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 .

Happy Leap Year!

Today is February 29, which means 2008 is a Leap Year! 

What is Leap Year about?  Why does this happen?  What do you do about your birthday if you are born on February 29?  Check out our pathfinder on Leap Year at http://del.icio.us/creekview_hs_library/women%27s.history.month !

Go Red: National Wear Red Day, February 1, 2008!

Friday, February 1, 2008, is National Wear Red Day—a day when Americans nationwide will take women’s health to heart by wearing red to show their support for women’s heart disease awareness.  The Heart Truth is:  “Heart Disease Doesn’t Care What You Wear—It’s the #1 Killer of Women.”  The statistics are alarming:

• Heart disease is the #1 killer of women.
• One in 4 women dies of heart disease; 1 in 30 dies of breast cancer.

The good news is that both men and women can lower their risk of heart disease by as much as 82 percent by leading a healthy lifestyle.  Join the national awareness movement by wearing red on February 1, and encourage your family, friends, and coworkers to do the same.  Anyone can participate by showing off a favorite red dress, shirt, or tie, or Red Dress Pin.

The Heart Truth is a national awareness campaign for women about heart disease sponsored by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and other partner organizations.   The campaign launched the Red Dress as the national symbol for women and heart disease awareness in 2002 to deliver an urgent wakeup call to American women.

For tools and materials to help you learn about heart health and National Wear Red Day, visit www.hearttruth.gov.  We’d also like for you to visit http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/hearttruth/press/nhlbi_04_campaign.pdf to learn more about The Heart Truth Campaign.

Here are some other great resources:

• What is the “Heart Truth”?
• Take the Go Red Heart Health Checkup!
• A Heart Health Action Plan
• Questions to Ask Your Doctor/What’s Your Risk?
• Listen to this 60 second public service announcement
• Go Red for Women!

Wear red on Friday, February 1, 2008 to help celebrate this important day!  Ruth and I will be helping our female staff (and female student library patrons) celebrate this day by having heart healthy snacks and treats available for you in the media center.  We will also be putting some little treats and goodies in your mailboxes the week of January 28, 2008—February 1, 2008.

Let’s get heart healthy@ The Unquiet Library!

Winter Solstice To Arrive at 1:08 AM E.S.T., December 22

What is the winter solstice, and why does it occur? Simply put, because of the Earth’s tilt, the sun makes its lowest arc across the sky. Therefore, the northern hemisphere gets its least amount of direct sunlight of all days of the year.  It is the first official day of winter; astronomically it’s marked this year on December 22 at 1:08 a.m. EST.

The winter solstice marks the shortest day and the longest night of the year. The sun appears at its lowest point in the sky, and its noontime elevation appears to be the same for several days before and after the solstice. Hence the origin of the word solstice, which comes from Latin solstitium, from sol, “sun” and -stitium, “a stoppage.” Following the winter solstice, the days begin to grow longer and the nights shorter.

Norsemen were among the earlier civilizations who feared the day the sun hung so low in the sky because they thought it wouldn’t come back. Those early folk lighted bonfires and shed blood to coax the return of warmth and light.

You can read more about this remarkable event at http://www.cleveland.com/living/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/living-1/1198143063305810.xml&coll=2 or http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/forcesofnature/winter-solstice.html .

This Day in History: Pearl Harbor Attacked

At 7:55 a.m. Hawaii time, a Japanese dive bomber bearing the red symbol of the Rising Sun of Japan on its wings appears out of the clouds above the island of Oahu. A swarm of 360 Japanese warplanes followed, descending on the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor in a ferocious assault. The surprise attack struck a critical blow against the U.S. Pacific fleet and drew the United States irrevocably into World War II.

Visit our favorite websites about Pearl Harbor Day at http://del.icio.us/creekview_hs_library/pearl_harbor .

This Day in History: Lincoln Delivers The Gettysburg Address

On November 19, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln gave one of the most memorable speeches in American history:  The Gettysburg Address.   Some 3,577 Union soldiers—half of them unknown—from 18 states are buried in Gettysburg’s Soldiers’ National Cemetery.  Dedication of the cemetery, adjacent to the local cemetery where some of the fighting had taken place, occurred on November 19, 1863.  In just a few minutes and 272 words, Lincoln described his vision for “a new birth of freedom” for America. It was what many consider the best summation in the nation’s history of the meaning and price of freedom.

Check out these great resources to learn more about this speech and why it is considered not only a milestone in American history but also a great work of American literature:

• History Channel:  This Day in History
• Mrs. Hamilton’s Favorite Del.icio.us Links:  The Gettysburg Address
• Primary Documents in American History (Library of Congress):  Web Guides to The Gettysburg Address
• Our Documents.gov:  The Gettysburg Address
• USA Today (November 15, 2007) story about the possible discovery of a photo of Lincoln at Gettysburg

Below is the full text of this historic speech:

FOURSCORE and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field as a final resting-place for those who here gave their lives that the nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

But, in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate—we cannot consecrate—we cannot hallow—this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember, what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.