Celebrate Veterans

Next Thursday is Veteran's Day here in the United States.  Veteran's Day was first officially observed on November 11, 1919 as Armistice Day to commemorate the end of the First World War.  It became an official holiday in 1926, and in 1954 the name was changed to Veteran's Day to commemorate the sacrifices and service of American soldiers of all wars. For more information about the history of Veteran's Day, check out this page from the U.S. Department of Veteran's Affairs.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there are 21.9 million military veterans in the United States.  1.5 million of those veterans are women.  5.5 million veterans are living with disabilities. For more statistics about veterans, visit the U.S. Census Bureau Facts page.

If you or someone you know is an Arkansas veteran in need of assistance or information, visit the Arkansas Department of Veterans Affairs webpage.

New Library Website!

The Arkansas State Library has a new website!  All the old information you are used to finding is still there, but in a new design. Spend some time looking around, and let us know what you think. You can use the Ask a Librarian page to send comments or questions, as always.

As a result of the change, the Ask a Librarian page also has a new address.

World Statistics Day October 20

Wednesday, October 20th is World Statistics Day. To celebrate, here are some statistics provided by the Census Bureau.  If you want to learn more, or find some interesting statistics for yourself, check out their Facts for Features pages.

• 74.5 million: The number of children under 18 in the U.S. in 2009.  Source: 2009 population estimates <http://www.census.gov/popest/national/asrh/natasrh.html>
• 5.3 million: Estimated number of “stay-at-home” parents in 2009 in the United States: 5.1 million mothers and 158,000 fathers. Source: America's Families and Living Arrangements <http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/hh-fam.html>
• 310 million: Estimated current U.S. population. We reached 300 million in 2006, 200 million in 1967 and 100 million in 1915. When our nation achieved independence in 1776, we had a population of only 2.5 million. *National and state population counts from 2010 Census data will be released by Dec. 31, 2010.
  Source: U.S. and World Population Clocks <http://www.census.gov/main/www/popclock.html> 
• 24.3 pounds: Per capita candy consumption in 2009.  Source: Current Industrial Reports, Confectionery: 2009 <http://www.census.gov/manufacturing/cir/historical_data/ma311d/index.html> 

How to get an Arkansas birth record

For genealogists, vital records, such as birth, death, and marriage certificates, can provide valuable information. If you too are searching for a record of a relative, or perhaps you just need a copy of your own birth certificate, the best place to start is with the Arkansas Department of Health Vital Records Office. There, you can find the forms to order certificates, as well as a Frequently Asked Questions section for each type of record. 

Birth and death records are available from 1914 t the present, marriages from 1917, and divorces from 1923.  Some rules do apply about who may request records for individuals, but those circumstances are covered in the FAQ.

Go Pink for a Cure

Governor Beebe has declared tomorrow, October 1st, as Go Pink for a Cure day, "to bring about awareness of the importance of mammography and to renew its commitment to remove barriers that prevent women from seeking mammograms."  So, wear pink, find someone who will be walking or running in the Little Rock Race for the Cure on October 16th and give them a donation, and support the fight against breast cancer.

You can find the entire text of the proclamation on Governor Beebe's website, under the News Room tab.  All other gubernatorial proclamations, executive orders, and news releases are also available there.

For more information about the Little Rock Race for the Cure, got to the Komen Arkansas web page.

Hispanic Heritage Month

September 15th marked the start of Hispanic Heritage Month.  Here are some useful links that provide information about the month, suggestions about ways to celebrate, and government information for Spanish-speaking immigrants.

• National Hispanic Heritage Month: A web portal put together by the Library of Congress, the National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and U.S. National Archives and Records Administration.  This site provides information for teachers and visitors to various museums and institutions in Washington D.C.

• StoryCorp Historias: StoryCorps Historias is an initiative to record the diverse stories and life experiences of Latinos in the United States. A joint effort between the Library of Congress and National Public Radio.  You can hear stories and learn about how to record your own story.

• GobiernoUSA:  The Spanish-language portal for official government information.

• The UALR Minority Student Advocacy group has a variety of events planned for the month. Visit their website for information about specific events.

Economic Census Data Conference

The Census Bureau is conducting conferences and hands-on workshops for data users on the 2007 Economic Census during 2010.

• New users learn about the range of data about businesses available from the Census Bureau, including both the Economic Census and more frequent data sets.
• Experienced users learn about new features of the data, comparability issues, and qualifications of the data.
• Attendees gain skills in accessing Economic Census data in American FactFinder.
• Attendees have the opportunity to tell others about their own practical applications of the data and learn what others are doing. 

The Arkansas State Library will be hosting 2 of these conferences on September20th, from 8:30 AM to Noon, and from 1 PM to 4:30 PM.  For more information about the conference or to register for a session, visit the Census Bureau  Economic Census Conference web site or send a reference request to Ask a Librarian.