Denton Reads: Gregory Maguire Lecture

On Saturday, November 21^st Denton Reads presents author Gregory Maguire. He will be visiting the City of Denton to talk about his work latest work "Matchless", a haunting re-telling of the classic tale of the "The Little Matchgirl." Maguire is a known advocate for literature, literacy and libraries.

Since Wicked was first published in 1995, millions of readers have discovered Gregory Maguire's fantastically encyclopedic Oz, a world filled with characters both familiar and new, darkly conceived and daringly re-imagined.

This free event begins at 6pm and will be held at TWU MCL Auditorium. A book signing will follow the program. Seating is limited, and tickets will be required. Some tickets will be available for advanced reserve (http://www.twu.edu/library/denton-reads-form.asp),
and the remaining tickets will be available at the door on a first-come, first-served basis.

Denton Reads is sponsored by the UNT and TWU libraries, the Denton Public Library and the Denton ISD.
This program was made possible in part with a grant from Humanities Texas, the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Denton Reads is an organization whose goal is to unite the City of Denton by hosting a lecture by a notable author and by featuring discussions of a common text. More information about Denton Reads and its activities can be found at http://dentonreads.unt.edu/.

--Annita Owens

President Barack Obama has declared October 2009 as National Information Literacy Awareness Month.

NATIONAL INFORMATION LITERACY
AWARENESS MONTH, 2009

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

A PROCLAMATION

Every day, we are inundated with vast amounts of information. A 24-hour news cycle and thousands of global television and radio networks, coupled with an immense array of online resources, have challenged our long-held perceptions of information management. Rather than merely possessing data, we must also learn the skills necessary to acquire, collate, and evaluate information for any situation. This new type of literacy also requires competency with communication technologies, including computers and mobile devices that can help in our day-to-day decisionmaking. National Information Literacy Awareness Month highlights the need for all Americans to be adept in the skills necessary to effectively navigate the Information Age.

Though we may know how to find the information we need, we must also know how to evaluate it. Over the past decade, we have seen a crisis of authenticity emerge. We now live in a world where anyone can publish an opinion or perspective, whether true or not, and have that opinion amplified within the information marketplace. At the same time, Americans have unprecedented access to the diverse and independent sources of information, as well as institutions such as libraries and universities, that can help separate truth from fiction and signal from noise.

Our Nation's educators and institutions of learning must be aware of — and adjust to —these new realities. In addition to the basic skills of reading, writing, and arithmetic, it is equally important that our students are given the tools required to take advantage of the information available to them. The ability to seek, find, and decipher information can be applied to countless life decisions, whether financial, medical, educational, or technical.

This month, we dedicate ourselves to increasing information literacy awareness so that all citizens understand its vital importance. An informed and educated citizenry is essential to the functioning of our modern democratic society, and I encourage educational and community institutions across the country to help Americans find and evaluate the information they seek, in all its forms.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim October 2009 as National Information Literacy Awareness Month. I call upon the people of the United States to recognize the important role information plays in our daily lives, and appreciate the need for a greater understanding of its impact.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this first day of October, in the year of our Lord two thousand nine, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-fourth.

BARACK OBAMA

--Greg Hardin

Secret to Finding a Quiet Place in the Library

On a sunny day, you hear the click-clack-click or the clump-clump-clump of someone's stylish shoes going across the terrazzo. On a rainy day, you hear the squishing squeaking sound of sneakers or rain boots. It seems like every few minutes the telephone is ringing and you hear "Blagg-Huey Library Information Desk this is Pleasant Voice, how may I help you?" Not to mention, there always seems to a group of students sitting at a table talking. You also notice the voice of a library staff person in the reference area helping a student with the databases at the workstation next to you. You are really glad the library staff members are so helpful because you may need help later, but this day with mid-term papers, projects, and tests approaching you wished it was quieter and wonder, "Where should I go?"

The First Floor - Try the carrels on the left side of the library along the walls. Most of the carrels are near windows and have a nice view of the campus greenery. Remember, you can check out a laptop at the Circulation Desk.

The Second Floor - Stay away from the rotunda. Although it is aesthetically pleasing, all the noises from the 1^st floor go straight up the rotunda. The carrels along the walls provide a quieter spot. You and a few of your quieter friends could reserve one of the larger group study rooms.

The Third Floor - The 3^rd floor is by far the quietest place in the library but we have designated half the area as library's official "Quiet Area." There are individual study rooms in this area as well. There are absolutely no study groups or cell phones allowed in this area.

Please remember to speak to a library staff person if it gets too noisy on any floor even if this means asking the staff person to lower his or her voice. You probably will not find a TWU library staff member that will shush people with an index figure over his or her mouth like the stereotypical librarian, but he or she will ask other library users to lower their voices when you ask.

--Annita Owens

H1N1 Flu – Assess Your Symptoms

To prevent the spread of the H1N1 Flu Virus and to help people learn whether they have the symptoms of H1N1, members of the general public are being urged to use online assessment tools to check their symptoms before going to an emergency room or doctor's office.

Emory University has put together a free interactive tool to help the public assess their symptoms on the Internet. The website also gives guidance to help make informed decisions about seeking access to healthcare. Website visitors do not have to give their names. The Self-Assessment is free.

H1N1 Flu Self-Assessment
https://h1n1.cloudapp.net/Default.aspx

The US Department of Health and Human Services provides an online H1N1 Self-Evaluation interactive tool as well.

H1N1 Flu Self-Evaluation
http://www.flu.gov/evaluation/index2.html

These interactive tools are not a substitute for diagnosis and treatment by a healthcare professional.

--Elaine Cox