Talking in the Library

Government Document of the Day

    
Starting today, we’re going to periodically feature government documents that are available through K-State Libraries.  Whether it’s a document that’s shelved in Stack Level F (where we keep most of the physical copies of government documents) or one that is electronically accessible, we think it’s important to highlight the variety and breadth of documents that are available for various types of research. 

Today’s featured government document is “Immediate Relief From High Oil Prices: Deploying The Strategic Petroleum Reserves.”  On October 17, 1973, several Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) nations issued an oil embargo on particular countries, including the United States.  This event led to the 1973-1974 oil crisis.  In response to the economic crisis that followed, President Ford signed the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA).  As a result of this legislation, the U.S. Department of Energy established the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to ensure U.S. consumers an uninterrupted supply of oil in times of urgent need.

And as always, please don’t hesitate to Ask A Librarian if you should have any questions about government documents research.

Sources:

“Strategic Petroleum Reserve – Profile.” U.S. Department of Energy. Fossil

    Energy Office of Communications. 16 Oct. 2012. Web. 16 Oct. 2012.

September 17-- Constitution Day!

Did you know that the U.S. Constitution was drafted in about 100 days? State-appointed deputies to the Constitutional Convention began meeting on May 25, 1787 and on September 17, 1787, thirty-nine delegates, of the more than 70 appointees, signed the Constitution.  This year marks the 225^th anniversary of that historic signing.

 

Here are a few more interesting facts about the Constitution:

 

Q. How many words are there in the text’s present volume, and how long does it take to read?

A. The Constitution has 4,543 words, including the signatures but not the certificate on the interlineations; and takes about half an hour to read.  The Declaration of Independence has 1,458 words, with the signatures, but is slower reading, as it takes about ten minutes. 

 

Q. Who were the oldest and youngest members of the Constitutional Convention?

A.  Benjamin Franklin (Pennsylvania) was 81; and Jonathan Dayton (New Jersey) was 26.

 

Q. Who was called the “Father of the Constitution”?

A. James Madison (Virginia), because in point of erudition and actual contributions to the formation of the Constitution, he was preeminent.

 

Q. Who actually wrote the Constitution?

A. In none of the relatively meager records of the Constitutional Convention is the literary authorship of any part of the Constitution definitely established.  The deputies debated proposed plans until, on July 24, 1787, substantial agreement having been reached, a Committee of Detail was appointed, consisting of John Rutledge (South Carolina); Edmund Randolph (Virginia); Nathaniel Gorham (Massachusetts); Oliver Ellsworth (Connecticut); and James Wilson (Pennsylvania), who on August 6 reported a draft which included a Preamble and twenty-three articles, embodying fifty-seven sections.  Debate continued until September 8, when a new Committee of Style was named to revise the draft.  This committee included William Samuel Johnson (Connecticut); Alexander Hamilton (New York); Gouverneur Morris (Pennsylvania); James Madison (Virginia); and Rufus King (Massachusetts), and they reported the draft in approximately its final shape on September 12.  The actual literary form is believed to be largely that of Morris, and the chief testimony for this is in the letters and papers of Madison, and Morris’s claim.  However, the document in reality was built slowly and laboriously, with not a piece of material included until it was shaped and approved.  The preamble was written by the Committee of Style.

 

Q. In what order did the State ratify the Constitution?

A. In the following order:  Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland, South Carolina, New Hampshire, Virginia, and New York.  After George Washington was inaugurated, North Carolina and Rhode Island ratified.

 

For the complete Constitution Q&A, see Constitution of the United States; Questions & Answers

 

Sources:

"Constitution Day and Citizenship Day | Law Library of Congress " RefGrab-It. 8/22/2012 <http://www.loc.gov/law/help/commemorative-observations/constitution-day.php>.

 

"Constitution of the United States - A History, A More Perfect Union: The Creation of the U.S. Constitution." RefGrab-It. 8/21/2012 <http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/constitution_history.html>.

 

"The Constitution of the United States: Questions and Answers ", Bloom, Sol.  RefGrab-It. 8/21/2012 <http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/constitution_q_and_a.html>.

 

Sometimes our books are the history

Yesterday, I taught a class for students who need to find articles about American Indians published between 1800-1925. Cool fact, we actually have, on the shelf on Hale's 4th floor, bound issues of magazines published during those dates. Naturally, I grabbed a copy because who wouldn't want to see a magazine that old? I pulled the 1864 volume of the Atlantic Monthly. 

Heading downstairs to meet the class, I flipped the book open and saw this label:

While I don't think we've had this particular volume on our shelves since 1864, I can tell you that it was probably the 5574th volume in our collection. And it was shelved in Alcove 1, Case 2 of the library--but which library?

According to our history of K-State Libraries, here are potential homes for this book when this label was affixed.

Anderson Hall (housed the library 1879-1894):

(Please note the books piled under the Librarian's desk. I kind of feel ok about my office, now.)

Or perhaps, Fairchild Hall (housed the library 1894-1927):

Or Historical Farrell Library (1927-1997, now part of Hale Library):

 

While the ongoing influx of new books eventually made it impractical to number each books and identify its permanent alcove/bookcase home (we have to shift them around all of the time to make room) you can still go into the stacks and see evidence that we used to number all of our shelves:

and here:

History geek? Why, yes, I am!

United Kingdom + Venn Diagrams = awesome video

Do you know the difference between the United Kingdom and Great Britian? Still puzzling over the best use of Venn diagrams? I think this video will solve both of your problems.

Lost Dr. King Audio Coming Home To K-State

The photos shown in this video are housed in the Richard L. D. and Marjorie J. Morse Department of Special Collections in Hale Library. If you would like to see more or have any questions, please contact contact Anthony Crawford, University Archivist.

Celebrate Anniversaries 3, Wed 10/13 at 3:30 pm

Mark your calendars! Join us for a triple celebration event sponsored by the Morse Department of Special Collections as we commemorate the centennials of the Department of Grain Science and Industry and the A.Q. Miller School of Journalism and Mass Communications along with the 40th anniversary of the McCain Auditorium.

What: Anniversaries 3
When: Wednesday, October 13 at 3:30 pm
Where: Hale Library Hemisphere Room

Listen up: It's the Declaration of Independence

8 minutes, 58 seconds. That's how long it took for me to listen to the Declaration of Independence this morning. Conveniently, that's how long it will take you to listen to it, too.

The original document may be faded after 234 years, but the words are still clear.

 

Image Credit: U.S. National Archives and Records Administration

Vintage Photo Friday: K-State's first African American graduate

This handsome young man is George Washington Owens, the first African American to graduate from Kansas State Agricultural College. Want to know a little bit about him? Go to our guide and read a nice bio sketch as well as see few other pictures.

Celebrate Women's History Month

March is Women’s History Month and the Women’s Studies Program, History Department, and Libraries Inclusiveness Committee are celebrating by hosting a talk by Dr. Sue Zschoche on March 24 at 7pm in the Hemisphere Room in Hale Library. Come by and learn what women’s history actually is and why modern feminism needs it more than ever. Dr. Zschoche’s talk entitled “Women’s History: A Manifesto” will explain how women’s history is a feminist project and what it can teach feminists today.

If the Founding Fathers had made a music video...

...it would have been called "Too Late to Apologize". 

A little late for Presidents Day, but still fun.