Time to Fall Back! Change Your Clocks

Remember, the time change is upon us!

Saturday night/Sunday morning is time for us to fall back one hour.

We hope all SWOSU students enjoy their extra hour of sleep or watching horror movies.

Happy Halloween!

Is Your Cell Phone Safe?

In a recent test of U.S. homes, cell phones were found to actually be dirtier than toilet seats.

“The phones contained more skin bacteria than the any other object; this could be due to the fact that this type of bacteria increases in high temperatures and our phones are perfect for breeding these germs as they’re kept warm and cozy in our pockets, handbags and brief cases. These bacteria are toxic to humans, and can cause infections if they have the opportunity to enter the body.” - Joanne Verran, Professor of Microbiology at Manchester Metropolitan University


There are several things you can do to protect yourself . The easiest is to frequently clean your phone with a clean cloth dampened with rubbing alcohol or a disinfectant wipe. Just be sure not to soak your phone or get any liquid inside, since it is an electrical device.

Federal Trade Commission: Protecting America's Consumers.

Before you make any big purchase or investment, be sure to check out the Federal Trade Commission's website. (Click on the blue title above to link, then click on Consumer Protection, then Consumer Information.)

What you will find is very concise information about a plethera of subjects: Automobiles, Computers & the Internet, Credit & Loans, Education, Scholarships & Job Placement, Energy & Environment, Health, ID Theft, Investments & Business, Shopping for Products & Services, Telemarketing & Phone Service.

Reading these short tips will help you recognize and avoid rip-offs. They will also help you know what questions to ask before you buy - to protect yourself and your wallet. Also available in Spanish.

Sound Effects For Too Quiet Cars?

Hybrid autos are becoming quieter every year. This sounds like a good thing, but totally silent cars pose a risk to pedestrians (especially young children and the blind.) Surprisingly, a hybrid in silent battery mode can only be heard when approaching within seven feet of the listener.

A possible solution would be to get help from Hollywood to create different sound effects for the cars to emit - which would alert pedestrians of approaching cars. Click on the blue title above to link to online article from the New York Times. Auto buyers may get to choose which sound effects their hybrid will make.

Pillbox Beta Announced.

The National Library of Medicine has released a new product in beta called Pillbox. Click on the blue title above to link to website. This website allows you to quickly and accurately identify pills using the shape, color, size, scoring and imprint of the pill being examined.

Links are provided to NLM drug information resources, such as DailyMed and the Drug Information Portal.

Pillbox was created by a partnership between the National Library of Medicine and the Food and Drug Administration and could be especially usefull to pharmacy and nursing students.

October is National Information Literacy Awareness Month

President Obama issued a proclomation Thursday, October 1st declaring October as the official National Information Literacy Awareness Month. From President Obama, "This month, we dedicate ourselves to increasing information literacy awareness so that all citizens understand its vital importance. An informed and educated citizenry is essential to the functioning of our modern democratic society, and I encourage educational and community institutions across the country to help Americans find and evaluate the information they seek, in all its forms.

Federal Websites for Tribal Libraries & Tribal College Libraries.

Click on the blue title above to link to website. The purpose of this website is to highlight government websites which serve American Indians or focus on American Indian issues, such as the Indian Health Service and the Bureau of Indian Affairs; or have significant American Indian content in them, such as the CDC and the Minerals Management Service. There are also links to sites such as SAMSA.