The Library now subscribes to the excellent and authoritative Encyclopedia Britannica's online presence, Britannica Library. Explore thousands of topics in science, social studies, language arts, and mathematics for school projects, review concepts taught in the classroom, or learn something new. Very impressive are the more than 90,000 images, videos, and audio clips. There are 3 levels -…
News from the Research Desk - Page 14 of 16
Skunked!
In case you hadn’t noticed (lucky you!) it’s skunk season! Removing skunk scent can be difficult because the oily compound responsible for the odor is not water soluble. In suburbia, the skunk’s prime target seems to be our dogs – mine got sprayed three times last year! Here are some tips from Carriage Hill Kennel…
Flying the Flag – the right way!
It’s that time of year, when Old Glory is proudly displayed. The United States Flag is one of the most visible and important symbols of our country and the United States Flag Code spells out proper use of the flag. From a staff, the union (the blue field) should be at the peak, unless the…
One-Stop Veterans’ Benefits Help
Helping veteran and other service members find ways to connect to benefits is one of the services provided by the reference staff. Thanks to Executive Order 13426 (issued in March 2007) this previously somewhat confusing and laborious task got a whole lot easier. Order 13426 established the President's Commission on Care for America's Returning Wounded Warriors,…
Photographs from the Field Museum
Chicago's Field Museum is known for its notable specimens numbering over 24 million. Did you know that the museum also has tens of thousands of photographs in its collection? Many of them are available on their online photo archive. The photos include scenes from the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893 and historic photos from Africa, Peru,…
Identity Theft
In 2012, approximately 16.6 million individuals (or 7% of the population) over the age or 16 were victims of identity theft in the United States according to a report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The increasing number of security breaches occurring just in the past few months has made it imperative that consumers take precautions…
Beware Tax Phone Scam
Con artists pretending to be IRS agents call unsuspecting taxpayers and tell them they owe money and must pay using a prepaid debit card or wire transfer. Those refusing to pay are threatened with arrest, deportation (many of the targeted victims were immigrants) or loss of a business or driver's license. Estimates that at least 20,000…
Primary Care Doctors
Achoo! This time of year, colds and flu knock many of us off our feet. And while many seasonal illnesses are only treatable with rest and chicken soup, sometimes a call to the doctor is in order. The most important way to ensure you get high-quality health care when you need it is to establish…
Choosing Wisely: American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM)
Choosing Wisely is a composite of U.S. specialty societies which represent more than 500,000 physicians. They worked to develop lists of "Five Things Physicians and Patients Should Question" in recognition of the importance of physician and patient conversations to improve care and eliminate unnecessary tests and procedures. Here are practical treatment guidelines, and suggested patient/advocate questions…
Civil War Images from The New York Times
The American Civil War occurred 150 years ago yet images of its battles remain provocative. They remind us of what war is really like and how its wounds can resonate for decades. The New York Times has created a video of still photos which are available in their historical archives.
