Arkansas History Hub

There is a new resource for Arkansas state history teachers: the Arkansas History Hub. Its mission, as taken from the website is "to improve the quality of Arkansas history education across the state by providing comprehensive access to online resources, as well as facilitating the open exchange of ideas and materials between teachers, institutions and history professionals."

There are lesson plans for all ages and grade levels, a database of potential Arkansas history field-trips, and listings for professional development opportunities. You can also sign up to become a member and contribute links and plans.

Here at the Arkansas State Library, we also a range of Arkansas history-related materials, including our Arkansas Collection and Arkansas government documents.

Stay safe on and in the water

With all the hot weather we have been having here in Arkansas, many people are heading to the rivers and lakes to go boating and swimming. An increase in traffic means an increase in potential accidents. Here are some websites with tips and information to help you stay safe.

• Arkansas Game and Fish Commission Boating Education: According to their website "Anyone born on or after January 1, 1986, and of legal age to operate a motorboat, must have successfully completed an approved Arkansas Game and Fish Commission Boating Education Course and carry proof while operating a motorboat on Arkansas water. The law also affects operators of sailboats." Classes and testing are provided by the AGFC. 
• The United States Coastguard also has a wealth of information about boating safety, as well as links to other organizations, such as the National Safe Boating Council.
• The Centers for Disease Control has a Fact Sheet about unintentional drowning that provides statistics about drowning (nearly 80% of all drowning victims are male) and a list of signs to watch for. This great blog entry written by a Coast Guard marine safety specialist also points out that drowning in real life doesn't look like drowning in the movies.
• Don't forget to keep your pets safe as well. While some dogs, like Labradors and Portuguese Water Dogs, are natural swimmers, others like bulldogs and Dachshunds are not. And even natural swimmers can become distressed and tired. Here is a list of 5 water safety tips for dogs.

Here at the Arkansas State Library, we also have numerous books on boating - from repair manuals to travel guides for cruises. If you are interested or want more information, please call the reference desk at (501) 682-2053, or send us an email request using the Ask a Librarian web form.

Coping With Extreme Heat

We have been experiencing some extreme heat here in Central Arkansas this past week, and it doesn't look like it is going away any time soon.  The Center for Disease Control has an Extreme Heat page with a lot of helpful information about how to deal with the heat, including how to spot the sign of heat distress in the elderly and guidelines for how much water you should drink and how often you should be drinking it.

Don't forget about your pets during the heat of summer. The ASPCA has hot weather tips for keeping your cats and dogs safe.

Here in Arkansas, most counties are under a burn ban because of the heat and dry conditions. To check if your county is affected, visit the Arkansas Forestry Commission's website.

If you do not have air conditioning at home, the Salvation Army has set up a cooling center at 1111 West Markham that will be open from 1 to 4 p.m. on days when the heat index is above 100. In addition, the City of Little Rock has opened Alert Centers and some community centers to the public. Check this article for more details.

If you need help paying your energy bills on account of the high temperatures, the Central Arkansas Development Council and the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program are holding mass enrollment days for low-income residents. Today is the last day for Little Rock and Pulaski County, but other counties in the area still have days scheduled. For more information, please visit the CADC website.

To check the temperatures and the heat index, visit Weather.com or the Weather Underground. NOAA also has weather information and drought status updates for Arkansas.

Stay cool - come to the library!

4th of July Facts

This coming Monday is the 4th of July, when Americans celebrate the approval of the Declaration of Independence. To get you prepared for the holiday, here are some facts from the U.S. Census Bureau about the 4th of July:

Population

2.5 million: In July 1776, the estimated number of people living in the newly independent nation. Source: Historical Statistics of the United States: Colonial Times to 1970 http://www.census.gov/prod/www/abs/statab.html 

311.7 million: The nation's estimated population on this July Fourth. Source: Population clock http://www.census.gov/main/www/popclock.html;

Patriotic-Sounding Place Names:

*Thirty-one places have “liberty” in their names. The most populous one as of April 1, 2010, is Liberty, Mo. (29,149) Iowa, with four, has more of these places than any other state: Libertyville, New Liberty, North Liberty and West Liberty.

*Thirty-five places have “eagle” in their names. The most populous one is Eagle Pass, Texas (26,248).

*Eleven places have “independence” in their names. The most populous one is Independence, Mo. (116,830). Nine places have “freedom” in their names. The most populous one is New Freedom, Pa. (4,464).

*One place with “patriot” in the name. Patriot, Ind. (209).

*Five places have “America” in their names. The most populous is American Fork, Utah (26,263). Source: American FactFinder; www.census.gov

There are many more facts where those came from at the Facts for Features page at the U.S. Census Bureau.

And for those of you who would like to read the Declaration of Independence or the Constitution this weekend, you can visit the Charters of Freedom page from the National Archives, and download a high-resolution version on your computer.

Finally, the Arkansas State Library will be closed on Monday, in celebration of the holiday.If you have any reference questions that need prompt assistance, please give us a call by Thursday of this week, or come back on Tuesday.

Asking a Reference Question

Here are a few tips to smooth your reference transaction and help the librarian assisting you find the right answers:

• As far as you can, explain the situation.  We don't need all the personal details, indeed, we don't want them, but if we know you are looking for information about the history of cancer for a class report, we may find very different resources than if you need explanations of treatments for personal reasons. 
• If you are doing research for a school assignment, at any level, bring in the assignment. Most teachers and professors have guidelines for what sort of paper they expect, how many resources they want the student to use, and so forth. We will be better able to help you if we can see the actual question and assignment guidelines than if we get a general question like "I need everything about the history of war." (Yes, we do get questions like this from time to time.)
• Realize that not everything is available on-line. Yes, an awful lot of information, data, and scholarly research is now on-line, but there are also many books, journals, and archived files that are not. One of those resources might have the best information, even if it is not the most convenient. We try to provide on-line resources whenever possible, but sometimes, we can only find what you need in an off-line form.
• And finally, if you are calling or emailing us, make sure to give us complete and correct contact information, and let us know the best way to contact you, if we need clarification. If you do not check your email very often, but sent us an email request, tell us that you prefer a phone call to notify you that we have sent you a reply or resources. If you are never at your desk phone, or cannot answer your cell phone at work or school, let us know you prefer email. We work hard to answer every question quickly and accurately, and we want to make sure you get your resources.

If you have any reference questions to ask the Arkansas State Library, you can call us at (501) 682-2053, or send an email through our Ask a Librarian form, or visit us in person. We are located at 900 W. Capitol, Suite 100, in Little Rock.

Father's Day Facts

From the Census Bureau's website, here are some facts about Father's Day and fathers:

The idea of Father's Day was conceived slightly more than a century ago by Sonora Dodd of Spokane, Wash., while she listened to a Mother's Day sermon in 1909. Dodd wanted a special day to honor her father, William Smart, a widowed Civil War veteran who was left to raise his six children on a farm. A day in June was chosen for the first Father's Day celebration — 101 years ago, June 19, 1910, proclaimed by Spokane's mayor because it was the month of Smart's birth. The first presidential proclamation honoring fathers was issued in 1966 when President Lyndon Johnson designated the third Sunday in June as Father's Day. Father's Day has been celebrated annually since 1972 when President Richard Nixon signed the public law that made it permanent.

154,000 - Estimated number of stay-at-home dads in 2010. These married fathers with children younger than 15 have remained out of the labor force for at least one year primarily so they can care for the family while their wives work outside the home. These fathers cared for 287,000 children. Source: America's Families and Living Arrangements <http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/hh-fam.html>

 1.8 million - Number of single fathers in 2010; 15 percent of single parents were men. Source: America's Families and Living Arrangements <http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/hh-fam.html>

70.1 million - Estimated number of fathers across the nation. Source: Unpublished data from the Survey of Income and Program Participation 

For more facts and information, visit the Census Bureau website. The Arkansas State Library is an affiliate of the State Data Center at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, part of the Census Bureau network in the states.  We have census information for past years, and our librarians can provide individual training on using the Census Bureau databases. If you have any questions, please call the Reference Desk at (501) 682-2053, or send a question through the Ask a Librarian form.

Ask a Librarian

Every so often I like to remind readers about the reference services available at the Arkansas State Library.  We are ready and willing to answer your questions, no matter how small or how big.  If we can't find the answer, we will do our best to find someone who can.  You can contact us by phone during office hours at (501) 682-2053, or any time by using our handy Ask a Librarian form, or by writing us at:

Arkansas State Library, Attn. Reference
900 West Capitol, Suite 100
Little Rock, AR 72201

If you are feeling really ambitious, or just want to visit, you can also come to the library and speak to us in person.  Our hours are Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 4:30 PM. 

We generally answer questions within 24 hours, except during weekends and holidays.