Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Government Social Networking

Are you connected? Do you read blogs, tweet, have a FaceBook or MySpace page? You might be surprised to know that your government is and does! More and more federal, state and local agencies are discovering that they can communicate programs, plans, budgets, news and updates more effectively through what many call “social networking” tools like these.

We have a small sampling of government and government-related social networking sites below. If you know of more send them to us (ksdocs@kslib.info) and we’ll add them to this listing:

U.S. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
Blogs from the U.S. Government
(Blogs operated by many different federal agencies)

STATE OF KANSAS
State of Kansas on FaceBook
State of Kansas on YouTube
State of Kansas Flickr Page
Sate of Kansas Twitter Page
State of Kansas Blog

Kansas Adjutant General's Department
Adjutant General's Department on FaceBook

Kansas Department of Commerce
Kansas Department of Commerce on Facebook
Kansas Travel Photo Blog
(The TravelKS Photoblog lets you share a brief story about your Kansas travel experience along with a photo of your adventure in Kansas.)

Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks
Wildlife and Parks Blog

Kansas Transportation Online Community (KTOC)
KTOC Blog
KDOTHQ Twitter Page

KSHEALTH
Kansas Health Twitter Page

Kansas State Historical Society
Kansas History Twitter Page
(Information from the Kansas State Historical Society)
Kansas Memory
(Twitter updates for the Kansas State Historical Society's "Kansas Memory" web site)

Kansas Lottery
Kansas Lottery Twitter Page

OTHER KANSAS LINKS

KPTS (Public Television, Wichita)
KPTS Facebook Page
KPTS Blog
KPTS on You Tube
KPTS on Flickr

ksfacts
Kansas Facts Twitter Page
(Bio Daily facts, figures, and fun trivia about the great state of Kansas. You'll never guess what's coming next!)

SOME KANSAS LOCAL GOVERNMENT LINKS

City of Garden City Twitter Page

City of Goddard Twitter Page

City of Greensburg Blog

City of Lawrence

City of Merriam Twitter Page

City of Shawnee Twitter Page

City of Tonganoxie Twitter Page

City of Newton Twitter Page

SOME KANSAS LIBRARY PAGES

State Library of Kansas SLK News Blog
State Library of Kansas Twitter Page
State Library of Kansas Flickr Page
State Library of Kansas Facebook Page
Thriving in Tough Times Blog

Kansas City, Kansas Public Library - BookFix Blog
Kansas City, Kansas Public Library - Media Blog

Kansas State University Libraries News and Events
Kansas State University Libraries New Resources
Kansas State University Libraries ShortCuts
Kansas State University Libraries Talking in the Library
Kansas State University Libraries listing of all blogs

Lawrence Public Library Blog
Lawrence Public Library on MySpace

Northeast Kansas Library System

Osage City Public Library

Russell Public Library

Topeka Shawnee County Public Library on MySpace

Article contact: Bill Sowers
(Check out recent additions to our collection here)

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

H1N1- flu update

It's back to school time, and that also means that kids will be sharing books, paper, computers, and yes... germs. State and Federal officials are gearing up to assist Americans through the upcoming flu season and educating the public on the transmission of H1N1, also known as Swine Flu. This post is to arm parents, educators and care providors with up-to-date information they need to help reduce the spread of the H1N1 virus in their community.

H1N1 information for schools from the Kansas Department of Education:
http://www.ksde.org/Default.aspx?tabid=3739

H1N1 flu virus information: Guidance for Schools, Parents, and Child Care Providers
http://www.kdheks.gov/H1N1/H1N1_guidance_schools.htm

Questions and Answers regarding H1N1
http://www.cdc.gov/H1N1flu/qa.htm

H1N1 statistics:
http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/surveillanceqa.htm

Preparing for the Flu: A Communication Toolkit for Schools (Grades K-12)
http://www.flu.gov/plan/school/toolkit.html

Updated Interim Guidance on Student Dismissal for 2009 H1N1 Flu
http://www.kdheks.gov/H1N1/download/Schools_Letter.pdf

Resources for teaching kids proper hand washing techniques

"Did you wash 'em?" from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment
http://www.kdheks.gov/wash_em/howtowash.html

NSF Scrub Club
http://www.scrubclub.org/home.aspx

It's a Snap learning toolkit
http://www.itsasnap.org/index.asp

Cover Your Cough posters
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/covercough.htm

Seseme Street (in Cooperation with the CDC) has put out "Staying Healthy Every Day" videos
http://www.sesamestreet.org/parents/topics/health/flu/

Advice from the CDC on talking with your children about H1N1
http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/talkingtokids.htm

H1N1 (Swine Flu)



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Resources compiled by Kim Harp, Reference Librarian at the State Library of Kansas
(Check out recent additions to our collection here)

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

New employment information

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics tracks a huge amount of information related to the workforce and the economy. This office just released new numbers last Thursday. Good news: the unemployment rate was 9.4 percent, which changed little for the second consecutive month. As a nation our unemployment rate may be leveling out. Even though in July, the number of unemployed persons in the U.S. was 14.5 million, the job loss rate for the Kansas reigon has slowed. The Kansas City area has registered seven consecutive months of over-the-year employment declines. It is so good to live and work in the midwest!

Learn more about the labor outlook for the Kansas area and which industries are faring best at:
http://www.bls.gov/ro7/ceskc.htm

See the states ranked by unemployment rate at:
http://www.bls.gov/web/laumstrk.htm

See the graph depicting the U.S. unemployment rate at:
http://data.bls.gov/PDQ/servlet/SurveyOutputServlet?data_tool=latest_numbers&series_id=LNS14000000

Manhattan Kansas ranks 2nd in lowest metropolitan unemployment rate! See the rankings at:
http://www.bls.gov/web/laummtrk.htm

Bureau of Labor Statistics allows you to compare salaries of various positions. See the 2008 table:
http://www.bls.gov/oes/2008/may/oes_ks.htm

Learn more about the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics at:
http://www.bls.gov/

The State Library of Kansas has reports on Kansas Labor Force Estimates from the Kansas Department of Labor:
http://lib.wuacc.edu/search~S8?/o26377760

Posted by Kim Harp, Reference Librarian at the State Library of Kansas
(Check out recent additions to our collection here)

Friday, August 7, 2009

Back to School

The telltale signs are all around us. School buildings are once again alive with activity. Special displays are up at local stores offering supplies and clothing. High school bands are outside mornings and early evenings working on marching and playing music at the same time. Children, school personnel, parents and other involved people are gearing up for another school year.

Below are links to information that might be of help to you in preparing your scholar for the year ahead.

Welcome back!
http://www.ksde.org/Default.aspx?tabid=2601
(Message from Kansas Commissioner of Education, Alexa Posny)

Kansas 2008/2009 School Directory
http://www.ksde.org/Default.aspx?tabid=3140
(Most recent available online)

Search for Public Schools
http://nces.ed.gov/ccd/schoolsearch/
(Locating local public schools across the nation)

Questions and Tips for Parents, Schools and the Community http://www.ed.gov/parents/academic/involve/nclbchecklist.html
(Questions to consider about your child's school)

Kansas K-12 School Reports
http://www.ksde.org/Default.aspx?tabid=223
(The Kansas Department of Education assists you in finding out more about your local schools)

Kansas Education Resource Center
http://www.kerc-ks.org/
(Standards and tools for Kansas teachers... of interest to parents too!)

Charter Schools in Kansas
http://www.ksde.org/Default.aspx?tabid=449
(What are charter schools? How do they work? Would they benefit my child?)

21st Century Community Learning Centers
http://www.ed.gov/programs/21stcclc/index.html
(From the US Dept of Education: "This program supports the creation of community learning centers that provide academic enrichment opportunities during non-school hours for children")

Help My Child to Read
http://www.ed.gov/parents/read/resources/edpicks.jhtml?src=ln
(Resources from the US Dept of Education for parents)

Helping Your Preschool Child http://www.ed.gov/parents/earlychild/ready/preschool/index.html
(Starting early to prepare your child for his/her future)

Kansas Reads to Preschoolers 2009
http://www.kcfb.info/wiggle/
(Coming to a library near you this fall! Sponsored by the Kansas Center for the Book)

My Child's Special Needs:
Information from the US Dept of Education on:

--Disabilities
http://www.ed.gov/parents/needs/speced/edpicks.jhtml?src=ln
--Gifted
http://www.ed.gov/parents/needs/gifted/edpicks.jhtml?src=ln
--Learning English as a second language
http://www.ed.gov/parents/needs/english/edpicks.jhtml?src=ln
--Civil Rights of Students
http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/index.html

Kansas School and Child Care:
Immunization Requirements

http://www.kdheks.gov/immunize/schoolInfo.htm
(The Kansas Department of Health and Environment reminds us of what vaccines our children need)

Stop School Violence Hotline
http://www.ksde.org/KS_SAFE_SCHOOLS_RESOURCE_CENTER/Family%20Matters-KHP%20final%20pdf%20%20(2).pdf
("If you think someone at school may hurt themselves or someone else you can’t stay silent...")

Child Nutrition and Wellness
http://www.kn-eat.org/CNW/CNW_Menus/Index.htm
(A healthy body contributes to a healthy mind)

Back-to-School Safety
http://www.kdheks.gov/news/web_archives/2001/08282001.htm
(Though somewhat dated this information still rings true)

Childhood Injury Fact Sheets
http://www.safekidskansas.org/materials.html
(SafeKids Kansas gives basic information on injury prevention and treatment)

Article contact: Bill Sowers
(Check out recent additions to our collection here)