My First Commencement at Berea College

I made it to the end of my first academic year at Berea College, and many things have been going on for me. It was a good, challenging academic year where I learned much and even had some good professional growth opportunities such as attending my first ACRL conference (2013 in Indianapolis). At some point soon I want to reflect further on my first year here, but for now I want to write a bit about this year's commencement.

On Sunday, May 5th, 2013, Berea College held its 141st Commencement Ceremony. It was significant not only for our students but also because it was the first ceremony for our new president. I will say upfront that this is the nicest thing anyone has required me to do. I am a faculty member here (yes, officially, I am an Assistant Professor of Library Science, but nobody really calls me that, which is fine by me not being one for fancy titles). Faculty are required, unless they have an excused reason, to attend the commencement ceremonies and to do so in regalia. So I dug out my masters regalia so I could participate and march in the procession with the rest of the faculty. There is a certain sense of belonging you get from marching with the faculty in a moment of celebration. We came together to celebrate the achievements and successes of our students who now will go out into the world to do some good. This is a celebration that feels big, yet it is very intimate.

Before the ceremony, the faculty line up in the hallway along the old gymnasium, in preparation to march into the new gymnasium where the event will take place. The students are lining up in the old gym. The music starts, and the students begin to march, and they walk along the hallway where we are lined up, and we cheer for them. We smile; we cheer; we high five some of our students who were in our classrooms, including the library classrooms, not too long ago. You can see the joy and pride in their faces as they walk past us. And then we march in, followed by the rest of the academic procession.

Naturally, we had some speeches, but there was also music by our student ensembles and choirs. The college also conferred an honorary doctor of laws degree on Peter J. O'Connor (college press release about Mr. O'Connor; biographical page about him from Fair Share Housing Development). Mr. O'Connor was one of the lawyers who argued cases that would shape the Mount Laurel Doctrine for fair housing (link from the New Jersey Digital Library, which I found a bit better than using Wikipedia's article, which seems a bit biased). Mr. O'Connor was to give the charge to the Class of 2013. I managed to take some quick notes on my program from his speech.

• He begins by highlighting Berea College's social justice mission. 
• His speech topic is the meaning of social justice. It is a simple concept: treat others with respect and fairness as we would be treated. 
• Live a life of service with the goal of ensuring a dignified life for all. 
• Equal opportunity for all. 
• Live a life guided by Berea College's motto (God has made of one blood, all the peoples of the Earth). We are all brothers and sisters. 
• Social justice starts in the home with values taught by our parents. 
• Forgiveness is an integral part of social justice. 
• Sometimes in life you have to do tough things. 
• Life is an opportunity to help others. 
• Has the belief that the U.S. has a moral obligation to help alleviate poverty in the world, but it lacks the stomach and commitment to do so. At least not until the problems of poverty, education, racism, are solved here. 
• Social reforms are not 100 yard dashes. They are marathons. 
• And now it is time for our graduate to go out and solve some problems. 

From there, we would go to the presentation of the degrees. Unlike much larger institutions, with 232 graduates this time, the ceremony feels small and very personal. Our president shook every graduate's hand, and he hugged many of them, as they received their diplomas. Most moving to me is that many of them who had either very young siblings or children of their own marched up the stage with the children. I had never seen that before in any commencement (and I have been to a few), and it is indeed a moving and joyous thing to see. And in one case at least, an overseas student clutched the photo of his mother as he went to get his diploma.  Such small details are what I will remember and take with me from that day.

After the event, I had time to mingle with faculty and greet some of the student with their families, families proud and happy for their sons and daughters who will now go into the world to, as Mr. O'Connor said, go solve some problems.

To see some more highlights of the event, including photos, see this post from the BC Now campus news site. 

Notes from UT Tyler 2010 Student Poetry Awards

The event took place on Tuesday April 13, 2010. This is our library's major event for National Poetry Month. You can read my brief official account of the event over at my library's blog here. This post is basically for the more extensive notes I made in my journal, which are not included in the official accounts. If you just want to read the brief summary, follow the link.

* * * *

After I delivered some brief opening remarks, Anne McCrady, local poet and friend of the library extraordinaire, provided the introduction for Karla Morton. Karla, the 2010 Texas Poet Laureate, was our keynote speaker for the evening. Anne told us how Karla and her became friends over time. Anne learned various lessons from Karla, including some lessons from Karla's battle with cancer. Anne was proud and excited that we were hosting a woman poet. So were we. I was very happy and excited to learn that this year's Texas Poet Laureate was a woman; it gave us an opportunity here on campus to invite a woman for the first time to be our keynote poet. I was thrilled. Having a woman as our keynote poet was something that Joanne Buendtner, our previous outreach coordinator, who is now retired from our campus, wished for when she was working here. I am glad we were able to make it happen. Anne went on to mention that Karla has an upcoming collection of sufi poetry. I will definitely have to look it up.

Karla took the stage next. She began by showing us two rocks she brought from the Big Bend area (that's West Texas, the area where Alpine is). Karla told us that has always written and that she always wanted to be poet laureate. She moved on to talk about her first published collection, her chapbook entitled Becoming Superman (I bought my own personal copy, which is signed, and which I will be reading later). She chose a chapbook format because she wanted to make it affordable for readers. She told us that, like Superman, we all have an "S" on our chests. We can all find our passion.

• Karla often gets questions about inspiration. She constantly writes, and she keeps notes in a little notebook, which she then pulls out for ideas. She encourages writers to always be aware. It can be easy to hibernate in your cave. Instead, open yourself to the world.
  
• Read the poem "Alamo Coastline."
  
• Karla has always been in love with Texas, and this shows in her poetry.
  
• On the subject of men, she sees men as interesting people and subjects for her poetry. Thus the poem "Texas Longhorns" goes to the men.
  
• On rejection: It took her 20 years to be published and successful. Rejection is the nature of the game. Don't give up. The experience of reading is personal given all different reading preferences (she was referring, likely, to reading on stage, but this seems applicable to any form of reading. It also seems consistent with librarian concepts we learn in reader's advisory, in my humble opinion). Karla advises aspiring writers to send their work, one piece at a time (poem, short story, etc.). Karla also spoke a bit on Anne McCrady and Anne's gift of teaching (Anne runs a series of very successful and inspiring workshops. Check out the link to her site above. In addition, Anne is very generous with students and aspiring writers).
  
• If you are stuck (in terms of ideas for writing), Karla suggests going to a writers' workshop or conference (if only I had the time). Confidence is part of your business as a writer. Poetry is every man's art.
  
• Karla's second book is Redefining Beauty (you can find it on her website, which is linked above. I also got a signed copy of this one to read later). In these poems, she is using poetry as a way to help herself through cancer. We all have our demons, and writing is a good way of getting through our problems or demons. Being bald (which she was getting her cancer treatment), Karla observed that people would not look her in the eyes. But this can lead to alienation, so she appreciates differences better.
  
• At times, God answers our prayers before we know what to ask for.
  
• She spoke of people who would tell her bad cancer tales when she was bald. This means someone would see Karla, and if they had a bad cancer tale of their own, they felt a need to share it, something Karla wished they would not do. More positive tales would have been better.
  
• Rhyme and poetry are fun. Karla often finds adults who at times are afraid of rhyme, a "Shakespeare class mentality" she calls it.
  

Other miscellaneous notes and thoughts:

We had 21 attendees for the event. The number may seem low, but this has been pretty consistent over time (at least in the short time I have been here). This is my third event of this kind that I have coordinated. Attendance from the campus community always seems to be a challenge; it is something that I am consistently and continually trying to improve, but there are days when I don't feel as encouraged. As Anne points out, the English faculty shines by their absence; we did have one English faculty member. This is the kind of event I think they should embrace. In other campuses I have worked in, that department would have clamored to sponsor an event like this. The student poets are always a great part of the event. I really enjoy listening to their award winning poems to see what themes and images they bring.

We did get coverage this time around in the campus newspaper, the Patriot Talon. However, it seems the story did not make it the webpage (I have only found it in the print version for 4/20). And as I read it, I did notice some errors, which to be honest, do make me wonder since in some cases the details were things I pointed out pretty clearly to the reporter and she still missed them. The corrections then:

• I did not judge the poetry contest. The panel of judges was composed of two English faculty members, two librarians (other than me), and a local poet. I made that detail clear at least twice, and it was posted in the library's blog on the post announcing the contest and rules, to which I referred her. A little reading and paying attention would have solved that.
  
• Karla Morton is not just "a Texas poet laureate." One, Texas Poet Laureate is a formal title, so it should all be capitalized. Two, she is the 2010 Texas Poet Laureate, sharing in a long line of poet laureates for the state. She keeps the title for life, meaning that she, along with the others, can be addressed as Texas Poet Laureate.
  
• Contest rule: 60 lines of poetry total, which could be one long poem or shorter poems totaling that amount. I said most students submit two poems, not that the poems were always 30 lines each.
  
• I did not see a mention of the UT Tyler Friends of the Arts. This local organization funds a big part of the event, which I also did mention. So now, to be honest, I am a bit worried I may get a call from someone in News and Information or the FOA to ask.

Oh well, at least they did cover the event. We have been trying to get them to cover it for years now. Maybe next year they will get the details in better form.

At any rate, on a final thought, if you are an outreach librarian like me, and you do events like this, keep in mind that a challenge is for you personally to enjoy the event. I am often worried and moving around making sure everyone is ok, things are in order, minding the little details, etc. I even took photos of the event (see the library's Facebook page). That I managed to sit long enough to listen to the poet and take notes was a nice situation.

Data Privacy Day 2010: Some further thoughts

January 28th is Data Privacy Day. The concept of International Data Privacy Day is an annual observance to raise awareness and generate discussion about information privacy issues. I wrote a post about it for promotional and education purposes over in my library's blog here. When I write post for work, it is a little different than when I write in my professional blog. There are certain things I can say in here that I cannot say over there for various reasons. So, in addition to sharing the link from my library's blog with my four readers, I am using this post to add a few additional thoughts that did not make it into "the official version."

For one, I also wanted to speak about our university's online privacy policies. It is not something that folks talk about very often, and it is also something that I think more people need to be aware of. I work for the University of Texas at Tyler, and as such, I am considered a state employee. With that label comes a good amount of bureaucratic baggage. Again, it is the reason that I can say some things here that I would never say over there. For one, I don't want someone from Campus News and Information calling me because I said something they may perceive as less than flattering to the university. It's the nature of how things work, and I have learned to just work with it for now. I wanted to speak about the policies in the library post because students are often not aware of how the university handles online privacy.

Before I go on, here are a couple of items for reference purposes:

• this is the policy about the website privacy policy for the public that explains what the university does with information they obtain from the public.
• and this is the section from the UT System Policies for System Information Resources Use and Security.

The second item above is more for employees, but it still applies to students since they make use of the computers and networks that the university provides. The bottom line, and what I wanted to point out, is that there is no expectation of privacy. The networks are monitored. I should clarify this is not necessarily for nefarious purposes (we can debate fairness, due process, so on later). But I wanted to mention it because students often are not aware of this. Also the policy explains some common questions. One such common question is why they have to change their passwords for the system every so often. That is a basic security issue (it is for their protection). The only issue I have with the requirement is that IT does not always time the resetting of passwords at the best times during a semester. We have had students get expiration of their passwords at about a week or two before an academic semester ends, which creates all sorts of headaches in the library. Pointing that little "faux pas" out is often met with,I shall say, a little resistance. But what I wanted to point out to students is that they need to be aware that such policies exist. Often, they get to see the policy as they set up their campus e-mail, but they just skip through it, much like they skip through the Terms of Service in Facebook when they sign up. It boils down once again to awareness. You need to be aware and you need to be informed. It's not that IT is consistently sweeping and monitoring everyone; they don't realistically have the time for that, but in theory, they could, and they do check randomly once in a while. For us employees, it is more readily apparent. Also for us, things like e-mails using the campus system are considered public information. I wonder how many of our employees are actually fully aware of that.

The other thing I want to add to this post are some notes I took from the afternoon presentation they did at Indiana University for their Data Privacy Day event. They had a full day of events, and the presentations were made available online. They were recorded, so as I understand it, you should be able to view them later. I was able to watch the afternoon presentation by Scott Z. Wilson on "How Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, and Privacy Can All Coexist." These are some quick notes I took:

• In social networking, the data we put out there is up to us, unlike other contexts where you may have little choice about what gets done with your private data (say a credit card company selling their list to a third party). This means that in a social network like Facebook you control your privacy (to an extent). You have to strive for a balance between your social networking activities and your privacy.
  
• Social networking is here to stay, so you may as well embrace it. I think at times Mr. Wilson is a little too optimistic or cheery about the whole thing (reminds me of some L2 librarians).
  
• Keep in mind that you can control what you share initially. Once you publish it and put it out there, you lose some control.
  
• Think about what you do and use privacy settings when available. However, it is important to note that privacy settings are not everything. Privacy settings can change; just look at all the recent changes Facebook has been implementing on their privacy settings and policies. Why do they do it? Well, bottom line is because they can. In the end, privacy settings are passive measures. Ask yourself how often do you evaluate your privacy settings? Facebook, and most other social networking sites, do not want you checking them every day. Personally, I would say I check them at least once a week as of late to make sure they are working the way I want them. Yes, this does take some work, but you need to do it.
  
• To strike a balance then you have to be active. You have to incorporate privacy into your decision-making process, and you may have to adopt new habits (like me checking the privacy settings on FB a little more often). Think about what you post or reveal, even if it is for something as simple as making a comment in a forum others may see. And if you do say or reveal something, do be aware in the tone in which you express it. Again, to use myself as an illustration, there are things I can say on this blog I would not say in my library's blog. And even if I did say something in both places, the tone in which I say it can be very different (probably more neutral over there, less passionate, less risky).
  
• Privacy is elastic. It is not one-size-fits-all. What works for you is probably not going to work for me. I am comfortable with things like blogging and expressing my views and opinions both professionally and personally. Others out there might not be as comfortable, or they may wish to use a pseudonym or be anonymous (another issue of privacy). Find your comfort level and be thoughtful and mindful of your actions and expressions.

On a final note, I jotted down some additional thoughts on Facebook and privacy over at Alchemical Thoughts, my scratch pad. It's mostly some links and some small comments in light of Mark Zuckerberg's recent remarks about privacy online.

Have a safe and happy holiday season 2009

I will be heading out to celebrate Christmas and the holiday season. This is a quick note to let my three readers know that blogging here will pretty much pause until next year. It is also a chance to wish all of you out there a merry and safe holiday season, whatever the holiday you choose to celebrate. Please, I beg of you folks, if you drink, do not drive. If you drive, please put the cellphone down and pay attention to the road. We do not need unnecessary tragedies this season or just a bad situation on the road. In fact, two days ago, we had an 8 car or so pile-up in South Broadway Avenue (the area I live in), and it was basically due to a combination of tailgating and impatience. Please, be careful out there. Have a good time. Peace to all.

In the meantime, I have done my traditional holiday posting. You can find my holiday posts over at The Itinerant Librarian. So go on, stop by, and be amused for a while.

• "The Opening Salvo." Trivia, facts, and things to amuse and entertain you.
  
• "You are still NOT done shopping?" Plenty of ideas and advice on shopping, with a little humor. Of course, if you are not done yet, maybe you should read this later and hop to it.
  
• "The Reader's Edition." Stuff about books and reading. I am a librarian, what did you expect? There had to be something about books and reading.
  
• "Where we look at what the hell happened last year." My version of the obligatory annual end of year summary. I think mine is better.
  

A reply to my offended colleague.

I debated with myself for a while whether I wanted to write about this or not. My three readers are reading it here, so they know what I decided. I agree with the idea of a librarian having something in the library to offend everyone equally. I don't believe it out of spite or meanness but rather because I think libraries should be places where as many views as possible are represented and expressed. Some days we do better than others, and there are days when even I struggle with that idea. The title of this post is probably not the best one, but it is one that reflects what I would like to say to that colleague if I felt it might make a difference. If nothing else, for me, this is a learning experience.

Let me start with a little history. My library is running a book display in honor of Veterans Day. The display will be up until the end of November. In addition to the display, I have placed some slides with facts and data about veterans on our electronic display at the library, and I did the blog post about the display, which includes some additional links for information and the full list of the books on the display. A big reason for creating the display is that one of our paraprofessionals actually asked me if we were featuring a display for Veterans Day. I said we would make one, and I made it. One of the books featured is a large photo book, The Wall: Images and Offerings from the Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial. The book is a collection of photos from The Wall Memorial, including many moving images of veterans and their families visiting the place. I have set the book so it is open on a photo, and I am basically turning the page every couple of days so people can see highlights. As I was putting the display, I found myself having to take a pause and deep breath for some of the photos are very powerful images. Once the person making the request saw it, he later gave us a compliment on the display.

Now, when I make a thematic display, be it for Darwin Day or any monthly celebration, I try to provide as broad a range of materials as possible. I don't always have all the books and resources I wish I had (there are some collection development limitations that we can leave out for now), but overall, I try to be respectful, mindful, and open, and I try to provide something educational as well. So, there is the context. Now on to the rest of the story.

Shortly after the display went up, I get an e-mail note stating the following:

"In my opinion, the Veteran's display is an absolute insult to any veteran. Veteran's day is not about the gay agenda."

We can leave names out, but I will certainly mention this came from one of our librarians, which is why I have been pondering it. The issue at hand was the inclusion of another book in the display. The book in question is Steve Estes's Ask & Tell: Gay and Lesbian Veterans Speak Out. One book out of 12 books (and one DVD) caused this librarian to feel a bit alienated to the point she also went to my director and expressed her concerns. That is certainly within her right. I would not deny her that, but from having a disagreement to claiming flat out that I am being intentionally offensive or following an agenda, I think we should clear the air. So,

Dear Colleague:

I am sad to hear that you feel the way you do. The book in question was included as part of a larger display to honor and recognize veterans. The display features books about various wars as well as various groups who have fought in those wars such as Latinos, African Americans, women, and yes, gays and lesbians. Those folks and others have answered the call of their country, and whether drafted or volunteered, they served honorably. They deserve to be honored and recognized, and they deserve the thanks of a grateful nation.

Have you even looked at the book in question? Estes's book has nothing to with any agenda or attempt at indoctrination. What it does is give voice to people who have served honorably but have been forced to remain silent about their service due to intolerance, ignorance, and fear. The book is a collection of oral histories of veterans who happen to be gay and lesbian. The book also puts into focus the consequences of the 1993 directive from President Clinton to "don't ask, don't tell." These are stories of folks who chose to put on the uniform of this nation and to serve, often under fire, even when their nation refused to acknowledge them or their service. Consider my inclusion of the book in the display a way to help others learn about another side of the veterans' histories.

I understand you have family members who are veterans. Guess what? So do I. My family members have been, as far as they are willing to talk about it, to Korea, Vietnam, Panama, and the Gulf. What I saying is that the "I happen to know how veterans think because I have family who serve(d)" is just not good enough. I could make that claim (and we could have a very serious discussion about the proportion of Latinos who have fought in wars for the U.S.), but I choose not to because I think it is disrespectful to just assume. It is because I try not to assume that I tried to make the book display as diverse as possible in terms of the voices represented. I chose to include the book in the display because it is relevant. I chose to include it because it adds to the dialogue, even now as you disagree and pretty much refuse to even look me in the eye at work. I chose to include it because it is a pretty good book on a timely topic, and it is a book about veterans, which is the topic of the display.

At the end of the day, I would like to think that our veterans have fought around the world so we can express our views freely. They have fought around the world so we can present, consider, and discuss various viewpoints. They have fought around the world so we can be inclusive, so we can be free to learn from each other, and so everyone can have equality and fairness in this nation.

The book is staying in the case, and you are just going to have to deal with it. Maybe you should consider checking the book out for yourself (all books in our displays are available to be checked out. You just have to ask), and reading it. At the end of the day, I happen to place value on simple concepts like equality, fairness, and understanding. The only thing I am sorry about is that you do not seem to recognize similar values and would prefer to keep certain people oppressed or deny them rights you take for granted.

And maybe, if my words are not good enough, why don't we listen to a veteran who has something to say? I leave you with the words of World War II veteran Philip Spooner:




P.S.We did get at least one positive comment about the display on the library's blog, so if nothing else, at least I know people are looking at the display (or reading about it on the blog). Getting people to look at the issues and considering them is part of why we do it. Sure, some may get offended, but we hope after the offense that they will keep talking as well.

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and I was at the Candlelight Vigil last night

I bet my four readers at The Gypsy Librarian were expecting the next installment in my small series on blogging mistakes and library blogs (first installment here). I am taking a break today to highlight a very important issue as well as let my four readers know about some of the good work going on in my campus. Ok, this is kind of to let people know where I was last night too. The series will resume next Friday.

* * * * * * * * *

October has a few observances associated with it. One of those observances is Domestic Violence Awareness Month (link to President Obama's proclamation). Last night I attended a candlelight vigil held on our campus to recognize the issue of domestic violence and to educate people. The event took place at 7:00pm last night in the fourth floor meeting room of the library. They were going to do it outdoors, but the weather did not cooperate. Nevertheless the event was successful, and from a quick glance, I think we had about 50 people or so. We did get some representatives from our campus police, a very strong Greek presence (ladies and gents), and some students. I was the only representative of the library present. The room's lights were down, and the room was lit with candles. At the entrance, there was a display with educational materials.

The event started with an opening statement by Ms. Samantha Dwight, who among her many hats has done work for the Campus Assault Response Effort (CARE) and is an educator/facilitator/presenter extraordinaire on this and other gender issues. She does a bit of everything, so if she reads this I apologize in advance if I can't quite "put her in a slot." At any rate, she read a statement, including a recognition of the important role that law enforcement officers have in domestic violence prevention. Those men and women in uniform when they get a call never know what they may be walking into. So our thanks go to them.

Next, the ladies of Alpha Chi Omega took the stage and did a dramatic reading. Members of the sorority took turns reading statistics and facts related to domestic violence in the nation. This had a moving effect on the crowd, and we learned a thing or two in the process. The last member on stage sang a song.

The activity would come to an end as a prayer was said for the victims as well as those involved in caring for them as well as for us all. And silently the event closed.

Whenever possible, I think it is important for me to attend events like this. In my role as outreach librarian, this is another way for me to reach out to our campus community, another way for the library to say present and that we support the cause. Personally, I just think this is important and needs to be supported. We have a long way to go in educating people, and events like this are a way to do it.

I would like to wrap this up by offering some links and resources that I hope people will find useful. Please, if you happen to be a victim, or you know someone who is, know that there is help out there. Some of the links will include phone numbers and contacts. On our campus here, the folks at C.A.R.E. are one such resource. Need more information, and you are local, you can contact them, or you can contact me, and I will refer you to the right place or find you the information you may need.

The resources then:

• The Domestic Violence Awareness Project. These are the folks who promote and maintain activities for the observance, which started as an awareness "Day of Unity" back in October of 1981. The Project is coordinated by the National Center on Domestic Violence. You can learn about campaigns, find educational materials, and get links, and phone numbers if you need help. Of course, if you are in imminent danger, dial 911.
  
• The National Coalition on Against Domestic Violence. Among the things this organization does, "the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV), in conjunction with Ms. Magazine, started the Remember My Name project in 1994 to create a national registry of names of those who have lost their lives to domestic violence. Since then, NCADV has continued to collect information on incidents of people who have been killed by an intimate partner and produces a poster each year for Domestic Violence Awareness Month listing the names of those submitted to the project. To date, over 7,753 people have been memorialized through the project." Names are added daily to the list, which you can view on the website.
  
• The U.S. Department of Justice has an Office on Violence Against Women. In addition to listing national hotlines, the site contains a lot of good information, including statistics.
• The U.S. Department of Agriculture has a handbook on domestic violence awareness. This seems geared to employers so they can be supportive in the workplace. Provides some good information.
• The National Domestic Violence Hotline. The number is 1−800−799−SAFE (7233) or TTY 1−800−787−3224. Their contact form can also be used to get assistance if you prefer, though they encourage calling more. You can also find some information on the site.
  
• The National Youth Violence Prevention Center also has resources related to the observance here. Yes, it is not just spouses or significant others; children and youths in families where an abusive situation exists suffer too.
• The Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network (RAINN) is also a good resource.
• In Texas, the Attorney General has some resources here. A bit more geared to sexual assault, but still good information.
• There is also a Texas Council on Family Violence.
• Locally, you have the good folks of the East Texas Crisis Center. If you need help locally, this is a place to go.
  

This small list is certainly not comprehensive. I have tried to put out some resources that I have looked over and seem to provide good information. Readers are invited to comment, respond, and if they have other suggestions for links, add in the comments as well.

And yes, I tagged the post under "celebrations and holidays." It is not because I think domestic violence is to be celebrated; it is not. But this is also about a monthly observance, which is what I use the tag for. Just to be clear.

This post will be crossposted at The Itinerant Librarian and at Alchemical Thoughts.

Happy 4th of July 2009

Americans will be out and about celebrating Independence Day, which falls on a Saturday this year. Most of them probably left already, but some of us still have to work for a living. Anyhow, I left a few links for the day over at the personal blog. Feel free to hop over. Have a safe and happy holiday.

Celebrating Canada Day 2009

A Happy Canada Day to our Canadian friends in Canada and around the world. I wrote a post with various links and information about the holiday over in my personal blog.

Here is the link. I hope you will consider hoping over. Best, and keep on blogging.

2009 Poetry Awards and some thoughts

This is my second year now working on the Annual Student Poetry Awards at MPOW. As usual, if you wish to just get the quick facts, the official version is over at MPOW's blog here. This is just my personal notes of the events with some extra stuff that does not go in the official record. If that interests you, then read on. Since I was serving as host for the event, I will say that my notes are a bit thin this year.

This year, the event took place on April 28, 2009. This was part of the programs for National Poetry Month that we implemented. With the outreach coordinator's retirement (my previous assistant, or partner would be a better word), it was my first time completely in charge of the event. I do miss Joanne, but I am happy she has moved on to new adventures (she is director now here). Anyhow, as I recently noted, April is a busy month for me. Once again, thanks are in order. Anne McCrady, generous local poet and friend of the library extraordinaire (link to her blog), helped me out with a many of the details; she also suggested our keynote poet for this year and served as my go-between. I could not have done it without her. My thanks also go to our 2009 distinguished Texas poet and keynote speaker, Mr. Budd Powell Mahan of Dallas, TX. He gave a very good poetry reading for us as well as talked to our student poets. I would also like to take the moment to thank the local Friends of the Arts organization for sponsoring the poet and helping underwrite the reception prior to the event. One of the things that was reinforced for me is that there are a lot of little details, and that you have to mind the little details.

Following tradition, we held a reception and book signing in the recital hall's lobby. Joseph's of Tyler provided the catering for us, and they did a very nice job. I did make a note to hire them next year. The reception was a great opportunity for Mr. Mahan to meet with our student poets and the audience. Both Mr. Mahan and Ms. McCrady were very generous in sharing advice and insights with our student poets. I could see that they are both very dedicated to their craft and very interested in helping out new and upcoming poets. In addition, the audience had the opportunity to purchase and get signed copies of Mr. Mahan's books, Falling to Earth and Harvest. I did get my signed copies (and no, you can't borrow them).

The event started with some opening remarks from our library director. I introduced Anne McCrady, who would the introduce Mr. Mahan. Anne described Mr. Mahan as someone who is very active and involved in poetry organizations and with the craft. Mr. Mahan is a past president of both the Poetry Society of Texas and the National Federation of State Poetry Societies. Anne said that Mr. Mahan was "the face" of the Poetry Society of Texas, a generous poet known for his work with students, and a genuine friend.

Mr. Mahan then performed his poetry . He is known for a very warm and heartfelt verse, and it showed in his poetry. He is a bit soft spoken, but as he reads, he comes across as warm, comforting at times.

• Falling to Earth was inspired by the recovery from a fall. The poem "Night from a 9th Floor" deals with some time spent at the hospital. In the poem, I noticed the little details such as the look of the sky as seen out the window.
  
• From the book Harvest, he read some of the animal poems such as "Cats" and "Snake." The cat poem made me think of our two cats at home, royal as they are. "Snake" deals with the legend that snakes bite themselves when in pain to end the suffering. Another poem was "Corn," which inspired the book Harvest. He also read "Mercy" and "50," a reflection on turning 50.
  

Next we got to the awards ceremony. The student poets performed their award winning poems. They delighted our audience with their diverse themes and verse craft. Winners for first, second, and third place received a small trophy. Fourth place received a certificate. All of them received a signed copy of Mr. Mahan's book Falling to Earth. And in a surprise development that was announced shortly before the awards were presented, our library director revealed that this year anonymous donors had made a gift to the university in honor of the UT Friends of the Arts so a monetary award could be made. Thus, our poets also got a little coin for their purses.

For the record, these are the winners for 2009:

1. Tina Bausinger, "A Concerned Friend." ($100)
2. Jason Mars, "My America." ($75)
3. Caleb Krause, "Dada." ($50).
   
4. George Mitchell, "Not easily broken, I stand." ($25).
   

March is National Women's History Month: Some links

One of my tasks as Outreach Librarian is to put up various displays and exhibits throughout the year. I have already put up some things for National Women's History Month, which is celebrated in March, and I am still gathering items for a book list and to complete a display. Below are some links to various resources of interest. I may use some of them for my library, but I am putting them here so I can keep track of them. Also, if anyone out there finds them useful, feel free to use and pass them around. This post is a work in progress, and I may add more links as I find them.

And by the way, as of this writing, Obama has not signed any presidential proclamation for the month. Hey, you are running behind dude.


The links:

• National Women's History Project. A nonprofit organization with mission "to recognize and celebrate the diverse and historic accomplishments of women by providing information and educational materials and programs."
• Feature on Women's History from Infoplease.com. They have all sorts of timelines, trivia, biographies, and some quizzes to test your knowledge.
• Gale, the reference books publisher, has a small section on Women's History. They do put out a nice calendar for the month that can be printed out.
  
• The History Channel has a site for Women's History Month too.
  
• The Library of Congress has a Women's History site as well.
• The Feminist Majority Foundation has Women's History Month section on their website. It will feature a daily trivia question during the month of March.
• The Department of Defense has a website for the month as well. Not as up-to-date, but they do have historical items of interest.
• And here is the site from the Smithsonian.
• The FREE (Federal Resources for Educational Excellence) website has a site for Women's History. Good resource for teachers.
• Julie Foudy, ESPN's Soccer Analyst and Olympian, discusses women in soccer and sports (video clip).
  
• Site of the National Women's History Museum. Right now, they are looking for a permanent site in D.C. You can visit the site, see virtual exhibits, and learn about their campaign to have a presence in the nation's capital.
  
• The 2009 U.S. Census Bureau Facts for Figures Release for Women's History Month.
• The Smithsonian's National Museum of American History is featuring a virtual exhibit on Julia Child, where you can explore her kitchen, which she donated to the Smithsonian.

Update Note (3/4/09):

Some Organizations with resources:

• The ACLU has a section for Women's History Month. I remembered to go check them out when I found the nice Timeline of Major Supreme Court decisions on Women's Rights, which I got last year and used on a display; apparently, they have it as an interactive feature now as well. They also have a Women's Rights Project and other useful resources on this and other topics.
• In 1909, Alice Ramsey became the first woman to drive across the United States from New York to California. Now a group is preparing to do the drive once more in 2009. Learn about it at their site, Alice's Drive.
• And the United Nations has a feature on International Women's Day, which is on March 8.
• You can also learn more about women's rights around the world from Amnesty International USA (page on Violence Against Women) and Human Rights Watch (page on Women's Rights). In other words, be informed about the issues and keep up the fight for women's rights.
  
• And since I am including various organizations, I would be remiss if I did not link to the National Organization for Women (NOW).
  

Various virtual exhibits on Women's History:

• The American Antiquarian Society has a small virtual exhibition on "A Woman's Work is Never Done."
• From Yale University's Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, a virtual exhibit on "Intimate Circles: Women in the Arts."
• The University of Nottingham has a virtual exhibit on "War, Women & Survival."
• The American Foundation for the Blind has a virtual exhibit on Anne Sullivan Macy, Helen Keller's teacher.
• Purdue University Libraries' Archives and Special Collections, my alma mater, has an online collection of Amelia Earhart papers and materials.
• The Getty Museum has an online exhibit on Maria Sybilla Merian and her daughters, German artists and naturalists.
• Case Western University's Dittrick Medical History Center has an online exhibit on "Women Graduates of the Cleveland Medical College, 1852-1856." Did you know that in the 18th century women were banned from medical schools because they were considered too frail for it?
• And you can learn about Women in Science at the Marine Biological Laboratory (Woods Hole).
• Smith College's Sophia Smith Collection has a "Voices of Feminism Oral History Project." You can view some of the transcripts online. From the site, "documents the persistence and diversity of organizing for women in the United States in the latter half of the 20th century. Narrators include labor, peace, and anti-racism activists; artists and writers; lesbian rights advocates; grassroots anti-violence and anti-poverty organizers; and women of color reproductive justice leaders. Interviews average 5-6 hours and cover childhood, personal life, and political work."
  
• The University of Michigan's William L. Clements Library has a virtual exhibit on "Women's Education Evolves, 1790-1890." From the site, "This exhibit presents digitized selections of key primary source materials, such as letters from students and women teachers, diaries of missionary teachers, various schoolbooks, sermons, and catalogs."

Update note (3/7/09):

• The International Women's Day is on March 8. Here is a website for the observance (a hat tip to the Information Literacy Weblog).

Celebrating Darwin Day 2009

Last night we had our celebration of Darwin Day. It featured a showing of the PBS NOVA documentary Judgment Day: Intelligent Design on Trial. We were fortunate to have two of our scholars come and speak to put the film in context and answer questions from the audience. This was definitely a treat as both professors were knowledgeable, insightful, and engaging. I opened the event with some short remarks about Darwin Day and the purpose of our event: to recognize the achievements and legacy of Charles Darwin and to promote public understanding of evolutionary sciences. With almost 30 people, we had a pretty good audience, and I feel encouraged that we can do more events like this one here.

I did not take great notes on the professors' remarks as I was just really caught into listening. But I did manage to catch a few lines:

From Dr. Don Killebrew's remarks (Professor and Head of Biology Department):

• took some time to explain how science works using rational processes. He used examples of how we make decisions to illustrate the point, showing how we do research and test choices before making a big decision, like buying a hybrid car.
  
• On the idea that evolution is "just a theory," he explained that in science, a theory is a powerful thing, more so than the mere facts. This is so because a theory is a powerful documented explanation of a process.
  
• In science, God is not part of the process because his presence cannot be tested. It does not mean God or miracles do not exist; it means they are not testable.
  
• Dr. Killebrew also pointed out that most scientists are actually religious; he mentioned there are surveys and polls that show that (I may need to look some up for linking).
  
• Science deals with natural phenomena. A theory is tentative precisely because it is testable. The theory of evolution continues to explain biological processes today.
  
• Biology classes have become the ground zero as creationists try to discredit science teachers or science itself. A second tactic creationists use against science is their push for intelligent design.
  
• After the film, he told us of one student who chose to drop his class. The reason the student gave was: "I cannot learn something I don't believe in." Personally, I find that to be a very sad answer, refusing to learn something and close yourself to other ideas because you yourself may not believe in it.
  
• Intelligent design may try to poke holes into evolutionary theory. However, evolutionary biologists constantly try to poke holes in their own theories as well, including evolution. They are trying to learn what they don't know.
  
• Science is not a democratic process; it is evidence-based.
  

From Dr. Wesley Hickey's remarks (Assistant Professor and Coordinator of the Superintendent Program):

• Told us that the documentary will look at the Kitzmiller case, which was decided in 2005.
  
• He began his remarks with some context and case history, starting with the Scopes Trial.
• Noted that Texas is a strong anti-evolution state, which can be seen in some of the recent actions of the State Board of Education.
  
• ID is invoking the supernatural, which is meaningless to science.
  
• The Constitution does require that our public institutions stay out of religion. Therefore, Americans need to be proud of two things: science and the Constitution (as in these are two great American achievements).
  
• The Kitzmiller case is likely to go to the Supreme Court some day in some form given the persistence of the ID groups.
  
• After the film, Dr. Hickey mentioned that science is about looking for a natural explanation. Religion deals with the supernatural, seeking to make the supernatural legitimate.

About the film, I have to say that it was excellent. After the showing, audience members expressed that they liked it as well and found it to be well made. I will say that it does provide a very good overview of the case but also of the issues surrounding the debate between evolution and intelligent design. PBS NOVA clearly tried to make a very balanced presentation, and it shows. I highly recommend this film, and for our locals, the library does own it, so feel free to go check it out. And I would like to take a moment to thank our professors who gave of their time to give us a great educational experience. And I would like to thank those who came as well for participating and for their questions.

Finally, I would like to provide some additional links in honor of Darwin Day for my two readers:

• Learn more about Darwin Day at their official website.
  
• 2009 is the Year of Science, from the Coalition on the Public Understanding of Science.
  
• Professor P.Z. Myers's blog, Pharyngula, is very popular. He is an assistant professor of biology at U. of Minnesota-Morris. When not writing about biology and evolution, he does blog about ID and other issues of science and society.
  
• Panda's Thumb is another excellent blog on evolution and biology.
  
• Nature has some podcasts on Darwin today. After today, you can probably find the podcasts on the site's archive.
  
• The National Center for Science Education was mentioned in the film. They are a great resource for science education and the defense of science.
  
• The Humanist Community sponsors the event. Here is their observance site.
• And though it pains me personally to link to it, in the interest of showing the ID side, this is the link to the ID think tank Discovery Institute. For a quick overview of the think tank, here is their Wikipedia entry.

Happy Blog Day 2008

I barely made it this year. What between the holiday weekend and the fact that I have been busy as heck. But I could not disappoint, so here are my five choices this year for Blog Day 2008. This is now my third year participating. To readers and bloggers here and around the world, a happy Blog Day!

• In the librarianship realm, Director Who is one I just recently discovered. Get some library insights from a library director.
  
• Also in the librarianship front, the Academic Librarian is a thoughtful, well, academic librarian in one of those larger research universities. When he write, I know I can count on something substantial, thoughtful, and well written.
  
• When it comes to books, Paulo Coehlo is one of my favorite writers. I recently added his blog to my reader. There is always a little something interesting. I also follow Neil Gaiman's Journal among the authors I like.
• Finally one from the world of science. Dr. P.Z. Myers writes a popular blog, Pharyngula. When he is not explaining how biology and evolution works, he is busy railing against those who would pretty much replace science with religion (disguised as something called "creationism"). Worth a look.
  

(Crossposted to The Itinerant Librarian).

BlogDay2008
(the Technorati tag)

Poetry Awards and Meeting the Texas Poet Laureate

The library at MPOW held its Annual Student Poetry Awards on April 29, 2008. This was part of the programs for National Poetry Month that we implemented. April was a very busy month for me, and this event is one of the biggest things we put together. I could not have done it without the help of our outreach coordinator, Joanne Buendtner and the generosity of folks like Anne McCrady (link to her blog here). My thanks also go to the 2008 Texas Poet Laureate, Mr. Larry D. Thomas, who delivered the keynote as well as presented the awards. What follows then are my notes and impressions from the event. This is a bit of a long post. If you just want the short version of what happened, you can read the "official" version over at my library's blog here. Otherwise, read on. Any comments I make are in parenthesis.

The event began with a reception and book signing. The library provided a catered table of hors d'oeuvres (provided by Joseph's and underwritten by the local Friends of the Arts). The reception was an opportunity for the audience to meet with Larry Thomas before the event as well as purchase as signed copy of his new book, New and Selected Poems, published by TCU Press as part of their Texas Poet Laureate series. Yes, I got my own copy of the book signed by the author (no, you can't borrow it). During the reception, Thomas describes his work while he talks with guests. He tells us that his poetry is different from cowboy poetry; his is more like folk art. Because he is a native West Texan, some people may think he is a cowboy poet.

I am told that this is the third year where the library brings the current Texas Poet Laureate as part of the Student Poetry Awards (the awards have been going on for longer than three years). Local poet and friend of the library Anne McCrady provided a nice introduction for Mr. Thomas. She described him as an inspiration to her and other poets, a man who wrote poetry during his free time while holding a full time job. Soon after he retired in 1998, Thomas began to publish. McCrady also tells us that his poetry comes from the heart of a visual artist. This is seen in the covers of his books as well as in his poems. Thomas is a poet who is reverent of Texas people, places, and events. He is also a very generous and loving member of the Texas literary community who sees the job of poet laureate as a gift to the people of Texas.

After such a generous introduction, Thomas went right on with the poetry. First, he tells a bit about himself, saying he started with an English bachelor's degree with the intention of eventually becoming a college professor, but life meant a different path for him. (Hmm, English major who eventually ended up doing something else. I love the guy already. Yes, I am an English major and ended up doing something else down the road too). Thomas fell in love with poetry early on. He loved the music of Edgar Allan Poe's "The Raven." He wanted to keep the beauty of rhythm in poetry.

As a poet, Thomas tells us he is ritualistic; different poets have different rituals. To him, writing poetry is like a worship process. Some of his rituals include:

• Writing in his own studio.
• Sitting on a rocker without a cushion to keep a bit of an edge. The slight discomfort keeps him in focus.
  
• Always using a fountain pen. The flow of ink is organic and tactile. Lately though, he has composed a couple of poems on the computer.
  

Thomas goes on to speak about "getting in the zone" for writing (this is applicable to other disciplines). Once you are in the zone, don't waste time. So he goes to his place where poems are born; he does add that some poems should not have been born. Each poem has its own beauty. Thomas likes to say he loves all his books as his children.

He says that inspiration is hogwash. As part of our gift, the creative energy flows continually. Thus poets are light sleepers; they can't quite turn off the images (hmm, this could explain why at times the moments I feel I can't turn writing ideas or images off, especially at night. Either that, or I have a serious anxiety problem. I like his idea better). Thomas adds that writing a poem is like going to the river with an empty cup, and you distill what you get. Yes, it's that easy.

After reflecting on his craft, Thomas goes on to read from his work. He is using the edition of his works published by TCU Press (see link above), which we had available during the book signing.

• He starts by looking at West Texas with poems like "Wind," "Red Raging Waters," and "The Skull Seller." (A quick peek at the audience reveals they are caught in the performance. I learned a while back that, when looking at a performance, you need to be aware of your space as well, so I took a look around. I was thinking I could have added a note here on the hall itself, which provided a small and intimate space for the event. Maybe later). Thomas's voice cadence goes up and down when evoking the river in "Red Raging Waters." (As I sit there at the moment, caught in the words and music, and even now as I write, I can't quite put it in words. He is just so evocative. His voice seems so reflective of the expansive landscape, or in summoning the image of the woman selling skulls.)
  
• Next, he moves on to the Southeast and East Texas with poems like "Neches River" and "Twin Spinsters in Blue." On that second poem, Thomas comments that he likes to write about centenarians; they make him feel in awe, and they inspire him.
  
• Moving along to Midland, Texas, and then other poems (these are now quick impressions).
  
• "Out of the blue." Look at the image of the cicadas, or are they called katydids here, he asks.
  
• "Gabriel."
  
• "Of Fathers and Sons." This poem captures a moment in time. Note the voice of the son who overhears the father's praise as father is talking to the mother. Also notice the ending.
  
• "Harvest Moon." This an example of a magical moment.
  
• "Primary Colors." As he is about to read this one, he checks to see if the audience is thumbing through the book or not to follow along. (Personally, I prefer to listen and look at the poet than read along).
  
• "The Night We Were Gods."
  
• "Cotton." The poem evokes the picking of cotton. He talked about share farmers and about how they would use cotton in so many different ways.
  
• "Apricots." This is a poem that he enjoyed writing. Initially, Thomas did not want to let this poem go, but the poem led to a chapbook. He has eaten many apricots since then. He recalled apricot fried pies made with hog lard and how you had to let them cool (and as I sit there, I have this sudden craving for one of those pies).
  

After reading and performing his poems, Thomas took questions and comments from the audience. This are some of the remarks I managed to capture:

• A lot of librarians, according to Thomas, are "closet poets." They love words, and if they love words in higher levels, how can they not be poets?
  
• Poetry should be spoken and performed. It is not completed until it is read.
  
• Asked about poetry readings, Thomas indicates that there are more opportunities in Houston, which has a vibrant literary scene (note: he currently resides in Houston). Thomas hopes for a renaissance of the spoken word. He asks Anne [McCrady] to comment on this as well. She remarks that it is important for poets to partner with universities and bookstores. (I notice she is taking notes on her notebook as well.)
• Try breathing sometime. It makes you feel better. Our breaths stay behind, so we breath from others (as they breathe from us--think about it and how it can relate to creating poetry, or creative writing in general).
  
• At his best, Thomas attempts to write one poem per page, one complete working draft. A poem is never finished, so you do the best you can. When a draft is finished, leave it aside for a bit. "Sleep on it," he says, only to see it is ugly, and then you get back to work. McCrady confirms that the first draft is like spilling your soul on the page (maybe that is why I find writing so difficult at times. You are spilling your soul, which to me seems like such a vulnerable act). You build the poem after the first draft.
  

We get to the awards ceremony, where the winners read their pieces as well. For the record, these were our winners this year:

• First Place: Jesse Florendo for “Japan Sketch #1.”
• Second Place: Conor Herterich for “”Epitaph.”
• Third Place: Paige Hayter for “Ode to the Gardenia.”
• Fourth Place: Carly Thompson for “The Need for a Story.”
• And honorable mention to Jesse Florendo for “Frankenstein’s Creature Finds Solace.”

The winners received a small trophy or plaque and a signed copy of Thomas's book as well as a photo with the poet laureate. Mr. Thomas was very enthusiastic as he encouraged the young poets to continue writing, hoping to be reading their books in the future. After the event, he stayed for a short while to chat with students and guests a bit more. Afterwards, Anne McCrady, Larry Thomas, and I went for a late dinner (but that may be another story).

Hispanic Heritage Month 2006

Hispanic Heritage Month runs from September 15 to October 15. Here is a very small sampling of resources and ideas to help the celebration.

• The Census Bureau has their Facts for Features press release on the topic. For example, did you know that there are 19 states where "Hispanics are the largest race or ethnic minority group."
• The National Register of Historic Places and the National Park Service have a feature for Hispanic Heritage Month highlighting publications and places of significance.
  
• For librarians, Criticas had a pretty good article with activity ideas and other information which may be of interest as well.
  

Happy Canada Day!

To our Canadian friends, a Happy and Safe Canada Day. Also known as Dominion Day, the holiday is Canada's national holiday, and it celebrates the "formation of the union of the British North America provinces in a federation under the name of Canada" (quote from the Department of Canadian Heritage, see here). Readers can find further information on the holiday here.

Celebrating Cinco de Mayo

(Crossposted to The Itinerant Librarian)

As some readers may know, I work in a commuter campus. That means no dorms. As a result, there is no big Cinco de Mayo celebration today, but there was a great one yesterday. Our campus celebrated a Fiesta on the Bayou from 6:00pm to about 11:00pm. The event was sponsored by various campus organizations. Since I myself commute via the public bus, I could not stay for the whole thing. But I was able to take some time after work and enjoy the festivities. I arrived just in time to listen to the mariachis. I happen to enjoy mariachi music very much, so I could have just sat there and listened to the songs all night. After the mariachis, there was a folkloric dance troupe performance where a group of young ladies in very bright colored dresses performed a traditional Mexican dance. To make things better, there was free food and drink (non-alcoholic. For a couple of bucks, you could have gotten a margarita, but I did have to drive when I got the park and ride). So, I had some time to enjoy some food, hear some music, and be with the students and campus community. It made for a lovely early evening.

So, today is the holiday. If you follow the first link above, you can get a quick overview of this Mexican holiday, which by the way is not the "Mexican 4th of July" (yes, I have heard some, shall we call them "not so informed" folks, say this. Mexican Independence Day is on September 16). The Census Bureau, once again, has a holiday feature for Cinco de Mayo. Some facts from the Census document:

• 25.9 million
  Number of U.S. residents of Mexican origin in 2004. These residents constituted 9 percent of the nation’s total population.
• Trade With Mexico
  $290.2 billion
  The value of goods traded between the United States and Mexico in 2005. Mexico is our nation’s second-leading trading partner, after Canada. <http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/www/>

Get a few recipes in case you are having your own celebration, via the Food Network, here.

Here are some links from the Librarian's Internet Index.

Some facts on Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month

(Crossposted to The Itinerant Librarian)

May is Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month, so a happy month to our Asian/Pacific American friends. It has been a national celebration since 1977.

I can always count on the Census Bureau to have one of their timely fact sheets. They have one for Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. Some facts from that sheet, applicable to Asians. The Census also has separate numbers for Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders.

• 14.0 million
  The estimated number of U.S. residents in July 2004 who said they were Asian or Asian in combination with one or more other races. This group comprised 5 percent of the total population.
• 49%
  The percentage of Asians, age 25 and older, who have a bachelor’s degree or higher level of education. Asians have the highest proportion of college graduates of any race or ethnic group in the country.
• 2.3 million
  The number of people age 5 and older who speak Chinese at home. After Spanish, Chinese is the most widely spoken non-English language in the country. Tagalog and Vietnamese also have more than 1 million speakers.
• 282,000
  The number of Asian-American military veterans.

Infoplease has a pretty good summary of information on the month, including its history here. There are various links here that may be of interest.

The Asian Pacific American Heritage Association is the primary organization associated with the event.

The National Park Service has a listing of properties and places "listed in the National Register and the National Park Units highlighting important aspects of the Asian and Pacific experience in America" (from the website).

You can read the Presidential Proclamation for Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month.

And here are some other links from the Librarian's Internet Index which may be of interest.

Oh, and a small addition for readers: some reading lists here, here, and here.

Campus Events for Women's Month: A Roundup

I have had the good fortune that my schedule allowed me some moments to attend some of the campus events celebrating Women's Month. From scholars to artists, I have had a chance to broaden my horizons and learn a thing or two in the process. I always take notes so I can blog abou the events later, but this month has been too hectic to allow me to blog the events right away. So, here then, is a small roundup:

• On March 7, 2006, I attended the presentation by Houston artist Angela Beloian. Ms. Beloian's presentation integrated slides with narrative. She began by telling her audience about why she paints. Some of the reasons include triumph and defeat, to understand why, and to find hope. She does a good amount of her work on wood. One technique she employs is to find images in the patterns of the wood. She discovers these patterns and then creates the painting. In this process, she says that serendipity often surprises the artist. The female figure is very important to her work. She asks in her work how does the environment influence us. She noted that in working with wood sometimes she has to choose from many images she may see in the wood, which one to show, which one to hide. A trick of a trade she revealed is that she turns her other works around when working on a project. This is so as not to look at her older works while working on a current project. Readers can find information and samples of her work here.
• On March 8, 2006, I went to the presentation entitled "El Lamento de los Muros" ("The Wailing of the Walls") by Argentinian photographer Paula Luttringer. Her work is being exhibited as part of Houston's Fotofest, a biennial event of photography and photo-related art. Ms. Luttringer's work is based on interviews of women kidnapped during Argentina's Dirty War era. The photos were taken at various secret prison locations. The presentation integrated photos with narratives of the survivors. As I sat there looking at the photos and listening, I was reminded of reading the works of Griselda Gambaro, an Argentinian playwright whose works deal with this time period as well. I read Gambaro's work, and even wrote a research paper on her works, for a graduate drama course. So, back to this note. The darkness of the lecture hall added to the eerie and even slightly oppressive effect on the audience. One of the women in the narrative mentioned that this could happen in any society. The secret prisons were really hospitals, schools, and other common buildings which the torturers used for their purposes. Some of these places are now closed; others have been abandoned. The photographer, a survivor herself, is interested in the memory. The images in the photos are cryptic, and this is part of the memories. From the audience, I got the impression that many of them were not terribly well-read or informed given questions wondering why this happened. Yet, in asking the survivors, we are told they cannot give a reason why they were taken or why they survived. If asked, the photographer is not sure what her work is about. Also, the aftermath of the experience is a problem as well. Dealing with the aftermath interests Ms. Luttringer. It's not only what the experiences mean to the individual but what they mean to society. On a brief aside note, readers wanting to read something on Argentina's Dirty War may want to consider this book.
• On March 20, 2006, I had the opportunity to hear some poetry and creative writing as I ventured to a Women's Reading session. Faculty and students read from their creative works. The event was very informal, and it provided a way for the community to hear the voices of the women on campus. These are women who may complicate things, make us outraged, or uncomfortable, or even warm. The works had a diverse range of themes. One poet read of her summer experiences, which she explored in a poetry sequence, often using the energy of her dreams. A second one gave us poems dedicated to women in her life, one of those women being her martial arts teacher. Another author gave us a monologue from a play she has been working on; the monologue's character is a wealthy woman reflecting on her philanthropy, blending humor and anger as she is displeased with her daughter. Another poet reflected on her experiences, blending humor and history, with references from George Orwell to Zora Neale Hurston, regaling the audience with a prose poem "About the White Dudes I Like to Date." And let us not forget the student readers. One who gave us observations on the human condition, about mothers and their limitless intuitions, of strong women who cannot be bound. The other a brief poem to her mother and her old van with such a sense of evocation and longing, blending English and Spanish in the verses.
  
• And on March 23, 2006, I got to learn about Shakespeare and his friends from Professor Kate Pogue, author of the book Shakespeare's Friends. For this event, we met in the campus gallery surrounded by works of art. She began by answering some common questions, such as what inspired the book. A lecture on the topic of Shakespeare and friendship inspired it. Friendship is a theme present in many of the Bard's works. For instance, Othello and Iago show a failed friendship. But this is more a book about the playwright's friends. Researching some of this is possible through records, like his will. The idea of the book is to illuminate Shakespeare's life through his friends. The book gives an overview of Shakespeare's life, brief biographies, and then it goes on to show how his friends illustrated his life. We heard the story of the building of the Globe Theater, which was a bit confrontational, but I will leave that so readers may go seek the book. As soon as I read it, I may make a note in the blog.
  

There are still a couple of events left, but I will blog those later.

Some facts for St. Patrick's Day

(Crossposted to The Itinerant Librarian)

A Happy St. Patrick's Day to readers everywhere. In the United States, there is a long tradition of celebrating the holiday of the Irish patron saint. It is not only a Catholic holiday, but it has become a day for people of Irish heritage to celebrate their heritage. The Census Bureau has a page of facts for the holiday here. One of the facts you will find at the Census Bureau's page:

• 93.3 million: Number of people who reportedly planned to wear green last St. Patrick’s Day.

By the way, I am one of those who is wearing a little green today. Other resources of intest include:

• The History Channel has a little virtual exhibit, part of an upcoming program here.
  
• The How Stuff Works website has some information on the holiday as well here.
  
• And there are a few more things over at the Librarian's Internet Index when you run a search for St. Patrick's.
  

Sunshine Week: Because it is your right to know

(Crossposted at The Itinerant Librarian)

March 12-18 is Sunshine Week 2006. From the website,

"the first national Sunshine Week: Your Right to Know was launched March 13, 2005 and continued through the following Saturday. The spirit of Sunshine Week, however, lasts through the year, as newspapers, magazines, broadcasters, Web sites and others continue a dialogue about the importance of open government to the public."

During this week, the Web site for Sunshine Week will feature news, editorials and other resources to promote the importance of freedom of information and the need to keep the government accountable as well as keeping it open to all. This effort is sponsored by the American Society of Newspaper Editors. ALA is also doing its part here. Readers can find a bibliography of books and resources here. The site even features resources in Spanish.

A hat tip to Jeff Jarvis at BuzzMachine.

Update notes (3/14/106):

• The Free Government Information Blog reports that Steven Aftergood, of FAS Project on Government Secrecy, has been awarded the James Madison Award from ALA for his work on government secrecy. FGI Blog notes that "the Award which is 'presented annually on the anniversary of Madison's birth (March 16) to honor those who have championed, protected, and promoted public access to government information and the public's right to know.'" Readers may be interested in taking a look at the FAS link as well as an interview from U.S. News and World Report of Mr. Aftergood, which is linked over at FGI.
• In addition, Gary Price's Resource Shelf provides a link to a report by ALA's BRASS entitled "Public Libraries Briefcase: Findind and Using Public Records" which may be of interest as well.