This year, the State Fair is highlighting Indiana history and culture. Come and check out Indiana trees, Indiana basketball, a covered bridge built for the event, and more. There’s something for everybody – including the great food! Watch the construction of the covered bridge day by day via the State Fair’s website (scroll down to the bottom of the page) or participate in the fourth annual Heartland Walk for Health Saturday, August 9. According to this week’s Governor Mitch Daniels’ Weekly Wrap-up, the walk will be hosted by First Lady Cheri Daniels and activities will include “warm-up exercises, music, entertainment, and free health screenings by Clarian Cardiovascular.” Click here for more information or to register online for the walk.

Indiana State Fair, main page: http://www.in.gov/statefair/fair/#
History of the State Fair: http://www.in.gov/statefair/fair/about/history.html
State Fairgrounds 101: http://www.in.gov/statefair/fairgrounds/general/faq.html
Fairgrounds Map: http://www.in.gov/statefair/fairgrounds/docs/Fairgroundsmap.pdf
Heartland Walk for Health: http://www.kenlongassoc.com/heartland08.htm
Photos from 2005-2007: http://www.in.gov/gov/firstlady/2335.htm

MINIMUM WAGE INCREASE

As of July 24, 2008, the federal minimum wage has officially increased to $6.55/hour, per the U.S. Fair Labor Standards Act. Prior to this, workers making minimum wage at the federal level earned $5.85/hour. Each state also sets its own minimum limit, independent of the federal. While Indiana’s minimum wage is also $6.55/hour, other states have different rates. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, workers must be paid at the higher rate of the two. This new wage is not applicable to workers who receive tips as a part of their income – they earn a minimum of $2.13/hour. Federal minimum wage is scheduled to increase again this time in 2009, when it will be $7.25/hour.

For more information, see the Department of Labor’s website regarding the increase: http://www.dol.gov/dol/topic/wages/minimumwage.htm. To see how Indiana’s wage laws compare with other states, see: http://www.dol.gov/esa/minwage/america.htm.

WORLD BREASTFEEDING WEEK: August 1 – 7

According to the United Nations (UN) News Service, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO) kicked off World Breastfeeding Week last year by calling for new mothers to nurse children immediately after birth. “UNICEF estimates that exclusive breastfeeding to the age of six months can prevent the deaths of 1.3 million children under the age of five each year.” Breastfeeding has remained an international health issue since the 16th century (or before). For a brief history of the concept as a public health issue around the world, see Chapter 4 (Breastfeeding, Fertility and Population Growth) of the 1992 United Nations symposium report, Nutrition Policy Discussion Paper No. 11, “Nutrition and Population Links – Breastfeeding, Family Planning and Child Health.” Especially of interest is the access to early statistics (from years 1540 to 1799) in Table 2: Ages of Weaning Recommended by Early Medical Writers (chapter 4) and Table 3: Mortality Rates in European Foundling Hospitals in the 18th Century (chapter 4).

The links that follow include updated international, federal, and state-level information on breastfeeding and its benefits. Many websites and materials are offered in both Spanish and English.

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=23384&Cr=breastfeeding&Cr1=&Kw1=breastfeeding&Kw2=&Kw3=
UN, “Nutrition and Population Links – Breastfeeding, Family Planning and Child Health”: http://www.unsystem.org/SCN/archives/npp11/index.htm
World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action, World Breastfeeding Week 2008: http://worldbreastfeedingweek.org/
CDC, Breastfeeding Information & national hotline: http://www.cdc.gov/breastfeeding/
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Breastfeeding — Best For Baby. Best For Mom: www.4women.gov/breastfeeding/
MedlinePlus, Breast Feeding: www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/breastfeeding.html
USDA, Food & Nutrition Service, Breastfeeding Promotion and Support in WIC: http://www.fns.usda.gov/wic/Breastfeeding/breastfeedingmainpage.HTM
Indiana State Department of Health, Breastfeeding Resources: http://www.in.gov/isdh/17289.htm
Returning to Work While Breastfeeding: http://www.aafp.org/afp/20031201/2199.html
Breastfeeding made easier at home and work: http://www.4woman.gov/breastfeeding/index.cfm?page=236
National Conference of State Legislatures, 50 State Summary of Breastfeeding Laws http://www.ncsl.org/programs/health/breast50.htm

ACT EARLY – ENCOURAGE DEVELOPMENTAL TESTING

Are your patrons aware that federal and state resources can help them prepare for developmental challenges in the lives of their children? The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities ACT EARLY campaign encourages citizens to “Learn the Signs. Act Early.” Their website lists developmental milestones for children ages three months to five years, useful Fact Sheets, Positive Parenting Tips for infants to adolescents, and links to many resources for parents, healthcare givers, and childcare providers. Materials are also available in Spanish by clicking “Esta página en español” or “CDC en español” at the top of the page (right-hand side).

The mission of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration on Developmental Disabilities (ADD) “ensures that individuals with developmental disabilities and their families participate in the design of and have access to culturally competent services, supports, and other assistance and opportunities that promotes independence, productivity, and integration and inclusion into the community.“ The ADD monitors the implementation of the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 2000 and administers grants for programs that serve children and adults with developmental disabilities.

Indiana‘s Family and Social Services Administration has a program called First Steps which focuses on early intervention for infants and toddlers. It allows eligible families to receive testing and child development-related services. Visit their website for more information. Also, check out child wellness trends in your county via Snapshots of Your County data, from the 2007 Kids Count in Indiana Data Book via the Indiana Youth Institute website.

Act Early: http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/ActEarly/default.htm
Positive Parenting Tips: http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/child/default.htm
U.S. Administration on Developmental Disabilities: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/add/index.html
PUBLIC LAW 106–402: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/add/adddocs/act.pdf
Indiana and the ADD: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/add/states/stin.html
IN FSSA, First Steps: http://www.in.gov/fssa/ddrs/4964.htm
Snapshots of Your County: http://www.iyi.org/reports/county-snapshots.aspx

INVESTMENT PROTECTION FOR SENIOR CITIZENS

You can help older citizens protect themselves from fraudulent investment practices. A recent press release from the Federal Citizen Information Center (FCIC) promotes the new publication package that it created with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission – Fraud Protection for Seniors. This free package includes tips on how to remove names from solicitation lists, how to find an investment advisor, and what to ask prospective investment brokers. It also includes the brochure, “Fighting Fraud 101: Smart Tips for Older Investors,” which details the process some scam artists use to commit fraud, and offers methods to keep from becoming a target. To order the package, visit http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/rc/n78fraudprotection.htm, call 1.888.878.3256 (weekdays, 8am to 8pm), or send your name and address to:
Fraud Protection for Seniors
Pueblo, Colorado 81009.

PDF: http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/cic_text/money/fighting/fraud101.pdf
Large Print PDF: http://www.saveandinvest.org/web/groups/sai/documents/sai_original_content/p036701.pdf
For access to other FCIC publications (free and/or available online), please visit http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/cic_shop/cicshop.htm.

BEIJING TRAVEL ADVISORY

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently issued its travel tips for those choosing to travel to the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. The CDC recommends that visitors to China eat foods that are thoroughly cooked and to stay away from street vendors. Use of ice is discouraged, as is drinking any liquids that are not pre-bottled.

More information on disease risks and links to information and to health-care providers is linked to the CDC website. Travel advisories are also in effect for avian flu and hand, foot, and mouth disease. The CDC advises that visitors can enjoy all that the 2008 Olympics and the country of China has to offer, but to use common sense during their stay.

For more information, please visit the links below.
CDC, Travel like a Champion in China: http://www.cdc.gov/Features/BeijingOlympics
Go for the Gold – Travel in Health: http://www.cdc.gov/Features/OlympicTravel/
Travel risks and advisories: wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/contentolympics2008.aspx
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: www.hhs.gov

by Katharine Springer & Elisabeth O’Donnell

All workshops will be held from 12:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. local time.
Workshop dates include:

• 4/15 Batesville Public Library
• 4/23 Washington Carnegie Public Library
• 4/29 Wells County Public Library
• 5/20 LaPorte County Public Library
• 5/21 Frankfort-Clinton County Contractual Public Library

Visit WebJunction Indiana’s Calendar of Events to register for the workshop near you.

REGISTRATION AVAILABLE FOR FINAL EVERY CHILD READY TO READ® ROUNDTABLE
By Marcia Smith-Woodard, Special Services Consultant, Library Development Office

The statewide Every Child Ready To Read® workshops facilitated by national trainers have been completed. The next phase of the grant includes a series of statewide roundtables designed to give participating library staff members an opportunity to share their progress. The roundtables will also be a chance for those who were unable to attend training to hear several firsthand stories about other libraries’ successes and plans to strengthen their early literacy efforts. Additionally, the roundtables will offer guidance to best utilize the ECRR kits and “Storytimes” books, and promote the ECRR program.

The ninth and final roundtable meeting in the ECRR series will be held in ILF District 7 on Wednesday, April 9, at the Ohio Township Public Library from 1:00 – 3:30 p.m. (Central). The library is located at 4111 Lake Shore Drive Newburgh, IN 47629-0850. The meeting is free and open to all library staff interested in children’s services.

Please register through WebJunction Indiana’s Online Calendar by Monday, April 7 if you plan to attend. Click on April 9 to enter your contact information. Please feel free to bring “show and tell” examples of your ECRR successes to the roundtables.

The next early childhood literacy workshop opportunity will be the Story Times Applications Workshops. There will be one session held in each ILF district. An informational flyer was mailed to every public library in late March. You may also register at WebJunction for those workshops which will be held on April 29, 30, May 1, 7, 8, 12, 13, and 22.

For more information, contact Marcia Smith-Woodard at mwoodard@library.in.gov, (317) 232-3719 or (800) 451-6028.

HAVE REFERENCE QUESTIONS? CALL THE STATE LIBRARY’S REFERENCE HOTLINE AT 866-683-008 OR SUBMIT QUESTIONS ONLINE THROUGH e-REFERENCE