Job Seeking Resources at ASL

Here are some job-seeking resources available in print here at the Arkansas State Library:

How to say it on your résumé: a top recruiting director's guide to writing the perfect résumé for every job by Brad Karsh HF5383 .K378 2009

Finding a job after 50: reinvent yourself for the 21st century Woodward, Jeannette A HF5382.7 .W68 2007

Résumé magic: trade secrets of a professional résumé writer 3rd ed. Whitcomb, Susan Britton HF5383 .W46 2007

Federal resume guidebook : write a winning federal resume to get in, get promoted, and survive in a government job 3rd ed. Troutman, Kathryn K. JK716 .T73 2004

Writing and formatting a scannable resume [electronic resource] United States. Office of Disability Employment Policy. L 41.2:2004018495/[ONLINE] http://webharvest.gov/peth04/20041108024600/www.dol.gov/odep/pubs/ek99/resume.htm

The essential guide to business etiquette Chaney, Lillian H. HF5389 .C468 2007

The complete idiot's guide to the perfect job interview Dorio, Marc A. HF5382.7 .D62 2009

The everything get-a-job book : the tools and strategies you need to land the job of your dreams McKay, Dawn Rosenberg HF5549.5 .I6 M327 2007

Top 100 computer and technical careers : your complete guidebook to major jobs in many fields at all training levels
Farr, J. Michael QA76.25 .F37 2009 (Earlier edition also available as e-book)

Top 100 careers without a four-year degree : your complete guidebook to major jobs in many fields Farr, J. Michael HF5382.5 .U5 F375 2009 (Earlier edition also available as e-book)

Occupational outlook handbook (Online) United States. Bureau of Labor Statistics L 2.3/4:[ONLINE]
http://www.bls.gov/oco/home.htm

Election Results

Wondering about the results of the June 8th primary run-off election? The Secretary of State's Vote Naturally page is your place to look. There, you can find a quick view chart listing the results from all of the races up for a vote in the election or you can find out the voter turnout by county (only 35% of registered voters in Pulaski County voted in the May 19th primary). You can even find information about past elections going back to 1992.

From the Vote Naturally homepage, click on the green Election Results button to get to the Election Results page, then pick your election.

Oil Spill Information

One of the biggest news items right now is the continuing oil spill in the gulf of Mexico.  If you are interested in following the story more closely, here are a few resources:

Live video feed of the spill is available many places.  Here is the feed provided by the House of Representatives Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming.

The Louisiana Governor's Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Preparedness has a website with projected trajectories for the spill, using Google Earth, along with phone numbers for people interested in volunteering, reporting oil on the shore and other related matters.

Both Alabama and Florida also have web pages set up to provide more information to their citizens about the spill.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Office of Response and Restoration has an incident page with information about the spill that is updated daily.

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.