Winter is on its way, and with it comes thoughts of warm fires, hot chocolate, and maybe even snow here in the South. But for people working with the homeless, winter is an even more stressful time, making sure everyone has someplace warm to sleep on cold nights.

 The federal Substance Abuse and Mental Services Administration (SAMSHA) has a new website called the Homelessness Resource Center, designed to share ”state-of-the art knowledge and promising practices to prevent and end homelessness through”:

•    Training and technical assistance.
•    Publications and materials.
•    On-line learning opportunities.
•    Networking and collaboration.

The website currently has a Knowledge Base of over 2,000 articles, reports, research, and resources on many different aspects of homelessness.  They also have newsletter you can subscribe to and a list of upcoming training opportunities and events.

The Homelessness Research Center also has a rotating feature section, which highlights news, current research, tools and assessments, and other resources for specific topics. Features have included youth, trauma, self-care, and health.

Homelessness Research Center: http://homeless.samhsa.gov/

Are lists taking over your life? Can’t seem to get started on your next project, lecture, or assignment? Need a different way to take notes?

Mind maps might be an effective way for you to organize your thoughts and concepts-and even make note-taking fun!

A mind map is a diagram used to represent words, ideas, tasks or other items linked to and arranged radially around a central key word or idea. There is a good article from Wikipedia with the basic history and idea behind mind maps.

Useful for:

• Taking notes during a lecture
• Brainstorming
• Group discussions
• Problem solving
• Notes while reading
• Outlining talks or reports

Reasons to use a mind map:

• Visual representation and key words make important concepts stand out quickly.
• Associative quality of map helps reinforce memory-the brain remembers associations and links, not lists of items.
• You can work in all directions when you start in the middle.
• Lots more information can fit on a page (one page of notes for a presentation)
• Using color and drawing helps use creative side of the brain
• Mind Maps are fast to create and no effort is wasted
• Hierarchy and categorization are visually and clearly defined

Examples:

• Flickr has lots of pictures of different kinds of mind maps
• Here is a directory of mind maps organized by subject

Directions:

• How to make a Mind Map
• Make a Mind Map on paper
• How to Mind Map

Mind map software:

Some people like to make mind maps online using free or bought software or websites. Here are a few to try out for free!

• Mindomo-Web-based mind mapping tool with a free account option
• FreeMind - A free and open source project
• MindJet - A commercial desktop tool with free trial
• Bubbl.us – Free web-based tool

If your job involves managing technology, you may want to sign up for a free e-mail newsletter from Governing magazine.  The monthly Managing Technology Letter includes brief news about technology issues in state and local government, as well as links to lengthier articles and reports.

The October 2007 issue features efforts by the state of Colorado to consolidate technology operations, as well as the results of a recent survey done by NASCIO (National Association of State Chief Information Officers) on pending retirements and the IT workforce in state governments.

Sign up for the free Managing Technology newsletter at

 http://web.omeda.com/cgi-win/gov.cgi?mode=tnlet

Some other good sources for keeping up with technology news are

Government Computer News, especially the State & Local section

NASCIO’s web site and their newsbriefs on Enterprise Architecture and on Cyber Security

More than 200 print and electronic state documents were added to the State Library state documents collection during September.  Some particularly interesting publications that were part of the Depository System (Sufficient copies for depository libraries) included:

Divorce and the law.  SC Bar Association. (J8987B 2.D48)  This is a brief but informative brochure on the grounds for and process of obtaining a divorce in South Carolina.  There is no “divorce form” available through the courts, and individuals are advised to seek legal counsel for this procedure.

Jasper County Natural Resources Conservation Plan Department of Natural Resources (N2197 2.J17) This is a beautifully illustrated book of the status and history of various types of resources in Jasper County and outlines strategies and recommendations to preserve them in light of growing urbanization.

Quick Guide for Riverine Floodplains, Development, and Maps.  Department of natural Resources (N2197 2.Q84) This is a very usable guide covering the basics of watersheds and floodplains and showing factors to consider when development is proposed.  The pages are sturdy and secured in a spiral comb that allows the pages to lie flat.  It includes lots of graphs, statistics, bulleted items and drawings to illustrate important aspects.

Items added as electronic formats include:

General Records Retention Schedules for:

  Municipal Records

  County Records

  State Colleges and Universities

  State Agency Administrative Records

  State Agency Financial Records

  State Agency Personnel Records

  State Agency Data Processing and Electronic Records

S.C. Public Libraries Annual Statistics SCSL

www.statelibrary.sc.gov/scedocs/L6265/000459.pdf

Complete lists of items added to the documents collection for the month are posted on the State Documents Depository Shipping List and the South Carolina State Library - New Documents Not in Depository System.  For information on the South Carolina State Documents Depository System contact Elaine Sandberg, Government Documents Librarian.