This Week's Facts:

-First Lady Encourages Hoosiers to Do More Walking

-National Archives Resources Commemorate D-Day

-New EPA Blogs Tackle Popular Environmental Issues

-Library of Congress Releases 2011 Additions to Recording Registry

Do you want something fun and free to do this weekend? The Indiana Department of Natural Resources' Division of Fish and Wildlife is sponsoring a Free Fishing Weekend June 2-3, 2012. During free fishing weekend, Indiana residents do not need a fishing license or a trout/salmon stamp to fish in Indiana waters. Fishing is a fun activity that can be enjoyed alone or with the family.  If you are taking the kids, the DNR has tips for fishing with kids. No matter where you are, you can find a great place to fish  at the DNR’s beautiful properties. Grab your reels and get ready for a great weekend! Did we mention it’s free?!

Friday Facts Editorial Team:

Katharine Springer
State Data Center Coordinator

Elisabeth Hedges
Federal Documents Librarian
&
Kim Brown-Harden
State Documents Coordinator

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First Lady Encourages Hoosiers to Do More Walking

Are you ready to get in shape, and lose weight? Walking is a great way to get healthy and fit without special equipment – or a gym membership! All you need is a pair of sneakers and some music (or a partner), and you’re all set! Indiana’s First Lady, Cheri Daniels, encourages Hoosiers to get Ready, Set, Walk! Ready, Set, Walk is a walking program to encourage everyone to get/stay healthy by getting into a fitness routine. Walking can be a safe, low-impact routine for just about anyone.

Here are a few tips to get you started: Wear a pedometer; Track your progress; Walk at work; Listen to music, and find a new route. These tips and more can be found in the Ready, Set, Walk weekly newsletters and videos. You can also track your progress with a logsheet that will motivate and inspire you throughout your fitness journey. Take advantage of the warmer weather and longer days - Get ready, set, walk!

National Archives Resources Commemorate D-Day  

June 6 marks the 58^th anniversary of the D-Day invasion. Code-named Operation Overlord, this was the combined Allied effort of British, American, and Canadian troops. Over 5,300 ships and 11,000 planes crossed the English Channel and landed at Normandy. The goal was to drive the German front back to Berlin by opening up a European Western Front. The federal government has several websites commemorating this. First, be sure to check out the Library of Congress Today in History for June 6^th. You’ll get a brief overview of D-Day and a look at photographs to learn about other World War II events. Also from the Library of Congress is the American Treasures feature. For D-Day, they profile the front page of the June 6, 1944 extra edition of the New York Times. The paper includes full page coverage and maps of Normandy. It offers a glimpse into the past by allowing access to the actual newspaper.

The National Archives also has something to offer. First, you can look at a message to the “Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen of the Allied Expeditionary Force,” offering words of pre-invasion encouragement from General Dwight D. Eisenhower. However, Eisenhower also knew that the invasion was not without its risks. In fact, he was prepared for a failure. The Archives has a copy of a message he wrote to be made public in the event of a full Allied retreat. This last message is included in the Archives Teaching with Documents program.

New EPA Blogs Tackle Popular Environmental Issues

The Environmental Protection Agency has launched four new blogs in the last year that may be of interest to patrons. The Eco Student, launched in November 2011, is geared for – you guessed it – students. The great thing about this blog is that not only are entries written by EPA employees and targeted to young adults, but students can actually submit guest posts! Recent student-written posts have been about reducing waste in the cafeteria, recycling in school, and air quality. The remaining blogs were launched this past April and are geared for adults. It All Starts With Science deals with the science and engineering efforts that make up the backbone of the EPA’s initiatives. Patrons anxious to take a more active role in environmentalism will be interested in Environmental Justice in Action, a blog dedicated to achieving environmental justice around the country. It discusses important issues in the United States today, as well as how citizens can work with government officials and each other to achieve more. Finally, libraries with Spanish-speaking communities will be interested in Conversando Acerca de Nuestro Medio Ambiente, or Talking About Our Environment, a blog written entirely in Spanish. Recent posts for Asthma Awareness Month include Nadar, montar en bicicleta, correr a pesar de tener asma (Swimming, bike riding, and running while having Asthma), Las desigualdades del asma: una carga desproporcionada (The Inequalities of Asthma, a Disproportionate Burden), and Cree un entorno saludable de aprendizaje con el Programa de Manejo del Asma (Create a healthy environment for learning with the Asthma Management Program).

Library of Congress Releases 2011 Additions to Recording Registry

Donna Summer’s ground breaking all-electronic 1977 hit, the creative wordplay of the Sugarhill Gang, the sounds of Native American culture and the voices of former slaves are among the sound recordings selected for induction into the National Recording Registry of the Library of Congress. The Registry annually adds recordings that are “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” and preserves them for future generations. Click here to read about all of the new entries and hear an audio montage.