Find out the Latest on Swine Flu Using Library Resources

Find the latest information on the swine flu outbreak from Gale’s Science Resource Center ,  Health and Wellness Resource Center and Teen Health and Wellness databases.

Science Resource Center users will find a new “spotlight on” the swine flu, which addresses the origin of the illness and potential for a pandemic, as well as the latest information from the CDC.

Health and Wellness Resource Center users will find magazine, newspaper and blog articles about the swine flu.

Teen Health and Wellness provides information to teens on how they can protect themselves from flu viruses. Features include: Facts and myths, Ten Great Questions to ask your Doctor, what to do when you do become sick.

P4A Antiques Reference

In today’s economy everyone is looking for a bit of extra cash. Wondering what grandma’s cat rug would bring?

Use the Library’s database Antiques Reference P4A with over 5,100 records you can see potential values of what your grandma’s treasures might bring. This cat rug from 1955 brought over $400!

Besides searching the database, you can see a list of recent and forthcoming auctions and view items from a list of catagories.

The Resource Center list antique dealers, websites and fiction books with an antique or art theme.

Start your spring cleaning now and unearth your treasures who knows you could find something very special!

May Holidays & Events

• May Day (May 1) This holiday dates back to Roman times. Now it is celebrated as a Spring festival in many countries.
  Source:WorldBook Online (use “May Day” in quotes)
  Source: World Folklore and Folklife (using “May 1” in quotes)
  Source: Kids InfoBits (use “May day” in quotes) to learn more.
• Cinco de Mayo
  Source: Embassy of the United States of America
  On May 5, Los Angeles, CA is alive with color, laughter and dancing. More than 500,000 Mexicans and Americans of Mexican origin are celebrating Cinco de Mayo or the ‘Fifth of May.’ It is an occasion which Mexicans and Americans share to emphasize the friendship between their two countries. (EMBASSY OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA) Read about the origins and celebration of this holiday.
  Source: SIRS Knowledge Source
  Source: World Folklife and Folklore (search using “Cinco de Mayo” in quotes)
• Mother’s Day (May 10)
  Source: U.S. Census Bureau
  Mother’s Day was first observed in 1907, at the request of Anna Jarvis of Philadelphia, to honor her deceased mother. Two years later, Jarvis and friends began a letter-writing campaign to create a Mother’s Day observance. Soon after, in 1914, Congress passed legislation designating the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day. (U.S. CENSUS BUREAU) Get some census data on mothers from this site.
• Memorial Day
  Source: Library of Congress (LOC)
  Summary: “The first national celebration of the holiday took place May 30, 1868 at Arlington National Cemetery, where both Confederate and Union soldiers were buried. Originally known as Decoration Day, at the turn of the century it was designated as Memorial Day.” (LOC) Today, Memorial Day honors all the soldiers who died in American wars and is observed on the last Monday of May–read more about this holiday here.
  Source: SIRS Knowledge Source

Celebrate Asian Pacific American Heritiage Month

Celebrating the achievements of people of Asian and Pacific Islander descent in the United States.

In May, we celebrate the achievements of people of Asian and Pacific Islander descent in the United States. Comprising many ethnic groups, including Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Hawaiian, and peoples of more than 20 other ethnicities, Asian Americans enrich the national landscape with their respective histories, traditions and cultural heritage.

This diverse group of people faced intense prejudice and hardships in the United States, from the 1858 California legislation barring entry of Chinese immigrants to the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II. But despite these and many other challenges, Asian and Pacific peoples have made lasting contributions in all facets of American society.

Fields of technology, sports, education, science, business, medicine and the arts demonstrate Asian Americans’ historical and contemporary accomplishments and innovations. The Library celebrates Asian Pacific American Heritage Month with The following resources:

Asian Pacific American Heritage InfoGuide – contains books, databases, digital collections and websites to learn more about this community. Here’s a sample of what you will find:

SIRS Knowledge Source articles on Asian Americans and their rich legacy.

Related SIRS online resources include:

ARTICLES

1. In O.C., a Culture Trying to Survive

2. Asian-Pacific Americans Honored in Community-Backed Museum

3. Talking to Gene Yang

4. Asian Pacific American Heritage Month a Celebration of Diversity

5. The New Jews?

WEB SITE

Becoming American: The Chinese Experience

View the Past Through Old Newspapers

Historical newspaper can give you a new outlook or make you laugh. To see what the Federal Trade Commission and the Federal Appeals Court had to say about the “Pink Tooth Brush” campaign, Search the New York Times on November 14, 1950, for Ipana.

Dentists Choose Ipana 2 to 1