Be part of the World Memory Project. The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and Ancestry.com have created the World Memory Project to allow anyone, anywhere to help build the largest free online resource for information about victims and survivors of the Holocaust and Nazi persecution during World War II. Even a few minutes of your time can help families discover what happened to their loved ones and restore the identities of people the Nazis tried to erase from history.

Learn more about the project on WorldMemoryProject.org

November 03, 2011

Information about 30,000 Holocaust Victims Now Searchable

Thanks to the efforts of more than 2,100 volunteers from around the world, information from four Museum collections is now available online and can be searched at no cost. Read More

Dedicated E-Readers Still Have a Future

Tablets may be dominating headlines recently, but a report this week from Juniper Research estimates that sales of dedicated e-readers are expected to triple over the next five years and predicts that 67 million e-reader devices will be sold in 2016 (compared with 25 million in 2011). While this figure is considerably less than the 55.2 million tablet sales Juniper forecasts for this year, price cuts and “electronic ink technology will ensure that the device continues to carve out a niche for itself in the wireless device ecosystem,” Juniper observed.

GigaOm’s Kevin C. Tofel agreed, noting that “there are at least five reasons I can think of that e-readers are here to stay and grow over the coming years, as Juniper says”:

• E-ink displays are still preferred by many and will keep improving.
• Prices have fallen and may continue to drop.
• Ability to focus on a single task.
• Battery life is king.
• Size matters.

Thanks to Shelf Awareness.

Since it’s beginning last year, the Thursday evening knitting has grown to many regular knitters and even more occasional knitter’s with everyone admitting to not getting enough of knitting time.  It was started by the Community Fine Arts Center  and is held in various rooms throughout the Center and the Rock Springs Library. For myself, I have to say that without our fearless leader, Debora Soule, who constantly corrects all my mistakes and inspires me, I wouldn’t have gotten this far.  It is easy to stay excited and not get too frustrated when I have many people to encourage me. Debora encourages, by example, and contributes to many knitting charities:  Sweater’s for Tibet, mittens for Headstart, Special Olympics Wyoming Athletes, Mother Bear Project for children affected by Aids in Africa, Scarves for Orphans of America Foundation for college students who have aged out of foster care, Pine Ridge Reservation, Helmets for Soldiers to keep their head warm under their helmet and Chemo Caps for cancer patients.

Our teacher believes that knitting and crocheting expresses creativity without having an operatic or painting talent, while giving something of yourself, building self worth and helping others.  By teaching these skills, she feels she can pass it on to her students who may in turn contribute to themselves and others.  Right now our group is knitting with a technique called entrelac, which produces some of the most intriguing color patterns. All I know, is that I love learning it, I love to be able to create something and I am inspired by the members of our knitting group.  How did I ever get a long without them?

Media and Movies

Media Heat: Bill Clinton Back to Work on the Daily Show

Today on the Rachael Ray Show: Buddy Valastro, author of Baking with the Cake Boss: 100 of Buddy’s Best Recipes and Decorating Secrets (Free Press, $30, 9781439183526).

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Today on Hallmark’s Martha Stewart Show: Mourad Lahlou, author of Mourad: New Moroccan (Artisan, $40, 9781579654290).

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Today on Tavis Smiley: Lawrence Lessig, author of Republic, Lost: How Money Corrupts Congress–and a Plan to Stop It (Twelve, $26.99, 9780446576437).

Also on Tavis Smiley: Florence Henderson, author of Life Is Not a Stage: From Broadway Baby to a Lovely Lady and Beyond (Center Street, $25.99, 9781599953885).

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Today on the Wendy Williams Show: Kris Jenner, author of Kris Jenner…And All Things Kardashian (Gallery, $26, 9781451646962). She will also appear today on Access Hollywood and EXTRA and tomorrow on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno.

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Tonight on the Colbert Report: Niall Ferguson, author of Civilization: The West and the Rest (Penguin, $35, 9781594203053).

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Tonight on Conan: Christina Tosi, author of Momofuku Milk Bar (Clarkson Potter, $35, 9780307720498).

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Tomorrow morning on Good Morning America: Brad Paisley, co-author of Diary of a Player: How My Musical Heroes Made a Guitar Man Out of Me (Howard, $25, 9781451625523).

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Tomorrow morning on the Today Show: Stephen King, author of 11/22/63 (Scribner, $35, 9781451627282).

Also on the Today Show: Lisa Vanderpump, author of Simply Divine: A Guide to Easy, Elegant, and Affordable Entertaining (Running Press, $27, 9780762444519).

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Tomorrow morning on NPR’s Morning Edition: Robert Guest, author of Borderless Economics: Chinese Sea Turtles, Indian Fridges and the New Fruits of Global Capitalism (Palgrave Macmillan, $27, 9780230113824).

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Tomorrow on NPR’s Diane Rehm Show: Nada Prouty, author of Uncompromised: The Rise, Fall, and Redemption of an Arab American Patriot in the CIA (Palgrave Macmillan, $26, 9780230113862).

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Tomorrow on the View: Darrell Hammond, author of God, If You’re Not Up There, I’m F*cked: Tales of Stand-Up, Saturday Night Live, and Other Mind-Altering Mayhem (Harper, $25.99, 9780062064554).

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Tomorrow on NPR’s All Things Considered: Joe Garner, co-author of 100 Yards of Glory: The Greatest Moments in NFL History (Houghton Mifflin, $35, 9780547547985).

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Tomorrow on Tavis Smiley: John Lithgow, author of Drama: An Actor’s Education (Harper, $26.99, 9780061734977).

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Tomorrow night on the Late Show with David Letterman: Annie Leibovitz, author of Pilgrimage (Random House, $50, 9780375505089). She will also appear on NPR’s Talk of the Nation.

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Tomorrow night on the Daily Show: Bill Clinton, author of Back to Work: Why We Need Smart Government for a Strong Economy (Knopf, $23.95, 9780307959751).

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Tomorrow night on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon: Michael Moore, author of Here Comes Trouble: Stories from My Life (Grand Central, $26.99, 9780446532242).

Why not learn something today? Never has learning or taking a course been easier. Do you have a reason to take a class?  Do your job skills need updating?  Do you want to learn more about computers, increase your financial acumen, take a cooking class? The Sweetwater County Libraries have subscribed to a new database that allows you to take a myriad of classes, many with certification. It is as easy as creating an account online.  Under the Sweetwater County Libraries web page, http://www.sweetwaterlibraries.com/, click on databases and scroll down to the selection of databases to which our libraries subscribe.  You will see Access Science, AllData, Gale, Home Improvement, Small Engine Repair and then Universal Class. Clicking on the link for Universal Class takes you to the page where you may create an account. Creating an account here is no more difficult than any other place online, the information is not passed to anyone and your privacy will be insured. The account allows you to progress at your own time through the class and possibly take another class in the future.

Universal Class, free through your library, offers a unique online education experience.  With over 540 course offerings, they provide 300,000 students around the world with instructional technology and the highest quality online learning experiences. Real instructors guide the learning: they have video based lessons, graded lesson tests and offer certificates of achievement and some Continuing Education Credit. If used online -without your library- you would have to pay fees for taking the classes, however, since you live in Sweetwater County and have a library card from your local library, you can take any of the courses, for free!

What are you interested in?  What would you like to learn more about?  What might enhance your job or your life?  I decided to take a basic dog training course.  I didn’t realize that it would include safety for my dog, care of my dog, things I would have thought I already knew being a dog owner.  However, in the basic obedience course, I learned a lot about nutrition, safety and grooming that I had not known. I doubt my boss will be impressed with my continuing education credits for this one, however, I could use them toward something, if not just to add to my personal knowledge. Next, I want to take an HTML course. For many of the courses, you will want to get the certificate and place in your employment file. Education never hurts! In fact, what better way to progress, add value in your workplace or add new information to yourself personally?

Universal Class offers Over 500 courses (everything from ABC’s of Algebra to Yoga 101), Real instructors with continual feedback , engaging video-based lessons,  graded lesson tests, writing and hands-on assignments, Collaborative learning environment, Certificates of achievement and Continuing Education Units (CEU) upon completion of selected courses. Many of these courses can be used for teacher certification and other job related education requirements.  Universal Class is an online educational service providing a diverse collection of intellectually stimulating courses for people interested in the lifelong pursuit of knowledge for either personal or professional reasons. Lifelong learning not only enhances social inclusion, active citizenship, and personal development, but also competitiveness and employability.

Chose a class; from accounting to writing skills, from alternative medicine to web development, from arts and photography to test preparation. There are over 500 different offerings. Is there anything better than free education?  For help, contact your librarians, and check out all the self education materials at your Sweetwater County Libraries. (www.sweetwaterlibraries.com)