April 19th is Holocaust Remembrance Day

Holocaust Musem Holocaust Studies at Aish I Witness Israeli Knesset's Yom Hashoah Page Jewish Virtual Library Holocaust Site Nikzor Project Yad Vashem Yom HaShoah Zachor Foundation

NATIONAL LIBRARY WEEK

A baker’s dozen ways to celebrate National Library Week

1. dust off your favorite book and read it again
2. see the National Poetry Month display in the library
3. browse our assortment of new books
4. leisurely read one of our current magazines
5. leave a comment on one of our blog posts
6. take advantage of our nice selection of movies
7. hang out in the library between classes
8. return overdue books with amnesty (fines will be waived)
9. buy the newest book by your favorite author
10. bring your laptop and use our Wi-Fi connection
11. do Spring cleaning and donate unwanted books to the library
12. borrow one of our children’s books and read it to a child
13. suggest a book to a friend and then discuss it over dinner

My favorite poet or poem is...

Is there a certain poem that really rings true for you?
 
Or perhaps the overall style of a certain poet? 

Take this opportunity to share your thoughts by leaving a comment.

Poetry Resources

Poetry... is the opening and  closing of a door, leaving those who look through to guess about what was seen during a moment. -Carl Sandburg		Academy of American Poets Bartleby Great Books Online Modern American Poetry National Poetry Almanac National Poetry Month Poem Generator Poetry Center Poetry Daily Poetry Foundation Poetry Society Poetry Society of America Image used with permission of Galway.net. Links verified April 4, 2012.

April is National Poetry Month

We start off the month with a wee bit of mystery.
The fellow at left has a place in our history,
Might you be aware of this chap's claim to fame?
Well, prithee, please tell us then, what is his name?

You think you don't know him, but trust us, you do!
To help you we've even embedded a clue.
To leave us your answer, post a comment below.
If you're first to guess it, the whole world will know!

Women’s Education – Women’s Empowerment

March is National Women's History Month and March 8th is International Women's Day. Please help celebrate the important contributions of women in our history and in today's society.

Gifts of Speech
International Women's Day
National Women's History Project Blog
Women Working
Women's Hall of Fame
Women's History at the Library of Congress
Women's History Sourcebook

SAF-T-NET

Statewide weather warning system sends text messages and email alerts on a street-by-street basis. Sign up at the following link to receive breaking news, National Weather Service alerts, traffic, sports scores & updates, school closings and more as text messages on your mobile phone or PDA. 

http://my.textcaster.com/ServePopup.aspx?id=1415

Celebrating Black HIstory

Watch this inspiring video about opera diva Barbara Smith Conrad.

The Star Thrower

An old man had a habit of early morning walks on the beach.  One day, as he looked along the shore, he saw a human figure moving like a dancer.  As he came closer he saw that it was a young woman and she was not dancing but was reaching down to the sand, picking up starfish and very gently throwing them into the ocean.

"Young lady," he asked, "Why are you throwing starfish into the ocean?"

"The sun is up, and the tide is going out, and if I do not throw them in they will die."

"But young lady, do you not realise that there are miles and miles of beach and starfish all along it?  You cannot possibly make a difference."

The young woman listened politely, paused and then bent down, picked up another starfish and threw it into the sea, past the breaking waves, saying:

"It made a big difference to that one."

Adapted from the story "The Star Thrower"
by Loren Eiseley (www.starfishcharity.org)

African American History

African American Art

African American Mosaic

African American Writers

African Americans at War

The African Diaspora
Black Facts Online

Black History Pages

Black History Resources

Ethnic News Watch

Guide to Black History

Reflections in Black

Speak to My Heart

Underground Railroad

Underground Railroad Experience

November is Native American Heritage Month!

Aboriginal Links

American Indian Code Talkers

American Indian Health
American Indian Museum

Effects of Removal on American Indian Tribes

Eiteljorg Fellowship for Native American Fine Art

Eitleljorg Museum of American Indians

Financial Aid for Native American Students

First Nations Peoples

First People of America & Canada

Indigenous Peoples Literature

Moundville Archaeological Museum

National Congress of American Indians

Native American Heritage Month

Native American Religious Texts
Native American Technology & Art

Native American Tribes of Alabama

Native Now

Poarch Band of Creek Indians

Poarch Creek Pow Wow

Transform Columbus Day Alliance

United Native America

Constitution Day

• Celebrate Constitution Day!
• Citizenship Test
• Constituting America
• Constitution Day
• Constitutional Amendments
• Naturalization Test
• Online Constitution
• We the People Contest

Juneteenth!!

In 1863, during the American Civil War, Pres. Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which declared more than three million slaves living in the Confederate states to be free. More than two years would pass, however, before the news reached African Americans living in Texas. It was not until Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 1865, that the state’s residents finally learned that slavery had been abolished. The former slaves immediately began to celebrate with prayer, feasting, song, and dance.

The following year, on June 19, the first official Juneteenth celebrations took place in Texas. The original observances included prayer meetings and the singing of spirituals, and celebrants wore new clothes as a way of representing their new-found freedom. Within a few years, African Americans in other states were celebrating the day as well, making it an annual tradition. Celebrations have continued across the United States into the 21st century and typically include prayer and religious services, speeches, educational events, family gatherings and picnics, and festivals with music, food, and dancing.

Hurricane Preparedness

Area Emergency Resources Be Ready Escambia! (FL) Intellicast Weather My Fox Hurricane National Hurricane Center (NWS) Santa Rosa Emergency Management 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 Disaster Hotlines Atmore: 368-9371 Brewton: 867-0593

Annual Survey of Library Services

Please review the results from the Annual Survey of Library Services at the following links:

• 2011 Employee Responses
• 2011 Student Responses
  
  

Disaster Relief for Alabama

Gorgas Library UA

If you are unsure where to start in terms of helping the victims of the recent storms, please visit the Disaster Relief for Alabama page created by Brandee J. Idleman as part of her graduate coursework in the library science program at the University of Alabama.

April 22nd is Earth Day!

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

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

Annual Library Survey

Please take a few moments to complete our Annual Survery of Library Services. We will utilize the results of the survey to assist with future planning efforts.

2011 Library Survey for Employees

2011 Library Survey for Students

Poem in Your Pocket Day

Celebrate Poem In Your Pocket Day on Thu., Apr. 14, 2011! 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. In this age of mechanical and digital reproduction, it's easy to carry and share a poem. Poems from pockets will be unfolded throughout the day with events in parks, libraries, schools, workplaces, and bookstores.

How can you you get involved?

• Post pocket-sized verses in public places
• Hand write some lines on the back of your business cards
• Distribute bookmarks with your favorite immortal lines
• Add a poem to your email footer
• Post a poem on your blog or social networking page
• Project a poem on a wall, inside or out
• Text a poem to friends
  

Need a Poem for Your Pocket?

Browse the selection of poems at Poets.org.
Subscribe to the Poem a Day e-mail program.
Download pocket-sized Poem PDFs to print and share.
Visit the library's Poetry Resources page.

March is Women's History Month

March 8^th, 2011 is the 100^th anniversary of International Women’s Day. Few causes promoted by the United Nations have generated more intense and widespread support than the campaign to promote and protect the equal rights of women. The Charter of the United Nations, signed in San Francisco in 1945, was the first international agreement to proclaim gender equality as a fundamental human right. Since then, the U.N. has helped create a historic legacy of internationally agreed strategies, standards, programs and goals to advance the status of women worldwide. For more information see the library's Women's History page.