Learn more about Native Americans During November

The Robert R. Muntz Library has a book display in observance of National Native American Heritage Month. In the course of putting together that display, I found various links to website and free online resources that may be of interest. Here is the list:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

• The Indian Health Service, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, has a page honoring National Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month. Some of the posters I used on the display come from this page. They have various resources of interest and links to other agencies with relevant information.
• Want some more posters? The U.S. Air Force has a few here.
• This is the federal website for Native American Heritage Month. It is an information portal created by various federal agencies.
• President Obama hosted a Tribal Nations Conference this month. President Obama delivered remarks, and you can view them via the White House blog here. You can view more of the conference and get some transcripts via C-SPAN here.
• Federal agencies often have their own proclamations and statements to go along with a federal observance. For example, from the Administration on Aging, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,  here is the statement from Kathy Greenlee, Assistant Secretary for Aging, for National American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month.
• Jefferson Keel, President of the National Congress of American Indians, has released a statement for the month. The NCAI is a tribal governments association.
• U.S. embassies around the world often highlight federal observances like this as part of their mission to showcase the U.S. around the world. For example, here is page on American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month created at the U.S. Embassy in Japan. These pages are meant for local people, but they make a good way for us here in the U.S. to see how the U.S. presents itself around the world.
• You may want to visit the website for the National Museum of the American Indian, part of the Smithsonian. From the website, “The National Museum of the American Indian is the sixteenth museum of the Smithsonian Institution. It is the first national museum dedicated to the preservation, study, and exhibition of the life, languages, literature, history, and arts of Native Americans. Established by an act of Congress in 1989, the museum works in collaboration with the Native peoples of the Western Hemisphere to protect and foster their cultures by reaffirming traditions and beliefs, encouraging contemporary artistic expression, and empowering the Indian voice.”
  
• The National Park Service has a feature for National American Indian Heritage Month. One of the things the NPS does is highlight places in the National Park System listed for American Indian Heritage.
  
• The U.S. Census Bureau has published a Facts for Features article with facts and figures about Native Americans. I particularly like the Facts for Features series because it compiles in a convenient place all sorts of statistics on any given topic. For example, did you know that there are 160,471 American Indian and Alaska Native veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces in the U.S.?
• The Centers for Disease Control have a page for health issues related to American Indian and Native Alaskans. You can find demographic data, leading causes of death, various informative brochures, and a many other resources.
• Another organization with medical interest for Native Americans is the Association of American Indian Physicians. Here is some of the work they do, from their website: “A major goal of AAIP is to motivate American Indian and Alaskan Native students to remain in the academic pipeline and to pursue a career in the health professions and/or biomedical research, thereby increasing the number of American Indian and Alaskan Native medical professionals in the workforce.”
• This is the official website of the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Here is a bit of what they do, from the BIA website: “The United States has a unique legal and political relationship with Indian tribes and Alaska Native entities as provided by the Constitution of the United States, treaties, court decisions and Federal statutes. Within the government-to-government relationship, Indian Affairs provides services directly or through contracts, grants, or compacts to 564 Federally recognized tribes with a service population of about 1.9 million American Indian and Alaska Natives.”
• The Office for Victims of Crime, part of the U.S. Department of Justice, has a listing with resources of interest here. The list is not too prominent, but if you search the website, you can find more information.
• The U.S. Geological Survey has been creating some very nice posters for the observance. You can view and download them here. If you visit the link, you can also learn about the work of the USGS Native American Tribal Liaison Team.
• Various libraries around the nation create websites and resource lists for these observances. For example, the Madison (WI) Public Library has a page with reading lists and links to other resources of interest. If you are looking for some reading ideas, you can look over their lists. You can then check our library’s catalog via our website to see if we have the title or not. This is in addition to the books we have placed on our display case this month. As always, if you wish to find books on this or other topics, you can stop by or contact our Reference Desk.
• The Programming Librarian, a resource from the American Library Association Public Programs Office, offers a post on “Native American Heritage Month” with links to reading lists, other resources, and examples of how other libraries are celebrating.
• Want more reading ideas? Want to learn about perspectives of indigenous peoples in children’s books? There is a blog for that. You can visit American Indians in Children’s Literature, a blog maintained by Debbie Reese, former teacher and now professor in the American Indian Studies Program at UIUC. She has an extensive list of books, but she also writes on other topics related to indigenous peoples.
• And finally, find more resources for teachers and librarians related to native theme from YA author Cynthia Leitich Smith.

 

Library Features Book Display Honoring Veterans Day

The Robert R. Muntz Library has created a book display to honor Veterans Day and those who served. The display features books and images related to veterans and their service.According to the Library of Congress (from the American Memory Project), “the Allied powers signed a cease-fire agreement with Germany at Rethondes, France on November 11, 1918, bringing World War I to a close. Between the wars, November 11 was commemorated as Armistice Day in the United States, Great Britain, and France. After World War II, the holiday was recognized as a day of tribute to veterans of both world wars. Beginning in 1954, the United States designated November 11 as Veterans Day to honor veterans of all U.S. wars.”

Some people confuse Memorial Day, which takes place on the last Monday in May, with Veterans Day. Memorial Day was originally set aside to honor those who died in the service of their country. Veterans Day also honors those who died in the service of their country, but it is also a day to thank, honor, and recognize all those who served honorably in the military in peacetime or during wartime; it is a holiday to thank living veterans for their service.

If you wish to learn more about Veterans Day, here are some websites that may be of interest:

• You can find President Obama’s proclamation for Veterans Day 2009 here. We have placed a copy of the proclamation in the library display as well.
• The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has a website with links and resources for Veterans Day as well as other information on services for veterans.
• The History Channel has a page of information and resources for Veterans Day. Of special interest to communities, and something schools could consider doing is participating in the Take a Vet to School program. Find out more about the program here.
• The U.S. Census Bureau has a sheet of facts and figures related to Veterans Day and veterans. Some of the factoids I feature on the library’s electronic display come from the Census Bureau.
• The Library of Congress has a kids website known as America’s Library. It has a small feature on Veterans Day.
• The National Museum of the American Indian, part of the Smithsonian Institution, had a Veterans Day short film contest. You can see the short films from the contest at the site.
• This is the site for Arlington National Cemetery. You can find out about their special program and service for Veterans Day as well as other information for visitors, photos, etc.
• The National Archives also has content of interest to veterans and their families.
• Also from the Library of Congress, you may be interested in the Veterans History Project. Hear and read oral histories of veterans as well as learn how you could participate.
• Locally, or somewhat nearby, you can get details about the annual Dallas Veterans Day Parade. Some of their photos from past parades  are very moving and can be viewed on the site as well.
• Locally, as in on campus, the university is hosting a Veteran’s Day seminar on “Returning Veterans: Implications for Higher Education”. You can get the details from the press release here.

In addition, if you wish to read about those who served as well as some histories, the following is the list of books, with call numbers, placed in the library’s display case now. Unless noted otherwise, the regular location for these books is the third floor General Collection stacks.

• Ken Burns’s PBS documentary The War, which is a history of World War II. This is usually located in the A/V collection. Ask at Circulation if you wish to check it out. Call number: D811.5 .W37 2007. For more details on the documentary, you can also visit the PBS The War website.
• Eve Bunting, The Wall. This is a children’s book about the Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial Wall in Washington D.C. It is usually located in the CML Room. Call number: CML Easy Fic B9425wa.
• Sal Lopes, The Wall: Images and Offerings from the Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial. This is the big book we have open to display some of the photos. Throughout the month, we will turn pages to highlight different photos, so feel free to come over often and have a look. The book’s call number is: F203.4.V54 W35 1987.
• Ronald H. Spector, At War, At Sea: Sailors and Naval Combat in the Twentieth Century. V53 .S66 2002.
• Robert Ackerman, Creating a Veteran-Friendly Campus. UB357 .C735 2009.
• Stephen E. Ambrose, Americans at War. E181 .A34 1998.
• Frederick Downs, The Killing Zone: My Life in the Vietnam War. DS559.5 .D69 2007.
• Lea Ybarra, Vietnam Veteranos: Chicanos Recall the War. DS559.8 .M39 Y23 2004.
• Helen Benedict, The Lonely Soldier: the Private War of Women Serving in Iraq. This is usually located in the Bestsellers Collection in the second floor. Call number is DS 79.76 .B445 2009.
• Kate Blaise, The Heart of a Soldier: a True Love Story of Love, War and Sacrifice. This is usually located in the Bestsellers Collection in the second floor. Call number is DS79.76 .B58 2005.
• David Bellavia, House to House: an Epic Memoir of War. This is usually located in the Bestsellers Collection in the second floor. DS79.76 .B4465 2007.
• Steve Estes, Ask & Tell: Gay and Lesbian Veterans Speak Out. UB418 .G38 E77 2007.
• Megan K. Winchell, Good Girls, Good Food, Good Fun: the Story of USO Hostesses during World War II. D810 .E8 W56 2008.

This display will run until the end of November. As always, the books inside the display case are available for checkout. If you are affiliated to the university (or you have a courtesy card), you can request to check out any book in the display case. Just stop by the reference or circulation desks, and we will be happy to open the case.

Reference Book Update: The United States Government Manual

We featured The United States Government Manual (link to the online edition at GPO Access) as a Reference Book of the Week back in 2008 at this post. If you read the earlier post, you can get a description of this excellent resource, and how it can be useful in getting to know the structure of the federal government. Well, the manual has been updated once again:

• For access to a print version, the Muntz Library has a copy of the 2008-2009 edition. You can find it in the library’s ready reference collection (the small shelves behind the reference desk). It is under the call number JK 421 .A3 2008-2009.
• The federal government has recently released the 2009-2010 edition. You can find a free copy online at GPO Access. The direct link to this edition is here. You can access previous editions at the link provided above.

“Honk if You Like Ike”: Panel Discussion Highlights new UT Tyler Political Ephemera Collection

Deirdre Joyce, University Archivist, informs us of a new event and exhibit at the library in honor of American Archives Month:

The University Archives and Department of Special Collections (UASC) at The University of Texas at Tyler will be hosting a panel discussion entitled “Honk if You Like Ike: American Political Campaigning in the Twentieth Century” on October 14, 2009 at 6:00pm.  The event will be held on the fourth floor of the Robert R. Muntz Library and will feature a discussion that complements the UASC’s most recent acquisition, the Tim Anthony Jackson Collection of Presidential Campaign Memorabilia. The discussion is being held in conjunction with American Archives Month, which takes place during the entire month of October.

The panel will feature three UT Tyler faculty members:  Dr. Courtney Cullison (Asst. Professor, Political Science), Dr. Marsha Matthews (Asst. Professor, Communication), and Dr. James Newsom (Lecturer, History) each of whom will discuss the nature of American political campaigns and the salient points of analysis that political ephemera lend to their respective disciplines.  The discussion will be moderated by Vanessa Curry, advisor to UT Tyler’s student newspaper, the Patriot Talon. Numerous items of political ephemera from the collection will be on display, including campaign buttons dating back to President William J. McKinley, bumper stickers dating from the 1950s, campaign literature for both winning and losing candidates, and political novelty items, including an actual voting booth from the disputed Florida presidential election in 2000.

In addition to materials from the Tim Anthony Jackson Collection, visitors to the library will also be able to view records and ephemera from other manuscript collections that highlight the political campaign theme.  Pieces from the Sarah McClendon papers, the Bill Ratliff papers, the William M. Steger papers, the E.F. Jarrel papers and the University Archives will be on display during the entire month of October in locations throughout the library.

American Archives Month is a collaborative effort by professional organizations and repositories around the nation to highlight the importance of records of enduring value. Archivists are professionals who assess, collect, organize, preserve, maintain control of, and provide access to information that has lasting value, and they help people find and understand the information they need in those records.

The University Archives and Department of Special Collections (UASC), located on the ground floor of the Robert R. Muntz Library, handles materials of historical and/or archival interest to The University of Texas at Tyler and the surrounding community.

Annenberg Classroom

Want to learn more about our Constitution? While this resource is designed for teachers and includes lesson plans and other neat resources, I think this would be a great place for any of us who want a “refresher”.  http://www.annenbergclassroom.org/

Muntz Library Features Book Display for Constitution Day 2009

U.S. Constitution and Quill Pen

The Robert R. Muntz Library is featuring a book display in observance of Constitution Day. Constitution Day is observed each year on September 17 to commemorate the signing of the Constitution on September 17, 1787. As part of the library’s educational mission and to promote learning more about this important document that is the foundation of the United States, we are displaying some books and material that may be of interest. The display is located in the library’s second floor next to the Circulation Desk.

The following books and materials are inside the display case. Like other displays, books and A/V material on display is available to be checked out. If you look them up in the catalog, and they show as checked out, they are “checked out” to our display case. Just let us know at the reference desk, and we will be happy to open the case so you can take the book and read it. We really want people to read our books, which is why we display them. Note that A/V material is usually kept behind circulation. If you wish to check it out (after the display), jot down the call number and request it at circulation. Books, unless otherwise noted, are usually in the library’s general collection in the third floor.

DVDs:

• You Can’t Say That: “Politically Correct” Free Speech. JC 591 .Y68 2004.
• Key Constitutional Concepts. KF 5130 .S9 K3.
• Our Constitution: A Conversation. KF 4550 .O87 2005.

Books:

• Peter Spier, We the People: The Constitution of the United States. 342.73 S755w (CML-Dewey).
• Ellen Alderman and Caroline Kennedy, The Right to Privacy. KF 1262 .A97 1997.
• Jack N. Rakove, Original Meanings: Politics and Ideas in the Making of the Constitution. KF 4541 .R35 1997.
• Craig R. Smith, To Form a More Perfect Union. KF 4541 .S58 1993.

In addition, the display features highlights of the following online resources. Both are freely available online:

• The Electronic Frontier Foundation.
• Reporters Without Borders‘ Handbook for Bloggers and Cyber-Dissidents.

For more information about Constitution Day, you can visit the library. You can also check out these other websites:

• From the Law Library of Congress, part of the Library of Congress, information about Constitution Day. This includes links to the various pieces of legislation that have led to the observance as we know it today.
• The National Constitution Center. Here is their page on Constitution Day. Their page for the observance has some good educational resources including a challenge: can you pass the citizenship test?
• Resources for observing Constitution Day, from the National Archives.

Reference Book of the Week: United States History: A Multicultural, Interdisciplinary Guide to Information Sources

We wrap up our July theme of celebrating American Independence with a feature for researchers on United States History. This week we are featuring United States History: A Multicultural, Interdisciplinary Guide to Information Sources by Anna H. Perrault and Ron Blazek as our Reference Book of the Week. This is a tool that librarians often use; I am recommending it to our students and researchers as well. I think students will find it specially useful. This second edition has been expanded, and it now features sources on diverse topics such as the Asian experience, religion, science and technology, and popular culture. This is in addition to what readers already expect in a guide like this. It is a great guide to resources in topics like politics and government, economic history, and military history. In addition to reference books and print sources, the expanded coverage in this edition also includes online databases, Websites, CD-ROM titles and even microform items. There are some older standard works, but most of the coverage emphasizes resources with publication dates from the 1980s to 2002.

The guide features 1,250 major entries. It is divided in two parts. First, there is an introductory section for general sources. The second part then covers specific topics in United State History. You get bibliographical information for the items listed as well as a very good annotation that not only tells you what the book or material is about, but it also considers the audience for a particular work and gives small hints on how the particular work is useful, say as a supplement to another work or topic.

The way to make a resource like this work is find the items you are interested in. For most materials, you can then look them up in the library catalog to see if the library owns them. If not, you can do an Interlibrary Loan request. For instance, you could use this book to help you find other good books on Civil War maps or on Native Americans and civil rights. To help readers further, the book also features an “Author/Title Index” and a “Subject Index” in the back. The book is published by Libraries Unlimited, which is known for its subject guide books. If you need a good place to learn more about United States Independence or any other U.S. topic, this is a very good place to start.

This book is located in the library’s Reference Section in the second floor. The call number is E 178 .P45 2003.

Reference Book of the Week: Milestone Documents in American History

I would like to start by reminding our local readers to visit our library display, “Celebrating American Independence,” in the library’s third floor. It will be available until the end of the month. To go with the theme, we have chosen an excellent collection of documents from American history. This week we are featuring Milestone Documents of American History.

This four volume set contains a collection of significant documents in American history from the Revolutionary Era to the twenty-first century. For example, you can read items ranging from Patrick Henry’s “Liberty or Death” speech to the Bybee Torture Memo. The four volumes are organized in chronological order (1763-1823; 1824-1887; 1888-1955; 1956-2003).  One thing I like about reference works like this one is that you can find various items in one place. This allows you to compare documents as well as see how certain lines of thought progressed over time. These documents cover issues such as politics, economics, science, gender equality, and religious freedom.

This resource has more than just the text of historical documents. The work also includes various features that are useful for students and educators. Some of those features are:

• An overview gives you a quick summary of the document and why it is important.
• The context places it in its historical time.
• You get a note about the document’s author.
• A time line of key events related to the document.
• An explanation and analysis of the document.
• An audience note discusses the audience of the time. Who was this document addressing?
• The impact note tells us the historical influence, or why we still read it now.
• a references list for further reading.

In conclusion, this may be the best reason to look at this work: “understanding these historical documents and their context will prepare students to better appreciate the complexities of the twenty-first century” (from the Introduction, xv). In this month when the United States celebrates its birthday as a nation, what better way to celebrate than to look at the documents that shaped the nation? This is an excellent tool to go back and read the words that have empowered the nation (like Cesar Chavez’s Commonwealth Address), the words that have moved so many people (say JFK’s Inaugural Address), the words that at times were shameful (for example, the Chinese Exclusion Act). It is also a great tool for students studying rhetoric, history, and communications. And while some readers may argue why some other primary document was not included, the book serves as a very good starting point.

The set can be found in the library’s Reference Collection in the second floor. The call number is E173 .M62 2008.

Library Features Display Celebrating U.S. Independence

Signing of Declaration of Independence

The Robert R. Muntz Library is featuring a library display to “Celebrate American Independence.” This coming Saturday is the 4th of July holiday commemorating the signing of the Declaration of Independence. We have chosen to create a month-long display of books about the Declaration of Independence, the Revolutionary War, and Early American history. Come visit the library and see the display in the third floor display cases.

Like all our displays, this one is open and free to the public. It is viewable during library regular hours.

We have placed the following books in the display case along with other materials, including the text of the Declaration of Independence for our visitors to read.  All books are usually located in the library’s General Collection in the third floor, unless otherwise noted. The list is in call number order:

• Cokie Roberts, Founding Mothers: the Women Who Raised Our Nation. This one is part of the Bestseller Collection, located in the second floor Reading Room. E 176 .R63.
• Ray Raphael, A People’s History of the American Revolution. E 208 .R25 2002.
• Gordon S. Wood, The Radicalism of the American Revolution. E 209 .W65 1993.
• Christopher Hibbert, Redcoats and Rebels: the American Revolution through British Eyes. E 230 .H31 2002. A look at the war from the British perspective.
• H.T. Dickinson, Britain and the American Revolution. E 249.3 .B69 1998.
• Charles Royster, A Revolutionary People at War: the Continental Army and American Character, 1775-1783. E 259 .R69 1996
• Sylvia R. Frey, Water from the Rock: Black Resistance in a Revolutionary Age. A look at Blacks in the war. E 269 .N3 F74 1992.
• Thomas Jefferson, The Portable Thomas Jefferson. A small collection of his major writings, including the Declaration of Independence. E 302 .J442 1975.
• Bernard Bailyn, To Begin the World Anew: the Genius and Ambiguities of the American Founders. E 302.1 B16 2004.
• Edward G. Lengel, General George Washington: a Military Life.  E 312.25 .L46 2005.
• David McCullough, John Adams. The biography by the prominent historian who has also written about Harry Truman. E 322 .M38 2001.
• Ralph Ketcham, James Madison: a Biography. E 342 .K46 1990.
• Rand McNally Atlas of the American Revolution. This atlas is usually found in the Reference Collection, 2nd Floor. REF G 1201 .S3 N4 1974.
• The Federalist Papers. The writings of Madison, Jay, and Hamilton in support of the U.S. Constitution. JK 154 1966.

Except for the reference book above, all these books are available to be checked out. If you look them up in the catalog, and they show as checked out, they are “checked out” to our display case. Just let us know at the reference desk, and we will be happy to open the case so you can take the book and read it. We really want people to read our books, which is why we display them. As for the reference book, if you really want to check it out, let us know. We can probably work something out.

I would like to remind our readers that if they have any questions on this or other topics, they can visit our reference desk, or visit the library’s website to access our resources. You can also find complete contact information in our website so you can call us, e-mail us, or chat with a librarian.

Learn more about Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor

President Obama has nominated Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the U.S. Supreme Court. She would be the first Latina woman to the court should she be confirmed. There is a lot of interest in Judge Sotomayor, so I have rounded up a few sources that can help readers learn more about the judge.

• The Law Library of the Library of Congress has put together a selective bibliography Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor. There are a lot of good links here.
• When a judge is nominated to a federal bench, whether it be a district court or the Supreme Court, they have to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate. The U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary has all nominees fill out a questionnaire. Here is that questionnaire, so you can see the actual questions. This link includes Sotomayor’s answers.
• The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has issued report on Sonia Sotomayor. (link to press release; link to the full report. Note the full report is 88 pages in PDF). This report is fairly comprehensive and looks at the judge’s record on civil rights issues such as racial justice, voting rights, women’s rights, freedom of speech, and freedom of religion.
• The Alliance for Justice has issued what it labels as an in-depth report of Sonia Sotomayor’s record. The report’s title is “Access to Justice.” Link to the AFJ’s press release here. Direct link to the report itself here (Note: PDF file; the report is 14 pages). This report is part of a series of reports that AFJ is providing. This particular one covers the following:  “access to justice issues encompass a number of procedural questions including justiciability, preemption, court-stripping, sovereign immunity, attorneys’ fees, interpretation of statutes of limitation and class-action certification. The report examines Judge Sotomayor’s record in each of these key areas and is based on her record both as a district and appeals court judge.” If you visit the website, you can find other reports. AFJ is a public interest group, and it describes itself as “a national association of environmental, civil rights, mental health, women’s, children’s, and consumer advocacy organizations.”

Note that you can also do your own research on Sonia Sotomayor with the databases Lexis-Nexis Academic Universe and Campus Research (Westlaw). Both of these are available in the library’s homepage on the databases page here. These two databases are susbcription-based resources, and you do have to be affliliated with the university to use them.

If you need assistance for using the databases, or with any other research needs, you can visit our reference desk. You can also contact us via the  phone (903-566-7343), via email (library AT uttyler DOT edu), or use the UT System Ask a Librarian.

Update note: (7/21/09): Here is another resource I found on Judge Sotomayor. Via OpenCRS, a Congressional Research Service report on “Judge Sonia Sotomayor: Analysis of Selected Opinions.” The CRS is the investigative arm of Congress. Basically, they put together background research on any topic for Congress members so they can be prepared to make legislation.  From the abstract, “this report provides an analysis of selected opinions authored by Judge Sotomayor during her tenure as a judge on the Second Circuit. Discussions of the selected opinions are grouped according to various topics of legal significance.” The link will take you to the abstract, and from there, you can download the report as PDF file.

If you wish to learn more about the Congressional Research Service, its reports, or how to locate them, feel free to ask us.