The Indelible Mark of Pearl Harbor

Dec 7, 1941, “a date which will live in infamy“, was the day of the attack by the Japanese on Pearl Harbor during World War II. Today, we remember that date and its losses:

Flag Day: The Anniversary of the Stars & Stripes

(CC0 image via Pixabay)

“I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”

Each year, Flag Day is celebrated on June 14th. It started with a teacher, BJ Cigrand, in 1885. He encouraged his students to observe the anniversary of the adoption of the first official flag of the United States on June 14, 1777. At that time, the flag sported only 38 stars (compared to 50 today), after Colorado joined the Union in 1876, along with the 13 horizontal stripes representing the original 13 Colonies.

The flag on display at Bay Shore library

Cigrand spread the idea through his writing and speeches on patriotism and the flag. Over time the ceremonies grew across the United States. After three decades of acknowledging “Flag Day”, President Woodrow Wilson wrote a Proclamation on May 30th, 1916 for the official observation of the anniversary of the Flag Resolution of 1777. To further recognize the history of the flag, an Act of Congress on August 3rd, 1949 signed by President Truman officially made June 14th of each year National Flag Day.

Citizens, businesses and organizations are encouraged to observe Flag Day by hanging a flag throughout the week of June 14th.

Contributed by: Joan Wagner, Chief Librarian, Bay Shore

Streufert, Duane. “Usflag.Org: A Website Dedicated To The Flag Of The United States Of America – The History Of Flag Day”. Usflag.org. N.p., 2017. Web. 13 June 2017.

What did the President say?

Presidents Bush, Obama, GW Bush, Clinton, and Carter

With today’s Presidential Inauguration, I have been giving some thought to the speech every president gives on the historic day. Today, with the ability to live broadcast on TV and now also the internet, one is able to hear firsthand what a president says in real time. That is true. But what if you cannot catch the speech live? I strongly encourage you to go to the primary source and read a full transcript of the speech, rather than relying only on commentary online and in the news.

Bother A Librarian Today

A librarian’s dream: Patrons lining up at the reference desk! (image via NYPL Digital Collections)

“I hate to bother you, but…”

Just stop right there.

Librarians want to be bothered.

We are waiting for your questions.

Each question is an adventure. You ask for help; we go on a quest to seek the information. The puzzle to figure out the best keywords to pull up better articles is a mystery to be solved. 

From Kew Gardens Hills to Bay Shore

We didn’t have these at my last library!

Touro libraries are not all the same. Are we one big family? Yes! Work very well together across the miles? Yes! Provide services to students and staff? Yes, again! However, there are still some pretty big differences between the locations. This is something I have a new perspective on after moving from librarian at the Lander College for Men to become Chief Librarian at the Bay Shore Campus in Fall 2015.

Books On The Move

Empty books shelves—but not for long!

Over the summer we did a total library book “shift” at the library for the Lander College for Men.

You might ask: “Why would you do that?”

Or “Wasn’t that a lot of physical work?”  (Yes, it was.)

Or “How many books did you move?” (Over 15,000 books.)

So here is the story of why…

Are Audiobooks for you?

source

Have you ever listened to an audio book? A key advantage is that they are hands-free, allowing you to listen to a book while doing something else. There are opportunities to listen while sitting on the bus, train or plane, traveling by car, standing on line, working out, sunbathing, knitting, fishing, gardening, sitting in a waiting room, cooking or walking. The possibilities are endless!