Odum Library Blog

Fifty years ago this fall, the Warren Commission issued its report on the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. To commemorate this event, the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO) has made the complete report and 26 volumes of congressional hearings available online on GPO’s Federal Digital System (FDsys). GPO and the Boston Public Library worked together to digitize the volumes of hearings after digitizing the Warren Commission Report last year.

• View the complete Warren Commission Report and Congressional Hearings here.
• Odum Library has the print version of the original Warren Commission report available in its Government Documents collection.

GPO produced the original Warren Commission Report and 26 volumes of hearings in print in 1964 and distributed copies through the Federal Depository Library Program and by purchase from GPO bookstores.

Audio tape recordings of the post-President Kennedy assassination conversations between various individuals in Washington, DC, and Air Force One pilots and officials are also available on FDsys.

• Hear the post-assassination audio tape recordings here.

For more information on these and other government information materials, feel free to contact the Government Documents librarian at 229-245-3748. Remember that all types of questions are always welcome; just contact Odum Library’s reference librarians by dropping by the second floor reference desk, by calling 229-333-7149, or by using our Live Chat service. 

Constitution Day occurs on Wednesday, September 17th, this year. In honor of this event, Odum Library will be handing out free candy and pocket copies of the U.S. Constitution all day at all three service desks, the Reference Desk, Main Circulation, and 1st Floor Circulation.

If you can’t make it to the library that day, be sure to view this online Constitution available from the National Archives. You can also view the library’s display of books and other materials about constitutional interpretation in the first floor display cases on the north side of the library; it remains on view until October 1st.

Georgia had four delegates to the Constitutional Convention, but only two actually signed the Constitution. Who were they?

Find out more about the Constitution and its signing on September 17th, 1787, with these fun facts about the Constitution and Constitutional Convention.

As the start of the VSU academic year approaches, it’s time to consider ways to help your move to the area go smoothly.

Georgia.gov, the official web site of the state of Georgia, gives information on relocating to Georgia, such as getting your new driver’s license, registering your car, and enrolling children in a new school.  More information about living in Georgia, from history to the lottery to voting, is available at Georgia.gov’s Popular Topics page.

USA.gov offers additional tips for moving, including finding a reputable moving company and deducting moving expenses from your taxes.

The City of Valdosta has a page of local information especially useful for new residents, including garbage pickup, school enrollment, and utility service.  If you’re a county resident, you can find similar newcomers’ information about Lowndes County.

Of course, Odum Library’s Reference librarians are happy to help with local inquiries and all other information needs. Contact us by dropping by the second floor reference desk, by calling 229-333-7149, or by using our Live Chat service. For government information queries, feel free to contact the Government Documents librarian at 229-245-3745.

Welcome to South Georgia!

For Independence Day, Odum Library will close at 5 pm, Thursday, July 3rd and reopen at 9 am on Saturday, July 5th.

Along with the customary holiday festivities, you might enjoy these activities and facts for July 4th:

• USA.gov provides an array of information about the United States flag–its history, care, presentation, for instance. You can even request to own a flag that has flown over the U.S. Capitol.
• Take a fresh look at the Declaration of Independence and other documents important to the history of the United States.
• Listen to John Philip Sousa’s The Stars and Stripes Forever, courtesy of the American Memory Project from the Library of Congress.
• Join the National Mall Independence Day Celebration if you’ll be in the Washington, DC, area for the 4th, or find special events at other national parks across the country.

Once you’re done observing your holiday, remember that Odum Library, as a member of the Federal Depository Library Program, is a rich resource for government information and publications available for all members of the community, not just VSU staff and students. Come see the government documents collection on Odum Library’s second floor,  explore our online resources, and seek help from our dedicated librarians!

Whether you’re headed to VSU as a new student or returning here this fall, it’s time to investigate available student financial aid resources.  VSU’s Financial Aid Office is the local clearinghouse for information about applying for and receiving student aid.

In particular, any student seeking financial aid must complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Financial Aid) as early as possible, but at VSU no later than June 1st for Fall 2014 financial assistance. Find out more about the types of student aid and more at Studentaid.gov.

If you’re still investigating college opportunities, the U.S. Department of Education offers a free College Navigator to help you research colleges and universities in the United States. Of course, we hope you’ll use the navigator to search for Valdosta State University and find detailed information about admissions, programs of study, how many students receive financial aid, and more!

True, one of spring’s most dreaded chores is filing taxes.  Here at Odum Library, we can’t help you prepare your taxes, but we can at least help you obtain the information you need.

Federal forms are available at these links from irs.gov:

• The IRS’s Forms and Publications page offers links to the most popular forms, which are also available in accessible versions.  A link to the entire list of forms is available at the bottom of the forms page.

• Need instructions and tax tables?  Both are also available on the Forms and Publications page.

Odum Library also has copies of the most popular forms, instructions, and schedules, located in the Government Documents section of the Reference Area, on the library’s south side 2nd floor.

Georgia forms are a different matter this year.  Unfortunately, libraries were not provided with copies from the state, so we do not have Georgia tax forms available.  Here are ways to get copies:

• The most popular forms and instructions, including the most often used Form 500 Individual Tax Reform booklet, are available from the Georgia Department of Revenue web site.

• Georgia also has entered into a Free File Alliance with software vendors, allowing state residents to use tax preparation software at free or reduced rates in order to file electronically.

• If you prefer, you can request State of Georgia tax forms by calling the forms order line at 1-877-423-6711, option #2, then option #6.

In addition, tax forms from all 50 states are available courtesy of the Federation of Tax Administrators.

If you are seeking free assistance preparing your taxes, you can consult these Valdosta community resources:

1. Senior Citizens Center
1360 E. Park Avenue
Every Tuesday from 9-4, starting Feb. 4th
Age 50 and over, only
Call for appointment: 259-5469

2. Trinity Presbyterian Church
3501 Bemiss Rd./North Oak St. Ext.
Thursdays, 9-4, starting  Feb. 6th

3. IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA)
For individuals who make $50,000 and less
Call 1-888-227-7669 for locations and times.

Daylight Savings Time begins Sunday, March 9th, so be sure to set your clocks forward an hour to be on time!

What is the history of Daylight Savings Time?  Does every area observe daylight savings time?  Who decides on time zones? Learn the answers to these questions and more from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).

The NIST’s Physical Measurement Laboratory develops standards for and distributes time and other measures such as temperature, length, mass, and frequency. Find out the official time at Time.gov!

February is American Heart Month, designated to encourage awareness of the importance of heart health. Read President Obama’s 2014 proclamation of this observance.

Healthfinder.gov offers a helpful toolkit that gives strategies for improving heart health.

Another useful government resource is from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which features information about recognizing a heart attack and making choices that can improve the condition of your heart, cholesterol count, arteries, and other vital functions.  See especially the CDC’s 28 Days to a Healthier Heart tips.

Image courtesy CDC

Looking for a unique Valentine’s Day present this year?  Why not participate in the Million Hearts Initiative, which suggests making the gift of a pledge for healthier living.

Be sure to check out Odum Library’s American Heart Month exhibit featuring more heart healthy displays, books, and other resources, located on the north side of the library first floor.

The library will close at 12:00 midnight on Sunday, January 19, and will reopen at 8:00 am on Tuesday, January 21, in observation of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

Various ways to spend the MLK Day holiday include observing a day of service, attending celebrations, and visiting sites associated with the life of Dr. King.

MLKDay.gov offers information about service opportunities available for the MLK Day of Service on January 20, 2014, and toolkits for setting up your own service opportunities.

Valdosta-area events for Martin Luther King, Jr., Day, include:

• 3:00 pm, January 19, a commemoration program will be held at St. Paul A.M.E. Church, 419 S. Ashley St., with keynote speaker Elder Elizabeth Brown Yates, presiding elder of the Alachua Central District.

• 11:00 am. January 20, a youth program will be held at Mathis City Auditorium, 2300 N. Ashley St., with keynote speakers Nasier A. Vazquez and Valious Smith. A luncheon to follow.  (Source:  Valdosta Daily Times)

If you’re in the Atlanta area, you might wish to visit the National Park Service’s Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site, featuring his birth and burial sites.

However you observe the MLK Day Holiday, we’ll be ready for you when the library reopens on Tuesday morning at 8:00 am.