Michigan Libraries for the Future

The Michigan Library Association has a new website, Michigan Libraries For The Future.  The site includes, among other resources, a newsroom, a press kit, and links to write to legislators. 

By clicking the above picture, you will be taken to MLA’s Legislative Action Center where you can enter your zip code and discover who your representatives and senators are.   There is a “Take Action” button that will take you to an area where you can easily compose a message to your government representatives complete with talking points that you can choose to include.

Don’t forget the Rally at the Capitol on September 10, 2009!

Director guest blogs at LISNews

DALNET Director Steven Bowers guest-blogged at lisnews.org this month as a part of their Summer Series.  His blogs were titled Some Considerations When Proposing a Digital Project and The Impact of the Digital World on Cataloging Systems.

“LISNews is a collaborative weblog [aka blog] devoted to current events and news in the world of Library and Information Science. A dedicated team of international bloggers scour the World Wide Web to find stories they find interesting. You’ll find links to news stories and Web sites, along with original writing, interviews and reviews. LISNews is updated frequently, usually 7 days a week. We are a non-commercial site, supported by our users.” 
                     — from http://www.lisnews.org/about_lisnews/

September 1, 1939 Commemoration

From http://www.polishmission.com/ :

The Polish Mission at Orchard Lake Schools, SS. Cyril & Methodius Seminary & Michigan Polonia present

IT ALL BEGAN IN POLAND
September 1, 1939
COMMEMORATION
September 1, 5-6 2009

HONORING
Polish Veterans, Polish-American Veterans, United States Veterans, Holocaust  Survivors, Children In Exile, Displaced Persons

You are invited to participate in our weekend event designed to commemorate those who witnessed World War II in Poland. We want the community at large to know of Poland’s suffering and strength during WWII. Please, tell us your stories and submit the names of those who should be honored.

Schedule
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
6:00 PM      Sunset Wypominki & Candle Service at the Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes,
Mass follows in the Shrine Chapel   

Saturday, September 5, 2009
10:00 – 11:30         Reunion with Sybiracy – Polish Refugees
Anthony Walawender MA, speaks of his personal experience as a “Chlopcy z Polski”; Photo history of the Sybiracy experiences and the launch of the oral history website; Selected Interviews with Survivors of German work camps; Poet John Guzlowski PhD  reads his poetry

11:30 – 12:15       Lunch   

12:15 – 2:15        Opening of the Art Exhibition
Peggy Grant, BFA presents the History and Symbolism of Artist Adam Grochowski; Cecile Wendt Jensen, MA presents the History and Symbolism of Artist Jan Komski; Polish Photographer  Marcin Chumiecki speaks about his Assignment Auschwitz Portfolio

2:15 – 2:30            Break                   

2:30 – 3:30            Guy Stern PhD, Director of the Holocaust Museum and Director of the International Institute of Righteous pays tribute to the Polish Catholics who risked their lives to save Jews during World War II and Sue Krolikowski PhD pays tribute to the Polish Catholic nuns who sheltered Jewish children.

3:30 – 3:45           Break

3:45 – 4:45           Poet John Guzlowski PhD discusses his work “ Lightening and Ashes”  and “Third Winter of War: Buchenwald”

7:00                   Polish Evening Concert in the Shrine Chapel with Curtis Posuniak, organist at St. Patrick Church in Carleton, Michigan.

Sunday, September 6, 2009
1:00 –  2:00           Mass at the Shrine Chapel to honor the Polish Army Veterans and Camp  Survivors           

2:00 – 3:00           The Filarets Chorus, led by David Troiano, presents a repertory of patriotic and military songs for the Veterans

3:00 – 3:15            Group Photo of Veterans                            

3:15 – 4:15            William Krul, President, Polish Genealogical Society of Michigan, outlines the required governmental steps he took to obtain the proper military  recognition for his father William Krul, Sr. who died in combat during WWII.

4:15 – 4:30         Break

4:30 – 5:30         Hands on training to retrieve U.S. military, refugee, and naturalization documents via the ancestry.com database and documents via the Kresy-Siberia website.  Adam Cardinal Maida Library

September 5 – 6, 2009
We are honored to have Mr. Zygmunt Matynia, Consul General of the Republic of Poland (Chicago) join us for the events on Saturday and Sunday.  Throughout the weekend there will be ongoing activities including:   Batilion Burza a living history re-enactment group of Polish & American military men and women, Assembling a Time Capsule – Collection of WWII and commemoration materials to be opened in 2039, the Time Capsule will be registered with the Smithsonian Institute.  Personalization of  Pewabic Memorial Tiles with signatures of Polish Veterans and Displaced Persons, and Księga Pamiątkowa – Guest Book Signing.

The Polish Mission
3535 Indian Trail Rd.
Orchard Lake, Michigan 48324

This project is funded in part by Michigan Humanities Council, an affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Community Foundation Challenge

Arab American National Museum, the Detroit Public Library Friends Foundation, The Detroit Institute of Arts and The Henry Ford as well as other Detroit area cultural institutions are participating in a fundraising effort called the Community Foundation Challenge – Arts & Culture. 

On August 18^th at 10:00, donors are asked to make their contributions of $25 – $10,000 via http://www.cfsem.org/.  Matching funds will earn each institution an addition 50% of the gift’s value.  Each participating institution has the potential to earn up to $200,000 in matching funds.  The money will help with much needed support of operating costs for institutions.

Donors will be asked to select the institution(s) they wish to donate to using a drop-down menu.  Click here for a list of participating institutions.  Matching funds will go fast, so be ready at 10 AM on August 18!

For more information: 
http://www.dia.org/calendar/programs_and_events/item.asp?webitemid=1963
http://www.culturalalliancesemi.org/