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Posted by: Donna Scanlon
Disneyland opened in Anaheim, CA on this date in 1955. Having worked for The Walt Disney Company at various points in my career, I have a special fondness for all things Disney. A recent vacation took me to Germany where I was able to visit Neuschwanstein, a castle that was “a tremendous inspiration to Walt …
Posted in: Business, Heritage Months, Holidays, and Today in History
Posted by: Donna Scanlon
On today’s date in 1785 the Continental Congress set the dollar as the official currency of the new United States. Also on this date it was Resolved “That the several pieces shall increase in a decimal ratio.” As a side note Thomas Jefferson wrote on this very topic in “Notes on the establisment[!] of a …
Posted in: Business, Heritage Months, Holidays, and Today in History, Money
Posted by: Jennifer Harbster
Being a vegetarian, it may seem strange that I am writing about cooking meat. To be honest, I love the smell of barbecue. There must be a part of my ancestral brain that gets triggered, because my stomach starts to growl every time I smell the sweet smoke of a barbecue. Since prehistoric time humans from …
Posted in: Cookbooks and Food, Heritage Months, Holidays, and Today in History
Posted by: Donna Scanlon
234 years ago the Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence announcing the colonies’ separation from Great Britain. It has been estimated that there were approximately 2.5 million people in this new nation at that time. [1] Today a celebration of our independence takes place every year on the anniversary of the signing of …
Posted in: Business, Heritage Months, Holidays, and Today in History
Posted by: Donna Scanlon
Some history and resource on child labor.
Posted in: Business, Heritage Months, Holidays, and Today in History
Posted by: Jennifer Harbster
Our guest author today is Constance Carter, head of the science reference section, mentor, and cookie goddess. Today is the birthday of Ruth Graves Wakefield, “mother of the chocolate chip cookie.” She was born on June 17, 1903, and Inside Adams is celebrating by unveiling the division’s latest acquisition, the 1938 edition of Ruth Wakefield’s …
Posted in: Cookbooks and Food, Heritage Months, Holidays, and Today in History, Women's History
Posted by: Jennifer Harbster
Have you noticed people wearing the paper red poppies that veterans sell each Memorial Day? This tradition can be traced back to Miss Moina Michael of Athens, Georgia. She had the inspiration on November 9, 1918 to make the red poppy (Papaver rhoeas) the symbol of remembrance for the sacrifices of fallen soldiers during World War I. Her …
Posted in: Biography, Heritage Months, Holidays, and Today in History, Women's History
Posted by: Donna Scanlon
Masking tape, transparent (cellophane) tape, duct (or duck) tape… we use tape when we paint, wrap gifts, mend things, and create clothing. Yes clothing! My daughter made a dress from duck tape for her junior prom – it is quite the competition. Where did it all begin? An engineer by the name of Richard Drew …
Posted in: Business, Heritage Months, Holidays, and Today in History, Inventions
Posted by: Jennifer Harbster
It may sound clichéd, but as a librarian, one of the best gifts you can give me is a book. For Christmas one year, I received a re-issue of Rachel Carson’s 1965 Sense of Wonder . This book is an expansion of her 1956 essay “Help Your Child to Wonder” published in the July issue …
Posted in: Biography, Heritage Months, Holidays, and Today in History, Women's History