Remembering D-Day

Next to December 7, 1941, the most memorable date in the history of World War II is that of June 6, 1944, when Allied forces landed on the beaches of Normandy. Thanks to German miscalculations, the invasion met much less resistance than thought possible. D-Day marked the beginning of the end of the war in Europe, though it would rage on for another 11 months. Here are stories of men who stormed those beaches, who directed the landings, who sailed or flew in support of the invasion, who parachuted or piloted gliders into France on the night of June 5, and who arrived in the days after June 6 (D-Day Plus 1, etc.) to continue the perilous work of pushing back and defeating the German Army.

Be sure to check out our favorite resources on D-Day that we have bookmarked with delicious.  Here are some terrific resources you will want to check out to help commemorate this important event in world history:

Experiencing War (D-Day 65th Anniversary, June 6, 1944-2009): Stories from the Veterans History Project (Library of Congress) via kwout

American Experience | D-Day via kwout

Encyclopædia Britannica’s Guide to Normandy 1944 via kwout

National Eating Disorders Awareness Week 2009

Today marks the beginning of the National Eating Disorders Awareness Week.  National Eating Disorders.org identifies the purpose of this week:

NEDAwareness Week is a collective effort of primarily volunteers, eating disorder professionals, health care providers, educators, social workers, and individuals committed to raising awareness of the dangers surrounding eating disorders and the need for early intervention and treatment.

Here are some resources if you or someone you know is suffering from an eating disorder:

• National Eating Disorder.org Resource Page
• The National Eating Disorder.org Help Hotline:  Helpline Monday-Friday, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, Pacific Standard Time: 1-800-931-2237.
• Search our card catalog for a book on an eating disorder
• Our guidance counselors at Creekview High School
• KidsHealth Resource Page on Eating Disorders
• Medline Plus Eating Disorders Information Page
• NIMH Information Page on Eating Disorders

The History of Valentine’s Day

Have you ever wondered how Valentine’s Day began?  How did this lovefest begin?  The History Channel has all the answers to your burning questions!  Check out the fun and informative Valentine’s Day mini-website at http://www.history.com/minisites/valentine/.

The History of Valentine’s Day via kwout

Think Pink: October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month!

The Unquiet Library Staff Supports Breast Cancer Awareness Month

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month!  Here are some essential facts to know: 

 

 Who gets breast cancer?  Anyone can get breast cancer. For example, did you know…

·         The older a woman is, the more likely she is to get breast cancer?
·         White women are more likely to get breast cancer than women of any other racial or ethnic group?  They also have a better chance of survival, primarily because their cancer is usually detected earlier.  African American women are more likely to die from breast cancer than white women.
·         Men can get breast cancer too, although it is rare.  Less than one of every 100 cases of breast cancer in the U.S. occurs in men.  In 2006, it was estimated that men would account for 1,720 cases of breast cancer.It is never too early to become educated about breast cancer!  Check out these great information sources from your Unquiet Library to learn more—educate yourself, your family, and your friends!

http://del.icio.us/creekview_hs_library/breast_cancer  

In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, our blog is going pink!  We will stay pink through the month of October to help honor all breast cancer survivors in our CRHS community and raise awareness of this disease!

First Day of Autumn 2008!

Fall begins today at 11:44 AM EST!  According to the Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, ”…an equinox is either of two points on the celestial sphere where the ecliptic and the celestial equator intersect. For the rest of us, it’s one of two times a year when the sun crosses the equator, and the day and night are of approximately equal length.”  The autumnal equinox marks the beginning of the fall season in the Northern Hemisphere.

Autumn Leaf at Brasstown Bald

If you are planning any trips to the north Georgia mountains this fall to check out the fall foliage, then you need to surf over the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest website.  This site gives updates on the progress of fall leaf color, provides a webcam at Brasstown Bald, and has GREAT information on how/why leaves change colors.   Past and current fall photo galleries are also available! 

Speaking of fall photo galleries, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution is sponsoring their annual fall photo gallery.  You can visit this page at the http://www.ajc.com/search/content/travel/articles/photoupload_fallleaves.html . 

What do you like most about fall?  What makes autumn special for you?  Get bloggin’ and let us know!

Staying Safe In Georgia’s Heat Wave

As our grandmothers used to say, it is “hotter than a firecracker” right now all across Georgia.  While the heat and humidity make it difficult to enjoy outdoor summer activities and run up our power bills, the danger of heat stroke or heat related illnesses is the great cause for worry.  The young and the elderly are especially vulnerable to the heat.  In addition, your pets are also at risk for heat stroke, so don’t forget about your furry friends!  Authorities believe that an eighteen year old who fell while hiking Mount Yonah near Helen yesterday slipped and fell due to heat exhaustion, so we want to make sure all of our patrons know the warning signs of heat exhaustion and how to stay safe in this blistering weather.

For great information on staying safe in the heat, please check out our favorite resources at http://del.icio.us/creekview_hs_library/heat .

Below is a chart of heat related illnesses, their symptoms and treatment from the National Weather Service at Peachtree City:

Heat   Disorder	Symptoms	First Aid
Sunburn	Redness and pain. In severe cases, swelling of skin, blisters, fever, headaches.	Ointment for mild cases if blisters appear.  If breaking occurs, apply dry sterile dressing. Serious, extensive cases should be seen by a physician.
Heat   Cramps	Painful spasms usually in muscles of legs and abdomen possible. Heavy sweating.	Firm pressure on cramping muscles, or gentle massage to relieve spasm. Give sips of water. If nausea occurs, discontinue use.
Heat   Exhaustion	Heavy sweating, weakness, skin cold, pale and clammy. Pulse thready. Normal temperature possible. Fainting and vomiting.	Get victim out of sun. Lay down and loosen clothing. Apply cool wet cloths. Fan or move victim to air conditioned room.  Sips of water.  If nausea occurs, discontinue use. If vomiting continues, seek immediate medical attention.
Heat   Stroke   (or sunstroke)	High body temperature (106°F, or higher).  Hot dry skin.  Rapid and strong pulse. Possible unconsciousness.	Heat stroke is a severe medical emergency.  Summon medical assistance or get the victim to a hospital immediately.  Delay can be fatal.  Move the victim to a cooler environment.  Reduce body temperature with cold bath or sponging.  Use extreme caution.  Remove clothing, use fans and air conditioners.  If temperature rises again, repeat process.  Do not give fluids.

 

Here are some tips from the National Weather Service in Peachtree City for staying safe in this heat:

• Slow down.  Strenuous activities should be reduced, eliminated, or rescheduled to the coolest time of the day.  Individuals at risk should stay in the coolest available place, not necessarily indoors.  
• Dress for summer.  Lightweight, light-colored clothing reflects heat and sunlight, and helps your body maintain normal temperatures.  
• Put less fuel on your inner fires. Foods (like proteins) that increase metabolic heat production also increase water loss.  
• Drink plenty of water or other nonalcoholic fluids.  Your body needs water to keep cool. Drink plenty of fluids even if you don’t feel thirsty. Persons who (1) have epilepsy or heart, kidney, or liver disease, (2) are on fluid restrictive diets, or (3) have a problem with fluid retention should consult a physician before increasing their consumption of fluids.  
• Do not drink alcoholic beverages.  
• Do not take salt tablets unless specified by a physician.  Persons on salt restrictive diets should consult a physician before increasing their salt intake.  
• Spend more time in air-conditioned places. Air conditioning in homes and other buildings markedly reduces danger from the heat. If you cannot afford an air conditioner, spending some time each day (during hot weather) in an air conditioned environment affords some protection.  
• Don’t get too much sun.  Sunburn makes the job of heat dissipation that much more difficult. 

Stay safe and have fun this summer!

 

64th Anniversary of D-Day

Today, we at The Unquiet Library celebrate the 64th anniversary of “D-Day”, the pivotal invasion of Normandy that marked the beginning of the end of the Nazi regime in western Europe.

Here are a few of our favorite resources:

• Encyclopedia Britannica’s articles, photos, and videos on D-Day
• PBS American Experience resources on D-Day
• Library of Congress Photographs and Accounts of D-Day
• Stories from the Veterans History Project About D-Day
• History Channel Videos and Information on D-Day
• An Atlanta Veteran Remembers D-Day
• From PBS and “The War”:  D-Day
• More Resources from PBS and “The War” on D-Day

Of course, we also encourage you to check out our treasure trove of resources for reading more about this historic day through our research databases available at http://webtech.cherokee.k12.ga.us/creekview-hs/mediacenter/databases_2007_2008.htm .

Veterans History Project Observes Memorial Day 2008

 

Veterans History Project (Library of Congress)

From the Library of Congress:

The Veterans History Project (VHP) of the Library of Congress American Folklife Center plans several activities and events for Memorial Day 2008, including the Moment of Remembrance at 3 p.m. in support of the White House Commission on Remembrance. Visit the Library of Congress blog at www.loc.gov/blog/ or the VHP Web site at www.loc.gov/vets/ to “count down” to the Moment of Remembrance.

Other VHP Memorial Day programs, which are dedicated to the memory of our nation’s veterans, include:

• • A lecture on the global war on terrorism on Tuesday, May 20, at noon, in the National Digital Library Learning Center, first floor of the Library’s James Madison Building at 101 Independence Ave., SE. Larry Minear, former director of the Humanitarianism and War Project at the Feinstein International Center at Tufts University, will deliver the findings of the Tufts study on “The U.S. Citizen-Soldier and the Global War on Terror: The National Guard Experience.”
• • The lecture’s companion Web feature, “The Global War on Terror,” debuts today at www.loc.gov/vets/ and highlights 16 VHP collections included in Minear’s study.
• • The VHP collection of Frank Buckles, the last known surviving World War I veteran, is featured in the Memorial Day observance at the National World War I Museum in Kansas City, Mo.
• • The video-recorded story of James Nappier becomes the 5,000th digitized interview on Memorial Day. Bob Patrick, VHP director, said, “Mr. Nappier’s story is a reminder to our nation that VHP is eager to receive the stories of veterans of the current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.”
• • Members of the Library’s Integrated Library System (ILS) will join VHP staff during the month of May to enhance the VHP searchable database, which allows researchers and others who use the VHP collections to navigate the database more quickly and efficiently.

Learn more about the White House Commission on the National Moment of Remembrance at www.remember.gov.

The Veterans History Project was created in 2000 by Congress to record the first-hand accounts of American service personnel in major conflicts beginning with World War I, and it actively collects veterans’ personal accounts of the Global War on Terror. Currently there are more than 55,000 individual stories in its collections.

Volunteer are always being sought to record the first-hand recollections of war veterans for the growing archive. Those interested can download a VHP Field Kit from the Veterans History Project Web site at www.loc.gov/vets/, request a kit via email at vohp@loc.gov or call the toll-free message line at 888-371-5848.

Take Me Out To The Ballgame: Library of Congress Celebrates Baseball!

“The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball. America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It has been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt and erased again. But baseball has marked the time. This field, this game: it’s a part of our past, Ray. It reminds of us of all that once was good and it could be again.”
Terence Mann, Field of Dreams

As we approach the eve of opening day of Major League Baseball, we want to point you to a fabulous resource from the Library of Congress about the history of baseball:  America’s Pastime.   A treasure trove of information awaits you, including:

• Photos and information on vintage baseball cards
• Spotlights on the game’s most notable players
• The history of the beloved song, “Take Me Out to the Ballgame”
• The history of the game
• Audio/Video Clips
• Historic images

Be sure to visit the fascinating resources about America’s national pastime, baseball!

 

Historic Baseball Resources (Library of Congress) via kwout

March is National Women’s History Month!

Did you know that March is National Women’s History Month?  What is the purpose of this celebration?

In 1987, the National Women’s History Project petitioned Congress to expand the national celebration to the entire month of March. Since then, the National Women’s History Month Resolution has been approved with bipartisan support in both the House and Senate. Each year, programs and activities in schools, workplaces, and communities have become more extensive as information and program ideas have been developed and shared.

–National Women’s History Project–

Learn more about women who have made and who are making a difference by visiting our fabulous resources at http://del.icio.us/creekview_hs_library/women%27s.history.month .