holidays

holidays

National Library Week 2025, April 7-11

National Library Week 2025, April 7-11

, , , Library Services
Currently, the entire staff of The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) has been placed on administrative leave. Despite Congress’ support to continue funding this agency, President Trump signed an executive order to begin dismantling IMLS. This small agency, which only receives about 0.005% of the annual federal budget, greatly impacts communities across the country. IMLS awards grants to museums and libraries to support programs such as job training, psychological and wellness needs, collection preservation and exhibits, disability services, climate change preparations, reading programs and bookmobiles, and basic library services such as access to internet, technology, and digital books (Limbong, 2025; Curlin, 2025). Attacks on libraries and librarians are nothing new in recent years, but with the disheartening announcement … Continued
Popeye Belongs to All of Us

Popeye Belongs to All of Us

, , Matt Dilworth
On January 1st each year, Public Domain Day, new materials fall out of copyright and become free to use and adapt for anyone, without needing to clear rights or pay royalties.  These include audio recordings first copyrighted in 1924, and books, films, plays, musical compositions, artwork, and characters copyrighted in 1929.  In recent years, these have included the original iterations of Winnie the Pooh and Mickey Mouse, who have featured in a plethora of new marketable for-profit works; most notoriously low-budget horror films. This year, books like William Faulkner’s The Sound and the Fury have now become free to use, adapt, and sell, as well as Ernest Hemingway’s A Farewell to Arms, Agatha Christie’s ninth novel, The Seven Dials Mystery … Continued
The Christmas Eggnog Riot

The Christmas Eggnog Riot

, Matt Dilworth
In 1802, West Point Military Academy was founded, a pathetic joke of a military institution whose lax recruitment standards, negligible resources, and few teachers contributed little to the nation’s safety.  Then the War of 1812 happened, and losing the White House to the British convinced Congress that it would be prudent to train better officers and soldiers.  In 1817, Colonel Sylvanus Thayer was appointed as superintendent.  Thayer was a hero of the War of 1812 who had studied in France, and a man known for strict discipline in every sense of the word – both military and personal.  He quickly moved to change the character of the institution, and the character of the men who graduated. He created a stable four-year … Continued
The Winter Solstice

The Winter Solstice

, Other
On Saturday, December 21st at 4:19 AM, the winter solstice will usher in the season of Winter.  Along with snow, lower temperatures and less daylight, however, the winter solstice also brings wonder, traditions and atmospheric changes that have inspired and connected humans for millennia.  Take a look at some of the phenomena that accompanies the solstice. The word solstice comes from two Latin words meaning “sun stoppage” because the amount of daylight is shorter or longer than usual.  In winter, the sun is closer to the earth, a phenomenon known as perihelion, but the angle that the sun’s rays reach the earth make them less warming.  Hence, the seasons are dependent on the sun’s position relative to the earth.  The … Continued
Leap Years Through History

Leap Years Through History

, Jesse Whitton, Library Resources
Every four years, we have a leap year that adds an extra day to our calendar on February 29th. This helps keep our calendar in sync with the time it takes for the Earth to orbit around the sun, which is about 365.25 days. Even though we may not notice this extra day, some interesting events have taken place in history on Leap Day. The date was February 29, 1940. All the stars in Hollywood were gathering at the Cocoanut Grove nightclub in the Ambassador Hotel to witness the 12th Academy Award ceremony. After petitioning to even be allowed to enter the segregated Cocoanut Grove, Hattie McDaniel, the sole African American present, took her place at a table along a … Continued