting
· Post pocket-sized verses in public places (be sure to clean up afterwards!)
· Listen to an audio recording of poets reading their own poems (in library)

April 21st is Holocaust Remembrance Day!

Take a look at our Holocaust Remembrance Day page to see whether you or a loved one might have been a target of Nazi extermination.

Annual Survey of Library Services

If you have not already done so, please take a few minutes to complete our Annual Survey of Library Services. Your participation will assist with our long-range planning. Thank you for your input!

National Poetry Month

The Favorite Poem Project is dedicated to celebrating, documenting and encouraging poetry’s role in Americans’ lives. Robert Pinsky, the 39th Poet Laureate of the United States, founded the Favorite Poem Project shortly after the Library of Congress appointed him to the post in 1997.During the one-year open call for submissions, 18,000 Americans wrote to the project volunteering to share their favorite poems — Americans from ages 5 to 97, from every state, of diverse occupations, kinds of education and backgrounds. The collection of 50 short video documentaries showcases individual Americans reading and speaking personally about poems they love.

Women's History Month

The library is celebrating Women’s History Month during March. Please come by and see our nice selection of books and videos on famous women and their contributions to civilization. For starters, you might visit the National Women’s Hall of Fame which includes information on the 2009 inductees, one of whom is world-renowned artist Louise Bourgeois. Thank you for supporting the library!

Facts about Black History

The first black history observance was launched in February of 1926 by Carter G. Woodson. Several landmark events in black history occurred in February, for example:

• February 23, 1868: W. E. B. DuBois, important civil rights leader and co-founder of the NAACP, was born.
• February 3, 1870: The 15th Amendment was passed, granting blacks the right to vote.
• February 25, 1870: The first black U.S. senator, Hiram R. Revels (1822-1901), took his oath of office.
• February 12, 1909: The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) was founded by a group of concerned black and white citizens in New York City.
• February 1, 1960: In what would become a civil-rights movement milestone, a group of black Greensboro, N.C., college students began a sit-in at a segregated Woolworth's lunch counter.
• February 21, 1965: Malcolm X, the militant leader who promoted Black Nationalism, was shot to death by three Black Muslims.

Just for Fun - Podcasts!

Fresh Air IHMC Stem Talks NPR Podcast Directory Podcast Alley Science Friday Story Corps TED Podcasts  This American Life