Black History Month

February 16, 2018

Since President Gerald R. Ford first officially recognized Black History Month during America’s Bicentennial celebration, the United States and its Government have recognized the incredible achievements of African-American citizens throughout its history. However, the origins of Black History Month stretch nearly 50 years prior to that event.

In 1926, Carter G. Woodson and the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History announced that they would be celebrating the second week of February as Negro History Week. They chose this particular week in honor of the birthdays of both Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln.

Over the next several years, the event grew, due in large part to the involvement of schools, until in 1969 the concept of a Black History Month was proposed at Kent State University in Kent, Ohio. The first recorded celebration of Black History Month occurred the next year, 1970, and from there was spread throughout colleges and universities picking up momentum in public opinion until Ford officially recognized it six years later.

The history of accomplishments, achievements, and innovations of African-Americans throughout our Nation’s history is vast and diverse. The U.S. Government Publishing Office (GPO) has printed several publications throughout the years that highlight those triumphs.

GPO offers access to several items that can help your organization pay homage to this unique history. The U.S. Government Bookstore offers several titles about this topic. Some of those include:

  • Underground Railroad – This National Park Service handbook describes the many ways that blacks took to escape slavery in the southern United States before the Civil War. It includes stories of famous African American women, such as Harriet Tubman, who served in the Union Army as a nurse, spy, and scout, and Sojourner Truth, who helped recruit black troops for the Union Army.
  • Black Americans in Congress, 1870-2007 (Paperback Edition) – Black Americans in Congress, 1870-2007 provides a comprehensive history of the more than 120 African Americans who have served in the United States Congress from 1870 through 2007. Individual profiles are introduced by contextual essays that explain major events in Congressional and U.S. history. It is illustrated with many portraits, photographs, and charts. Questions that are answered include: How many African Americans have served in the U.S. Congress? How did Reconstruction, the Great Migration, and the post-World War II civil rights movement affect black Members of Congress? Who was the first African American to chair a Congressional committee?
  • Freedom by the Sword: The U.S. Colored Troops, 1862-1867 (Paperback) – Freedom by the Sword tells the story of the Colored Troops recruitment, organization, and service. The broad focus is on every theater of the Civil War and its concentration on what black soldiers actually contributed to Union victory. It examines the Colored Troops’ formation, training, and operations during the entire span of their service and in every theater of the war in which they served. It underscores the unique nature of their contributions both to Union victory and to their own liberation.

GPO also offers free access to H.J. Res. 12, which designated February 1993 as National Black History Month. Through govinfo.gov, you can find access to several occasions of Congress celebrating Black History Month and other related topics discussed on the House and Senate floors.

The GPO Online Bookstore – Easy Access to Federal Publications

HOW DO I OBTAIN THESE RESOURCES?

Click on the Links: For the free resources, click on the links above in the blog post.

Shop Online Anytime: You can buy eBooks or print publications —with FREE Standard Shipping worldwide— from the U.S. Government Online Bookstore at https://bookstore.gpo.gov.

Shop our Retail Store: Buy a copy of any print editions from this collection at GPO’s retail bookstore at 710 North Capitol Street NW, Washington, DC 20401, open Monday–Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., except Federal holidays, Call (202) 512-0132 for information or to arrange in-store pick-up.

Order by Phone: Call our Customer Contact Center Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5:30 pm Eastern (except US Federal holidays). From US and Canada, call toll-free 1.866.512.1800. DC or International customers call +1.202.512.1800.

Visit a Federal depository library: Search for U.S. Government publications in a nearby Federal depository library. You can find the records for most titles in GPO’s Catalog of U.S. Government Publications.

About the author: Blogger contributor Scott Pauley is a Writer and Editor in GPO’s Library Services and Content Management offices.

Leave a Comment » | African Americans, Libraries, Teachers and teaching, U.S. History | Tagged: , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Trudy Hawkins

The Shaping of Allied Military Strategy During the Crisis Years of WWII

February 1, 2018

The “Big Three” at Yalta. Seated, left to right: British Prime Minister Winston S. Churchill, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin and their staffs at the Argonaut Conference in February 1945. Image courtesy of Joint Chiefs of Staff.

The U.S. Department of Defense Joint Chiefs of Staff History Office recently released a series of eBooks focusing on the Inter-Allied conferences held during World War II.  The conferences documented within this series were led by senior military leaders from the United States and Great Britain working in concert to make vitally important decisions for the combined WWII effort during the period of uncertainty facing Allied Forces in both the European and Asian conflicts.

Download for free this series of eBooks detailing the inner-workings of these historic conferences from the U.S. Government Bookstore.

Here are a few examples in the series.

The Arcadia Conference: December 1941–January 1942. Two weeks after the United States entered World War II, the Arcadia Conference (also known as the First Washington Conference) was held in Washington, DC, from December 24, 1941 to January 14, 1942. Working together President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Prime Minister Winston S. Churchill made the initial crucial decisions for the combined war effort at this important meeting. One of these established the Combined Chiefs of Staff, comprising the high-ranking officers who would become the US Joint Chiefs of Staff and their British counterparts. It was this consultative body of top military leaders that would refine the Allied military strategy and approve all significant military decisions for the duration of conflict. The most consequential decision reached at Arcadia was that of “Germany first,” making the defeat of Germany the prime Allied objective. Additionally, plans to invade North Africa, which would come to fruition in November 1942 with Operation Torch, were extensively studied and discussed.

The Post-Arcadia Conference: January–May 1942. Only nine days after the Arcadia Conference (also known as the First Washington Conference) was held in Washington, DC, the Combined Chiefs of Staff (CCS) again convened for a series of twenty meetings between January 23 and May 19, 1942. During these meetings, the CCS focused on the situation in the Southwest Pacific area known as the American-British-Dutch-Australian (ABDA) area, which included Burma; support of Chinese Nationalist leader Chiang Kai-Shek; and the possibility of a German attack on England.

Seated: President Franklin D. Roosevelt (left) and British Prime Minister Winston S. Churchill with the Combined Chiefs of Staff at the Casablanca Conference on January 22, 1943. Image courtesy of Joint Chiefs of Staff.

The Casablanca Conference: January 1943. During the first month of 1943, President Franklin D. Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston S. Churchill met at the Anfa Hotel in Casablanca in French Morocco for a ten-day conference to plan the next stages of the war against the Axis. Accompanied by the French generals Charles de Gaulle and Henri Giraud, the two leaders and the Combined Chiefs of Staff mapped out the grand strategy for both the European and the Pacific theaters.

Interested in learning more about these and other WWII Inter-Allied conferences? Visit the U.S. Government Online Bookstore to download the entire series here.

The GPO Online Bookstore – Easy Access to Federal Publications

HOW DO I OBTAIN THESE RESOURCES?

Shop Online Anytime: You can buy eBooks or print publications —with FREE Standard Shipping worldwide— from the U.S. Government Online Bookstore at https://bookstore.gpo.gov.

Shop our Retail Store: Buy a copy of any print editions from this collection at GPO’s retail bookstore at 710 North Capitol Street NW, Washington, DC 20401, open Monday–Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., except Federal holidays, Call (202) 512-0132 for information or to arrange in-store pick-up.

Order by Phone: Call our Customer Contact Center Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5:30 pm Eastern (except US Federal holidays). From US and Canada, call toll-free 1.866.512.1800. DC or International customers call +1.202.512.1800.

Visit a Federal depository library: Search for U.S. Government publications in a nearby Federal depository library. You can find the records for most titles in GPO’s Catalog of U.S. Government Publications.

About the author: Blogger contributor Trudy Hawkins is a Marketing and Promotions Specialist in GPO’s Publication and Information Sales program office.

 

Leave a Comment » | Department of Defense, ebooks, Military History, World War II | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Trudy Hawkins

North and South Korea

January 11, 2018

The two Koreas; one is smaller than Indiana, the other contains less mass than Mississippi. Where South Korea has become a global economic engine, with an economy 36 times greater than its northern neighbor, North Korea’s people reportedly suffer from malnutrition and the lack of basic human needs. Its leader Kim Jong Un, appears to emphasize building and maintaining a million member military, increasingly powerful nuclear weapons, and deploying sophisticated missiles with global reach capabilities. Americans need to fully understand how different and unique the people of both South and North Korea are, psychologically and philosophically, from those living in Western societies, especially the U.S.

The U.S. Government Bookstore has a comprehensive collection of publications that feature every aspect of the Korean War, the aftermath, profiles of North Korea prior to the emergence of Kim Jong Un, studies of Confrontation on the Korean Peninsula, plus in-depth studies about “Our Not so Peaceful Nuclear Future” and other insightful titles about the state of nuclear confrontation facing our leaders today, primarily due to the dramatic new capabilities of the Kim Jong Un regime.

Here are a few examples; or, click here to see a full range of pertinent publications.

North Korea: A Country Study. This volume is one in a continuing series of books prepared by the Federal Research Division of the Library of Congress under the Country Studies/Area Handbook Program. This study attempts to review the history and treat in a concise manner the dominant social, political, economic, and military aspects of contemporary North Korea.

Confronting Security Challenges on the Korean Peninsula. This publication provides papers from a symposium that was held on September 1, 2010. South Korean military strategists in Panel 1 talked about challenges on the Korean peninsula including the effectiveness of the U.S.-South Korea alliance, and the relationship between North and South Korea. Panel 2 addressed the Obama administration’s expansion of sanctions against North Korea and the freezing of assets of individuals and organizations linked to its nuclear program, focusing on contingency planning, military readiness, and the potential economic impact of the collapse of North Korea. Panel 3 focused on human rights issues in North Korea.

Underestimated: Our Not So Peaceful Nuclear Future. With the world focused on the nuclear crisis in Iran, it is tempting to think that addressing this case, North Korea, and the problem of nuclear terrorism is all that matters and is what matters most. Perhaps, but if states become more willing to use their nuclear weapons to achieve military advantage, the problem of proliferation will become much more unwieldy. In this case, U.S. security will be hostage not just to North Korea, Iran, or terrorists, but to nuclear proliferation more generally, diplomatic miscalculations, and wars between a much larger number of possible players.

Moving Beyond Pretense: Nuclear Power and Nonproliferation. Most governments have made the promotion of nuclear power’s growth and global development a top priority. Throughout, they have insisted that the dangers of nuclear weapons proliferation are manageable either by making future nuclear plants more “proliferation-resistant” or by strengthening International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards and acquiring more timely intelligence on proliferators. How sound is this view? How useful might civilian nuclear programs be for states that want to get nuclear weapons quickly? Are current International Atomic Energy Agency nuclear safeguards sufficient to block military nuclear diversions from civilian programs? Are there easy fixes to upgrade these controls? How much can we count on more timely intelligence on proliferators to stem the further spread of nuclear weapons?  This volume taps the insights and analyses of 13 top security and nuclear experts to get the answers. What emerges is a comprehensive counter-narrative to the prevailing wisdom, and a series of innovative reforms to tighten existing nuclear nonproliferation controls.

The GPO Online Bookstore – Easy Access to Federal Publications

HOW DO I OBTAIN THESE RESOURCES?

Shop Online Anytime: You can buy eBooks or print publications —with FREE Standard Shipping worldwide— from the U.S. Government Online Bookstore at https://bookstore.gpo.gov.

Shop our Retail Store: Buy a copy of any print editions from this collection at GPO’s retail bookstore at 710 North Capitol Street NW, Washington, DC 20401, open Monday–Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., except Federal holidays, Call (202) 512-0132 for information or to arrange in-store pick-up.

Order by Phone: Call our Customer Contact Center Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5:30 pm Eastern (except US Federal holidays). From US and Canada, call toll-free 1.866.512.1800. DC or International customers call +1.202.512.1800.

Visit a Federal depository library: Search for U.S. Government publications in a nearby Federal depository library. You can find the records for most titles in GPO’s Catalog of U.S. Government Publications.

About the author: Blogger contributor Ed Kessler is a Promotions Specialist in GPO’s Publication and Information Sales program office.

Leave a Comment » | Army War College, Department of Defense, Foreign Relations, Library of Congress (LOC), U.S. Army, World History | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Trudy Hawkins

New Year, New Personal Goals – Welcome 2018!

January 4, 2018

This year, I am keeping one goal that I started last spring –to eat healthier food, mainly fruits and vegetables.    So, out came the cookbooks and dietary guidelines for guidance as I push myself in this direction …. Here are a few titles from the US Federal Government that I referred to, and that may interest you also:

Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2015-2020. The Dietary Guidelines is designed for professionals to help all individuals ages 2 years and older and their families consume a healthy, nutritionally adequate diet. The information in the Dietary Guidelines is used in developing Federal food, nutrition, and health policies and programs. It is also the basis for Federal nutrition education materials designed for the public and for the nutrition education components of  HHS and USDA food programs. It is developed for use by policymakers and nutrition and health professionals.

This publication is available in paperback and free eBook formats here – scroll to the right of your screen and click the format drop down to find the other formats.   Free ePub format also available from Apple iBookstore, BarnesandNoble (Nook eBookstore), Google Play eBookstore, and Overdrive.  Please use ePub ISBN: 9780160934650 to search these platforms.  Also available in PDF format through EBSCOhost, Academic Pub, Rittenhouse R2, and ProQuest databases.  Please use PDF ISBN: 9780160934674 to search these academic platforms.

Recipes for Healthy Kids Cookbook for Schools. While the premise for this book was based on a healthy eating competition in schools across America, the contents will apply to children, adults, and school cafeterias to meet nutritional planning objectives.  For me, personally, there are a number of recipes that I can incorporate healthy fruits and vegetables to meet my 2018 personal goal for healthy eating.

Staying Active

Another personal goal for me in year 2018 is to get back to exercising a few times a week.  Living in the Washington, DC area, I often observe military personnel taking part in exercise programs during my early morning commutes and know this must be how many of them stay fit.  Therefore, I am excited about the recently published work by the US Army:

Performance Triad, The Total Army Family Guide: A Guide To Help With Enhancing Your Health With Sleep, Activity, and Nutrition. This resource from the US Army is presented in different modules, so a person can choose the modules best for them.  There many fitness modules to choose from. As an individual increases the number of repetitions at his or her own pace, it can improve strength and overall fitness.

Exercising My Brain

My other personal goal for this year is to reduce my hours of watching television and increase my self-education through online webinars and reading.  In this New Year, I plan to renew my library card — an affordable way to achieve this goal!

Some US Federal Government self-education books that I would like to recommend to others include:

Economic Security: Neglected Dimension of National Security – Paperback format with reduced list price (while supplies last) can be found here. I found this book to be engaging because it directly relates to today’s defense planning matters that impact America’s national security budgets.  Also available in ePub format for $7.99 list price from Apple iBookstore using ePub ISBN: 9780160915727.

North Korea and nuclear missile defense seems to be on many of my friends minds these days and this subject found its way into many holiday discussions with family and friends.  These are some books that I have read that provided some insights into our military future:

The Asia Pacific Century: Challenges and Opportunities. In 2002 Pres. George W. Bush proclaimed that the twenty-first century would be the “Asia-Pacific Century.” While I am not sure he was the first person to use that phrase—and it has been often used by others over the past 10 years—for those who study the region and/or have more than a casual familiarity with the region, the proclamation rings true. In a November 2011 article in Foreign Policy magazine, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton went so far as to say, “The future of politics will be decided in Asia, not Afghanistan or Iraq, and the United States will be right at the center of the action.” These are powerful words, underscoring the fact that Asia matters, and it matters a great deal.

Chinese Strategic Perspectives-Chinese Military Diplomacy: 2003- 2016, Trends and Implications This publication provides a history of Chinese military diplomacy from 2003 to 2016, and discusses future implications of this diplomacy for the United States and the international community.

Thank you for reading and I would love to hear your comments about this post.  Best wishes for health and success in 2018!

The GPO Online Bookstore – Easy Access to Federal Publications

HOW DO I OBTAIN THESE RESOURCES?

Shop Online Anytime: You can buy eBooks or print publications —with FREE Standard Shipping worldwide— from the U.S. Government Online Bookstore at https://bookstore.gpo.gov.

Shop our Retail Store: Buy a copy of any print editions from this collection at GPO’s retail bookstore at 710 North Capitol Street NW, Washington, DC 20401, open Monday–Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., except Federal holidays, Call (202) 512-0132 for information or to arrange in-store pick-up.

Order by Phone: Call our Customer Contact Center Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5:30 pm Eastern (except US Federal holidays). From US and Canada, call toll-free 1.866.512.1800. DC or International customers call +1.202.512.1800.

Visit a Federal depository library: Search for U.S. Government publications in a nearby Federal depository library. You can find the records for most titles in GPO’s Catalog of U.S. Government Publications.

About the author: This week’s blog contributor is Maureen Whelan, Senior Marketing Team Leader for GPO’s Publication and Information Sales program office in Washington, DC. Maureen oversees print and digital content dissemination strategy and manages third party free and paid content distribution through platforms and vendors, such as Apple iBookstore, Barnes and Noble.com, Google Play eBookstore, Ebscohost databases, Overdrive, and ProQuest.

Leave a Comment » | Consumers, Department of Agriculture, Department of Health & Human Services, Family, Health care | Tagged: , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Trudy Hawkins

The Beginning of a Great Holiday Tradition

December 21, 2017

“Twas the Night Before Christmas” 1955 when a misprinted Sears Roebuck & Co. newspaper ad featuring a direct dial in number for kid’s to chat with Santa turned out to be the U.S. – Soviet alert hotline to the Colorado HQ of America’s Air Defense Command. The top secret hotline, used only in national emergencies, alerted the Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD) if the USSR attacked!

Fortunately a wise and savvy U.S. Air Force Col. Harry Shoup, CONAD’s director of operations, grabbed the red emergency phone fully prepared to react to an imminent attack. On the other end of the line, he heard a trembling six year-old boy’s voice ask in wonder, “Are you really Santa Claus?” Colonel Shoup, hoping it was a prank, snapped, “Would you repeat that?” A whimpering voice began to cry, then timidly asked, “Is this one of Santa’s elves, then?”

That tiny voice was only the first of many as kids thinking they were connecting directly with Santa ringing off the hook with kids lined up by wire to say Hi and ask for goodies from Santa. Colonel Shoup “corrected course” and became a convincing Santa. He rose to the rare occasion by turning Cold War-era radar operators into North Pole elves— playing along by scanning monitors for indications of Santa time of arrival across North America. And that’s how the U.S. mighty military became an official Santa tracker.

Today, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD, CONAD’s successor) is a bi-national U.S. and Canadian organization tasked with aerospace warning and control. As a frontline in homeland defense, its slogan is “Deter, Detect, Defend.” But its most famous and favorite mission is watching the winter skies for the “big red one,” much as it has done since Col. Shoup answered the phone over 60 years ago.

You and your family can come to “Santa’s Village” today via the internet by simply typing in your search bar noradsanta.org. where kids can visit Santa’s interactive Village, listen to the US Air Force Academy Band play “Santa Claus is Coming to Town”, track Santa on the fly with a mobile app.

Using the same technology used to perform their day-to-day mission— satellites, high-powered radars and jet fighters— NORAD tracks Santa Claus as he makes his Yuletide journey around the world.”

NORAD’s sleigh of different high-tech systems is used to read Rudolph’s infrared nose signature, capture high-speed video around the globe, and provide Santa and his reindeer with a NORAD fighter pilot escort. Fun fact to impress people at your holiday party: satellites and radar once clocked Santa’s flying delivery cart at 100 times faster than the Japanese bullet train.

Join in the fun this holiday by dropping into the North Pole, and enjoy listening to the Musical Stage” recording of over 25 memorable Christmas time tunes. Check out the NORAD gift shop and even learn how NORAD keeps America Safe, 24/7 through the committed effort of “America’s Finest”, the U.S. Military.

The GPO Online Bookstore – Easy Access to Federal Publications

Want to Know More about NORAD and the U.S. Air Force History? Shop Online Anytime: You can buy eBooks or print publications —with FREE Standard Shipping worldwide— from the U.S. Government Online Bookstore at http://bookstore.gpo.gov.

Shop our Retail Store: Buy a copy of any print editions from this collection at GPO’s retail bookstore at 710 North Capitol Street NW, Washington, DC 20401, open Monday–Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., except Federal holidays, Call (202) 512-0132 for information or to arrange in-store pick-up.

Order by Phone: Call our Customer Contact Center Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5:30 pm Eastern (except US Federal holidays). From US and Canada, call toll-free 1.866.512.1800. DC or International customers call +1.202.512.1800.

Visit a Federal depository library: Search for U.S. Government publications in a nearby Federal depository library. You can find the records for most titles in GPO’s Catalog of U.S. Government Publications.

About the author: Blogger contributor Ed Kessler is a Promotions Specialist in GPO’s Publication and Information Sales program office.

Leave a Comment » | Department of Defense, NORAD, U.S. Air Force | Tagged: , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Trudy Hawkins

Holiday Reads for Year End 2017

December 18, 2017

There’s no better time of year than the days after your favorite holiday to curl up in an overstuffed chair and read a book. So take an adventure out of your routine and peruse one of America’s most interesting online bookstores; featuring titles of all kinds authored by “those in the know” across the federal government.

The US Government Bookstore provides you with easy access to federal publications where you’ll find an amazingly eclectic collection of titles: from the latest global economic, military or social issues, remembrances of wars fought by our older brothers and sisters, Dads and Grand-Dads, the nerve-rattling world of cybersecurity and how it can impact your daily lives to America’s infrastructure, surprising tips on child care and safety (to share with your children) , even spectacularly colorful calendars featuring NASA –out-of-this-solar system  interstellar graphics that are not only beautiful but educational as well.

Here are but a few gift and special items to consider:

Science Mission Planning Guide Calendar 2018. NASA creates one of the most educational and fun federal calendars every year. This year’s focus is science missions. Each month features a spectacular colorful photo; each an example of “nature’s art.” These arresting photographic images represent a moment in space and time brought to us by individuals committed to the scientific pursuit of knowledge and the advancement of humankind. A spectacular centerfold features the “Operating and Future Missions” of the NASA experience.

The City Becomes a Symbol: The U.S. Army in the Occupation of Berlin, 1945-1949 – Center of Military History. The City Becomes a Symbol tells the story of the first four tumultuous years of the U.S. Army’s occupation of West Berlin and how Berlin became the epicenter of superpower confrontation across all of Europe. The division of Berlin with occupation by Western and Soviet military forces set the stage for the decades-long face-off between the U.S. Army and Soviet forces until the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989.

Cyber Infrastructure Protection: Volume III.  This book addresses critical issues in cybersecurity. Topics discussed include: a cooperative international deterrence capability as an essential tool in cybersecurity; an estimation of the costs of cybercrime; the impact of prosecuting spammers on fraud and malware contained in email spam; cybersecurity and privacy in smart cities; smart cities demand smart security; and, a smart grid vulnerability assessment using national testbed networks.

Take a few minutes and go to: bookstore.gpo.gov for these and thousands of other excellent books and eBooks to help you become better informed. Start the New Year off all that wiser!

The GPO Online Bookstore – Easy Access to Federal Publications

HOW DO I OBTAIN THESE RESOURCES?

Shop Online Anytime: You can buy eBooks or print publications —with FREE Standard Shipping worldwide— from the U.S. Government Online Bookstore at https://bookstore.gpo.gov.

Shop our Retail Store: Buy a copy of any print editions from this collection at GPO’s retail bookstore at 710 North Capitol Street NW, Washington, DC 20401, open Monday–Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., except Federal holidays, Call (202) 512-0132 for information or to arrange in-store pick-up.

Order by Phone: Call our Customer Contact Center Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5:30 pm Eastern (except US Federal holidays). From US and Canada, call toll-free 1.866.512.1800. DC or International customers call +1.202.512.1800.

Visit a Federal depository library: Search for U.S. Government publications in a nearby Federal depository library. You can find the records for most titles in GPO’s Catalog of U.S. Government Publications.

About the author: Blogger contributor Ed Kessler is a Promotions Specialist in GPO’s Publication and Information Sales program office.

Leave a Comment » | Consumers, Family, Gifts | Tagged: , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Trudy Hawkins

New Centers of Excellence in Primary Care Education eBook

December 5, 2017

New Veterans Affairs eBook takes a look at the Veterans’ health care system and professional teamwork training through several case studies in primary care management for armed forces personnel.

Centers of Excellence in Primary Care Education: Compendium of Five Case Studies: Lessons for Interprofessional Teamwork in Education and Workplace Learning Environments 2011-2016 is a new free downloadable PDF eBook produced by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration Office of Academic Affiliations.

This comprehensive resource places greater emphasis on continuing professional development and workplace-based learning to close the gap between the classroom and clinical practice for health professions trainees, interns and residents.  The Centers of Excellence in Primary Care Education (CoEPCE) focus on improving health care through improvement in interprofessional collaboration and teamwork within clinical settings and models.

The first five CoEPCE ‘legacy sites’ (out of seven total CoE sites) developed the preliminary models at VA medical centers. These include the Boise PACT “ICU Model”, the Cleveland Dyad Model, the Seattle Panel Management Model, the San Francisco Huddle Model, and The West Haven Polypharmacy Model. Each site shares one case study example of educational curriculum and strategies that as an example of a strong practice that emerged between 2011-2016.  The case studies are intended to demonstrate instructional strategies that emphasize workplace learning to support transition to practice into interprofessional teams as health profession trainees prepare to practice Veteran-patient centered primary care.

The four core learning environment domains covered in this patient-focused medical improvement text are:

  • Shared Decision-Making (SDM)
  • Sustained Relationships (SR)
  • Interprofessional Collaboration (IPC)
  • Performance Improvement (PI)

Within each of these environmental parameters, you will learn about the practice-based learning model implemented with nurse practitioner students and residents, physician residents, pharmacy residents, psychology interns and psychology postdoctoral fellows, first-year medical students, licensed Vocational Nurses, Social Workers, Medical Support Assistants, Registered Nurse Care Managers, and other health care trainees and professionals, including faculty.  This volume also highlights some of the practice challenges in health care settings, especially in the health care of the Veterans’ community, such as monitoring, assessment, and treatment of high-risk, high needs patients, chronic disease management, scheduling and case management, practice partnerships, shared patient panels, and more.

This document provides a solid foundational study of the VA’s Centers of Excellence improvements in the U.S. Veteran primary care health system and patient care advancements.

This free downloadable PDF is available here from the US Government Online Bookstore.  It can also be found available for Free from  EBSCOhost, and ProQuest.

The GPO Online Bookstore – Easy Access to Federal Publications

HOW DO I OBTAIN THIS RESOURCE?

Shop Online Anytime: You can buy eBooks or print publications —with FREE Standard Shipping worldwide— from the U.S. Government Online Bookstore at https://bookstore.gpo.gov.

Shop our Retail Store: Buy a copy of any print editions from this collection at GPO’s retail bookstore at 710 North Capitol Street NW, Washington, DC 20401, open Monday–Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., except Federal holidays, Call (202) 512-0132 for information or to arrange in-store pick-up.

Order by Phone: Call our Customer Contact Center Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5:30 pm Eastern (except US Federal holidays). From US and Canada, call toll-free 1.866.512.1800. DC or International customers call +1.202.512.1800.

Visit a Federal depository library: Search for U.S. Government publications in a nearby Federal depository library. You can find the records for most titles in GPO’s Catalog of U.S. Government Publications.

About the author: This week’s blog contributor is Maureen Whelan, Senior Marketing Team Leader for GPO’s Publication and Information Sales program office in Washington, DC. Maureen oversees print and digital content dissemination strategy and manages third party free and paid content distribution through platforms and vendors, such as Apple iBookstore, Barnes and Noble.com, Google Play eBookstore, Ebscohost databases, Overdrive, and more.

Leave a Comment » | Department of Veterans Affairs, ebooks | Tagged: , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Trudy Hawkins

Marine Corps Birthday–10 November

November 9, 2017

On November 10, 1775, the Continental Marines were established by a resolution of the Second Continental Congress. In commemoration of this important day, Major General John A. LeJeune issued Marine Corps Order No. 47, Series 1921. This order is read aloud each year by every Marine Corps Command to honor the founding of the Marine Corps. Other celebrations include an annual birthday ball which is held at installations around the world.

In honor of the Marine Corps 242nd birthday, GPO offers a look at publications dealing with the United States Marine Corps and its rich history.

Those interested in uniforms should consult, The eagle, globe, and anchor, 1868-1968, which traces the history of the Marine Corps emblem and uniforms.

Diversity is important to the Marine Corps, two books:  Pride, progress, and prospects: the Marine Corps’ efforts to increase the presence of African-American officers (1970-1995) and Path Breakers U.S. Marine African American officers in their own words look at efforts to increase the number of African-American officers.

Free a Marine to fight: women Marines in World War II, History of the Women Marines, 1946-1977, and Women Marines in the 1980s look at women in the Marine Corps.

Herringbone cloak-GI dagger: Marines of the OSS uncovers the hidden role the Marines played in the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), the forerunner of the Central Intelligence Agency.

Marines engage in international and humanitarian relief efforts. Humanitarian operations in northern Iraq, 1991 with Marines in Operation Provide Comfort looks at one such operation.

Camp Pendleton: the historic Rancho Santa Margarita y Las Flores and the U.S. Marine Corps in Southern California, a shared history, a new history of an iconic installation, maps the history of the Marine Corps in California.

For additional books on the Marine Corps, the U.S .Government Bookstore has:

Among Heroes: A Marine Corps Rifle Company on Peleliu discusses the 1944 World War II,  Pacific Battle of Peleliu.

The United States Marine Corps in the World War. In 1919, then-Major Edwin N. McClellan was charged with researching and writing the official history of Marines in the First World War. First published in 1920, the 2015 reprint includes additional information on key leaders, as well as, images not included in earlier editions.

U.S. Marines and Irregular Warfare, Training and Education, 2000-2010 is a brief history recounting how the U.S. Marine Corps adapted to fight the Global War on Terrorism during 2000–2010.

Pathbreakers: U.S. Marine African American Officers in Their Own Words discuss how African American military officers navigated their way through successful careers in the United States Marine Corps.

The GPO Online Bookstore – Easy Access to Federal Publications

HOW DO I OBTAIN THESE RESOURCES?

Click on the Links: For the free resources, click on the links above in the blog post.

Shop Online Anytime: You can buy eBooks or print publications —with FREE Standard Shipping worldwide— from the U.S. Government Online Bookstore at https://bookstore.gpo.gov.

Shop our Retail Store: Buy a copy of any print editions from this collection at GPO’s retail bookstore at 710 North Capitol Street NW, Washington, DC 20401, open Monday–Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., except Federal holidays, Call (202) 512-0132 for information or to arrange in-store pick-up.

Order by Phone: Call our Customer Contact Center Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5:30 pm Eastern (except US Federal holidays). From US and Canada, call toll-free 1.866.512.1800. DC or International customers call +1.202.512.1800.

Visit a Federal depository library: Search for U.S. Government publications in a nearby Federal depository library. You can find the records for most titles in GPO’s Catalog of U.S. Government Publications.

About the author: Cynthia Earman is a Cataloging & Metadata Librarian in the Library Services & Content Management division of the U.S. Government Publishing Office.

Leave a Comment » | Military History, U.S. History, U.S. Marines, U.S. Navy | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Trudy Hawkins

November is National Aviation History Month

November 3, 2017

National Aviation History Month is dedicated to exploring, recognizing and celebrating America’s great contributions and achievements in the development of aviation. Aviation history refers to the history of development of mechanical flight — from the earliest attempts in kites and gliders to powered heavier-than-air, supersonic and space flights.

America by Air. Prepared in cooperation with the Smithsonian Institution, National Air and Space Museum, and the U.S. Department of Transportation. Discusses the history of commercial aviation in the United States, from 1914 to the jet age. Contains copyrighted material.  Air America.

First Flight: The Wright Brothers and the Invention of the Airplane. The Wright brothers’ distinct personalities are vividly depicted, while a series of graphic features trace their progress towards development of a practical flying machine. Featured are a foreword by astronaut John Glenn and a colorful foldout illustrating the 1903 Wright Flyer.

Aviation. Aviation units, although they belong to one of the newer branches of the Army, have compiled an impressive record of achievement. From the organization of the earliest separate units in the Korean War era through an outstanding record in Vietnam and the recent achievement of independent branch status, Army aviation has become an integral part of today’s combined arms doctrine.                         

NASA’s First 50 Years: Historical Perspectives; NASA 50 Anniversary Proceedings. In this perspective, a wide array of scholars turn a critical eye toward NASA’s first 50 years, probing an institution widely seen as the premier agency for exploration in the world, carrying on a long tradition of exploration by the United States and the human species in general. Fifty years after its founding, NASA finds itself at a crossroads that historical perspectives can only help illuminate.

For easy access to interesting and informative publications about Aviation, both commercial and military, click here.

The GPO Online Bookstore – Easy Access to Federal Publications

HOW DO I OBTAIN THESE RESOURCES?

Shop Online Anytime: You can buy eBooks or print publications —with FREE Standard Shipping worldwide— from the U.S. Government Online Bookstore at https://bookstore.gpo.gov.

Shop our Retail Store: Buy a copy of any print editions from this collection at GPO’s retail bookstore at 710 North Capitol Street NW, Washington, DC 20401, open Monday–Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., except Federal holidays, Call (202) 512-0132 for information or to arrange in-store pick-up.

Order by Phone: Call our Customer Contact Center Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5:30 pm Eastern (except US Federal holidays). From US and Canada, call toll-free 1.866.512.1800. DC or International customers call +1.202.512.1800.

Visit a Federal depository library: Search for U.S. Government publications in a nearby Federal depository library. You can find the records for most titles in GPO’s Catalog of U.S. Government Publications.

About the author: Blogger contributor Ed Kessler is a Promotions Specialist in GPO’s Publication and Information Sales program office.

Leave a Comment » | Aviation, Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Adminstration (FAA) | Tagged: , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Trudy Hawkins

National Domestic Violence Awareness Month

October 24, 2017

Since 1981, October has been recognized as National Domestic Violence Awareness Month in honor of the “Day of Unity” which was held that year and was conceived by the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. The National Resource Center on Domestic Violence (NRCDV) says the intent of that first “Day of Unity” was to join advocates all over the Nation who were working to end violence against women and their children.

The Day of Unity soon became an entire week devoted to a range of activities conducted at the local, state, and national level. The activities varied wildly but had three common themes:

  • Mourning those who have died because of domestic violence.
  • Celebrating those who have survived.
  • Connecting those who work to end violence.

In 1989, the U.S. Congress passed Public Law 101-112 designating October of that year as National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Such legislation has passed every year since with National Coalition Against Domestic Violence providing key leadership in this effort.

The U.S. Government Publishing Office (GPO) offers access to several items that can help your organization raise awareness. The U.S. Government Bookstore offers several titles that can aid in learning more about this topic. Some of those include:

  • Understanding Domestic Violence: A Handbook for Victims and Professionals – This book provides help to better understand how domestic violence affects adult and child victims and offers tools to help prevent further injury or death. It also explains how the civil and criminal justice system can work for the protection of the victims.
  • Preventing Intimate Partner Violence Across the Lifespan: A Technical Package of Programs, Policies and Practices – This book represents a select group of strategies based on the best available evidence to help communities and states sharpen their focus on prevention activities with the greatest potential to prevent intimate partner violence (IPV) and its consequences. Some of these strategies include teaching safe and healthy relationship skills, engaging influential adults and peers, disrupting the developmental pathways toward IPV, creating protective environments, strengthening economic supports for families, and supporting survivors to increase safety and lessen harm.

GPO also offers access to the original version of Public Law 101-112 through govinfo.gov, where you can also find access to the latest U.S. Government information on the Violence Against Women Act.

The Catalog of U.S. Government Publications (CGP) offers transcripts of a hearing before the Senate’s Judiciary Committee on How the Violence against Women Act Serves Hawaii Military Families Experiencing Domestic Violence, and another hearing before the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation on Domestic Violence in Professional Sports.

GPO will continue to provide access to Federal Government information on multiple issues that affect the public, and to Keep America Informed.

The GPO Online Bookstore – Easy Access to Federal Publications

HOW DO I OBTAIN THESE RESOURCES?

Click on the Links: For the free resources, click on the links above in the blog post.

Shop Online Anytime: You can buy eBooks or print publications —with FREE Standard Shipping worldwide— from the U.S. Government Online Bookstore at https://bookstore.gpo.gov.

Shop our Retail Store: Buy a copy of any print editions from this collection at GPO’s retail bookstore at 710 North Capitol Street NW, Washington, DC 20401, open Monday–Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., except Federal holidays, Call (202) 512-0132 for information or to arrange in-store pick-up.

Order by Phone: Call our Customer Contact Center Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5:30 pm Eastern (except US Federal holidays). From US and Canada, call toll-free 1.866.512.1800. DC or International customers call +1.202.512.1800.

Visit a Federal depository library: Search for U.S. Government publications in a nearby Federal depository library. You can find the records for most titles in GPO’s Catalog of U.S. Government Publications.

About the author: Blogger contributor Scott Pauley is a Writer and Editor in GPO’s Library Services and Content Management offices.

Leave a Comment » | Centers for Disease Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Department of Health & Human Services, Family, Women | Tagged: , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Trudy Hawkins

Alaska Day

October 17, 2017

October 18 marks the 150th anniversary of the formal transfer of the Territory of Alaska from Russia to the United States. The land that became Alaska came into U.S. possession in 1867, when William Seward, secretary of state under President Andrew Johnson, negotiated a deal to buy the 586,000-square-mile area from Russia.  Alaska became the 49th state January 3, 1959, when President Dwight Eisenhower signed a proclamation admitting Alaska to the Union.

Our 49th state has some of the largest National Parks and Preserves in the country. The Federal government offers the following resources related to the history of Alaska.

Contested ground : an administrative history of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, Alaska, 1978-2001 discusses how the park came to be and the legal and administrative issues surrounding a park four times the size of Yellowstone National Park.

At work in the Wrangells: a photographic history, 1895-1966 looks at the transformation of the land and the people as the Wrangell Mountains were transformed by settlement. Lavishly illustrated, this work shows the beauty and the challenges of life in Alaska.

It is in Alaska that Asia and North America were joined via a land bridge. The Shared Beringian Heritage Program, a program of the National Park Service, seeks to recognize the history and cultural resources of Beringia, and works closely with the government of Russia to increase knowledge of the Bering Straits region. An early culture of the northwest Bering Sea and Archaeological sites of Kamchatka, Chukotka, and the Upper Kolyma, both originally published in Russian, use archeology to explore the lives and culture of the regions early inhabitants.

State of change: climate change in Alaska’s national park areas addresses climate change, what is happening in the parks, and the measures they are taking to raise awareness of it.

Alaska’s first national park, Mount McKinley National Park, is now known as Denali National Park and Preserve. Crown jewel of the north: an administrative history of Denali National Park and Preserve details the history of the park and the people who developed it.

Visit your local Federal depository library to see: Pipeline to Russia: the Alaska-Siberia Air Route in World War II During World War II Lend-Lease allowed the United States to provide its allies with military supplies and support. This book details how the United States supplied Russia with military airplanes.

8,000 planes were flown from U.S. factories to Great Falls and then on to Alaska where Soviet pilots then flew on to Krasnoyarsk in Siberia. The route became known at the Alaska-Siberia Air Route.

For more history on Alaska, here are a few publications available from the US Government Bookstore.

A Naknek Chronicle: Ten Thousand Years in a Land of Lakes and Rivers and Mountains of Fire which provides a firsthand account of surprising archaeological discoveries and tells a fascinating story, punctuated by volcanic eruptions and floods, pixies and small tools, strange newcomers and unexplained disappearances, and puzzled engravings on river pebbles.

Ublasaun, First Light: Inupiaq Hunters and Herders in the Early Twentieth Century, Northern Seward Peninsula, Alaska. This book contains essays and photographs describing the people and their environment in Alaska’s Seward Peninsula. The book also discusses the Bering Land Bridge.

The GPO Online Bookstore – Easy Access to Federal Publications

HOW DO I OBTAIN THESE RESOURCES?

Click on the Links: For the free resources, click on the links above in the blog post.

Shop Online Anytime: You can buy eBooks or print publications —with FREE Standard Shipping worldwide— from the U.S. Government Online Bookstore at https://bookstore.gpo.gov.

Shop our Retail Store: Buy a copy of any print editions from this collection at GPO’s retail bookstore at 710 North Capitol Street NW, Washington, DC 20401, open Monday–Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., except Federal holidays, Call (202) 512-0132 for information or to arrange in-store pick-up.

Order by Phone: Call our Customer Contact Center Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5:30 pm Eastern (except US Federal holidays). From US and Canada, call toll-free 1.866.512.1800. DC or International customers call +1.202.512.1800.

Visit a Federal depository library: Search for U.S. Government publications in a nearby Federal depository library. You can find the records for most titles in GPO’s Catalog of U.S. Government Publications.

About the author: Cynthia Earman is a Cataloging & Metadata Librarian in the Library Services & Content Management division of the U.S. Government Publishing Office.

Leave a Comment » | Department of the Interior, National Park Service | Tagged: , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Trudy Hawkins

Addressing the Cyber Crisis

October 10, 2017

Not a day goes by without articles across the media landscape announcing a database security break-in, a new form of computer hacking often from a distant nation, compromises in personal financial information, or one of America’s credit bureaus losing control of its data security infrastructure.

The US Government Online Bookstore has put together a collection of publications focusing on Cyber Security and Infrastructure, featuring federal publications that deal with this serious condition that has the potential of breaking down telecommunications, energy, and financial transactions of nations, even on a global scale.

Here is just a small sampling of the titles now available online to help Americans better understand the threat, and what you can do to combat it on a personal level.

Cyber Infrastructure Protection: Volume III. This book addresses critical issues in cybersecurity. Topics discussed include: a cooperative international deterrence capability as an essential tool in cybersecurity; an estimation of the costs of cybercrime; the impact of prosecuting spammers on fraud and malware contained in email spam; cybersecurity and privacy in smart cities; smart cities demand smart security; and, a smart grid vulnerability assessment using national testbed networks.

Cyberspace: Malevolent Actors, Criminal Opportunities, and Strategic Competition. This report is intended to provide cyberspace decision-makers with a more comprehensive, clearer description of cyberspace, which they can use to manage and make decisions about cyberspace programs to improve the effectiveness of government in this critically important area.

NATO Cyberspace Capability: A Strategic and Operational Evolution. This monograph examines the past and current state of NATO’s cyberspace defense efforts by assessing the appropriateness and sufficiency of them to address anticipated threats to member countries, including the United States. This analysis focuses on the recent history of NATOs cyberspace defense efforts and how changes in NATOs strategy and policy writ large embrace the emerging nature of cyberspace for military forces, as well as other elements of power.

We encourage you to go to https://bookstore.gpo.gov and review the interesting and insightful collection of cyber related titles now available.

The GPO Online Bookstore – Easy Access to Federal Publications

HOW DO I OBTAIN THESE RESOURCES?

Shop Online Anytime: You can buy eBooks or print publications —with FREE Standard Shipping worldwide— from the U.S. Government Online Bookstore at https://bookstore.gpo.gov.

Shop our Retail Store: Buy a copy of any print editions from this collection at GPO’s retail bookstore at 710 North Capitol Street NW, Washington, DC 20401, open Monday–Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., except Federal holidays, Call (202) 512-0132 for information or to arrange in-store pick-up.

Order by Phone: Call our Customer Contact Center Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5:30 pm Eastern (except US Federal holidays). From US and Canada, call toll-free 1.866.512.1800. DC or International customers call +1.202.512.1800.

Visit a Federal depository library: Search for U.S. Government publications in a nearby Federal depository library. You can find the records for most titles in GPO’s Catalog of U.S. Government Publications.

About the author: Blogger contributor Ed Kessler is a Promotions Specialist in GPO’s Publication and Information Sales program office.

Leave a Comment » | cyber security, Technology | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Trudy Hawkins

« Previous Entries
Next Entries »