Black History Month

Below is a quick list of milestones in 20th-century in African-American history for the Black History Month for the libraries:

Up-to-the minute political events
...the 1992 Rodney King trial and its aftermath...the Clarence Thomas and Anita Hill hearings and their impact on African-American identity, feminist concerns, and harassment issues...

Civil rights landmarks
...the 1955 Montgomery bus boycott...

Significant cultural achievements
... Toni Morrison's Beloved winning the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1988...

Remarkable people
... Malcolm X... Carl Lewis... Roy Wilkins... Rosa Parks...Thurgood Marshall...

The milestones of the African-American History help better to understand main ideas from important speeches, laws and documents to deepen the captivating experiences throughout the past century.

Dewey With Style

No wounder many librarians are very creative and enjoy several hobbies! Librarians I know, like to write, perform, play music, know how to cook, know how to sew, enjoy painting, make jewelry, great knitters and crocheters! I think, when you are surrounded by books and information 24/7, and when you carry out your professional obligation, the advocacy 24/7, you automatically pick up many other skills. The skills of interest are broader and wider because you are in a position to "Dewey with Style."
Thank you, for complimenting me on my crochet skills. I am really glad that you like them. I can teach you the same skills.
For me, it is difficult to resist to get the inspiration from the designers' books and benefit from expert advice every now and then. Whatever the scope of my project - knitting colorful purses or hats, researching on historical-social aspect of gloves or mittens - the ideas, tips, and tricks will help me clarify my vision and realize how better conduct my hands-on project or my intellectual research.

Creative Colors of Fire

Textile, perhaps more than any other art form, reflect the cultures from which they come.They are at once personal, social, religious, and political-invaluable vehicles for the spread of ideas from one culture to another. In Africa, woven cloth have served these functions for more than two thousand years, conveying the vibrant essence of an African aesthetic.
Kente, the type of fabric produced by people of the old Ashanti ?Kingdom of Ghana convey the theme of "voices of triumph."

Ashanti tend to favor strips of uniform color, the varying colors in the Kente cloth express many paths taken by all African people, and especially the multiple destinations of black slaves who were removed from the shores of Africa.

The traditional three colors of red, gold, and green recognized by people of African descent all over the world: red for the blood (shed by millions in captivity), gold for the mineral wealth (prosperity), and green for the vegetation of the land of Africa as a home.

151

Average hours per month American spend watching TV: 151

Increase in the risk of obesity in people who watch 60 hours of TV per month: 60%

Meet the Generation Y

The personality of a generation based on Generation Theory that briefly could be characterized as groups of individuals born in roughly twenty-year cycles that repeat approximately every eighty years. The theory is attributed to William Strauss and Neil Howe who describe the generations in their 1991 demographic history of America, titled “Generations.”

Many educators, employers and marketers are taking the theory seriously and adjusting their teaching/hiring/training/marketing strategies accordingly.

Millennials are a product of the 21st century and are real-life focused. They want to know exactly what is required and not likely to do a whole lot more. In addition, Millennials are digital natives, meaning that technology has always been a part of their lives. They are totally at ease with it. Team activities were just what they did in school. Millennials use MySpace and wikis and podcasting to collaboratively create knowledge. Millennials believe you are supposed to work together with a group to learn. This generation is also known for being multi-taskers, texting while simultaneously doing something else. Psychologists call it micro tasking- doing a little of each and going back and forth between the activities.

Major Characteristics of Millennials

· Sheltered-more easily stressed, look to authority/parents for guidance, accustomed to structured life where desires were easily and quickly met
· Digital native-while fluent in technology, it is just another tool; 24/7 on-demand lifestyle; media-based interaction with knowledge; adaptable
· Social and team oriented-live publicly online; staying networked is key: MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, plus texting and blogging
· Ambitious but unrealistic- focused on fame, money, big ideas, but have unrealistic expectations of workplaces and real-life opportunities, goal focused
· Globally, socially, environmentally conscious-embrace, accept diversity of all sorts, activists, and more politically involved than Gen X
· Action-oriented-focused on new experiences, trying things rather than thinking about them; virtual world acceptable substituting for real-world activities; highly mobile; “TV is boring”

1900-1924 G. I. Generation [or Greatest Generation]
1925-1945 Silent Generation
1946-1964 Baby Boomers
1965-1979 Generation X
1980-2000 Millennials or Generation Y

In conclusion,

college education helps to prepare learners of the second decade of the 21st century for high-priority jobs in local communities. The Generation Y is learning life skills; adult learning adapting to individualized instructions and privacy and call the digital natives to the rescue; all together as a team continue to work on professional development and worthwhile websites.

With Hope

As the new 2010 moves in, I am dreaming with hope -

With Hope

I am dreaming out of blue,
Thinking of you,
With hope,
It can work!
One can dream,
With hope, we can redeem!
Hope is looking forward,
Hope is an optimistic word.
Hope means anticipation
With great expectations!
I am holding dawn to eagerness,
With a dish of keenness.
Come on, and hope,
Make a wish, and hope,
It will come through.
It is simple true.

Ida Tomshinsky 2009