Black History Month

President Gerald R. Ford officially recognized Black History Month in 1976, calling upon the public to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.”

Here at the Ivy Tech Library we would also like to honor this observance, celebrating African-Americans’ achievements and contributions to our country.

Please stop by the Library and check out the Black History Month display. If you can’t make it in to the Library, no worries, check out these links below.

	Black History books on your Library shelves
	African-American History Month in Britannica
	African American History Month in the Library of Congress
	All about Black History from the Library of Congress
	Black History from Smithsonian

National Random Acts of Kindness Day

I personally believe that kindness is the key. An act of kindness makes the world a better place in everyone’s daily life. When we are mindful of those around us, something happens, something really cool! It catches on, it gets paid forward, positive things happen and someone’s day gets a little better. February 17th is National Random Acts of Kindness Day. My hope is that by bringing awareness of this day, we can celebrate small acts of kindness every day!

	Random Acts of Kindness website
	Random Acts of Kindness: Magical Moments? video segment from Films on Demand

Civility

Civility is a term we hear about occasionally. What does civility really mean, though, and what impact should it have in our daily lives? The CAN group (Change Action Northeast) is a group of Ivy Tech employees that meet on a monthly basis and their current project deals with identifying values and behaviors they, as a group, would like to see prevail in our everyday environment. The topic they are discussing this semester is civility. The Library is very excited to be collaborating with the CAN group on this topic. Stop in the Library and check out a book from the civility display, and stay tuned to the CAN group’s updates about the activities happening this semester. Here are some additional informational links from the Library’s resources!

	What is Civility? from Credo Reference
	Rude: Where Are Our Manners? video from Films on Demands

National Periodic Table day celebration on February 7th

I know I am breaking my rule of grouping in three’s on my blog but being a little bit of a science geek, I have to also recognize the National Periodic Table day celebration on February 7th. I know it’s a little well, geeky, but I have always loved the periodic table. (I have always been a little envious of Sheldon Cooper’s Periodic Table shower curtain on the Big Bang Theory show.) Here are some fun links to learn more about it.

	Books about Periodic Table of Elements on the Library shelves
	Periodic Table of Elements from Britannica

These are just a few resources to perhaps ignite your interest to learn more. There’s so much out there to learn about. Check out the Library’s newsletter as well. It’s is a fantastic information resource.