Politically Speaking or voicing an opinion!

The United States of America espouses a democratic government that our founding fathers diligently persued, and ultimately created a system that is “government of the people, by the people, for the people…,” according to Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address.  As our government evolves, people want to understand and participate in our democracy but many do not know the people elected to serve them.

In the United States we have elected officials who become a collective voice for the nation’s people.  Under the umbrella of the U.S. Congress there are two legislative bodies: the U.S. House of Representatives (Congressmen and Congresswomen) and the U.S. Senate (Senators).  Both of these branches of the government have websites that explain their operations and procedures.
http://www.house.gov/ and http://www.senate.gov/

The Senators and Congressmen or Congresswomen listen to their constituents (voters who elected and support them) and take their concerns to the voting platform in Washington D.C. to make laws and guide our country.  These elected officials cover districts and now, as never before, information about them can be readily accessed online.  Go to the above listed websites to find your Senator or Representative.

Librarian — Heidi

How to evaluate online resources and their sources.

By Tony Lam

In the age of online information, anyone can publish anything on the web. The Internet, without a doubt, is a black hole of infinite resources – some reliable, most untrustworthy. As consumers of online information, we need to develop a more critical eye in order to evaluate the credibility of these resources and their sources.

Here are a few tips for you to keep in mind when evaluating the reliability or trustworthiness of online resources:

• WHO IS THE AUTHOR?                                                                                                Most websites have the “ABOUT” section, in which the author provides a brief introduction of himself/herself. Ask these questions as you peruse through the biographical background: What is this person’s education background? What types of credentials does he or she have? Any professional publications (books, articles, etc.) by this author? If there are multiple authors, what type of organization do they belong to?

• LEARN MORE ABOUT THE SUFFIX OF THE URL.                                         Sometimes the information or resources are linked to an organization (education, government, non-profit, etc.). The suffix ending of the URL (Uniform Resource Locator) address can be very helpful.

Here are some familiar URL suffixes that you might have probably seen before:

.EDU = EDUcation. This URL suffix is almost always linked to universities and colleges. Sources from these sites are usually academic and sometimes clinical or scientific. Nonetheless, you should beware that there are political and religious biases.

.GOV = GOVernment. These are government sites. They can be federal (www.irs.gov) or  state (www.ca.gov). For the most part, they are reliable and objective. Most municipal websites use .net (www.anaheim.net) instead.

.ORG = ORGanization. These websites are mostly non-profit organizations. There are personal website with the .org suffix, as there are commercial sites with the same ending. Be extra careful with political and religious organizations, as they are very biased.

.NET = NETwork. Along with .com, this is another popular suffix ending assigned by Internet providers. Approach these sites with cautions.

.COM = COMmerce. As the name dictates, this ending is usually linked to commercial or business organizations. They sell things, so beware of the information or resources.

• HOW ACCURATE IS THE INFORMATION?
  Is the information accurate? Is it objective? Editorial? Does the information have a certain slant or bias? Are there commercial advertisements on the site? These are things that you should looking for when evaluating the resources. You can also info shop to compare sources.

• HOW CURRENT IS THE WEBSITE?                                                                              So you scroll down to the bottom of the page and see that it was last updated in 1999. Unless you are digging for some historical stats, DO NOT EVEN BOTHER! RUN! Do another search. Broken or defunct links are also good indications of an unreliable site or source.

I know it’s daunting out there in the black hole of online information. In theory, anyone can author anything or pretend to be an expert on almost everything. Fear not! The art of gleaning reliable online resources requires skills that you can definitely develop through practices. Follow the prescribed criteria above and you’ll do fine.

When all else fails, who you gonna call?! Librarians!

Labor Day! Why we celebrate it and other holidays in the United States.

The first weekend in September brings the Labor Day holiday that people in America look forward to  every year.  It is always on a Monday which makes for a three day weekend.  Most people anticipate a last chance to enjoy a trip out-of-town or just outdoors activities, such as barbecuing in the long summer days.

The library’s reference section has for many many years had a book titled, Chase’s Calendar of Events describing American holidays, as well as world events and the meaning behind them.  The purpose of this blog is to offer online sources similar to what is on the shelves at Anaheim Public Library.  The following website is a great complimentary source to the Chase’s print format.  It is titled, Holiday Insights at http://www.holidayinsights.com/

This website is full of information about any imaginable holiday or celebration, and as their own title and description states:  Holiday Insights- tradition, fun, facts and more!

         “You’ve arrived at Holiday Insights, where you will find fun, information, and lots
         more about every holiday you can imagine. We’ve got you covered on the big ones,
         the small ones, and all of ’em in between. So, whether you are looking up information,
         doing a school report, looking for Ecards or screensavers, clipart perhaps, or just
         having fun, surf on through and come back often.”

The homepage of this website lists a few interesting celebrations.  Did you know that August is “Admit You’re Happy Month, National Golf Month, National Eye Exam Month, Romance Awareness Month, National Picnic Month, and more.

Go to the left bar of the homepage and it offers “Major Holidays,” “Around the World,” and many other links.  If you click-on “Major Holidays” and scroll down the page you will find a link for “Labor Day” with a description of the holiday and many links about its history, ecards, etc.

When you click-on the “Around the World” you will find a listing of countries.  Click-on France and you will see that Bastille Day is celebrated on July 14th; in Germany the Oktoberfest begins on September 20th and ends October 5th;  and Taiwan celebrates Confucius Birthday on September 28th.

Finally, under “Around the World” you can go to the link titled, “Bizarre and Unique Days” you can relish in the fact that on September 6th you can celebrate “Fight Procrastination Day.”  Or, on September 11th tell everyone that you are observing “No news is good news day.”  If they do not believe you tell them that you do not care because you are quite  happy to celebrate “Cheese Pizza Day” on September 5th.

Happy Holidays to you!

Librarian — Heidi

Rolling on down the highway!

Whether you are traveling the highways to go back to school or taking an end of the summer vacation, you can consult the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration at http://www.fhwa.dot.gov to see how the highway and weather conditions may affect your trip.

When you go to the above website, scroll down to the bottom right side of the page to “PLANNING A TRIP” and click on the link “National Traffic and Road Closure Information.”  Then you need to choose a state, for example California and it offers an abundance of links to major cities and National Parks.

Even if you are not planning to go outside of Orange County, there is a link titled “Orange County Beat the Traffic,” http://www.BeatTheTraffic.com/OrangeCounty that gives helpful information to get around town in a timely manner.

Librarian — Heidi

Everything’s coming up roses or vegetables!

Summer is closing to an end and I am sure many of you are planning your last garden of the season.  In order to choose the right vegetables and plant them at the right time, you may want to consult the Old Farmer’s Almanac that has been assisting farmers for centuries.

In fact, the history of the almanac is fascinating reading.  You can read about it on the website www.almanac.com and type in “almanac history” in the search box.  Then scroll half-way down the page to the link “History of the Old Farmer’s Almanac.”  It is a rich history and this publication is considered the oldest continuously published periodical in North America.

The Almanac’s first editor, Robert B. Thomas, was very successful in gathering and presenting information in an entertaining fashion.  This information included weather records and predictions, as well as tides and times of astronomical cycles of the sun rising and setting.  As stated on the website:

        “Based on his observations, Thomas used a complex series of natural cycles
         to devise a secret weather forecasting formula, which brought uncannily
         accurate results, traditionally said to be 80 percent accurate. (Even today,
         his formula is kept safely tucked away in a black tin box at the Almanac offices
         in Dublin, New Hampshire.)

Thomas’s ingenious way of predicting natural cycles certainly seems to be more accurate than today’s technology.  The very expensive and complex Doppler Radar system seems to get weather predictions wrong quite frequently.  Maybe we should be consulting the Almanac for daily weather reports.

The Almanac forcasts the natural cycles and informs readers about agricultural issues, such as what to plant and when.  That is why it is a good source to find information on planting a vegetable garden.  To access this information at The Old Farmer’s Almanac go to http://www.almanac.com/vegetable-garden-planning-for-beginners
This articles states:

     “One of the common errors for beginners is planting too much too soon and
       way more than anybody could eat or want. Unless you want to have zucchini
       taking up residence in your attic, plan carefully. Start small.”

In addition, it is a great reference guide for all kinds of planting.  I recently looked for information about planting and maintaining roses because I dug-out a tree in my yard and replaced it with four brightly colored rose bushes.  I like the shade of nice tree but I am loving these roses a lot more.  In order to keep them growing strong, I will continue to consult the Old Farmer’s Almanac.

Librarian – Heidi