Stand Up and Be Counted

National census forms were due on April 16, the day after federal income taxes were due. Unlike income taxes, you have no reason to worry if you did not turn in this form on time. Although census forms were mailed out in March, census takers will go door to door starting in May to ensure United States residents are counted. This means that those who did not receive a form in the mail will still be included.

One may ask why we should care about the census. It has been important throughout American history. Before the Civil War, each slave was counted fully to determine the population but as three fifths of a person to determine seats for the United States House of Representatives. According to the National Archives, Native Americans were only counted starting in 1860 if they did not live on reservations or unsettled land. The way people have been counted has led to debate in America's past.

The census is important even now. Although the total number of representatives does not change, states can gain or lose representatives to other states. States can lose representatives if their rate of population growth is less than that of other states. States with a recent wave of immigrants can gain representatives. For example, Utah—which has a large population of Mormon missionaries—cannot count its residents living abroad. Prisoners are counted as residents of the prison and not their residence before incarceration, leading to areas with large prison populations being better represented in Congress.

The census utilizes a secure program to protect residents' privacy. All census employees are sworn to not show or tell census information to anybody, including other federal organizations and regardless of their continued employment with the U.S. Census Bureau. This means that the Federal Bureau of Investigation cannot access census information to search for residents living in the country illegally. This also means census employees can be fined or jailed if they do disclose personal details such as GPS coordinates and Social Security numbers.

The census is published to the public seventy-two years after enumeration, but it never publishes private information. The library has Arkansas census information between 1870 and 1930 on microfilm and, with a library card, through Heritage Quest. The microfilm details a wealth of information not only about numbers of people but age, race, ethnicity, and religion. In addition, it makes subtle references to cultural norms through word choice. Terms now considered politically incorrect such as “idiot” were used to count residents with mental disabilities. This leads one to wonder if the terminology we use will be laughable to our grandchildren when they look through our census results in 2082.

GoodReads at the Garland County Library

In the electronic world of social networking, GoodReads is the FaceBook for bookworms, with one major exception. GoodReads reflects common interests rather than mutual acquaintanceship – It’s not whom you know; it’s whom you read. Moreover, GoodReads features special groups or fan clubs dedicated to various literary interests: genres, periods, plus canonical and popular authors. Using an all inclusive approach, we hope that the Garland County Library group will foster an atmosphere of intellectual curiosity.

Feel free to read and review any book in our collection. Turn us on to your favorite novels, mysteries, fantasy fictions, romances, westerns. Share your opinions on the books that inspire, entertain or, even, disappoint you. Patron participation is the key ingredient.

Joining is easy. You’ll only need a valid e-mail address and a few spare minutes to complete a brief and non-intrusive questionnaire. Then, use your electronic bookshelf to compile lists of books you’ve read or would like to read. After establishing your profile, search for the Garland County Library on the groups tab and start recommending your favorite authors and books to fellow GCL patrons.

Keep in mind that we represent a public family institution. Treat your fellow contributors with courtesy and respect. Most importantly, have fun!

Sincerely,

Your Moderators: Scott Lewis, Tony Webb and Walton Wood.

Get started today at http://www.goodreads.com

2010 Pulitzer Prizes in Letters

Fiction

For distinguished fiction by an American author, preferably dealing with American life, Ten thousand dollars.

Awarded to "Tinkers," by Paul Harding, a powerful celebration of life in which a New England father and son, through suffering and joy, transcend their imprisoning lives and offer new ways of perceiving the world and mortality.

Finalists

Also nominated as finalists in this category were "Love in Infant Monkeys," by Lydia Millet, an imaginative collection of linked stories, often describing a memorable encounter between a famous person and an animal, underscoring the human folly of longing for significance while chasing trifles; and “In Other Rooms, Other Wonders,” by Daniyal Mueenuddin, a collection of beautifully crafted stories that exposes the Western reader to the hopes, dreams and dramas of an array of characters in feudal Pakistan, resulting in both an aesthetic and cultural achievement.

History

For a distinguished and appropriately documented book on the history of the United States, Ten thousand dollars.

Awarded to “Lords of Finance: The Bankers Who Broke the World,” by Liaquat Ahamed, a compelling account of how four powerful bankers played crucial roles in triggering the Great Depression and ultimately transforming the United States into the world’s financial leader.

Finalists

Also nominated as finalists in this category were “Fordlandia: The Rise and Fall of Henry Ford’s Forgotten Jungle City,” by Greg Grandin, an evocative, heavily researched examination of an industrial giant’s grandiose scheme to create a model rubber plantation deep in the Amazon forest; and “Empire of Liberty: A History of the Early Republic, 1789-1815,” by Gordon S. Wood, a lucid exploration of a turbulent era when a profoundly changing America, despite the sin of slavery, came to see itself as a beacon to the world, demonstrating human capacity for self-government.

Biography or Autobiography

For a distinguished and appropriately documented biography or autobiography by an American author, Ten thousand dollars.

Awarded to “The First Tycoon: The Epic Life of Cornelius Vanderbilt,” by T.J Stiles, a penetrating portrait of a complex, self-made titan who revolutionized transportation, amassed vast wealth and shaped the economic world in ways still felt today.

Finalists

Also nominated as finalists in this category were “Cheever: A Life,” by Blake Bailey, an absorbing, impeccably researched exploration of the famed writer John Cheever, illuminating his greatness as well as flaws, told in a compelling voice worthy of the subject; and “Woodrow Wilson: A Biography,” by John Milton Cooper Jr., a magisterial work that corrects erroneous perceptions and casts important new light on one of the most pivotal and enigmatic American presidents, fully placing the man in the context of his times.

General Nonfiction

For a distinguished and appropriately documented book of nonfiction by an American author that is not eligible for consideration in any other category, Ten thousand dollars.

Awarded to “The Dead Hand: The Untold Story of the Cold War Arms Race and Its Dangerous Legacy,” by David E. Hoffman, a well documented narrative that examines the terrifying doomsday competition between two superpowers and how weapons of mass destruction still imperil humankind.

Finalists

Also nominated as finalists in this category were: “How Markets Fail: The Logic of Economic Calamities,” by John Cassidy, a work that probes the complexity of the Great Recession, using solid research and precise documentation to reveal not only a gripping human drama but also a tense clash of ideas; and “The Evolution of God,” by Robert Wright, a sweeping look at the origins and development of religious belief throughout human history.

New York Review Books at GCL

We're trying to make April less cruel by introducing a great new collection of books. The New York Review Book Classics is a set of 250 interesting titles, ranging from Greek classics to contemporary fiction, all beautifully bound and introduced by a host of renowned critics and scholars.

The set was bought through a grant from the Arkansas State Library and titles are available for check out now.

For a complete list of titles, click here.

Even though we haven't had time to read many of the books yet, an early stand out favorite would have to be My Dog Tulip by English author J.R. Ackerley, originally published in 1956.
This is surely the least sentimental dog tale ever written. It is a very, very funny (and ultimately poignant) account of Ackerley's efforts to mate his German Shepherd, Tulip. It's a sort of canine Shakespeare's sonnets written in prose, wherein Tulip plays by turns both the fair youth and the dark lady. Highly recommended.

One down, 249 to go . . .

Arkansas Literary Festival starts next week

The annual Arkansas Literary Festival gets started April 8th in Downtown Little Rock. The festival, which is run by the Central Arkansas Library System, runs through April 11th at various venues in and around the Central Arkansas Library's Main campus on Rock St. Festivities include workshops, author readings and presentations, a meet-and-greet with nationally renowned authors, exhibits on book art, and poetry contest among other things. Of particular interest to this foodie is the panel discussion on the Oxford American Southern Food Issue, presented by Lolis Elie, author of Smokestack Lightning: Adventures in the Heart of Barbeque Country; Brett Anderson, food critic for the New Orleans Times-Picayune; and freelance writer Sam Eifling. The literary festival also offers programs on building puppets, teaching chess to kids, origami workshops, and more.

For a complete schedule of events and venues, visit http://www.arkansasliteraryfestival.org/