[SlideDeck2 id=12639]

**PAM*THE*SHAM*COM**
**SEPTEMBER**
**16TH**
**2013**
**09*00**
**A*M**

Dear Husband: I’m So Sorry for Your Data Loss

by

This is a guest post by Abbie Grotke, Web Archiving Team Lead.

We recently moved to a new house, and my husband, a professional musician, has been working on setting up a music and recording studio upstairs now that we have the room. Alongside the clarinets, saxophones and keyboard sit a desktop computer (with better recording setup), laptop (with better movie editing software) and various digital recording gadgets.

A recent project in the new studio combined an original musical composition and video with clips from a strange and wonderful 1907 silent film from the collections of the moving image archive at Internet Archive. This led to some experimentation with a brand-new-to-him piece of video editing software. Confusion about how files were stored, saved and exported from that software led to not one but TWO, experiences losing his files: I won’t go into the details here but they involved one getting deleted when he tried to copy from his laptop to desktop computer, and another involved overwriting his project file data accidentally. He had to recreate his entire movie project from scratch three times in all. As I heard repeated the soul-crushing tales of woe and horror via text message and emails from home, my response was: “I wish there was a ‘sorry for your data loss’ card I could send you!”

Then the more helpful “working in digital preservation” wife set about to troubleshoot what had happened when I got home (alas, the files could not be retrieved). More importantly I showed him how to make backups of his files-in-progress to avoid having this happen again. Not all was bad – the resulting movie turned out better in the long run than the original, and he definitely learned a lot about how to use the software and save and backup his files moving forward.

But I kept thinking about those cards… in this day and age of consumers producing and storing so much of their own digital content, and the chance of loss pretty high, wouldn’t it be great to be able to send a note to your distressed Grandma, your upset Aunt or overwrought college student? And spread a little message about digital preservation along the way?

It is unlikely that the major greeting card companies will set about producing such cards, so I thought I would take it upon myself to create a few mockups for some Friday fun, using some of the great images from the SPRUCE project’s Digital Preservation Illustrations, which were created for the Digital Preservation Business Case Toolkit. All those years in art school clearly paid off.

Card mockup by Abbie Grotke; graphics from Digital Preservation Business Case Toolkit

Card mockup by Abbie Grotke; graphics from Digital Preservation Business Case Toolkit http://wiki.dpconline.org/

And one for the kiddos:

Card mockup by Abbie Grotke; graphics from Digital Preservation Business Case Toolkit http://wiki.dpconline.org/

NBA Legend Adrian Dantley Works as a School Crossing Guard to Pay Health Insurance?

NBA Legend Adrian Dantley Works as a School Crossing Guard to Pay Health Insurance?

by Barry Burch Jr. The great thing about changing careers is that a lot of the time the skills you picked up along the way remain applicable.  In…

September 13, 2013 / / Read More

 

U. Alabama Sororities Allegedly Tell Black Girls They are Not Allowed to Join

U. Alabama Sororities Allegedly Tell Black Girls They are Not Allowed to Join

The University of Alabama is an institution that has always been stained by a history of racism.  The school has worked to overcome the demons of the past, but some of those traditions still lurk on the campus. A recently published a story in the student newspaper at the school reveals that within the ranks of greek […]

September 13, 2013No CommentRead More

 

Dr. Ahlishia Shipley Asks:  Do Studies Show that Women Want to be Valued by their Appearance?

Dr. Ahlishia Shipley Asks: Do Studies Show that Women Want to be Valued by their Appearance?

Dr. Ahlishia Shipley, CFLE Observing a woman being stared down by a male stranger because of her alluring figure is not an uncommon scene. Beauty and s*x appeal are highly held attributes in our society or at least this seems true when we take a glance at the images flashing before us on the television […]

Quick Thinking of Two Sisters Helped Catch Home Invaders

Quick Thinking of Two Sisters Helped Catch Home Invaders

Two Tennessee girls are being called heroes after their quick thinking in a time of crisis helped them catch two robbers who’d broken into their home. According to…

September 13, 2013 / / Read More

flyer

Are Koreans Intentionally Keeping Blacks Out of the Hair Weave Industry?

Are Koreans Intentionally Keeping Blacks Out of the Hair Weave Industry?

Hair weave is one of the most profitable businesses in the world. According to Devin Robinson, owner of Atlanta’s Beauty Supply Institute, approximately 9,800 beauty supply business existed nationwide; but only a little more than 300 were black-owned. Robinson attributes the lack of African-American business owners in the industry to the cost mark-ups enforced by […]

 

Mother Says Cemetery Lost Her Infant Daughter’s Body

Mother Says Cemetery Lost Her Infant Daughter’s Body

For a Tennessee mother, learning that her baby girl’s body was lost was like losing her all over again. When mother Shretha Woodley learned that the cemetery had …

What’s Hot in Your Black World?

 

Health Scare Hits as Adult Film Stars Keep Catching HIV

Health Scare Hits as Adult Film Stars Keep Catching HIV

You had to know that it was going to happen at some point.   The…

September 11, 2013No CommentRead More

 

Aisha Tyler Unable To Conceive; Sad Because Husband “Would Be Such a Great Father”

Aisha Tyler Unable To Conceive; Sad Because Husband “Would Be Such a Great Father”

By: Krystle Crossman Aisha Tyler is best known for being the comedic relief on the show The Talk. Unfortunately not everything in life is fun and games for her and…

September 13, 2013No CommentRead More

S. Tia Brown Explains: You Might Want the Bad Boy, But Marrying Him Might be Silly

S. Tia Brown Explains:  You Might Want the Bad Boy, But Marrying Him Might be Silly

S. Tia Brown is the Entertainment Director at Jet Magazine.  She is also a trained therapist at Columbia University, so she knows a little bit about relationships and how to…

 

buy black 300x250 copy

Advertise your Small Business, book or other products in the Your Black World Buy Black campaign by clicking here. 

Dr. Boyce: Jay-Z is Seeking the Holy Grail, but It’s Something that Money Can’t Buy

Dr. Boyce:  Jay-Z is Seeking the Holy Grail, but It’s Something that Money Can’t Buy

“Now I got tattoos on my body Psycho b*tches in my lobby I got haters in the paper Photo shoots with paparazzi Can’t even take my daughter for a walk…

Dr. Chenelle A. Jones: The Squeaky Wheel Gets the Grease – AG Holder Addresses Mass Incarceration

Dr. Chenelle A. Jones:  The Squeaky Wheel Gets the Grease – AG Holder Addresses Mass Incarceration

Chenelle A. Jones, Ph.D. There’s an old saying that “the squeaky wheel gets the grease” and that phrase rang true on Monday as Attorney General Eric Holder, in an address…

August 13, 2013 / / Read More

African American Teenage Girl Youngest To Pass The Bar Exam

African American Teenage Girl Youngest To Pass The Bar Exam

  Reported By: Britt L Another brilliant African American teenager has pushed the barriers of color by breaking another scholastic record. Gabrielle Turnquest from Windermere, Florida is the youngest person to graduate from Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va., with an undergrad degree in psychology at the tender age of 16. Turnquest has also passed the […]

August 1, 201352 CommentsRead More

Dr. Tyra Seldon:  Is the Closing of Chicago Public Schools a Civil Rights Violation?

Dr. Tyra Seldon: Is the Closing of Chicago Public Schools a Civil Rights Violation?

by Dr. Tyra Seldon School closings seem to be a normal part of our educational landscape. Unfortunately, too many of these closings are in areas where poverty is high and resources are limited. This past spring, Chicago Public Schools decided to close several schools. Parents and other critics lamented that these closings would cause additional […]

Dr. Boyce: “Strictly for the Ballaz” – A Poem for College Athletes

Dr. Boyce:  “Strictly for the Ballaz” – A Poem for College Athletes

by Dr. Boyce Watkins I wrote this poem as part of my book, “Quick and Dirty Secrets of College Success.”  In case you don’t know, I’m not a big fan…

 

 

Press contact: Jennifer Gavin,  (202) 707-1940 
Public contact: Lola Pyne,  (202) 707-3128 

September 13, 2013

National Book Festival Summer Writing Contest Winners Announced

The “A Book That Shaped Me” Library of Congress National Book Festival Summer Writing Contest, a program that asks rising 5th and 6th graders to reflect on a book that has made a personal impact in their lives, has announced its 2013 winners.

More than 300 young readers submitted essays to participating public libraries in the Mid-Atlantic region in this, the second year of the contest. Launched in 2012 with the D.C. Public Library, “A Book That Shaped Me” expanded with the help of public libraries in Washington, D.C., Maryland, Virginia, Delaware, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. The local libraries offered the contest as part of their summer reading programs.

Five finalists per state were chosen in an initial round of judging. The finalists each will receive a $50 gift-card prize. That judging was conducted by members of the American Association of School Librarians (AASL), a division of the American Library Association (ALA). The AASL works to ensure all elementary- and secondary-school librarians participate as collaborative partners in the teaching and learning process.

The grand-prize judging round, which selected state and grand-prize winners from the pool of state finalists, was conducted by a panel assembled by the Library of Congress that included educators, children’s authors, and Library of Congress staff.

Each state winner will receive another $50 gift-card prize and have travel costs covered to attend the Library of Congress National Book Festival. The first-, second-, and third- place grand-prize winners will be awarded additional gift-card prizes in the amounts of $200, $150, and $100 respectively.

Grand-prize winners will read their essays during the “A Book That Shaped Me” presentation at the Library of Congress National Book Festival. The contest presentation will take place on the National Mall in Washington, DC on Sunday, Sept. 22, 2013 at noon in the Special Programs Pavilion.

Grand Prize & State Winners

1st Place Grand Prize & Virginia State Winner
Sofie Dalton, Arlington Public Library who wrote about “The Penderwicks” by Jeanne Birdsall

2nd Place Grand Prize and Washington, D.C. Winner
Jessica Holloway, DC Public Library – Juanita E. Thornton/Shepherd Park Library, who wrote about “Jefferson’s Sons” by Kimberly Bradley

3rd Place Grand Prize and Delaware State Winner
Julian Jackson, II, Brandywine Hundred Library, who wrote about “The Breadwinner” by Deborah Ellis

Maryland State Winner
Gavriel Eagle, Enoch Pratt Free Library, who wrote about “The Mozart Season” by Virginia Euwer Wolff

Pennsylvania State Winner
Victoria Sullivan, Abington Township Public Library – Abington Free Library who wrote about “Electric Dreams” by Caroline Kettlewell

West Virginia State Winner
Shelby Rayne Freeman, South Charleston Public Library, who wrote about “Ten Rules for Living with my Sister” by Ann M. Martin

State Finalists (winners indicated by asterisks)

Washington, D.C. Finalists
Anu Hansa Desai, DC Public Library – Palisades Library
Grace Dodd, DC Public Library – Southeast Library
Jessica Holloway *, DC Public Library – Juanita E. Thornton/Shepherd Park Library
Eleanor Holt, DC Public Library – Southwest Library
TaKayla Keys, DC Public Library – Capitol View Library

Maryland Finalists
Naomi Barnett, Prince George’s County Memorial Library System – Upper Marlboro
Gavriel Eagle*, Enoch Pratt Free Library
Madison Mohan, Enoch Pratt Free Library
Isaiah Olujide, Prince George’s County Memorial Library System – Upper Marlboro
Catherine Jing Troaino – Prince George’s County Memorial Library System – Hyattsville

Virginia Finalists
Sofie Dalton*, Arlington Public Library
Gabriella Handford, Fauquier County Public Library
George Layton, Prince William Public Library System – Nokesville Neighborhood Library
Abigail Spigarelli, Arlington Public Library
Elizabeth Sullivan, Prince William Public Library System – Bull Run Regional Library

Delaware Finalists
Sarah Gessner, Brandywine Hundred Library
Julian Jackson, II*, Brandywine Hundred Library
Rebekkah Kehoe, Brandywine Hundred Library
Ryan McCrea, Dover Public Library
Nicole Ng, Brandywine Hundred Library

Pennsylvania Finalists
Clara Allem, Chester County Library System – Chester County Library
Tom Broadhurst, Parkland Community Library
Jaime Elizabeth Daniels, York County Libraries – Red Land Community Library
Mallika D. Pal, Bethlehem Area Public Library
Victoria Sullivan,* Abington Township Public Library – Abington Free Library

West Virginia Finalists
Shelby Rayne Freeman*, South Charleston Public Library
Cheyene Hitchcock, Martinsburg-Berkeley County Public Library
Addie Hughes, Martinsburg-Berkeley County Public Library
Finnian Mungovan, Martinsburg-Berkeley County Public Library
Justin Roberts, Roane County Library

The detailed list of current and previous winners along with more information about the program is available at www.loc.gov/bookfest/kids-teachers/booksthatshape. For further details, contactbooksshapecontest@loc.gov.

The Library of Congress National Book Festival, now in its 13th year, gathers more than 100 authors for readers of all ages to offer talks, Q&A, and book-signings. The festival, which drew more than 200,000 fans in 2012, will be presented free of charge on the National Mall on Saturday, Sept. 21 from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and on Sunday, Sept. 22 from noon to 5:30 p.m. For more information, go to www.loc.gov/bookfest.

The Library of Congress, the nation’s oldest federal cultural institution, is the world’s preeminent reservoir of knowledge. Many of the Library’s rich resources and treasures may be accessed through its website, www.loc.gov.

# # #

PR 13-163
09/13/13
ISSN 0731-3527

 

News from the Library of Congress

Contact: Audrey Fischer, Library of Congress  (202) 707-0022 
Contact: Mim Harrison, Levenger Press  (561) 276-2436  ext. 1413

September 13, 2013

Galileo’s “Starry Messenger” Is Subject of New Library Publication

In 1609, when Galileo Galilei fashioned a telescope and looked to the heavens, he was the first to see that the surface of our moon is filled with craters, mountains and other imperfections. He also saw countless stars filling every inch of the sky and noticed moons circling Jupiter—all previously unseen by any human. He published these revelations in a book called “Siderius nuncius” or “The Starry Messenger.” This thin volume would help shift the world away from an earth-centered view of the heavens and start the revolution called modern science.

For the first time, a full-color facsimile of the work, along with related material, has been reprinted in “The Starry Messenger, Venice 1610: ‘From Doubt to Astonishment,’” published by Levenger Press in association with the Library of Congress. The facsimile is based on the Library’s untrimmed copy—one of the most complete copies in existence—which was purchased in 2008.

In 2010, the Library held a symposium to celebrate the 400th anniversary of this groundbreaking publication. Six leading Galileo scholars—Owen Gingerich, John W. Hessler, Peter Machamer, David Marshall Miller, Paul Needham, and Eileen Reeves—spoke at the symposium. Their essays, reprinted here, address the monumental impact of Galileo’s discoveries during his time and ours. Also included is the definitive translation by Albert Van Helden along with a biographical index of the friends and foes in Galileo’s universe. Printed on archival-quality paper, this volume will make a beautiful and useful addition to any collection.

The book’s editors, Daniel De Simone and John W. Hessler, will discuss the book at the National Book Festival at 2:45 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 22 in the Special Programs pavilion on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., followed by a book-signing at 4:30 p.m. De Simone is curator of the Library’s Lessing J. Rosenwald Collection and Hessler is curator of its Jay I. Kislak Collection. Both collections are housed in the Library’s Rare Book and Special Collections Division.

“The Starry Messenger, Venice 1610: ‘From Doubt to Astonishment,’” a 224-page hardcover book with illustrations, is available for $79 exclusively from Levenger (www.levenger.com or  800-544-0880 ) and in the Library of Congress Shop, 10 First St. S.E., Washington, D.C., 20540-4985. Credit-card orders are taken at  (888) 682-3557 .

Founded in 1800, the Library of Congress is the nation’s oldest federal cultural institution. The Library seeks to spark imagination and creativity and to further human understanding and wisdom by providing access to knowledge through its magnificent collections, publications, programs and exhibitions. Many of the Library’s rich resources can be accessed through its website at www.loc.gov.

# # #

PR 13-147
09/13/13
ISSN 0731-3527