In celebration of American Indian Heritage Month

The first American Indian Day in a state was declared on the second Saturday in May 1916 by the governor of N.Y.  Presently, several states have designated Columbus Day as Native American Day, but it continues to be a day we observe without any recognition as a national legal holiday. In 1990 President George Bush approved a joint resolution designating November 1990 “National American Indian Heritage Month.”   For more information regarding the history and culture of the American Indian visit this website: http://www.martinsfoods.com/shareddev/sharedcontent/SP/AIHM08/index.cfm

White House meets Web 2.0

Following on the heels of our new Facebook page, we thought we’d take a moment to discuss the impact of social networking and other web 2.0 elements in today’s political landscape.

No matter who you supported in this year’s election, one thing was for sure: technology played a big part. President-Elect Obama’s embrace of latest technology not only energized and expanded his youthful base, but also allowed a lot more people to participate in a campaign than ever before, from fundraising to following the Obamas in photographs.  Making use of his own social networking site MyBarackObama, Mr. Obama allowed people to raise and donate money, create events, and even print lists of people in their area to visit or call during the campaigning.  Mr. Obama also used various websites to reach out to the public, including Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, Flickr, Twitter, and so on.  In embracing new technologies, Mr. Obama proved that, like Roosevelt’s radio addresses and Kennedy’s television performances before him, he (or she) that accepts and utilizes new technologies will only be better and stronger for it. 

Now that he’s been elected, what next? Once again, technology comes to the forefront.  People all over the world can see Mr. Obama’s intended plan for various topics on his new website: www.change.gov.  People can also suggest ideas and submit their vision for America.  One notable change from previous administrations is Mr. Obama’s intent on appointing a Chief Technology Officer (CTO) whose job it will be “to ensure that our government and all its agencies have the right infrastructure, policies and services for the 21st century“.  The details of this position are still a bit foggy, but at the rate technology is increasing these days, this is a position that will likely be much-needed.

For more information on the role of technology in this campaign, see:

• http://blog.wired.com/geekdad/2008/11/5-signs-preside.html
• http://venturebeat.com/2008/11/05/changegov-is-coming-and-has-obama-picked-his-cto/
• http://business-standard.com/india/storypage.php?autono=339375
• http://www.informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=212000815&pgno=1
• http://www.brazencareerist.com/2008/11/06/obama-the-first-postmodern-president

Become our fan on Facebook!

If you have a Facebook account, you might be interested in adding us to your fan pages.  You can see who else thinks we’re great as well as see and post photos, be notified of upcoming events, search for items in our catalog via WorldCat, and more. Feel free to start discussions, and be sure to check out our latest events!

Full link to our Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Richmond-VA/J-Sargeant-Reynolds-Community-College-Libraries/35093874578

Celebrating our 44th American President

•   Resources on Barack Obama:

•    Victory Speech – Chicago Sun Times
•    Books – Library Catalog
•    Articles – Biography Resource Center
•    Articles – History Resource Center

Barack Obama – Professor in Chief

The recent election of Barack Obama and Joe Biden to the nation’s top two leadership positions may have some surprising results for America’s higher education system, particularly community colleges.   The current issue of the Chronicle of Higher Education reports on the possible effect: http://chronicle.com/free/2008/11/6651n.htm

Foreclosure Survival Guide – Ebook of the Month

Check out NetLibrary’s November ebook of the month, Foreclosure Survival Guide by Stephen Elias. 

“The No. 1 topic of conversation in the news and around the office today and tomorrow? Foreclosures. They rose in the U.S. by over 79 percent last year—and over two million more are expected in the next two years. Written by a practicing lawyer who has helped hundreds keep their homes or come out of foreclosure financially sound, Foreclosure Survival Guide provides practical solutions and information that can help readers make the best decisions possible.”

For further information or assistance in using NetLibrary ebooks, contact the Reference Desk. You can also check out the library’s handout on creating  a NetLibrary account and basic getting started instructions.