One hundred and fifty years ago on April 12, 1861, shots were fired on Ft. Sumter in South Carolina. These shots marked the beginning of a war that would be fought on American soil for the next four years. The beginning of war was a fateful moment—one of the most profound in U.S. history—and in many ways it was the moment modern America was born.
The Civil War Tribute Quilt on display in the Al Harris Library was created in commemoration of this conflict. Stop by the library to look at the quilt along with the poster that provides information about the battle representations that are blocks of the quilt.
Check out the books and video resources that are also part of the display. Many new books that focus on a retrospective look at the war are included in the display. Through these resources, the reader is given the opportunity to consider the impact of this hard-fought conflict on our society today.
For a better understanding of the complexity of the Civil War, link to Civil War Timeline to see when and where the fighting took place.

Still Time to Get Your Norse On!

If you've seen the first summer blockbuster, Thor, several times or have yet to view it, the Al Harris Library still provides access to the Odinson for a few days more. We are providing a rich resource into Norse Mythology for anyone to learn more about Odin, Thor, Loki and the others. This display offers the historical background of norse mythology, retellings of the myths, iconography of norse gods throughout the history of art, and several graphic novels to enjoy Marvel's version of the Thunder God and his realm, Asgard.

Although the case is locked, ask for assistance to checkout any of the books in this case. For enthusiasts, a special replica resides in the case - Thor's hammer, the powerful Mjöllnir.

Online Tutorials: The Math of Khan

What started out as Sal Khan making a few algebra videos for his nieces and nephews has grown to over 2000 videos and 100 self-paced exercises and assessments covering everything from arithmetic to physics, finance, and history. Recently profiled in Bloomberg BusinessWeek report :The Math of Khan Salman Khan is the recipient of a $1.5 million donation from The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. All of the Khan tutorials are free and available on the web.

To learn more visit the Khan Academy.