Art and the Air Force: Top Guns Above the Clouds

March 23, 2016

Air Force art is a particular species of art. Limitless blue-skies yonder. Wispy white contrails. Gunners encased in gunmetal. Strategic bombing campaigns. Official portraits of commanders. And so much more.

9780160926617008And that so much more is honorably captured in ‘A Magnificent Showcase: History, Heritage, and Art: The United States Air Force and the Air Force Art Program.’ Authors Timothy R. Keck and designer Lori Ann Dawson show how the Air Force Art Program illuminates and preserves the heritage of the aerial warfare service of the U.S. Armed Forces. Part art piece, part historical compendium, the book’s watercolors and oil paintings showcase both machine and man of the “Aim High … Fly-Fight-Win” branch.

Each artist’s portrayal of Air Force servicemen and servicewomen show an enthusiastic championing of aircraft meets artful craft. The hefty tome features full-page scenes of battle-ready bombers rocketing over bucolic fields, fly boys on reconnaissance missions, and the fiery hazards of war. The wide, stratospheric pages are inset with vignettes of historical milestones such as the Tuskegee Airmen, Berlin Airlift, Pacific island raids, and Desert Storm.

Ah oh the pop-out spread of colors!  The apricot-colored sundown of William Phillips’ ‘Fifty Miles Out’, the algae-green fields of Randy Green’s ‘The Bridge Busters—397th Bomb Group,’ and the alpenglow-purple of Michael Machat’s ‘Habu’s Last Hurrah’ are all standout.

The introduction to ‘A Magnificent Showcase’ includes a circa-1960s quote from former Air Force Vice Chief of Staff, General Curtis LeMay, who wrote: “To posterity, these paintings will furnish a priceless pictorial history of our Air Force in a brilliant era.” The general phrased it perfectly. There’s really nothing more to add then to say it’s simply a magnificent book.

9780160925634P.S. You can continue your exploration of U.S. military art with this beauty: In the Line of Duty: Army Art, 1965-2014. It’s rich with soldier-artist pieces depicting the warfare operations of Vietnam through twenty-first century Iraq and Afghanistan. Raw grit and real courage.

HOW DO I OBTAIN THESE PUBLICATIONS?

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: Our guest blogger is Chelsea Milko, Public Relations Specialist in GPO’s Public Relations Office.

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

Women = Economic Power

March 18, 2016

we can do itDuring Women’s History Month this and every March, America recognizes the myriad contributions of women. Women control household purchasing power AND board rooms. They receive the majority of bachelor’s degrees. They comprise half the workforce. When sole breadwinners of a family, they are the workforce. The economic ascension of women is a great American success story; they are well-positioned in the economy today. Yet, women are far from fully enabled and recognized in the workplace.

In 2010, the Joint Economic Committee (JEC) of the U.S. Congress went to task on appraising women’s role in the economy. In 2016, its conclusions about women as a force in economic revitalization are just as practicable and relevant. GPO makes this far-sighted publication available through its online bookstore.

Invest in Women, Invest in America: A Comprehensive Review of Women in the U.S. Economy

“One of our greatest assets in our effort to reinvigorate the country’s economy is the know-how and talent of American women…When we invest in women, we invest in the future of our economy.” —Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), then Chair of the JEC

052-070-07626-7This JEC-compiled compendium consists of 111th Congress reports and hearings on topics such as equal pay, access to benefits, and retirement security. Produced in the aftermath of the Great Recession, its intended to brief policymakers on the essential contributions of women to our economy and give credence to their broader role in economic recovery.

Of all the facts and forecasts in this comprehensive round-up, “one important issue confronting women is gender discrimination.” Congress took legislative action on gender pay equity when it passed the Lilly Ledbetter Act of 2009. Beyond that well-received stride, the report calls attention to policy impediments yet to be addressed. Underrepresentation in corporate leadership, lack of paid parental leave, and inflexible work arrangements are some of the remaining frontiers in the gender equity struggle.

Persistent imbalance not only hamstrings women, it hamstrings the economy. When given equal participation as producers and consumers and full inclusion in the labor market, women can improve their own economic status—and benefit the economy as a whole. Bottom line: America’s 162 million women and girls are an asset worth investing in.

HOW DO I OBTAIN THIS PUBLICATION?

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: Our guest blogger is Chelsea Milko, Public Relations Specialist in GPO’s Public Relations Office.

Leave a Comment » | Congress, U.S. Economy, Women | Tagged: , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Trudy Hawkins

Commemorating Freedom of Information Day 2016

March 16, 2016
(Image source: www.uakron.edu)

(Image source: www.uakron.edu)

Every year on the birthday of James Madison, the United States celebrates Freedom of Information Day.

Sharing this day with James Madison is no coincidence, as he is remembered historically as the foremost advocate for openness in Government.

The spirit of the day is tightly tied to the U.S. Government Publishing Office’s (GPO) Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP).  As members of the FDLP, depository libraries play a prominent role in providing Federal Government information to the public. FDLP libraries collaborate on a local and national level to provide informed access to both historical and current Federal Government resources. At the core of the FDLP is a desire to provide public access to Government information and to ensure the public’s right to know about its Government. GPO also provides digital access to authentic, published information on the three branches of the Federal Government on govinfo.

Related Resources in the U.S. Government Bookstore-

052-071-01545-1Constitution of the United States and the Declaration of Independence (Pocket Edition)-  What better way to celebrate the Freedom of Information day than by reading the Constitution.  Even better, this version is a pocket version, so, you can take it with you wherever you go.

Overview of the Privacy Act of 1974, 2015 Edition9780160914461[1] – Issued biennially and prepared by the Department of Justice’s Office of Privacy and Civil Liberties (OPCL), the “Overview of the Privacy Act of 1974” is an up-to-date discussion of the Act’s disclosure prohibition, access and amendment provisions, and agency recordkeeping requirements. The overview provides reference to, and legal analysis of, the latest court decisions interpreting the Act.

008-020-01606-3 (2)Who Watches the Watchmen?: The Conflict between National Security and Freedom of the Press –  This publication attempts to answer two significant, timely questions:

  • What is the extent of the threat to national security posed by the media’s disclosure of classified information?
  • What are a journalist’s motivations and justifications for publishing this information?

The author concludes that the dilemma between withholding information in the interest of national security and the constitutional guarantee of a free press cannot be “solved”, but can be better understood and more intelligently managed. Foreign Denial & Deception Series.

Related Resources Available from the Catalog of U.S. Government Publications-

We the people : fulfilling the promise of open government five years after the OPEN Government Act : hearing before the Committee on the Judiciary, United States Senate, One Hundred Thirteenth Congress, first session, March 13, 2013

Related Resources Available from Govinfo.gov-

5 U.S.C. § 552– Starting on page 27, read the U.S.C. section on Public information; agency rules, opinions, orders, records, and proceedings.

Public Law 110-175- Openness Promotes Effectiveness in Our National Government Act of 2007-  Also knowns as the OPEN Government Act of 2007, this was signed into law on December 31, 2007.  This act amended the Freedom of Information Act.

90 Stat. 1241– Read about the Government in Sunshine Act (Public Law 94-409) that was passed on September 13, 1976.  This act is also part of the Freedom of Information Acts.

Rept. 112-689– A Citizen’s Guide on Using the Freedom of Information Act and the Privacy Act of 1974 to Request Government Records is a report by the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.  This document includes sections on what records can be requested under FOIA, requirements for agency responses, and reasons for denial of a FOIA request.

HOW DO I OBTAIN THESE RESOURCES?

You can click on the links above in the blog or through any of these methods:

 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 4:30 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: Our guest blogger is Jaime Huaman, Outreach Librarian in GPO’s Library Services and Content Management (LSCM).

Leave a Comment » | Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP), Government Printing Office (GPO) | Tagged: , , , | Permalink
Posted by Trudy Hawkins

What to Read for National Agriculture Day

March 11, 2016

800px-Grain-field“For amber waves of grain” is my favorite lyric in the song America the Beautiful. I picture fields of honey-colored wheat, undulating in the mild breeze. Such imagery is a real thing in rural America. Those fabled farmlands of song have fed, clothed, and employed real people for generations. The agriculture industry, a linchpin of the American economy, remains competitively strong and significant today.

National Agriculture Day on March 15th recognizes the plentiful contributions of U.S. agriculture. To boost your knowledge of the essential role of agribusiness in our daily lives, check out these U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) resources available from the GPO bookstore.

Running a Food Hub: A Business Operations Guide

001-000-04766-3This handy USDA report centers on decision points for food hub operators. What’s a food hub, you ask? It sources, aggregates, and distributes a wide array of local and regional food products. Food hubs can take on many different forms, from corporation to cooperative. Whichever way they legally and operationally organize, each has an assortment of logistics, regulations, and risks to consider.

Successful food hubs operate with the community in mind; many have a social-based mission. This guide certainly recognizes that. It includes tips on how to customize a service strategy, build in customer incentives, and chose a sale focus. Ultimately, food hubs can have “a tremendous impact on their producer-members by returning a percentage of food dollars spent.”

Read “Running a Food Hub” and grow your agribusiness acumen!

Agricultural Statistics 2014

9780160930393037USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service compiled this “reliable reference book” of data tables on agricultural “supplies, consumption, facilities, costs, and returns.” It’s fifteen chapters of estimates on field crops, livestock, forestry, horticulture, and other subcategories. Foreign trade data is also represented.

Big export staples like corn, cotton, wheat, potatoes, and soybeans have lots of stats on them. So, naturally, they have several data tables in this tome. Not quite the case for pickles, lima beans, inedible tallow, and pink pelts. Their part is small but vital in an industry that contributed $835 billion to the U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) in 2014, according to the USDA’s Economic Research Service.

To wrap up, here are a few ag stats to impress your friends with:

  • In 2013, the U.S. produced over 97 billion eggs
  • In 2012, milk cows produced over 200 billion pounds of milk
  • In 2013, the value of U.S. cotton production exceeded 5 billion dollars.

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 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 4:30 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: Our guest blogger is Chelsea Milko, Public Relations Specialist in GPO’s Public Relations Office.

 

Leave a Comment » | Agriculture, Department of Agriculture | Tagged: , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Trudy Hawkins

Gov Pubs in the Age of eBooks

March 8, 2016

Whenever I’m commuting on the Metro or waiting in an airport lounge, I often see a deep-sea of eBooks. Whether you’re cautious of this technology or you’ve fully embraced it, you have to admit that eBooks are everywhere. Once a trend, now it’s a subculture, promoting digital reading and related technologies. That’s also the aim of Read an eBook Week, the world’s largest annual celebration of eBooks, running March 6 – 12.

You may be surprised by how many U.S. Government titles are published as eBooks. GPO, the Federal Government’s publisher, provides those publications through its U.S. Government Bookstore. Readers, I give you three of GPO’s most popular gov e-reads.

9780160930126Workout to Go (ePub)

Get your strength, balance, and flexibility going on the go. This National Institute on Aging at NIH booklet has 13 easy-to-follow, no-excuse exercises. The adaptable routine can help you shape up for higher-level activities. As you feel stronger and discover more energy, it will be easier to keep the momentum going. Fit this booklet in your bag so you can fit a workout routine into your daily life. That’s right—no excuses!

 

 

 

Ponzimonium: How Scam Artists Are Ripping Off America (ePub)

666-080-00001-1Ponzimonium is exactly what it seems—an epidemic of swindling scams. During the 2008 economic downturn, a devastating tide of Ponzi schemes hurled duped people into financial ruin. At the time, investment fraudster Bernard Madoff’s grand-scale scandal came to light while the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) pursued scores of similarly detrimental cons. In this eBook, former CFTC Commissioner Bart Chilton shares stories of real investigations. The appended resources identify red flags of fraud, list the investors’ bill of rights, and provide an investor checklist. The glaring caveat is this: don’t become a victim.

Highlights of Climate Change Impacts in the United States: The Third National Climate Assessment (High Resolution -PDF eBook)

003-300-00013-7Remember that time when a team of hundreds of experts and Federal Advisory Committee members spent three years collecting, analyzing, and interpreting research on climate change in the United States? Perhaps not. But their weighty climate science report should give you, and Congress, cause to ponder its counsel. This assessment includes observations on what’s happening now and projections for the century. The widespread impacts of this challenge need rigorous understanding. Policymakers need transparent data to drive their response. And the American public, a decision maker in its own right, deserves to know what is actually happening and what it means for the future.

HOW DO I OBTAIN THESE EBOOKS?

You can click on the links above in the blog or through any of these methods:

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 4:30 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: Our guest blogger is Chelsea Milko, Public Relations Specialist in GPO’s Public Relations Office.

Leave a Comment » | Digital Publishing, ebooks | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Trudy Hawkins

Two Bites from MyPlate Make Eating Right Fun for Kids

March 4, 2016

Fad diets appear to be fading in popularity these days. Healthful eating plans packed with flavorful foods are making headway. Sounds sensible for adults, right? But what about kids? Young children need help to make smart choices and grow up healthy. March is National Nutrition Month, a perfect time to chat about nutritiously fueling our youngsters.

GPO makes available two U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) nutrition education eBooks for early childhood that make eating right fun for kids. Bonus: these books have great audio and interactivity!

Discover MyPlate: A MyPlate Meal (ePub)

DMP Emergent Reader about a complete MyPlate meal

“I have apples. Nate has peas.” It’s certainly not the introduction to A Tale of Two Cities but the simplicity does grab your attention. This zippy activity book has 8 pages of illustrations and 26 words in total. It’s very easy to digest (pun intended) and doubles as a coloring book.

MyPlate illustrates the five building block food groups in the structure of a plated meal that is designed to help children to identify foods within the food groups. It’s what kids know and relate to. The dietary brains at USDA FNS know that children learn best when they can chose and try and enjoy. This resource models eat well, play well habits for life.

The Two Bite Club (ePub)

First rule of the Two Bite Club is that we don’t talk about the Two Bite Club. Just joshin’. Allow Will the cat to give his take: “Each color on the plate in the picture is a different food group. My teacher told me that if we eat two bites from each food group we can be members of the Two Bite Club!”

9780160931352This publication is available in both English and Spanish language versions (Spanish version coming soon). The Two Bite Club, and El Club de los Dos Bocados, is colored with tasty grain, fruit, vegetable, protein, and diary illustrations. At the end of the booklet is a certificate from the Two Bite Club for bravery in trying new foods. How adorably empowering!

Anna, by the feline nudging of mom and brother, discovers that just one bite can change her nutrition worldview, or should I say foodview. The “try two bites and you might like it” guidance might be just the thing to change your child’s foodview, too.

HOW DO I OBTAIN THESE RESOURCES?

You can click on the links above in the blog or through any of these methods:

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 4:30 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: Our guest blogger is Chelsea Milko, Public Relations Specialist in GPO’s Public Relations Office.

Leave a Comment » | Agriculture, Children, Consumers, Department of Agriculture, Family | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Trudy Hawkins

What the U.S. Government Can Tell You About Business

February 25, 2016

The last week of February is National Entrepreneurship Week. Entrepreneurs are a mainstay of the American economy. By many estimates, the U.S. is home to nearly 30 million of them. Now, more than ever, the enticement of competitive advantage abroad is driving their business expansion plans. The global marketplace is truly open for American business!

For companies looking to expand their international consumer base, the U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Commercial Service has two publications for your must-read list.

Free Trade Agreements: 20 Ways to Grow Your Business

003-300-00005-6The U.S. has Free Trade Agreements (FTA) in force with 20, count ‘em 20, countries. In the simplest term, that means tariff-free market access for American firms and economic growth for the U.S. The list of benefits to company and country is vast. FTA partners “form the basis of a sound export strategy for U.S. companies seeking to increase international sales by entering multiple markets.”

This fact book promotes lucrative opportunities in all 20 nations, especially in high-growth emerging economies. Each country section includes insights on market entry strategy, leading sectors, investment climate, and business customs. You can really nerd out with the cool geo-economic facts that abound. For example, Korea is the 7th largest export partner with the U.S. and the U.S. supplies over 50 percent of Honduran imports. Full-page conversations with Senior Commercial Officers at each U.S. Embassy are an anecdotal compliment to the economic analysis. For any U.S. company hankering to use FTAs to generate new business, this is the actionable resource for you.

Exporters! The Wit and Wisdom of Small Businesspeople Who Sell Globally

Start packing those shipping containers, exporters! Here’s an eBook with an unambiguous title and lots of global market-connecting real talk. As a top exporter, the U.S. prioritizes export promotion policies that make it easier for companies to sell worldwide. Yet only a scant percentage of small-sized businesses actually export their products and services.

003-009-00742-9This publication offers testimonials from ordinary businesspeople who have survived—and profitably thrived—in the “exporting ecosystem.” Their oral histories express lessons learned in international client relations, U.S. manufactural advantages, removing fear of competition, and using U.S. government assistance programs. One company exec who oversees international marketing for a water-free urinal absorption technology tells the tale of launching international sales. A Nebraska-based leader in nonmedical senior citizen care discusses franchisee experience in Asia. And the Chief Marketing Officer of a prefab fiberglass dome manufacturer shares a vision of expanding into rural, developing markets.

The stories are frank, enlightening, and ripe for small business growth applications. They demonstrate that it is possible to work with U.S. government agencies to grow an export business.  From the perspective of both publications, it’s plain to see that focusing on U.S. small business exports is good government and good business.

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 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 4:30 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: Our guest blogger is Chelsea Milko, Public Relations Specialist in GPO’s Public Relations Office.

 

2 Comments | Business, Consumers, Department of Commerce | Tagged: , , , | Permalink
Posted by Trudy Hawkins

Steppin’ It Up With College Planning

February 18, 2016

Planning for college is a towering task. Paying for college can be a monumental challenge. My head hurts! I can hardly imagine any of it makes sense to middle and high school students. Until My Future, My Way: First Steps Toward College came along.

The Department of Education’s Federal Student Aid folks have assembled a top-shelf e-Pub booklet to frame the big, scary questions without oversimplifying them. The layout is arranged in a series of prompts, mythbusters, and graphics for the college and vocational school-bound. It tackles the “when should I begin thinking of college?” and “what can a college education do for me?” and “how will I pay for college?” sort of FAQs. And it features a nifty comparison of vocational, technical, and professional career choices as well.

065-300-00008-7The workbook is certainly not designed to replace traditional guidance counseling. The goal here is to get middle schoolers to start asking questions now that will make professional career planning less intimidating. As is often the case when undertaking something new, school kids might not even know what questions to ask. Give them a tailor-made activity book, such as My Future, My Way, and post-high school success will be that much more attainable.

Equipped with a few new life skills, 6th through 9th graders will hopefully be compelled to build a mentorship network. The workbook calls it a “college support team”—the people who can help youngsters get to college. It’s a sensible suggestion that doesn’t get enough airtime amid the all too important talk of money planning, test scores, and scholarships. Charts and checklists are great. Caring, informed people are better. As the booklet rightly points out, “Getting ready for college may seem like a lot to handle, but you don’t have to do it alone!”

Now my head doesn’t hurt as much! All joking aside, it’s nice to see real answers placed in the hands of students. A bit of good guidance is the sure footing needed for those first steps toward college.

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 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: Our guest blogger is Chelsea Milko, Public Relations Specialist in GPO’s Public Relations Office.

 

1 Comment | Children, Consumers, Department of Education, Family, Parenting | Tagged: , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Trudy Hawkins

Get To Know the American Presidents

February 11, 2016
President George W. Bush, center, poses with President-elect Barack Obama, and former presidents, from left, George H.W. Bush, left, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter, right, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2009, in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

President’s Club (Credit AP photo from VOA website)

President’s Day is a Federal holiday honoring our presidents.  Special attention often is paid to George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. Let’s use this perennial day to talk about a few modern day caretakers of the Oval Office. So, turn down the volume on those shouting President’s Day TV commercials and get to know the 20th century U.S. presidents in a new way. Here are two publications available through GPO to start.

Getting to Know the President, Intelligence Briefings of Presidential Candidates, 1952-2004

041-015-00279-1The Central Intelligence Agency’s Center for the Study of Intelligence surveys the mechanics of intelligence sharing during presidential transitions. Since the mid-century, it’s been common White House practice for the Director of Central Intelligence to offer the incumbent President an intelligence briefing every morning. From that coffee klatch, the President issues orders. This daily ritual originated with Harry Truman, whose inexperience with intelligence matters moved him to mandate intelligence briefings for all presidential candidates going forward.

The content of the hush-hush President’s Daily Brief is, quite literally, the stuff of spy novels. But what this book really focuses on is the relationship between the intelligence service and each president-elect. How each commander-in-chief-in-waiting bones up on international developments influences where that knowledge is eventually positioned in national security decision making. Getting to Know the President is a dossier on the intelligence intelligentsia like no other.

Strategic Retrenchment and Renewal in the American Experience

008-000-01115-0In this U.S Army War College Strategic Studies Institute publication, five essayists confront a debate at the heart of America’s political polarization: international renewal vs. retrenchment. In other words, what is the best foreign policy approach during tough economic times? Expand long-standing diplomacy or minimize presence abroad to focus on homeland matters? In every presidency, dueling pressures of domestic unrest and international statecraft create a trade-off dilemma.

The authors capably analyze this debate over the course of the Hoover, Nixon, and Reagan presidencies. There’s a lot of context to take note of: historical, political, economic, philosophical. Each president made strategic policy choices in light of unique controversies and commitments. And each concocted their own brew of renewal and retrenchment.  To this day, a President has yet to successfully balance out this cycle somewhere in the middle.

Hungry for more presidential knowledge? Check out these resources available on govinfo.gov and the GPO Bookstore:

Moments in History: A Tribute to President Ford

Public Papers of the Presidents

HOW DO I OBTAIN THESE RESOURCES?

You can click on the links above in the blog or through any of these methods:

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: Our guest blogger is Chelsea Milko, Public Relations Specialist in GPO’s Public Relations Office.

Leave a Comment » | Executive Branch, Presidents, The White House | Tagged: , , , | Permalink
Posted by Trudy Hawkins

Black History Month: The Underground Railroad

February 5, 2016

February is Black History Month. It calls upon all Americans to honor African-American expressions of sacrifice and heroism throughout history. The earliest endeavors in the national civil rights struggle have much to do with the outcry against human bondage.

Prior to the Civil War, organized abolitionists were aided by the loosely interconnected Underground Railroad. Neither underground nor railroad, the UGGR, as it was known to patrons, was a scattered, clandestine network of antislavery diehards and freed blacks. Secret routes and safe houses dotted the antebellum landscape spanning from Georgia to Canada. Between the peak years of 1830 and 1865, it helped as many as one hundred thousand fugitive slaves escape to freedom.

Harriet Tubman (Library of Congress)

Harriet Tubman (Library of Congress)

Harriet Tubman, a UGGR conductor, remarked upon on her eight years spent freeing slaves: “I can say what most conductors can’t say—I never run my train off the track and I never lost a passenger.” Tubman became a revered voice in the protest against the debasing injustices of slavery. In 2013, President Obama established the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Monument. You can read the park pamphlet available through GPO’s Catalog of U.S. Government Publications.

Today, the Underground Railroad is an atypical national park. It wasn’t until the 1990s that it came under the jurisdiction the National Park Service (NPS). After conducting a study of UGGR operations and primary routes, NPS was entrusted with its preservation and interpretation. You can read the act establishing the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom on GPO’s govinfo.gov.

024-005-01185-4In addition, the U.S. Government Bookstore makes available the following National Park Service publications:

Underground Railroad: Official Map and Guide

Underground Railroad: Official National Park Handbook

Discovering the Underground Railroad: Junior Ranger Activity Book

The Underground Railroad connected sympathizers with freedom seekers, freed with enslaved. The untold numbers of underground success stories sprouted above ground into a vast nexus of advocates and defenders. Unquestionably, the UGGR ride to freedom helped lay the tracks for the civil rights movement of the 20th century. During this Black History Month, may we admire that extraordinary effort to liberate a people and the larger African-American journey to freedom in all its forms.

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 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: Our guest blogger is Chelsea Milko, Public Relations Specialist in GPO’s Public Relations Office.

Leave a Comment » | African Americans, Human Rights, National Park Service, National Park Service | Tagged: , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Trudy Hawkins

Elmo’s Fire-Safe World

February 2, 2016
Image source: http://www.sesameworkshop.org/

Happy Birthday, Elmo! Image source: www.sesameworkshop.org/

E-L-M-O! Any toddler goes bananas for that fuzzy mass who refers to himself only in third-person. Whenever my two-year-old niece sees a TV screen, she demands that Elmo appear like he’s some kind of omnipresent wizard. The falsetto-voiced Sesame Street pundit celebrates his birthday on February 3rd (he always turns 3 ½ that day). Insert high-decibel squeal of pre-K apostles who endorse the fire-engine red Muppet as their life coach. Fortunately for you, that’s a sound that cannot be conveyed in writing. So, instead, I will use this time to talk about Elmo and friend’s empowering fire safety message.

The message takes the form of the “Sesame Street Fire Safety Program Family Guide” from Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) U.S. Fire Administration. Family coloring book. Fire literacy primer. A get-it-together-you-grown-ups safety guide. It’s all those things. FEMA and Sesame Street really deliver. Everybody do the Elmo happy dance! Yes, all of you. Hordes of zealous preschoolers are watching.

064-000-00067-5This guide is not just about Elmo. A proper shout out goes to Cookie Monster, Grover, and Telly Monster. Together, the fire brigade educates with catchphrases like “hot, hot, stay away. hot, hot, not for play” and “get outside and stay outside!” The playbook covers how to avoid hot things that burn, make a home escape map, family practice time, and simple steps to follow if the smoke alarm sounds. For parents and caregivers, there are kitchen safety tips for you, too.

Start a healthy discussion around a scary thing like a fire emergency. Demonstrate that preparation and prevention are skills that the entire family can work on together. Cultivate lifelong fire safety habits. Make it a fun process. As the guide says, “fire safety begins at home. The simple steps you take can make a big difference in staying safe from fires.”

So, grab a copy of “Sesame Street Fire Safety Program Family Guide” for your family. Think of it as a conversation starter to reduce the risk of a fire-starter. And remember, it’s Elmo’s fire-safe world. We just live in it.

HOW DO I OBTAIN THIS PUBLICATION?

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: Our guest blogger is Chelsea Milko, Public Relations Specialist in GPO’s Public Relations Office.

4 Comments | Children, Consumers, Family, FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency, Parenting | Tagged: , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Trudy Hawkins

30 Years Since Challenger

January 27, 2016

January 28th marks 30 years since the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster. On that day in 1986, the NASA Space Shuttle orbiter broke apart a mere 73 seconds into flight. The vehicle disintegrated over the Atlantic Ocean. All seven crew members perished. Among them was Christa McAuliffe, who would have been the first teacher in space. Initial post-incident inquiries determined a catastrophic O-ring failure caused the explosion; an investigative commission cited a flawed decision-making process was also to blame. Such a tremendous loss put the program on hiatus and Congress on an earnest search for answers.

Challenger crew. Front row from left, Mike Smith, Dick Scobee, Ron McNair. Back row from left, Ellison Onizuka, Christa McAuliffe, Greg Jarvis, Judith Resnik. Image source: www.nasa.gov

Challenger crew: Front row from left, Mike Smith, Dick Scobee, Ron McNair. Back row from left, Ellison Onizuka, Christa McAuliffe, Greg Jarvis, Judith Resnik. Image source: www.nasa.gov

GPO’s Federal Digital System makes available the “Investigation of the Challenger Accident” report issued by the House Committee on Science and Technology. The result is 450 pages of findings and concerns. Page seven beautifully sums up the heavy task:

“Perhaps it is arrogant to dissect and interrogate relentlessly projects and programs that bring home repeated A’s for achievement and accomplishment. However, all of us— NASA, the Committee, the Congress and the Nation—have learned from the Challenger tragedy that it is wisdom to do so, and it is a reflection of respect for the human fallibility that we all possess.”

The Space Shuttle program resumed not long after the investigation closed. Its three decades of stratospheric history is the subject of NASA’s “Celebrating 30 years of the Space Shuttle Program.” Contained within the coffee table-worthy publication is dazzling color photography. Each page has quick facts on every orbiter mission and crew. Milepost moments, such Hubble Telescope deployment and the first American woman in space, Sally Ride, receive honorable mention. The book is a love letter to the program’s above-planet discoveries and home planet breakthroughs.

033-000-01355-8In the preamble, NASA Administrator Charles F. Bolden, Jr. writes of the Challenger disaster:

“We’ll never forget…Many of us counted them as our personal friends, and their achievements will live on in the spirit of perseverance and grit and hope in which they lived and worked. They were all true heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice to this country.”

That tribute is a reminder of how the story of human space flight—its bounds pushed by the Shuttle program—is one of unsurpassed achievement and tragedy. 30 years and 135 missions defined the agency and inspired a skilled, committed engineer and astronaut workforce. That’s why, year after year, NASA upholds its ranking as the best place to work in the Federal Government. The agency is stocked with grown-up kid scientists living their starry-eyed dream of space exploration. They’re the not-so-secret sauce keeping NASA on the frontline of research and results.

The Shuttle’s 2011 retirement was, as Administrator Bolden called it, bittersweet. After all, orbiters Challenger, Columbia, Discovery, Atlantis, and Endeavor helped build the largest human made structure in space, the International Space Station. Some of the bitter to that sweet, of course, is the Challenger disaster. It was a profoundly tragic pause in NASA’s determined mission to reach into the unknown. But it pressed on. Such boundless sight is what makes NASA the world leader in space and a spearhead of the human experience.

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 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: Our guest blogger is Chelsea Milko, Public Relations Specialist in GPO’s Public Relations Office.

Leave a Comment » | Disasters, NASA | Tagged: , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Trudy Hawkins

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