Ministry Of Truth : Whitehouse Web Site

Ministry of Truth

WAR IS PEACE
FREEDOM IS SLAVERY
IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH

"Reality Control" ...if all records told the same tale-then the lie passed into history and became truth. "Who controls the past", ran the party slogan "controls the future: who controls the present controls the past."

This Process of continuous alteration was applied...to every kind of documentation which might conceivably hold any political or ideological significance.

....[documents] were recalled and rewritten again and again, and were invariably reissued without any admission that any alteration had been made.

George Orwell 1984

Changes in White House documents raise concern about rewriting history

news bureau
University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign

11/25/08

Craig Chamberlain, Social Science Editor
217-333-2894; cdchambe@illinois.edu

The Bush White House has been rewriting part of its history, according to University of Illinois researchers Scott Althaus (ALL’-touse) and Kalev Leetaru (KAHL’-iv lee-TAR-oo). It “has quietly deleted or modified key documents in the public record that are maintained under its direct control,” they write, in a report posted online this week and cited in a story in The New York Times.

They argue, however, that “updating lists to keep up with the times is one thing. Deleting original documents from the White House archives is another. Back-dating later documents and using them to replace the originals goes beyond irresponsible stewardship of the public record. It is rewriting history.”

Airbrushing History American Style (Full Report)

The authors of the report show how to locate altered or deleted documents from the public record on the White House web site. You will need to hurry because in January the site will be gone. It could be deleted or put in an archive with restricted access.

Print, books, cultural literacy, and "the classics" are as relevant today as the day the were first written.

R. Philip Reynolds preynolds (AT) sfasu.edu rm. 202b 936.468.1453 Subjects - Computer Science, Military Science, Philosophy, Religion, Political Science, Geography, Kinesiology

Thanksgiving: My Favorite Holiday

What’s your favorite holiday? One of my favorites has always been Thanksgiving. Who hasn’t been in a school play dressed up as a Pilgrim (or a turkey) reenacting that first Thanksgiving Day in 1621 when the surviving Puritans gave thanks for their bountiful harvest ?

According to CHASE’S CALENDAR OF EVENTS (Ref 4803 .C48), the first US holiday by presidential proclamation was issued on Oct. 3, 1789 when George Washington (at request of Congress) proclaimed November 26, 1789 “a day of public thanksgiving and prayer…”. The most famous Thanksgiving Proclamation is the one issued by President Lincoln in 1863. The beautifully written proclamation was actually penned by his Secretary of State, William Seward. http://www.historyplace.com/lincoln/thanks.htm

Since 1941 the fourth Thursday in November has been our official Thanksgiving Holiday. Most of us celebrate it by watching Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and eating turkey, dressing and all the trimmings. http://www1.macys.com/campaign/parade/parade.jsp

Learn more about Thanksgiving and other US holidays on USA.gov’s American Holidays page. http://www.usa.gov/citizens/holidays.shtml

	We Gather Together

Bernice Wright bwright@sfasu.edu rm. 202j 936.468.1528 Subjects - Agriculture, Forestry, Human Sciences, Human Services, Speech/Communication

Was Shakespeare an Identity Thief?

Could Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford, have been the true author of the plays attributed to actor William Shakespeare of Stratford-on-Avon? Was Shakespeare involved in a conspiracy to conceal his identity?

SFA grad and former Steen Library employee, Pamela Lynn Palmer,(MySpace page) explores that theory in her award-winning play, "Eclipse of the Sun: A Play in Two Acts." The promotional brochure explains, "Sex, violence, and intrigue in the court of Elizabeth I conspired to mask a grievous case of identity theft, perpetuating what may be the greatest literary hoax of all time."

USA Book News named her play a Finalist in the Theatre Arts:Drama/Play category of the National Best Books 2008 Awards. "Eclipse of the Sun" won “Best Play” in the Spring 2004 WriteMovies.com international competition.

"The University of Southwestern Louisiana kept sponsoring a contest for a play about the life and works of Edward de Vere. I finally looked up the name and realized he was the Earl of Oxford some believed might be the true author of the works under the name William Shakespeare. I did some research and found the theory fascinating, . . .and wrote my play.” She won the contest, the Miller Award Drama Category from the Deep South Writers Competition.

A prolific writer and award-winning poet, Pam Palmer authored the young adult novel, "Horse of the Dawn," now a talking book.

Born in Shreveport, LA and raised in Houston, Pam graduated from high school in Houston, TX in 1969. She finished two degrees at SFASU in just 4 years and added, “Of course my social life suffered!” She earned a B.A. in English (with honors) in 1971 and an M.A. in English 1973.

Pam Palmer worked at R.W. Steen library from 1976-1997; first, as a Library Assistant in Humanities, then in Special Collections (now the ETRC), and later in Reference/Documents. She currently resides in Valencia, California and would love to see “Eclipse of the Sun” debut at SFA!

Photo by permission of Ivan Murray, PIO, Palo Verde College

Carol Scamman cscamman@sfasu.edu rm. 202e 936.468.1710 Subjects - Art, English, Modern Languages, Social Work, Sociology, Theatre

Sweetest Industry on Earth: The Sweet Industry Group

What do Russia, Thailand, South Korea, India, and Portugal have in common?

They are part of the "sweet industry group, chocolate confectionery". In fact, I don't think there is a country in the world that doesn't have a confectionery company making some kind of chocolate chocolate candies. A great place to find out about the chocolate industry around the world or any other type of industry, is the library resource, Marketline. Marketline currently provides 3,024 industry profiles. Each offers all sorts of info such as market volume, segmentation, forecasts, and leading companies for each industry.

As for the Russians; the sweet industry group report reveals that they favor packaged or boxed chocolates. Is their romance in the air?

	Marthea Turnage mturnage@sfasu.edu rm. 202c 936.468.1896 Subjects - Accounting, Criminal Justice, Economics and Finance, General Business, Law, Management/Marketing/International Business, Nursing, Psychology

Is the Whole World Going Broke?

Over the past couple of weeks many of us have been growing more and more concerned about the fiscal crisis on Wall Street that is spreading to what the pundits call "main street" (in other words, all the rest of us who don't work on Wall Street). Over the last couple of days it has become apparent that there is now an international crisis. This morning everything sounds so bad that a worldwide depression is being talked about.

For sometime now our university faculty has added international studies to the curriculum in a growing number of disciplines. International business, hospitality, nutrition, political science, anthropology, communication, etc. I won't even attempt to name every program that includes international or intercultural components. All of us have become more aware of how internationally intertwined so many aspects of our lives have become.

Here in the library we often have questions from students looking for demographic, trade, and cultural aspects of other countries. This semester we are pleased to announce the addition of a database to our library that will help immensely with the cultural aspect of these assignments. The database is called CultureGrams Online. Aside from the population and government statistics that you can find in a number of country profile products, this database includes information on family, housing, diet, recreation, dating and marriage customs and several other aspects of lifestyle. Check it out when you have a chance. You'll find that it will not only be helpful academically, it will also be useful for Scout Troops, university and civic organizations, or planning your next vacation. Everything from recipes to common courtesies and greetings is covered. As Martha Stewart would say, "It's a good thing."

Bernice Wright bwright@sfasu.edu rm. 202j 936.468.1528 Subjects - Agriculture, Forestry, Human Sciences, Human Services, Speech/Communication

Kid's Reading Levels

Did you ever wonder if a book would be appropriate for your child, or the class you are teaching? There is a way to find out. It is a tool that we have recently discovered called Scholastic Book Wizard http://bookwizard.scholastic.com/tbw/homePage.do

If you put the title of a book in the Scholastic Book Wizard you will find the recommended grade level equivalent or interest level for that book. If you put in an author's name, the site will list the author's works that are available, along with the grade level equivalent, interest level, and whether or not it has a Scholastic Reading Counts! Quiz or an Accelerated Reader Quiz. Click on the book's title and you get even more more information about the book. If you are looking to build your collection of childrens' books this site will be an invaluable help. Student Activities and Teaching Resources tabs are also available and allow you to use the site when developing lesson plans.

Check it out!

Tina Oswald toswald@sfasu.edu rm. 202f 936.468.1861 Subjects - Elementary Education, and Secondary Education/Educational Leadership

Beyond the Pale and Toad and the Wet Sprocket

The phrase "beyond the pale" appears frequently in writing; many guess at its meaning or just read past the phrase without looking up its meaning and move on. However, it could be central to the point the author is making. Its use extends through the lexicon of western civilization for at least 1000 years. If we ignore its origins or meaning of this and other phrases shared by our culture it hinders our understanding. Not knowing the shared fundamental knowledge of educated members of western society renders us illiterate regarding many of the things we read and hear throughout our lives. David Hirsch describes this concept of the need to know a standard set of facts and knowledge shared by all members of western society as "Cultural Literacy."

Wanting to be a literate and reasonably educated person, I often turn to reference sources to understand what I am reading or the world around me. One source many turn to Google. I tried it. After entering [Define:pale] Google retrieved several definitions. One was from Wikipedia: "Pale is the second album by Toad the Wet Sprocket released in January 1990.” This was not what I was looking for, so I turned to my all time favorite reference resource: "The Oxford English Dictionary” (OED).

The OED has two pages of text defining the word pale, its origins, and definitions for it from its first appearance an English text to the present. This multi volume work is comprehensive however; I will admit it did not mention "Toad and the Wet Sprocket.” The OED did reveal that a Pale was a poll or log lodged into an embankment with a pointed tip facing outward at an angle to act as a fence or defensive barrier impaling any attackers. This barrier defined the boundary of the civilized camp or village, from those who lived outside the defended area (or, beyond the pale) who were the "uncivilized" or "barbarians”. Eventually these boundaries became stone walls and then just lines on a map.

The meaning of beyond the pale also evolved from referring to the crude physical barrier to a conceptual line surrounding social behavior or set of shared ideals. Today it refers frequently to an individual or group that acts in a way beyond the accepted values, mores, or behavior of respectable or civilized members of society. This is beyond bending the rules or offending someone, but is an action so outrageous that society cannot accommodate or excuse the behavior. The offender traveled past the protective boundaries of civilization into barbarism; going "beyond the pale" of all reason and moral judgment.

I have nothing against Toad and the Wet Sprocket or Google, but I think the OED's definition is what I needed.

See: Rudyard Kiplings short story "Beyond the Pale", where a "man who willfully stepped beyond the safe limits of decent everyday society, and paid for it heavily".

The Oxford English dictionary.Oxford : Clarendon Press ; New York : Oxford University Press, 1989.
call no. SFA Ref nc PE1625 .O87 1989

The dictionary of cultural literacy [electronic resource] / .D. Hirsch, Jr., Joseph F. Kett, James Trefil. Boston : Houghton Mifflin, 1993.
Online at Net Library
print version, call no. SFA Ref nc E169.1 .H6 1993

Cultural literacy : what every American needs to know / E.D. Hirsch, Jr. ; with an updated appendix, What literate Americans know [by] E.D. Hirsch, Jr., Joseph Kett, James Trefil. New York : Vintage Books, 1988, c1987.
call no. LB45. H57

"Pale" by Toad The Wet Sprocket (Audio CD - Jan 16, 1990) Amazon

R. Philip Reynolds preynolds (AT) sfasu.edu rm. 202b 936.468.1453 Subjects - Computer Science, Military Science, Philosophy, Religion, Political Science, Geography, Kinesiology

Sarah Palin

Sarah Palin, new VP candidate for the United States, and her opponent Joseph Biden ...

NEED TO KNOW MORE -

Use the library to find out more about the candidates and other influential people. Look in the library resource, Biography Resource Center (Sorry, only SFA folks can use it). When trying to find information about a person, the Biography Resource Center can offer accurate info in addition to journal articles and websites. When you need to know more about a person, go to the library. Ask a librarian.

	Marthea Turnage mturnage@sfasu.edu rm. 202c 936.468.1896 Subjects - Accounting, Criminal Justice, Economics and Finance, General Business, Law, Management/Marketing/International Business, Nursing, Psychology

Elections 2008

It's easy to feel overwhelmed by the plethora of political web sites and blogs available on the net, and yet having up-to-the-minute reliable information about burning issues, candidates, and all things related to the election process is extremely relevant right now.

The folks at the Documents Center of University of Michigan Library have provided a great comprehensive web site that organizes this huge mass of information so that by using the quick jumps at the top of the page, you can navigate to Presidential and Congressional candidate profiles and financial disclosures, political advertising, public opinion polls, campaign finance reports, debate transcripts, and information about lobby groups. Major policy issues are covered with a variety of materials such as congressional bills, agency reports, speeches, laws, and policy papers. All of the information is continually being updated and will be for the next year.

These folks have been providing election information online since 2000 and historical information is available as well.

Check it out at: http://www.lib.umich.edu/govdocs/elec2008.html

Kayce Halstead halsteadkay@sfasu.edu rm. 202g 936.468.1574 Subjects - Government Documents, Collection Development

Losing a Friend and Colleague

He was almost eighty years old, but the call on that Sunday afternoon informing me of his death was still a shock. Don had been on vacation for three weeks and was scheduled to return to work on Monday. I still remember the first day I met him because it was my first day at work at SFA. Even though I intended to arrive early, several librarians were ahead of me as I rushed to the university wide faculty meeting held at the beginning of each new academic year. "There's Bernice, there's the new librarian." I was greeted by Don, Elizabeth Wallace, and several other new colleagues. as we walked together to the meeting. That was 32 meetings ago, and I'm certainly not the new librarian any more.

Back then I worked in Technical Services, and I soon got to know Don well. No one was more persistent than Don in making sure that the materials needed by his faculty and students in the sciences were ordered, checked in, and processed as quickly as possible. Waiting for the invoice to arrive or setting aside a tough cataloging problem was not an option if one of Don's students needed the book, geological survey, or map that he was tracking down. Music collection responsibilities were added to Don's job description a few years later. For Don this was not a burden, it was a joy. The sciences were Don's job and he was very good at it, but music was his passion.

I joined Don, Marty Turnage, Carol Scamman, Kayce Halstead and others in the Reference Department in 1991. There were no online end-user databases in those days. Printed indexes for undergraduates and expensive Dialog database searches done by librarians for graduate students and faculty were the order of the day. I worked with Don on Tuesday nights. We were almost always busy, but there were short breaks between questions when I could ask Don to show me how to use one of the reference books or compare notes with him on vacations to Big Bend or Mesa Verde.

On Tuesdays, Don would come in at 7:30 a.m. and work until 10 p.m. He took off an hour for lunch , but often just ate a sandwich in his office for supper before joining me at the Reference Desk at 6 p.m. The rest of us took afternoons off when we were scheduled to work until 10 p.m., but Don didn't start taking the afternoons off until he was forced to. There was some newfangled rule about not earning more than 80 hours of comp time per year. Ten comp days for weekends plus a year's worth of Tuesday afternoons added up to considerably more than 80 hours! Don complained about his new schedule for weeks, but a few years later turned down the option of having no night duty every other semester. By this time, being free on Tuesday afternoons was essential!

Fifteen years past the age when most people retire, Don was still arriving at his office shortly after 7:30 each morning. Don enjoyed traveling and going to operas and other musical performances. He had plenty of vacation time to do that. He still loved his work and was not ready to retire. He wasn't up on all the newest technology. He couldn't name the newest pop stars. He didn't blog or twitter. But for some students and faculty in chemistry, geology, or music, he wasn't just the best person to ask, he was often the only person that could help them.

Don was a valued colleague and friend. I won't soon forget him, and neither will many others.

Bernice Wright bwright@sfasu.edu rm. 202j 936.468.1528 Subjects - Agriculture, Forestry, Human Sciences, Human Services, Speech/Communication

Would You Like to be an Award Winning Director or Have $1000?

Attention SFA students!! Submit a short video and be eligible to win a SPARKY Award and $1,000!!! This year’s contest theme is “MindMashup: The Value of Information Sharing.” You can work individually or as a team. Contest deadline is November 30, 2008. See contest Rules and Requirements under Details at http://www.sparkyawards.org/details/index.shtml

The SPARKY Awards are organized by SPARC, the Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition. Many of SFA’s librarians belong to the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL). ACRL is co-sponsoring this video contest for college students with SPARC. Winning entries are screened at national conferences. For details about prizes and national exposure see http://www.sparkyawards.org/awards/index.shtml

The librarians in RIS (Research and Instructional Services) would love to see you win! We know you’re creative, and you have what it takes (especially if you managed to wade through all the previous acronyms). We also know you don’t need another assignment, but if you want to get some course credit, it’s within the contest rules for you to ask a professor to make it an assignment for a class where it would be appropriate. For more information go to http://www.sparkyawards.org/

Carol Scamman cscamman@sfasu.edu rm. 202e 936.468.1710 Subjects - Art, English, Modern Languages, Social Work, Sociology, Theatre

In Memory of Don Richter

In Memory of a

Colleague
Friend
Gentleman
Professional
And Scholar

Don Richter
1928 - 2008