LII: New This Week

New This Week for September 3, 2009

This Week
This month's collection celebrates autumn, Labor Day, the start of the school year, Grandparents Day (Sept. 13 in 2009), Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15 - Oct. 15), Constitution Day (Sept. 17), and Library Card Sign-up Month.

Tip of the Week
This Fall, LII's newsletter will be published on the first Thursday of the month, and will focus on websites related to holidays and observances, seasonal topics, and current events. Look for the next edition on October 1.

In 2010, the Internet Public Library (IPL) will merge with the Librarians' Internet Index (LII) to create ipl²: Information You Can Trust.

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Arts and Humanities

Américas Award for Children's and Young Adult Literature
This award "is given in recognition of U.S. works of fiction, poetry, folklore, or selected non-fiction ... published in the previous year in English or Spanish that authentically and engagingly portray Latin America, the Caribbean, or Latinos in the United States." Selections are based on literary quality, cultural context, integration of text and illustrations, and classroom potential. Includes list of winners and related links. From the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies.
URL: http://www4.uwm.edu/clacs/aa/
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/1987

Library Card Sign-up Month
Brief details about Library Card Sign-up Month, observed in September, "a time to remind parents and kids that a library card is the most important school supply of all." Includes downloadable print and radio PSAs, sample press release and letter-to-the-editor, "52 Ways to Use Your Library Card," and related resources for libraries. From the American Library Association (ALA).
URL: http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/advocacy/publicawareness/alainit...
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/22471

The Pura Belpré Award
This biennial award is "presented to a Latino/Latina writer and illustrator whose work best portrays, affirms, and celebrates the Latino cultural experience in an outstanding work of literature for children and youth." The award is named for Pura Belpré, the New York Public Library's first Latina librarian. Includes award winners, selection criteria, and application information.
URL: http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/belpreme...
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/7334

Business

The History of Labor Day
A history of the holiday celebrated on the first Monday in September and "dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers." From the U.S. Department of Labor.
URL: http://www.dol.gov/opa/aboutdol/laborday.htm
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/13835

Government

9/11 Commission Records
Background, FAQ, finding aid, and other material about the 9/11 Commission records, of which "a significant portion of the collection [was] made available to the public on Wednesday, January 14 [2009]." As of early 2009, the Memoranda for the Record (MFRs, "summaries of the interviews the Commission conducted with federal, State, and local employees, individuals from the private sector, and scholars") are accessible online. From the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).
URL: http://www.archives.gov/legislative/research/9-11/
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/27823

Centuries of Citizenship: A Constitutional Timeline
An "online experience highlighting some of the key dates and events that mark more than 200 years of our constitutional history. ... Visitors can browse through a collection of stories and headlines -- annotated by images, audio and video clips and interactive content -- to explore some of the people, events and issues that have shaped the Constitution and the history of our nation." From the National Constitution Center.
URL: http://www.constitutioncenter.org/timeline/
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/26810

Home & Housing

Don't Play With Fire: Create Defensible Space
Illustrated guidelines for creating defensible space around structures, which "helps firefighters protect your home from wildfires." Includes tips on clearing vegetation, tree spacing and trimming, height of grasses, and other fire protection matters regarding landscaping surrounding a house. Includes illustrations. From San Bernardino County's Mountain Area Safety Taskforce.
URL: http://www.calmast.org/sbc/html/defensible_space.asp
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/27707

Fire, Defensible Space, and You...
Guidance about defensible space, "the area around a structure where combustible vegetation that can spread fire has been cleared, reduced or replaced. This space acts as a barrier between a structure and an advancing fire." Although some tips here refer specifically to ordinances in San Diego County, California, most of the ideas -- such as pruning and plant removal instructions -- will be useful for anyone living in a fireprone area. From San Diego County.
URL: http://www.sdcounty.ca.gov/dplu/fire_resistant.html
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/27706

People

Latina Women of NASA
Find "profiles of diverse Latina women working at NASA centers across our nation." Includes links to related pages on Hispanic-Americans and women at NASA. From NASA's Langley Research Center.
URL: http://oeop.larc.nasa.gov/hep/lwon/
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/647

Ready Reference & Quick Facts

U.S. Census Bureau Facts for Features: Back to School
Facts and statistics about the annual autumnal phenomenon of children and teachers returning to school. Browse topics such as school enrollment, back-to-school shopping, school lunches, languages, the benefits of education, and more. From the U.S. Census Bureau.
URL: http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/facts_for_fe...
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/4206

Science

The Nature & Science of Autumn: A Guide to Selected Resources
List of selected books, articles, and websites on the science of fall colors, including guides to autumn color in the U.S. and explanations of why leaves change color in the fall. Compiled by Margaret Clifton, Library of Congress Science Reference Services.
URL: http://www.loc.gov/rr/scitech/SciRefGuides/autumn.html
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/26767

NIST and the World Trade Center
"In response to the [Sept. 11, 2001] WTC tragedy, the National Institute of Standards and Technology conducted a 3-year building and fire safety investigation to study the factors contributing to the probable cause (or causes) of post-impact collapse" of the towers. This website presents the 2005 findings and safety improvement recommendations of this nonregulatory federal agency, along with background, computer simulations, and images. Website continues to be updated with briefings, reports, and related material.
URL: http://wtc.nist.gov
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/5695

Society & Social Science

AARP: Grandparenting
This site features "resources to help grandparents in various family roles, and for the professionals who work with them." Topics include raising grandchildren, family relationships, financial health, sharing time with grandchildren, and providing child care. Provides data, reports, fact sheets, articles, and legal resources. From AARP.
URL: http://www.aarp.org/family/grandparenting/
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/24390

Hispanic Heritage
This website observes Hispanic heritage with a collection of activities and resources, including biographies, a culture quiz and a timeline of events in Hispanic American history. Also features descriptions of Hispanic music genres such as salsa, tango, and Latin pop. From Gale Cengage Learning.
URL: http://www.gale.cengage.com/free_resources/chh/
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/12850

Hispano Music and Culture of the Northern Rio Grande: The Juan B. Rael Collection
"A multi-format ethnographic field collection documenting religious and secular music of Spanish-speaking residents of rural Northern New Mexico and Southern Colorado," compiled by Juan Rael in 1940. Includes audio of alabados (hymns), folk drama, wedding songs, and dance tunes; and writings by Rael. Additionally, features essays (also available in Spanish) on Rael, the Nuevo Mexicanos of the Upper Rio Grande region, and Hispano Folk Theater in New Mexico. Searchable by bibliographic record and browsable by performer and audio title. From the American Memory Project of the Library of Congress.
URL: http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/rghtml/rghome.html
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/13872

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