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Friday Bulletin: Issues

April 2, 2021

by Daniel Cornwall on 2021-04-02T16:05:00-08:00 | 0 Comments

State of Alaska COVID-19 information

Alaska & Polar Periodical Index: Today's featured SLED resource

Alaska & Polar Periodical Index - Index to Alaska related articles from journals and newspapers.

News from the Division

More Historical Alaska Newspapers Online

As recently announced on the Alaska's Digital Newspaper Project blog, over 35,000 pages from historical Alaskan Newspapers have been added to Chronicling America. Here are the details from project librarian Christopher Russell:

Although Covid has slowed down some of our work on the Alaska Digital Newspaper Project, it hasn’t stopped it! As part of our 2018-2020 cycle with the Library of Congress and the National Endowment for the Humanities, we have uploaded over 35,000 pages to Chronicling America from the following newspapers:

  • The New Native (Hydaburg, Alaska)
  • The Free Press (Fairbanks, Alaska)
  • The Alaska Socialist (Fairbanks, Alaska)
  • The Midnight Sun (Wales, Alaska)
  • The Nome Daily Nugget (Nome, Alaska)
  • The Nome Nugget (Nome, Alaska)
  • Tundra Times (Fairbanks, Alaska)
  • Kodiak Mirror (Kodiak, Alaska)
  • The Daily Progressive-Miner (Ketchikan, Alaska)
  • The Ketchikan Miner (Ketchikan, Alaska)
  • The Ketchikan Mining News (Ketchikan, Alaska)
  • The Daily Alaska Empire (Juneau, Alaska)
  • The Alaska Daily Empire (Juneau, Alaska)

Over the next year we expect to upload another 70,000 pages to the Library of Congress website: Chronicling America. We have also begun the process of selecting titles to digitize for the 2020-2022 cycle and are excited to add even more of our historic Alaskan newspapers to this public resource, and make them available to everyone.

To view our digitized newspapers, please visit https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/newspapers/?state=Alaska&ethnicity=&language=

News from L.A.M.S in Alaska

Good news from Chiniak

We're happy to pass along this report from our friends in Chiniak:

Chiniak Library Board in library

Caption - Left to right back row: Amarie Nelson, Renee Truit, Sue Baker, Sara Fish, Woody Koning, Willow Fish
Front row: George Nelson, Elke Lund (Renee), Harvey Lund (Renee), Delilah Lakings (Sara), Whalen Lakings (Sara)
Two members are missing, Joan Brodie and Moe Butler, who were on Zoom with us.

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We had a meeting yesterday and captured this for the records. We are just finishing up a good working by-law document. Planning on a open house celebration this summer!

We just finished cataloging the last of the donated books last week (at least 100 boxes) Working on videos next. We're all learning as we go! - Sue

New AkLA Mailing Lists: Collection Development and Public Libraries Roundtable

The Alaska Library Association (AkLA) has recently established new mailing lists:

  • Collection Development Roundtable - It is directed primarily to collection development/management librarians, but selectors, bibliographers, and others may be interested as well. It will be a forum for discussing collection development/management issues, asking questions, share news, and getting to know your colleagues.
  • Public Libraries Roundtable - A discussion list for members of AkLA's Public Libraries Roundtable.

Join these lists or many others by visiting AkLA's mailing lists page and selecting the subscription management page.

Alaska Zoo's Polar Bear Cam

Did you know that the Alaska Zoo has a polar bear camera? You can see a live view of Cranbeary the polar bear's main habitat area.

Notice that we said main habitat view, not "a polar bear." That's because Cranbeary has access to other habitat areas where are not viewable on the webcam. We choose to see this as a commitment to privacy.

Juneau Public Libraries offer 3d printing, do you?

We recently learned that the Juneau Public Libraries recently started to offer 3d printing. Patrons of the library order 3d prints by filling out an online form and attaching a design file in stereolithography (.STL) format. At this point the library prints the file and contacts the patron when it is ready for pickup. You can view examples of items printed by visiting their 3d Printing Page.

Does your Alaskan library, archives or museum offer 3d printing services? If so, let us know and we'll add you to our list of institutions in Alaska known to offer 3d printing.

Virtual Exhibit (Ketchikan): Into the Wind: Aviation as Southeast Alaska's Lifeline

Explore the history of flight and how it's served island communities in Alaska with the Tongass Historical Museum's virtual exhibit Into the Wind: Aviation as Southeast Alaska's Lifeline.

Exhibit items include images of maps, planes, letters, pilots and more.

Other Announcements

Tech Tip: No one texts you security patches

It's best practice to keep all of your devices up-to-date. Unfortunately, some scammers are taking advantage of this fact to deliver malware and viruses to people. Fortunately, you can keep yourself safe by knowing that no vendor is going to text or e-mail you a security update out of the blue, or offer it as a stand-alone app.

PC Magazine recently reported on how Android users were being taken for a ride. From the article New Android Malware Poses as Security Update to Take Control of Devices:

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According to mobile security firm Zimperium zLabs, a new form of malware disguised as a system update is making the rounds on Android devices. Instead of actually upgrading users to a new version of the operating system, the malware commandeers the phone to take advantage of several functions. It lets bad actors record audio, phone calls, take photos, access messages within third-party messengers like WhatsApp, and even search for specific file types present on the phone.

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According to the article, the malware is disguised as an update that gets installed after the hackers send you a text message to "Update your security."

So ignore the text messages and e-mails and learn more about how Android updates are delivered. Apple users should know their update methods too.

Spider-Man and more from the Library of Congress

The Library of Congress' Prints and Photographs Reading Room is offering a few virtual events in April we think will be interest to a wide audience:

  • Object Lesson: Spider-Man (4/8/21, 8pm EDT / 4pm AkDT) - Join us for the first of our “Object Lessons,” where we focus on a single item from the collections and its significance. We’ll share a virtual moment with the Spider-Man origin story – Stan Lee’s story and Steve Ditko’s art – for Amazing Fantasy #15 (1962). Sara W. Duke, Curator of Popular and Applied Graphic Art, will share selected images from the drawings, and insights into the collaboration that led to the development of the teen superhero. This family-friendly event promises to be fun for superhero experts young and old. (This presentation is not being recorded.)
  • April 2021: "Prints and Photographs Virtual Orientation: WPA Posters" (4/13/21 and 4/21/21) - Sample New Deal graphics in this month’s Prints and Photographs orientation session highlighting the ever-popular WPA posters. Instruction will cover library search tools, related graphics and New Deal collections, online resources, and how to prepare for a future visit to the reading room.

Save the Date: 10/16/21 is International Observe the Moon Night

From our friends at International Observe the Moon Night:

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You are invited to join the next International Observe the Moon Night! On October 16, 2021, observers all over the world will take part in lunar viewing, hands-on activities, virtual and in-person events, and more. Save the date with new shareable graphics, now available in eight languages.

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