Is the Sun Closer to the Earth in the Summer or the Winter?

“We have a bet riding on this question. Is the sun closer to the earth in the summer or the winter?” The Newton Falls Public Library staff found this to be an interesting question, considering how much snow we have been getting this December.
Our staff member Googled “sun closer to earth in winter or summer” and found several websites which seemed to supply the information we needed. The Library of Congress’ site has a section called Everyday Mysteries [www.loc.gov/rr/scitech/mysteries/seasons.html] where the question “Why is it hot in summer and cold in winter?” is answered. The sun is closest to the earth in January and furthest in July. It explains though the sun is closer in the winter than the summer, because of the tilt on its axis, the sun’s rays hit the earth at a shallower angle with more atmosphere to go through.This causes less energy to hit any given spot on the surface and factoring in the shorter days and longer nights the earth does not stay as warm. Our staff informed the patron, who was happy that he was going to be a little richer.

Researching further for this article, we went to the website www.space.com/spacewatch/301206_happy_perihelion.html. There we discovered that while the information given in the Library of Congress article was correct, in relationship to the seasons, it is only true for us living in the Northern Hemisphere. As explained, the seasons are determined by the tilt of the earth’s axis, not the distance from the sun. Hopefully this will not void our patron’s winning since in December the earth is always closer to the sun than in July, no matter what the season or hemisphere.

Can You Help Me Figure Out Who This Person Is?

The lady on the phone asked, “Can you help me? I got a Christmas card, I can’t read the signature, and I don’t recognize the return address. I tore off the label and my dog ate it. All I can remember was her first name was Ruth, and she lived on [names changed to insure privacy] Clinton Avenue in Paddle, Oklahoma. It’s driving me crazy that I can’t figure out who this person is.” The Newton Falls Public Library staff was not sure if they could find the answer to this woman’s question.

We began our online search, at http://www.whitepages.com/. Using the reverse address search, we typed in the street name, city, and state. There was only one Ruth living on Clinton Avenue in Paddle. Our patron was still confused as why she would be getting a card from her. Our staff said the site gives approximate ages and the names of household members, including a man’s unusual name which was familiar to our patron. We also gave the caller some of the other information listed on the site; mentioning a middle name and a maiden name. Now, the card sender was sounding more familiar. Our caller went and got the card to reexamine the almost illegible signature. She happily realized that the card had been addressed and labeled by the out-of-state daughter of a close friend who has Parkinson’s disease

What is a Pie Bird?

“I was looking at a magazine and I saw this little ceramic bird stuck in the middle of a pie. Can you tell me anything about it?”  Some members of the Newton Falls Public Library staff were familiar with this cute item known as a pie bird, but having some personal understanding about a topic does not always supply the complete information needed by a patron.

We were successful in discovering information in the first two items we examined.  Warman's Flea Market Price Guide, 2nd edition by Don Johnson & Ellen T. Schroy describes them as “little birds with their beaks wide open . . . designed to act as a vent for a pie with a top crust. . .” [p.265]. Rose Levy Beranbaum, author of The Pie and Pastry Bible, seems to have very strong feelings about pie birds. Beranbaum states on page 670, “The purpose . . . is to create and maintain a fanciful opening in the upper crust of the pie for the steam and bubbling juices to vent.  I find they are impractical, as they displace too much of the pie’s filling . . .”  Both resources said that many people considered them to be collectibles.

There are also websites dedicated to this interesting piece of kitchen equipment. http://www.piebirds.co.uk/ shows the birds as one of a type of pie funnel, which have been used since Victorian times. Besides pie birds, the funnels include people and other animals.  The June 8, 2010 posting Brief History of Pies and Pie Birds on the blog Civil War Reenacting and Cooking [http://civilwarcooking.blogspot.com/2010/06/brief-history-of-pies-and-pie-birds.html] also refers to these birds as whistles and chimneys.

Our patron thought that these would make delightful Christmas gifts for her family members who bake.  Her next question concerned where she may purchase them and how much they cost.  Searching online, we discovered multiple sites offering pie birds for sale, listing of local stores which had them, and prices ranging from $1 to almost $135.

How Do I Clean a Hartco Floor?

“I’m cleaning for the holidays, and I need to know how to clean a Hartco floor.” The staff of the Newton Falls Public Library was not familiar with this type of floor. The patron did not know if it was hardwood or laminate flooring.

We began our investigation online since this question was about a specific brand. The Internet search revealed that Hartco is a hardwood flooring product of Armstrong World Industries, Inc. Their website, http://www.hartcoflooring.com/, has a section titled Flooring 101: Floor Care. Our patron was able to watch a short online video about the flooring, as well as see the products available to care for it. There was also an extensive section on Easy Care Steps for Cleaning Hardwood Floors. It included DOs and DON’Ts; Quick Fix Tips covering spills & dirt, spots caused by food, water or animals, grease/lipstick/crayon/ink and heel marks, chewing gum and candle wax, minor abrasions/scratches, and deep scratches/gouges; and Initial and Periodic Hardwood Floor Care and Maintenance.

Our patron had all the information she needed to prepare for properly cleaning her floor.

Is There a Wiring Diagram for a 21 foot 1976 Starcraft Boat?

The Newton Falls Public Library recently received the following email query. “We have a patron who needs a wiring diagram for a 21 foot 1976 Starcraft boat. Is there a library that has this information?” Libraries are very good with sharing information and on occasion the staff of the Newton Falls Public Library gets requests such as this one from another library.

We contacted the librarian making the inquiry and discovered that her patron did not need information about the Holiday outboard motor attached to the boat, but rather the diagrams for the boat itself. Searching our catalog, we found Outboard Motor and Inboard/Outdrive: wiring diagrams, 1956-1989 and Outboard Motor Service Manual. Since neither had the information needed, we expanded our search online.

Typing in www.OhioWebLibrary.org/smallengine took us to the Small Engine Repair Reference Center database. It includes manuals for All Terrain Vehicles, Generators & Other Small Engines, Marine/Boat Motors, Motorcycles, Outdoor Power Equipment, Personal Water Craft, Snow Machines/Snow Mobiles, and Tractors. Selecting Marine/Boat Motors, we looked at the Electrical System section of Powerboat Maintenance Overview & Information. From there we were able to send on information about auxiliary power plants, battery systems, bonding, lighting, making a wiring diagram, power plant lay-up, and shore power. We were also able to send the Intertec Wiring Diagrams: Outboard Motors & Inboard/Outdrives 1956-1989. Hopefully this information will meet the need of the patron. Newton Falls Public Library card holders can access this website from any Internet access computer.

If the patron is interested in more information there are websites such as http://www.iboats.com/. This website had a page which gave more details about the 1976 Starcraft Holiday 22, a 21.42 foot outboard boat and how to purchase a manual.

Why is Turkey the Traditional Thanksgiving Meat?”

“Why is turkey the traditional Thanksgiving meat?” The Newton Falls Public Library staff does not often get asked about commonly accepted customs such as this.  Discovering the answers to questions like this is always interesting.

The Folklore of American Holidays has an extensive section about Thanksgiving and harvest celebrations including the origins and customs.  Under Thanksgiving Dinner and What it Means [p.466], the basic menu of turkey, dressing, cranberries, potatoes, and pumpkin pie are listed, but not the reasons for the selections.  We extended our search online and found http://www.foodtimeline.org/ with information about Historic American Thanksgiving dinner menus.  In 1621, a contemporary description of the three day Plymouth Colony celebration lists waterfowl, turkey, and venison as the meals’ meats. It appears that until the mid 1900’s, a variety of meats were commonly served for this dinner.

Searching the OhioWebLibrary.org/ebsco we found an article which appeared in Highlights for Children [Nov2010, Vol. 65 Issue 11, p6-7, 2p] A Turkey at the White House! author, Jeannine Q. Norris, relates the story of the pardoning of the turkey by President Lincoln.  His son, Tad liked a turkey that was given to the president for Christmas dinner and begged his father to pardon the bird.  Thus began the custom of pardoning the White House turkey.

In The Making of the Domestic Occasion: The History of Thanksgiving in the United States by Elizabeth Pleck [Journal of Social History; Summer99, Vol. 32 Issue 4, p773, 17p].  Ms. Pleck states, “In early nineteenth century New England Thanksgiving day might begin with a morning church service, followed by the large meal in the afternoon.  Before or after attending church, men, musket in hand, might take aim at a wild turkey in the fields, or at paper targets.  The winner usually won a turkey as his prize for good marksmanship.”  In the 1920s, teachers began teaching about the holiday and decorated their classrooms with . . . pictures of Pilgrims and turkeys.  One wonders if this early childhood association with the holiday and turkeys helped to cement a lasting connection between the holiday and the menu.

We informed our patron, while we could not find a definitive reason it seems to have become customary to serve turkey due to common practice.

Will My Fish Die If I Carry Them Through the Security Gates?

“I had never heard this before, but someone I know was purchasing a fish at Wal-Mart and the cashier told her that the security gates would cause the fish to die. It was suggested that she lift it over her head while walking through.” While the fish in the patron’s story survived she and the Newton Falls Public Library wondered if it has that ever happened.

The HeraldTimesOnline Bloomington, Indiana [www.heraldtimesonline.com/stories/2010/05/31/digitalcity.058553.sto] addressed this very question in Rebecca M.Troyer’s article, Hotline favorites: Can I eat my Crocs? Exploding fish at Wal-Mart? “Lift up your fish through ye mighty gates” (March 25, 2009). The Hotline investigated by contacting Wal-Mart and the scanner manufacturer. Both corporations reported that there had been no “documented instances” or reported problems in relationship to the health and well being of fish. We informed our patron that this seemed to be well researched and it appeared to be safe to carry a fish through security and out of the store.

Urban legends such as these are good for storytelling. As our patron enjoyed this tale, we directed them to library materials with additional amazing stories, such as Alligators in the Sewer: and 222 other urban legends by Thomas J. Craughwell, Spiders in the Hairdo: modern urban legends collected and retold by David Holt & Bill Mooney, Too Good to be True: the colossal book of urban legends by Jan Harold Brunvand, Urban Legends: the as-complete-as-one-could-be guide to modern myths by N.E. Genge and the DVD MythBusters. Mega movie myths.