Inauguration 2009

Today is a very historic day; today, this country inaugurates its first black president, Mr. Barack Obama. Today is also an historic day for me and my family, as my grandmother turns 100 today. But in honor of the inauguration, I’m posting some sites about past inaugurations…as wells as sites about today’s event.

Inauguration Day 2009 (District of Columbia site)

Offers information about the inauguration and the new President and Vice President.

Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies (U.S. Senate)

Click on the History tab to find some interesting information about past inaugurations.

Armed Forces Inaugural Committee

For those interested in the military aspect of the inauguration, including parades.

National Park Service 2009 Inauguration Brochure

A lovely and interesting brochure on the history of the Inauguration.

Bunny Burnstein

To a Healthy New Year

Since this is the time of year for resolutions and the occasional cold or flu, I thought it might be handy to point out some great (and free) health databases. Disclaimer: It is never a good idea to diagnose/treat yourself. These sites are not a substitute for a doctor’s care. Use these sites wisely.

HealthFinder
(U.S. Department of Health and Human Services)

This site offers tips for healthy living, as well as personal health tools. It includes activity and menu planners, health calculators, quizzes to test your health habits, and an A-Z listing of various diseases/conditions. If you need more information on a condition, this site links to other reliable sites like the American Diabetes Association and the American Heart Association.

This site also helps you find doctors and hospitals near you. And the site can also be used in Spanish.

MedlinePlus
(U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health)

This site is great for finding information on various ailments, prescriptions, and health topics. It also offers a medical encyclopedia, a dictionary, and a directory. This information can also be viewed in over 40 languages.

U.S. National Library of Medicine
(National Institutes of Health)

This site is great for finding information on ailments and health, as well as information about pursuing a career in the medical field. More importantly, this site links to other reputable sites on a variety of topics. It also includes online exhibitions and digital projects.

Bunny Burnstein

January Blog Spotlight: Beyond The Job

Articles, job-hunting advice, professional development opportunities, and other news and ideas on how to further your library career.

This blog, compiled by Sarah Johnson and Rachel Singer Gordon, is one of my favorite blogs. So, when I decided to start a monthly blog spotlight for 2009 (a chance for all of you to see what blogs I enjoy reading the most), I had to start with Beyond the Job.

Beyond the Job is a great resource for librarians. Whether you want to take a professional development course or you are looking for career advice, this blog is the place for you. It also includes information on scholarships, writing opportunities, or conferences.

I enjoy reading this blog, and I hope you will, too! Happy New Year! I hope to be back on schedule by the end of this week!

Bunny Burnstein

Book Worm

Looking for something good to read over the holidays? Maybe you need to find a book to give as a present. Well, here are some sites that might just help you out…

Whichbook

This is a fun site that lets you customize the search for the type of book you want. Using a sliding scale, you can choose a book that is happier or longer or bleaker. It’s a fun tool to play with. You can also choose what kind of character you want, based on gender, race, age and sexuality. There are also options for plots and settings.

Genrefluent

This is another fun site that allows you to browse books from different genres. This is especially great because the lists often include reviews of the various titles.

Fictionwise

This site offers free eBooks and can be great for finding something to read. Even if you the physical feel of a book (as, I confess, I do), you can at least get an idea of what the book is about before you go out and buy it.

Based on the Book

This site, brought to us by the Mid-Continent Public Library in Missouri, is for those of us who love books and movies. This site offers an alphabetical list of books that have been made into movies, as well as an alphabetical list of movies based on books. This can be a really fun game to play: read the book then watch the movie. You can even turn it into a discussion…not a bad idea for book clubs!

Bunny Burnstein

SL Adventures: Music Pavilion, Cultural Arts Museum

In my post on November 26^th, I wrote about exploring the Cultural Arts Museum created by James Madison University in Second Life. Now, I mentioned visiting a Roman Grotto, a Roman Villa, a Greek Temple, an Egyptian Tomb, a Russian Orthodox Church, and the Starkweather Art Pavilion. Well, I did NOT mention a Music Pavilion…mainly, because there was not one when I visited the museum. Now, however, there is one! So, here is the SLURL… enjoy playing the harp and the piano. Also be sure to check out the beautiful scenery.

Bunny Burnstein