Help for the Orphanage in Guinea

Last year many of you donated generously to an orphanage in Guinea that is very dear to my heart. The orphanage is located in a neighborhood of Conakry where I have spent three of my most recent visits to Guinea.

Started by a man from neighboring Sierra Leone for refuge children left in Guinea during that conflict, the orphanage currently has roughly 30 children from Guinea and Sierra Leone living and being schooled there. Michael Kargbo, the orphanage director, his wife, Michaela, and two teachers do their best to care for these young children. They provide meals, lessons in French and English and a safe place to live.

Last year, Michael searched for a long time and finally found a wonderful new location for the children. Through our financial support we:
~Paid rent for the new home for the orphanage for 1 year
~Bought bunk beds, mattresses and mosquito nets for the children
~Assisted with medicine and medical treatment
~Gave several food donations throughout the year, including many bags of rice and a few laying hens.
~Donated a used laptop computer
~Purchased clothing and uniforms for the children
~Provided a cooking water supply
~Paid for teachers

Right now the rent for the upcoming year is due … $120/month to house and school all the children. It’s really so little here in the U.S., relatively speaking….but it’s a tall figure to tackle for our young friends and their teachers and caretakers in Guinea.

I know this has been a difficult financial year here in the United States for many of you, but life continues to be difficult in Guinea. Your generosity has helped land these children in what is very likely the most stable and safe situation in their young lives. Despite the incredible odds against them, they are now eating regular meals, sleeping in beds protected from malarial mosquitoes, and getting an education.

Right now, the chief concern is that the children can stay in the wonderful house that we helped them secure. By our standards, $120 for a house that shelters and schools more than 30 people seems too cheap to be true. For 30 Guinean orphans and their devoted caretakers, the sum seems insurmountable.

Any help you can give is greatly appreciated by me and certainly by all the children.

I’ve posted a few pictures to show you how your support has already made a difference.

Thank you for your help!

Liz

Congratulations Nominees

Congratulations to everyone who was nominated for a Vincent Award and/or a Bright Idea Award.  We had a simply overwhelming outpouring of nominations this year! The results are in and we’ll be giving the awards on Tuesday April 14th at the Library Workers’ Day Luncheon but we wanted to honor all the nominees for their wonderful work!
And the Nominees are:

Another Trip to Guinea

I’m going to Guinea again! As many of you know, I have traveled to Guinea, West Africa a few times in the past two years to study dance. Many tremendous people, places and experiences have filled my heart and soul during those visits. Guinea is filled with beauty and wonder; it is also overflowing with poverty and need.
On my last trip, in July of 2008, I brought supplies and money to a local orphanage in Conakry. Thanks to the donations of many of you, we were successful in getting the children into a proper new home (with rent paid through fall of 2009!). We also purchased bunk beds, mosquito nets, food, medical supplies, and paid for a few months of teachers’ salaries.

I will be returning to Guinea for two weeks in March, dancing, spending time with my Guinean family as well as delivering goods to the neighborhood orphanage once again. If any of you would like to make contributions, I would be grateful for your assistance. Here are some of the current needs:
Children’s clothes — any sizes from toddler to boy size 14 (Used clothes that still have life in them are perfect!)

Sandals/flip flops or sneakers for children of varied ages

Markers, crayons, pens and pencils

Notebooks

Small flashlights or headlamps (especially those that have LED lights – the batteries last extra long)
Spare AA or AA batteries for flashlights or headlamps

First aid items — Band-Aids, children’s Tylenol or Ibuprofen, Neosporin, children’s cough syrup, etc

Money – which can be used to pay teachers, buy rice and other food
Here are some photos from last summer! And here’s a link in case you would like to see more. http://flickr.com/photos/29079390@N08/sets/72157606408204525/

Thank you or as the children would say, Inuwali. (that’s thank you in Susu.)

Liz

Valentines Day Spirit

by Meredith Ricker

There is an abundance of Valentine’s Day spirit here in the library, but do you know where? If you can find it, you won’t be disappointed! And if you can find the right area, you sure can’t miss it.

Decorations somewhere in the library

Asked of a Librarian

by Debbie Watson

Since 2002 the Reference Department has offered patrons with difficult or lengthy research questions the opportunity to schedule an individual consultation with a reference librarian. These sessions average around 30 to 45 minutes, but some can take a hour or longer.

At first we limited consults to UNH students, but we have since stopped asking for credentials and accommodate all requests. The first year we offered them, we did 66 consultations; in FY08 the number was 585. From the start we jotted down the subject of the consult in an appointment book, partly to keep track of trends in student topics and partly to illustrate the scope and diversity of the questions Reference is called upon to handle.

We frequently are asked to cite examples of questions we are asked, and since I recently transcribed the lot for the record and for posterity, I thought this selected list of some of our favorites might be of interest to the library staff. These are all from the FY08 crop:

Guyots (flat-topped seamounts usually found in the Pacific Ocean)
Birthrate of French Muslims
Teleportation
Integrated pest management and the grape berry moth
Attachment behavior of children in kibbutzim

Presidential Transition Information and the New Congree

by Linda Johnson

This GovDocs Guy blog information was sent to me by a colleague and I wanted to pass along to you. Just this morning on NPR I heard that there are 60 days remaining in the transition period until Barack Obama takes office. Another interesting point is that no new regulations can be made after today so the Bush administration is busily working on regulations:

http://govdocsblog.kentlaw.edu/wordpress/?p=343

Another interesting thing is The United States Policy and Supporting Positions book commonly known as The Plum Book.

“This publication contains data (as of September 1, 2008) on over 7000 and Federal civil service leadership and support positions in the legislative and executive branches of the Federal Government that may be subject to noncompetitive appointment (e.g. positions such as agency heads and their immediate sub ordnance policy executives and advisors and aides report to these officials). The duties of many such positions may involve advocacy of Administration policies and programs and the incumbents usually have close and confidential working relationship with the agency head or other key officials. “
http://www.gpoaccess.gov/plumbook/2008/index.html

Finally, hot off the govdoc listserv is this information about the new, 111th Congress:
The New Member Pictorial Directory: 111th Congress is now available on GPO Access at http://www.gpoaccess.gov/pictorial/111th/newmems.html.

Files in the browse table are available as PDF files. The full New Member Pictorial Directory http://www.gpoaccess.gov/pictorial/111th/pdf/fulldoc.pdf is also available in its entirety, as a single PDF file.

This publication is available to the public in online format only. This preliminary version will be superseded by the Congressional Pictorial Directory for the 111th Congress, which will be printed and distributed to depository libraries in the near future.

The 33rd International Geological Congress, Oslo, Norway, August 2008

by Thelma Thompson

I wanted to share a few highlights of the IGC meeting. Attending this meeting was the start of my sabbatical. It was my first opportunity to attend any international conference and that alone was exciting. Like any major conference, there were far more interesting-sounding sessions than it was possible to attend but since this was part of my sabbatical, I tried to attend some of the ones most directly relevant to my work with maps, geospatial data and geoscience information.

The OneGeology portal for digital geologic maps had been formally introduced in the first half of the conference (www.onegeology.org). OneGeology provides access to maps from geologic surveys around the world.

US Election Day!

Today’s the day!

Stoat! Stoat! Stoat! Cast a Leetle Vote!

Here’s more info on how and where to vote

SDC Harvest Party

This is just a quick reminded to everyone that the Harvest Party is coming up soon!  Next Wednesday- NOVEMBER 5^th—from 12noon to 2pm in the Staff Lounge.

There’s going to be some great food and some great people there.  It’s truly and event you don’t want to miss!

Rumor has it there might even be a Chocolate Fountain!

CP Down Under

by David Lane

About three weeks ago I attended the 7th International Carnivorous Plant Society conference in Sydney, Australia. The traveling was easy after I got past the six hour flight to LA and the thirteen hour flight to Sydney. I’d only been in Australia a couple of hours before I managed to blow out the power to my hotel room using the wrong adapter, surge protector, transformer combination. Being in a five star hotel (Swissotel,) in the middle of the city next to the Sydney tower they very nicely gave me the right transformer and repaired the wiring. This was the first trip for me where I tried to send email and photos from my room back to New Hampshire each day. I could walk everywhere I needed to go in this very modern, but still quite British city, as long as I stayed to the left on the sidewalks. Sydney bills itself as one of the most beautiful cities with its combination of old and new architecture, many parks and open spaces, and large harbor with a mild climate.

Highlights of the 2008 October Conference

by Louise Buckley

One of the attractions of attending the Dartmouth Biomedical Libraries’ October Conference is the scenic views of fall foliage along the drive to Hanover. Another draw is the conference’s purpose: providing practical presentations on a different topic annually so that the 120 or so attendees can walk away with ideas, strategies, and tips that they can put to use in their own libraries. This year, Eleta Exline and I had another reason to attend: we were on the program as speakers.
The theme for this 12th annual conference was Space 2.0: Small-Scale Library Redesign Projects. Eleta spoke on the transformation of the Technical Services preservation workroom into the digital scanning lab. I spoke on the Government Information Department’s redesign of both their office/workspace and public service model in 2007.

While the first session focused on best practices for the design and implementation of a learning or information commons, other presentations discussed a range of spaces, including the conversion of a microforms room into an instructional, conferencing, and group work space; the development of a digital social sciences center; and the creation of an effective quiet study area in a space-challenged library.

A particularly interesting presentation involved getting student feedback via Post-It notes on a potential library redesign of study space and furnishings. The speakers saw this as a quick, effective, and fun method to get comments from users visiting the library. The final talk highlighted how existing space could be used for exhibitions, displays, and other outreach activities for little or no cost.

Themes that were common across many of the talks included the need for flexibility in all aspects from planning and design to selection of furniture such as whiteboards on wheels; the importance of assessment before, during, and after these redesigns; and the conversion of lesser-used print and microforms collection spaces to people spaces (learning commons, group study, instruction, sophisticated statistical and GIS work and consultations). Another valuable piece of advice, given the tight budgets of most libraries, was to have a plan ready for the desired changes even if the money isn’t yet available; being ready to seize or create opportunities on short notice can be strategic.

If you are interested in any of these topics, the PowerPoint presentations and handouts for conference sessions are available online.

Come join Tony and Tina in holy matrimony

by Kathy Horrigan

Come join Tony and Tina in holy matrimony. And I’ll take your picture while you’re at it!

I am currently in the midst of one of the most unique theatrical experiences of my life. Months ago I noticed in the Capital Center for the Arts newsletter that Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding, one of the longest running off-Broadway shows, was coming to Concord and they were looking local actors to audition for some of the supporting roles. Needless to say, I was intrigued.

SO, off I go to the Grappone Conference Center to audition. Oddly when I get there, the door I need to get in is blocked by a wedding party taking photos. I think this is fate since I have ended being cast as the wedding photographer, Sal Antonucci. This part is usually played by a male but for some reason, the people casting the show see fit to put me in the part. The director, who was called in at the last minute because the original director suddenly had to go to the Berkshires to work on an Ang Lee movie, was somewhat thrown since in his twenty years of Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding, he has never seen a female Sal. We work around my gender in rehearsal.

Let me comment on the rehearsal process… the professional actors drove up from New York City this Saturday. And yes, it was raining heavily for their whole trip. They’re exhausted but off we go and start rehearsing. We are in some board room way, way at the top of the Kimball Mansion next to the Capital Center for the Arts. We do a read through, block the ceremony scene, have a dinner break and then go back up the three flights of stairs to work some more. The bunch of us carpooling from the seacoast area drive home in the pouring rain.

Day two, Sunday, we rehearse from 1-9 pm. Yes, eight hours. Day three, Monday, we rehearse from 6-10 pm. Tuesday, the 6-10 again. All days we drive home in rain or fog or both. Yesterday, Wednesday, Opening Night! Somehow in four days we go from people who barely know each other, with a script we have only had for two days to a fully functioning cast that somehow makes that this audience last night of about a hundred people really feel like they are at an Italian wedding.

We have some celebrities on the cast. The director and the man playing Vinnie Black, Tony Patellis, has been on the Sopranos and recently did voice over work for Grand Theft Auto Four (a video game that I have never played but my college roommate’s teenaged sons like it so I guess it’s good…) Also, Krystal Barry, Miss New Hampshire 2005, plays Maddy Monroe, the father of the groom’s girlfriend. I think her legs are as long as I am tall.

The show runs through this Sunday. And yes, there are some matinees over the weekend so at least if you have to drive in the pouring rain, you will be driving during daylight hours. If you think you might be going tonight or Sunday I have a special promotional code I can give you for “family”.

For more information go to the Capital Center for the Arts or the Tony n’ Tina official web site:

http://ccanh.com/ShowDetails/106/353

http://www.tonylovestina.com/shows_tony_tina_wedding_1.cfm?eid=65

Or just come see me. I can show you some of Sal’s fantastico photos.

Pet Spotlight: Freya

by Judy Quist

The Quist household is run by a 17lb Pug named Freya. At least, she thinks she runs the place. Pugs are often referred to as “multum in parvo,” which translates to “much in little” or “much in a small space.” Freya thinks she is a Great Dane or an Irish Wolfhound, despite the fact that she rises only about a foot off the floor. She believes herself to be worthy of being leader of the pack, or at the very least, of every bit of food she can get her flat nose into even if she’s been told it’s off limits (like the cat food, for example).
Freya joined our family in 2002 when she was just 10 weeks old.

She was a wedding present from my in-laws, who knew that my husband, Steve, had wanted to get a Pug for quite some time. (Given the fact that most of our Pfalzgraff has easily chipped, broken or rusted, and doesn’t warm our hearts nearly as much as our sweet Pug, I’d say Freya tops the list of best wedding gifts!) While anxiously waiting for the day we could pick her up from the breeder, we debated what to name our incoming family member. We perused a few pet name web sites and discovered one day that we were both fond of “Freya.” At the time Steve dabbled occasionally in a collectible card game called Warlord, and said he had a strange feeling his affection for the name “Freya” might be related to something in the game. He pulled out his deck and announced, “Ah! It must be fate. There’s a character named Freya and she’s the leader of a wolf pack.” We taped the character card to Freya’s dog crate, completely naïve at the time that Freya would, in fact, have the personality of a wolf pack leader.

Book Review: Creepy Cute Crochet

Creepy Cute Crochet by Christen Haden aka Needle Noodles

I recently learned to crochet because I saw these amazing pictures of cute critters online and I wanted to learn how to make them!  I learned that these cute things are called “amigurumi”.  Amigurumi is, according to the Wikipedia, “the Japanese art of knitting or crocheting small stuffed animals and anthropomorphic creatures. Amigurumi are typically cute animals (such as bears, rabbits, cats, dogs, etc.), but can include inanimate objects endowed with anthropomorphic features. Amigurumi can be either knitted or crocheted. In recent years crocheted amigurumi are more popular and more commonly seen.”

I started out with a few simple online patterns and had a decent amount of success.  But then I came across this pattern: Amigurumi Cthulhu.  I had to find a pattern for this!

I found out that it had been published in a collection of other creepily cute things.  In the appropriately titled book “Creepy Cute Crochet”.  It’s published by Quirk Books which markets itself as a publisher of Irreference books (Irreverence + Reference = Irreference).  Their mission statement explains that they are “Inspired by the belief that a healthy appreciation for the absurd is the key to both happiness and success, Quirk’s mission is to originate, develop, and publish nontraditional and innovative crossover books that are objects of desire editorially, graphically, and physically.”

I knew I had to have this book.  I ordered it directly from the publishers website and eagerly awaited it in the mail.

When it arrived it was more splendid than I could imagine.  It was a sturdy hardcover book filled with lovely crochet charts, tips and tricks for better amigurumi, and even recommendations on yarn types and explanations of some special kinds of stitchery commonly used in the making of amigurumi.

The directions were very straightforward, and while I (who had learned to crochet a mere seven days ago) needed a little more guidance (what the heck is a half double crochet anyway?  Shouldn’t it be a single one? I’ve since been enlightened and can now boldly crochet where I have never crocheted before!) before I could attempt making a little Cthulhu, I was able to readily whip up a very serviceable ninja and a skeleton with the greatest of ease!

I can highly recommend this wonderful book as an excellent addition to any crocheter collection.  It’s also a great way to get into the craft.  I’m currently working on finishing up a Cthulhu and some day I hope to work up to crocheting their Spartan Warrior!  He’s an ‘epic level’ project.  Ninja is a beginner level project.  I’ve done a few other less fiesty projects which you can see in My Flickr.

If you’re into crochet, or wish you were, pick up a ‘for dummies’ to learn the absolute basics but then you’re ready for Creepy Cute Crochet!

GoLoco: the Ride Revolution

shared by Kathy Horrigan

Please take note of a new ride-share program on campus. UNH has entered into cooperation with “GoLoco, The Ride Revolution”. It’s a pretty nifty and simple way to coordinate a shared ride, not just between home & UNH, but anywhere people are going. You can find a link to this service on our “Programs” page, here: http://www.unh.edu/transportation/programs/ridematching.htm

Making Strides Against Breast Cancer

by Rachel Gogan and the American Cancer Society

This year, 250,230 women and 1,990 men will hear the words “You have breast cancer,” and there’s a good chance that some of them will be people we know and love.

I have chosen to fight back against this disease and help make a difference by participating in the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk in October.

Making Strides Against Breast Cancer is a noncompetitive walk that takes place in 120 communities across the country, including 20 in New England. From California to Massachusetts and Florida to Maine, Making Strides walkers unite to honor breast cancer survivors and to educate women about early detection and prevention. And, of course, by raising money to support the American Cancer Society fight against breast cancer, we help fund groundbreaking research, public awareness campaigns, efforts to ensure that all women have access to mammograms, and programs and services that improve the quality of life for patients and their families.

I hope you will join me by making a donation in support of my effort.

I can accept donations online here (It’s safe and simple. All you have to do is click the link below and follow the few easy steps) or I can take donations online or in the form of cash or check.  I would be glad to come to your office to pick up a donation if you care to make one.

Event Details:

Date: Sunday, Oct. 19, 2008
Location: Wentworth Douglas Hospital
Time: Sunday, Oct. 19, 2008
Registration: Begins at 9:30 a.m.
Walk start: 11 a.m.
Walk length: 4 miles or 1.8 miles — your choice!

I hope you will support my efforts by making a donation on my personal fundraising page.

Last year, 500,000 Making Strides participants across the U.S. raised $50 million ($7.5 million of that in New England), and they did it one donation at a time. So, whether you’re able to give $5, $50 or $500, every bit truly does help fight a disease that 1 in 8 women will face in her lifetime.

Thanks, in part, to funds raised by Making Strides, American Cancer Society-funded researchers have been involved with many breast cancer research breakthroughs, including the discovery of genes for inherited breast cancer, lumpectomy as an alternative to radical mastectomy, use of tamoxifen to reduce risk of second or first breast cancer, development of monoclonal antibodies to treat breast cancer (Herceptin), and the links between obesity and breast cancer, alcohol and breast cancer, and the benefits of exercise in reducing breast cancer risk.

Hope starts one dollar at a time. Hope starts with me. And hope can start with you.

Digital Disambiguation

by Eleta Exline

During last week’s lively discussion and group editing of our strategic plan a question was asked about the differences between Digital Libraries and Institutional Repositories. For those of you who weren’t able to attend or who would appreciate an expanded (and possibly more coherent!) explanation, I am submitting a two-part article for your perusal.

Part 1: Digital Libraries

In practice, digital libraries are often viewed as an extension of traditional library collections. They usually contain digitized materials from the library’s paper or analog collections, and are often drawn from rare books collections, special collections, archives, or otherwise highlight the particular strengths of a given library. Digital library collections have focused on these types of materials because digital formats are an ideal access medium for items too fragile to withstand repeated handling, materials too rare to circulate, and formats awkward to handle and manipulate in the original, such as large maps. When appropriate standards are used for digitizing, structuring, and describing these materials, digital libraries can be considered analogous to other preservation reformatting and distribution processes, such as microfilm. The digital library concept can be expanded to include materials in any digital format, including sound, video, multi-media, “born-digital” (resources that were originally created in an electronic environment), data sets, computer programs, and licensed content such as e-books and art images purchased from vendors.

Digital library collections are most often stored in Digital Asset Management Systems (DAMS), which are specialized storage and retrieval systems that support digital formats and metadata. Metadata for digital collections is typically repurposed from existing records in library catalogs (when they exist) or is created by library personnel, much as other library materials are cataloged. The proliferation of digital libraries has inspired a parallel proliferation of metadata standards that are used not only describe the digital content, but also provide its structure and enable its management (Read more about metadata). Some storage and delivery systems offer opportunities for enhanced functionality such as full-text searching and image manipulation, allowing users to interact with library resources in ways not previously possible. The UNH Library currently uses DigiTool as our DAMS.

Because far-flung resources can be gathered together into one digital library system that can be accessed on the Internet from any physical location, digital collection building lends itself to collaboration. Collaborative projects, often state or region focused, allow multiple institutions, including those that might not have the resources or infrastructure to build their own online collections, to create stronger, more comprehensive, and more diverse digital libraries than it is possible for most single institutions to do on their own. Examples include the California Digital Library and the New Jersey Digital Highway. Another method for gathering together dispersed digital materials is to harvest the metadata from multiple collections into a single database that can be searched – the digital material is then delivered from its “home” system. University of Michigan maintains the OAIster project, which harvests metadata from hundreds of digital libraries using the Open Archives Initiative – Protocol for Metadata Harvesting (OAI-PMH)

Another type of collaboration to build large-scale digital libraries has emerged over the past several years. With the development of such projects as the Google Book Library Project and the Open Content Alliance (OCA), mass digitization is quickly making vast amounts of library content available in digital formats. Mass digitization has been driven in part by the development of cheaper and less destructive scanning techniques, less expensive storage space, competition among online search providers, and user demand spurred by the ubiquitous availability of networked access to information of all types. In these projects, libraries provide the materials and the project organizer provides scanning, storage and delivery. As part of the Boston Library Consortium, the UNH Library is participating in the OCA project, thus many of our out-of-copyright books are now available at the Internet Archive. The OCA project allows us, and any other user of the materials, to download copies. This means that we can archive the OCA scanned books in our digital library, offering two points of access to potential users.

For many examples of digital libraries, visit our own Guide to Digital Collections.

Part 2: Institutional Repositories (coming soon)

Technology & Presidential Candidates

by Linda Johnson

From government document email list:

Now that both presidential candidates have gone on record with campaign positions on access to government information, we were struck by the similarity in their stated technology positions. The biggest difference that we could see is in their positions on transparency – Obama’s statements appear more sunshine-friendly. Below is a summary of relevant points. Complete policies are:

(McCain) here and here.

(Obama) here and here

Universal Service

McCain: federal support for locally built broadband access (whether public, private or mixed) as well as incentives for private companies’
extension into rural areas, auction wireless spectrum for private company expansion of broadband access to rural areas

Obama: encourage Universal Service reform, public/private partnerships, “unleash” wireless spectrum for private company expansion of broadband access to rural areas (possibly meaning to auction spectrum)

Great Expectations: Reading Marathon in Portsmouth

Independent bookstores across the country to participate in the event!

Portsmouth, NH-  The second Great Expectations: A Reading Marathon (GERM), founded by RiverRun Bookstore and SecondRun Bookstore in early 2008, will take place again this fall at SecondRun Bookstore from 6pm on Friday, October 10th to 6pm, Saturday October 11th.

The 24-hour Read-A-Thon is meant to bring attention to reading and independent bookstores, while raising money for a local nonprofit. The proceeds of RiverRun & SecondRun’s second Read-A-Thon will go toward The Birchtree Center, a local non-profit organization that provides specialized educational services for children and youth with autism.

GERM has gained national attention, and this year, during the month of October, independent bookstores around the country will be hosting their own.
Participants are invited to spend 24 hours in a bookstore; reading, playing literary games, listening to local authors read from their work-all while raising money for an organization in the community.

Participants are encouraged to sign up soon.  Registration is required by September 30th. A minimum of $25 dollars in sponsorship money is required to participate.

To RSVP, e-mail riverrunevents@gmail.com.  For more information on the event, visit www.riverrunbookstore.com or call (603) 431-2100.  SecondRun Bookstore is located at 7 Commercial Alley.  in downtown Portsmouth.  RiverRun Bookstore is located at 20 Congress Street in downtown Portsmouth.

For even more info check out their googlepages – http://riverrunevents.googlepages.com/

Grandma has always had wheels on her walker…

by Louise Buckley

This is just one of the 60 “cultural touchstones that shape the lives of students entering college” included in this year’s Beloit College Mindset List – Now in its 11th year, the list is an amusing and thought-provoking look at “the rapidly changing frame of reference for this new generation,” the class of 2012. Information about the Mindset List and its creators is also available here.