The White House Saves Auto Industry

See the White House press release discussing the use of loans to the auto industry. Read the term sheets for Chrysler and GM from the U.S. Treasury Department.

Documents of the Week: Executive Office of the President

This week, we will be showcasing documents from the Executive Office of the President.

• The President's health security plan
• Government structure of the Islamic Republic of Iran, 1994
• The world factbook, 2007
• The agency and the hill, CIA's relationship with Congress, 1946-2004
• In the zone, living drug free, a guide for Girl Scout adults
• Intelligence Community Legal Reference Book
• A report to the congress, science and technology, shaping the twenty-first century
• Public opinion on environmental issues, results of a national public opinion survey
  

The White House will use Bailout funds for auto industry

Are we going to save the auto industry?

One of the hot topics deals with the auto industry. Will we save the workers? Will we save the unions? What about the industry itself? What do you think?

Check out the bill To authorize financial assistance to eligible automobile manufacturers, and
for other purposes from the House of Representatives.

Also see the Summary of H.R. 7321 (Auto Industry Financing and Restructuring Act).

Just in case you didn't know it, it's illegal to sell a United States Senate seat. See the New York Times Topics for current, archived and related articles.

Documents of the Week: U.S. Department of State

This week, we'll enjoy some documents from the U.S. Department of State:

• Treaties and other international agreements of the United States of American, 1886-1949
• Denmark-France
• Germany-Iran
• Iraq-Muscat
• Patterns of global terrorism, 2001
• Afghanistan: A year of occupation, Feb. 1981
• Afghanistan post report, Dec. 1986
• Background notes: Rwanda, Mar. 1998
• War on hunger (self-help in Bolivia) Nov. 1977
• Agenda, Sept. 1979
• English teaching forum, 2008
• The foreign assistance program, 1969
• Significant incidents of political violence against Americans: 1988
• Dispatch, Europe, July 1999
• State magazine, Nov. 2008
• International narcotics control strategy report, Mar. 2000
• Soviet American relations: The detente years, 1969-1972
• Security Guidelines for American families living abroad, 1996
• Tips for:
• Americans residing abroad, 1996
• Travelers to the middle East and North Africa, 1994
• Travelers to South Asia, 1995
• Travelers to Central and South America, 1996
• Travelers to the People's Republic of China, 1995

Documents of the Week: Smithsonian Institution

I imagine will have to visit the Smithsonian Institution again and again. The following documents are just from ONE shelf and we have many more for me to find treasures for display.

• Pottery from the index of American design
• General information and list of paintings & sculpture, 1941
• Venetian painting
• Family guide: The winter holidays
• American portrait drawings
• "In the minds and hearts of the people" Five American patriots and the road to revolution
• Fifty American faces
• Islamic metalwork
• From concept to context: Approaches to Asian and Islamic Calligraphy
• Prelude to the space age: The rocket societies 1924-1940
• Adventurous pursuits: Americans and the China trade 1784-1844

Enjoy!

The Transition

The General Accountability Office has created a transition website for the new administration.

Google and the National Archives

I'm currently updating records of historical video clips from the National Archives. These are fascinating! So far, I've found clips from the military, the Department of the Interior, and a Spanish dancer by the name of Carmencita. Take a few minutes and eplore for yourself. http://video.google.com/nara.html

Documents of the Week: Social Security

We've pulled a selection of documents from the U.S. Social Security Administration for your reading pleasure.

• A Brief History of Social Security, August 2000
• A Brief History of Social Security 60th Anniversary
  
• Unemployment and Health Insurance in Great Britain, 1911-1937
  
• A Brief Explanation of the Social Security Act, 1937
  
• What You Should Know About Unemployment Compensation, 1937
  
• Old-Age Insurance Under the Social Security Act, 1938
• Federal Old-Age Benefits, 1937
• The Federal-State Program for Unemployment Compensation, 1936
• Aid to Dependent Children, 1937
• Social Security - What and Why?, 1936
• Public Assistance, 1936
• Selected List of Social Security Publications, 1936
• Annual Report of the Federal Security Agency, section six, 1946
• Social Security Handbook, 2001
• Childhood Disability
• Careers with Social Security
• fast facts & figures about Social Security
• Social Security Bulletin

You will also find a selection of informative flyers in Spanish, Russian, Korean & Chinese.

VOTE TODAY!

The Electoral College: A Message from the Dean

Be sure to read this fascinating article by Michael White before election day. For more information about the Electoral College, check out NARA's website.

Documents of the Week: Halloween

Here's a collection of creepy & scary documents:

• Report to Congress on Abnormal Occurrences
• Cloning Human Beings, vols 1 & 2
• U.S. International Response to HIV/AIDS, 1999
• AIDS, An Expanding Tragedy
• Significiant Incidents of Political Violence Against Americans
• Murder in Families
• MMWR Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report
• The Roswell Report: Fact vs Fiction in the New Mexico Desert
• Report on Search for Human Radiation Experiment Records, 1944-1994
• The Brown Tree Snake: A Harmful Pest Species
• Variation in Reproductive Parameters of Three Neotropical Snakes, Coniophanes fissidens, Dipsas catesbyi, and Imantodes cenchoa
• A Revision and Cladistic Analysis of the Spider Family Pimoidae
• Higher Level Phylogenetics of Erigonine Spiders
• Search USA.gov for Halloween

Documents of the Week: U.S. Department of Transportation

Our focus for the week of fall break is the U.S. Department of Transportation.

• Planning a vacation? Be sure to check America's Byways: National Scenic Byways Online for ideas, a podcast & more!
• Highway Statistics, 1958
• Public Roads, Sept/Oct 2000
• Have you heard the rumbling about drowsy drivers?
• Eastern Federal Lands Highway Division
• The Double-Nickel Challenge: Race to the Fuel Pump (has anyone tried driving double-nickels lately?)
• National Civilian GPS Services
• Bicycling for Everyone
• Estimating Auto Emissions of Alternative Transportation Systems, April 1972
• Department of Transportation, Second Annual Report, Fiscal Year 1968
• What you need to know about Air Bags
• Approaching Alternative Fueled Vehicle Crashes
• You're Not a Kid Anymore
• What happens if I'm stopped by an officer of the law?
• Getting to School Safely
• Driving Safely While Aging Gracefully
• Traffic Safety & Crime, Keeping Pace
• Pedestrian Safety Toolkit

Hope you enjoyed fall break!

FBI's Freedom of Information Act Electronic Reading Room

We know have links to individual reports from the FBI's Freedom of Information Act Electronic Reading Room in our catalog. You will find reports on Albert Einstein, Lucille Ball and other famous folks when searching by name. If you'd rather see the categories, go to Electronic Reading Room. From the website:

What do Jackie Kennedy, the Beatles, Albert Einstein, Gracie Allen, Thurgood Marshall, and Walter Winchell have in common?

Give up? They are all part of historical FBI records... though for a variety of different reasons. One had a background investigation for government service. One received extortionate threats. One had open communist affiliations. One needed security for a family trip abroad. One actively helped FBI investigations. One tried to smuggle jewelry into the U.S. And not necessarily in that order.

Documents of the Week: Department of the Treasury

This week, our focus is on the Department of the Treasury:

• U.S. Savings Bonds: 1994 Day Book
• The Series G United States Savings Bond: An Ideal Purchase for Current Income
  
• The Teacher of English and the War Savings Program
• The Problem is Dead Serious
• ATF Arson Investigative Guide
• Identification of Firearms
• Songs from "Figure it Out": A War Bond Musical Show
• Women's Work in War Finance, 1941-1945
• Regulations No. 5, Regulatory Taxes on Narcotic Drugs, Opium, Coca Leaves, Isonipecaine or Opiates (revised 1964)
• List of Merchant Vessels of the United States, 1901
• Financial Investigations: A Financial Approach to Detecting and Resolving Crimes
• History of the Treasury
  

The Debates: Can't Get Enough?

C-SPAN has created the Debate Hub. It includes video, a timeline, twitter & blog coverage, keywords used during the debates, AND the opportunity to order C-SPAN '08 Gear!

Documents of the Week: Veterans Administration

Veterans Day is November 11, 2008!

• Medical Research in the Veterans Administration, Annual Report, July 1960-June 1961
• PTSD Research Quarterly, The National Center for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Winter 1993
  
• Agent Orange Review, February 1997
• Medical Care of the Veteran in the United States, 1870-1960, a Bibliography
  
• Review of Literature on Herbicides, Including Phenoxy Herbicides and Associated Dioxins, volume III, Analysis of Recent Literature on Health Effects
• Annual Report of the Administrator of the Veterans' Affairs for the Year 1932
• West Side VA Medical Center Formulary, 1985
• The American Veteran (tells the stories of service and sacrifice made by America's men and women in uniform and discusses some of the benefits they have earned)

Image from Veterans Day Poster Gallery

Fivemile Creek & water-quality conditions

Assessment of water-quality conditions in Fivemile Creek in the vicinity of the Fivemile Creek Greenway, Jefferson County, Alabama, 2003-2005

This fairly new document will certainly be appreciated by our students that target this creek for their research papers.

The economy

Thomas has links to the Economic Stabilization House & Senate legislation.

The FDIC has information about the latest concerning Wachovia along with other financial issues. Note the Top Search Results on the right.

Documents of the Week: War Department

For the week of September 29, we will be focusing on the War Department. You will find the following documents on the Government Documents display table:

• Calvary Drill Regulations, United States Army, 1916
• Information Relative to the Appointment and Admission of Cadets to the United States Military Academy, West Point, N.Y., 1933
• Information Pamphlet, United States Military Academy, West Point, N.Y., 1945
• A Manual for Courts-Martial, U.S. Army, 1921
• Military Notes on Cuba, 1909
• Military Pyrotechnics: The History and Development of Military Pyrotechnics, v.1, 1919
• Manual no.8, Technical Equipment of the Signal Corps, 1916
• Summation of United States Army Military Government Activities in Korea, no.13, October, 1946

I had the pleasure of rocking next to a Korean Veteran at a local restaurant for a few minutes this past Saturday. Of course, I told him about the Summation document!

Federal Natural Disasters & Re-election Years

I admit that I was busy and only heard a portion of the Fast Draw section from this past CBS Sunday Morning episode but, the words FEMA and re-election caught my attention. Evidently, the number of federal disasters goes up during an election year. The data mentioned in the section comes from the FEMA website, http://www.fema.gov/news/disasters.fema. Would you like to watch the Fast Draw video? Go to http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/1998/07/09/sunday/main13562.shtml & scroll down to Fast Draw: Disaster Relief. **It's not available just yet. You would like to read the transcripts? Use Academic LexisNexis. Confused? Ask us!

Documents of the Week

Beginning September 19, 2008, we will display documents on our new display table. Feel free to stop by and check them out (really, you can check out some our docs!)

CONGRESS & THE CAPITOL

• A Manual of Parliamentary Practice for the Use of the Senate of the United States by Thomas Jeffereson
• Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, 1774-2005
• Glenn Brown's History of the United States Capitol
• Constantino Brumidi: Artist of the Capitol
• The Capitol: a Pictorial History of the Capitol and of the Congress
• United States Senate: Catalogue of Graphic Art
• United States Senate: Catalogue of Fine Art
• History of the United States Capitol: a Chronicle of Design, Construction, and Politics