Memorial Day

Next Monday, May 31st, is the day that Memorial Day is observed this year. For many Americans, the three-day weekend marks the beginning of summer, and is hardly more than a day off from work or school. It's origins, however, are much more solemn. In the aftermath of the Civil War, it was seen as a day of reconciliation and remembrance.  The Library of Congress American Memory website says that:

In 1868, Commander in Chief John A. Logan of the Grand Army of the Republic issued General Order Number 11 designating May 30 as a memorial day "for the purpose of strewing with flowers or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village, and hamlet churchyard in the land."
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.

 If you are interested in visiting historical sites that also act as memorials over the long weekend, one option here in Arkansas is Pea Ridge National Military Park.  Arkansas was an active front during the Civil War, and and according to the National Park Service website, "Pea Ridge was one of the most pivotal Civil War battles, and is the most intact Civil War battlefield in the country." 

If you would prefer something a little closer to home, Mount Holly Cemetery is "listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is the final resting place for 11 Arkansas governors, 14 state Supreme Court justices, five Confederate Generals, and numerous heroes of military conflicts." (taken from Online Little Rock).  It is just south of downtown Little Rock at 1200 Broadway.

Arkansas State Library on Facebook!

There is now another way to get information about the Arkansas State Library: the Arkansas State Library State Library Services Facebook Page. 

You can also find the Arkansas Center for the Book, which is where If All Arkansas Read the Same Book is housed, and the Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped.

Check the pages out and then come in to visit.

Privacy Week

The American Library Association's Office for Intellectual Freedom has declared May 2-8 Privacy Week.
Here is a statement to our patrons, taken from a prepared handout on the site:

Our library is committed to protecting the privacy
and confidentiality of our users. Why?
Because we believe that freedom of speech is meaningless
without the freedom to read. Confidentiality and privacy are
essential to these freedoms, because if library users have to
worry about being judged, punished, ostracized, or put under
surveillance, they may censor themselves. They may not seek
answers to their questions or read the things they want to
read, either in print or online. To be free and to govern
themselves, people must be able to explore ideas—even
controversial ideas—without fear.
If library users aren’t doing anything wrong, why
should they care about privacy?
There are many reasons why library users might want their
privacy and confidentiality protected. Perhaps they have been
diagnosed with a disease and want to learn more about it
before they tell their children. They may be suffering from
domestic or child abuse and want to find out how to get help.
They may be researching their rights before deciding to blow
the whistle on illegal activity at work. Or perhaps they’re
planning a special vacation as a surprise gift for a loved one.
Privacy isn’t about protecting people who are doing bad
things. It’s about giving our users the power to decide for
themselves who will know about their reading and research
interests. If a user chooses to share her reading list with
others, that’s fine; but we can’t assume everyone wants that.
But what if someone is doing something wrong, and
the police need to see their library records to
investigate a crime?
Librarians comply with law enforcement requests for
information about users—as long as those requests come in
the form of court orders. This ensures that a third party has
considered whether the information is really critical for the
investigation, and it helps prevent unnecessary invasions of
privacy.
Questions?
Please speak with the library director or a member of the
library staff.

For more information about Privacy Week, visit the Privacy Revolution website.

Arbor Day

 Apple Blossom, picture taken at Queen Wilhelmena State Park, March 2009

Arbor Day is tomorrow, April 30th.  Did you know it was first celebrated in 1872?  It is not a major holiday, there are no chocolate trees or special Peeps commemorating the day, but that doesn't mean you can't have some fun with it.  Here are a few ideas for you from the Arbor Day website:

• Plant a tree in your yard
• Take a hike in the woods and enjoy being in the trees.  Arkansas has many fine state parks with hiking trails for all abilities.  If the weather isn't good this weekend, plan to go hiking next weekend.
• Learn to identify the trees in your neighborhood.  The website has a great interactive page to help you with that.

State Library Services Will Come To You!

Are you interested in how the Arkansas State Library could help your department or agency? Confused about how to make use of Interlibrary Loan or Ask a Librarian? If you are a State Agency, let the State Library Services staff come to you! We have a presentation that is ready to take on the road that will cover all our services, including:

• Circulation
• Interlibrary Loan
• Ask a Librarian and other reference resources
• Databases
• Patents and Trademarks

In less than an hour, we cover these topics and show what we can do for you. If you are interested, contact the State Library Services supervisor, Michael Strickland, through Ask a Librarian or by calling (501) 682-2053.

Are you registered to vote?

April 19th is the deadline for Arkansans to register to vote before the May 18 Preferential Primary.  Are you registered to vote? If you are, do you know where your polling place is? The Secretary of State's office has several ways for you to find out.

• The Vote Naturally web page. This is your one-stop shopping place for all election information. You can search the voter database by your name and birth date; if you are registered, you will see the address where you are registered, as well as your various congressional, judicial, school and state congressional districts.  Your polling place location and address will also be listed.  Vote Naturally also has information about when and how to vote, candidates, the machines you will be using to vote, and past elections.

• Prefer to check via your smart phone?  The Secretary of State has just introduced a new mobile application for you. Check it out on the SOS website: www.sos.ar.gov/m 

Plan to vote and make your voice heard. 

April Showers (of information)

These days, every month (and every week) has a plethora of celebrations, awareness-raising causes, and anniversaries associated with it.  April is not only Tax Month and Census Month, it is also National Kite Month, Alcohol Awareness Month, and National Pecan Month.  Here are a few more April Celebrations and Causes:

• Child Abuse Prevention Month : Sponsored by the National Exchange Club Foundation. Their website has lists of resources about child abuse prevention. For information about reporting child abuse here in Arkansas, go to the Arkansas Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting page of Arkansas.gov.

• Jazz Appreciation Month:  The Smithsonian Museum launched JAM in 2001 as an annual event that pays tribute to jazz both as a historic and living American art form. It has since grown to include celebrations in all 50 states and 40 countries.

• National Donate Life Month:  "Every day in April, people across the U.S. make a special effort to celebrate the tremendous generosity of those who have saved lives by becoming organ, tissue, marrow, and blood donors and to encourage more Americans to follow their fine example." At the website you can find information about how to become a donor and read President Obama's proclamation declaring April National Donate Life Month.

These Month designations and many more have been taken from Chase's Calendar of Events 2010, which we have available here at the Arkansas State Library. Now, go out and celebrate April!