A Possible Government Shut Down...

Hi All,

You've probably all heard the phrase recently, 'Government Shut down' regarding the budget deal that might not get approved by the U.S Congress...If not, click on this link from CBS News for some video and accompanying text that explains that might happen, and why, if Congress doesn't strike a budget deal.

Let me make it clear at the outset of this post - I am NOT taking any political sides to this issue. I'm being a political agnostic and just giving readers - as they say - the facts....

Long-time readers know that I like to use Wikipedia for a quick look-see for various topics that I write about.  The possible government shutdown is no different.  Readers should click on this link to see a Wikipedia entry about 'government shutdowns'.

Let us start at the beginning...what is causing the possibility of us having a government shutdown? Well, as this video and article explain, its simply a budget issue...click here for the link to the article and video - via USA Today.   Finally, you might want to get the New York Times view from this link, or the Washington Post view from this link.

So what actually happens when there is a government shutdown?  Indeed, the exact details of which government functions that would stop is determined by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).  Click here for a link to the OMB. Specifically, this link will give readers more information about what exactly happens during a government shutdown.

Unfortunately the OMB told various government agencies to start making shutdown plans on September 18th in preparation of the October 1st deadline.   USA Today posted a helpful article about the affects of the government shutdown back on September 28th. Entitled, 'Questions and Answers About Government Shutdown' this is a good summary article of the whole event - which may, or may not take place. Click here for the article.

So there you have it - a few good links that will help you understand the government shutdown in more detail. Enjoy!

Regards,
Stu

Occupational Outlook Handbook

Hi All,

One of the better known job and career resource guides available in the library is the Occupational Outlook Handbook.  Published yearly by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the resource is a staple in many libraries career sections.

And now it is available online - or has been for a couple of years.  Click on this link to visit the Occupational Outlook Handbook online.

There are many, many ways to access the information from the Occupational Outlook handbook.  For example, users can use the search box at the top right side of the page to search various job related terms or for job titles.  Scrolling down further on the page brings users to an A-Z Index of job titles, career names and more.

Along the way, on the middle of the page, uses can zero in on a particular occupation by limiting their search by  median pay, level of education that the position needs, level of job training required, projected number of new jobs expected to open in the future and , projected growth rate of occupation.

Further down on the screen is a section that highlights a  'Featured Occupation'.  In narrative form this entry leads to a full fledged occupation profile - which is in the traditional OOH format.

Occcupation entries include a lot of information!  For example, there are extensive sections on 'What XYZ Do?', 'Work Environment',  'How to Become an XYZ?', 'Pay', 'Job Outlook', and 'Similar Occupations'.  Finally, there is a section for 'Contact For More Information'.  At the top of the screen, users can click on any of the 7 tabs that have the previously mentioned headings so they can go directly to that section.

The OOH site is user-friendly, easy to navigate and provides valuable job and career information at just the right price: free.  Finally, the information is authoritative - information comes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics - and is updated fairly frequently. 

It is a great resources for high school students and for college students who want to find out more about various occupations!

Enjoy the site - hopefully you'll find just the information you need.

Regards,
Stu

Banned Books Week - September 22-September 28, 2013.

Hi All,

Banned books - you've read about them, you've heard about them.  And now you can learn about them in the news.  I just found an article in Google News entitled, 'North Carolina School Lifts Ban on Invisible Man' - which makes for a rather excellent segueway for this blog entry.

Click on this link - which goes to Amazon.com - where you can buy the book, read customer reviews about the book and more.  Not that I'm suggesting this is the only banned book...its not.  Witness this next link which if from Wikipedia and titled 'List of Most Commonly Challenged Books in the United States'.

You can also go to this link from the American Library Association which discusses 'Frequently Challenged Books'.  From this link you can also find other articles about  '30 Years of Liberating Literature Timeline',  'Banned/Challenged Classics', 'Top Ten Frequently Challenged Book Lists', '100 Most Frequently Challenged Books By Decade', ' Most Frequently Challenged Authors Pages of the 21st Century' and an 'Extended List of Books Banned or Challenged'.

As you might have guessed, the American Library Association is a proponent of banned books week.  No, they don't try to ban books...the ALA tries to educate the public about banned books, what the books are and how users can gain access so the books can be read.  Banned books are a topic of great interest to many librarians and many public libraries since freedom of speech is such an essential part of public libraries.   

That said, I had no idea that Banned Books week in 2013 was (is) from September 22nd through September 28th.  Users who want to learn more about the various challenges to library materials and how freedom of speech can be celebrated might want to visit this ALA website - the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom. 

OIF has sections' regarding the Mission, Responsibilities, Initiatives and Projects, Oversight Groups and Intellectual Freedom Links and Resources.  It is quite a comprehensive site - folks interested in freedom of speech and intellectual freedom would do well to visit the page.

Finally - and to bring the issue home - the Farmingdale Public Library has dedicated a pyramid display of banned books in the library.  That is, we have a display of books that were banned in other libraries.  The books are opposite the Circulation Desk when patrons walk in to the library. 

Enjoy the books and the links!

Regards,
Stu

Electronic Medical Records - What You Should Know About Them...

Hi All,

Today I’m going to talk about something you might have heard about in the news, but didn’t quite understand.  Or you might not have heard of the topic – it might just be new to you.  But….if you go for your annual checkup in the next few years, you might be faced with this at that point.  What am I talking about, you ask?

Electronic Medical/Health Records…Click here for a link to Wikipedia.which discusses what Electronic Health Records are – and what they are NOT. This extensive Wikipedia article covers terminology, patient considerations when Electronic Medical/Health Records are implemented, unintended consequences of using EHR, privacy and confidentiality issues and much more.  Click on this link for an article from the New York Times in October 2012. Finally, for a more mainstream explanation of EMR's, click on this link from HealthIT.gov

CNN and Money combined resources a few years back to create a website called CNNMoney. On this website readers can find an insightful article (from 9/16/13)  entitled ‘5 Things To Know About Electronic Health Records’.  

One of the important issues the article discusses is privacy and security with respect to EMR's.  Click on this link from the US Department of Health and Human Services  for an article on 'The Privacy and Security Risks of Electronic vs. Paper Health Records.'  

The other main point of the article '5 Things To Know About Electronic Health Records' is that they can save money. Click on this link from the New York Times for an OpEd piece from March 2012 entitled 'Do Electronic Medical Records Save Money?' 

Finally, readers can follow this link to IHealthBeat.org to read May 2013 article entitled, 'Don't Forget: Electronic Health Records Are Benefiting Patients'. 

So there you have it.  A very quick primer on EMR's and how they will affect you as a consumer and as a patient in the coming years.  Hope this helps - enjoy the links.  And if you have any questions about the post or the links, you can send me email by clicking on this link. 

Regards

Stu

Career Websites From Forbes.com

Hi All,

Just one fantastic, comprehensive, organized, descriptive job oriented link today.  The link is from Forbes.com and the entry is called 'Top 100 Websites For Your Career'.

This is the second year that Forbes has generated a list of career oriented websites.  Wow - what a great piece of writing and research.  The sites are for job seekers and all ages, stages of career and stripes.  For example, there are sites for interns, job seekers, business owners, established professionals, retirees and for folks who are looking to launch, improve, advance or change a career.

Note that the sites are alphabetically listed - not in order of quality... five of the sites are mentioned below - and I chose them at random.

Brazen Life

Hired My Way 

Indeed.com

Modern-Day Nomads

Professional Direction

Finally, click on this link for a post that Forbes writer, Susan Adams has written that picks the ten best sites from the list of 100. Some of highlights from the top 10 list include PivotPlanet, Indeed, SimplyHired, Idealist, Glassdoor, Monster.com,  Internships.com, USAJobs, Wall Street Journal.

Enjoy the sites - hopefully they'll help you land the job of your dreams...

Finally, we have a career counselor at the library on Tuesday nights who can help folks with resumes, cover letters, interview techniques and much, much more.  Attendees must make an appointment with her ahead of time since appointments are almost always filled.  Call the library at 516-249-9090 and ask to speak to a reference librarian.

If you are looking for job assistance you'll be happy you called!  Good luck on your job search.

Regards,
Stu

Affordable Care Act Information

Hi All,

Regular readers of this blog know that entries run the gamut from fun and entertaining, to lively, timely and educational and informative.  Today's entry is an informative and could possibly save you lots of money!

What am I speaking of you ask?  Great question - glad you asked!

The Affordable Care Act will commence operations starting on October 1st, 2013.  What is the Affordable Care Act (ACA hereafter)?  Click here for a quick summary from Wikipedia.  Just to clarify though, 'In March 2010, President Obama signed comprehensive health care reform, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) into law.  The law makes preventive care - including family planning and related services - more accessible and affordable for Americans. On October 1, 2013, open enrollment in the Health Insurance Marketplace will begin, with coverage beginning after January 1, 2014.

Below are some ACA Resources for readers to educate themselves about the new health insurance law...
Affordable Car Act Information - from the National Network of Libraries of Medicine.  Training, continually updated information about ACA and explanations are the big advantages of this site!

Affordable Care Act For Libraries - link is from the American Library Association - and includes information about the 10 sections of ACA.  Role of libraries is discussed but more importanly, links to key resources are included.  Resources include Healthcare.gov.  Information about 'What is the Health Insurance Marketplace?' and an 800 Number That Users Can Call to Get Marketplace Questions Answered. Also, users can click on this link to go to NY State of Health - which is the 'official health plan marketplace' of New York State'. 

Finally, uses can use this link to get 'In-Person Assistance in the Healthcare Insurance Marketplace' - from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

So there you have it - a whole passel of links and information that should help you weave and navigate your way though the ACA maze of information that is available on the web. 


Hope this help!
Regards,
Stu


********
Thanks go out to Natalie K who suggested a blog entry on this topic - and also for giving me 'HealthLine - the Newsletter of the Hospital Library Services Program' of the Long Island Library Resources Council from which the majority of this post comes from!  Kudos to Natalie!

The Long Island Volunteer Center

Hi All,

The Long Island Volunteer Center (LIVC) has been helping folks with volunteer decisions since 1992. That's over 20 years of volunteer service to Long Island residents.  For a very comprehensive and inspirational history of the LIVC, click on this link.

So, what does the LIVC offer?  Indeed, great question...and boy, are you going to be delighted with all the features available on the site.

First off, users can find volunteer opportunities by typing in words that describe the volunteer situation they are looking for in the search box at the top of the page.   Users can type in city/state or zip code information in order to refine the search further.  Users can also enter the distance that they want to travel for the volunteer experience to take place.  So far, so good- and very, very helpful. A search using the terms 'hospital', '11735', and within 10 miles came up with 8 search results.  All results were relevant and comprehensive. Note that there is also an 'Advanced Search' that users can have an option to use - which is located under the search box on the homepage.

Once users click on a volunteer opportunity that they find interesting a new screen appears with information as varied as a website for even more information for the volunteer opportunity. Dates, times, location, opportunity leader, number of spots remaining for opportunity and option to sign up are all included on the 'Opportunity Detail' page. 

Volunteer opportunity searches can be saved and additional filters can be run to narrow down your search using the following limits: 'When Are You Available?', 'What Would You Like To Do?', 'Who Would You Like To Serve?', and 'Appropriate For...?'

At the top of the homepage, users can click on links to 'Special Events', 'Browse Organizations', 'Resources', 'Become a Member', and 'Find Local Opportunities'. All the links of which are helpful and well documented.

Note that the site is NOT just for Adults.  Users (read: parents....) can find available volunteer opportunities for students by using the 'Appropriate For...' link under the 'Additional Filters' box.  Categories include Children (Under 13 years old) and Young Adults (between 13 and 17 years old).  Other categories include Adults (18 years old to 54 years old) and Seniors (55 years old and up).

Finally, if users have any questions, the LIVC can be contacted by clicking on this link.

Enjoy the site - and I hope the volunteer experience you have is a fun and productive one!

Regards,
Stu

Tipping Advice

Hi All,

Today's post is about tipping and the art of tipping at various service oriented establishments that we go to.  For example, we're talking about tipping at restaurants or cabs or other places like that.

US News and World Report came out with an article recently entitled 'Show Your Appreciation With Extra Cash: The Tipping Bible - Who to Tip and How Much.  In this article - which is formatted like a PowerPoint presentation (which means slides...) - various services are discussed. For example, waiters/waitresses (20% generally), travel tipping, haircut/manicurist/massage tipping, personal trainer tipping, furniture delivery movers, house cleaning/maid service tipping and more are discussed. Its a simple, quick article for those who need to know about tipping etiquette quickly.

BusinessInsider.com published a comprehensive article on tipping  back in August 2012 which is still very relevant today.  Entitled 'This is How Much You Should Tip For Every Service' the article has a very simple format and is well organized.  There are topics on Food Service Tipping, Hotel Staff Tipping, Travel Tipping, Personal Service Tipping and 'Other' Tipping.  Nicely organized and simple to use.

Finally, if you are in dire straits and you don't have an iPhone, tablet, cellphone or other smartphone at your ready, you can use this tip calculator to figure out how much you owe the waitress before you leave the restaurant.  Link is from Webmath.com and can be found here.  And for another tip calculator, click on this link...it is just as easy to use as Webmath!

Enjoy the sites and tips on tips :)

Regards,
Stu

Adorable Animals...in....

Hi All,

W.C Fields once said that 'you should never work with children or animals'...and judging from these adorable animal and pet pictures he's right!  Go figure.

Images of adorable cats in hats (not necessarily the Cat in the Hat either...)

Images of adorable dogs in water

Images of adorable hamsters frolicking in grass

Images of adorable smiling pandas

Images of adorable koala bears hugging

Images of beautiful horses running on beaches

Enjoy this feel good post of the day!

Regards,
Stu

Back To School = Tests, Term Papers, Reports, Exams and more...

Hi All,

Well, its September and that means its back to school time once again.  And with the beginning of school comes exams and tests and term papers and reports and more...

Sorry guys and gals - its just the way it goes.

But wait...today's post is all about how to do better when you take tests, exams and quizzes, mid-terms, final exams and more!

So, without further ado....here are a bunch of websites that will help you do better on your tests, exams and quizzes during the new school year!

From a website called Study Guides and Strategies comes this entry titled, Ten Tips For Terrific Test Taking.  On this page are 10 very simple tips that will gear up your test taking skills for the new school year.  Pay attention to item number 10: 'Decide on and adopt study strategies that work best for you.'  Great advice for everybody taking an elementary school quiz, a junior high school test or a final exam in high school!

From a website called TestTakingTips.com comes a set of entries on varies aspects of test taking.  For example there are links to 'Test Taking Tips', 'Study Skills and Tips', 'Note Taking', 'Cramming Techniques', 'Reducing Test Anxiety' and 'Test Taking Tips For Parents'.

Each entry is chock full of advice and tips and suggestions.  The site is well worth your time and effort to take a look-see...For example, the link from 'Test Taking Strategies, Skills & Techniques' breaks out test taking tips further.  There is another section for 'Test Preparation', another for 'The Test', and a third section for 'Post Test'. At the bottom of each page is tips for specific types of tests - like multiple choice, essay, true/false, oral, short answer, quantitative/math tests and open book tests.  Links are attached in the prior sentence for your use...

Finally, I've linked to a few of the better known test preparation organizations so readers can get input from these teachers...

Princeton Review
Princeton Review - 3 SAT Tips and Advice

Kaplan Test Prep
link to State Standards and Testing and Test Taking Strategies For State Exams

Good luck on your exams, test, quizzes, mid-terms, finals...you get the idea.

Regards,
Stu