Odum Library Blog

On Monday, May 21st, the look of our GIL-Find library catalog will be changing. This new interface will replace the current version and is intended to provide a simpler and cleaner way to use the catalog that also adds some new functionality.

In the new user interface, what was once on separate tabs in search results will now be accessible on one screen. In addition, the option to cite, email, and save records will be accessible directly from the results list.

The drop down menu that contains options for “exact”, “starts” with, and “contains” will no longer be available in the simple search and will only be available through advanced search. There will also be some links that were only available in the footer that were moved to the header and are accessible through the “Show More” options.

For more information, please see the recent GIL-News article discussing the interface changes.

There will be a preview version of the new GIL-Find interface available through May 21st if you want to see what the changes will look like prior to launch.

We will have tutorials available at our GIL-Find guide on May 21st.

Should you have any questions about the changes to the catalog, please contact the library through email or our Live Chat service.

Tax season is the time of year when many of us might feel puzzled by our federal government. Just in time for summer fun come these puzzles and games courtesy of government documents at Odum Library!

You can view puzzles and games, among other government documents treasures, in Odum Library’s Discovered Documents exhibit in the second floor Reference area. There you’ll find the New, Exciting, One and Only, First Time Ever Poison Safety Game, from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and Pictures, Puzzles, and Problems from the U.S. Justice Department.

More puzzles and games are available online. For instance, the CIA features puzzles, coloring books, games, and other kids’ treats on its Kids Zone site. Learn about the Environmental Protection Agency’s efforts to protect the environment through its coloring book. For Earth Day, play the EPA’s Recycle City game to learn more about reducing waste and saving energy.

With the end of the semester comes extra stress, so keep in mind a couple of upcoming events to help you let off steam: The De-Stress Fest in the Student Union Wednesday, April 25, 1:00-4:00 pm in the Student Union (Odum Library will feature coloring pages and posters) and the International Tabletop Games Day, observed in Odum Library on Saturday, April 29.

Not only is 2018 the scene of one of the worst flu outbreaks of the past decade; it’s also the 100th anniversary of the worst flu epidemic in modern history.

The 1918 flu epidemic killed more than 50 million people. View photographs and documents about the 1918 epidemic, which started in spring of that year and reached the full extent of suffering that fall, from the National Archives and Records Administration.

What about 2018? This map of flu activity in the United States, from the Centers for Disease Control, shows that the flu is widespread in almost every state. The CDC provides a regular situation update, with statistics about the number of doctor visits related to flu, mortality from flu, and more. FluView provides the most current CDC data on the current state of the disease in the United States.

How can you avoid the flu? In addition to getting the flu vaccine, the CDC recommends certain precautions to prevent coming down with the flu. Besides avoiding contact with sick people, wash your hands often or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer; avoid touching the eyes, nose and mouth; and stay home if you develop flu-like symptoms until you have gone at least 24 hours without a fever (without use of a fever-reducing medicine such as aspirin or ibuprofen).

Stay well this winter and spring!

In observance of Martin Luther King, Jr., Day, Odum Library will close at midnight Sunday, January 14, 2018. The library reopens Tuesday, January 16, 2018,at 8:00 am.

More than just a “day off,” Martin Luther King, Jr., Day can be a time of service and commemoration. Visit the NationalService.gov site to discover ways to contribute back to the community by volunteering.

On the Valdosta State University campus, VSU will host a commemorative service, “A Celebration of Diversity,” at noon on Tuesday, January 16, 2018, on the front steps of the Student Union. This service includes a performance by VSU’s XChange Ministries student group and speeches by Student Government Association President Maya Mapp and by Dr. Calvin Walker, director of the VSU African-American Studies Program.

A reception will follow the Celebration of Diversity service.

If you’re in the Atlanta area, you might wish to visit the National Park Service’s Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site, which features his birthplace and childhood home.

The end of the year brings a few hints of cooler weather, changing leaf colors, Native American Heritage Month, Thanksgiving, and other winter holidays. The federal government creates numerous sites with information about the holidays, including the Census Bureau’s Facts for Features on Thanksgiving, the CDC’s Food Safety Tips for Your Holiday Turkey, and Car Travel Safety Tips from Ready.gov.

As the days grow shorter, keep in mind upcoming schedule changes during the Thanksgiving break:

Odum Library will close at midnight Tuesday, November 21; reopen Wednesday, November 22, 8:00 a.m. through 5:30 p.m., close for Thursday and Friday, November 23 and 24, and reopen for regular hours Saturday, November 25, at 12:00 noon through the end of the semester.

Once VSU students return to classes on November 27, the days of the semester grow shorter as well. Classes end on Monday, December 4, and final exams end Friday, December 8, with graduation on Saturday, December 9. Odum Library closes for winter break at 3:00 p.m. Friday, December 15. The library reopens at 8:00 a.m. Tuesday, January 2, 2018, but it’ll be Monday, January 8, 2018, before students start classes again.

In the meantime, come by the government documents exhibit in the Odum Library Reference area to see a display of autumnal and winter government publications. Take care and enjoy your holidays!

Find out more about Veterans Day through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, where you can read this History of Veterans Day and find out more about the origins of Veterans Day. View the 2017 official Veterans Day poster along with posters from previous years.

As a Federal Depository Library, Odum Library’s Government Documents collection provides access to many publications about veterans, including these documents about issues affecting veterans:

• Department of Veterans Affairs Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act of 2017, available as an online PDF
• VA Mental Health: Ensuring Access to Care: Hearing before the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, United States Senate, 2015, available in print at Y 4.V 64/4:S.HRG.114-521 in our documents collection in the second floor Reference area

Veterans’ history and needs to extend beyond Veterans Day, of course. The Library of Congress invites public participation in the Veterans History Project. Veteran Brian McGough describes ways to help veterans after Veterans Day.  Mark these and other ways to honor and thank the veterans who have served the United States.

On Veterans Day we recognize veterans and all of those who have offered military service. VSU has an Office of Veterans Affairs to assist Veterans in finding success at VSU. While the post office and some businesses are closed for Veterans Day on November 11, Odum Library will observe its regular hours.