Top Shelf

by Diane Gustafson and Patty Torres, SWC Librarians

Top Shelf is a weekly column where librarians share some of their favorite resources with you.

Book Selection
Modern America 1914-1945 (series: Almanacs of American Life)
by Ross Gregory
Facts on File, 1995
Call Number: Reference E766 G74 1995

This volume is filled with statistics, photographs, and commentary about that era that were new to me. For example, one table shows that the percentage of the civilian labor force who were unemployed went from 3.2 in 1929 to 25.2 in 1933. There are poignant poems written by West Virginia’s poet laureate, and a description of the “great black blizzard”(dust storm) that darkened the sky from Texas to Canada on November 11, 1933.

In this volume that covers the years 1914 to 1945, there are twenty subject divisions. Some of them are: The American Economy, Vital Statistics, Cities of the United States, Profiles of Prominent Individuals, and Education. I found that we have other volumes in the Almanacs of American Life series that cover the periods for Colonial, Revolutionary, Civil War, Victorian, and Cold War America.

-Diane


Website Selection
GobiernoUSA
http://www.usa.gov/gobiernousa/

This is the official Spanish portal for the U.S government. It provides information on government programs and services at the federal, state and local level in spanish. It was formerly called “FirstGov en Espanol”.

Although most beneficial to native Spanish speakers it is a good source to know about. The main page allows searching under general public, recent immigrants, visitors, & businesses.

Information can be found on such topics as employment, health, education, benefits, and legal matters.

-Patty T.