The Dewey Library Blog

President Elect Barak Obama officially takes office on January 20, 2009. There is much discussion about the inaugural preparations: the parade, the balls, the pomp and circumstance. Many presidents have put their own personal stamp on the inaugural ceremonies, and no doubt Obama will have his own distinct celebratory events. Here are some fun facts about past inaugurations:

Much of the inaugural activities are prescribed by tradition: the only stipulation for the ceremonies in the United States Constitution is that the president must take the Oath of Office. Traditionally this has been done by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Justice John Marshall administered the oath more than any other chief justice, for a total of nine times in his career.

The inaugural date was originally March 5, but was changed in the 1930s to January 20th. This was because Roosevelt thought that November through March was too long of a “lame duck” period for the outgoing president. This change was done by constitutional amendment – the 20th amendment. When George Washington was to be inaugurated, the House of Representatives did not have enough members to call a quorum for counting the electoral votes, making the first inauguration six weeks late.

Since it is in January, the weather has sometimes played a role in inaugural celebrations: Ronald Reagan cancelled the parade on his second term for the first time in history due to the cold weather. In 1873, the champagne froze at Ulysses S. Grant’s inaugural reception. At John F. Kennedy’s inauguration, large crowds turned out despite the 22-degree temperature, 19 mph winds and 8 inches of snow. President William Henry Harrison died a month after his inauguration, and this was attributed to his not wearing an overcoat or hat during a rainy inauguration ceremony (and also due to giving the longest inaugural speech in history – one hour and forty minutes).

The crowds have sometimes gotten out of hand at inaugurations: Andrew Jackson had a party at the White House which anyone could attend, and people came in droves, destroying furniture and breaking windows. At Abraham Lincoln’s party, the crowd stole food, silverware, and parts of the draperies from the White House. Contrast this with the security at George W. Bush’s second inaugural ceremonies: the 9/11 attacks had just occurred, so the government brought in 6,000 police officers from both within and outside of Washington DC.

There are many balls and parties after the inauguration and the president traditionally attends all of the official parties. Despite attending all of the inaugural balls, Bush was home by 10:00pm the night of his second inauguration. Clinton was criticized for the 12 balls that were held in his honor – it was felt this was too many. The cost of both George W. Bush’s inaugural ceremonies was about $40 million, whereas Bill Clinton’s cost $25 million in 1993 and $42 million in 1997.

There are many other interesting facts about past inaugural ceremonies as well as the presidency in general. Check out these and other books in the Dewey Library Reference Collection:

Kalba, Deborah, et.al., eds. State of the Union: Presidential Rhetoric from Woodrow Wilson to George W. Bush. Washington DC: CQ Press (2007). University Library Reference: J 81.4 S73 2007

Levy, Leonard and Louis Fisher, eds. Encyclopedia of the American Presidency. Vols. 1 & 2. New York: Simon and Schuster (1994). Dewey Reference JK 511 E53 1994.

Nelson, Michael, ed. The Presidency A to Z 2nd ed. Washington: Congressional Quarterly, Inc. (1998). Dewey Reference: JK 511 P775 1998

Nelson, Michael, ed. Guide to the Presidency, 4th ed. Vols. 1 & 2. Washington, DC: CQ Press (2008). Dewey Reference JK 516 G83 2008

United States, President. Inaugural Addresses of the Presidents of the United States from George Washington to Bill Clinton. Champagne Ill.: Project Gutenberg, Boolder Colorado: Netlibrary (199-?). ONLINE through NetLibrary.

For assistance in researching the presidency, stop by the reference desk or make an appointment with Richard Irving (ririving@uamail.albany.edu).

Posted by Elaine Lasda Bergman at 01:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The University at Albany Foundation is a non-profit organization formed to encourage donations to the University at Albany. One of their annual events is the Citizen Laureate Awards Ceremony. The proceeds of this awards dinner help the University at Albany Foundation. This is the 29th year that the University at Albany Foundation has awarded its Citizen Laureate Awards to honor outstanding leaders in business and industry, government, and academics for their accomplishments. The Academic Laureate Award is given to individuals for their notable achievements in academia and research. This year Dr. Helen R. Desfosses, Associate Professor in the departments of Public Administration & Policy, and Africana Studies was awarded the Academic Laureate award at the awards ceremony on Wednesday November 19, 2008 at the Hall of Springs in Saratoga Springs, New York.

Not only is Dr. Helen Desfosses an Associate Professor in the Public Administration & Policy department and the Africana Studies department, she also is the Professor in Residence at the New York State Assembly Internship program. She has served as President of the Albany Common Council from 1997-2005. She also is a regular political commentator on the public radio station WAMC, and on Albany area television. She has also authored several books and articles on national and international issues. She teaches courses on public policy, legislative politics, and Africa.

She has served as Interim Dean and Associate Dean of Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy, and as Director of the Master’s in Public Policy program. Formerly, she was Dean of Undergraduate Studies at the State University of New York at Albany. She has also served as a consultant on legislative development around the world. She has also received numerous awards and honors.

For all of her hard work and many distinguished accomplishments, we along with the University at Albany Foundation offer our deep thanks and congratulations to Dr. Helen Desfosses.

Blog post created by Judith Mueller

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Try the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) database. This database contains information on countries around the world. For a country’s economic status, political status, and other background information check out the EIU database first. This database is revised once a year from various national and international sources. The statistical tables provide five-years worth of data on topics such as manufacturing, fiscal policy, and unemployment. Together with the text, this information provides you with detailed information about the structure and functioning of each country. However, you can only access this database on the University at Albany campus. To locate this database, go to our Databases and Indexes page, and click on the letter "E".

Another database to check out for foreign affairs is Columbia International Affairs Online (CIAO). This database was created in collaboration between Columbia University libraries and Columbia University Press. It is the most complete source of information by prominent research organizations in the field of international affairs. It is also known for its teaching materials for history and political science classes. If you select the menu item atlas in the left most column on the first page, a map of the world appears. By selecting a continent on the map, you are taken to a second map labeled with the countries in that continent from which you can also select. By doing so, you will retrieve a third map, brief information about that country as well as both political and economic information for that country. This information though provided by the Economist Intelligence Unit that produces the previous database, is not as thorough. To locate this resource, go to our Databases and Indexes page and click on the letter "C ".

The CIA World Factbook is another source for information on world countries. This provides national-level information about countries, territories, and dependencies. This web site provides data about the geography, people, government, economy, communications, transportation, military, and any transnational issues for each country as well as provides a map.

Another US government web site that provides information on foreign affairs is the State Department. The State Department web site provides background notes on many countries that include information about the land, people, history, government, political conditions, economy, defense, foreign relations, and U.S. relations. This information is updated on a regular basis.
So when you are doing research on foreign countries, try these electronic resources available at the University at Albany libraries. If you need more help, contact Dick Irving (rirving@uamail.albany.edu) at Dewey Graduate Library to set up an appointment.

...By the way, the President of Tanzania is Jakaya Kikwete.

Blog Post created by Judith Mueller

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Did Sarah Palin attempt to have books removed from the Wasilla Public Library? Did Barak Obama sponsor legislation to teach comprehensive sex education to kindergarteners? The allegations, whether from the presidential candidates’ campaigns or third parties, are coming fast and furious as we head toward election day. Here are a couple of web sites you can use to check the veracity of the charges. FactCheck.org, http://www.factcheck.org/, is a site maintained by Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania. PolitiFact.com, http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/, is a joint project of the St. Petersburg Times and Congressional Quarterly ( a reputable commercial publisher based in Washington, D.C.). Both of the sites investigate the allegations and provide a report based on reputable sources. As to the allegations referenced above, PolitiFact.com placed them both in their infamous “Pants on Fire” category.

For more information about researching campaign issues, contact bibliographer Richard Irving: 442-3698 or rirving@uamail.albany.edu.

Blog post created by Dick Irving

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September 9 is primary day in New York State. Although there are no elections for statewide positions this year, all House of Representative seats, NYS Senate seats, and NYS Assembly seats are being elected this year. Many of these positions have primary contests. Here are a few key websites and reference resources to help you find out where to vote, which way to vote, and who got elected.

Voting:
The New York State Board of Elections web site has a lot of helpful information regarding HAVA compliance in NYS, NYS election law, enrollment statistics, and links to county boards of elections. The latter can provide helpful information for those planning to vote in the primary election because you can determine the location of polling places which are not necessarily the same as the ones for the general election.

Voting Guide:
C-SPAN: Election Guide-New York, has the names of primary candidates for Congress and the NYS Legislature, and in some cases biographical information and issue statements.

Election Results:
The NYS Board of Elections site has the primary elections results for the 2006 congressional and state legislature races, and some primary results for previous congressional races. America Votes [Dewey Reference JK 1967 A8], is a series which includes the primary results for federal and statewide primary elections. Guide to U.S. Elections 5th ed. [Dewey Reference 1867 C662] has primary results for U.S. Presidential elections (1912-2004), U.S. Senate elections (1920-2004), and Gubernatorial elections (1919-2004). The ICPSR database also has historical data on U.S. primary elections.

Blog post created by Richard Irving

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With the presidential election just around the corner, the University Libraries announces the timely addition of online access to the complete archives of three prominent political journals. The National Review ,The New Republic , and The Nation occupy unique positions on the American political spectrum.

Unabashedly the most conservative of the three (think of the late William F. Buckley), the National Review’s content embraces and very often dictates the political climate of the day. From brief synopses of important news events to longer researched pieces, the National Review Archive allows users to trace the development of conservatism from 1955 to the present day. Of particular note are the book reviews – especially those of works running counter to conservative philosophies – which help to (re)define some of the ideological battle lines present in American politics.

Countering the National Review’s far right leaning, The Nation represents a decidedly liberal stance on issues of politics, religion, arts and culture. The oldest of the three, the online archives provide content from 1865 to present. Besides being an excellent source of original material, the archives guide users through the various bends and re-alignments the word “liberal” has undergone in the last 150 years.

Running more to the political center, The New Republic provides the most objective voice of the three. With over ninety years of content (including the most recent issues), its archives give access to a journal that effectively treats American politics, American culture and foreign policy with equal rigor from both sides of the aisle.

These collections are accessible through Minerva, the University Libraries' online catalog. Locate the journal title in Minerva, click on the “Online” location, and then the “available from Ebscohost” link. Or, search for the collections in Databases and Indexes – clicking on the letter “N” is a convenient way to do this. The EBSCOhost platform allows you to search all content by keyword, author or title. You can also narrow your search by year(s) or specific volumes/issues. If you need help accessing these online archives, please visit a reference librarian, or Ask a Librarian! .

Blog Post Created by Michael V. Daly

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From Dick Irving, our bibliographer for Public Administration and Policy, Law and Political Science:

We now have an online subscription to Gallery Watch CRS Reports. The database includes the full text of all Congressional Research Service reports published since 1993. The reports are excellent starting places for students researching public policy issues. Gallery Watch CRS Reports can be accessed through Databases & Indexes. It is also included on the Political Science. "My Research Subject" page.

Dick also notes that researchers may wish to check out free internet sites providing CRS Reports on his Federal Public Policy page, such as Zfacts.com, OpenCRS.com, and the collection of CRS Reports Hosted by the University of North Texas Libraries.

If you have any questions about Gallery Watch CRS Reports or other questions relating to political science, public administration and policy or law, you may wish to set up a one-on-one appointment with Dick. Call him at 442-3698 or feel free to send him an email at ririving@uamail.albany.edu .

Blog post created by Michael V. Daly

Posted by Elaine Lasda Bergman at 11:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The 2008 campaign for US President is in high gear. Gathering credible information on the candidates is an important endeavor, whether for an academic project or simply to become a more informed citizen. Dick Irving, our Subject Specialist in Political Science, Law, and Public Administration maintains an internet resource guide on United States Politics and Elections. Dick evaluated and collected the most authoritative Internet sites with information on political parties, campaign finance, well-known polling entities, and other useful campaign-related topics.

Two new additions to the Politics and Elections page include:

• Politifact, which can be used to evaluate the accuracy in statements of the candidates. Another site Dick recommends for this purpose is Factcheck.org.
• YouTube: You Choose ’08, which has campaign videos arranged by both candidate and issues.

Dick Irving is happy to help you with any research on the campaigns or any other related topics. Feel free to set up an appointment with him at the Reference Desk – drop by or call 442-3691. You may also e-mail him directly.

Posted by Elaine Lasda Bergman at 11:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

While Tip O’Neil’s infamous phrase “all politics is local” remains part of national political rhetoric, (especially in election years!) a new book by University at Albany professor Sally Friedman, Dilemmas of Representation: Local Politics, National Factors, and the Home Styles of Modern U.S. Congress Members, highlights how “legislators can find surprising and creative ways of combining the local and the national” (29).

Seemingly contrary to her thesis, Friedman, an Associate Professor of Political Science at Rockefeller College, University at Albany, keeps the focus of her book localized. In the opening chapter, “Overview of Theoretical and Methodological Concerns” readers learn not only how she focused on New York State, but also why. Using ten congressional representatives from New York as her starting point, Freidman suggests that in the twenty years since Richard Fenno’s Home Style, which presented representational politics as requiring almost a singular focus on local issues, there has been shift more equal focus between local and national issues. In this new focus, Freidman points to the trend of representatives working more intimately at national and international events, in conjunction with local concerns, to structure their stances and policies. Friedman investigates the numerous factors initiating this change, detailing how adherence to ideologies along party lines, pressing (and highly contestable) national issues and the role of the Executive Branch come together to directly influence legislators.

Written in conjunction with several of her graduate students, Friedman’s book is thoroughly researched while remaining accessible and informative. The plethora of charts and data she incorporates to support her conclusions are well-designed and add much to the presentation of the topic. Local readers might also enjoy the fact that one of her highlighted representatives is Mike McNulty, the Democrat who represents the 21st Congressional District, which includes Albany County. Astute readers will note that Fenno was Friedman’s undergraduate professor. This book is a prime source for those interested in, or students engaged with American politics and the forces driving them in the 21st century.

Blog Post Written By Michael Daly

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The University at Albany Libraries now offer two new databases that may be of particular interest to the downtown campus community.

Public Administration Abstracts provides bibliographic information for a wide variety of topics related to the disciplne of public administration, for example: administration and economy; law, politics and society; administrative structures and organization; international relations, organizations and policy; national government; public and social services; taxation, budgeting and finance; and theory and methods. Coverage runs from 1974 to the present.

Abstracts in Social Gerontology provides bibliographic information on topics such as: elder abuse, services and advocacy for the elderly, mental and physical health issues affecting the elderly, caregiving, death and bereavement, family issues concerning the elderly, and legislation and policies affecting the elderly.

Both of these databases are replacing their print counterparts and are available from the Database and Indexes page on the UA Libraries' main web page.

Don't forget to contact us if you have questions about these new resources, or if we can help you with any other request.

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The Commission on Higher Education released its Preliminary Report in December. The Executive Summary highlights the following reccomendations:

• Establish a $3 billion research fund, the Empire State Innovation Fund, to support meritorious research important to New York's future.
• Create a low-cost student loan program for residents attending college in New York State.
• Establish the New York State Compact for Public Higher Education to clearly delineate shared responsibility for public higher education resources.
• Rebuild CUNY and SUNY faculty ranks by strategically hiring an additional 2,000 full-time faculty, including 250 eminent scholars, over the next five years.
• Modify SUNY's governance structure and system administration to provide more focused attention and support for the research campuses.
• Provide meaningful regulatory relief for SUNY and CUNY, by removing restrictions that impede campuses' ability to adapt quickly and promote quality.
• Develop Educational Partnership Zones in high-need school districts, bringing together higher education and P-12 resources to improve student outcomes and enhance college participation.
• Ensure that high school graduates are well prepared for college through a College Readiness Act.
• Strengthen articulation and transfer throughout SUNY and CUNY with a goal of system-wide articulation of comparable courses and seamless transfer into parallel programs by 2011-12.
• Address the backlog of critical maintenance at SUNY and CUNY with a sustained program of capital reinvestment.

The Commission was created by Executive Order in May of 2007. The members consist of representatives from the Executive and Legislative branches of state government; public and private college/university administrators; SUNY and CUNY faculty and students; unions; and advocacy groups. The final report of the Commission is due in June 2008 after incorporating input from the public.

Posted by Elaine Lasda Bergman at 04:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Oxford Handbook of Public Policy. Edited by Michael Moran, Martin Rein, and Robert E. Goodi Oxford. New York : Oxford University Press, 2006. [Location: Dewey Library / Reference: H 97 O88 2006]

The Oxford Handbook of Public Policy is part of a 10 volume series collectively known as The Oxford Handbooks of Political Science (use Minerva to find other volumes by selecting the option “Series begins with…” and then typing “Oxford Handbooks of Political Science” in the search box).

Some of the issues covered by the Oxford Handbook of Public Policy include: policy persuasion, practice, constraints, and change. The editors have focused on aspects that limit “ambitious” policy making as well as the impact, causes and effects of more moderate effots. This is beneficial because it helps to avoid redundancy and it raises issues a researcher may want to further explore.

The categorizations used in the Handbook make the volume user-friendly for researchers and cover historical background, policy analysis models and various aspects of policy making such as how it is created, implemented, or constrained. If one has a general topic in mind he or she can readily see if it is covered in this work. The book also provides guidance as to some of the divisions of study for researchers who do not have a clear view on divisions of the general subject of public policy.

The Handbook has two indexes that are extremely useful to researchers. The Name Index includes all referenced authors and organizations. Even more useful for researchers is the Subject Index. This index references all subjects covered and breaks them down in a manner that helps one to find the specific subject and aspect(s) of that subject he or she is looking for. This index allows one to either narrow his or her search or expand it. Someone with a general idea of the topic is given more specific breakdowns. A user with a more focused subject term is given other topics that could be relevant to his or her research.

This volume functions both as a good starting point for research and a source for more in-depth and focused research. The Handbook is both scholarly and easy to follow. The authors break the subjects down into subdivisions when necessary. Each chapter also ends with a list of references used by its author. All of these elements make this set valuable to users.

Come take a look at this or other titles in the Dewey Reference Collection -- you may be suprised at the great information you are quickly able to find! And don’t forget -- if you are working on a project in the area of Public Administration/Policy, Subject Specialist Dick Irving is here to help. You can always e-mail or call him (442-3698) to set up an appointment.

Blog post created by David Phillips.

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For the first time in 12 years, the majority in Congress has switched from Republican to Democrat. There are many resources to help you identify the change in policy directions or keep current on Congressional Activities.

For current developments in Congress:

Thomas : this free website maintained by the Library of Congress contains bills, resolutions, congressional record schedules, calendars, committee information, treaties and more.

C-Span: this free website is created by the public access channel on cable television that broadcasts all of the activities of Congress. This site provides video clips of notable activities, roll calls, congressional schedule, and programming schedules.

CQ Weekly: current and past issues of this magazine from Congressional Quarterly are available online and in print. Check the Minerva record for information about accessing online.

LexisNexis Congressional: UA Libraries pay for a subscription to this database which provides significant legislative documentation on the current activities of congress, such as the congressional record, legislative histories, and a “Political News/ Hot Topics” section. Access this resource through the Library’s Database Finder.

For past Congressional activity:

CQ Weekly: Online access for this resource dates back to 1983, and print access is from 1998-2005 (Dewey JK 1 C15). Check the Minerva record for information about accessing online.

LexisNexis Congressional: Online access to Congressional materials in this database dates back to 1969. Access this resource through the Library’s Database Finder

CQ Almanac: This annual compendium of key votes, texts, and activities of Congress is available at the Dewey Library (Call number: JK 1 C66) Recent issues are in the Reference section and older volumes are in the regular collection, but do not circulate.

For a concise history of Congress:

Congressional Quarterly’s Guide to Congress has sections on Congressional origins and development, powers, procedures, pay, qualifications and conduct. This item is print only (Dewey Reference JK 1021 C565).

If you need help with your research relating to Congress or other legal/political/policy issues, contact Dick Irving for an appointment.

Posted by Elaine Lasda Bergman at 01:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Taking office this January are ten new members of the United States Senate and 54 new members of the House of Representatives. Here is a rundown of some information sources regarding members of Congress and their districts:

Thomas is a government-produced website with information on the Legislative Branch of government, operated by the Library of Congress. Information about the 110th Congress and its activites are available here.

LexisNexis Congressional is a subscription database you have access to as a Univeriity at Albany student, staff or faculty member. This database contains information on Congressional activities, as well as members and their committee assignments, political news, and the Rules of Congress. Access Lexis Nexis Congrssional by searching for it in the Database Finder.

For members of previous Congresses, check the following print and online sources:

For demographic information on congressional districts:

Contact Dick Irving if you would like assistance with your public administration, political science, or legal research.

Posted by Elaine Lasda Bergman at 07:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

CQ Weekly is an authoritative source for information regarding the US Congress and its activities. Dick Irving likes the publication for it's frequent updates of congressional news as well as its analysis of political trends.

The University Libraries recently converted its subscription for CQ Weekly to the online version. Now University at Albany faculty, staff, and students can access the full text of this valuable resource from on campus or home. The online version contains the full text of articles as well as floor votes and its coverage extends back to 1983. There is a link to the database from the record for CQ Weekly in the university libraries’ online catalog, Minerva. It can also be accessed directly thru the following url: http://library.cqpress.com/cqweekly/ .

Off campus access requires that the accessing pc be set up as a proxy server (see instructions at for doing that here ).

Posted by Elaine Lasda Bergman at 01:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)