LONDON An Italian rabbis letter to King Henry VIII concerning the Tudor monarchs effort to annul the first of his six marriages, a 16th-century spellbook, and what is believed to be the earliest dated copy of the Guide for the Perplexed by Moses Maimonides are among the Jewish treasures featured in a Hebrew manuscripts exhibition at the British Library.

The exhibition, which is available online for virtual visitors around the globe and will open for in-person viewing beginning December 3, showcases around 40 of the roughly 3,000 Hebrew manuscripts held by the UKs national library. Running through April 11, 2021, it aims, among other themes, to highlight the interaction between Diaspora Jewish communities and their non-Jewish neighbors.

The librarys collection which has been put together over the past 250 years has recently been digitized. Ilana Tahan, the exhibitions curator, describes it as a sort of celebration of the completion of the six-year project.

Get The Times of Israel's Daily Edition by email and never miss our top stories Free Sign Up

By digitizing these manuscripts we ultimately expose them to a global audience and people wherever they live in every corner of the world, can access them freely, she says.

Spanning across science, religion, law, music, philosophy, magic, alchemy and kabbalah, the displays feature items from Europe and North Africa, the Middle East, India and China.

Alongside iconic documents and manuscripts that people know, we wanted to place things that people have never seen before, says Tahan.

Biblical fragments, First Gaster Bible, 10th century. (Credit: British Library Board)

The earliest object on display is a 10th-century Hebrew Bible which is thought to be one of the oldest-surviving Hebrew biblical codices. The manuscript, which hails from Egypt, shows the influence of Islamic art with its geometric and floral-patterned illustrations. Among several other religious texts in the exhibition are a Catalan Bible whose vivid colors belie its 14th century origins and a Torah scroll which belonged to the Jewish community in Kaifeng, China, some three centuries later.

But the exhibition is not primarily focused on religious texts. The relationship between Diaspora communities and their non-Jewish neighbors sometimes harmonious but often also marked by discrimination and persecution is a major theme of the exhibition. The curators wanted to show the interplay, the interaction, the mutual influences between the two, says Tahan.

A 13th-century deed of sale for a house in Norwich in the east of England shows Miriam, the wife of Rabbi Oshaya, giving up her rights to the property before it could be sold. Its a rarity in more ways than one, and depicts a Medieval Jewish woman owning property and engaging in business dealings. The deed is one of a small and, argues Tahan, extremely important historically collection of charters among the librarys Hebrew manuscripts.

British Librarys Hebrew manuscripts exhibition curator Ilana Tahan. (Courtesy)

What fascinated me about these documents some of them are in Latin with a little bit of Hebrew but there are some that were written entirely in Hebrew is that it appears that these kind of documents were accepted in England at that period, says Tahan.

Henry VIII (Wikimedia Commons)

But, although the deed indicated that Jewish legal documents written in Hebrew were in use in Medieval England, it is dated just 10 years before King Edward Is infamous expulsion of the Jews from the country in 1290.

A consequence of that decision was felt by one of Edwards successors, Henry VIII, nearly 250 years later. Desperate for biblical grounds on which his marriage to Catherine of Aragon who had failed to bear him a male heir might be annulled, the king canvassed the opinion of religious scholars.

Having previously obtained a special dispensation from the Pope to marry Catherine, who was the widow of Henrys brother, the validity of the levirate marriage was a focus of attention and a rabbis opinion was among those sought. But, given the expulsion of the Jews, the kings advisers had to cast a wider net and obtained the view of Italian rabbi Jacob Rafael.

Catherine of Aragon (public domain via Wikipedia)

The rabbis response shown in a letter contained in a ledger of correspondence in the exhibition didnt provide the answer Henry wanted. The rabbi stated that the justification for the levirate marriage in Deuteronomy overrode the prohibition in Leviticus (which bars sexual relations with a brothers wife), which Henrys advisers were attempting to use as a loophole to annul the marriage.

Undeterred, the king separated from Catherine in 1531, and had the marriage annulled by the Archbishop of Canterbury in May 1533 (five months after hed secretly married his new wife, the ill-fated Anne Boleyn). At the same time, a burst of legislation in parliament including the 1534 Act of Supremacy which declared the king to be Supreme Head of the Church of England ushered in the Reformation and the break with Rome.

Response of Jacob Rafael of Modena, to a question relating to Jewish marriage law that might apply in the divorce of King Henry VIII from Catherine of Aragon. Italy, 1530. Arundel MS 151, ff. 190-191v. (British Library Board)

More often, though, Jewish opinion was stifled rather than sought. A rare copy of a Babylonian Talmud, which dates back to the 13th century, illustrates the manner in which Medieval Christian authorities destroyed many Jewish texts they considered to be blasphemous.

But such manuscripts were not always destroyed. A 17th-century edition of the 1596 Book of Expurgation, which is also on display, lists in alphabetical order some 450 Hebrew texts which the Catholic Church viewed as theologically dangerous or blasphemous. Censors then set to work deleting suspect passages.

An intricately decorated marriage contract from Calcutta (1881). (Credit: British Library Board)

The books author, Dominico Irosolimitano, censored more than 20,000 copies of Hebrew books and manuscripts. One of the manuscripts scanned for potential anti-Christian content is a 700-year-old text on Jewish law by German Jewish scholars. The constant checks that were undertaken are indicated by the signatures it contains of four different Italian censors three of them Jewish converts to Catholicism who examined the text between the years 1599 and 1640.

Of course, many Jews suffered a fate far worse than censorship. A copy of Rabbi Ishmael Haninas account of the interrogation and torture he suffered at the hands of the Papal Inquisition in Bologna in 1568 details how he was forced to explain the meaning of certain passages in the Talmud.

He was on trial as a representative of his religion and he had to defend the religion, says Tahan.

The rabbis ordeal occurred just months before the Jewish community was expelled from the Italian city. Another description of persecution comes from a 17th-century manuscript which tells of the aftermath of an Arab revolt in the Maghreb in 1589 in which Yahya ibn Yahya, a local religious leader, temporarily seized control of territory ruled by the Ottomans.

A work on the calculation of the calendar from Tlemcen, Algeria 1804. (Credit: British Library Board)

Before the Sultans army reestablished control, the rebel leader gave the Jews who fell under his sway a stark choice between conversion or death. You know that God has helped me with his good hands to abolish the kingdom of the Turks, ibn Yahya is recorded in the manuscript as telling the Jews of Misrata. Thus, from today onwards do not remember the name Israel any more. And if you rebel, I will do to you what I did to the Turks.

But, as the exhibition shows, despite the threats, oppression and violence they so frequently suffered, Jews contributed mightily to furthering the spread of knowledge in the West.

Living scattered across the globe, many Jewish scholars were multilingual, the display explains. At the crossroads of different cultures, they translated works between Arabic, Latin and Hebrew. Their most important contribution was transmitting Greek and Arabic ideas from these works to Christian Europe.

One such example held by the library is a 15th-century copy of a Hebrew translation made some 200 years previously by an Italian Jew, Nathan ha-Mati, of the Canon of Medicine. Originally in Arabic, the 11th-century text by Ibn Sina became the most influential work of Medieval medicine. The richly illustrated page on display is from Book V which lists 650 medicine recipes.

An illustrated copy of Abraham bar Hiyyas shape of the Earth, 15th century, (Credit: British Library Board)

Other examples contained in the exhibition include a 16th or 17th century copy of the translation made some 300 years before by another Italian Jew, Jacob Anatoli, of al-Farghanis Compendium of Astronomy and Elements of Heavenly Movements. Anatoli was able to consult both the original Arabic and a Latin translation of the work which summarized Ptolemys Almagest, a 2nd-century treatise on the apparent motion of the stars and planetary paths. Such translations helped to spread Greek astronomical knowledge in Medieval Europe.

Maimonides Guide for the Perplexed, circa 1325-1374, Spain. (Credit: British Library Board)

Similarly, the 12th-century Jewish astronomer, mathematician and philosopher Abraham bar Hiyya translated Arab scientific work into both Hebrew and Latin, pioneering the use of the former for scientific purposes. The exhibition displays the librarys 15th-century copy of Hiyyas Hebrew work Shape of the Earth in which he wrote about the creation of the earth, heavens, moon and stars. Also exhibited is a copy of a book on calendrical calculations vital for working out the dates of religious festivals helpfully written in verse to make them easier to remember.

One of the most impressive items curators have included in the exhibition is a 1380 copy of the Guide for the Perplexed by Maimonides. The 12th-century Jewish philosopher born in Cordoba, Spain, was one of the most influential Talmudic scholars of the Middle Ages. The manuscript, owned by the Jewish community in the Yemen and written in Judeo-Arabic, is considered Maimonidess most authoritative philosophical work. Alongside it, the exhibition has a brightly colored 14th-century copy of a translation into Hebrew; its images of a lion, scholars believe, may suggest it was commissioned for a royal court.

Some of the items on display, however, are perhaps less rooted in scholarship and science. Elisha ben Gads 16th-century Tree of Knowledge contains 125 spells and medicines. Its very, very charming, says Tahan, a lovely, beautiful book.

A spell book containing 120 magical and medical recipes, Ancona 1535-1536. (Credit: British Library Board)

It was, Elisha writes in his introduction, compiled from his journeys to Venice where he gained access to the library of Rabbi Judah Alkabets and copied down the contents of a Hebrew book of magic he discovered in the collection and secret knowledge he acquired in Safed on the shores of the Galilee. The recipes cover a wide range of eventualities from catching thieves to warding off demons, as well as curing fevers and diarrhea. Theres even some useful wedding-night advice: To increase love between bridegroom and bride when the bride comes from the hupah [wedding canopy] after finishing saying the blessing, write their names in honey onto two sage leaves and give the leaves to each other to eat, the spellbook suggests.

But for the light-fingered thief detained thanks to Elishas spell, help is at hand from Mafteah Shelomoh, the Key of Solomon. A compilation of several magical works translated from Latin and Italian into Hebrew, it contains a drawing on how to escape from prison. Draw a boat on the floor and step into it, it indicates, and spirits will appear to carry you away.

After a year of lockdowns, curfews and restrictions, this Medieval magic manual might just have some contemporary resonance.

The British Librarys Hebrew Manuscripts exhibition available online now and in person from December 3, 2020 through April of 2021. (Courtesy/ David Jensen)

See more here:
Dont divorce her: Rabbis letter to Henry VIII at heart of British Library show - The Times of Israel

Executive Summary

The U.S. has long suffered from a severe shortage of mental health care services. The pandemic has put a spotlight on the effectiveness and wide availability of digital and virtual mental health care, and by doing so might have thrown a lifeline to our mental health system.

We have a crisis in mental health care in the United States. Sixty percent of young people with major depression received no mental health treatment in 2017-2018, and one quarter of adults with mental illness reported an unmet need for treatment. In the U.S., 55% of counties have no psychiatrist, psychologist or social worker, and 70% dont have a single child psychiatrist. Queues for substance abuse care can be weeks long; 70% of those who needed substance use treatment in 2017 did not receive it. To make it worse, many practices have closed or reduced their capacity in response to pandemic health concerns.

Because of the pandemic, virtual care and other digital tools are more important than ever in supporting existing care, providing scale and increasing capacity. Clinician-based virtual care replaces traditional in-person office visits with synchronous video or audio visits or with asynchronous text messaging. This provides alternatives to the traditional 50-minute therapy hour and allows for a better match of supply and demand across times of day and geographies. Asynchronous messaging, for example, lets patients text a clinician or coach at any time and get a response later.

Non-clinician based digital mental health services, such as chatbots, video and written content, gamified user exercises and digital cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) programs, are a good adjunct to clinician-based virtual care, allowing 24/7 access for those with less intensive needs.

Increasingly, innovative mental health vendors are combining digital tools and virtual care to create a robust ecosystem for end-to-end patient care, including steering patients to in-person care when needed. This combination of tools provides the mental health care system with scalable solutions and increased flexibility while improving access and convenience for consumers. Because of these benefits, the majority of employer-sponsored health plans now offer virtual and digital options for mental health care.

How well do digital services and virtual care work? A 2016 metanalysis of 452 studies of telepsychiatryfound high patient satisfaction and quality equivalent to in-person care. And a 2020 Veterans Administration study found that video telepsychotherapy was as effective as in-person office-based care for treating depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. Overall, most published studies show telephonic mental health care is as effective as in-person care in treating depression, anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Similar results have been generated by digital tools that provide animated and/or human video instruction, content libraries and exercises. Digital CBT programs have proven as effective as in-person CBT in treating anxiety and depression and insomnia. One randomized, placebo-controlled trial of web-based CBT for insomnia demonstrated improvements in sleep quality and wakefulness. That technology, marketed today as Sleepio, has been implemented by many large employers. A chatbot developed by Woebot which provides CBT, DBT (dialectical behavior therapy) and mindfulness support led to significant improvement in young adults anxiety and depression in randomized clinical trials. And meQuilibrium, a stress and resilience app and program now available through many employers, showed a significant positive dose-response effect on stress and related symptoms in enrollees in a digitally administered resilience program.

Each of these types of care solutions can be delivered in a HIPAA-compliant manner with appropriate privacy protections.

Ginger is an on-demand support program that guides users in addressing low-acuity mental health care needs, such as mild depression or anxiety, through secure asynchronous texting with trained coaches supervised by therapists and supported by artificial intelligence. (Many virtual care platforms use algorithms to match users to providers; theres some evidence this can increase patient satisfaction and even clinical efficacy.) With Ginger, patients are escalated to a therapist or physician if they request it, or if the AI or coach recognizes the need for escalation. Coaches focus on needs including stress management, goal attainment, and recovering from loss using tools such as motivational interviewing and app-delivered content. By addressing less acute issues directly and triaging people to therapists or physicians as needed, the program provides scalable, cost-effective support. Ginger is offered directly by many employers, is in-network with several health plans, and counts Cigna and Kaiser Permanente among its investors. Vendors, including Spring Health, Lyra and Modern Health, likewise provide a continuum of care from addressing low-acuity needs to triaging users to more advanced care.

Talkspace, a platform with more than a million users, also scales access as it connects users to licensed providers. Members or employers pay a subscription fee for unlimited 24/7 access to therapists via texts, voice messages and/or videos within their secure application. Members or employees can also schedule video or phone sessions with a therapist as needed. While traditional 50-minute sessions are available, much care is delivered in small bites, allowing therapists to care for more patients and have more flexible schedules.

In addition to the scheduling flexibility and efficiency of therapy such platforms offer both patients and providers, these digital solutions have the potential to lower practitioners overhead. (They neednt have an office.) They also broadly increase access at potentially lower cost to patients and employers than the cost of providing traditional face-to-face care to the same population.

The Covid-19 pandemic led to a dramatic increase in the use of virtual and digital mental health services. The pandemic and associated lockdowns left more patients in need with little choice but to move away from in-person care. Clinicians who had resisted virtual visits faced devastating loss of income, and they, too, moved online. However, maintaining and building on the gains in access to care will be key. Many users and clinicians have had good experiences with digital tools and virtual care, and their availability and use can help us meet our mental health needs as the pandemic recedes.

Clearly, virtual and digital care isnt for everyone, and is inappropriate in some cases for instance in most emergency situations. But virtual and digital care can improve affordability and provide critical additional access for those in need. In a study on virtual care, Accenture reported that 46% of patients would choose to receive mental health appointments virtually. Those in Gen Z (born in 1997 or later) were more than four times more likely than Baby Boomers to prefer virtual care to in person care. In addition, some communities which have historically faced stigma and discrimination may prefer virtual or digital care.

The pandemic has put a spotlight on the value of digital and virtual mental health care, and by doing so might have thrown a lifeline to our mental health system. If we can harness learnings from the pandemic to drive increased, appropriate use of digital tools and virtual care, we can significantly improve the long-standing problems of inadequate access to mental health services. Critically, digital tools and virtual care will allow us to effectively meet the mental health needs of more Americans than ever before.

Follow this link:
Digital Tools Are Revolutionizing Mental Health Care in the US - Harvard Business Review

Fort Bend County Libraries (FBCL) will kick off the holiday season with a special online performance of holiday music by the Paragon Brass Ensemble of Houston on Saturday, Dec. 5.

Paragon Brass Ensemble will perform a free online holiday musical. From left are Jeff Grass (trumpet), Kevin McIntyre (horn), Steve Curtis (tuba), Thomas Hulten (trombone), Tom Tillotson (trumpet).

A link to the video performance will be posted on FBCLs online calendar of virtual programs (www.fortbend.lib.tx.us) so that families can enjoy the event from the comfort and safety of home.

Enjoy the classic sounds of the holiday season when members of the Ensemble perform familiar tunes and holiday favorites. Viewers will also hear music representing other countries and cultural traditions around the world.

Since its formation in 1983, the Paragon Brass Ensemble has become especially noted for its versatility and unique repertoire. The quintet has toured Texas, the Midwest, and the South, and its Houston concerts have been recorded for broadcast on KUHF and heard nationally on Performance Today.

Through its association with Young Audiences, Inc., the group has introduced thousands of children to classical music each year since 1985 and was nominated for the General Electric Artist Award for excellence in arts-in-education.

This performance is made possible by Young Audiences of Houston.

The online performance can be viewed on the Fort Bend County Libraries website http://www.fortbend.lib.tx.us by clicking on the Classes and Events tab and selecting Virtual Programs, and then finding the program on the date listed.

For more information, call the Fort Bend County Libraries Communication Office at 281-633-4734.

See the original post here:
Libraries host online holiday musical performance Dec. 5 | Arts And Entertainment | fbherald.com - Fort Bend Herald

Fort Bend County Libraries will host online programs in December that are intended to encourage new writers by providing tips and tricks, writing and publishing advice, and support from other aspiring novelists.

The Missouri City Branch Library will host an online Short Stories Writers Challenge during the month of December. A story prompt and activity guidelines will be posted on FBCLs online calendar on Monday, December 7. Writers are encouraged to create a story from the prompt, and submit it to mcpublic@fortbend.lib.tx.us before the deadline on December 31. One of the stories will be selected to be featured on the Missouri City Branch Library Facebook page in early January.

The Story Spinners Writing Club, which normally meets once a month at George Memorial Library, will meet virtually on Thursday, December 17, from 2:00 to 3:00 pm. The topic for December is Exposition. From beginning blogger to published novelist, writers of all genres and experience levels are welcome to join the Story Spinners Writing Club to write, share, learn, support, network, and critique each others work. This activity will be livestreamed via Zoom/WebEx. Registration is required; a link to the sessions will be emailed to all who register.

The sessions are free and open to the public. Registration is required for the live-streamed Zoom/WebEx event ONLY; a link to the Zoom/WebEx session will be emailed to participants who register. To register online at the librarys website (www.fortbend.lib.tx.us), click on Classes & Events, select Virtual Programs, and find the program on the date indicated. For more information, call the library systems Communications Office (281-633-4734).

See the original post:
LIBRARIES SUPPORT NEW WRITERS WITH ONLINE ACTIVITIES | Community | fbherald.com - Fort Bend Herald

East Riding Museums: Beverley Art Gallery, Skidby Mill, Beverley Guildhall, and Goole Museum will remain closed.

East Riding Archives in the Treasure House, Beverley: will remain closed

East Riding Libraries and Customer Service Centres: East Riding Libraries will continue to offer their Order and Collect service - customers can either phone their library or order books online at library.eastriding.gov.uk, and then collect from their specified East Riding Library once available.

Books can be returned to any East Riding Library during opening hours and will be quarantined for three days before being cleaned and returned to shelves.

There is also an extensive online library available 24/7, of eBooks, audiobooks, magazines and local, national and international newspapers which can all be downloaded free with your library card. To join the library online (its free) or find out more about downloading items from the online library, visit eastridinglibraries.co.uk.

Customer Service Centres are closed for public drop-ins to avoid unnecessary contact where possible to support the Tier 3 restrictions. For residents needing essential customer service support, many answers can be found on the website http://www.eastriding.gov.uk or please contact the call centre on 01482 393939, if necessary a face-to-face appointment can be arranged. Please be aware that the volume of calls may be higher than usual.

The Mobile Library Service will continue to provide an order and collect service and customers of the at home service will still have their books delivered. For any questions about the mobile library service, please call the mobile library team on 01482 392749.

Caddy liners are available to collect from East Riding Libraries and Multi Service Centres.

The council is reminding residents that a range of online activities is available on the Active East Riding website : http://www.ActiveEastRiding.co.uk

See the original post:
Here is the latest Tier 3 restrictions information covering East Riding Museums and East Riding Libraries - Bridlington Free Press

TribLIVE's Daily and Weekly email newsletters deliver the news you want and information you need, right to your inbox.

Highlands Stuff A Bus event canceled

The Stuff A Bus event to benefit Toys for Tots that was scheduled Saturday at Highlands Middle School is canceled due to the districts change to remote learning.

Residents can take donations of new, unwrapped toys to dropoff locations in Heights Plaza near Community Market and Wireless Zone in the Highlands Mall Shoppes, both in Natrona Heights Harrison.

Virtual paint and sip event to benefit Myasthenia Gravis Association

The Myasthenia Gravis Association of Western Pennsylvania will host a virtual holiday paint and sip event from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Dec. 10.

Tickets are $50 and include a link to participate in the paint and sip event, supplies to create your own holiday snowflake wreath and two bottles of wine from Kavic Winery.

Checks payable to MGA of WPA should be mailed to 490 E. North Ave., Suite 410, Pittsburgh PA 15212. For details, call 412-566-1545.

Free drive-thru Nativity planned Sunday

Union Presbyterian Church will host a free drive-thru Nativity from 6 to 8 p.m. Sunday at the church, 656 Route 380, Washington Township.

Church members will create five live scenes from the Nativity story. Participants can hear the story on their car radio or click a link to hear it on their cell phone.

Calendar

Apollo-Ridge School District

Tuesday: Apollo-Ridge School Board will conduct the reorganization meeting at 6:30 p.m. online at Zoom.us. Access information: apolloridge.com

Burrell School District

Tuesday: Burrell School Board will conduct the reorganization and regular meetings at 7 p.m. online. Access information: burrell.k12.pa.us/board

Cheswick

Friday: Springdale Free Public Library will host a free outdoor Family Fun Night holiday party for children in prekindergarten through sixth grade and their families from 5 to 7 p.m. in Rachel Carson Park. There will be crafts and hot chocolate and children can drop off their wishes for Santa. Face masks required and space is limited to allow for social distancing. Registration required by Tuesday. Registration: 724-274-9729

Frazer

Tuesday: Frazer Supervisors will meet at 7 p.m. in the township office, 592 Pittsburgh Mills Circle, Pittsburgh Mills Mall. Details: 724-274-4202

Freeport

Wednesday: The Thrift Store Clothing Ministry at Freeport United Methodist Church, 211 Fourth St., will be open from noon to 3 p.m. at the church. Winter clothing is available. Cash only. Donations must be laundered. Details: 724-295-2476

Harrison

Wednesday: Allegheny Valley Association of Churches Food Bank will be open to anyone in need from 1:30 to 5:30 p.m. at 1913 Freeport Road, Natrona Heights. Pull into the center parking lot and food will be placed into your vehicle. Senior boxes are now being distributed Wednesdays instead of Thursdays. Those who are not yet registered should come after 3 p.m. Proof of income is no longer required. Donations: avaoc.org/donate/financial-support/

Dec. 8: Community Library of Allegheny Valley will offer a virtual presentation of, Twas the Night Before Christmas, performed by Stage Right online at 6:30 p.m. Registration required. Access information will be emailed. Registration: 724-226-3491 or eventkeeper.com/code/ekform.cfm?curOrg=ALVALLEY&curID=466653

Kiski Township

Dec. 21: Kiski Township Volunteer Fire Department is accepting orders for pies, nut logs and pumpkin rolls from The Pie Shoppe in Laughlintown. Varieties: chocolate meringue, coconut meringue, lemon meringue, apple, dutch apple, blackberry, wild blueberry, razzleberry, cherry, peach, raisin, and pumpkin and pumpkin rolls, all $9.50; nut logs and pecan pies, $12. Paid orders due Dec. 9. Pickup: Dec. 21 at the firehall. Details and orders: call or text Morgan, 724-466-2812

Kiski Area School District

Wednesday: Kiski Area School Board will hold the reorganization meeting at 7 p.m. online followed by the agenda meeting. Details and access information: 724-842-0457 or john.tedorski@kiskiarea.com

Kiski Township

Dec. 31: Kiski Township Volunteer Fire Company is selling 2021 lottery calendars to benefit the company building fund. Cost: $30. Details: 724-478-4210

Leechburg

Wednesday: The free genealogy group at Leechburg Area Museum and Historical Society will meet from 10 a.m. to noon at the museum, 118 First St. Basic computer skills required. Ancestry.com and Newspaper.com are available. Details: Judy, 724-681-9154

Dec. 13: Leechburg Elks will have a vendor bingo at 1 p.m. at the lodge, 228 Market St. Doors open at noon. Admission: $20, includes 11 games with vendor prizes and one $250 must-go jackpot game. Food and beverages will be sold and there will be a silent auction, 50/50 raffle and small games of chance. Players must be at least 18 years old. Tickets: Ruth, 724-422-4913 or the lodge, 724-842-8071

Lower Burrell

Dec. 13: Lower Burrell Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary will hold its Christmas party at 1 p.m. at the post, Wildlife Lodge Road. All members welcome. Details and reservation information: see the post bulletin board.

New Kensington

Tuesday: The Redevelopment Authority of New Kensington will meet at 7 p.m. online at Zoom. us. Meeting ID: 810 8147 7535. Phone access: 646-558-8656

Oakmont

Dec. 9: A Vitalant community blood drive will be from 2 to 7 p.m. at the Oakmont Borough Building, 767 Fifth St. Appointments strongly recommended. Donations are tested for covid-19 antibodies. Appointments: 412-209-7000 or visit the Donate Blood button at Vitalant.org and search with group code C5300082

Tarentum

Tuesday: Tarentum Council will conduct a public hearing on the proposed multi-municipal comprehensive plan at 5:30 p.m. followed by the combined meeting at municipal building, 318 Second Ave. Details: 724-224-1818, ext. 100

Wednesday: Tarentum Elks will host bingo at 7 p.m. at the lodge, 219 E. Sixth Ave. Doors open at 5 p.m. The kitchen will be open.

Wednesdays: BridgePoint Church, 400 E. Ninth Ave., will host a parent-led learning pod from 1 to 4 p.m. in the church hall located on the lower level. Free high-speed internet, meals and access to the church childrens library will be provided. Use the Corbet Street entrance.

Upper Burrell

Wednesday: Upper Burrell Supervisors will hold the regular meeting at 7 p.m. at the township building, 3735 Seventh St. Details: 724-335-3517

Vandergrift

Dec. 16: A Holly Jolly Holiday basket raffle will take place through Dec. 16 to benefit Vandergrift Public Library. The prize will include a gift certificate for a whole fresh turkey from Pounds Turkey Farm in Allegheny Township, gift cards from Oakmont Bakery and Shop N Save, Sweetlane Chocolate, holiday drink ware and wine, holiday dcor and more. Cost: $5; or three for $10. Ticket sales close at 10 a.m. Dec. 16 and the drawing will be at 1 p.m. Dec. 16 on Facebook. Tickets: stop in at the library, 128C. Washington Ave., or visit Venmo online.

Categories: Local | Valley News Dispatch

TribLIVE's Daily and Weekly email newsletters deliver the news you want and information you need, right to your inbox.

More Valley News Dispatch Stories

New Kensington-Arnold to continue remote instruction into mid-January

State police issue warrant for New Kensington man in Leechburg shooting

Police: Men charged with child endangerment, possession of drug paraphernalia

Police: 2 hurt in Leechburg shooting

Pittsburgh-area hospitals set record for treating covid patients

Continued here:
The Stroller, Nov. 30, 2020: Events in the Alle-Kiski Valley - TribLIVE

Even after the coronavirus pandemic eases and most children return to their physical classrooms, millions of newly issued computing devices will need to connect to school networks, and some forms of remote instruction and two-way video conferencing will likely remain popular.

That new reality will likely mean yet another challenge and expense for the nation's beleaguered K-12 school districts, more than half of which do not currently offer the bandwidth necessary for all students to stream videos or access digital lessons simultaneously, according to a new report.

Nationwide, just 48 percent of districts, serving an estimated 15.3 million total students, currently provide the target bandwidth of 1 Megabit per second, per student in the classroom, according to the nonprofit Connected Nation (formerly EducationSuperHighway) and Funds for Learning, a consulting group, both of which have helped lead a decade-long push to improve school connectivity.

"Despite such progress, 67 percent of students still need access to scalable broadband for digital learning, a bandwidth gap affecting 31.5 million students," the groups wrote.

That finding is based on an analysis of the 2020 E-Rate applications of nearly 13,000 school districts in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The Federal Communications Commission is responsible for the E-Rate program, which provides up to $3.9 billion annually to helps schools and libraries pay for connectivity equipment and services.

Since 2014, when the FCC modernized the program, nearly all schools have met or surpassed the commission's original bandwidth target of 100 kilobits per second, per student. To encourage schools to expand connectivity to allow for more devices and video streaming, the commission raised its target to 1 Mbps/student target during the 2017-18 school year.

In Arizona, Hawaii, and North and South Dakota, nearly all districts are now meeting that faster target, the new report found. In Kentucky, Maryland, and Rhode Island, however, fewer than 10 percent of districts do so.

In the months since COVID-19 forced schools to close their physical buildings, the reality that millions of American families lack adequate internet access at home has consumed the nation's attention.

As many as 15 million of the country's 50.7 million public school students lack adequate connectivity at home, according to a recent Common Sense Media survey. The challenge is particularly acute for Black, Hispanic, and Native American households.

For months, advocates have pushed the FCC to expand the program so that money can be used for at-home connectivity, but proposals to that effect have yet to gain traction.

In the meantime, however, the commission recently opened a second window for schools and libraries to apply for E-Rate funds for 2020. Earlier this year, officials there estimated that total demand was in the range of $2.9 billion dollars, far lower than the program's $4 billion annual cap.

The available dollars could go a long way towards closing the high-speed school internet gap identified by Connected Nation and Funds for Learning. The difference between 100 Kbps/student and 1Mbps/student of bandwidth will soon become painfully evident, the groups predicted.

"School networks must now be prepared to handle increasing amounts of traffic, particularly livestreaming and two-way video conferencing via applications like Zoom, Cisco Webex, and Microsoft Teams as well as student devices and the digital learning applications installed on them," according to the report.

K-12 districts have made tremendous progress towards that goal in recent years. In 2015, just 8 percent of districts provided the faster bandwidth, compared with 47 percent now. Schools serving a total of more than 5.8 million students upgraded to such speeds just within the last year alone.

And despite the gap that remains, one of the best signs for schools is the falling price of connectivity, Connected Nation and Funds for Learning reported.

Bandwidth cost schools just $1.85 per megabit in 2020, down from nearly $10 per megabit just five years earlier. And particularly beneficial for schools' bottom line has been the expansion of fiber-optic networks, which are easily adapted to provide more bandwidth as it becomes needed, without adding substantial costs to schools' internet bills.

According to the new report, those schools already meeting the FCC's 1 Mbps/student target pay $1.50 less for bandwidth than schools offering slower speeds.

Credit: iStock/Getty

Excerpt from:
Half of Districts Lack Connectivity Needed for Widespread Videoconferencing, Device Usage - Education Week

Sports facilities and libraries across Aberdeenshire will close from 2pm on Christmas eve, reopening on January 5.

Live Life Aberdeenshire, which operates sports and cultural services on behalf of Aberdeenshire Council, is closing almost all its facilities over the festive period.

The exceptions are Macduff Marine Aquarium and the area's two all-weather ski centres - Alford Ski Centre and Huntly Nordic and Outdoor Centre - which will continue to operate between Christmas and Hogmanay with reduced opening hours.

Interim Head of Service for Live Life Aberdeenshire, Avril Nicol, said: "This represents a longer period of closure than in previous years, for a number of reasons.

"Traditionally the Christmas period is one of our quietest and the well-publicised difficult budget position Aberdeenshire Council finds itself in means it is not economical to open in most cases.

"Many of our team members were also redeployed into important but difficult frontline work while our facilities were closed during lockdown and this period of closure will make sure they get an appropriate chance to rest and recover."

Those libraries which were due to offer click and collect and home delivery, or other services, on the afternoon of December 24 will now make these available earlier in the day.

While facilities are closed, you can still access online library services, make and do activities and exercise at home videos, amongst many other resources, on the Live Life @ Home resource athttps://bit.ly/LLAhome

Get a digital copy of the Grampian Group editions delivered straight to your inbox every week and read the full newspaper on your desktop, phone or laptop.

Continue reading here:
Aberdeenshire sports facilities and libraries to close over Christmas and New Year - Grampian Online

R. David Lankes said, Bad libraries build collections, good libraries build services, and great libraries build communities. However, ten years ago, a great community built a great library.

According to Branch Manager Dianne McLaurin, the Friends of the Forest Public Library had begun plans in January 2020 for a community-wide library celebration. Unfortunately, Covid-19 had other plans. The Friends group created a Ten-Year Anniversary Committee with Shawna Alexander, former branch manager and member of the group, as the chairman. The event was to be held in August or September 2020 to commemorate the grand opening of the current facility,McLaurin said. When the library closed on March 16th of this year, library life as we knew it changed for everyone. Even after we reopened to the public, the library programming has been completely virtual. Much to everyones disappointment, we knew that our plans for a Sunday afternoon celebration were not to be. I am so grateful for this opportunity to pay tribute.

Some people have called the Forest Public Library the Taj Mahal of Mississippi libraries. Mayor Nancy Chambers described it best ten years ago in a quote from The Scott County Times. Is this not a fantastic facility? Chambers question was answered with resounding applause at the librarys dedication ceremony hosted by the Forest Area Chamber of Commerce. She continued her address to a large crowd of residents in attendance, I dont believe there is a finer library facility owned by a municipality the size of Forest in the entire state of Mississippi. It says much about our people, it says much about our city, and it says much about our community. It tells everybody that we recognize where the emphasis should be.

Although much success was shared on that day in August 2010, the path to success was sometimes rocky and rough. Former Branch Manager Shawna Alexander remembers those days.

When discussions first began about building the new library, Mayor Chambers wanted to build the new facility in the same location of the previous library, Alexander said. She faced some serious opposition from those who wanted to preserve the structure because of the old band hall. They did not want the facility torn to the ground and a new one built in its place. However, the mayor was firm in her defense of the location, and the decision was made that the new library would remain in the heart of the downtown area.

Alexander said that the rocky road did not end with that positive decision. Everything in the building had to be packed up and moved to the Community Bank annex building and then unpacked for a year of continued library operation during the demolition of the old library and the construction of the new library.

The headquarters staff of the Central Mississippi Regional Library System helped with the transition of materials by offering support, organization, and physical labor.

We moved out of the building in April 2009 and stayed at the annex until of August of 2010, Alexander said. Some items had to be stored upstairs, so we made many trips up and down to make sure every item had a safe place until the building phase was finished. Mrs. Kaileen Thieling was the CMRLS director at that time. She was so helpful throughout the process. Four new libraries were built during her tenure as director, so she definitely knew the most efficient way to get everything done.

From the ambitious vision to the dedication ceremony, one part of the journey required the help of everyone.

This building would not be here without donations, Alexander said. She explained that everyone asked for donations. Mayor Chambers, Director Thieling, and Branch Manager Alexander visited every civic club, business, and organization to solicit donations.

Then Friends President Beverly Rhodes and Vice-President Esther Perry gathered up jugs and jars and took them to individual classes at the schools. Each class competed to collect the most change from the students.

I remember that we rolled piles and piles of change, Alexander said. It wasnt about winning a competition; I think the class that won received snacks from the Friends group. It was about everyone in the community doing their part, even children.

The community donations came from every corner of town. Whether it was a furniture company donating a recliner to be raffled or a bank donating a conference table, the community stepped up to the challenge. Soon the path to completion was becoming smoother, and the end destination was in sight.

The formal dedication and grand opening of the $2.5 million facility was held on Thursday, August 26, at 5:00 p.m. Former Scott County Times editor Sid Salter served as emcee for the event. Mayor Chambers enumerated the many people who had significant roles in building the new facility, including Bryan Brown architect, John Laws general contractor, the Forest Board of Aldermen, city administration, library staff, county officials, and the many donors.

Current Branch Manager Dianne McLaurin has strong ties to the Forest Public Library. She understands the appreciation of the new facility and the continued emphasis on community.

McLaurin is the only librarian to serve as childrens librarian, circulation clerk, assistant branch manager, and branch manager of the Forest Public Library. I cannot imagine this facility any other way than it is now, even though I worked in the former library, she said. At one point, we removed the carpet in that facility, painted the interior walls, and even painted the childrens area Bearcat Blue! I loved that library, but all the upgrades and repairs could not sustain the condition of the building.

There is nothing like experiencing the seasons in the new library with its floor to ceiling windows the spring blossoms, the summer sunsets, the fall foliage, and the Christmas decorations! I know why everyone feels welcomed and special here. I remember when WAPT news anchor Scott Simmons was covering a story in Forest, he was so impressed by the library. His exact words were this place is amazing.

John Grisham once said that all he had to do was visit the public library for an accurate impression of the town. The Forest Public Library continues to make a lasting impression upon everyone who drives around the city block, enters its doors, or uses the space for the services provided.

A few years ago, someone asked McLaurin how it feels to work in the beautiful facility, and she replied, It feels like being a part of something grand and common every single day. To me, true community feels the same.

Read the original post:
Forest Public Library celebrates 10th year anniversary in new building - Scott County Times

While the coronavirus pandemic forced the temporary closure of public libraries and programs throughout the country, the children of Redlands were not left behind. The Young Readers Room, which celebrates its centennial this year at the A.K. Smiley Public Library, continues to offer special literacy programs for kids in the virtual world with a human touch.

Pamela Martinez, the Smiley Librarys Youth Services librarian, leads a team that is ensuring local children have access to books and literacy programs. By taking youth programming online for the first time, the Young Readers Room staff has ensured that children, teachers and others can enjoy newfound access to the librarys story times and other offerings. The YRR also has an Instagram account.

The pandemic has helped the YRR expand globally, which Martinez calls an unforeseen benefit. In the future, some virtual programming will be available throughout the year.

It will continue being a platform to reach more people, she said about the move online. We do what we can and are always looking to incorporate new things.

After the Smiley Library closed temporarily in March, the staff changed its in-person story times for kids to virtual events, available on the YRRs Facebook page. For preschoolers, story time is streamed at 10:15 a.m. on Wednesdays; its also available on Redlands TV at 5 p.m. daily. Martinez reads books for kids ages 4-6 and also entertains with songs.

Virtual story time for babies is streamed live at 9:30 a.m. on Thursdays, with staffers reading stories, presenting songs and finger plays for babies up to age 2. Pajama time story time is presented Tuesday nights at 7 p.m. on Facebook, and a Spanish-language virtual story time for kids age 6 and younger is on Saturdays at 1 p.m.

In the first three weeks of August, a combined 3,000 minutes of story time programming was viewed online, said Martinez, who is tracking viewership. Preschool story time was the most popular.

We have people all over the United States watching so thats actually cool. Its opened up for people who dont live in the community to attend as well. Weve learned a lot and its been a great outreach, Martinez said.

Jessica Cross leads story time with her children, left to right, Jack, Charlie and Benjamin, holding baby Lila, in the Young Readers Room at A.K. Smiley Public Library. (Photo by Eric Reed)

Pam Martinez, childrens librarian at A.K. Smiley Public Library, gives an animated story time reading for children who can watch her and other readers on the Young Readers Room Facebook page. (Photo courtesy A.K. Smiley Public Library)

Sound

The gallery will resume inseconds

The Young Readers Room is shown soon after the childrens wing was completed in 1920. (Photo courtesy A.K. Smiley Public Library)

Kids read books in the Young Readers Room. (Photo by Eric Reed)

Melanie Reilly of Beaumont and her two daughters, ages 2 and 5, are among the loyal story time followers. They enjoy watching Miss Pamela read stories.

Reilly used to take her girls to the Beaumont library for stories and crafts before that library closed, so seeing the YYR story time live on Facebook has been a great replacement for her daughters, especially her kindergartner who already knows how to read.

They get so excited when Miss Pamela recognizes them after they check in and she interacts with the kids. She does that with all the kids, Reilly said. Its just nice for our daughters to see a familiar face reading to them. It helps with me being more intentional with early literacy when I read to them. It really is another great opportunity for kids and its free.

Continuing virtual story times online will be a challenge in the long-term, since not all publishers are giving the A.K. Smiley Public Library permission to have their books read online. Some publishers gave the OK through the end of August and others have given permission until December.

Long, rewarding history

While nobody could have anticipated the Young Readers Room turning 100 during a pandemic, it has proven to be popular and enduring despite the librarys physical closure.

The YRR started in a windowless room in the basement of the A.K. Smiley Public Library. Today, the librarys special place for children has been adorned with stained glass windows and blessed with a staff who enjoy reading to children. Its filled with a collection of 31,775 books suitable for children up to ages 12-13 and 4,420 more books for older teens.

The program has expanded greatly since 1911, when Bessie Degenhart, the childrens librarian at that time, started a story hour attended by dozens of local kids on Saturday afternoons at the park. The first Childrens Reading Room as it was called at the time was located in the library upstairs in a small area before it was moved to the basement for more space.

In 1920, a new wing was added to the building and the childrens room was moved there, where it currently remains. In 1924, then-librarian Mary E. Pew started a summer reading program and also began hosting students for class visits from local elementary schools.

In the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s, the childrens librarian treated local kids to walks where they ate lunch, read a book and wrote a journal.

They would see nature and talk about a book and hike back. That was pretty innovative back then, Martinez said.

This informal hikers club was started by Degenhart somewhere around 1913-18, when children ages 10-15 would meet in the librarys Tower Room for the walk.

The Childrens Reading Room continued to evolve. It was renamed the Young Readers Room in 1969 in an effort to expand the appeal to middle school students and older kids.

In 1980, Leo Politi, a well-known artist and childrens book author and illustrator from Los Angeles who fell in love with Redlands, donated artwork to the library and created the mural in the YRR.

A Family Day event was launched 17 years ago to involve even more local families, and it typically attracts 600-700 people. The YRR staff also has been a presence at local community events.

Martinez became the librarian in 2009, and the growth of social media during her tenure has helped to keep the program up and running virtually during the pandemic. Everyone on the staff is working to spread the love of reading books to youngsters everywhere.

Our goal is to keep kids reading, Martinez said. We want kids to still read for pleasure, not just for school. Whatever we can do to encourage that, we will do.

Drive-through Family Day

The 17th annual Family Day presented by the Young Readers Room will be a drive-through celebration on Saturday, Oct. 10. Its open to families of kindergarteners to fifth graders. Library staffers will hand out take-home crafts, one free book for every child, and a free book for each family as guests drive through the parking lot. A special Young Readers Room birthday cookie will be given out at the last station. Hours are 9 a.m. to noon.

Online resources for kids

The Young Readers Room offers dozens of online literacy, art, science, math, cooking, crafting, puzzles and educational programs for kids on its website, akspl.org/yrr. Resources include links to stories, activities and virtual fun from top educational brands and companies including Scholastic, A Mighty Girl, PBS, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Sesame Street, National Geographic for Kids and Khan Academy. Visit the San Diego Zoo via its webcam or visit Yellowstone National Park virtually. The YRR site also includes resources in Spanish for kids and links to popular fairy tales with Spanish translations.

Books to Go

Library cardholders of all ages can order books, CDs, DVDs or magazines online, by phone or by email, and pick them up curbside. When returned, all books are cleaned and disinfected according to CDC guidelines. Visit akspl.org to learn how to get books to go.

Follow this link:
Smiley Public Library Young Readers Room: 100 years, generations of readers - Redlands Daily Facts