Women's History Month

"I would like to go back to school so that I can become economically independent, support myself, and if need be, support those dependent upon me. I want a wife who will work and send me to school. And while I am going to school I want a wife to take care of my children."
From "Why I Want a Wife" by Judy Syfers, entire text available online here: http://www.cwluherstory.org/why-i-want-a-wife.html

March is National Women's History Month. This year's theme is Women's Education - Women's Empowerment. You can read more about this year's theme, and the history of Women's History Month at the National women's History Project's website.

On March 22nd at six p.m. the League of Women Voters and Carnegie-Stout will be showing "Iron Jawed Angels" in the Aigler Auditorium, followed by a discussion. This film dramatizes of the suffragettes efforts to pass the 19th amendment which gave women the right to vote. Click here to read more about this event.

We encourage you to stop by the display of books and movies on the new fiction shelves on the First Floor, and to check out the links to online resources below.

The Library of Congress, Women’s History Month: Provides links to online exhibits, profiles, and other resources of the Library of Congress.

The Library of Congress, International Women’s Day Photo Set: One of several Flickr sets of images from the Library of Congress, and the location from where the photo in this post originates.

Iowa Pathways, Women’s Suffrage: Iowa Pathways are resources put together by Iowa Public Television for teachers and students. This link provides an introduction to the history of women's suffrage and women's rights in Iowa.

Iowa Women’s Hall of Fame: The Iowa Women's Hall of Fame is a function of the Iowa Commission on the Status of Women, and their website has recently been updated to include short biographies of the members of the Hall of Fame.

The Carrie Chapman Catt Girlhood Home and Museum: Carrie Chapman Catt is one of the best known Iowa Women's Suffragists, and this museum is a two-hour drive from Dubuque.

Discovering American Women’s History Online Database: Walker Library of Middle Tennessee State University has created this database which allows users to search the contents of many different digital collections.

The National Women’s History Project Quiz: This quiz was created by the National Women's History Project, the organization behind the development of Women's History Month.

Read Alike C.S. Forester

When it comes to novels of naval adventure C.S. Forester is at the top of the reading list. Mr. Forester, the pen name of Cecil Louis Troughton Smith (1899-1966), was a professional novelist best known for penning the adventures of Horatio Hornblower, loosely based on the experiences of famous naval heroes of the late 18th and early 19th century. He was also responsible for The African Queen, the basis for the classic film starring Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn.

Mr. Forester's novels are always filled with historical detail that bring their maritime settings to vivid life. His heroes are honorable and courageous, and his plots have adventure and suspense. If you’ve never picked up one of his novels, start with Mr. Midshipman Hornblower or try the A&E adaption, Horatio Hornblower, starring Ioan Gruffud.

If you're already a Hornblower fan, you may also enjoy these authors:

Julian Stockwin, a former naval officer, has written a series of novels following the naval career of Thomas Paine Kydd that brim with nautical jargon and historical detail. Start with Kydd, young Tom is pulled from his life as a wig maker and pressed into service in the navy in 1793. The reader learns the ins and outs of life at sea along with Kydd as they enjoy his adventures during the Napoleonic wars.

Patrick O'Brian is another well-known author of adventure novels set during the Napoleonic period. His richly detailed series follows the naval adventures of Captain Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin, drawn partially from the life of Lord Cochrane. Start with Master and Commander, the meeting of Aubrey and Maturin, and start of their adventures, but is only loosely connected to the film of the same name.

Dewey Lambdin has made his name as the author of the Alan Lewrie series of naval adventures. Set during the same historic time and packed with period detail and naval jargon, Lewrie starts off slightly less heoric hero (he's a bit of a fop), but comes to take pride in his career. Start with The King's Coat, young Lewrie is pressed into naval service as a midshipman in 1780 and must find his sea legs soon, or risk a gory death.

William C. Hammond has turned his passion for sailing and history into a series of richly detailed novels set during the late 18th century. Start with A Matter of Honor, Richard Cutler joins the Continental Navy after his brother was killed by the men of the Royal Navy. A mix of history, exciting battles, and a bit of romance.

Bernard Cornwell is the author of fast-paced and well researched historical adventures, with a focus on the gritty reality of the battlefield. Fans of Napoleonic sea battles might enjoy Mr. Cornwell's Richard Sharpe series which follows the career of an illiterate private through some of history's most exciting battles. The series was also adapted as a television program starring Sean Bean as Sharpe.

The Honor Harrington series by David Weber is long-running, plot-driven, work of science fiction peopled by engaging characters, not the least of which is Honor herself. This series is based in part on the navel adventures of the Horatio Hornblower and the career of Admiral Nelson, but has grown over the years to a richly detailed and colorfully populated future universe. The series starts with On Basilisk Station with Honor demonstrating her extraordinary skill as a tactician and leader under pressure.

Please stop by the Recommendations Desk on the first floor, check out NoveList Plus on the library's website, or visit W. 11th & Bluff next week for more reading suggestions. Or submit a Personal Recommendations request, and we'll create a reading list just for you!

March's Magazine of the Month is "Internet Genealogy"

Carnegie-Stout's magazine of the month for March is Internet Genealogy. This magazine provides information about and reviews of online resources for genealogical research. In addition to pieces on technology, there are articles about the unexpected finds and challenges faced by individual genealogists. We also subscribe to Family Chronicle, another genealogy focused magazine by the publishers of Internet Genealogy.

In addition to Carnegie-Stout's collection of local newspapers on microfilm and corresponding obituary index, local genealogists will be happy know that we provide access to HeritageQuest Online and the library edition of Ancestry.com (available only within the library). You may also be interested in our print collection of local history and genealogy titles found near the Reference Desk.

Anyone interested in learning more about genealogical research is invited to attend the ongoing series of instructional sessions by the Dubuque Family History Center. The next class will be tonight (March 1st) from 7-8:30 p.m. with four more sessions following on March 8th, March 15th, March 29th, and April 5th. For more information, please contact the Reference Desk.

February 29th, Leap Day

Happy Leap Day! February 29th rolls around once every four years (more or less), but what can one do to celebrate?

Tradition has it that this is the one day when women may propose marriage to men. some locations extend this power throughout a leap year. Think of it as an alternative to the annual Sadie Hawkins Day.

Turning down a woman's proposal poses consequences for the popular man. Depending on where he's asked, the lady spurned is owed either a new dress, a pair of silk gloves, or a bit of cash.

Those over 21 might be interested in this 2008 article from the Wall Street Journal, which offers recipes for Leap Year Cocktails. A couple of cocktails might improve Amy Adams' 2010 film, Leap Year, which does have a gorgeous Irish setting, even if the plot is terribly silly.

Books and More by Leap Year Babies

• Dee Brown, author of Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee
• Science-fiction and fantasy author Tim Powers
• Jimmy Dorsey of the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra
• Italian composer Gioacchino Rossini
• Pirates of Penzance - I suggest you give "When you had left our pirate fold" a listen today.

FY13 Library Budget Presentation Video

Carnegie-Stout Public Library Director Susan Henricks gave a presentation to the Dubuque City Council last night about the Library's fiscal year 2013 budget recommendations. Here's the video:



For more information, see the City of Dubuque's Fiscal Year 2013 Budget.