Help for Tornado Recovery

Those of us at the Arkansas State Library extend our condolences to all the people affected by this weeks' storms in Arkansas and across the South.  If you would like to help, either with you time and talents or with a monetary donation, here are a few ways to get started:

• American Red Cross: " the nation's premier emergency response organization," the Red Cross helps survivors of small and large disasters. You can help by donating money, blood or time. Here is the website for the local Arkansas chapter.
• The Salvation Army is also accepting donations and helping survivors in Arkansas and Alabama.
• According to this notice on the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette web site, anyone interested in volunteering for the Vilonia clean-up effort can call 501-626-2093 or 

  People who want to volunteer to help, should go to the Vilonia Primary School on U.S. 64. It will be open 7 a.m.-5 p.m. Bring identification so that authorities can scan a driver's license or other identification and produce a volunteer badge to give volunteers a badge and the accompanying access needed to help.

   

Hunger in Arkansas

As the gardening season gets going here in Arkansas, it is a good time to think about those who do not have enough to eat on a regular basis.  Did you know that almost 18 % of the people in Arkansas are food insecure?  That is 505,000 people - half a million of your fellow Arkansans.  What is food insecurity?  According to the national charity Feeding America, food insecurity is the USDA's measure of the "lack of access, at times, to enough food for a healthy life for all family members [and] limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate foods." Check out all the facts about hunger in Arkansas and the United States at Feeding America.

If you want to help, Feeding America is a great place to start.  From their mission statement: "Feeding America is the nation's leading domestic hunger-relief charity. Our mission is to feed America's hungry through a nationwide network of member food banks and engage our country in the fight to end hunger." Their website has information about finding a food bank in your area, volunteering, and donating money.

Want to find something more local? Arkansas Rice Depot is Arkansas's largest food bank. They also have a list of ways to help in the community.  Arkansas Food Bank is another Little Rock-based food distributor that you could help by volunteering or donating time and money.

Many churches and civic organizations also support local food pantries. Some food pantries may accept home-grown produce; if your zucchini produces more than you could ever eat, why not give some of it to a food pantry?

Celebrate National Library Week!

April 10-16 is National Library Week all around the country.  Here at ASL we are celebrating by highlighting our new books in the display cases on the first floor and by giving all patrons who sign up for a new library card an "I love my library" button.  If you are interested in getting a library card, please check our policy page for the requirements.  If you have any questions about the Arkansas State Library and our policies, you can send us a reference request using the Ask a Librarian form, or you can give us a call at (501) 682-2053.

It's Tax Time Again

Your Federal and State taxes are due next week. Did you know that there was no income tax until the Civil War? or that the 16th amendment to the Constitution was passed in 1913, setting up the Internal Revenue Service? For more general history on the income tax, check out this article from InfoPlease.

In Arkansas, the Department of Finance and Administration contols the state income tax process. For more information about the history of this state agency, check out their entry in the Encyclopedia of Arkansas.

Here at the Arkansas State Library, we have state forms available on paper and electronically.  While we do not have the Federal forms and we cannot help you fill them out, we can help you access them through the IRS.gov website, and provide you with resources that may help you, including Bender's Tax Return Manual. 

Automotive and DIY Resources at ASL

While the main mission of the Arkansas State Library is to assist state agencies and state employees with government documents and other resources, we do also help other patrons with a wide range of requests.  We have several databases that may be of interest to anyone who wants to do their own automotive repairs or other DIY projects.  These and other databases can be accessed remotely by approved state employees, and in-house by the public.

• Auto Repair Reference Center : Contains information on most major manufacturers of domestic and imported vehicles, with repair information for most vintage makes starting as far back as 1945. Database content includes approximately 26,000 vehicles covered from 1945 to present, over 150,000 factory drawings and step-by-step photographs, approximately 70,000 technical service bulletins, recalls issued by the original equipment vehicle manufacturer, over 100,000 enhanced wiring diagrams for easy viewing and printing, specifications, and maintenance schedules. 
• Home Improvement Collection : Even the smallest home improvement project can be daunting: with this collection of nearly 100 home improvement focused titles, hobbyists and professional carpenters alike will immediately put their projects on a more solid foundation. Coverage includes such topics as architectural techniques, tool and material selection, zoning requirements, and many more.
• Small Engine Repair Reference Center : This database serves as a reference and provides instructional information about small engine machinery maintenance and repair. SERRC contains the full set of small engine repair manuals from Clymer. These manuals contain thousands of accurate and concise step-by-step maintenance and repair instructions for hundreds of small engine machines and their supporting components. Routine maintenance, such as tune-ups and brake service, as well as more extensive repairs involving engine transmission disassembly are covered. Engines types include: motorcycles, ATVs, personal water craft, snowmobiles, lawn mowers, tractors, snow blowers, generators, and more.

We also have a large collection of Chilton repair manuals in the physical collection that are available for checkout.  For more information about our databases and eligibility for off-site access, visit our website.

Last chance to sign up for E-rate

Thursday marks the final day for schools and libraries to file E-rate paperwork for funding year 2011. If you are a potential recipient and need more information about the deadline, contact Amber Gregory, the state coordinator of E-rate services, at amber (at) library (dot) arkansas (dot) gov or call her at (501) 682-8576.

For the rest of you who may be interested in learning more about E-Rate, visit the E-rate page on our website. There you will find a description and more information about the program:

E-Rate is a program through the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that allows schools and libraries to receive discounts on technology such as telecommunications and internet access.  By funding discounts on connectivity, E-Rate allows schools and libraries to keep pace with constantly evolving technology.

Earthquake preparedness and Relief options

We are all touched and saddened by the news that has been coming out of Japan this week following the earthquake and tsunami on Friday. If you are interested in making a monetary donation to relief organizations, consider using a charity rating system, such as Charity Navigator, to help decide which group to support. Charity Navigator ranks charities based on a variety of areas, including how much donor money actually gets to the people the charity serves.  Doctors Without Borders is rated as a 4-star (out of 4 stars) charity, as are World Vision and Save the Children. There are many 4 and 3 star charities to choose from.

Here in Arkansas, the earthquake in Japan, as well as the recent earthquake swarm near Greenbrier and Guy, should remind us to have emergency kits and plans in place, before a natural disaster strikes. For more information about how to prepare, visit Ready.gov, FEMA, and the Great Central U.S. ShakeOut.