Government Gives Advice on Keeping Resolutions

Have you or your patrons made promises to yourself for 2009? If you've got the will, but don't know the way, the federal information portal, usa.gov has some tips for you if you've resolved to:

• Lose Weight
• Manage Debt
• Save Money
• Get a Better Job
• Get Fit
• Eat Right
• Get a Better Education
• Drink Less Alcohol
• Quit Smoking Now
• Reduce Stress Overall
• Reduce Stress at Work
• Take a Trip
• Volunteer to Help Others

Do you know of good resources (print or online) to help people keep their New Year's Resolutions? Leave a comment of a non-commercial nature.

If you want to learn more about federal government information, contact on of Alaska's Federal Depository Libraries. See list at http://www.akla.org/documents/index.html#dir.

Here's hoping you all have a healthy and happy 2009.

Rise of the women gamers

A December 23, 2008 BBC News Technology item:

The virtual battle of the sexes
By Tamsin Osborne
BBC News
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7796482.stm

is the latest in a number of articles I've seen lately that document that video games aren't just for the Elf Lord in his bachelor pad.

According to Ms. Osborne,

But this stereotype has been challenged by a study investigating gender differences among gamers.

It found that the most hard-core players are female, that gamers are healthier than average, and that game playing is an increasingly social activity.

Despite gaming being seen as a male activity, female players now make up about 40% of the gaming population.

One possible problem with this study is that it only looked at one online game - EverQuest II. But this finding is in keeping with my own experience. Many of the folks I know who play World of Warcraft, EverQuest and who participate in Second Life are female.

Does this statistic translate in your library gaming events, if you have them? Let us know your experience in a comment.

New Stuff in Ketchikan

The Rainbird Librarian in Ketchikan recently sat down and figured out what a typical week's worth of new library items looked like and came up with:

• 24 new nonfiction books


• 19 audiobooks


• 18 documentary & nonfiction films


• 15 feature films


• 12 new novels


• 11 music CDs


• 1 graphic novel (and a partridge in a pear tree....)

What does a week's worth of new items look like in your library?

Internet Archive Holiday Card

If you are not already familiar with the vast storehouse that is the Internet Archive, check out their 2008 Holiday Card. The card highlights the 2008 achievements of the Archive including:

• One million searchable, downloadable books go
• 150 billion web pages go
• 250,000 audio recordings go
• 135,000 videos go
• 796 new collections
• 23 million Book Records on the new OpenLibrary.org site
• Scan-on-Demand partnership with Boston Public Library
• 182 employees in 18 facilities in 5 countries scanning 1,000 books a day
• 145 libraries contributing to the Open Content Alliance go
• 140,000 images and videos on the new partnership with NASA NASAimages.org

Here's hoping that the current economic times don't prevent them from having an even more successful 2009.

National Resource Directory For Wounded Service Members And Vets

The Washington State Library Update for December 10, 2008 reported:

The Department of Defense has now launched the National Resource Directory (NRD). The NRD is an online partnership for wounded, ill and injured service members, veterans, their families, families of the fallen and those who support them. The NRD provides information on, and access to, medical and non-medical services and resources across the country which will help them reach their personal and professional goals as they successfully transition from recovery to community living. This new website is available at www.nationalresourcedirectory.org/.

This sounds like a great service for people who've given a lot to their country.