Recognizing Librarianship Anew

Today, Dr. Carla Hayden was sworn in at a ceremony as the 14th Librarian of Congress.  She was appointed by President Obama to succeed James Billington who retired last year.

From what I've read about her, she brings a wealth of experience to this position, having served in administrative capacities in the Chicago Public Library and the Enoch Pratt Free Library of Baltimore, for which she made significant strides in expanding their facilities and increasing their technological resources.  She even kept the library open when riots broke out in Baltimore.  She also served as President of the American Library Association.

Her appointment to this position also stirred controversy, as her confirmation vote in the Senate was delayed for some time, partly over concerns about her stance on limiting children's exposure to pornography on the Internet.

As President of the ALA, she upheld their stance on resisting filters on Internet.  But more recently, she said that Internet filters function better now than in years past, and she is in favor of installing them, noting Internet pornography is not appropriate in the library.

Having discussed issues related to intellectual freedom in classes for my MLIS, I recognize that it's a slippery slope when it comes to filters and other efforts to block access to information.  But I feel that the ALA needs to back off its overly-strong stance on resisting all efforts to prevent blockage of information, and dialogue more meaningfully with those who are keenly aware of the negative effects pornography has on society.

Technology is bound to be a major part of Dr. Hayden's work at the Library of Congress in the years to come, given how increasingly important it is becoming in libraries in general.  It will be interesting to follow the work she does as the first female and first African-American to hold the position of overseeing the institution that serves as the Congress's research arm and houses a huge collection of books.  (It will also be interesting to see how new legislation will play out that limits the terms of the Librarian.)

It was wonderful watching her swearing-in ceremony, because it was an opportunity not only to celebrate her achievement, but the wonderful resource this country has in the Library of Congress.  So many of the remarks given, especially in Dr. Hayden's speech--given with such fin demeanor--referred to the positive impact that libraries make on people's lives by giving them access to a wealth of resources, which makes libraries part of the bedrock of our society.  And the Library of Congress is at the forefront in this work by serving as steward of a great storehouse of knowledge and information resources.  I felt a sense of delight knowing that I am part of making libraries what they are in my fulfilling my life's vocation.

Best wishes to Dr. Hayden as she starts her work.

9-11 Forward to a New Generation

It was a pleasant-weather Tuesday like today 15 years ago on September 11 when terrorists struck a devastating blow at the United States in the worst attacks in modern US history.

I was only 10 years old on that day, and the day's proceedings are seared in my memory, so that I can recall them as if they happened yesterday.  I remember clearly how the very foundations of the world shook violently as we realized we were vulnerable in a manner we didn't realize was even possible, and we entered a darker age with so much effort focused on fighting terrorism.

Now that 15 years have elapsed since that terrible day, there's a large group of people now who have no memories of that day, and well into their teen years, along with all the other children younger than them.  It's gotten me to the point where I have wondered what the best way is to convey to these young people what happened on that day, knowing full well that what they hear from people who have clear memories of that day will form their understanding of it.

Looking back, I was at the tail end of those who were at an age old enough that we could be told fully what happened.  I imagine for children younger than me at that time, adults would have had to show much more caution in conveying to them what happened.

That was on my mind Sunday evening when I was at Ascension for the first meeting of the youth group for high school teens.  Matt Goto, the Ascension Youth MInistry Coordinator, and his wife Michi, were leading the gathering, with some other adults present.  After some dinner and fellowship, the Gotos started leading a discussion on September 11, 2001.  They showed a History Channel video that gave a timeline overview of what happened in New York City.

After the video, Matt got up in front of the high school teens--and all of them there were either toddlers when September 11 happened, or hadn't even been born--and asked them how the events of that day, as shown in the video, made them feel.  Their answers reflected what we all felt that day: shock, horror, "numb".

He then asked them how they thought the people on the planes felt, and mentioned how our lives are short, and anything can suddenly bring them to an end.  He then asked them how the terrorist hijackers felt, who were driven by religious motives to do what they did.  Then, referencing the readings for that Sunday's Mass, he asked them about the possibility of forgiveness toward the terrorists, and then drawing it closer to home, asking them if they could forgive their siblings when they do something that irritates them.

After this discussion, we went outside and gathered around a fire pit for a prayer service, lighting small candles to hold.  Gene, on staff at Ascension Parish as a liturgist, selected some readings for this prayer service from the readings for Funeral Masses, which speak to the reality of death, but the hope we have that in God, death leads to something larger than our present reality.  After the readings were proclaimed, we shared our thoughts about them.

As we talked, a woman passing by stopped, and after a few moments observing us, asked what we were doing, and we invited her to join us.  A few minutes later, a woman saw us, walked away, and then brought three others with her, who I presumed were her husband, son, and daughter, and then joined us as we offered intercessory prayers:  We prayed for the victims, the terrorists, and for peace in our world and our hearts.

I thought back to September 11, 2001, when churches all over held prayer vigils.  I heard a story about one vigil at Calvary Memorial Church in Oak Park.  A store across the street from that church closed early that day, and the supervisor brought all the employees over to the church to join in the prayer.  15 years later, this was exactly what happened as the youths and the adults gathered in prayer along Van Buren Street.  What an incredible message to send to the teens gathered there about how genuinely living out faith in the world makes an impact.

Indeed, on a very somber anniversary, amplified even more by a tragedy in my family that occurred 5 years ago, this gathering at Ascension on Sunday evening filled me with a sense of hope.  There's so much evil in the world, and there's so much we can't control.  But peace is still a reality we can strive for, as we take the time to come together as the people of God and seek His face, knowing He can fill our hearts with peace as only He can.  And when our hearts are filled with peace, we can then share that peace with others in our daily lives, turning away from our attitudes of ill will when others do mean things to us, and extend peace, as God does to all sinners.  That's the foundation that builds peace in the world.

It fills me with hope that we take the time to help young people through these difficult discussions, and help them see the face of God in it, even in the midst of evil.  Because our faith teaches us that the power of God is greater than anything wrong in this world, and His Righteousness ultimately will triumph, so long as we entrust ourselves to Him.

Faith is a great gift I have received, and it's a joy to participate in these moments, just as I do in Religious Education, passing the faith on to the next generation, to help shape them to follow this way that leads to life vibrant and triumphant.

Popcorn and Porter County

It's time again for the Popcorn Festival in downtown Valparaiso, annually held on the Saturday after Labor Day--and this festival is #93 on my Indiana 200 list.  Ah, I have good memories of heading west of campus to participate in the festivities.  To start off, there's a parade (#94), featuring community organizations from Valparaiso and all over the region of Porter County, many of them incorporating popcorn in their efforts to speak to the year's festival theme.  Following the parade, I'd usually amble by the various booths flanking the Porter County Courthouse sqaure (#95), and spilling into the other streets of downtown Valparaiso, even onto Lincolnway, which is the local stretch of the famed Lincoln Highway (#96).

The festival commemorates local businessman Orville Redenbacher (#97), who sits fixed in place as a statue (#98) on a bench just west of the courthouse, which was installed more recently.

Nearby in downtown Valparaiso is a fine establishment, Valpo Velvet ice cream (#99).  I remember eating it for dessert at Strongbow Inn (#100), a fine restaurant that sadly closed last calendar year.  They served many wonderful dishes featuring turkey.  Just a little ways west on US 30 is the Broadway Cafe (#101), just beyond the edge of the campus of ValpU.

Downtown Valparaiso is also home to Don Quijote, a Spanish restaurant (#102).

Valparaiso gets its name from a city in Chile on the coast of the Pacific Ocean.  Just offshore in the Pacific there was a battle (#103) during the War of 1812, in which  William Sidney Porter (#104), serving in the US Navy and in command of a ship, fought with a British ship.  His name was given to Porter County, of which Valparaiso is the county seat.

I found this out from reading a booklet I picked up at the Valparaiso Branch of the Porter County Public Library System (#105), which is a wonderful library that has all the amenities of a town's public library, great collections, and certain sense of coziness as well.  I was even impressed to see a display of important documents from United States history on a wall near an entrance.

Walking from the ValpU campus to downtown Valparaiso, one notices the rises and dips in the land, which are also prevalent on campus, with some buildings built into small hills.  All these are features of a geographic moraine (#106), marking what was once the shoreline of Lake Michigan.

Speaking of geographical features, 15-20 miles into the natural wonders of Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore (#107), on the southern shore of Lake Michigan, which I spoke of extensively in my blog post on the Centennial of the National Park Service.  The Indiana Dunes lakeshore is itself marking its 50th anniversary this year in 2016.

It was nice to have the opportunity to attend a lecture by former Indiana Dunes NL Superintendent Constantine Dillon (#108), who helped me become aware of the great wealth of biodiversity in the lakeshore area.

The lakeshore has several beaches, including Kemil Beach (#109), West Beach (#110), Porter Beach (#111), Dunbar Beach (#112), Lake View Beach (#113), Portage Lakefront and Riverwalk Beach (#114) by the Riverwalk (#115), Central Avenue Beach (#116), and Mount Baldy Beach (#117), right by Mount Baldy (#118), over in LaPorte County near the lakeshore's eastern border.  There are 15 miles' worth of beaches.  Porter Beach is where I ventured one day to experience the winds of the Superstorm Sandy weather system.

Besides the beaches, there are many other natural areas: Miller Woods (#119) in the western part of the park that extends into Lake County and the eastern Gary neighborhood of Miller, Inland Marsh (#120), Mnoke Prairie (#121), Cowles Bog (#122), Heron Rookery (#123), the Great Marsh (#124), and Glenwood Dunes (#125).  There are 50 miles of trails that extend all over the beaches and other natural areas.

And there are some historic buildings, too:  There are the Bailey Homestead (#126), and the Chelburg Farm (#127), which is the site of an annual apples festival (#128), and an annual maple syrup festival (#129).  I once walked by it while staying at the Spring House Inn (#130) for a retreat in the town of Porter (#131), nestled in some of those wooded areas.

Over by Beverly Shores (#132) are the 5 homes from the Century of Progress World's Fair in Chicago in 1933-1934.  I have had the chance to participate twice in the annual tour of the 5 homes (#133): Wieboldt-Rostone House (#134), the Florida Tropical House (#135) with great views of the beach, the Cypress Log Cabin (#136) whose owner has done a superb job with the interior decorations, the House of Tomorrow (#137) which doesn't have any person restoring it yet, and the Armco-Ferro House (#138) with great views from a solarium on top.

The drive along US Federal Route 12 through the National Lakeshore areas is scenic (#139), providing a similar view as the South Shore Line (#140) tracks along the same corridor, as it goes from Chicago all the way to South Bend.

Nestled in the National Lakeshore is Indiana Dunes State Park (#141).  It also has a nice beach, a historic bathhouse (#142), and many trails that take visitors through the wooded areas of the dunes further inland from the beach.  There are also some tall dunes there, like Mount Tom (#143).

Nearby is the Dune Park South Shore Line train station (#144).  I would board the South Shore Line at this station when headed home, or into downtown Chicago.  It was so nice each time I went home to see the progression of the seasons in the trees of the Dunelands going from summer greens to autumn colors and then winter bareness (#145).

The Dunes Park station serves the Dunes nature parks, and nearby Chesterton (#146), a gateway city for the Dunes lakeshore areas.  Another gateway locale on the northwest edge of Porter County is Portage (#147).  Passing through Portage is US Federal Route 6, which is the local alignment for the Grand Army of the Republic Memorial Highway (#148).  It is a lovely drive through the northern part of Porter County, that I have used a few times when heading out of Valparaiso due north.  Another important north-south road is Indiana State Route 49 (#149), which has its northern terminus at US 12, near the Dune Park train station, and heads south to Chesterton, Valparaiso, and Kouts, to its terminus in Jasper County.  Kouts is known for its annual Porkfest (#150).

Sitting just beyond the western edge of Porter County is the city of Hobart (#151), and nearby is the County Line Orchard (#152), a well-known spot to ValpU students and locals.  Getting to Hobart from Valparaiso takes one along a lovely drive through rural farm areas along Indiana State Route 130 (#153).

Indeed, there is so much rural land surrounding Valparaiso in Porter County.  Another lovely rural locale is the Boone Grove (#154), to the south of Valparaiso, which, as its name suggests, is a grove of trees, through which a road passes.

It was nice getting to know the geography of this area while studying at ValpU, as well as its unique weather:  Because of this area's position relative to Lake Michigan, it lies within the Indiana Lake-Effect Snowbelt (#155), which covers a good portion of Northwest Indiana from Lake County eastward toward South Bend.  When the conditions are just right, cold winds blowing from a northerly or northwesterly direction over the lake for a good stretch, the snow can really fall fast and furious, often in very concentrated bands.  These local specialties, whether lake-effect snow or popcorn, sure added a nice touch to spending time in the area.

A Party that Keeps on Going

Rio de Janeiro keeps the show going with the start of the 2016 Paralympic Games today, keeping the prevailing party atmosphere going that befitting the culture there that was prevalent throughout the Olympic games last month.

With every Olympic event, there are always some spectacular feats of human ability on display.  Equally amazing are the displays of the host city's culture.  Similar themes carried over from the Olympics opening ceremony to the closing ceremony.  Some of the highlights for me were the colorful dancers, and the Carnival-themed festiveness, with lots of fireworks to go around, which went off constantly throughout the ceremony.  Much of the performing happened even with rain falling, which didn't appear to cause any kind of concern as the performers showed themselves to be having a good time.  Then there was that impressive planned rain during that one number by a well-known Brazilian singer, one of many songs sung to highlight Brazilian pop culture.

I liked how there was a choir that sang the Brazilian national anthem, singing it so grandly, in contrast to the simple grandeur of the solo guitarist performing it in the opening ceremony.  In both cases, the national anthem demonstrated itself to be a song espousing a strong sense of pride for the land that is Brazil.  In the closing ceremony, it was quite something to see the colors of the Brazilian flag projected onto the arena floor.  And the Brazilians made their statement again about their role in aviation history by showing again Alberto Santo Dumont, who they say is the one who invented the airplane, before the Wright Brothers' first flight in the Outer Banks of North Carolina.

But the ceremony also gave the worldwide audience the chance to look ahead to the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan.  I was enthralled by teh montage showing the sports culture in Japan.  And I was intrigued by the montage with Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Mario, the video game character.  It will be interesting to see the full show Tokyo puts on in 2020.

In the months leading up to the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, news headlines spoke to concerns over the city's ability to pull off the Olympics event, given the problems plaguing them.  But at the closing ceremony, it was clear those problems hardly posed an issue in Rio de Janeiro putting on a fabulous event.  Perhaps the same will be said of the Paralympic Games, as I saw some headlines expressing similar concerns.  In the spirit of having a good time, it was fitting that upon the extinguishing of the Olympic torch at the closing ceremony, the Samba music and dancing got going alive and well, as if it would last all night long.

1783, and the Heart and Soul of the United States

My thoughts drift to the United States of American in a special way today, as it marks the signing of the Treaty of Paris 1783, on September 3 of that year, ending the American Revolution and officially granting independence to the United States.  This occasion recalls to my mind an event at the heart of this country's formation, putting me in tune with the soul and pulse of this nation.

I've had a number of experiences in the past few months that have connected me with the essence of the United States, even as I've sensed it in the common activities of my life here in my hometown.

I went to Philadelphia, and stood in buildings like Independence Hall, halls where the United States was forged back in momentous days in 1776 when the Continental Congress declared independence, and then where the Constitutions government was shaped and got its bearings in the early years of the Republic.

I went to the National Archives to view the foundational documents of the United States, and then viewed the majestic structures of government and those honoring significant people and events in US history in Washington, D.C.

I experienced great scenic wonders when traveling in the mountains of Colorado, and taking in an especially beautiful scene at Lily Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park.

I celebrated the Centennial of the National Park Service, which has an important stewardship role in maintaining places of historic, cultural, and natural significance.

And while traveling outside of Chicagoland this summer, I soaked in the land that is the United States passing by outside my window aboard an Amtrak train.

Today, I took stock of history in my own backyard by attending a historical tour at the Chicago Portage site, to hear again the story of the spot that contributed enormously to making Chicagoland what it is today.  Then I went off to work at the library, a place that is a marketplace of knowledge and ideas.

What a nation this has become that was born of yearnings for liberty and independence, expanding the scope of lofty principles in the years since 1783, a mission that continues with us today.

I get a reinvigorated sense of what it means to be part of the United States when I take time to have such experiences that put me in tune with the beating heart of the USA, that I know what this country is about, so that I may carry forth in the work of making it a great and righteous nation under God, Who has blessed us with the existence of such an incredible country.

I do my part in this work, keeping in mind the words of the American's Creed:

This plaque is at the Maryland State Capitol in Annapolis, which was the site where George Washington made an important mark in setting the tone for the course this country would take when he resigned his commission as Commander of the Continental Army.  You can click the link above to read the text of the American's Creed.