Tuesday, January 31, 2012

President Obama's Weekly Address (1/28/2012)



Sonnet Ireland
Head of Federal Documents
Reference & Instruction Librarian
Subject Specialist: Legal Research, Political Science
Urban and Transportation Studies, Engineering

Monday, January 30, 2012

Washington Week (1/27/2012)

Watch January 27, 2012 on PBS. See more from Washington Week.




Sonnet Ireland
Head of Federal Documents
Reference & Instruction Librarian
Subject Specialist: Legal Research, Political Science
Urban and Transportation Studies, Engineering

Country Profiles: Angola

Angola is located in Africa. Angola suffered a 27-year civil war after gaining independence from Portugal. The war ended in 2002. With an area of 1,246,700 sq km, Angola is slightly less than twice the size of Texas.

Angola shares a border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of the Congo, Namibia, and Zambia. Its narrow coastal plain rises abruptly to vast interior plateau.





People who live in Angola are known as Angolans, which is also the adjective used to describe an item from this country. As of July 2011, there were 13.3 million people in Angola. The main ethnic groups that make up Angola include Ovimbundu (37%), Kimbundu (25%), and Bakongo (13%). Though Portuguese is the official language, Bantu and other African languages are also spoken. At 47%, most Angolans practice indigenous beliefs, while others practice Roman Catholicism (38%) and Protestantism (15%).

The country's official name is the Republic of Angola. The capital is Luanda, and the country is made up of 18 provinces. Though Angola gained independence from Portugal in November 1975, a constitution was not adopted until 1992. The constitution can be found here at Constitution Finder. The current president is Jose Eduardo Dos Santos. Information about the leaders of Angola's government can be found here. The currency is the kwanza (abbreviated AOA), which stands at 92.08 AOA per USD as of 2010.





All of this information was gathered from the CIA World Factbook. For more information, check out these resources...


Angola, CIA World Factbook

Background Note: Angola, U.S. Department of State

Angola 2010 Country Report on Human Rights Practices, U.S. Department of State.


Sonnet Ireland
Head of Federal Documents
Reference & Instruction Librarian
Subject Specialist: Legal Research, Political Science
Urban and Transportation Studies, Engineering

Friday, January 27, 2012

60 Minutes (1/22/2012)



Sonnet Ireland
Head of Federal Documents
Reference & Instruction Librarian
Subject Specialist: Legal Research, Political Science
Urban and Transportation Studies, Engineering

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Meet the Press (1/22/2012)

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy



Sonnet Ireland
Head of Federal Documents
Reference & Instruction Librarian
Subject Specialist: Legal Research, Political Science
Urban and Transportation Studies, Engineering

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

State of the Union Address (1/24/2012)



Full transcript: Obama's 2012 State of the Union Address, USA Today


Republican Response to the State of the Union Address:








video platform
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Mitch Daniels Response to State of the Union, Huffington Post


Tea Party response to the State of the Union Address:



Transcript: Bachmann's Response to State of the Union, CNN


Sonnet Ireland
Head of Federal Documents
Reference & Instruction Librarian
Subject Specialist: Legal Research, Political Science
Urban and Transportation Studies, Engineering

Face the Nation (1/25/2012)



Sonnet Ireland
Head of Federal Documents
Reference & Instruction Librarian
Subject Specialist: Legal Research, Political Science
Urban and Transportation Studies, Engineering

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

President Obama's Weekly Address (1/21/2012)



Sonnet Ireland
Head of Federal Documents
Reference & Instruction Librarian
Subject Specialist: Legal Research, Political Science
Urban and Transportation Studies, Engineering

Monday, January 23, 2012

Washington Week (1/20/2012)

Watch January 20, 2012 on PBS. See more from Washington Week.



Sonnet Ireland
Head of Federal Documents
Reference & Instruction Librarian
Subject Specialist: Legal Research, Political Science
Urban and Transportation Studies, Engineering

Country Profiles: Andorra

Andorra is located in Europe. From 1278 to 1993 (715 years), Andorra was a co-principality ruled by both French and Spanish leaders. In 1993, the government became a parliamentary democracy. With 468 sq km, it is 2.5 times the size of Washington, D.C.

Andorra is landlocked and shares a border with France and Spain. It is composed of rugged mountains dissected by narrow valleys.





People who live in Andorra are called Andorrans, which is also the adjective used to describe items from this country. As of July 2011, there are 84,825 people living in Andorra. This population is mostly Spanish (43%) and Andorran (33%) with some Portuguese (11%) and French (7%). While Catalan is the official language of Andorra, French, Castilian, and Portuguese are also spoken. Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion of the country.

The country's official name is Principality of Andorra. The capital is Andorra la Vella, and the country is made up of seven parishes. Andorra's constitution can be found here on Constitution Finder. The current Chief of State is French Co-Prince Nicolas Sarkozy, and the current Executive Council President is Antoni Marti Petit. Information about the leaders of Andorra's government can be found here. The currency is the euro (abbreviated EUR), which stands at 0.755 EUR per USD as of 2010.





All of this information was gathered from the CIA World Factbook. For more information, check out these resources...

Andorra, The Pyrenean Country

Andorra, CIA World Factbook

Background Note: Andorra, U.S. Department of State

Andorra 2010 Country Report on Human Rights Practices, U.S. Department of State

You can also check out the Country Studies tab on our Fed Docs libguide here for more resources on all of the countries.


Sonnet Ireland
Head of Federal Documents
Reference & Instruction Librarian
Subject Specialist: Legal Research, Political Science
Urban and Transportation Studies, Engineering

Sunday, January 22, 2012

January 22, 2002: Kmart files for Chapter 11

Today marks the ten year anniversary of Kmart filing for Chapter 11. What makes this a significant event is the fact that it was the largest retailer in the U.S. to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. For more information on bankruptcy, check out these resources...

Bankruptcy Basics, U.S. Courts

Before You File for Personal Bankruptcy, Federal Trade Commission


Sonnet Ireland
Head of Federal Documents
Reference & Instruction Librarian
Subject Specialist: Legal Research, Political Science
Urban and Transportation Studies, Engineering

Monday, January 16, 2012

Country Profiles: Algeria

Algeria is located in Africa. Algeria achieved independence from French rule in 1962. With an area of 2,381,741 sq km, it is slightly less than 3.5 times the U.S. state of Texas. It is the largest country in Africa.

Algeria shares a border with Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Tunisia, and Western Sahara. It is mostly high plateau and desert with some mountains and narrow, discontinuous coastal plain.





People who live in Algeria are called Algerians, which is also the adjective used to describe something from this country. As of July 2011, there were about 35 million people. 99% of Algerians are Arab-Berber, while the other 1% are European. While Arabic is the official language of Algeria, French and Berber dialects are also spoken. Sunni Muslims is the state religion with 99% of the population; the other 1% are Christian and Jewish.

The country's official name is People's democratic Republic of Algeria. The capital is Algiers, and the country is made up of 48 provinces. The Constitution was first written in September 1963 and can be found here on Constitution Finder. The current president is President Abdelaziz Bouteflika. Information about the leaders of Algeria's government can be found here. The currency is Algerian dinars (abbreviated DZD), which stands at 76 DZD per USD as of 2010.





All of this information was gathered from the CIA World Factbook. For more information, check out these resources...

Algeria, CIA World Factbook

Background Note: Algeria, U.S. Department of State

Algeria 2010 Country Report on Human Rights Practices, U.S. Department of State

You can also check out the Country Studies tab on our Fed Docs libguide here for more resources on all of the countries.

Sonnet Ireland
Head of Federal Documents
Reference & Instruction Librarian
Subject Specialist: Legal Research, Political Science
Urban and Transportation Studies, Engineering

Friday, January 13, 2012

60 Minutes (1/8/2012)



Sonnet Ireland
Head of Federal Documents
Reference & Instruction Librarian
Subject Specialist: Legal Research, Political Science
Urban and Transportation Studies, Engineering

Thursday, January 12, 2012

Meet the Press: MTP-Facebook GOP Presidential Debate (1/8/2012)

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy



Sonnet Ireland
Head of Federal Documents
Reference & Instruction Librarian
Subject Specialist: Legal Research, Political Science
Urban and Transportation Studies, Engineering

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Face the Nation (1/8/2012)



Sonnet Ireland
Head of Federal Documents
Reference & Instruction Librarian
Subject Specialist: Legal Research, Political Science
Urban and Transportation Studies, Engineering

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

President Obama's Weekly Address (1/7/2012)



Sonnet Ireland
Head of Federal Documents
Reference & Instruction Librarian
Subject Specialist: Legal Research, Political Science
Urban and Transportation Studies, Engineering

Monday, January 9, 2012

Washington Week (1/6/2012)

Watch January 6, 2012 on PBS. See more from Washington Week.



Sonnet Ireland
Head of Federal Documents
Reference & Instruction Librarian
Subject Specialist: Legal Research, Political Science
Urban and Transportation Studies, Engineering

Country Profiles: Albania

Albania is located in Europe. Albania declared its independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1912, but was conquered by Italy in 1939. With an area of 28,748 sq km, it is slightly smaller than the U.S. state of Maryland.

Albania shares a border with Greece, Macedonia, Montenegro, and Kosovo. It mostly has mountains and hills, but also has small plains along the coast.



People who live in Albania are called Albanians, which is also the adjective used to describe something from this country. As of July 2011, there are almost three million people in Albania. The ethnic groups that reside in Albania are Albanian (95%) and Greek (3%). The official language of Albania is Albanian, though Greek, Vlach and Romani are also spoken. Muslims make up 70% of the population, with Albanian Orthodox making up 20% and Roman Catholics the final 10%.

The country's official name is Republic of Albania. The capital is Tirana, and the country is composed of 12 counties. Though Albania gained independence from the Ottoman Empire on November 28, 1912, a constitution was not approved by parliament until October 21, 1998. The constitution can be found here on Constitution Finder. The current president is Bamir Topi. Information about the leaders of Albania's government can be found here. The currency is the leke (abbreviated ALL), which stands at 104.08 ALL per USD as of 2010.




All of this information was gathered from the CIA World Factbook. For more information, check out these resources...

Council of Ministers, Republic of Albania

Albania, CIA World Factbook

Background Note: Albania, U.S. Department of State

Albania 2010 Country Report on Human Rights Practices, U.S. Department of State.

You can also check out the Country Studies tab on our Fed Docs libguide here for more resources on all of the countries.

Sonnet Ireland
Head of Federal Documents
Reference & Instruction Librarian
Subject Specialist: Legal Research, Political Science
Urban Studies, Engineering

Friday, January 6, 2012

100th Anniversary of New Mexico's Statehood!

On January 6, 1912, New Mexico became the 47th state of the United States of America. Known as "The Land of Enchantment," New Mexico is 121,298 sq mi and has over 2 million people. Learn more about New Mexico from the resources below...

New Mexico State Site

New Mexico QuickFacts, U.S. Census Bureau


Sonnet Ireland
Head of Federal Documents
Reference & Instruction Librarian
Subject Specialist: Legal Research, Political Science
Urban and Transportation Studies, Engineering

Monday, January 2, 2012

Country Profiles: Afghanistan

With a new year comes new resolutions. And this year, I think it would be fun to start having country profiles...learn a little about the 194 neighbors we share this planet with. So here we go...

Afghanistan is located in South Asia. Ahmad Shah Durrani unified the Pashtun tribes, founding the country of Afghanistan in 1747. With an area of 652,230 sq km, it is slightly smaller than the U.S. state of Texas.

Afghanistan shares a border with China, Iran, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. It is mostly rugged mountains with plains in the north and southwest.



People who live in Afghanistan are called Afghans, which is also an adjective used to describe something from this country. As of July 2011, there are 29.8 million people in Afghanistan. The ethnic groups that reside in Afghanistan are mostly Pashtun and Tajik. Several languages are spoken there, though there are only two official languages, Afghan Persian (also know as Dari) and Pashto. Sunni Muslims make up approximately 80% of the population, while Shia Muslims make up an additional 19%.

The country's official name is the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. The capital is Kabul, and the country is made up of 34 provinces. Though Afghanistan gained independence from the UK on August 19, 1919, a constitution was not drafted until December 14, 2003. The constitution can be found here on Constitution Finder. The current president is Hamid Karzai. Information about the leaders of Afghanistan's government can be found here. The currency is the afghani (abbreviated AFA), which stands at 46.45 AFA per USD as of 2010.



All of this information was gathered from the CIA World Factbook. For more information, check out these resources...

Office of the President, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan

Afghanistan, CIA World Factbook

Background Note: Afghanistan, U.S. Department of State

Afghanistan 2010 Country Report on Human Rights Practices, U.S. Department of State

You can also check out the Country Studies tab on our Fed Docs libguide here for more resources on all of the countries.


Sonnet Ireland
Head of Federal Documents
Reference & Instruction Librarian
Subject Specialist: Legal Research, Political Science
Urban Studies, Engineering

Sunday, January 1, 2012

Happy New Year! Time for some changes...

Hello everyone,

I hope that 2011 wasn't too hard on you, and I hope 2012 is even better! With this new year come some new things we're doing.

Starting tomorrow, we will begin a Country Profiles series. Every Monday, the blog will feature a different country in the world, giving you some basic information about that country, as well as some resources to learn more about that country and others. This seems to be a popular topic, so I thought this would be a great way to start the new year.

Also new this year...I'll be writing a second blog Gov Info 4 Schools, which focuses on government information and resources for school librarians. This blog can be found here: govinfo4schools.blogspot.com. I will be looking for guest bloggers in the future for this blog...so if you are interest, please contact me.

Thank you and have a great new year!


Sonnet Ireland
Head of Federal Documents
Reference & Instruction Librarian
Subject Specialist: Legal Research, Political Science
Urban and Transportation Studies, Engineering