Mississippi Library Commission Reference Blog

Being Batty

2012-01-30T16:51:00.001-06:00

Bats emerging from Carlsbad Caverns, NM

One of our Twitter followers asked this rhetorical question earlier today:

Why do they say bat out of hell? I'd think a bat would be trying to get to hell. I bet hell is bat heaven.

Now, he may have been listening to too much Meatloaf, but I'm not one to pass up a good question. I do so enjoy phrase etymology! Luckily, we have oodles of books on the subject. According to Dictionary of Animal Words and Phrases, this is the meaning for like a bat out of hell:

The bat, being a nocturnal animal, is associated with darkness. Therefore, in the folklore of many parts of the world, it is said that the devil, the Prince of Darkness, often takes the form of a bat. In fact, the devil is often depicted with bat's wings. Bats are also generally associated with caves, which look like routes to hell, the devil's habitat. Bats are also noted for their quick, darting flight. All of these associations have come together in a twentieth-century expression: to go very quickly is to go like a bat out of hell.

(Lyman 23)

Logical. The Facts on File Encyclopedia of Word and Phrase Origins had a little more to add:

Since bats are nocturnal creatures that loathe the light, the hellfires of the infernal regions would inspire them to flap like hell to get out of there. That may be the idea behind the expression to move like a bat out of hell, extremely fast, which Partridge traces to 1908 and which probably goes back to the late 19th century. It was also slang used by R.A.F. pilots since World War I for "to fly extremely fast."

(Hendrickson 55)

I did find that bats that live in temperate climates hibernate during the winter (Hutchinson). I suppose they might like the warmth of hell, if not the light.

bat. (2010). In The Hutchinson Unabridged Encyclopedia with Atlas and Weather guide. Retrieved from http://www.credoreference.com/entry/heliconhe/bat
Hendrick, Robert. The Facts on File Encyclopedia of Word and Phrase Origins. New York, NY: Facts on File, 1997. Print.

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tadarida_brasiliensis_outflight_Hristov_Carlsbad_Caverns.jpg

Lyman, Darryl. Dictionary of Animal Words and Phrases. Middle Village, NY: Jonathan David Publishers, Inc., 1994. Print.

Here a Book, There a Book, Everywhere a Book Book

2012-01-27T16:59:00.001-06:00

Mr. Richard Heber was a skosh addicted to acquiring books. He loved them aplenty and purchased them whenever and wherever he could find them. When asked about his habit of collecting multiple copies of the same works, he replied, according to his biographer:

Why you see, sir, no man can do comfortably without three copies of a work. One he must have for a show-copy, and he will probably keep it at his country-house. Another he will require for his own use and reference; and unless he is inclined to part with this, which is very inconvenient, or risk the injury of his best copy, he must needs have a third at the service of his friends.

(Kacirk 84)

All of those volumes sure add up. By the time of his death in 1833, he owned 150,000 volumes. To put that in perspective, the Mississippi Library Commission holds 124,534 volumes. I bet ours are much better organized than his were!

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Alte_Buecher.JPG
Kacirk, Jeffrey. Forgotten English. William Morrow and Company, Inc.: New York, NY, 1997. Print.

Leon, Rest in Peace.

2012-01-20T13:51:00.006-06:00

While looking through the Marion County Progress this morning from 1910, I found several gems -- including a series on how to control your wife! -- but this small article was the most interesting.

I'm not sure I would've given poor Leon's story this title, however. And why is there no information on why Leon was so determined? Had something happened? Was he suffering from depression? (My suspicious nature also wants to know how, in 1910, the hospitals were so adept at curing self-inflicted gunshot wounds.) Or were all his clumsy attempts merely cries for help? Oh, Leon, I'm sorry this was your sad fate.

From a research perspective, I tried finding out more about Leon, but as he was a sailor and this story was set in France, I'm afraid my resources are limited. If anyone knows more about Leon Weiss, please let us know!

Better late than never... Happy Birthday, Theora!

2012-01-19T14:13:00.004-06:00

January 15 would have been Theora Hamblett’s 116^th birthday. Hamblett, a Mississippi artist, is known for her primitive style paintings that reflected her childhood memories, the Southern countryside, and religious visions.

Hamblett grew up on a farm in Paris, MS located in Lafayette County. She began teaching school in 1915 and travelled about the county teaching until 1936. In 1939 Hamblett moved to Oxford for a change of scenery. She made her living by working as a seamstress and renting out rooms in her home to college students. She didn’t actually begin painting until 1950 when she took an art class at night at the University of Mississippi. In searching AskArt database, I found this look into Hamblett’s feelings towards her art class from The Encyclopedia of American Folk Art. The entry says Theora’s time in class “was short because the course focused on abstract art, which did not interest her. Instead, she followed her own inclinations.”

Hamblett’s paintings are notable for the pointillist technique she used. She used dots of many colors to create her compositions. For example, most of the leaves on the trees in Hamblett’s paintings are made up of no less than 3 different dots of color. Hamblett’s painting Golden Gate, later renamed The Vision went on to hang in the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.

Upon her death in 1977, Hamblett bequeathed approximately 200 paintings to University of Mississippi Museums. Hamblett’s works are on display year round at The University Museum in Oxford, MS.

-www.ogdenmuseum.org/education/pdf/placemats-TheoraHamblett.pdf

-http://museum.olemiss.edu/collections/theora-hamblett/

-AskArt

Abduction in Pascagoula

2012-01-13T16:38:00.006-06:00

We often stumble upon strange things while researching for our patrons here at the Library Commission. This week I stumbled upon something that is strange, but it is also something that we Mississippians can take pride in (if you’re the type of Mississippian who can appreciate a good alien story). According to the The UFO Encyclopedia, the second most famous alien abduction case in history took place in Pascagoula, MS!

Charles Hickson, 42, and Calvin Parker, 19, were out for a bit of night fishing off of the dock of an abandoned shipyard on October 11, 1973. The two were quietly waiting on the fish to bite when they heard a loud zipping sound at approximately 9 p.m. The sound was coming from what the two described as a domed, football-shaped object. Three figures floated out of the object and headed for the fishermen. Hickson and Parker described the creatures as being a little over five feet tall and had ears that resembled carrots, slits for a mouths, no visible eyes, hands that resembled a mitten attached to unusually long arms, and feet like an elephant’s. The creatures were also very wrinkly and grey (Clark). Here is a sketch of the creatures based on Hickson and Parker's descriptions:

Hickson says that two of the aliens approached him. He found himself paralyzed as soon as one took his arm. The two creatures floated Hickson up into their aircraft. Meanwhile, Parker had fainted from fear. One creature picked him up and floated up to the craft with him. Hickson says that once inside the craft, his body was levitated at different angles while a football shaped eye inspected him. Once the floating eye had thoroughly inspected Hickson the two beings took him back down to the dock where they had taken him from. Parker isn’t entirely sure what all took place while he was in the craft. He remembers hearing a whistling noise and a click and seeing the bright interior of the craft. He was then floated outside and left standing (but unable to move) on the dock. The entire episode lasted only about 20 minutes (Clark).

The two eventually calmed themselves (Hickson had a spot of whiskey to help calm himself) and contacted the Keesler Air Force base in Biloxi. The Air Force base urged them to contact their local sherrif’s department and from there the rest is history. Once the story got out, the town was swarmed with media for weeks afterwards.

Hickson eventually collaborated with a man named William Mendez on a book that tells the entire story. The book is called UFO Contact at Pascagoula and we have it in our collection here at the Mississippi Library Commission (it’s already been moved to the top of my “to read” list).

Clark, Jerome. 1998. The UFO Encyclopedia: The Phenomenon From the Beginning, Vol. 2. Detroit: Omnigraphics, Inc. p.714-716

Pardon Me!

2012-01-11T16:15:00.001-06:00

A Meebo patron asked us a two-part question this morning:

How long have MS governors been allowed to pardon people right before they leave office?
What are the pardoning records of past MS governors?

We turned to the Mississippi Constitution, which is contained in our trusty set of the Mississippi Code, and found this:

In all criminal and penal cases, excepting those of treason and impeachment, the Governor shall have power to grant reprieves and pardons, to remit fines, and in cases of forfeiture, to stay the collection until the end of the next session of the Legislature, and by and with the consent of the senate to remit forfeitures. In cases of treason he shall have power to grant reprieves, and by and with consent of the senate, but may respite the sentence until the end of the next session of the Legislature; but no pardon shall be granted before conviction; and in cases of felony, after conviction no pardon shall be granted until the applicant therefor shall have published for thirty days, in some newspaper in the county where the crime was committed, and in case there be no newspaper published in said county, then in an adjoining county, his petition for pardon, setting forth therein the reasons why such pardon should be granted.

Mississippi Constitution, 1972 Article V § 124

In one form or another, the power to pardon prisoners has been granted the governor of Mississippi since the Constitution of 1832. (If you would like to view the text of previous Mississippi constitutions, Mississippi History Now is your source!) That's 180 years if you happen to be counting.

The New York Times published a most fortuitous article this very day. In it, they provided the following numbers:

Gov. Haley Barbour (2004-2012) 203 full pardons (17 to convicted murderers)
Gov. Ronnie Musgrove (2000-2004) 1 full pardon
Gov. Kirk Fordice (1992-2000) 13 full pardons (2 to convicted murderers)
Gov. Ray Mabus (1988-1992) 4 full pardons

We hope this answers your question, Meebo patron! For further updates, stay tuned to local news, such as the Jackson Free Press. (They have been covering this story extensively.)

Mississippi Code, 1972 Annotated
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/11/us/gov-haley-barbour-of-mississippi-is-criticized-on-wave-of-pardons.html?_r=2
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nuernberg_jail.jpg

Mississippi Ghostbusters

2012-01-11T10:48:00.000-06:00

McRaven House

When our new IT assistant started last month and heard we answer questions, he asked us to tell him which house in Mississippi is the most haunted. Now, I'm not a fan of things that go bump in the night, but growing up in Mississippi introduced me to my fair share of ghost stories. For instance, Lakemont in Vicksburg was practically next door to the church we attended while I was a child. Poor Mrs. Lake was up on the widow's walk in 1861 and from there witnessed her husband's death in a duel on a sandbar. She met her death by way of a cannonball during the war, and now spends her time walking about her garden and waiting for her husband to come back from his fight. This, however, cannot be the most haunted house in Mississippi. (Much too tame, don't you agree?)

After scouring several fine print sources, I decided that McRaven House in Vicksburg is an ideal candidate for "Most Haunted House of Mississippi." Indeed, The Haunting of Mississippi declares that McRaven "may well be the most haunted (house) in Mississippi." Here's a breakdown of their specters:

Andrew Glass and his wife were the first owners of McRaven. They also happened to be highwaymen who robbed travelers on the Natchez Trace. Mr. Glass was wounded on one such escapade and wifey dearest slit his throat for him so they wouldn't be discovered. Ah, sweet love.
McRaven was used as a pit stop of sorts on the Trail of Tears. During a cholera epidemic in 1832, many Choctaw were swept up in the wave of death that pummeled the city. The bodies, Native American and white alike, were burned.
Mary Elizabeth Howard, age 15, died there due to complications from childbirth in 1836.
During the Civil War, McRaven served as a makeshift hospital. At least 28 soldiers met their death on the grounds.
In 1864, the home was owned by John Bobb. History says he protested Union soldiers who were vandalizing his garden. Mr. Bobb even lobbed a brick at them. The Yankees, being unamused, shot him multiple times.
Several members of the Murray family, who lived in the house from 1882-1960, also died there. While they enjoyed peaceful deaths, it appears that they, too, enjoy returning to the old home place.

(Sillery 13-28)

According to The Haunting of Mississippi, many of these still roam the rooms, halls and grounds of this old home. There were many other places I wanted to include, but they just didn't seem to fit the bill: Chapel of the Cross in Madison, King's Tavern in Natchez, Glenburnie... The list goes on and on. Do you concur? Is McRaven the most haunted house in Mississippi?

Norman, Michael and Beth Scott. Historic Haunted America. Macmillan: Toronto, 2007. Print.
Sillery, Barbara. The Haunting of Mississippi. Pelican Publishing Co.: Gretna, LA, 2011. Print.

http://southernlagniappe.blogspot.com/2010/10/haunted-antebellum-houses-of-vicksburg.html

http://nrhp.focus.nps.gov/natregsearchresult.do?fullresult=true&recordid=0

Meebo Musters Up The Military

2012-01-06T11:01:00.000-06:00

Confederate artillery defending Charleston, 1863

Last week, I received a reference request from one of our Meebo patrons. (You remember Meebo, right? We're mlcreference if you need to ask a question!) This particular patron wanted to know about:

The difference between a regiment and a battalion
Harper's Regiment, CSA in Mississippi

I found my first answer in Dictionary of Military Terms:

A battalion is a tactical unit of one branch of a ground army's combat arms, varying in size and composition but generally in the range of 500 to 1,000 troops and usually commanded by a lieutenant colonel. It normally consists of three to five of the basic combat units of its branch (company for infantry, battery for artillery, company or troop for armor). Three or four battalions are usually combined to form a regiment or a brigade (Dupuy et al. 30-31).

A regiment is a military unit, particularly of infantry, cavalry, or artillery, that can be either administrative or operational... Since the late 18th century a regiment, commanded by a colonel, has usually been an operational unit of two or more battalions, and has functioned most often as a component of a division. In the modern US Army, until the mid-1960s, infantry regiments consisted of three battalions, in strengths varying from about 1,500 to 3,000 troops." (Dupuy et al. 208).

Finding Harper's Regiment in Mississippi proved a much larger task. Here are a few potential candidates:

Harper's Battalion
13th Mississippi Battalion Infantry
Major N. B. Harper
(Rowland 219)
Harper's Reserves
36th Mississippi Infantry, Company C
Lt. Col. S.G. Harper
Formed from men of Newton, Lauderdale, and Smith Counties
Mustered 20 February 1861
(Rowland 319)
Harper's Battery
Part of "Jefferson Flying Artillery"
Captain William L. Harper
Formed in Jefferson County May 6, 1861
Mustered into state service at Fayette, MS April 1861
(Rowland 479)

I relaize that not all of these are regiments, but I think it is important to keep yourself open to the idea that your source could be partially incorrect. Also, tt's possible that there are additional military units with a "Harper" moniker. A better idea of where your ancestor was located prior to and directly after the Civil War would help. Bible records, the Census (both Federal and State), and pension applications will provide you with more details. Please feel free to contact the Mississippi Library Commission Reference Department again if you have further questions!

Dupuy, Trevor N., et al. Dictionary of Military Terms. New York: H.W. Wilson Company, 2003. Print.
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Confederate-artillery.jpg
Rowland, Dunbar. Military History of Mississippi, 1803-1898. Spartanburg, SC: The Reprint Company, Publishers, 1978. Print.

Return Those Books...Or Else!

2012-01-04T08:52:00.004-06:00

Have you heard about Charlton (MA) Public Library's new terrifying technique of getting library materials back? They send the police to your house as a "friendly" reminder.

Police Enforcement of Library Lending Leaves Five Year Old in Tears

(CNN) -- A Massachusetts mom said police went too far when they paid her and her 5-year-old daughter a visit for failing to return their library books on time.
"She's 5; she didn't understand," said Shannon Benoit of her daughter, Hailey.
Police said Tuesday that an officer showed up last week at the Benoit's home in the town of Charlton to inform the family that the books were long overdue.
Hailey -- who was standing beside her mom when the officer arrived -- then burst into tears.
'Is that policeman going to arrest me?'" Benoit quoted her daughter to CNN affiliate WBZ-TV.
"I was scared," added Hailey.
The books, titled "How To Tie My Shoes" and "Eloise's Birthday," had been sitting on Hailey's bookshelf since April.

Read the rest of the story from CNN here.

Team USA!

2011-11-18T13:21:00.001-06:00

It’s here! It’s here! The 2012 Guinness World Records is here!

I’ve written before about how much I loved the Guinness Book of World Records as a child, and I have to admit: I’m still pretty enamored. The format is much different now—instead of a thick paperback, it’s now a glossy magazine-type book with colorful pictures. And yes: while I suppose it’s interesting to read about the sports records (Rob Kish once cycled from California to Georgia in 8 days), the most expensive book sold at auction ($11.4 million for Audubon’s Birds of America), and the tallest bridge (Millau Viaduct in France is 1095 feet, four inches high), what I’m after is the gross stuff.

You know what I’m referring to: the fingernails.

Chris “The Dutchess” Walton, an American, is the proud owner/maintainer of nails that are 10 feet, 2 inches on one hand and 9 feet, 7 inches on the other. That would be 19 feet, 9 inches of fingernails. However, before The Dutchess gets too full of herself, I should point out that she doesn’t hold the all-time longest fingernails. For women, it was Lee Redmond, who had a total length of 28 feet, 4.5 inches. Here is a direct quote from the book: “Unfortunately, Lee lost her nails in an automobile accident in early 2009” (82). I will say no more. The longest fingernails on a man were on Melvin Boothe, whose nails totaled 32 feet, 3.8 inches. Both Redmond and Boothe were American.

USA! USA!

Tune in next time when I tell you who won the Longest Beard on a Living Person (Female) award.

Guinness World Records 2012. London: Guinness Word Records Limited, 2011.

Beware The Black Squirrel

2011-11-17T16:51:00.000-06:00

Mississippi had a rich Native American culture before the 1800s. The Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek, and other agreements between the Native American tribes of Mississippi and the government, served to change all of that:

When the Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek was signed, there were over 19,000 Choctaws in Mississippi. From 1831 to 1833, approximately 13,000 Choctaws were removed to the west. More followed over the years. Those who chose to stay in Mississippi are the ancestors of today's Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians. -Choctaw Indians in the 21st Century

Whilst skimming Mississippi, As a Province, Territory, and State (the book was first published in 1880; words like "whilst" are used a lot!), I ran across a few Choctaw nuggets which were too fascinating to let escape.

Black squirrel, sun eater

The Choctaw believed that an eclipse was caused by black squirrels attacking and eating the sun. If the black squirrels were not driven away, the Choctaw thought that they would eat the entire sun. During an eclipse, the tribe would emit a loud clamor, with some even shooting at the sun. This would last until the squirrels had been frightened away or the eclipse ended (Claiborne 524). There can't have been too many eclipses, though, because the squirrel population in Mississippi seems to be thriving to this day.
The Choctaw language is at once foreign and familiar to Mississippians. For example, Sha-ko-loke-o-kah-hick-ki-a-bogue means cypress standing in the water creek (Claiborne 525). Really, that isn't much different than Shuqualak (hog's wallow) or Bogue Chitto (big creek)! (Brieger)
The Choctaw had an interesting take on capital punishment. A murderer was expected to turn himself in at an appointed time and place to be put to death by one of their family members. He could, however, ask for a short stay of execution in order to attend previous engagements. Once the time was up, the only honorable thing to do was turn oneself in with no shirking. On rare occasions, an older family member would stand in for a youthful murderer (Claiborne 488).
Tom-ful-la was a favorite dish made of corn soaked in lye and then boiled. It was seasoned with bear oil, deer tallow, and nuts (Claiborne 501). That actually sounds pretty good! (Bear oil and deer tallow taste like butter, right?)

If you would like to know more about the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, try their website, or stop by the Mississippi Library Commission and check out a book!

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Black_Squirrel.jpg
http://mshistory.k12.ms.us/articles/10/choctaw-indians-in-the-21st-century
Breiger, James F. Hometown Mississippi. Historical and Genealogical Association of Mississippi, 1980. Print.
Claiborne, J.F.H. Mississippi as a Province, Territory, and State. Spartanburg, SC: The Reprint Company, Publishers, 1978. Print.

Library Association Names Prominent Award Recipient

2011-11-16T14:08:00.000-06:00

Kathy Buntin

The Mississippi Library Association (MLA) recently awarded the 2011 Peggy May Award to Kathy Buntin of the Mississippi Library Commission (MLC) at their annual conference held at the Marriott Hotel in downtown Jackson. The Peggy May Award, named for Peggy May, a true champion for libraries throughout this state, recognizes an individual who exemplifies outstanding achievement in library development and/or recruitment of personnel into the library field.

Dr. Melissa Wright, a former MLC co-worker, nominated Buntin. In her nomination, Wright wrote, “When I finished my MLIS (Master of Library and Information Science degree) and got my first job at the Mississippi Library Commission, I was well grounded in the basic library principles, but otherwise clueless! While my library science coursework gave me a good foundation, this year’s winner of the Peggy May Award made me a librarian. She took me under her wing and answered my questions, introduced me to people around the state, and helped me hone my library skills. Kathy embodies everything that a librarian should be: she is hard working, innovative, service-oriented, and is always willing to go the extra mile to help a librarian in need.”

Buntin received her master of library science degree from the University of Alabama, served as director of the Tallahatchie County Library for four and one-half (4½) years, and was hired by the Mississippi Library Commission as special projects officer in the Grants Services Department. She currently serves as Senior Library Consultant in the Development Services Division of MLC.

When asked what her thoughts were about the nomination, Buntin stated, “I am honored to be awarded the 2011 recipient of the Peggy May Award and thankful that my parents and friends were able to share the moment with me. Never have I envisioned myself nominated by a peer, former co-worker and friend for inclusion in this group of librarians whom I have admired as role models in the profession. It is humbling. Being a librarian is more than a job, it is my career and an integral part of how I see myself. It is hard to imagine receiving this award for doing something that I love. The support of family and friends has been crucial in my professional development and I hope that I am able to continue to serve the State of Mississippi and especially Mississippi librarians for years to come.”

Stay or Go: Romanov Edition

2011-11-09T16:04:00.000-06:00

Kudzu, the Mississippi weed

One of the never-ending tasks of a librarian is to "weed" the collection. That means exactly what it says: like a massive growth of kudzu, bad books are trying to take over the library. Librarians continuously cull to make sure that the best books are available for their patrons use. It's hard. I love books, and I think that each and every one of them is valuable in its own right--or at least was at one point in time. That said, no one wants to go to the library and find crumbling, moldy, mildewed books. Books that are no longer relevant (think travel guides from 30 years ago or a history of Europe that ends in 1985) aren't popular either. A website called Awful Library Books is devoted to promoting good library books and to removing the baddies from the shelf. A clever acronym has even been coined to help in the weeding process:

M - Misleading
U - Ugly
S - Superseded
T - Trivial
I - Irrelevant
E - Found Elsewhere

Let me tell you, MUSTIE has helped me out in a pinch when trying to decide if a book should stay or go.

Alexei Romanov

Last week, I watched Russian Revolution in Color, which was excellent. Later, I was browsing the shelves for books to put in a display and ran across The Escape of Alexei, Son of Tsar Nicholas II: What Happened the Night the Romanov Family Was Executed. (This is always dangerous. I also managed to pick up Rising Tide and Marooned: The Strange but True Adventures of Alexander Selkirk, the Real Robinson Crusoe. I have too many books to read!) Wanting to stay on my Russian history kick, I took Alexi home and was looking forward to reading about this theory. I'd never heard a tale about the Tsar's son surviving, only Anastasia. The book wasn't a bad read, but it presupposed knowledge of tiny details of the Russian Revolution. Even my recent viewing of Russian Revolution in Color wasn't helping. And the NAMES! They're enough to make you want to run screaming from the library! (For example, Konstantin Alexeyevich Myachim also went by Vasily Vasilievich Yakovlev. That's quite an alias.)

Taking a break, I decided to do a small web search in order to update my Romanov savvy (And to take a break from the names! Yes, I struggled when I read War and Peace.) I hit Wikipedia and then moved on to some of their external links (This is one of my favorite at-home search methods.) I came across some interesting sites, like this one, and this one. Imagine my disappointment to find that the two bodies that had been missing when my book was published in 1998 had been found and identified in 2007. I don't know how I missed that news flash. My impromptu research made my interest in Alexi completely fizzle.

I'm recommending that this particular book leave our collection. I now consider it contaminated with a great big "M". (That's misleading, remember?!) It would be perfect for a library that has a special collection on Russian history or the Romanovs, but not the Mississippi Library Commission. I checked our collection (You can do that here!) and found that we don't have anything that has been published in this area in the past several years. My next step is to find an up-to-date volume that covers this time frame in history. I'm leaning towards one of these two: The Resurrection of the Romanovs: Anastasia, Anna Anderson, and the World's Greatest Royal Mystery or The Last Days of the Romanovs: Tragedy at Ekaterinburg. Now, that sounds better, doesn't it?
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Alexei_tren.jpg
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kudzu_field_horz1.JPG
https://www.tsl.state.tx.us/ld/pubs/crew/index.html

Life-long Learning at the Library!

2011-10-24T16:06:00.000-05:00

Barbara Price, Library Consultant at MLC, won a blue ribbon at the Mississippi State Fair. The ribbon was awarded for her Tunisian Crochet Sampler afghan. Many people have never heard of Tunisian Crochet, which is why Barbara decided to create the afghan to display the versatility of Tunisian crochet. The afghan demonstrates the 10 Tunisian stitches, as well a two panels of basic which demonstrate patterns created by changing colors and cross-stitch on basic Tunisian crochet.

When asked how she learned about Tunisian crochet, Barbara’s answer is always “In books!”. She first became interested because of her cross-stitching. She wanted to know about how to cross-stitch on crochet, and learned this from McCall’s Big Book of Cross Stitch (ISBN 0-8019-7363-5). This book included instructions for basic Tunisian crochet. Barbara recently completed an afghan of basic crochet with an eagle cross-stitched in the center.
When she wanted to know more about Tunisian crochet, she turned to another book, the Reader’s Digest Complete Guide to Needlework (ISBN 0-89577-059-8). This book taught her the 10 Tunisian stitches, which are Basic, Knit, Purl, Cross-stitch, Lace, Popcorn, Honeycomb, Bias, Cable, and Shell. There are variations on these stitches also.

If you want to know more about Tunisian crochet, check your library catalog. I found the above older books still owned by some libraries, plus a 2009 book by Sharon Silverman titled Tunisian Crochet: the look of knitting with the ease of crocheting.

Post written by Barbara Price, guest blogger

Library Support Staff Certification Registration Assistance Awards Available

2011-10-18T16:35:00.001-05:00

Through a grant to the ALA-Allied Professional Association from the federal Institute for Museum and Library Services, the Mississippi Library Commission is again offering financial assistance awards (one-half of registration fees) to library support staff applying for certification in the ALA Library Support Staff Certification (LSSC) Program. The program offers library employees, from any type of library, the opportunity to achieve recognition for their experience, enhance library service, and increase skills and knowledge in the foundations of librarianship, technology, and communication.

LSSC provides a path to recognition and awareness of the critical role played by library support in the delivery of quality library service. In order to achieve certification, support staff must achieve six of ten competency sets either through development of an online portfolio or taking approved courses. The competency sets are Foundation of Library Service; Technology; Communication and Teamwork; Access Services, Adult Readers’ Advisory Services; Cataloging and Classification; Collection Management; Reference and Information Services; Supervision and Management; and Youth Services.

The Mississippi Library Commission will offer four (4) Registration Assistance Awards in Spring 2012. The Awards of $175 each covers one-half of the LSSC registration and application fee.

To be eligible to participate in LSSC and to receive an Assistance Award, an applicant must have a high school degree/GED and have worked the equivalent of one year (1820 hours) as a library staff member or volunteer within the last five years.

The application form for a Registration Assistance Award is available for download on the Library Commission website.

The deadline for submission of applications to the Library Commission is November 15, 2011. Award recipients will be selected by random drawing on November 21, 1011. Contact Barbara Price at bprice@mlc.lib.ms.us with questions.

Nancy Bolt, Co-Project Director of LSSC commented “LSSC is really pleased that the Mississippi Library Commission is participating in the Registration Awards We are confident that support staff will find certification to be helpful and are thankful for this grant from IMLS.”

Visit the Library Support Staff Certification Program website for more information on LSSC: www.ala-apa.org/lssc

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bookshelf_Prunksaal_OeNB_Vienna_AT_matl00786ch.jpg

I Love My Calendar Girls (and Boys)

2011-10-14T15:15:00.000-05:00

I've spent quite a bit of time sifting through U.S. Federal Census records this week. I invariably run across a few names that are... unusual and unique. After finding several Octobers in one family, I decided to see if there were more people out there with so-called "calendar names." I'm not the only one with a propensity for a name with flair, though. (We've done this in the past with positive results.) Hold onto your day planners and check out this list of "dated" names.

January Ball
February Graves
March January
April Showers
Lillie May Flowers
Ima June Bug
July Forth
August Bee
September Augusta (This seems to be a predominately male name...)
October Friday (While this seems to be a predominately female name. Go figure.)
November Driver
December Rose
Sunday Martini
Monday Vanderpool
Tuesday Stinchcomb
Wednesday Butts
Thursday Gobble
July Friday Parker
Saturday Booms
Calendar Love (If this man hadn't been born in the 1800s, I'd swear he was the inspiration for the Neil Sedaka song.)
Day Night
Week Economy (I promise I didn't make this one up, but he might've.)
Month Quinn
New Year Body (Poor lady. Poor, poor lady. Bless her heart.)

My absolute favorites are the double calendar names. One wonders if they're singularly good at remembering appointments. My one disappointment? I didn't find a single Wednesday Addams in the Census.

http://ancestrylibrary.com
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Crystal_Clear_app_date.png

Mississippi's Kids And The Need To Read

2011-10-10T16:35:00.000-05:00

Saturday, I spent some time at the Mississippi Library Commission's booth at the Mississippi State Fair. Along with my coworker, we talked to many of our fellow Mississippians about library services in our fair state. We saw a lot of younger library users, too, who were eager to grab our offerings of finger puppets, library activity books, and crayons. Let me tell you--these kids are reading! They love books and they love to talk about them. Some of the favorite authors and books we heard about were the Captain Underpants books by Dav Pilkey, the Junie B. Jones books by Barbara Park, and the Heroes of Olympus books by Rick Riordan. It's simply wonderful to listen to a fourth-grader stumble over his words because he's so terribly excited to tell you about a book he just read. This is exactly why the Magnolia Award has been created.

The Magnolia Award's purpose is "to introduce the children of Mississippi to current children's literature and instill a love of reading." At this time, children in grades 3, 4, and 5 can vote for their favorite book out of a list of ten nominees. (Each year, any adult can nominate children's books for the award. There are some basic criteria; you can read about them here.) Starting in 2013, children in kindergarten through 8th grade will be able to weigh in with their choices.

This is the list of nominees for 2012:

Bobby vs. Girls (Accidentally) by Lisa Lee
Calvin Coconut: Zoo Breath by Graham Salisbury
Dying to Meet You: 43 Cemetery Road Book by Kate Klise
Growing Patterns: Fibonacci Numbers in Nature by Sarah C. Campbell
Hallelujah Flight by Phil Blinder
Junkyard Wonders by Patricia Polacco
Small Adventures of Popeye and Elvis by Barbara O’Connor
Tango: The Tale of an Island Dog by Eileen Beha
A Whole Nother Story by Cuthbert Soup
Wild Card by Tiki Barber

Voting is in February of 2012 and the winner will be announced in April at the Fay B. Kaigler Children's Book Festival. Children need to have exposure to at least half the books on the list in order to vote. (They can either read the books themselves or listen to them.) Luckily, the Mississippi Library Commission has ordered all ten books! Boy, I wish I could vote!

http://www.usm.edu/childrens-book-festival/magnolia-award

Mildred D. Taylor, Hear My Cry

2011-09-30T14:32:00.000-05:00

"We have no choice of what color we're born or who our parents are or whether we're rich or poor. What we do have is some choice over what we make of our lives once we're here." - Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry

In 1977, Mississippi native Mildred D. Taylor won the Newbery Medal for her book Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. In 1986, my mother gave it to me for Christmas. (They've redone the cover art since I was in elementary school, but this image is the one I remember.) The book is the third in a semi-autobiographical series about an African American family living in Mississippi. (Taylor based the books on her own family history.) It's set during the Great Depression, when lives were hard for farmers in the Delta, and even harder if your skin wasn't white.

This book was seminal to my understanding of race relations in my home state. I had heard the "N" word before and I knew it was a bad word that I wasn't supposed to say. Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry explained why. It explained the front page of our textbooks, which even in the 1980s had a place for the race of the child using a book for the year. It explained the hurt that happened when someone was discriminated against for the color of their skin and the awful, insurmountable hatred that people inexplicably feel for their fellow human beings. It made me realize that words can do much more than hurt, that they can carry the prejudice, hate, meanness and unfounded superiority of past generations. After reading Mildred D. Taylor's book, I vowed that I would never say or even think words like the "N" word. I would never be like the people in her book.

Despite being an award-winning book for tweens and teens, the short novel has been the focus of several discriminatory groups:

In 1993, a Louisiana high school removed it from its reading list because of "racial bias."
In 1998, a California middle school challenged it because of "racial epithets."
In 2000, an Alabama elementary school library challenged it because of "racial slurs."
In 2004, a Florida school district challenged it because it was "inappropriate" for the age group reading it. Also, it uses the word "nigger."

To these detractors, I say, "Pish!" It is vital that children read more books like this. Books can entertain, true, and Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry is entertaining. Exceptional books, however, do much more than just entertain. They enlighten. They educate. They expand our minds. So much better to read, understand, and learn to form our own opinions than to sweep everything under the proverbial carpet.

Doyle, Robert P. Banned Books: Challenging Our Freedom to Read. Chicago, IL: American Library Association, 2010. Print.
Taylor, Mildred D. Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. New York: The Dial Press, 1976. Print.

Then Again, Maybe I'll Read Deenie Forever.

2011-09-30T10:48:00.002-05:00

I’ve put off writing about my favorite banned book this week because there are just so many to choose from. I’ve decided to go with ALL of Judy Blume’s books as my favorite banned books--because almost all of them have been challenged for one reason or another. I am grateful that my parents let me read whatever I wanted to growing up--or perhaps they just weren’t paying attention--because having the freedom to read is a gift.

When those books you want to read contain topics that you absolutely do NOT want to talk to your parents about, Judy Blume is a lifesaver. And contrary to censors' opinions, reading about someone doing something doesn't mean you're going to run out and do the same thing. Some of my favorites include the following Blume titles--I’ve also included the number of times they’ve been challenged in school and public libraries:

Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret: 7 challenges
Blubber: 15 challenges
Deenie: 13 challenges
Forever: 21 challenges
Starring Sally J. Freedman as Herself: 3 challenges
Then Again, Maybe I Won’t: 12 challenges

Of those, I think Starring Sally J. Freedman As Herself is my favorite. I reread it a few months ago, and I was oblivious to the “profane, immoral, and offensive” content that parents have objected to. The worst thing I can remember is that Sally thinks Hitler is living in Florida.

When I was in middle school, Forever was a big deal. A BIG DEAL. Copies were always getting confiscated by teachers. I remember that my friend Carrie got in trouble for talking in science class and was banished to the science lab, a small room in between two regular classrooms. There she found a confiscated copy of Forever, which she snatched up, read, and then passed around. A true first amendment hero (and minor delinquent)!

There is good news: according to the American Library Association’s Office of Intellectual Freedom, the agency that records information on challenged books, challenges are at their lowest since 1990.

You can look here for more information on challenged titles—lists of titles by year, lists of authors, classics that have been challenged and banned, and more.

Banned Books Week!

2011-09-28T15:48:00.003-05:00

It's banned books week! We'll be posting our favorite banned books here for the remainder of the week.

Here is my favorite:

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

This is my FAVORITE book. Period. The Bell Jar, published in 1963, is the only novel that was ever written by famous American poet, Sylvia Plath. Plath first published the book under the pseudonym Victoria Lucas. The novel tells the story of Esther Greenwood, a young lady from Boston, Massachusetts. Esther dreams of being a writer and spends a summer interning for a popular women's magazine in New York City. After her internship, she had plans to attend a writing course from a famous author. Upon her arrival home she learns that she did not make it in to the course. The book chronicles Eshter's life as she struggles with serious depression and adjusts to life in a mental institution. Many of the events in Esther's life mirror those of the author, Sylvia Plath. The book has been said to be an autobiography of Plath's life, but with a fictional character as the focal point. Of course, not everything that Esther goes through really happened to Plath.

The book has faced its fair share of opposition over the years. In 1979 it was prohibited in schools in Warsaw, Indiana. In 1981 300 residents signed a petition in an attempt to get the book removed from libraries because it contains sexual material and promotes an "objectionable" philosophy of life. In 1998 it was challenged for use in English classes in the Richland, Washington high school district because it stressed suicide, illicit sex, violence, and hopelessness.

Stay tuned for more of our favorite banned books!

Doyle, Robert P. 2007: Banned Books: 2007 Resource Book. Chicago: American Library Association.

Meebo and the Phenomenal Governor William Winter

2011-09-26T16:02:00.000-05:00

Governor William Winter,
Marshall Bouldin III, 1983.

Last week, a Meebo friend asked us a question about the portrait of former Governor William Winter hanging in the Hall of Governors at the New Capitol. With a little bit of help from our friends at the Mississippi Department of Archives and History, I was on my merry way. They pointed me to an article in The Clarion-Ledger that was written when the governor left office in 1984. I learned all about the former Mississippi governor, his portrait, and his celebrated portraitist, Marshall Bouldin III. Winter's portrait is unusual in that there are six other people portrayed in the picture. They are:

An African-American man who represents that population of the state of Mississippi.
Governor Winter actually appears in his portrait twice. He's man in the dark suit, and he's mimicking a pose he liked to strike.
The third man from the left in the picture is David Crews. He was Winter's press secretary.
Elise Winter, Governor Winter's wife.
If you peer closely at the portrait and look between Elise Winter's head and the large column, you will see the head of Herman Glazier poking up. He was Governor Winter's executive assistant.
Last but not least is Jason Bouldin, who at seventeen, represented the youth of the state of Mississippi.

Our former governor also has a sense of humor. At the unveiling of his portrait, Governor Winter related the following anecdote:

"You know, I was on my way down here and I heard one man say to another, 'What's that crowd down there for?' And the other one said, 'Why, they're getting ready to hang the governor."

Black, Patti Carr. Art in Mississippi, 1720-1980. Jackson, MS: University Press of Mississippi, 1998. Print.

Holland, Elizabeth. "Winter's portrait joins predecessors in hall." The Clarion-Ledger, 5 Jan. 1984: B3. Print.

New Books!

2011-09-22T15:45:00.005-05:00

It occurred to me a moment ago as I scurried to the new book shelf to snatch up Gabrielle Hamilton's Blood, Bones, and Butter that we haven't done a list of interesting new books lately. Let's remedy that!

Here are some of the new books we've recently acquired:
Gourmet Today
The Essential New York Times Cookbook
At Home: A Short History of Private Life by Bill Bryson
A Natural History of the Senses by Diane Ackerman (such a good book!)
Neverland: J.M. Barrie, the Du Mauriers, and the Dark Side of Peter Pan by Piers Dudgeon (this is on my list)
The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America by Erik Larsen(a great read!)
The Disappearing Spoon: and Other Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of Elements by Sam Kean (also on my list)
The Wisdom of Crowds by James Surowiecki
The Possessed: Adventures with Russian Books and the People Who Read Them by Elif Batuman
Banana: The Fate of the Fruit that Changed the World by Dan Koeppel
The Mind's Eye by Oliver Sacks
My Father Married Your Mother: Dispatches from the Blended Family
Last Call: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition by Daniel Okrent
Hellhound on his Trail: The Stalking of Martin Luther King, Jr. and the International Manhunt for his Killer by Hampton Sides

If any of these strike your fancy, come on in, get a card, and browse our new book shelf, why don't you?

Rockets on the River

2011-09-20T15:13:00.016-05:00

Today I got a Meebo request asking if I could find some information on NASA transporting Apollo rockets by river. At first I was a little skeptical: a rocket floating down the river? That’s crazy! It turns out it actually happened and Mississippi played a role in it!

With the Soviet Union’s successful launch of Sputnik in October of 1957, America really began to feel the pressure in the space race. In answer to Sputnik, America began designing and building several Saturn rockets as part of NASA’s Apollo program. The Saturn rockets were built in three different stages. The first and second stages were assigned to Chrysler and Boeing. The companies were given the Michoud Ordnance plant in New Orleans to set up production. The plant was huge! 46 acres under one roof! Static testing of the first and second stages were to take place at the Mississippi Test Facility in Hancock County, MS, now known as The John C. Stennis Space Center. Stennis is now America’s largest rocket engine testing facility! In fact, there is a saying that goes, “If you want to go to the moon, you first have to go through Hancock County, Mississippi” (http://www.nasa.gov/centers/stennis/about/stennis/index.html). From Stennis, the rockets then made their way to the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, FL.

Shipment of the oversized pieces from Huntsville, AL to Michoud to the Mississippi Test Center to the Kennedy Space Center proved to be a challenge. The pieces were so large that transportation on the road was impossible. To solve this problem NASA opted to use a fleet of barges and ships. If things needed to get somewhere in a hurry NASA also used two Stratocruisers called “Pregnant Guppy” and “Super Guppy” to fly parts to their destinations.

Parts of the Saturn V being transported by barge is escorted by two tug boats.

Above is a map of the Saturn Barge route. The route began in Huntsville and ended in Cape Canaveral with stops along the way in New Orleans at Michoud and in Hancock County, MS at the Mississippi Test Center.

The Super Guppy! The front of the plane opened 110 degrees for easier loading.

I hope this answers your question, Meebo patron!

Cortright, E.M., Ed. (1975). Apollo Expeditions to the Moon. Washington, D.C.: National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

http://www.nasa.gov/centers/stennis/about/stennis/index.html

http://www.nasa.gov/centers/stennis/pdf/428016main_FS-2010-02-00087-SSC.pdf

All the News That's Fit to Print, Newton County Style

2011-09-19T15:03:00.000-05:00

Last week I was helping a patron look for genealogical material in one of our reference books, Newton County, Mississippi: Newspaper Items 1872-1875 and W.P.A. Manuscript. While she studiously scanned census rolls, I swallowed my snickers over some of the newsworthy items of the late 19th century. I shared a few with my patron and we chatted a bit about what an experience it must have been to live in a small, rural Mississippi town nearly 150 years ago. Everyone knew everyone else. Everything and anything was worth at least a mention or a remembrance in the local town paper. Resources like this can provide invaluable clues for genealogy research in addition to a fascinating glimpse at small town life. Here's a small sampling of my favorites:
(The comments in parenthesis are my own.)

Thursday, September 26, 1872

A grey eagle was captured near Brandon the 17th that was 7 ft. from wing tip to wing tip. It had been carrying off young pigs. (My mom once gave a kitten to our across-the-street neighbor. An eagle or hawk carried it away. It did not make the news.)

Thursday, January 2, 1873

The thermometer dropped to zero this week. (It's always a hot topic in Mississippi when the weather gets cooler.)

Thursday, March 13, 1873

Marine Watkins will place his horse in a quarter race against any other Miss. horse. Purse unlimited.

James Taylor had a bad fall while painting the residence of Marine Watkins. (After reading this, I decided that Marine needed to make some extra cash to help James with medical expenses. That could be completely false, but it makes for a nice story, right?)

Thursday, April 3, 1873

W.H. Wilcox, formerly of Newton Co., has swindled people in Rankin Co. and deserted his wife and children. (News! I'm surprised that the wife and children's names weren't listed.)

Thursday, May 15, 1873

Capt. Scanlan gave a party Friday night that lasted long past midnight. (I'm sure the town biddies were all aflutter about this shindig.)

Mrs. Judge Watts has the best arranged gardens in town.

Mrs. Thos. Thompson has beets as large as Mrs. Watts. (Oh, yes. Keeping up with the Watts.)

Thursday, June 5, 1873

R.K. Batt was bitten by a moccasin while hunting last Friday. He was in pain for several hours, but is now up again.

Jno. Bynum wounded Martin Warren of 7 miles NE of Decatur during a quarrel over some dogs. Warren is not expected to survive.

Thursday, June 12, 1873

We have more dogs and goats in town than any other town of the same size in MS.

Mr. Warren has died of the wounds inflicted by Bynum.

Thursday, July 10, 1873

Mr. Chas. Burns brought us a beautiful coffee pot. He has many others. (How many coffee pots do you suppose he owned? Two? Three? Thirty?)

Mrs. Eliza Eubanks of Newton, grandmother of J.K. Warner who was killed by Martin Bynum, offers a reward of $200 for the apprehension of Bynum described as being 25 years old, tall & slender, light complexion & hair, with blue eyes.

Thursday, July 17, 1873

The coat of Dr. T.S. West was stolen from his room. He will be confined to his room until a new coat can be made. (You do realize it was July? I suppose a proper Southern gentleman just wouldn't go out without the correct attire.)

Thursday, July 16, 1874

Dr. Watts has a cucumber 36 in. long that looks like a swamp moccasin. (Couldn't you say that all cucumbers look like moccasins?)

Thursday, April 29, 1875

D.L. Young age 16 of Winona is a mathematical prodigy.

Mr. L. Young showed us some turnips as large as coffee cups. (I'm surmising that the Youngs visited town that day with D.L. and turnips in tow. Poor turnips. Poor D.L.)

From the WPA Manuscript portion of this genealogical treasure trove of a book, I found this summary of the happenings between Bynum and Warren:

Martin Bynum killed John Warren on June 3, 1873. Warren had caught up Bynum's stray cows and was holding them for payment of damages the cattle did his property. Words passed between the two, and without promise of future settlement of their disagreement, they began fighting. Bynum killed Warren with a barlow knife. Another act of self-defense.

"Without promise of future settlement of their disagreement..." What a pretty way to say they were stubborn as mules and couldn't work things out without fighting!

I hope you've enjoyed this trip down Memory Lane to small town Mississippi. Don't forget: In addition to providing great ancestral clues, old newspapers can provide a fun and insightful look at life long ago.

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Agkistrodon_piscivorus_Flickr.jpg#file
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:CDC_beets.jpg#file
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:CDC_cuke2.jpg#file
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Coffeepot,_English_-_Indianapolis_Museum_of_Art_-_DSC00628.JPG#file
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pig_suckling.png#file
Strickland, Jean and Patricia Nicholson Edwards. Newton County, Mississippi: Newspaper Items 1872-1875 and W.P.A. Manuscript. Ben Strickland, 1998. Print.

Google News Archives & Dear Abby.

2011-09-16T14:58:00.005-05:00

It's a beautiful, sunny Friday afternoon here in Jackson, and while the reference desk phone keeps ringing and people keep asking interesting questions (what is the mortality rate in Coahoma county for emphysema? for example), between calls I find myself drifting back into something I find highly entertaining.

First off, did you know that many newspapers are available digitally (and free) through Google News? What's most interesting for me is the Archives category. From there, you can search for older articles from a variety of newspapers and read the text for free.

This week as I was doing some research, I was looking on microfilm for some information. Now, searching microfilm is not always fun. (Do it long enough, and you might need some Dramamine.) What I like to do as I'm searching a newspaper is stop by and enjoy the scenery: I read the funnies, and I look at the movie listings, but my favorite thing is to read the advice columns.

One of the Dear Abbys I read from the 60s Clarion-Ledger I was searching was about a woman whose husband hasn't bathed since their son's wedding...THREE YEARS AGO!

In the 60s and 70s, Dear Abby and Ann Landers were almost nothing like what they are now. Besides the infrequent bather, many, many women wrote in to complain about their husbands' chest hair -- having too much, too little, whatever. Abby's and Ann's responses are also very unhelpful, which adds to my amusement.

While I can't sit around at the microfilm reader and continue to read hilarious letters all day, I CAN, when I have a minute, "refine my search skills" and "practice utilizing resources that are available to me" by doing a little Dear Abby/Google News Archives searching.

To search yourself and see what I mean, go to Google and click on News. Enter "dear abby" and any word at all. You may not get any results, but on the lefthand side, choose Archives. And let the fun begin! I tried "dear abby" and hamburger as my search, and got this article about a poor girl whose boyfriend is so cheap he only buys her hamburgers. And another girl whose boyfriend always gets ONIONS on his hamburger, which makes parting at the end of their dates awkward!

I find these letters so entertaining. However, I should point out that I hear you can also use Google News Archives to find real information as well.

Let us know if you find anything good in your searching!

Letters About Literature: Let's Go Writing, Mississippi!

2011-09-13T14:40:00.000-05:00

It’s time to start thinking about Letters About Literature, the national reading and writing competition for students in grades 4-12. Letters about Literature is sponsored by the Center for the Book (in the Library of Congress) and Target stores nationally; locally, the Mississippi Center for the Book has partnered with the Friends of Mississippi Libraries.

In the contest, students write a personal letter to the author—living or dead—of their favorite books, explaining what the book meant to them, how the book changed their life, how they related to the characters…or anything at all, as long as it is a personal letter! Books can be nonfiction, fiction, or even a short story, poem, or speech.

There are three Levels of Competition:

Level I: Grades 4-6
Level II: Grades 7-8
Level III: Grades 9-12

State prizes include a $100 cash prize for first-place winners in each Level of Competition; a $75 cash prize for second-place winners in each Level of Competition; and a $50 cash prize for third-place winners in each Level of Competition. First-place winners will also receive a $50 Target gift card and will advance to the National Level Judging.

The national judges will select six National Winners (two from each Level of Competition) and twelve National Honorable Mention Winners (four from each Level of Competition). The National Winners will receive a $500 Target gift card, along with a $10,000 Letters About Literature Reading Promotion Grant for their community or school library. National Honorable Mention Winners will receive a $100 Target gift card and a $1,000 Letters About Literature Reading Promotion Grant for their community or school library.

Yes, that’s $10,000!

The contest runs from September 1 through January 6, 2012. Entries must be accompanied by an entry coupon, found here.

For more information, visit the Letters about Literature website at http://www.lettersaboutliterature.org/ or contact Mississippi Center for the Book Coordinator Tracy Carr Seabold at tcarr@mlc.lib.ms.us or 601-432-4450.

Fred Who? Fred Meebo!

2011-08-29T16:40:00.000-05:00

Who is Fred anyway? Could this man be Fred?

A curious Meebo patron asked us if the Fred who appears in the Fred's SuperDollar commercials is the eponymous Fred who started the discount retail chain. After a little digging, I am saddened to report that he is not. I found an article from 2010 that states:

Besides changing the faces of hundreds of Fred's stores, the company is changing the face of Fred himself. Well, sort of.
The company revived a 1990s "Fred" character for new in-store promotions and on-site events. The new Fred is a neighborly, older gentleman. However, much like the "Wilson" character from "Home Improvement," Fred hides his face somewhere between his fishing hat and cardigan sweater.

I did learn one neat nugget. Fred's began life in Coldwater, Mississippi in 1947. How's that for Mississippi entrepreneurship?!

Concord Mansion Meebo Request.

2011-08-29T08:15:00.006-05:00

Last night we received an interesting Meebo request from someone looking for photographs of Concord Mansion in Natchez, which burned in 1901. Luckily for the patron and myself, there are several good photos available online.

The Preservation in Mississippi blog has a good image of the house from a postcard:

That blog post also includes the text of an article about the house fire from the March 21, 1901 Natchez Democrat.

Several other images are available on this blog about Old New Orleans:

And this one, taken in 1940 of all that remained:

That blog post also includes the text from the New York Times article about the fire.

Meebo patron, I hope this is what you were looking for! Please let us know if you need more information. You can Meebo us again, email us at mlcref@mlc.lib.ms.us, or call us at 601-432-4492!

MLC Tech News.

2011-08-23T16:33:00.002-05:00

A few weeks ago, I attended a fantastic library conference -- and before you ask, "Is that an oxymoron?" let me tell you: it is rare that each and every session of any conference, library or no, appeals to your interests. But the Mid-South eResources Symposium and the MSU Emerging Technologies Summit (held back to back on a Thursday and Friday) were just fantastic!

The most interesting thing I learned seems kind of obvious, but I hadn't heard it explicitly stated before: if your product isn't available through a mobile device, you're dead in the water. If you can't access a library's catalog on an iPhone, people aren't interested. Sometimes it's difficult to see things as a non-librarian, but yeah, I agree.

To that end, I'm excited to announce two things: one, that you can download the iLib2Go app for iPhones and search MLC's collection! While I have no information on when it will be available for Android, the app is free for Apple products. Once loaded, you choose your library, and off you go. If you log in, you can reserve books, see what items you have checked out, etc. I know I'm a library nerd, but I think it's pretty cool. I did a test run and reserved Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking. When I returned to work from the conference, the book had been pulled for me and was waiting on my desk! Service!

The second thing is that you can now text us your questions. We have a special text-only phone number, 601-208-0868, and encourage you to use it! (If you're a librarian and are curious, it's free through Google Voice. I have a how-to I can send you.) We plan to put the number on all of our study tables so that if our patrons have a question while in the stacks -- "Hey, did my article print?" "Where are the books on Pomerarians?" -- they can stay put and get their answers fast.

We're very excited to join the 21st century in these two exciting ways.

Adult Summer Library Program Winners Announced

2011-08-17T10:36:00.000-05:00

The statewide drawing for the awarding of prizes for “Novel Destinations,” the Adult Summer Library Program, was recently held at the Mississippi Library Commission (MLC). Winners were selected from participants of the Adult Summer Library Programs at 14 participating public library systems. The names were drawn by MLC’s Executive Director Sharman B. Smith while Consultant Barbara Price recorded the results.

The following are the winners’ names and prizes: Tracy Englert, The Library of Hattiesburg, Petal & Forrest County Library System won the Imperial Palace (IP) Casino and Resort in Biloxi’s - weekend stay; dinner for two at the impressive tien restaurant and a $100 Senses Spa & Salon certificate and Amy Dahl, Jackson-George Regional Library System also won an Imperial Palace (IP) Casino and Resort weekend stay in a luxurious standard room and dinner for two at tien; Nena Seiler, First Regional Library System won Bally’s Casino – Tunica in Robinsonville’s one-night, one room, hotel stay for two; the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Biloxi’s dinner for two at Vibe went to Scarlet Gassord, South Mississippi Regional Library System; Beth Jenkins, Sunflower County Library System, was the recipient of the Isle Capri Casino-Hotel in Biloxi’s two-night stay and two free buffets; Diamond Jack’s Casino in Vicksburg one-night stay and two dinner buffets was awarded to Barbara Harper, Yazoo Library Services; Sylvia Epperly, Lee-Itawamba County Library System, name was drawn for the Resorts Casino –Tunica in Tunica Resorts for two guests, one-night stay; Riverwalk Casino Hotel in Vicksburg’s two guests, one-night stay, $40 certificate at Rocky’s and $10 GoPlay certificate went to Jessie McCarty, East Mississippi Regional Library System; Nanette Murphree, Hancock County Library System, won the two-night stay and dinner for two at The Great Buffet of Sam’s Town Hotel and Casino – Tunica in Robinsonville and Sue Weiger, Columbus-Lowndes Library System, was the recipient of the Silver Dollar Hotel & Casino – Pearl River Resort’s one night stay and buffet for two at Chef’s Pavilion.

As an added incentive to this year’s Adult Summer Library Program, nine Mississippi casinos donated prizes to adults who participated in the programs. The values of the prizes ranged from $100 to $430, and included free nights stay at the hotels, meals, and spa services. “Novel Destinations,” was the theme for the Adult Summer Library Programs. Each library system or branch provided different types of programs around the theme and many awarded local prizes in addition to the statewide prizes. All adults were eligible to participate; however, to be eligible to win a statewide prize, you had to be 21 years of age or older.

Librarian Karma!

2011-08-10T14:27:00.001-05:00

Yesterday afternoon, a patron came in looking for a copy of The Help. While we have four copies (and a ten-copy set available for public libraries to use for their book discussion clubs), all of them are checked out at the moment. But because my patron has come in before and I knew her, I offered to loan her my personal copy, which I happened to have in my office.

“You’re so sweet!” she said.
“No, I’m a librarian,” I replied. As I smiled, a shiny reflection bounced off my tooth and there was a "ding!" sound in the air.

Today while at the reference desk, my patron came back with the book. “I’m done!” she said. (She was kidding.) She had a post-it stuck in the book to mark her place. “Turn to the bookmark and read the third sentence,” she said.

I turned to the page, and there sat a crispy $20 bill that I had apparently stuck in the book and forgotten about! While it was my money all along, it still felt like I was being rewarded for my small good deed. I'm now fighting the urge to run around the library handing out my copies of various books to the patrons.

If you haven’t yet read The Help but are dying to know the story, the movie opens nationwide today!

A Picture Can Lead to One Thousand Words

2011-08-05T14:04:00.000-05:00

Lillie Mae Walkup 1904

A few days ago, one of our Twitter followers asked if we could track down people. Why, of course we can! Well, we can sure try. The young lady in question is a Miss L. M. Walkup from Florida. After seeing her in a class graduation picture--the only female to graduate from the Atlanta College of Pharmacy in 1904--our patron's curiosity was peaked. Mine was, too. How much is it possible to learn about someone from 100 years ago? Someone, that is, to whom my patron and I have no connection and therefore no way to gain any useful family anecdotes? Peruse the following and watch a snapshot form, all from census, military, and death records.

Pre-1885

Miss L. M. Walkup's father was Henry C. Walkup. He was born in December of 1842. When he was 17, in May of 1861, he enlisted in Company B of the North Carolina 26th Infantry Regiment. Mr. Henry would've seen action in North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, and most horrifically, Pennsylvania. After seeing the atrocities of war at Gettysburg, Private Walkup was mustered out in December of 1863 due to an injury.

In the 1870 census, Henry is living in Sharon, Mecklenburg County, North Carolina with his wife Nannie, their five month old son, Robert, and their servant, Nancy Johnson. Henry has already become Dr. Walkup. (I suppose he was busy studying between 1863 and 1870.)

By 1880, Henry and Nannie have moved to Pineville in Mecklenburg County. Robert is no longer with the family (poor baby), but there are three other little boys and a girl all under the age of ten. Luckily, Henry's mother Dorcas and unmarried sister Julia are living with them. One hopes they helped Nannie with the children!

1885

Little Miss Lillie Mae Walkup first appears with her twin sister Rosa L. on the Florida State Census in 1885. They are three years old and the youngest in a still growing family then consisting of their father the physician, their mother, and their sister and four brothers. The family lived in the small community of McIntosh, located south of Gainesville on Orange Lake. The family moved to there from North Carolina between 1880 and 1882.

At some point between 1888 and 1893, Mrs. Nannie T. Walkup went to her great reward. Her husband, Dr. Henry C. Walkup, remarried in 1893 to a woman named Ida H. (With absolutely no reason other than the fact that I like the name, I have decided "H" stands for "Hortense." What do you think?)

1900

By the 1900 U.S. Census, sixteen-year-olds Lillie Mae and her twin Rosa were the oldest children in the household. Their younger siblings, Adam and Mary, went to school with them. Their father Henry worked as a druggist and physician and their step-mother Ida took care of the family. Miss Lillie Mae attended Atlanta College Pharmacy for two years and graduated in 1904. She was the class secretary and treasurer. After this, she returned to her family in McIntosh, Florida. Unfortunately, this was the last time I ran across her twin sister. (She has become my new obsession; I wonder what happened to her.)

1910

By 1910, Lillie Mae's father Henry is presumably deceased. Her step-mother is living off her "own income" but several of her step-children are living with her. Lillie is a practicing druggist and her brother Adam is a physician. (Chips off the old block!) John and Samuel are merchants at a general store. Mary lives with them, too, but is unemployed.

1920

By 1920, brother Samuel has left home, married, and started his own family. (They still live in McIntosh, though.) John is married and living in North Carolina; he runs a shoe store. Lillie and Adam are still practicing in their respective chosen fields and Mary is training to be a nurse. These three youngest "children" still live at home with Momma. According to draft registration cards, Samuel had blue eyes, black hair, and was of medium build and height. I wonder if they all had the same coloring.

1930

By 1930, John has moved back to McIntosh with his wife Lucy. They have four children. Samuel still lives there with his wife Elizabeth and their four children. Adam was married in 1921 to a woman from Kentucky named Edna. He works as a physician on the railroad and also does some private practice. The couple lives in St. Augustine, St. John's County, Florida and has no children. Adam is also listed as a WWI veteran. (Samuel and John did not serve. I suppose they were too old and/or had too many children.)

The two unmarried sisters, Mary and Lillie Mae have moved to (guess where) St. Augustine, Florida! Mary is an RN on private duty and Lillie Mae is a pharmacist at a retail drug store. They share a home on the same street as their brother. Step-Momma Walkup passed away in 1922 in St. John's County. It seems as if she must have moved there to be with her step-children.

Beyond 1930

Lillie Mae and Mary live together until at least 1934, according to city directories. By 1945, Lillie Mae has moved to Daytona Beach in Volusia County and lives alone. She passed away in 1952, when she was about 69 years old.

I agree with our patron--Lillie Mae Walkup was a fascinating individual. In 1910, less than 25% of women were "gainfully employed." Females only made up about 5% of the professional work force in Florida then. More than 85% of those professional women in 1910 were musicians, music teachers, school teachers, and trained nurses. In that day and age, she decided to enter a profession that was nearly absent of women. She was obviously very close to her family. I wonder how much her father's experiences in the Civil War influenced his children's career goals. She must have enjoyed her profession, too. She was a pharmacist for at least thirty years. That's some serious dedication!

I hope you enjoyed learning what you can discover in easily accessible historical documents. Remember, the Mississippi Library Commission offers free access to Ancestry Library Edition in the building. Another great goodie? Once you have applied for and received your MLC library card, you are eligible to receive access to our subscription to Heritage Quest for free!

www.ancestry.com

Census + Librarians = Nuggets

2011-07-28T10:40:00.000-05:00

Recently, I was searching for a boarding house in the 1860 U.S. Census. When I found it, I had a nice surprise. I managed to translate the census taker's looped scrawl into "librarian." That's right--in 1860, the Mississippi State Librarian was living at the Dixon House in Jackson, the very place I was trying to find:

1860 U.S. Federal Census - T.W. Johns

"Wouldn't it be even nicer," thought I, "if I could find a little nugget about this T.W. Johns, Librarian State, to share with our readers?" I snuck into Tracy's office and borrowed her copy of A History of Mississippi Libraries. (Thanks, Tracy!) As I scanned the list of former State Librarians, two facts grabbed my attention. One was that good old T.W. only lasted one year. (That's OK, T.W. Librarying isn't for everyone.) The second? The first female State Librarian, Mary Morancy, appeared in 1876. I managed to find her census record, too:

1880 U.S. Federal Census - Mary Morancy

Let me amend that. The list of State Librarians actually looks like this:

J.B. Harris for Mrs. Mary Morancy, 1876-1880
F.M. Shelton for Mrs. Mary Morancy, 1880-1884
Frank Johnston for Mrs. Mary Morancy, 1884-1892
T.J. Buchanan for Miss Rose Lee Tucker, 1892-1896

I found an explanation when I flipped the page:

Ladies have held the job since 1876, but from 1876 to 1896 it was the custom for a man to run for the post, then appoint a lady to serve.

I am flabbergasted at this system! I wonder if the men who campaigned for the library job they wouldn't perform advertised who they planned to appoint. I imagine this campaign slogan:

Vote for Tippecanoe--I'll get you Marian Paroo!

Aren't we lucky that they decided to move to a system where librarians were hired based on their accomplishments in their own right? If you would like to know a bit more about the Mississippi State Librarian, simply click the link!

www.ancestry.com
Howell, J.B. and Margarete Peebles, eds. A History of Mississippi Libraries. Montgomery, AL: Paragon Press, 1975. Print.

Harry Potter and the Overly Exuberant Librarian

2011-07-14T11:17:00.003-05:00

I bought the tickets this morning. We're going to watch the last of Rowling's books take life on the silver screen. Both of us are literally counting down the hours; the back-and-forth texting comparing who is more excited has been going on since the crack of dawn. So, do you know what happens when a Harry Potter fan is a Reference Librarian? (Picture gleeful rubbing together of hands.)

A Potter family of four--James, Lily, and tots Minerva and Loyd-- lived in Otero, Colorado in 1900.
There were three James and Lily Potter households in the 1901 England Census:
James and Lily Potter, 1900s style

Little Hulton
James Potter - coal miner
Lily - wife
John and Ethel - children

Woodbury
James Potter - general labourer
Lily - wife
Lily Lee, Joseph Lee, and Robert Lee - step-children
Henrietta Potter - daughter

Islington
James Potter - printer
Lily - wife
Elizabeth - mother-in-law

Now, why didn't any of them name a son Harry? That's just no fun!
In 1830, there were only two Harry Potters living in the US. Incidentally, they both lived in New York State.
By 1930, the number of Harry Potters in the US had increased to 229. One was even born in Mississippi in 1910.
Although there is no Voldemort in any of the US Censuses, there were 23 Tom Riddles listed in the 1930 census.

Neville's wedding cake

In May of 1994, a Mr. Neville Longbottom was married in Bristol. Congratulations, Neville!
From 1928-1944, a Hermione Granger lived in Monterey County, California.
There were six Lovegoods in the 1881 England Census. Sadly, none of them were named Luna or Xenophilius.
There were 41 Weasleys in the 1920 US Census. It seems the American branch wasn't as prolific as the British.
There were nine McGonagalls living in Scotland in 1871.

Dumbledore

Dumbledore means a humble-bee or bumble-bee.
Hagrid means exactly what it looks like... someone who is hag ridden, and thus, is oppressed in mind or harassed. "When she had not slept she did not quaintly tell the servants next morning that she had been ‘hagrid’." T. Hardy Mayor of Casterbridge
Snape means to rebuke or snub, or to check, restrain, or curb.
Mundungus is poor-quality, bad-smelling tobacco.
Mundungus

That's what a Reference Librarian with Harry Potter on the brain gets up to. Only 3 1/2 more hours until magic time. I could use a Cheering Charm to get me through. Get out your wands, people!

http://www.ancestrylibrary.com/default.aspx
http://www.oed.com/
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bee_at_Wisley_Gardens.jpg
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:DunhillEarlyMorningPipeMurrays.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/StateLibQld_1_54740_Family_portrait%2C_1900-1910.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f4/Hochzeitstorte.jpg

1960 Jackson Household Equipment Stats.

2011-07-07T09:52:00.001-05:00

Yesterday we received a question about the number of households in 1960 Jackson that had telephone service. If you are a librarian – and this includes those of you who are merely librarians at heart – you know that this is a perfect question. 1960 was a census year. It’s a reasonable assumption that this question may have been included in the housing census. Jackson is a big enough city that the data is probably available. Time to dig!

(An example of an imperfect question: how many households in 1967 Itta Bena watched I Dream of Jeannie?)

The answer was in the 1960 Census of Population and Housing; 76% of households had telephone service. I was actually more interested in some of the other data found on the same table relating to “selected equipment” for households in Jackson:

Washing machine: 62% (of these, 13% had only a “wringer or spinner”)
Dryer: 7%
Freezer: 19%
Car: 77% had at least one
Air conditioning: 30% (!!); only 5% of Jackson homes had central air
TV: 88% had at least one
Radio: 89% had at least one

Those air conditioning numbers are really giving me second thoughts about the time travel I’ve been planning.

It does remind me, however, about when I first moved to Jackson and lived in an apartment in the historic Belhaven area. My apartment had window units, and my mother was just shocked about this. I drove her past Eudora Welty’s house on Pinehurst, with the window unit hanging out of the living room window up front. I told my mother that if window units were good enough for Miss Welty, they were good enough for me!

Speaking of, if you come to Jackson, you should tour the Eudora Welty House. You’ll learn that Miss Welty didn’t like air conditioning and that the living room’s unit was the only one in the house. (The house now has central air, so don’t worry, Mom.)

A Manhunt for Mississippi Midwives.

2011-06-27T16:38:00.003-05:00

This morning I was on a manhunt. Well, a wife hunt. A midwife hunt, to be exact. A patron was looking for information on the particular midwife who delivered many members of her family in the 1930s. While that element of the search is still ongoing, I discovered many interesting things about early 20th century midwifery. Did you know that word is pronounced mid-wiffery and not mid-wife-ery? (That is not one of the things I learned today. I learned that one from watching Private Practice.)

Mississippi midwives were first granted permission to practice by the state in 1906. According to the Manual of Midwives, first published in the 20s and revised in 1948, “A survey in 1921 showed 4,209 women practicing midwifery in Mississippi. Ninety percent of them could not read or write, and a great number were old and filled with superstitious ideas. They did not understand the meaning of cleanliness and almost never called a physician for abnormal cases” (4). Therefore, the State Board of Health developed a plan in 1921 to improve midwifery in the state, which included training, registration, and frequent meetings of county midwives. “The type of meetings gradually changed from a disorderly group of women in dirty clothing with little interest or attention to a well-organized, eager, clean group with approved equipment and improved understanding of their work. Each year our midwives are more nearly approaching the French meaning of the word midwife -- Wise Woman” (4).

This is lovely.

(However, I checked the OED, and it’s more likely that the word merely takes the definition of mid, meaning with or together and sticks it with wife, meaning woman; a midwife is then the person who is with the woman when she gives birth. I know. The French way is much better. Sorry for being an etymological buzzkill.)

The Manual for Midwives is a really informative little booklet. It contains all kinds of information on the proper tools (proper tools in the 40s = terrifying in the 2011s), how to prepare dressings, the actual procedure for delivery (again terrifying), how to report the birth, etc. My favorite part is how to dress the patient: “The patient shall be covered with a clean sheet and blankets if needed, and wear a clean night gown and clean stockings” (32). CLEAN STOCKINGS! Oh, and p.s., you’re to burn or bury all the waste afterward.

The 1927-29 State Board of Health Annual Report has some interesting figures about midwives (and reverses the order in which the survey and the midwife plan were undertaken; I so enjoy finding inconsistencies like this). It also reveals that 90% of those participating in the original survey were illiterate and that 99% of them were black. An additional survey was taken in June 1929:

Midwives—original survey, July 1, 1921: 4209
Midwives—gave up work: 2495
Midwives—died: 675
Midwives—rounded up: 2001
Total on active list—June 20, 1929: 3040

By June of 1935, the number of midwives was down to 1276. My uneducated guess is that women were starting to have their babies in hospitals.

I took a look at the number of midwives per county with the overall black and white population; it comes as no surprise that Bolivar County, which had 120 midwives (the highest number in 1935), was 78% black and that Lamar County, with a lowly 4 midwives, was 74% white. I have to admit that at first I got my numbers reversed and got all excited that I had stumbled onto something absolutely intriguing in Mississippi health history, but these numbers make a lot more sense.

All of these numbers are interesting, but what I was hoping to find in these Annual Reports was a list of all the midwives in the state -- making my hunt for the 1930s midwife my patron was looking for that much easier. I didn’t find it, but if someone goes into labor in the library, I can whip out the old Manual for Midwives and help out until an ambulance gets here.

Titanic Moments

2011-06-14T16:25:00.000-05:00

Alas! One of our favorite people is leaving the Reference Department at the Mississippi Library Commission for other climes. (Never you mind that the clime in question is just down the street!) As a tribute to this momentous occasion, I thought we would send her off with a few nuggets on her favorite subject: The Titanic.

The first oddity I ran across mentions that the Titanic, contrary to popular belief, was not the first ship to use SOS as a distress signal. That distinction goes to a ship called the Azaoahoe. It ran into trouble back in August of 1909, a full 2 1/2 years before the Titanic's disaster in April of 1912. (SOS Oxford)
Another peculiarity regarding the distress calls that went out April 15? SOS being a fairly new distress signal, the Morse code operator, Jack Phillips used "CDQ," an older signal, at first. Another operator suggested he try "SOS" because "this might be your last chance to send it." (Fran SOS) Ahhh, prophetic last words...
Many people know that the Titanic had two sister ships: the Olympic and the Britannic. Both ships were requisitioned during World War I. The Britannic served as a hospital ship. She struck a mine in 1916 and sank, thankfully losing only 30 out of over 1,000 people. The Olympic had quite a different life. Serving as a troop carrier, the Olympic was fired upon twice by a submarine in 1918. Instead of trying to outrun the sub, the captain turned the Olympic and rammed the submarine, gashing a hole in it and sinking it. (http://www.titanic-whitestarships.com/) Seems that the captain was determined to keep at least one of the trio afloat!

Although I'm sure that Brandie had prior knowledge of my Titanic nuggets, I had fun tracking them down for her. We all wish her the best of luck at her new job. We know it won't turn out anything like the Titanic!

Fran, Y. (n.d). SOS: the signal that has saved thousands turns 100. Times, The (United Kingdom). Retrieved from EBSCOhost.
"‘SOS’" The Oxford Companion to Ships and the Sea. Ed. I. C. B. Dear and Peter Kemp. Oxford University Press, 2007. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press. Mississippi Library Commission. 14 June 2011 http://www.oxfordreference.com/views/ENTRY.html?subview=Main&entry=t225.e2271
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fd/RMS_Titanic_3.jpg
http://www.titanic-whitestarships.com/Britannic1_1914.htm
http://www.titanic-whitestarships.com/Olympic_1911.htm

Mississippi Library Commission Awards 2012 Federal Grants

2011-06-10T11:36:00.000-05:00

Jackson, MS—The Mississippi Library Commission (MLC) Board of Commissioners has approved 24 grants totaling more than $345,000. The federal funds, awarded to 14 public library systems, will support projects ranging from technology, to public library programming, to library development, to public library scholarships. The funding was made possible under the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) through the federal Institute of Museums and Library Services.

Libraries receiving grants include Mid-Mississippi Regional Library System, Central Mississippi Regional Library System, Dixie Regional Library System, Union County Library System, Columbus-Lowndes County Library System, Laurel-Jones County Library System, Harriette Person Memorial Library (Claiborne County), Lincoln-Lawrence-Franklin Regional Library System, South Mississippi Regional Library, Warren County-Vicksburg Public Library, Hancock County Library System, Sunflower County Library System, Lamar County Library System and Golden Triangle Regional Library Consortium/Tombigbee Regional Library.

“Public libraries are critical to education, economic development, and quality of life in Mississippi communities. These grant projects allow public libraries to better serve local residents. Federal LSTA funds enhance library services for all Mississippians”, said Library Commission Executive Director Sharman B. Smith.

I Think That I Shall Never See, A Poem Lovely as a Mississippi Tree

2011-06-08T11:51:00.000-05:00

Magnolia

Mimosa

I know, I know. I've thrown the meter of Mr. Kilmer's sweet poem completely out of kilter. You see, though, one of our Meebo patrons wanted to know which tree(s) are most common here in the Magnolia State. Different types of trees began running through my head, interspersed with Trees. I knew that the Magnolia is the state tree, but I doubted that they outgrow every other tree. Mimosas are my least favorite tree, but even though there seem to be more and more of those spiky pink flowers blooming every spring, I didn't think they're number one either. I set my thinking cap straight and checked the Mississippi Forestry Commission. Surely they would be able to help (and they did!) According to them,

Forestland covers 19.6 million acres in Mississippi or about 65 percent of the land area. The majority of forests are classified as timber. One hundred and thirty-seven tree species were measured on Mississippi's forests in the 2006 inventory. Thirty-six percent of Mississippi's forestland is classified as loblolly-shortleaf pine forest, 27 percent is classified as upland oak-hickory forest and 19 percent is composed of bottomland hardwoods.

I should have figured on the pine tree. What a true Mississippi poem!

Shortleaf Pine

Loblolly Pine

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Loblolly_Pines_South_Mississippi.JPG

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pink_Mimosa_(Mimosa_borealis).jpg

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Shortleaf_pine.jpg

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:UCB_Magnolia_grandiflora_habit.JPG

http://www.mfc.ms.gov/pdf/Info/FF/Other/Forest_Statistic_2006_MFC.pdf

Mississippi Casinos Support Adult Library Program and Literacy

2011-06-02T16:37:00.000-05:00

The Mississippi Library Commission (MLC) announces an added incentive to this year’s Adult Summer Library Program. Eight Mississippi casinos: the IP Casino and Resort in Biloxi; Bally’s Casino – Tunica in Robinsonville; the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Biloxi; the Isle Casino-Hotel in Biloxi; Diamond Jack’s Casino in Vicksburg; Resorts Casino –Tunica in Tunica Resorts; Riverwalk Casino Hotel in Vicksburg; and Sam’s Town Hotel and Casino – Tunica in Robinsonville have donated prizes to the adults who participate in the programs. The values of the prizes range from $100.00 to $430.00, and include free nights stay at the hotels, meals, and spa services. Check with your local library to find out about their registration dates and times and how to qualify for the statewide drawing to be held, Monday, August 1, 2011.

“Novel Destinations,” is the theme for the Adult Summer Library Programs. Each library system or branch will provide different types of programs around the theme and many will provide local prizes in addition to the statewide prizes. All adults are eligible to participate; however, to be eligible to win a statewide prize, you must be 21 years of age or older.

Winners are selected from participants of the Adult Summer Library Programs at participating public library systems. Participating library systems include: Jackson-George Regional Library System, with eight libraries; Central Mississippi Regional Library System, with 20 branches; the Yazoo Library Association with one library; the Dixie Regional Library System, with eight branches; the Sunflower County Library, with five branches; the Waynesboro-Wayne County Library System, with one library; and the Library of Hattiesburg, Petal and Forrest County, with two branches.
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About the Mississippi Library Commission

The Mississippi Library Commission is a state agency with the mission to ensure all Mississippians have access to quality library service. The agency operates a large library providing direct and indirect library services, consults with and advises local entities on library issues, supports electronic access to information through public libraries, and manages state and federal grant programs for public libraries. For more information, visit the Library Commission’s website at http://www.mlc.lib.ms.us/.

Kumquats Revisited

2011-05-31T12:53:00.001-05:00

Back in March, I wrote a blog post about kumquats in response to a question from a Meebo patron. That question was about the number of kumquats exported from Hawaii each year. Now, I have a new question from a patron who just wants to know more about this interesting little fruit.

Kumquat plants have evergreen leaves, sweet-scented white flowers, and small, orange-yellow edible fruits which are eaten fresh or in preserve are native to East Asia, probably originating in China, and are closely related to the orange and other citrus fruits. About the size of large olives or small plums, they have a bright orange-yellow color. They also have a round or oval shape. Actually, they look a lot like tiny oranges, but their taste can range from sweet to mildly acidic. They are harvested beginning in November and have the ability to bloom several times in a season.

Kumquats, also called kinkan, can be eaten in a variety of ways. They can be cooked, candied, canned, made into preserves, and used in salads. The most common way to eat them, though, is to simply eat them whole and raw, even the peel, which is sweet. Three or four types of them are cultivated as house and hedge plants in the Gulf Coast states and in California.

Garden Pests? Try Chili Peppers!

2011-05-27T16:48:00.001-05:00

Last year, my dad had a problem with deer and rabbits eating the squash, tomatoes, and other vegetables in his garden. To combat the problem this year, he built a wire fence around his crops. His vegetables are starting to sprout, and so far, he’s been successful at keeping the critters out. But if Bugs and Bambi somehow find a way through my dad’s vegetable garden defense perimeter, I have another possible solution for him to try: chili peppers!

Apparently, they work for farmers in certain parts of Africa. Farmers there have been in an ongoing battle with elephants, which have been known to graze on farm crops. I guess it’s pretty obvious that the farmers don’t appreciate this too much, so they’ve fought back by using chili peppers. Why chili peppers? Elephants (and other animals) don’t like the smell or spicy taste of the peppers, so they stay away. Among the chili weapons farmers use are chili fences, fences that are covered in chili-infused grease, and chili dung briquettes to keep elephants away from their crops. To make the briquettes, farmers mix crushed chili with animal dung and then ignite the resulting “bomb”, which releases an aroma that would probably keep anything with a nose away.

Okay, so maybe the chili dung bomb is a little extreme for a residential vegetable garden, but using chili peppers as a way to protect crops works. It’s been so effective that groups like the Elephant Pepper Development Trust have sprouted and are actively encouraging and enabling African farmers to join the chili pepper bandwagon. According to Loki Osborn, who is involved with EPDT, the chili pepper defense method has reduced crop losses due to animal raids by at least 90 percent. And it definitely beats alternative methods, which may result in injury to the elephants, farmers, or both. Not too shabby for an ingredient that can be found in kitchen cupboards around the world.

Sources:
news.nationalgeographic.com
www.elephantpepper.org
www.elephantpepper.com

A Hunger for Books, A Passion for Libraries

2011-05-19T14:08:00.001-05:00

Kira-Kira. Did you read it? (If you haven't, we have it here at MLC, ready and waiting!) It came out back in 2004 and subsequently won the coveted Newbery Medal in 2005. I cried when I read it (a sure sign of a good book, right?) I've been perusing one of our new books, In the Words of the Winners, which includes the speeches for the winners of the Newbery and Caldecott Medals from 2001-2010. Cynthia Kadohata, author of Kira-Kira, gave a speech that, when I read it, nearly slapped me in the face. She talks about a love for reading as a child:

When either second or third grade - I forget which - was coming to an end, I had fallen in love with the reader we used in school. I told my parents that I would not return the book. I loved it too much. I cried. I ranted. I raged. I wanted that book. Finally my parents decided that my mother, who'd taken typing in high school and owned an old manual typewriter she practiced on, should type up the book before we returned it. I still remember the Xs all over her typing errors.

Do you remember those books as a child? The ones you didn't want to return to the public or school library? The ones that you didn't want to end? That burning hunger for books is born young, and I had it. I dreamt up new adventures for book characters that didn't have sequels. I shirked homework and stayed up late in order to read "just one more page." My parents encouraged my reading (and made me finish my homework.) This is one of the ways they did it:

Our parents could not have afforded to buy us all the books we read as children. Our parents walked across the doorway of that first library holding our hands because they knew our futures resided in that building, as I believe the futures of my son and indeed all Americans reside in those buildings. Libraries fed our passion as children, and feed it still.

Thank you, Mom. Thank you, Dad. Thank you, all the authors of books I devoured as a child. And thank you, libraries.

Association for Library Service to Children. In the Words of the Winners. Chicago, IL: American Library Association, 2011. Print.

A Veep Of All Trades

2011-05-17T16:20:00.000-05:00

In 1927, Charles G. Dawes was the vice-president of the United States. (That's the man there on the right.) Now, Dawes made many great contributions to society in the first half of the twentieth century, none of which should be degraded. (Brigadier General-yessir! Nobel Peace Prize-indeed! Vice President, Banker, Ambassador, Author, etc..., etc...) In that vein, you really ought to skip on over here to read more about Charles Dawes's life. I, however, am going to regale you with one or two of the more interesting incidents.

While flipping through Deep'n as it Come: The 1927 Mississippi River Flood, I came across a fascinating picture and blurb:

This train was travelling from Greenville, MS on July 28, 1927. Flood waters had damaged the trestles and tracks; when the train tried to negotiate them, it plunged into a bayou near Head, MS. Thankfully, it was only travelling at 5 mph. Vice President Dawes was sleeping in the last car (in the picture) to remain entirely on the ground. An engineer was killed instantly, but Dawes slept through the entire incident. I guess he was exhausted, having given a speech in Greenville the night before.

My other choice nugget involving Mr. Vice President, Charles Gates Dawes? This politician had the ultimate one-hit wonder which he titled Melody in A Major. He played it for a friend, the friend showed it to a publisher, and Dawes's ditty was an instant hit. Forty years later, the tune was reinvented with lyrics by Carl Sigman, who called it It's All in the Game. Since then, it has been covered by Tommy Edwards (who made it a #1 song on Billboard), The Four Tops, Van Morrison, and more. You can listen to Tommy Edwards's version here.

Doesn't that just go to show that there's more to a book than its cover?

Charles G. Dawes - Biography". Nobelprize.org. 17 May 2011 http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1925/dawes.html
Daniel, Pete. Deep'n as it Come: The 1927 Mississippi River Flood. New York, New York: Oxford University Press, 1977. Print.
Kauffman, Bill. "The Melodious Veep." American Enterprise 15.4 (2004): 47. MAGNOLIA. Web. 17 May 2011.

Olé, Ole Miss!

2011-05-03T16:58:00.000-05:00

The University of Mississippi is called simply Ole Miss nine times out of ten. A lot of out-of-state people call her Old Miss, but we know that isn't right. It's Ole. Last night, we were asked about books that would address the question "Where did the nickname Ole Miss come from?" I assumed that it was a typical Southernism--an elided consonant here, a shortened word there--and, voila! Easy Peasy.
Ah, not so fast! I checked out a few of our books here at the Mississippi Library Commission and found a few interesting nuggets. In The University of Mississippi: A Sesquicentennial History, David G. Sansing writes:

In 1897, the Greek societies established a college yearbook, which they titled Ole Miss, a name suggested by Elma Meek, a student from Oxford. The term "Ole Miss" was a title domestic slaves in the Old South used to distinguish the mistress of the plantation house from the young misses of the family. The first volume of the yearbook was dedicated to the University Greys, and within two years students and alumni were referring to the University of Mississippi as Ole Miss.

It seems that The University of Mississippi viewed itself as the college in the state. By the way, this book is available at Eudora Welty Library (part of the Jackson/Hinds Library System) and the Mississippi Library Commission.

Give Rose Petals New Life

2011-04-28T15:33:00.000-05:00

Some people are truly gifted in that they are able to find ways to creatively reuse things that would otherwise end up in the garbage. These are the type of people who can make art out of things like old bottle caps. Unfortunately, I am not one of these people. One of our Meebo patrons either already is or aspires to be one, though, as he or she has asked for directions on how to make a sachet using rose petals. I initially had no idea what a sachet is, but after learning that it is basically a small, scented cloth bag (often filled with potpourri), I was ready to find an answer for our Meebo patron.

How to Make a Sachet Using Rose Petals

Making the potpourri:

1. Dry the roses. You have a few options for how you want to accomplish this. You can hang them, allow them to air dry, or microwave them. Flowers are apparently microwavable; there’s something I never expected.

2. Once your petals are dry, place them in a large, non-metal bowl. At this point, you can also cut up any other dried flowers or leaves you like and add them to the mixture as desired.

3. Next, add about 20 drops of essential oil of your choice and stir the mixture. For those of you who are like me and didn’t know what essential oil was, it’s a concentrated, fragrant oil that is extracted from a plant. Essential oils have been extracted from over 3,000 plants and are often used to create scents in many products, including perfumes, cosmetics, and soaps.

4. The next step is to put the materials into a jar and cover it. You can do this with a jar lid, but if you’d prefer, you can place the jar in a paper bag and fold the top down. Once it’s covered, let it sit for 10 days.

Making the sachet:

This part can get a little confusing, especially without picture to guide you, so click here if you want to see what your bag is supposed to look like at each of the following steps.

1. To make the bag portion of your sachet, you’ll need a lace or linen handkerchief or any other similar delicate fabric of this type.

2. Cut the material into a rectangle. The rectangle should be slightly larger than the size you want to finished rose sachet to be.

3. Place the rectangle piece on a hard surface to get ready to glue. If you prefer, you can also sew instead of using glue.

4. Take a hot glue gun and fold the top edge of the rectangle over ¼ of an inch. Glue or sew the edge. This will keep the material from unraveling.

5. Turn the rectangle over so the rough edge of the top is showing. Fold it in half, from left to right (or right to left). Begin gluing or sewing the long, open side and the bottom. Leave the top side (where you made the initial, small fold) open.

6. Turn the bag right side out. Fill it with the potpourri mix almost to the top. Leave ½ inch empty at the top so that you can close the sachet.

7. Finish it off by tying a ribbon around the top. You can repeat these steps until all the potpourri has been used.

I hope this helps you out with your creative endeavors, Meebo Patron. If you need more help finding more ideas for rose crafts, let us know!

Sources:
www.allaboutrosegardening.com
Credo Reference Databases
"How to Make a Rose Sachet from Dried Roses," www.ehow.com

When is Easter?

2011-04-26T13:36:00.000-05:00

Yes, I know it’s a little late for this question, as the holiday was just this past Sunday, but inquiring minds want to know, and it’s my job to find out. We know that Easter is always on a Sunday in the spring, but how do we know which Sunday that will be? We could always answer that by taking a quick glance at the calendar, but why is it that one year, Easter is on a Sunday in March and the next, it is on a Sunday at the tail end of April?

The date of Easter may appear to be random, but it’s actually determined by the lunar calendar. Easter is celebrated the Sunday after the full moon that occurs on or following the vernal equinox (the first day of spring). If that full moon happens to fall on a Sunday, Easter is held the next Sunday. This is the way we’ve determined the date of Easter since 325 A.D., when the First Council of Nicea met. The council was a meeting of Christian bishops who convened in present-day Turkey to resolve disagreements within the religion. One of the results of the bishops’ efforts? The standard formula for calculating the date of Easter, which is the one we still use today.

Source: Credo Reference

The Plight of the Platypodes

2011-04-19T10:42:00.000-05:00

I jokingly e-mailed this GIF to some of my friends and mentioned that I would like to receive a platypus for my birthday. (My birthday isn't for three months. I like to start throwing gift ideas out early.)

http://icanhascheezburger.com/2011/04/12/funny-pictures-gifs-platypus-prowl/

One of my friends, the big goof, wanted to know if it were actually possible to own a platypus. Well, I didn't know, but I do now!

Platypus are wild animals with specialised living requirements. It is illegal for members of the public to keep them in captivity. A platypus which has been accidently captured along a stream or found wandering in an unusual place should never be taken home and treated as a pet, even for a brief time. The animal will not survive the experience.
Only a small number of Australian zoos and universities hold permits to maintain platypus in captivity for legitimate display or research purposes. Current Australian government policy does not allow this species to be taken overseas for any reason. http://www.platypus.asn.au/distribution_and_status.html

My dream is dashed. Not only wouldn't they survive in captivity (I'm not sure how well they would adapt to my cats, either,) but they also have some disturbing habits. Did you know:

Every male platypus has a venemous spur on each of his back ankles. This venom is extremely painful to humans and also causes inflammation and swelling (Oxford Reference).
The female does not have teats. Instead of suckling, the young lap up milk secreted by skin on the mother's stomach (Oxford Reference).

One more (slightly less) disturbing habit? No one can agree upon a correct plural form of platypus. For example, the Oxford English Dictionary lists four choices: platypuses, platypi, platypusses, and my favorite, platypodes. I don't think I could handle such an "indecisive" mammal. I suppose I'll stick with cats and dogs.

Tom R. Grant "Platypus" The Encyclopedia of Mammals. Ed. David W. Macdonald. Oxford University Press, 2007. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press. Mississippi Library Commission. 13 April 2011 http://www.oxfordreference.com/views/ENTRY.html?subview=Main&entry=t227.e111

Mango? Orange? It's Both!

2011-04-14T15:33:00.000-05:00

Looking back at my posts over the last month or so, I’ve realized that they’ve all been about food. This hasn’t been intentional, trust me, and I hope you don’t mind. My last few posts have actually been responses to questions from Meebo questions, and it seems like everyone wants to know more about fruit! Monday evening, a Meebo patron left a question for us that follows this very trend. Our Meebo patron wants to know more about a fruit that tastes like an orange and mango and is grown in Florida.

After searching high and low, I’ve discovered that a fruit called a mango orange actually does exist, though it appears to be extremely rare. I couldn’t find much information about them beyond descriptions of what they look and taste like. According to the Deer Creek Heights Ranch, an organic citrus farm in Terra Bella, CA, this variety of orange originates from North Africa, near the Mediterranean Sea. Here’s the description of the orange as it appears on the Deer Creek Heights Ranch website:

“The Mango orange is a sub-acid orange that allows those that cannot otherwise eat citrus fruit to do so. It is still high in Vitamin C and has a very delicate and sweet flavor that will remind you of mangos, hence the name that we have given it. It has a soft pink ring around the outside of the flesh that makes it very appealing to the eye. It is sometimes used as a garnish in some upscale restaurants.”

Like I said earlier, it’s a rare fruit. Deer Creek Heights claims to be one of the only commercial growers of it. If you find the idea of a mango orange intriguing, and you feel like you just have to try one, you have a few options. If you live in or near a city with a Whole Foods grocery store, you could try your luck there. I came across a blogger who bought some mango oranges there and even snapped a photo of them once she got them home:

The blogger, a literary mom named Beth, says that they taste fine but don’t have much of a mango taste.

You could also order them directly from Deer Creek Heights Ranch via its website. They don’t list a price on their website, but From the Farm, an online farmer’s market, sells them also and currently lists a selling price of $32.95 per 9-pound box, so there’s another option right there.

So, if you want to try something new and you ever get the opportunity to try a mango orange, why not go for it? It could turn out to be a new favorite food for you. And if you’ve already tried one, let us know what you think about them!

Sources:
www.deercreekheightsranch.com
www.fromthefarm.com
remarkablydomestic.com

School-Butter!

2011-04-11T15:06:00.000-05:00

This post, written by Tracy, originally appeared 8/21/2008.

Elisabeth has been working on a reference request this week dealing with the history of the railroad in Como, Mississippi, which is in Panola County. She was hot on the trail until she came to a little volume called History of Panola County: Compiled from Reminiscences of Oldest Citizens, which, um, she refused to read because “it smells like an armpit.” Having detected no armpittian aroma, I looked at it on her behalf. While there were no references to the railroad (which, btw, came to Como in 1857), there were many funny stories told by those oldest citizens. I thought this one was pretty good:

In 1845, Mitch Woolard, a boy of about 15, whose father lived at Hernando, had the contract to ride the mail from the town of Hernando, to Panola, passing through our settlement, and directly in front of the school house. One day in passing, the mail-rider called out ‘School-Butter,’ a term of contempt which in those days was considered an insult, not only to every pupil in the school, but to the teacher as well. The mail was carried between these points only twice a week, as this was before we had a post office in our settlement, and by the time the mail-rider came again, the boys made a plan to show their resentment of this insult, and they came to me to get me to make a signal when I saw the mail-rider coming so that I might let them know.

I hung a piece of sheet-iron and told them when I saw them coming I would strike on it with my hammer and they could then carry out their plan of action. The teacher had given his permission for them to have some fun and show that they were prepared to defend their school, but he made them promise that they would not hurt the boy, nor be too rough with him. When I saw the mail-rider approaching along the public road, I gave a stroke with my hammer on the sheet-iron and the next moment the school boys, big and little, came swarming out and started down the road to meet him. He saw them coming in time to realize what it meant, and putting spurs to his horse, tried in vain to escape. Almost before he knew it they had surrounded him and pulled him from his horse and I guess he must have thought his time had come. Beyond pulling him around pretty roughly, however, and making him promise not to repeat the offence, they did not do him any harm, although I suppose he was pretty badly frightened and very angry.

According to Slang and Its Analogues (reprinted 1970, originally 1890-1904), “school-butter” means “a flogging.” The 1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue defines it as “a cobbing, a whipping,” and the OED describes it as “a teasing call to school children.”

Look, don’t mess with the ruffians of Panola County. Let the story of the school-buttering of poor old Mitch Woolard (whose father equipped him with a pistol for future journeys), be a lesson to you!

Cromie, Robert. 1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue: A Dictionary of Buckish Slang, University Wit, and Pickpocket Eloquence. Digest Books, 1971.
Farmer, J.S. and W.E. Henley. Slang and Its Analogues. Arno Press, 1970.
History of Panola County: Compiled from Reminiscences of Oldest Citizens. Southern Reporter, Sardis, MS. 1908-1909.
OED Online. http://www.oed.com

Ima Ripley Fann.

2011-04-06T14:17:00.005-05:00

Last week, I was doing a little weeding (aren't we ALWAYS doing a little weeding around here?) and came across a couple of Ripley's Believe It or Not books. They were worse for wear -- some of the pages crumbled in my hand -- and had been in the collection for over 60 years. While it was time to say goodbye, this doesn't mean I didn't peruse them at length!

I've always liked Ripley's Believe It or Not, at least in part because I find the title so funny. "Believe it or not, we don't care." And growing up, I always lobbied for my dad to take my brother and me to the Ripley museum. Not only could you look at grody things like shrunken heads and chickens in jars (ok, I made that up), but next door was a wax museum! Who cares about Six Flags when you can see a wax figure of Marie Antoinette? Not this librarian-in-training, that's for sure.

As I admired the various illustrations in one of the Ripley's volumes I was considering discarding, I came this young lady with the most unfortunate name:

Sure, I thought. Ima June Bugg is a real person and all. Whatever you say, Ripley! And then I decided to investigate.

Lo and behold, Ima June Bugg is real! I found her marriage license on AncestryLibrary.com!

I then stifled the urge to fact check all the other items in the books. And despite their obvious worth, their sad state of disrepair made them prime candidates for the weeding truck. Farethewell, Ima June Bugg! We hardly knew ye.

I Am the Pivot of Civilization!

2011-04-04T09:14:00.000-05:00

I was working on a reference question this morning and had occasion to look at old copies of Mississippi Library News. I was struck by how similar the topics were. We talk about how libraries have changed so much, but 70 years ago, libraries in Mississippi were concerned with the same thing: providing excellent service, reaching special populations, and receiving state aid.

In “The Public Library and State Aid” from the January, 1940 Library News, the author writes:

If the public library is a vital part of the educational system, then it is certainly to the state’s welfare to see that public funds are made available either through the adjustment of funds already available or by increased funds. Every state activity if it is to develop to its greatest capacity must have available adequate library resources....Students, business men, club women, children, mature people seeking the education they missed in youth, and people of any age seeking amusement and recreation need the public library. The public library ranks with the school in importance to the community. The entire picture may be summarized in these words: I am the pivot of civilization—I am the Public Library.

Besides the dated “business men” and “club women,” this paragraph could’ve been written today. The sentiment certainly translates.

A Ripe Question

2011-03-31T13:45:00.000-05:00

This morning I logged into the reference desk computer and found a somewhat cryptic Meebo question waiting for me. “When do these ripen?” I expected the question to be accompanied by the name of a fruit or veggie, or by a picture or link at least. But no. The only thing that followed this question was a lonely, seemingly errant backslash symbol.

I had no idea which food or foods our Meebo patron would like to know about, but Elisabeth had a wonderful suggestion, which was to direct our patron to the resources offered by the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce. Their website has several features that can help you determine the best times to find ripe vegetables and fruits.

The Fresh Produce Availability Calendar shows what times of the year specific foods are available. It includes a planting guide if you want to try your hand at planting your own crops. The guide features a section that divides crops into those that are planted in cool weather and those that are planted in warm weather and gives corresponding planting dates for each food in each category.

The MDAC website also provides a fruit and vegetable directory for the state. Organized by fruit/vegetable and county, the directory gives the names and contact information of commodity producers and sellers throughout the state. It’s an excellent resource if you’re looking for sellers who specialize in specific foods.

If you just want to learn more about some of your favorite foods, the MDAC website has a place for that, too. With the Mississippi Agriculture Commodity Directory, you can learn more about several of Mississippi’s agricultural products. There are fact sheets for some vegetables and fruits grown in the state, like blueberries and muscadines. There are also fact sheets for several other commodities, including catfish, beef, poultry, and soybeans, just to name a few.

I hope this helps you find what you’re looking for, Meebo Patron. If not, let us know!

Where Oh Where Has Academic Search Premier Gone?

2011-03-30T08:42:00.003-05:00

If you're one of the many Mississippians who uses MAGNOLIA, you may have noticed that Academic Search Premier, the most-used database, has gone missing. Fear not! We still have access to it! I have no explanation for why it's no longer listed, BUT I do have information on how to access it.

When you're looking at the A-Z list, feeling sad that your friend Academic Search Premier is gone, click on another database instead. It needs to be one of the standard EBSCO titles, so choose anything that's not Credo, Worldcat, Literary Reference Center, or Consumer Health Complete. I've been scrolling down to MasterFILE Complete, since it is very similar to Academic Search.

Once you're in, click on "Choose Databases." A list will pop up of other databases to add to your search. From here, you can select Academic Search Premier and, if you wish, deselect the one you chose in the beginning.

A little roundabout, yes, but hopefully soon this issue will be fixed.

If you have any questions, MAGNOLIA-related or not, please let us know!

RIP, Elizabeth Taylor

2011-03-23T10:54:00.000-05:00

You may have heard by now that film legend Elizabeth Taylor died this morning at the age of 79. She appeared in 70 films and TV movies in a career that spanned over sixty years. We'll miss her greatly.

I've commented before about how I enjoy seeing Hollywood's take on novels when they turn them into feature films. It turns out that over twenty of Ms. Taylor's Films started life as good old page turners. Here they are:

The Mirror Crack’d 1980 The Mirror Crack’d from Side to Side Agatha Christie
The Driver’s Seat 1974 The Driver’s Seat Muriel Spark
Secret Ceremony 1968 Ceremonia Secreta Marco Denevi
The Comedians 1967 The Comedians Graham Greene
Reflections in a Golden Eye 1967 Reflections in a Golden Eye Carson McCullers
Cleopatra 1963 The Life and Times of Cleopatra C.M. Franzero
Histories Plutarch
Histories Suetonius
Histories Appian
BUtterfield 8 1960 BUtterfield 8 John O’Hara
Raintree County 1957 Raintree County Ross Lockridge, Jr.
Giant 1956 Giant Edna Ferber
The Last Time I Saw Paris 1954 Babylon Revisited F. Scott Fitzgerald
Elephant Walk 1954 Elephant Walk Robert Standish
Rhapsody 1954 Maurice Guest Henry H. Richardson
The Girl Who Had Everything 1953 A Free Soul Adela Rogers St. Johns
Ivanhoe 1952 Ivanhoe Sir Walter Scott
A Place in the Sun 1951 An American Tragedy Theodore Dreiser
Father of the Bride 1950 Father of the Bride Edward Streeter
Conspirator 1949 The Conspirator Humphrey Slater
Little Women 1949 Little Women Louisa May Alcott
Julia Misbehaves 1948 The Nutmeg Tree Margery Sharp
Life with Father 1947 Life with Father Clarence Day
National Velvet 1944 National Velvet Enid Bagnold
Lassie Come Home 1943 Lassie Come Home Eric Knight

(This list does not include TV roles or uncredited roles.)

I received immense enjoyment scrolling through Elizabeth's list of film credits. I had forgotten how many truly great movies there are in which she starred. I think I need to get cracking on some of these books, though. Why don't you join me at your local public library?

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000072/#Actress

La La La...

2011-03-22T16:34:00.000-05:00

This blog post originally appeared 8/8/2008.

Yesterday I had the Rhett Miller song "Our Love" stuck in my head; some of the lyrics are:

Kafka in his letters to his lover Milena was alive
But he was waiting for a love that never would arrive
Their rendezvous was singular
Her husband was his friend

The reference to Kafka (and Milena Jesenka; story here) got me thinking about other songs with overt literary references. The Simon and Garfunkel song "The Dangling Conversation" came to mind:

And you read your Emily Dickinson
And I my Robert Frost
And we note our place with bookmarkers
To measure what we've lost

I made a list of some others, but what are your favorite literary songs?

-Tracy

Things My Grandma Does

2011-03-21T14:35:00.002-05:00

In a small study done in Texas back in 2005, a middle-school librarian found that 76% of students were usually swayed by cover art and 70% were led to choose a book by the title itself (Jones 44). You and I both know that adults fall prey to this, too. The latest book that reached out and grabbed me (this time as I was innocently walking by the new book shelf) is called Never Shower in a Thunderstorm: Surprising Facts and Misleading Myths about our Health and the World We Live In.

My grandmother was a serious proponent of the no-showering-during-precipitation camp, which never made sense to me. (Grandma also liked to unplug everything in the house during rain showers. Everything. Even during a drizzle. Oh, Grandma.) Surely nothing could actually happen? This book was a definite must-read for me, especially after I discovered that dear old Grandma was correct about when to wash up:

A bolt of lightning that hits a building... can travel through plumbing, into metal pipes and wiring, and shock anyone who comes into contact with a faucet or appliance. Metal pipes are not only excellent conductors of electricity, but they also carry tap water laden with impurities that help conduct electrical current. (O'Connor 159)

There have been reports of people being struck inside their homes while showering, brushing their teeth, even while washing dishes. I knew my Grandma was a sharp one. The National Weather Service has

Natural Hazard Statistics for the United States on its website. It's broken down by state, which makes it easy as pie to find out that two people died in 2006 in Mississippi due to lightning strikes: one while sheltering under a tree (a big no-no) and another while talking on the telephone (Grandma knew.)

By the way, my favorite eye-catching book for Grandma to read when I was small? I was always partial to Are You My Mother? A book sure to capture the eyes of any three-year-old... How could you go wrong with a bird on top of a dog's head?

Jones, Leigh Ann. "The Great Cover-Up." School Library Journal 53.6 (2007): 44. MasterFILE Premier. EBSCO. Web. 21 March 2011.

O'Connor, Anahad. Never Shower in a Thunderstorm: Surprising Facts and Misleading Myths About our Health and the World We Live in. New York, NY: Times Books, 2007. Print.

http://www.pdeastmanbooks.com/

What's a Kumquat?

2011-03-18T16:50:00.001-05:00

Overnight, we received a Meebo question from a patron inquiring about the average amount of kumquats exported from Hawaii. Now, when I read this question, the first thing I thought was “What in the world is a kumquat?” Before I even started trying to figure out how many of them were exported from Hawaii to other countries, I had to find out what they were.

Kumquats are native to East Asia and are in the same family as citrus fruits. About the size of large olives or small plums, they are bright orange-yellow in color. They’re round or oval in shape, and the taste ranges from sweet to mildly acidic. Actually, they look a lot like tiny oranges. Kumquats can be eaten in a variety of ways. They can be cooked, candied, canned, made into preserves, and used in salads. The most common way to eat them, though, is to simply eat them whole and raw.

I’ve consulted several sources, and it appears that Hawaii is not a big exporter of kumquats. In fact, I was unable to locate any hard facts concerning either the harvesting or exporting of kumquats from the state. This leads me to believe that if they are exported, then the amount is likely so small, the government doesn’t keep separate records of them. I contacted a librarian at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, who confirmed my conclusion. Sorry, Meebo Patron, if that wasn’t the answer you were hoping for.

Hawaii may not be a big kumquat exporter, but they do export other types of fruit. According to the National Agricultural Statistics Service, the data for 2008 indicates that Hawaii exported $43.5 million dollars’ worth of fruit, juice, and other fruit products to other countries that year.

Sources:
University of Hawaii at Manoa
National Agricultural Statistics Service
www.hawaiifruit.net
Credo Reference
www.agroforestry.net

Don't Know Much About Tennessee...

2011-03-17T16:30:00.001-05:00

Williams, that is. I was browsing the Internet yesterday and ran across an article that stated Tennessee Williams had died by choking on a bottle cap. What an ignominious way to go! Could it be true? (It is.) Reading this, I realized that I know absolutely nothing about Tennessee Williams. With the centennial anniversary of his birth approaching, I decided a few nuggets were in order. I mean, really. A true genius who rails against the slow crumbling of and defection from a classical art form? I'm already deep in intellectual lust with him:

"Literature has taken a backseat to television, don't you think? It really has. We don't have a culture anymore that supports the creation of writers or supports them very well. I mean serious artists." (Radar)

Tennessee Williams was born Thomas Lanier Williams in Columbus, MS on March 26, 1911 (Pencak).
Tennessee's great-great-great-grandfather was named Preserved Fish Dakin (Leverich 18). I think Tom faired pretty well, don't you?
His father made him drop out off college during his junior year because he failed a class three times.(Leverich 111, 128) The subject? R.O.T.C. Dear old Dad then found him work in a shoe factory.
He finally received his Bachelor's Degree from the University of Iowa in 1938 (Pencak).
Williams held jobs as a waiter, an elevator operator, and a teletype operator while trying to make ends meet as a struggling playwright (Radar).
His sister Rose, a schizophrenic, was lobotomized in 1943. Williams took care of her until his death (Pencak).
Frank Merlo, who he met in 1947, was his life partner until Merlo died in 1961 of lung cancer (Pencak).
Williams never married. In a 1965 article, it says that "The great love of his life was a girl he knew in St. Louis, who married someone else and died early" ("Tennessee Williams Richer in 20 Years"). Hmm... Sounds like a publicist's story to me.
Won Pulitzers for Streetcar Named Desire, 1947, and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, 1955 (Encyclopedia of World Biography).
In February 1979, he was "attacked by a gang of toughs as he strolled home from a discotheque." Apparently, Williams and NY author Dotson Radar were belting out "I Come to the Garden Alone" when they met the youths. Williams told them, "We're itinerant choristers, trying to make an honest living." The gang wasn't impressed and roughed them up a bit. Williams' reply? "Obviously they were New York drama critics" ("Special Squad to Clean up Key West").

I'm enthralled. While searching for nuggets, I ran across his sister Rose's obituary which is heartbreakingly fascinating and well worth a read. I also found another inspiring quote:

Williams was once asked what he thought of the Moral Majority and other groups campaigning for a limit on freedom of expression. Tennessee replied, "Art has to be free to deal with all aspects of human existence, regardless of how brutal or shocking. I don't set out to shock. I set out to tell the truth, and sometimes the truth is shocking." (Radar)

And there you have it, a mound of nuggety goodness, Tennessee (Williams) style.

Leverich, Lyle, Tom: The Unknown Tennessee Williams. New York, NY: Crown Publishers, Inc., 1995. Print.
Pencak, William. "Tennessee Williams." Encyclopedia of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered History in America. Ed. Marc Stein. Detroit: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2004. Gale Biography In Context. Web. 16 Mar. 2011.
Radar, Dotson. "Tennessee Williams." Parade 17 May 1981: 16. Print.
"Special Squad to Clean up Key West." The Clarion-Ledger 5 Feb. 1979: A. Print.
"Tennesse Williams Richer in 20 Years." The Clarion-Ledger 13 June 1965: F-7. Print.
"Williams, Tennessee (1914-1983)." Encyclopedia of World Biography. Detroit: Gale, 1998. Gale Biography In Context. Web. 16 Mar. 2011.

Hear ye! Hear ye! Announcing Lord and Lady Falderal Pipsydoodle

2011-03-08T09:58:00.000-06:00

A curious Meebo patron asked me late yesterday afternoon what the order of rank is for nobility in England. I ran (read: walked sedately) to our most current copy of Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage and dove into the most complicated web of genealogical factoids I've ever seen. Debrett's lists everything. I mean everything. Younger sons of Dukes of the Royal Blood come before Marquesses' eldest sons come before Dukes' younger sons... for two pages of teeny-tiny print. The long and short of it is this:

King
Prince
Duke
Marquess
Earl
Viscount
Baron
Baronet
Knight
Esquire
Gentleman

Queen
Princess
Duchess
Marchioness
Countess
Viscountess
Baroness

The fairer sex, as you'll have noticed, comprises its own list. (Think wives of the eldest sons of the younger sons of peers.) Check out this hummer of heraldic code:

If the daughter of a Peer marries a Peer she takes her husband's rank, but if she marries the eldest or younger son of a Peer she ranks either according to her own inherent precedence (i.e., as the daughter of her father), or according to that of her husband (i.e., as the wife of the eldest or younger son of a Duke, Marquess, Earl, etc), whichever happens to be the higher, no matter what the courtesy title may be.

I must confess, I've read that at least three times, and I'm still not exactly certain what they're driving at. I'm grateful the Americans overthrew the British back in the 18th century. Otherwise, I probably would have been beheaded for addressing a Knight of the Garter before a Marquess.
Kidd, Charles, ed. Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage. Richmond, Surrey: Debrett's Limited, 2007. P. 29-30. Print.

Poison Squads

2011-03-07T11:10:00.001-06:00

If you visualize a meal taking place back at the turn of the 20th Century, you might think of an elegant dinner party with men and women dressed to kill, or perhaps a family sitting down to enjoy a hearty meal. This article I found in Slate completely kills that image for me. In either of the aforementioned scenarious, you would probably never surmise that industrial chemicals like formaldehyde and boric acid were among the menu offerings.

But they were, because these were two substances that were commonly used in food preparation back then. You think those people knew that their tasty steaks had been soaked in boric acid and formaldehyde before they bought them at the butcher’s shop? Most likely, they were totally oblivious to it and to everything else that went into their food prior to purchase. Before 1902, the regulation of commercial food products was practically nonexistent. The food industry had successfully repelled attempts to regulate its products, which meant that there were no label requirements, no safety tests, and no monitoring of the stuff that went into the products. Worst of all, people had no information on the risks they were taking when they sat down to a meal.

U.S.D.A. scientist Harvey Wiley saw this as a major problem and set out to change it. His novel idea was to have volunteers essentially taste-test the nation’s groceries. Wiley built a kitchen and dining room in the basement of the Department of Agriculture’s building in Washington where, for six months, he served poisoned food to groups of volunteers, hence the moniker “poison squads”. Each menu would include one ingredient from a list of highly suspect preservatives and coloring agents commonly used in foods. Each time squad members sat down to a meal there, they knew that something on their plates was contaminated, but they never knew which specific course was tainted or what it was tainted with. Among the chemicals ingested was borax, which contained generous amounts of boron; copper sulfate, which is used as a pesticide today; and formaldehyde. Formaldehyde and boron were commonly used as meat preservatives. Butchers mixed borax and boric acid with salt and red dye to disguise old and rotting meat. Copper sulfate was used on expensive grades of peas to make them appear greener than regular peas.

Wiley’s intentional poisonings didn’t occur in vain. The experiment brought attention to some serious issues concerning the nation’s food supply, and four years after Wiley began his experiment, the nation’s first law regulating food and drug manufacturing went into effect. It is officially known as the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906, but it also had a nickname. Can you guess what it was? That’s right – it was also known as the Wiley Act.

Source: Slate Magazine at http://www.slate.com/, March 2, 2011

I'll Find You, McPheely.

2011-03-01T08:32:00.002-06:00

The life of a reference librarian is never dull. Well, ok, sometimes it’s dull, but not usually. Monday mornings are particularly interesting around here, as requests have come in over the weekend. I find that the weekend requests tend to be a little quirkier than weekday requests. People are sitting at home, talkin’ with ma and pa, and things pop into their heads that they need evidence of/more explanation for.

For instance, yesterday morning I was looking to see whether or not a Civil War battle was fought on the land where my patron’s family would eventually, 100 years later, build their house. While searching, I found this great site with various Mississippi maps online.

My favorite so far is this one:

The text says:

Map of Jackson Miss and Surroundings
During the Siege July 10th-16th 1863
and
Location of the Cooper home whence
a Piano was carried by a Company of Pioneers
commanded by a Capt. McPheely, to the position
of 5th Company Washington (Louisiana) Battery, and
there remained during the siege, and played upon
while the Battle July 12th 1863 was in progress.

I tried to resist, but I did spend a little time trying to find out more about Captain McPheely and his piano-thieving Pioneers, but alas, I turned up empty handed. (I found Samuel McPheely, who joined up after this battle; Robert Macfeely, whose unit wasn’t involved in the siege; Lyman Mackfall, who wasn’t an officer; and a whole host of McFails, who apparently could’ve fought a war all by themselves.)

Granted, I didn’t spend a lot of time, as this wasn’t the real reference question I was working on, but one day when it gets quiet, I will turn my attention back to McPheely and friends. As for the original question, it doesn’t look like there was any major action on his family’s one-day-soon land, but I still have sources to check!

Food for Thought

2011-02-25T14:56:00.000-06:00

This week, I’ve spent a large amount of time looking through the general laws of our state, and I came across a law from 1942 regulating the size of shrimp that may be caught. Apparently, catching teeny tiny shrimp used to be against the law:

“Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Mississippi, that it shall be unlawful for any person, firm or corporation to take, catch, and have in their possession any sound, bay or sea shrimp of a size weighing in the raw state less than one pound to each forty shrimp. The Mississippi sea food commission may, by ordinance or order spread upon its official minutes, permit the possession at any time not of not more than ten pounds of sound, bay or sea shrimp, of a size smaller than above fixed for use by fisherman as bait.”

I don’t know if I can imagine shrimp small enough that 40 of them wouldn’t even weigh a pound. The penalty for breaking this law?

“Any person, firm or corporation violating any of the provisions of this act shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and on conviction to be fined not less than ten dollars, nor more than five hundred dollars for each offense.”

I’m not sure if this law was ever repealed, but I bet it sure made fishermen think twice about their shrimp bounties back then. I can't help but think of popcorn shrimp (which I absolutely love) and wonder if forty of them meet the one-pound requirement. My guess is that they do. Either that or the law was repealed.

But what if it wasn't? It could mean that I, along with all the other popcorn-shrimp lovers of the world, have been eating black-market shrimp! How about that for living dangerously?

Source: General Laws of Mississippi, 1942. Chapter 278, House Bill No. 517.

Should It Stay Or Should It Go Now

2011-02-14T16:50:00.000-06:00

One of the ongoing jobs a librarian encounters is weeding. We systematically cull our collection so that can offer the best possible resources to our patrons. Crusty and out-of-date books, you're outta here! Last week while weeding, I pulled Treating Couples in Crisis: Fundamentals and Practice in Marital Therapy. This book isn't a bad book, or at least it wasn't back in 1984 when it was published. (I think that was the year I had a crush on Dwayne Dugger in elementary school...) Not only has no one been interested in checking out this sucker for over ten years, the cover art is boring and the content is, well, boring. (It's geared more towards those actually doing the therapy than the therapy participants.) Just to verify that I wasn't going to toss something important, I did a quick Internet search for the book. If you can picture me gleefully rubbing my hands together, do so now. I pulled up a blurb in the Weekly World News from June 16, 1992 about crazy cases the author had taken.

A jealous woman, convinced her husband was cheating on her, became so depressed that she jumped off the balcony of their high-rise apartment. By sheer coincidence her husband walked right underneath her--and she crashed down on top of him. Thanks to her husband breaking her fall, she lived--but he died.

Weekly World News, supermarket tabloid delight, how we miss thee sitting next to the candy bars in the checkout lane. On the recto page of this tiny article, I noticed Dear Dotti, the Weekly World News advice columnist for many years. Dotti's reply to someone who kept receiving unwanted calls from door-to-door evangelizers? Keep a small 666 decal near the front door. When someone knocks, apply decal to forehead, open the door, and graciously invite in the unwelcome guests. Emily Post, she is not.

I also considered weeding One for a Man, Two for a Horse: A Pictorial History, Grave and Comic, of Patent Medicines. At first glance the book's jacket is slightly tattered and has a cartoonish look, possible signs that a book might be ready to leave its home here. However, the contents are actually a solid history combined with excellent reference pictures of the quack medicine industry of years gone by. One of my favorite nuggets? No, I didn't find it in the chapter entitled Tapeworms; Or, What Have You? or Manhood: Lost and Found. (These are both fascinating, by the way.) I was heartily amused and fascinated by what I found in She Put it in her Papa's Coffee. It seems that back in the day, a popular "medication" was an odorless and tasteless substance that magically cured you of alcoholism. Family members were urged to try it for free and slip it into the offending drunkard's food or drink (unbeknownst to them, of course.) The ingredients in one such concoction? Milk sugar, starch, pepper, and a tiny bit of ipecac. That's right, Pa, you don't want to drink any more because you're too busy being ill. Other medications of this type even contained alcohol; I'm not sure feeding an alcoholic alcohol cures anything!

So, Treating Couples in Crisis: Fundamentals and Practice in Marital Therapy, you're outta here! One for a Man, Two for a Horse: A Pictorial History, Grave and Comic, of Patent Medicines, you're safe for another day. By the way, if you'd like to know a little more about weeding, check out one of Tracy's blog posts about MUSTY books.

Barker, Robert L. Treating Couples in Crisis: Fundamentals and Practice in Marital Therapy. New York: Macmillan, 1984.
Carson, Gerald. One for a Man, Two for a Horse: A Pictorial History, Grave and Comic, of Patent Medicines. Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1961.
Weekly World News. http://books.google.com/ June 16, 1992. Web. Feb. 14, 2011.

Terrific!

2011-02-07T14:37:00.003-06:00

Last week I was looking for an item in the January 1950 Clarion-Ledger for a patron. While I didn't find it, I did discover that when I finally get my time machine working again, I am definitely going to skip January 1950!

Instead of finding what I was looking for--an item about a piece of legislation that was introduced during the legislative session--I learned about a horrible murder in Kosciusko. (Stokes McMillan's One Night of Madness tells the tale; our copy is checked out but when it comes back in, I'll fill you in!) There were several other tragedies, which stood out not just because of their awfulness ("Patient Says She Set Fire: Explains Arson Taking 41 Lives") but because of the differences in newspaper language then and now ("Duplex Blast Kills Mother and Tots: Terrific Concussion Mangles All Bodies"). There was also the photo of the gaunt gentleman who is wasting away due to an unresolved case of the hiccups. Because this was 1950, the headline doesn't play coy: "DYING FROM HICCUPS" it screams.

I was thoroughly depressed. I kept trudging downstairs from the microfilm area on the mezzanine to report the awful things I was learning about. My coworkers deserve various medals for humoring me and listening to me rant ("No, seriously, it really says "'terrific concussion mangles all bodies.'").

However, I was roused by a two-page advertising spread featuring ads from various companies. They were all welcoming the first baby to be born in Mississippi in 1950, little Baby Boy Tompkins! (I'd tell you his name, but I checked the phone book, and I'm pretty sure he still lives in the area.) I first even noticed the spread because of this ad:

My eye is naturally drawn to roasting children. As well as hilarious brand names: Pro-Tek-Tot! (Full disclosure: my great-grandfather invented an athlete's foot remedy called No-So-To....you know, so your toe won't be so' no mo'.)

Other companies offered the Tompkins family actual deals (besides illustrations of their baby turning into a marshmallow). A beauty shop offered Mrs. Tompkins a free permanent! Florists sent the baby a bouquet! Other offers were free dinners, free shoes, an electric heating pad that is not recommended for babies today, and best of all, free ice cream.

Thank you, Baby Tompkins, for brightening what would otherwise be a terrible microfilm expedition!

Mississippi Digital Library

2011-02-03T11:18:00.002-06:00

We all know how difficult it can be to find reliable information online. Just about anyone can post information that is misleading or outright false. For example, my posts are easily found online and I can barely dress myself. That’s why I encourage everyone to visit the Mississippi Digital Library the next time you need research material.

The Mississippi Digital Library is a collaborative effort between many Mississippi institutions. Each library offers digital documents that researchers can easily access from their home computers. Researchers can find pictures, interviews, cartoons, newspaper clippings, diaries, and many other historical documents. Some of my favorite items include: an interview with Mr. Jerry Clower from the USM Oral History Digital Collection, a picture of James “Son” Thomas from the Blues Photograph Collection at the University of Mississippi Digital Collection, and a handwritten letter from Annie Rankin to Frank Stewart at the Tougaloo College Digital Collection.

All of these documents are easily found online and free to access. So, the next time you need some help with research, try this wonderful service from the Mississippi Digital Library.

Something Stinks!

2011-01-28T13:58:00.003-06:00

Recently I moved back home to save some money. Outside of the normal amount of shame and embarrassment that comes with moving in with parents, there’s something else that has made this move difficult; skunks. This year, more than any other that I can remember, our neighborhood has been invaded by skunks. They’re living in our culverts. They’re spraying our dogs. They’re pretty much making our lives stinky. Now, I’ve always been a deeply spiritual person who believes all animals share a purpose in this world. The beautiful hummingbird helps spread pollen from plant to plant. The helpful Egret keeps insects away from cattle. The plump housecat can make a great stew during a harsh winter. But, for the life of me, I cannot understand the skunk’s purpose.

Luckily, found enlightenment in Elisabeth Janos’s book, Country Folk Medicine: Tales of Skunk Oil, Sassafras Tea, and Other Old-Time Remedies. Janos explains how skunks often came in handy for country remedies. She says:

“Skunk oil, rendered from skunk fat, was one of the more popular healing substances used by our grandparents in the Northeast, reportedly because it had a better “penetrating powers” and “staying properties” (I’ll say) than most of the other oil that were used.”

Janos goes on to tout the healing powers of skunk oil when applied to broken bones and arthritic hands. But my absolute favorite skunk story comes from some hill-person she interviewed. He explains how skunks enhanced his love life:

“On a nice night, in the fall, it was considered pretty romantic to take a young farm gal and your dog and go roaming around the fields waiting for the free-running dog to find and bay a skunk. Sometimes we would go out with one or two other couples. When a dog spotted a skunk, the fun and excitement started. Everyone would take off in a dead run. The frenzied barking of the dog and the overpowering smell of skunk made a beacon you couldn’t miss”

Nothing says true romance like a good ole fashioned skunk hunt. Personally, I think this guy was pulling Jonas’s leg. No girl I’ve dated would attend a skunk hunt and I’ve dated some pretty rough women. But, at least I have a better idea of the skunk’s true purpose: bringing hill-folk closer together.

My explanation is certainly more gentle than, Grzimke’s Animal Life Encyclopedia. The folks at Grzimke argue,

“The striped skunk is an important vector of rabies in North America, and because of that, is often considered undesirable around human habitations. Also, the noxious smell of skunks typically annoys landowners, who fear their pets may get sprayed. In some areas, striped skunks are important predators of duck eggs. In others, skunks may kill bees or damage beehives and thus are considered pests.“

Lastly, Wikipedia argues that skunks help people by eating insects and other rodents. They also explain that the skunk’s number one enemy is the Great Horned Owl. Why? Because owls have a notoriously bad sense of smell. Who knew?

Grzimke, Bernhard, Neil Schlager, and Donna Olendorf. Detroit, MI: Gale Press, 2003. (Vol. 14 p. 327).

Janos Elisabeth, Country Folk Medicine: Tales of Skunk Oil, Sassafras Tea, and Other Old-Time Remedies. Guilford, CT: The Lyons Press, 1990.

Life’s Little Interesting Mysteries

2011-01-26T09:40:00.000-06:00

A few weeks ago, I received an information request pondering some of those questions that nearly everyone has thought about at some time or another. I thought I’d share a couple of them with all you readers out in blog land.

Have you ever wondered why an apple turns brown shortly after you cut it or bite into it? While searching for an answer to this question, I found a great explanation in an article at www.scientificamerican.com. When an apple is bruised or cut, the injured plant tissue becomes exposed to oxygen. According to the article, when oxygen is present in an apple’s cells, enzymes in the cells react with compounds that are naturally present in the apple’s tissues. This reaction creates o-quinones, a colorless product that reacts with amino acids or proteins in the fruit to produce that brown color we’re all so familiar with.

But what happens to the apple after you’ve eaten it? You know – after it’s, ahem, left your body? Have you ever wondered what happens to waste material at a treatment plant? Honestly, I’d never thought about it before receiving this particular information request, but the answer was enlightening, for me anyway. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, when domestic sewage is treated at a treatment plant, it forms an untreated solid, semi-solid, or liquid residue called sewage sludge. How’s that for a scientific name! The sewage sludge is then treated and processed into biosolids, which can be safely recycled and used as fertilizer. They can be, but fate of the biosolids is ultimately in the hands of local governments. They can decide whether to recycle the biosolids, incinerate them, or bury them.

Is there a “mystery” of life that you’ve always wanted to solve but never got around to? Let us know, and we’ll be happy to do the detective work for you!

Searching for Pigman Taylor

2011-01-25T15:50:00.002-06:00

Last week I spent a large portion of my time performing one of the quintessential jobs of a reference librarian: squinting at microfilmed records. We subscribe to a great genealogy database, Ancestry.com, which has the capability to let you go through some microfilmed records. Anyway, while looking for someone else entirely, I ran across a man named Pigman Taylor in the Kentucky marriage records. Pigman Taylor! Can you believe it? What in the world do you think his parents were thinking? "Oh, honey, let's name him Pigman; he's pretty chubby."

Another great resource we have here was compiled by workers in the WPA. (The Works Progress Administration, or later, the Work Projects Administration, which was signed into effect by FDR.) County histories were researched across Mississippi, and along with them, the family histories that make these such a valuable tool for genealogists today. If you'd like more information about the WPA files, I highly recommend this article from Ancestry.com.

Culling these files can be monotonous work. Sometimes, though, you run across a nugget like this:

Captain Ayers served for fourteen years as chancery clerk of Benton County, and at the time of his death was auditing the sheriff's books, in DeSoto County.
He died suddenly, and later a shortage was discovered in the sheriff books, and it was the suspicion of a great many people that Captain Ayers was poisoned. However no proof of this could be gotten and nothing was ever done.

This actually reads as "later as hortage was discovered" in the WPA files. I spent at least five minutes trying to find out if hortage were some sort of rare poison. I'm almost sorry I figured out the typo! Also, a whole town suspecting foul play makes me think about old English crime novels, for some reason. Here's an excerpt from the Trees of Note section:

A very large magnolia tree on the lawn of the old Falconer Place (now the Francisco apartments) is of interest to citizens of Holly Springs, in that it was once the trysting place of Sherwood Bonner, the author, and Kinlock Falconer during a rather serious romance in their early maturity. This tree measures 80 inches in circumference.

In their early maturity! That just kills me! You know that I needed to know what happened to our erstwhile lovers. Sherwood married after the Civil War and had a child, but the marriage was unhappy and unfulfilling. She moved to Boston to further her writing, and while there, published two novels, and befriended with Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. She eventually divorced, and then died of breast cancer in 1883. (olemiss.edu/) Kinloch was a soldier in the Civil War and afterwards, was elected Secretary of State of Mississippi in 1878. (apollo.lib.olemiss.edu/) Unfortunately, this was the same year of the Great Yellow Fever Epidemic. Kinloch went home to nurse his father and succumbed to the illness himself. (genealogytrails.com/

By the way, Pigman married Almedia S. Anderson in February of 1852. I'm sure they had a long and fulfilling life together, hopefully uninterrupted by war or Yellow Fever.

http://www.ancestry.com/learn/library/article.aspx?article=699
http://www.apollo.lib.olemiss.edu/guides/archives_subject_guide/politics/manuscript-19th?page=show
http://www.genealogytrails.com/miss/marshall/yellowfever1878.html
http://www.olemiss.edu/mwp/dir/bonner_sherwood/index.html
State-wide Historical Research Project. Marshall County WPA project microform. Works Progress Administration for Mississippi, 1938.

Approaching the Kindle with Caution.

2011-01-19T09:52:00.003-06:00

A few months ago, I received a Kindle as a gift (my husband runs marathons, and last fall, he ran a 50 mile ultramarathon; the Kindle was a thank you gift for putting up with him during his crazy training schedule). While it was a nice gesture, I approached it with caution.

The thing is, I like books. Books are friends. The Kindle, while nice, is not cuddly. I cannot tuck it underneath my pillow when I get sleepy (for fear it will fall to the floor) or use a photo for a bookmark. And I really can’t read it in the bathtub. What if the book I’m reading on my Kindle turns out to be my most favorite book of all time? How will I display it on my shelf? I think these are valid concerns.

It took a while, but I finally figured out how the Kindle could best work for me: non-fiction. I generally bounce back and forth between a fiction book and a non-fiction one, and it is rare indeed that I have wanted to cuddle with a non-fiction book. (Except maybe Mary Roach’s Stiff, which is hilarious.)

Therefore, I’m now reading Bill Bryson’s At Home: A Short History of Private Life, which is about the history of everyday objects like houses, beds, windows, etc. It’s very entertaining if you enjoy hearing about an insane gothic mansion, Fonthill Abbey, built to crazy proportions, with this added bonus: “The front door rose to a height of thirty feet but was made to seem even taller by Beckford’s practice of employing dwarf doormen.” (The only problem is that I have no idea how to cite this! The Kindle uses “locations,” not “pages,” so all I can say is that that quote is at location 2557.)

The book also concerns itself with how interesting and weird humans are. I thought this was pretty funny when I read this last night: “Even though sugar was very expensive, people consumed it till their teeth turned black, and if their teeth didn’t turn black naturally, they blackened them artificially to show how wealthy and marvelously self-indulgent they were” (location 3080). Ha!

You may be wondering how I kept track of these passages. The Kindle has a feature where you can “underline” a passage. There is also a weird feature that lets you see where all the other people who have read the same book have underlined as well. This gets a bit busy, but it’s kind of like if there were only one paper copy of a book and everyone in the world wrote in it. Kind of interesting! It makes me laugh to think of all the people who have to endure the weird stuff I underlined, like the dwarf doormen and the black teeth.

Other things I’ve learned in At Home include that the luncheon “originally signified a lump or portion (as in ‘a luncheon of cheese’)” (Location 3223). I also happened to think this quotation from William Beckford to his architect, James Wyatt, whom he loathed, was deserving of a note: “What putrid inn, what stinking tavern or pox ridden brothel hides your hoary and glutinous limbs?” (Location 2596) I am going to remember that one, at least the hoary and glutinous part. (Wyatt apparently took a reallllllly long time to complete the aforementioned insane Fonthill Abbey.)

While my Kindle and I may not be cuddling any time soon, we have at least reached a mutual respect and understanding. It’s progress!

I can't wait to see what I'll get if my husband completes that 100-mile ultra he has his eye on.

How To Meebo

2011-01-18T10:44:00.000-06:00

Today I received a question from a Meebo patron who seemed a little confused about what Meebo is exactly and how to access it. Meebo Patron, I’m not sure if you’re asking about the Meebo application itself or if you’re wondering why we have it on our reference blog, so I’ll address both.

Meebo is a browser-based instant messaging program that supports multiple IM services, such Yahoo Messenger, AOL Instant Messenger, and Google Talk. With Meebo, you can chat across platforms. For instance, if you have a Google Talk account, and you want to chat with a friend who has Yahoo Messenger, you can login to Meebo with your Google account and chat with your Yahoo friend.

We use Meebo in the reference department because it provides an easy way for our patrons to reach us. Perhaps you stumbled upon our blog and its accompanying Meebo app accidently, Meebo Patron, but the Meebo box is supposed to appear every time you visit our blog. Everyone who visits has access to it. If you want to ask us a question using Meebo, all you have to do is type the question in the Meebo box that appears above our posts. We’ll either answer you right away or post the answer to your question right here on the blog. That’s all there is to it!

Thanks for the question, Meebo Patron! I hope it clears a few things up for you, and if there’s anything else you’d like to know, you now know a great way to contact us!

Where is Jumpertown Anyway?

2011-01-14T16:13:00.001-06:00

I was raised in Ellisville, Mississippi. Ellisville is not an everyday name but it’s far from unusual; at least in comparison to some other names in Mississippi. Here are a few interesting town names that I found today while searching for population records. I’ve included the town name, along with the county.

Alligator (Bolivar)
Beulah (also Bolivar)
Caledonia (Lowndes)
Cruger (Holmes)
Jumpertown (Prentiss)
Kossuth (Alcorn)
McCool (Attala) “Hi, I’m Jesse and I’m from McCool, Mississippi.”
Noxapater (Winston)
Shubuta (Clarke)
Conhatta (Newton)

If you’re from or know of an interesting town name, we’d love to hear from you!

"Shredding" Light on the Situation

2011-01-11T10:50:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, I received a request from a Meebo patron asking for help evaluating options for shredding paper. Our Meebo patron wants to know where to go to shred several boxes of paper. He or she also wants to know if it would be cheaper to buy an inexpensive paper shredder rather than enlist the help of a paper shredding service. Meebo Patron, I’ve done a little research to help you in your quest to shred paper.

I located several paper shredding companies that offer different types of shredding services. I don’t know if you’re in the Jackson area, Meebo Patron, but each of these companies has multiple locations around the nation, including a physical presence in the Jackson area, plus mobile and drop-off services.

Shred Nations
http://www.shrednations.com/
Phone: 800.747.3365
Jackson locations include: Premier Shredding, P.O. Box 9506; Advantage Secure Document Destruction, P.O. Box 7678; Cintas, 5526 Industrial Road, local phone: 601.922.0530

Shred It
http://www.shredit.com/
Phone: 1.877.607.4733
Jackson area location: 181 David Johnson Drive, Richland, MS

Record Max
http://www.recordmax.com/
Email: info@recordmax.com
Jackson location: 40 Northtown Drive, Jackson, MS
Phone: 601.977.2525

None of the companies listed the cost of their services on their websites, but they will provide quotes to customers upon request. The websites indicate that the costs of these services depend on the customer’s circumstances, primarily how much paper needs to be shredded. The types of services offered include one-time shredding, regularly scheduled shredding, and mobile and on-site shredding.

Meebo Patron, since you indicated that one of your options might be to purchase an inexpensive shredder, I’ve searched the websites for a few major retailers to see their inexpensive shredder offerings.

Best Buy (www.bestbuy.com)

Dynex 5-Sheet Cross-cut Shredder on sale online for $24.99 as of 1/11/11. The regular price is $36.99, and it may also be available in the store.
Royal 5-Sheet Strip-cut Paper Shredder for $29.99, available online and in stores.

Walmart (www.walmart.com)

Black and Decker 6-Sheet Cross-cut Shredder for $44.97, available online and in stores (though in-store pricing may vary)
Aurora Light-Duty AS600SB Strip-cut Shredder, 6-sheet capacity, for $44.99, available online only

Office Depot (www.officedepot.com)

Ativa LD60 6-Sheet Cross-cut Shredder for $39.99, available in stores and online
Ativa LD100 8-Sheet Cross-cut Shredder for $59.99, available in stores and online

Meebo Patron, I hope this information helps you find the service and/or product you’re looking for. If we can help you again, please let us know!

Angola Prison - A Vacation Destination?

2011-01-07T16:55:00.000-06:00

A prison might not sound like an ideal place for a field trip, but if that prison is Louisiana State Penitentiary, it’s certainly possible. Yesterday I received a reference request from a current resident of the institution, and I realized that I didn’t really know much about the place. I’d passed an “Angola” road sign on the way to Baton Rouge once and knew that it had a reputation as one of the rougher prisons, but that was the extent of my knowledge. So, I set out to learn.

More commonly referred to as Angola, the prison is currently the largest maximum security facility in the country, covering 18,000 acres, and has some interesting characteristics not commonly found at other prisons. For instance, there’s a prison rodeo that takes place each year in April and October. For one weekend in April and every weekend in October, thousands of people flood through Angola’s guarded gates to watch prisoners show off their cowboy skills. They also get the opportunity to view and purchase crafts produced by inmates. Apparently, it’s a popular event, drawing over 70,000 spectators each year. Inmates also publish a magazine called The Angolite, run a gospel radio station (the only FCC licensed radio station on the grounds of a maximum security prison), and have a television station.

Many of the prison’s employees live onsite, and to improve the quality of their lives, the administration has built several amenities, including tennis courts, parks, and a 9-hole golf course called Prison View. Opened in June 2004, Prison View is the only golf course on the property of an American prison. It’s open to the public, and the cost to play is $20, which includes cart rental. Inmates aren’t allowed to use the course, but they do help maintain it.

There’s a prison museum, where visitors can see the original electric chair used by the prison for executions, authentic inmate contraband, and officer’s weapons. The museum also contains old maps of the penitentiary, records of the first inmates, inmate and officer uniforms AND a gift shop.

And then there are the tours that I mentioned earlier. A regular tour entails a visit to the museum, the historic “Red Hat” cell block where the most dangerous and violent prisoners used to be confined, a cell block or dormitory at Camp F (still in use to house inmates), lunch at Camp F (where you can eat what the prisoners eat), and the lethal injection table. Additionally, offender speakers are also available for a question and answer session with approved groups. They do offer tours to school groups, as well as churches and criminal justice professionals, according to the prison’s official website. Granted, it’s probably not the type of tour suitable for kindergarteners, though, with that stop by the lethal injection table and all.

Sources: www.angolamuseum.org, www.vva.org

New Year, New Name

2011-01-05T15:01:00.001-06:00

During our long holiday a Meebo guest checked in to ask about choosing names. This patron did not specify if they were choosing names for a baby, puppy, or boat. But, if you are looking to name a new addition to your household, or just want to start the New Year with a new name, MLC has the book for you. Our books include The Best Baby Names in the World from Around the World, A World of Baby Names, The New Age Baby Name Book, to name a few. If you can’t come by, give us a call and we’ll be happy to choose a name for you. How does Rhoda sound?

Also, if you or someone in your family received an E-Reader for Christmas, you may be able to access some free e-books from your local public library. Madison County residents can use their E-Readers to download audio books from Madison County Library System. Click here to browse their online titles. If you have any questions about your e-reader or e-books, just give us a call or send an email and we’ll be happy to help.

Jackson Streetcar Map.

2011-01-05T09:24:00.003-06:00

Does this 1912 streetcar map of Jackson intrigue you like it does me?

Click here to read the full story from Preservation in Mississippi.

Jackson, MS: Former Den Of Iniquity!

2010-12-22T11:14:00.000-06:00

Well, go on down to Jackson; go ahead and wreck your health.
Go play your hand you big-talkin' man, make a big fool of yourself,
You're goin' to Jackson; go comb your hair!
Honey, I'm gonna snowball Jackson.
See if I care.
(azlyrics.com)

Do you remember Jackson? (Cheerful, isn't it?) Johnny Cash and June Carter won a Grammy in 1968 for the song in the Best Country and Western Performance category (biography.com). My "other person" declared last weekend that the song was about Jackson, MS (which I wasn't going to deny) and that the references to gambling in the song were based in fact. I don't know about you, but I grew up in Mississippi. I even read The Help. As a state, we can be a touch on the conservative side, so a hotbed of gambling activity in Jackson, MS? Especially pre-1991? Hmph, I doubt it. I set out this morning to prove him wrong.

It's funny how it can be disappointing to be wrong and yet fascinated by the information at the same time! The twenty-first amendment, ratified in 1933, put an end to federal prohibition (archives.gov) but the official ban on alcohol in Mississippi went on. And on. And on. Prohibition lasted longer in Mississippi than in any other state, not being officially over until 1966 (msbrew.com). Bootlegging and associated illegal activity thrived on Mississippi's Gulf Coast, in the Delta, and in Jackson. According to Living Blues, "Some bootleggers even advertised in the newspaper and ran radio ads." Subtle. A myriad of blues clubs, dives, juke joints, and gambling casinos sprouted on the east side of the Pearl River, right across from good old Jackson (msbluestrail.org). The area itself sounds like heaven and hell rolled into one delicious blues harmony. Musical greats like Elmore James, Little Richard, Etta James, Percy Mayfield and Roy Milton performed here. Milton, a groundbreaker in R&B, was shot in the face in 1948 while breaking up a fight at one of the clubs. That's one rough joint!

The activity filtered into the cities, too. I don't remember reading about this sort of thing in The Help!

The Jackson Country Club was playing host to a reception following the annual Carnival Ball that night. Around 7:00 P.M., sheriff's deputies raided the party. The Clarion-Ledger reported the next morning that "bottles by the hundreds, including champagne and the best of French wines were found. Deputies battered in the door while hundreds of men in evening dress and ladies wrapped in fur coats stood in a hallway nearby" (Nash 212-213.)

I'm seriously thinking about checking the microfilm to see if an enterprising reporter snapped a picture. That would be gold.

Barretta, Scott. "The Jackson Blues" Living Blues 35.2 & 3: 46+. Print.
Nash, Jere and Andy Taggart. Mississippi Politics: The Struggle For Power, 1976-2006. Jackson, MS: UP of Mississippi, 2006. Print.
archives.gov
azlyrics.com
biography.com
msbluestrail.org
msbrew.com

Happy Holidays From The MLC Reference Staff (And Friends)!

2010-12-21T10:32:00.000-06:00

This post originally appeared 12/19/07.

We get a lot of genealogy questions here at MLC, and we often use Ancestry.com and Heritage Quest (along with our print sources) to assist our patrons.

Confession: we use these sources to amuse ourselves as well.
From various U.S., England, and Australian Censuses, 1860-1930, here is the Reference department's list of holiday-related names. These are all actual names of actual people:

Santa Claus

Elf Nelson

Toy Popwell

Mary Nativity Tambourine

Tree McFatridge

Wreath Spicer

Feliz Navidad

Joe Apple Pie

Frosty Jones

Chestnut Brown

Myrrh Hamilton

Turkey Crisp

Candy Cane

Betsy Reindeer

Happy holidays, everyone!

Christmas FAQ

2010-12-17T16:33:00.001-06:00

Have you ever wondered how some of our favorite Christmas traditions came to be? Christmas is only eight days (eight!) away, so what better time is there to explore some holiday customs? MLC has several fantastic sources for finding more information about holidays and their origins, and I decided to look at Holiday Symbols and Customs by Helene Henderson. She’s compiled information about Christmas and just about any other holiday you could think of. For now, we’ll just focus on Christmas.

What’s the deal with candy canes at Christmas, and why in the world would anyone want to hang them on a tree?
Similar in shape to a shepherd’s staff, the candy canes that are often hung on Christmas trees today were once a symbol of the shepherds who went to Bethlehem to see Jesus after his birth.

Did Hallmark invent Christmas cards?
The first printed Christmas card was produced in England in 1843. It sold for a shilling and looked like a post card. In the 1880s, cards became folders with four, eight, or more pages. It was also during this period that cards also began to get fancier, with elaborate decorations like lace. I’m don’t think they had the singing cards back then. Hmm, maybe Hallmark did invent those …

What do decorated trees have to do with Christmas?
There’s a legend that at the moment of Jesus’s birth, rivers flowed with wine, and trees blossomed in ice and snow. The Christmas tree, which “blossoms” with light and ornaments may have been a symbolic representation of this. Christmas trees didn’t really become a popular Christmas custom until the 19th century, though it came to America from Germany in the early 18th century.

You mean I can get warm stockings AND treats?
A popular Christmas tradition is to hang stockings over the fireplace so that Santa can fill them with goodies. This custom can be traced back to a folk legend in which three daughters decided to help their father get out of poverty by selling themselves into prostitution. Legend has it that a wealthy guy named Nicholas visited them on three successive nights, and each time he tossed a ball of gold through an open window into their house, which landed in the stockings the girls had hung by the fire to dry. By supposedly doing this, Nicholas saved the girls from a life of sin.

The Truth about Santa Claus
The original Santa Claus was Nicholas, a legendary saint who was bishop of Turkey in the 4th Century. He was a gift-giver, but he definitely wasn’t a push-over. He brought switches and rods for children who misbehaved. In many countries, this legendary character arrived on December 6th each year to hand out presents and punishments.

The Christian story of St. Nicholas spread to Europe, where there were already a host of similar mythic figures. In the Germanic religion, the chief god, Woden (or Odin), rode an eight-legged white horse, and the Dutch Sinter Klaas wore bishop’s robes and rode a white horse. In some parts of Europe, it is the Christ Child rather than St. Nicholas who delivers gifts. This distinction was instituted by Martin Luther as part of an effort to remove the last traces of paganism from the Christian church. As a side note, this is also where the name Kriss Kringle originates. In other northern European countries, St. Nicholas evolved and was integrated with ancient gods to become a spirit of winter rather than a Christian saint.

In Russia, Babuska (the Grandmother) is a legendary figure known for bringing gifts at Christmas. According to legend, this old woman deliberately misdirected the Three Wise Men when they stopped to ask directions on their way to Bethlehem. She later repented and tried to make amends by going around the world on Christmas Eve distributing gifts to good children.

Have you ever heard of Father Christmas? He’s an English folk figure who for centuries personified the Christmas season. Father Christmas didn’t hand out gifts. Instead, he represented the mirth, generosity, and abundance associated with Christmas. He usually appeared as a large, robust fellow wearing a red or green robe with fur trim and a crown of holly, ivy, or mistletoe. Remember the Ghost of Christmas Present in A Christmas Carol? He’s a good example. During the 19th century, the American version of Santa Claus began to gain popularity in England, and his identity slowly merged with that of Father Christmas. Before long, Santa had all but erased the figure of Father Christmas, who retained his name, but whose image and activities more closely resembled those of Santa.

The American Santa Claus is actually a combination of three figures: 1)English Father Christmas; 2)German St. Nicholas; and 3) Dutch Sinter Klaus. Two events helped transform these three figures into the modern popular image of Santa Claus: the publication of Clement Moore’s poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas” in December 1823, and the appearance of Thomas Nasts illustrations of Santa Claus based on Moore’s poem.

Are there other holiday traditions that you’d like to know more about? If so, we have a wealth of resources here at your disposal for you to explore. Or if you can’t make to our building, call us up, shoot us an email, or send us a Meebo message, and we’ll be happy to explore them for you!

Source: Henderson, Helene. Holiday Symbols and Customs, 4th ed. Detroit: Ominigraphics, 2009

Meebo Questions

2010-12-17T10:00:00.003-06:00

Last night a Meebo patron asked two great questions. First, the patron needed to know how to properly clean a wooden cutting board. I discovered that although wooden cutting boards are very pretty, they’re a handful to maintain. If you don't properly treat the wood, bacteria can find its way into the cutting board and multiply. There are, thankfully, many ways to prevent this. One of the best articles I found is from Whatscookingamerica.net. Here’s the article.

The second question is about dog training and cleaning up the inevitable “accidents” that occur. First, I looked through Kathy Diamond Davis’s Responsible Dog Ownership to learn how to clean up after the dog. Ms. Davis stresses the importance of thoroughly cleaning the spot where the accident occurs. If one does not take this precaution, the dog will continue to relieve him/herself at that spot. Ms. Davis suggests you must use white vinegar to clean the spot. She claims the scent from white vinegar will discourage the dog from using that spot again. Also, Ms. Davis advises to NEVER use ammonia because it will encourage the dog to return to that spot. You should also use soap or disinfectant if the mess has been there for a while.

Lastly, Ms. Davis says to use encouragement rather than punishment while training your dog. Encourge the dog for going in the proper places. Never punish the dog for a mistake. The most important part is to keep the dog on a solid routine so the animal knows his/her “potty time.” If you need more information, here is an excellent article from Best Friend Animal Society.

MLC provides many excellent dog ownership books for check out. Also, please remember if you ever need help remembering your “potty time” or anything else, you can call, email, or Meebo your friends at MLC.

Books for Prisoners

2010-12-16T15:25:00.002-06:00

Today, while we were enjoying our annual holiday meal, a Meebo patron asked if there is an organization that takes donated books for prisoners. I called the Mississippi Department of Corrections to see if they knew of any such organization. The representative said that each facility has their own set of guidelines when receiving books. The best thing our patron could do, I was told, is to contact the warden of the facility they want to receive the books. Click here for a list of all correctional facilities in Mississippi.

Also, if you would like for someone from the reference staff to contact a particular facility, let us know. We'll be happy to oblige!

E-mail: mlcref@mlc.lib.ms.us
Phone: 601-432-4492
Fax: 601-432-4478
Toll Free: 1-877-KWIK-REF (1-877-594-5733)

Thanks for the question!

A Cheapskate's Christmas

2010-12-10T16:16:00.005-06:00

For cheapskates, the Christmas season can be a very difficult time. We’re constantly attacked by commercials that show the euphoria of “giving.” We’re harassed outside of grocery stores by those guilt inducing Salvation Army bellringers. What makes Christmas so difficult is that you can forget birthdays and ignore baby showers, but Christmas is a national event; it’s everywhere. That’s why I’ve decided to start early this year and construct a strong argument that justifies my frugality.

Now, the hard part about constructing this argument was that I wanted to avoid sentimentality and find something original. I didn’t want to say, “I don’t buy gifts because that’s not the real ‘reason for the season.’” That’s a lazy argument. Also, I didn’t want to get all “Marxy” on people. I’d rather not be labeled a communist, but also, no one wants to hear about how Christmas represents the futile struggle of the proletariat to enjoy the material comfort of the bourgeois. That argument is so 1900. I wanted to find something new, something, I don’t know, modern. Luckily, I had time to search the stacks here at MLC to find my new argument.

The most useful book I found was Stanley Lebergott’s Pursuing Happiness: American Consumers in the Twentieth Century. Lebergott’s book explores how consumption has become a barometer by which people judge their happiness. There are chapters that look at how advertising influences consumer spending. There are essays on the unequal income gap in America. These are all good arguments but the last chapter is golden, “More Goods: The Twentieth Century.” This chapter centers on the idea that people’s appetite for new goods can never be satisfied. Lebergott quotes Samuel Johnson as saying, “We desire, we pursue, we obtain, we are satiated; we desire something else, and begin a new pursuit.” The basic argument is: regardless of how much you have you will always want more.

So, voila, here’s my argument this year: why buy gifts when the recipient will only come up with something new to want? And, yes, mom and dad, you can take this argument as your own. I’m sure your children will completely understand when, on Christmas morning, you explain that Santa didn’t visit because he wanted to save them the trouble of coming up with something else to want. You’ll save money and your children will be grateful for the lesson.

Lebergott, Stanley. Pursuing Happiness: American Consumers in the Twentieth Century. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1993.

Chicken-Thief Bride, Meet the Egg Penguin.

2010-12-02T13:49:00.004-06:00

This morning I was doing some hunting in the 1930s New York Times on microfilm.(If this doesn’t sound like fun to you, there’s a good chance you’re not a librarian.) While microfilm often makes me dizzy, the discomfort is tempered by all the articles I find amusing. Like these!

From March 2, 1937:
Pastor Sues for Divorce; Says Bride ‘Made Faces’

“Evansville, Ind., Mar. 1.—The Rev. James P. Sandefur, 22, filed suit today for a divorce against his wife, June, 19, charging that she made faces while he preached at the Primitive Baptist Church, and that she went to sleep during services.

The minister’s complaint also charged his wife with taking a quantity of his property, including three pairs of pants and nine chickens.”

Do you believe in reincarnation? If so, please start calling me June Sandefur. I feel strongly that she and I are kindred spirits. She had me at “made faces,” but the chickens sent me over the edge.

I had read an article in the November 22 New Yorker about the legendarily horrendous food served in the White House during FDR’s administration -- heavy on the brains and kidneys, friends -- and was interested to read more about a dish they referenced from the NYT called Turkey Supreme. I found it in the December 1, 1935 paper in an article called Variety for the Buffet:

“Turkey, it has been observed, goes well at buffet suppers. Hot, in a steaming pile, as a salad or cold, the romantic and festive import of turkey attracts all Americans. There may be, for the larger parties, both hot and cold servings. Turkey Supreme is considered ‘the ultimate in flavor.’ It is made of one-and-a-half cups of cold diced turkey, half a cup of chopped pecans, half a pint of whipping cream, a three-quarter cup of crushed pineapple and a cup of mayonnaise. Placed in a tray, the whole is then frozen for about three hours.”

There is so much to remark upon here that my head is spinning! Steaming pile! Romantic, attractive turkey! And then, of course, the actual recipe. I am thinking about having a buffet dinner party next spring. I will hide the pizzas from the Pizza Shack in my oven and wait until I see every face in the house recoil with disgust when they scoop up some frozen, mayonnaise- and pineapple-laden turkey onto their plates before I shout APRIL FOOL'S! and serve the pizzas instead.

The article goes on to describe several fanciful ways to serve deviled eggs, such as making them into white whales, or my favorite, the popular Egg Penguin:

“Penguins made of eggs perhaps eclipse the white whales. The upright egg penguins are supplied with ripe olive heads, matching black wings, bits of carrot for yellow bills and feet. They are grouped on a white slope in an unmistakable copy of a scene from Little America. Here is something new and festive for the buffet table at home.”

Now perhaps if June Sandeful had tried some Turkey Supreme and Egg Penguins, her husband would’ve forgiven her for falling asleep!

Late Fees at Jackson/Hinds

2010-11-29T13:37:00.004-06:00

Yesterday a meebo patron asked if Jackson/Hinds Library System offered an "amnesty day" where patrons can bring in overdue books without receiving a fine. Elisabeth spoke to Carolyn McCallum, Executive Director of Jackson/Hinds Library System, and was told the "amnesty day" is not offered.
Thanks to thank both Mrs. McCallum and Elisabeth for solving this question!

Gobble! Gobble!

2010-11-24T11:59:00.000-06:00

The Mississippi Library Commission will be closed Thursday, November 25 and Friday, November 26 for the Thanksgiving holiday. We will be busy doing more of this:

We will reopen Monday, November 29. Have a fantastic Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-23T16:48:00.004-06:00

Thanksgiving is almost here. To celebrate Turkey Day, the reference staff decided to offer our deepest thoughts about the joys of Thanksgiving. Tracy kicks it off with this sweet, funny, and deeply creepy Thanksgiving story:

My mother has always been crafty, by which I mean “handy with a needle and thread,” although she is crafty in the other sense of the word, too. When I was in the first grade, she made me a pilgrim costume: black dress, white apron, and a jaunty pilgrim bonnet. Making the costume was not the problem. The problem was that I had to wear it to school.

Let’s think back: what did you wear to your elementary school’s Thanksgiving dress-up day? Oh yes, that’s right: there’s no such thing.

I was the only person wearing a pilgrim costume. The teachers thought this was delightful and made me stand not only in front of my own class and let the other kids ask me questions about being a pilgrim—I didn’t know the answers since THIS WAS NOT A PERFORMANCE ART PIECE—but in front of all the other classes in the school and let THEM ask me questions. “What is your name?” Good question. “What did you eat on the Mayflower?” Can’t help you. “How long was your journey?” Longish. Pretty long. “Did you make friends with the Indians?” Umm, probably?

Unlike the clown costume my mom made me wear for ten years (it was very blousy), after the first grade trauma, I never had to wear the costume again. A few years ago Mom sent me a Thanksgiving card. When I opened it, a Polaroid photo of me in the costume fell out. I can tell it was taken before school because I’m not yet crying. She signed it: “I’m sorry. Love, Mom”

Brandie keeps the Thanksgiving cheer coming by discussing her refusal to sidestep the big day in favor of Christmas. Here’s her story:

Thanksgiving is only a few days away, but you almost wouldn’t know it. With Christmas music already on the radio, Christmas-themed ads on t.v., and “Black Friday” sales already underway, it seems like people have been all too eager to skip right over Turkey Day. I love Christmas as much as the next person, but I’m sorry – I have to draw the line somewhere. “After Thanksgiving Sales” BEFORE Thanksgiving? That’s just wrong.

Despite the accelerated Christmas fervor, everyone knows that the Christmas season doesn’t officially start until the Big Man himself has made his official debut for the year, and that happens in front of the Macy’s at Herald Square in New York City. Watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, listening to the commentary on the floats and balloons, and nibbling on samples from our ensuing dinner feast has been an unofficial tradition in my parents’ house for years. And until the Jolly Guy in Red rolls onto my t.v. screen on Thanksgiving morning, I refuse to play into society’s attempts to sweep Thanksgiving under the rug in favor of an extended Christmas season.

You’re preaching to the choir, Brandie. I’ll take food over gifts any day of the week. Elisabeth finishes off our Thanksgiving post by offering the menu from her first Thanksgiving away from home:

I was seventeen when I spent my first Thanksgiving away from home. I was living in a small town in southern Germany and was lucky enough to be one of four English-speaking exchange students sponsored by the local Rotary group. Our collective group of host parents and sponsors wanted to make sure that we weren’t getting too homesick at the beginning of the holidays so, bless their hearts, they decided to make sure that we had a traditional Thanksgiving feast. In my memory, this is what was served:
Hähnchen – Roasted chicken
Kartoffelknödeln – Potato dumplings
Spargel – Asparagus
Kompott – Stewed fruit
Semmeln – Rolls
Bier – Well, that translates easily enough!

I remember that our amusement over our delicious traditional meal far outweighed any lingering disappointment and went a long way towards dissipating any lingering homesickness. Frohe Erntedankfest!

Well, I don’t have a Thanksgiving story, so I’ll just mention the two things I’m most thankful for. First, I’m thankful that I have so many wonderful friends, family, and coworkers in my life. Secondly, I’m thankful for the fact that over the last four years I’ve maintained an average body weight of 185 lbs. and kept my BMI at an appropriate level. It’s took a lot of hard work, but I look as trim and handsome today as I did when I was 25; it’s truly a Thanksgiving miracle.

Albania! Albania! You Border On The Adriatic...

2010-11-18T09:50:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, my sister mentioned that it was a holiday in Albania. You might be wondering what that has to do with the price of beans, or anything else slightly relevant, but I really enjoy thinking about holidays, even those in which I don't get to participate!

{Side note} Yes, the sister has become quite the world traveler and has spent the last several months soaking up Albanian life and culture. She's been having a fabulous time over in the Balkans. Aside from occasional oddities, which I admit sound strange to my purely Western ears, Albania also has some remarkable offerings. Between the startling discoveries of sworn virgins and ongoing blood feuds, the country also boasts the town of Butrint. This ancient city is on UNESCO's World Heritage List and, for you literati, yes--Virgil mentioned it in the Aeneid (albaniantourism.com.) Mother Theresa was an Albanian and Ismail Kadare was the winner of the inaugural Man Booker International Prize. One last plug? Lonely Planet named Albania as their number one country to visit in 2011. I mean, you wouldn't want to miss this, would you?

Or this?

{End Side Note}

It turns out that Albanians, whose country is 70% Muslim, were celebrating Eid ul Adha (Festival of Sacrifice.) This is one of the most important holy days of the year for Muslims. "It is a serious occasion, symbolizing the submission of each individual Muslim, and the renewal of total commitment to Allah" (credoreference.) For those of you who remember your Bible, this holy festival commemorates when Ibrahim (Abraham) was willing to sacrifice his son. I was always completely flabbergasted that Abraham was willing to do that, and this celebration underscores the pure devotion he showed to following God's will. Thankfully, a ram appeared and with God's instructions, Abraham killed it instead. Now, Muslims sacrifice a sheep (or other appropriate animal) which is called a qurban in remembrance of this act (setimes.com.) Interestingly, the meat is then apportioned into thirds, with part going to the family, part going to friends, and part going to the poor (about.com.) It would sure help the homeless shelters out if we all gave them 1/3 of our turkeys next week!
I hope you had an Eid Saeed (Happy Eid!) and be sure not to get mixed up in any blood feuds.
http://www.albaniantourism.com/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/islam/holydays/eiduladha.shtml
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/al.html
http://www.credoreference.com/entry/collinsislam/what_muslims_do
http://islam.about.com/od/hajj/a/adha.htm
http://www.setimes.com/cocoon/setimes/xhtml/en_GB/features/setimes/features/2010/11/17/feature-02

Price of Tea in China.

2010-11-15T14:18:00.004-06:00

Earlier today a meebo patron asked where they could find pricing information on various objects. Sadly, I was unable to help them right away, but I’ve since found Grey House Publishing’s Value of a Dollar. This reference book has all sorts of prices available for different goods. It also contains average salaries for different careers and shows how much money folks spent on different products. Value of a Dollar would be a great resource for anyone who is interested in consumer patterns or price influxes in different products. Here are a few examples of some interesting figures!

In 1932 you could get a gallon of Cod Liver Oil for $1.79. (214)

In 1903 you could’ve enjoyed a whole gallon of White Line Whiskey of only $3.50. (55)

In 1968 ten cartridges of Gillette razors cost a measly $0.99. (399)

In 1981 the 1.3 cu ft GE Spacemaster microwave oven cost $689.99. (460)

So doesn’t it feel great to know that while prices will rise and fall you can always get quality help from MLC for free?

Derks, Scott and Elizabeth Derks, Tony Smith. The Value of a Dollar: Prices and Incomes in the United States. Amenia, NY:Grey House Publishing,2009.

The Importance Of Being A Dude

2010-11-08T16:44:00.000-06:00

This blog post originally appeared 7/24/2008.

While perusing the pages of The New York Public Library Desk Reference, 3rd Edition, I looked at the bottom of the page containing common crossword puzzle words and saw the following fabulous fact:

The word dude was coined by Oscar Wilde and his friends. It is a combination of the words duds and attitude.

Oscar is the original dude. He had an immeasurable amount of style; this photo from 1882 captures him in his favorite coat. Talk about strutting his stuff! Tres chic!

Oscar was dude-a-rific not only for concocting new words, but also for his ready wit. Here are a few Wilde quotes to get you through the day:

The good ended happily and the bad unhappily. That is what fiction means.

A little sincerity is a dangerous thing, and a great deal of it is absolutely fatal.

I can resist everything except temptation.

A thing is not necessarily true because a man dies for it.

Appearance blinds, whereas words reveal.

Definitely not a dude who would ever misplace his car!

The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations. Ed. Elizabeth Knowles. Oxford University Press, 2004.
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Oscar_Wilde_3g07095u.jpg

You the Man!

2010-11-05T16:14:00.001-05:00

Not long ago I called a friend of mine to ask him if he considered himself a man. Of course he has the necessary anatomy but, I’m thinking here about the idea of a man rather than biology. What constitutes a “man” today? What phases does a person pass through before he’s considered a “man”? These types of questions. Unfortunately, this friend, like most of my friends (and my parents), refuses to answer my phone calls. So I took to the stacks to see if I could find out what makes the “modern man” a man.

The best book I found was Robert Bly’s Iron John: A Book About Men. Bly spends some time discussing the evolution of the modern man but he’s mostly concerned with helping dilemma of the “soft male” of the 1990s. Bly explains:

“In the seventies I began to see all over the country a phenomenon that we might call the 'soft male.' Sometimes even today when I look out at an audience, perhaps half the young males are what I’d call soft. They’re lovely, valuable people--I like them--they’re not interested in harming the earth or starting wars. There’s a gentle attitude toward life in their whole being and style of living.” (2-3)

Bly goes on to explain that he’s noticed a deep sadness to these men. Mr. Bly argues today’s men have been raised (neutered?) by overbearing women who’ve denied their sons access to their inner-Wildman. I won’t ruin the ending, but if you’re a man, and want the mysteries of life revealed to you, come in to MLC and check out Bly’s book.

As for the original question: what makes a man? I guess I’ll go back to my personal oracle of manhood: Doctor Heathcliff Huxtable. In all my years of watching the Cosby Show I’ve never questioned that Dr. Huxtable was manhood personified.

Bly, Robert. Iron John: A Book About Men. New York: Vintage Books, 1990.

There's Only One "S" In Saving

2010-11-04T15:41:00.000-05:00

OK, y'all. It appears that for my entire life I have been suffering from the misconception that there is such a thing as Daylight Savings Time. Well, that just isn't so. The correct name for the devilment that occurs yet again this weekend is Daylight Saving Time--no extra "s." While you try to remember where you put the directions on how to change the clock on your car radio, let me fill you in on a few other DST nuggets.

You remember Benjamin Franklin? Funny hair, glasses, one of the founding fathers of our country, invented things? Franklin penned an article that proposed “earlier opening and closing of shops to save the cost of lighting" while he was the American minister to France (Columbia).

Every spring and fall I try to remember when the big dates are. Every spring and every fall I can't remember without asking at least 20 other people who, guess what!, can't remember either. Here it is:

I'm sure we could come up with an easy mnemonic to remember this... Tracy suggests starting with "The first Sunday of November is the day I can't remember." A gold star to whomever can find a good rhyme line for March!

If you venture forth to western Europe, you'll probably find that Daylight Saving Time starts the last Sunday of March and ends the last Sunday of October (Britannica). I am at a loss to explain why we can come up with standard time zones, but not a standard for saving time.
Daylight saving time was first attempted in modern times as a cost-saving method during war. The Germans, British, and Americans, among others, adopted this practice during WWI.

Americans also used Daylight Saving Time during WWII and the energy crisis of 1973-74, with many cities and states keeping a version of DST at other times while the rest of the country was not. All states except Arizona and Hawaii now follow the federal standard for DST (Columbia).

By the way, I haven't changed my car radio's clock for years. I gleefully ride about with reckless abandon for eight months of the year with the wrong time. I sure am glad I can't get a ticket for that! You try to be a bit more careful with time than me, and don't forget:

Spring Forward! Fall Back!

And you'll be fine!

Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. Chicago: Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2009. Credo Reference. Web. 03 November 2010.
"daylight saving time." The Columbia Encyclopedia. New York: Columbia University Press, 2008. Credo Reference. Web. 03 November 2010.
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Franklin-Benjamin-Journal-de-Paris-1784.png
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Victory-Cigar-Congress-Passes-DST.jpeg

Look BOTH Ways Before Crossing The Street

2010-11-02T16:52:00.001-05:00

This blog post originally appeared 6/26/2008.

A few days ago I was researching Winston Churchill for a patron. The patron wanted to know about a car accident in which the Prime Minister had been involved. The answer was relatively easy to find and led to an oodle of interesting facts about this great man.

Churchill was unable to locate the house of a friend in New York. After fruitlessly searching for the house for an hour on one side of the street, he attempted to cross the road to look on the other side. Unfortunately, he looked right and not left! (This is, of course, is what one does in England.) He was hit by a car going about 30 MPH and was in the hospital for more than a week.
After this accident, a doctor prescribed "the use of alcoholic spirits at meal time...the minimum requirement to be 250 cc." (That's about one cup for all of us non-doctor types.)
When Theodore Roosevelt met Churchill in 1900, he said "I saw the Englishman, Winston Churchill...he is not an attractive fellow."
His full name was Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill.
He made a lecture tour of the United States with Mark Twain.
He was on the cover of Time magazine eight times.
He became an honorary U.S. citizen in 1963. (He watched this via satellite from London.)
He was awarded Nobel Prize in Literature in 1953.
When asked if he had any criticisms about the United States, Churchill replied "...toilet paper too thin, newspapers too fat."
He was Prime Minister twice.

Who knew?!

http://winstonchurchill.org/
http://www.unitconversion.org/
Biography Resource Center. Farmington Hills, Mich.: Gale, 2008.
Historic World Leaders. Gale Research, 1994.