Oshkosh Public Library Hot Topics

50th Anniversary of "To Kill a Mockingbird"


July 11, 2010 marks the 50th anniversary of Harper Lee's Pulitzer Prize-winning classic, To Kill A Mockingbird.  This coming-of-age tale set in the South has been translated into more than forty languages, sold more than thirty million copies worldwide, was a popular motion picture, and was voted one of the best novels of the twentieth century by librarians across the country.

 

To Kill a Mockingbird: 50th Anniversary - Facebook
Celebrate an American Classic -HarperCollins

 

Oshkosh Tax Office

The Wisconsin Dept. of Revenue (tax) office in Oshkosh will be closing on July 12th.  Closest office will be Appleton:  265 W. Northland Ave. Monday-Friday 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. 920-832-2727

New Laws

Wisconsin Drunk Driving Laws
Effective July 1st, there were four main changes to the drunk driving law.  Fourth offense and first offense Operating While Intoxicated (OWI), Ignition interlocks devices (IIDs), and a greater emphasis on treatment for drunk drivers were changed.  The Wisconsin Dept. of Transportation has an explanation of the changes: http://bit.ly/cvtpIm.

Smoke Free Air Law
Effective July 5th, most public places will be smoke-free.  Two page publication explains what areas are smoke-free and if violated, the fine.

 

Watts Up Meter

Do you know how much your home's electrical devices cost to operate each month? Could some of them be costing you too much?

You can find out exactly how much energy your appliances and electronics use, even when they're turned off, with help from an instrument called a Watts Up meter from WPS and Focus on Energy.

The Oshkosh Public Library now has A Watts Up meter.  It is available at the 1st floor Public Service Desk.  You can check it out for a two week loan period.  If the meter is checked out, place a hold/reserve through the library catalog.

Self-Sufficiency in the Oshkosh Area

Self-Sufficiency: the point where families and individuals have enough income to meet their basic needs without public or private assistance.  Everyday thousands of low-income children and families are struggling to become self-sufficient. They're faced with the hard realities of low-wage work, child care problems, insufficient access to health care, food insecurity, and homelessness.  These pages provide a glimpse of the issues that impact an individual or family from being self-sufficient.

New Wine Magazine in Collection

The Library now has Wine Enthusiast in their magazine collection, starting with the June 2010 issue.  The magazine features articles on great wines from the United States and around the world as well as food recipes, a wine glossary and restaurant guide.  Current issue will be in the Reading Room and back issues on the 1st floor.

Community Garden Plots

UW Extension has announced that they are now accepting applicants for the community garden plots located at Sherman Road just northeast of town and at Riverside Cemetery, which is somewhat north central of town. Garden plots are about 20X40 feet, and the rental cost is about $25.00. Gardeners can rent multiple plots.

For more information, check out the the Winnebago County - UW Extension website.  Check out this list of books on farmer's markets, edible foods, and community gardens from the Oshkosh Public Library.  There is also a display of books on the 2nd floor at the library.
 

New Magazines

Two new magazines in our collection  - Bon Appetit and Fast Company

Food and entertaining magazine.  12 issues a year.  Sister magazine "Gourmet" folded last year.  Our subscription starts with May 2010 issue.
 

Business magazine.  10 issues a year.  Topics include innovation, digital media, technology, change management, leadership, design, and social responsibility.  Regular features are "Next" short articles on money, tech, design and media, and "Wanted" - what you will crave this month.  Current issues covered how tech is making kids smarter, the world's 50 most innovative companies, and an article about Volkswagen.  Our subscription starts with February 2010.

 

Donate Life Wisconsin

Become a potential donor of organs, tissues and eyes by signing up on a new online registry.  Donate Life Wisconsin website provides facts on organ donation, how to support the cause, and stories of hope.  If you have an orange dot on your license, it does not automatically put you into the database.  Those who agree to become an organ donor when they apply for and renew licenses in the future will be added automatically.

Drug Drop Box

Instead of flushing your unwanted or expired prescriptions down the toliet, there's another option available.  The drug drop box, available free of charge 24 hours a day, seven days a week, can be found at the Public Safety Building, 420 Jackson St. in Oshkosh.  The box is located across the hall from the Oshkosh Police Department.  Name of person on the bottle or container should be blacked out.  The name of the medication should remain marked for sorting purposes.

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