“I need some information about giving massages. I would especially like to know if you have any videos about it.” The Newton Falls Public Library staff hoped this search would be a relaxing one and began it with our online catalog.
The library owns several books on massage, including Feet First: a guide to foot reflexology by Laura Norman and The Reflexology Atlas by Bernard C. Kolster and Astrid Waskowiak. Newton Falls Public Library does not own any videos about massage but a selection of videos, including Infant Massage: the power of touch, Reflexology, the Timeless Art of Self Healing and the series Healthy Massage, are available through our shared TiPL (Trumbull Independent Public Libraries) catalog. These items may be requested from the owning library, and borrowed by the patron at our library.
In seeking information about this subject on the Internet, we found numerous links to massage and reflexology videos, but were not sure of the quality of the techniques shown. We also discovered the Holland Reflexology Institute School For Advanced Reflexology [http://www.hollandreflexology.com/] in Niles and Cortland. The website of this Ohio State Registered School has online videos and a list of other Ohio massage therapy schools and their links.
library heading
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Thursday, September 16, 2010
What Does This Odd Mailing Address Mean?
“I work for private agency. We are sending out some inquiries, and a few of them have an odd mailing address. It is a name, followed by a 6-7 digit number, then BCS LS MC Newton Falls, Ohio 44444. We can’t discover what that means. Can you help us?” This question from an out-of-state caller intrigued the Newton Falls Public Library staff.
First we telephoned the local post office and spoke with the Newton Falls postmaster. She informed us that while she didn’t know the meaning of the letters, the mail that came through with that designation was delivered to the Ravenna Arsenal [now named Camp Ravenna Joint Military Training Center]. Following our conversation with her, we spoke with someone at Camp Ravenna. The series of numbers is the unit designation, but she was not familiar with the meaning of the letters.
We next examined the books in our collection. Neither The Oxford Essential Dictionary of Abbreviations nor Acronyms, Initialisms & Abbreviations Dictionary gave abbreviations or acronyms which seemed to answer our question.
The search continued online. When the stewardship of the Ravenna Army Ammunition Plant was transferred to the Ohio National Guard, it became Camp Ravenna. We looked at their website www.ong.ohio.gov. While informative about the Ohio National Guard, we could find no pertinent information. The Military Postal Service Agency [http://hqdainet.army.mil/mpsa] has interesting details about the mailing of packages, FAQs, and some commonly used abbreviations. However, we were unable to locate any examples matching ours.
Abbreviations.com has an extensive listing of military abbreviations. There were 4 examples for BCS, 4 for LS, and 13 for MC. MC for Marine Corps or Medical Corps seemed to be only one that may apply as part of a military mailing address. None of the others seemed appropriate for this question.
We informed our caller by email of what we discovered.
First we telephoned the local post office and spoke with the Newton Falls postmaster. She informed us that while she didn’t know the meaning of the letters, the mail that came through with that designation was delivered to the Ravenna Arsenal [now named Camp Ravenna Joint Military Training Center]. Following our conversation with her, we spoke with someone at Camp Ravenna. The series of numbers is the unit designation, but she was not familiar with the meaning of the letters.
We next examined the books in our collection. Neither The Oxford Essential Dictionary of Abbreviations nor Acronyms, Initialisms & Abbreviations Dictionary gave abbreviations or acronyms which seemed to answer our question.
The search continued online. When the stewardship of the Ravenna Army Ammunition Plant was transferred to the Ohio National Guard, it became Camp Ravenna. We looked at their website www.ong.ohio.gov. While informative about the Ohio National Guard, we could find no pertinent information. The Military Postal Service Agency [http://hqdainet.army.mil/mpsa] has interesting details about the mailing of packages, FAQs, and some commonly used abbreviations. However, we were unable to locate any examples matching ours.
Abbreviations.com has an extensive listing of military abbreviations. There were 4 examples for BCS, 4 for LS, and 13 for MC. MC for Marine Corps or Medical Corps seemed to be only one that may apply as part of a military mailing address. None of the others seemed appropriate for this question.
We informed our caller by email of what we discovered.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Can I Register to Vote Here?
“Can I register to vote here?” With registration closing on October 4, 2010 in order to vote in the November 2, 2010 General Election, the Newton Falls Public Library staff views this as a very important and timely question.
The library has voter registration forms for Trumbull, ones that may be used for other counties, and Absentee/Early Voting ballot requests. The latter begins Saturday, September 18, 2010 for Uniformed and Overseas (UOCAVA) Voters. Absentee voting for non-UOCAVA Voters begins Tuesday, September 28, 2010.
According to the Trumbull County Board of Elections’ website [www.electionohio.com/trumbull]:
“Every voter will be required to provide proof of identity before voting.” Acceptable forms of identification include “your current and valid photo identification card, military identification, copy of utility bill, bank statement, paycheck, government check, or government document showing your name and current address. (Note: You cannot use as proof of identification a notice the Board of Elections mailed to you.) If you do not have, or fail or refuse to provide, the required proof of identity, you may cast a provisional ballot.”
The Board of Elections’ site also has other useful information including:
• Where to vote
• Are you registered
• Polling places
• Forms to be downloaded and printed
• Candidates and issues
• How to become a poll worker
• Election results.
Voters are always searching for information about local, state, and national candidates and issues in order to make wise choices. The library subscribes to local newspapers in Mahoning, Portage, and Trumbull counties; newspapers from larger Ohio cities; as well as the Wall Street Journal, New York Times and USA today. Reading the library’s news magazines will also be helpful in making your decisions. The League of Women Voters [http://www.lwv.org/], the Ohio LWV [http://www.lwvohio.org/], and the Trumbull County LWV [www.orgsites.com/oh/lwvtc/index.html] all have useful information on their websites. Smart Voter [http://www.smartvoter.org/] is another website sponsored by the LWV.
The library has voter registration forms for Trumbull, ones that may be used for other counties, and Absentee/Early Voting ballot requests. The latter begins Saturday, September 18, 2010 for Uniformed and Overseas (UOCAVA) Voters. Absentee voting for non-UOCAVA Voters begins Tuesday, September 28, 2010.
According to the Trumbull County Board of Elections’ website [www.electionohio.com/trumbull]:
“Every voter will be required to provide proof of identity before voting.” Acceptable forms of identification include “your current and valid photo identification card, military identification, copy of utility bill, bank statement, paycheck, government check, or government document showing your name and current address. (Note: You cannot use as proof of identification a notice the Board of Elections mailed to you.) If you do not have, or fail or refuse to provide, the required proof of identity, you may cast a provisional ballot.”
The Board of Elections’ site also has other useful information including:
• Where to vote
• Are you registered
• Polling places
• Forms to be downloaded and printed
• Candidates and issues
• How to become a poll worker
• Election results.
Voters are always searching for information about local, state, and national candidates and issues in order to make wise choices. The library subscribes to local newspapers in Mahoning, Portage, and Trumbull counties; newspapers from larger Ohio cities; as well as the Wall Street Journal, New York Times and USA today. Reading the library’s news magazines will also be helpful in making your decisions. The League of Women Voters [http://www.lwv.org/], the Ohio LWV [http://www.lwvohio.org/], and the Trumbull County LWV [www.orgsites.com/oh/lwvtc/index.html] all have useful information on their websites. Smart Voter [http://www.smartvoter.org/] is another website sponsored by the LWV.
Friday, September 3, 2010
I'm Curious about Braille
“I’ve always been curious about Braille. Do you have anything for sighted people to look at or to feel?” Over the years others, such as students and scouts, have asked this question of the Newton Falls Public Library staff.
The Braille cell contains six raised dots which are numbered vertically: 1, 2, and 3 are arranged from top to bottom in the first column; 4, 5, and 6 are in the second. Letters, numbers, punctuation, music, and music symbols are created by using various combinations of these cell dots. For example the letter A contains only dot 1, B contains dots 1 and 2, and C is made up of dots 1, 3, and 4. Dot 6 placed before a letter signifies that it is a capital letter. Patrons may borrow sheets of Braille which have these raised cells to both feel and see.
Also available to be taken home are Expectations: a gift for blind children from Braille Institute (The Little Engine That Could in Braille), The Constitution of the United States, and The Black Book of Colors by Menena Cottin and Rosana FarÃa. This last item encourages readers to imagine living without sight. The illustrations are done with raised lines and descriptions of colors based on imagery. There are Braille letters with the illustrations and a full alphabet for sighted readers to help them read along with their fingers.
Patrons interested in this subject may also be curious about sign language. There are books, films, and kits available to teach signing to adults, children, and infants. Sign Language Interpreting: a basic resource book by Sharon Neumann Solow would be a good place for adults to begin. Parents might want to consider examining Teach Your Tot to Sign: the parents' guide to American Sign Language by Stacy A. Thompson and Baby Sign Language for Hearing Babies by Karyn Warburton.
The Braille cell contains six raised dots which are numbered vertically: 1, 2, and 3 are arranged from top to bottom in the first column; 4, 5, and 6 are in the second. Letters, numbers, punctuation, music, and music symbols are created by using various combinations of these cell dots. For example the letter A contains only dot 1, B contains dots 1 and 2, and C is made up of dots 1, 3, and 4. Dot 6 placed before a letter signifies that it is a capital letter. Patrons may borrow sheets of Braille which have these raised cells to both feel and see.
Also available to be taken home are Expectations: a gift for blind children from Braille Institute (The Little Engine That Could in Braille), The Constitution of the United States, and The Black Book of Colors by Menena Cottin and Rosana FarÃa. This last item encourages readers to imagine living without sight. The illustrations are done with raised lines and descriptions of colors based on imagery. There are Braille letters with the illustrations and a full alphabet for sighted readers to help them read along with their fingers.
Patrons interested in this subject may also be curious about sign language. There are books, films, and kits available to teach signing to adults, children, and infants. Sign Language Interpreting: a basic resource book by Sharon Neumann Solow would be a good place for adults to begin. Parents might want to consider examining Teach Your Tot to Sign: the parents' guide to American Sign Language by Stacy A. Thompson and Baby Sign Language for Hearing Babies by Karyn Warburton.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
How Can My Dog Be Trained To Be A Therapy Dog?
“I’m interested in having my dog be able to visit hospitals, nursing homes, and other places. Where can I find information on how to do this?” Newton Falls Public Library staff members have also wondered if some of their pets would be useful as therapy animals, and looked forward to discovering the answer.
Where the Trail Grows Faint: a year in the life of a therapy dog team by Lynne Hugo is about the experience of having a dog used for therapeutic use, but doesn’t have a list of resources. We continued the search online as our patron needed to know where or how to train his dog.
We found two groups which certify therapy dogs. The Delta Society [http://www.deltasociety.org/] has a local chapter, K9s for Compassion [http://k9sforcompassion.tripod.com/] in Hubbard, Ohio. “Delta Society registers dogs and cats as well as other domesticated animals such as rabbits, goats, horses, miniature pigs, birds etc.” Therapy Dogs International [http://www.tdi-dog.org/]. Therapy Dogs International has links to an informational packet and testing dates in our area. The brochure lists eleven steps or tests which the dog must complete:
1. Accepting a friendly stranger
2. Sitting politely for petting
3. Appearance and grooming
4. Out for a walk (walking on a loose leash)
5. Walking through a crowd
6. Sit and down on command/staying in place
7. Coming when called
8. Reaction to another dog
9. Reactions to distractions
10. Supervised separation
11. Say hello
Both of these groups have local contacts listed on their websites.
The certification requires that the dog be very well trained and the library has an extensive collection of dog training books and videos, including Drool School: family dog training [a DVD], The Loved Dog: the playful, nonaggressive way to teach your dog good behavior by Tamar Geller [both the book and DVD] and Cesar's Way: the natural, everyday guide to understanding and correcting common dog problems by Cesar Millan. Our patron was also given the contact information for All-Breed Training in North Jackson, Ohio, a local training facility to see if they had information about therapy training.
Where the Trail Grows Faint: a year in the life of a therapy dog team by Lynne Hugo is about the experience of having a dog used for therapeutic use, but doesn’t have a list of resources. We continued the search online as our patron needed to know where or how to train his dog.
We found two groups which certify therapy dogs. The Delta Society [http://www.deltasociety.org/] has a local chapter, K9s for Compassion [http://k9sforcompassion.tripod.com/] in Hubbard, Ohio. “Delta Society registers dogs and cats as well as other domesticated animals such as rabbits, goats, horses, miniature pigs, birds etc.” Therapy Dogs International [http://www.tdi-dog.org/]. Therapy Dogs International has links to an informational packet and testing dates in our area. The brochure lists eleven steps or tests which the dog must complete:
1. Accepting a friendly stranger
2. Sitting politely for petting
3. Appearance and grooming
4. Out for a walk (walking on a loose leash)
5. Walking through a crowd
6. Sit and down on command/staying in place
7. Coming when called
8. Reaction to another dog
9. Reactions to distractions
10. Supervised separation
11. Say hello
Both of these groups have local contacts listed on their websites.
The certification requires that the dog be very well trained and the library has an extensive collection of dog training books and videos, including Drool School: family dog training [a DVD], The Loved Dog: the playful, nonaggressive way to teach your dog good behavior by Tamar Geller [both the book and DVD] and Cesar's Way: the natural, everyday guide to understanding and correcting common dog problems by Cesar Millan. Our patron was also given the contact information for All-Breed Training in North Jackson, Ohio, a local training facility to see if they had information about therapy training.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Have You Heard of the Obama Phone?
“Have you heard of the Obama phone? It’s a program to give free phones to people who cannot afford them.” The Newton Falls Public Library staff had not heard of this program. We began looking online as this is a question that requires current information.
Our search brought us first to the Federal Communications Commission’s Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau [www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/lllu.html]. The background section states that “The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and Congress recognize that telephone service provides a vital link to emergency services, government services, and surrounding communities.” There are two programs here:
• “Link-Up America helps income-eligible consumers initiate telephone service.
• Lifeline Assistance provides discounts on basic monthly telephone service at the primary residence for qualified telephone subscribers.”
There was no application form at this site, so we kept looking. From the FCC site, we were directed to http://www.lifelinesupport.org/. Lifelines Support deals primarily with landlines and our patron was looking for cell phone assistance. If she had been interested in a phone for her home, she could have completed the application process here.
We continued the search to the website of SafeLink Wireless [www.safelinkwireless.com/EnrollmentPublic/home.aspx]. There is a great deal of information at this site, giving the history of the Lifeline program. It is inaccurate to call it the Obama phone, since the program actually began in 1984, during the Reagan Administration. SafeLink has now made this program available for cell phones. “SafeLink Wireless was created by TracFone Wireless, Inc. when the . . . FCC . . . approved the company to offer Lifeline . . . SafeLink Wireless applies the Universal Service Fund subsidy to an allotment of free airtime minutes and TracFone provides the wireless handset at the company’s expense.” Ohio residents who meet the qualifications receive a free wireless phone and a plan which gives them 68 minutes every month. Our patron looked at the application and found it to be simple to complete. Since it required personal information, we checked the Better Business Bureau’s website [http://www.bbb.org/] and confirmed that it is legitimate.
Our search brought us first to the Federal Communications Commission’s Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau [www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/lllu.html]. The background section states that “The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and Congress recognize that telephone service provides a vital link to emergency services, government services, and surrounding communities.” There are two programs here:
• “Link-Up America helps income-eligible consumers initiate telephone service.
• Lifeline Assistance provides discounts on basic monthly telephone service at the primary residence for qualified telephone subscribers.”
There was no application form at this site, so we kept looking. From the FCC site, we were directed to http://www.lifelinesupport.org/. Lifelines Support deals primarily with landlines and our patron was looking for cell phone assistance. If she had been interested in a phone for her home, she could have completed the application process here.
We continued the search to the website of SafeLink Wireless [www.safelinkwireless.com/EnrollmentPublic/home.aspx]. There is a great deal of information at this site, giving the history of the Lifeline program. It is inaccurate to call it the Obama phone, since the program actually began in 1984, during the Reagan Administration. SafeLink has now made this program available for cell phones. “SafeLink Wireless was created by TracFone Wireless, Inc. when the . . . FCC . . . approved the company to offer Lifeline . . . SafeLink Wireless applies the Universal Service Fund subsidy to an allotment of free airtime minutes and TracFone provides the wireless handset at the company’s expense.” Ohio residents who meet the qualifications receive a free wireless phone and a plan which gives them 68 minutes every month. Our patron looked at the application and found it to be simple to complete. Since it required personal information, we checked the Better Business Bureau’s website [http://www.bbb.org/] and confirmed that it is legitimate.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Horn & Hardart Spoon
“I found this spoon in a drawer at home. It was gray and I thought it was stainless steel, but after polishing it with silver polish it looks like silver. The front of the handle has PROPERTY OF HORN & HARDART CO pressed into the metal and the back has W and HORN & HARDART CO. Can you help me to find any information about it?” Some of the staff of the Newton Falls Public Library had heard of the Horn & Hardart Automats in New York City, and thought perhaps that the spoon may originally have come from there.
We began searching through the library’s antiques and collectibles books, including Antiques Traders Antiques & Collectibles 2009 & 2010 price guides and The Kovels' Antiques & Collectibles Price Guide 2010 by Ralph and Terry Kovel. While these resources have a great deal of interesting information, we were unable to locate any about Horn & Hardart collectibles.
Continuing our investigation online, we first began researching Horn & Hardart Automats. A book, The Automat: the history, the recipes, and allure of Horn & Hardart's masterpiece by Lorraine B. Diehl and Marianne Hardart was found at www.theautomat.net. The restaurants opened in the early twentieth century and were also located in New Jersey and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Customers received their freshly made food by opening the small doors in self serve vending machines. In the FAQ section of the website someone had posted a question about the value of Horn & Hardart silver spoons, and was followed by the suggestion to check on EBay. Several spoon offerings were listed at that site.
According to National Geographic [http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/city-guides/new-york-recipes], the last Horn & Hardart closed in the 1990s. Internet searching even revealed a blog posting about one of the spoons which was found in yard in Hawaii [http://bradaptation.com/2008/05/01/old-spoon/comment-page-1].
The Automat: the history, the recipes, and allure of Horn & Hardart's masterpiece is available through our shared TiPL (Trumbull Independent Public Libraries) catalog. Our patron requested the book and is eagerly looking forward to learning more about this early fast food restaurant, which served its food on china with silverware
We began searching through the library’s antiques and collectibles books, including Antiques Traders Antiques & Collectibles 2009 & 2010 price guides and The Kovels' Antiques & Collectibles Price Guide 2010 by Ralph and Terry Kovel. While these resources have a great deal of interesting information, we were unable to locate any about Horn & Hardart collectibles.
Continuing our investigation online, we first began researching Horn & Hardart Automats. A book, The Automat: the history, the recipes, and allure of Horn & Hardart's masterpiece by Lorraine B. Diehl and Marianne Hardart was found at www.theautomat.net. The restaurants opened in the early twentieth century and were also located in New Jersey and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Customers received their freshly made food by opening the small doors in self serve vending machines. In the FAQ section of the website someone had posted a question about the value of Horn & Hardart silver spoons, and was followed by the suggestion to check on EBay. Several spoon offerings were listed at that site.
According to National Geographic [http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/city-guides/new-york-recipes], the last Horn & Hardart closed in the 1990s. Internet searching even revealed a blog posting about one of the spoons which was found in yard in Hawaii [http://bradaptation.com/2008/05/01/old-spoon/comment-page-1].
The Automat: the history, the recipes, and allure of Horn & Hardart's masterpiece is available through our shared TiPL (Trumbull Independent Public Libraries) catalog. Our patron requested the book and is eagerly looking forward to learning more about this early fast food restaurant, which served its food on china with silverware
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