Recreation.gov

As part of President Obama's initiative to fuel the economy and create jobs by promoting travel and tourism,  Recreation.Gov has a new design, improved navigation tools and expanded content for the interagency website that guides visitors to 90,000 sites on public lands such as national parks, national wildlife refuges, forests, waterways and national recreation areas.

Click here to see a short video highlighting all the places you can visit through recreation.gov.

The redesign of www.recreation.gov is an initial step in a multi-year strategy to engage visitors with enhanced interactive content and more multimedia, mobile, trip-planning tools. The seven million visitors who use the web site every year will be able to make reservations, see ready-made itineraries for destination cities, and search for activities on interactive maps. We hope you enjoy planning your next outdoor adventure through www.recreation.gov.

Government Website

http://browsetopics.gov

Browse Topics is your pathway to government information.

Browse Topics is a resource designed to be the pathway to any publicly-accessible, Government information. Maintained by volunteer librarians, Browse Topics helps the public locate data, conduct research, and learn about various government Web sites.

Check out Browse Topics for information on the arts, agriculture, business & economy, computers & Internet, defense & military, education, environment, health & safety, history, international, people & cultures, politics and law, recreation & travel, reference, science & technology, and United States.

Making Sense of the American Civil War

Civil War Book Series at Public Library

“Making Sense of Civil War” Discussion Group

Lawton, OK.  The Lawton Public Library will host a five-part reading and discussion series titled “Making Sense of the American Civil War.” In commemoration of the Civil War sesquicentennial, the series encourages participants to consider the legacy of the Civil War and emancipation.   The series is free and open to all adults in the community and is led by Robert Lance Janda, Ph.D.  The series will be held at 6:30 p.m. on September 11, October 11, November 8, and December 13, 2012.  

The program is part of a national initiative of the National Endowment for the Humanities and the American Library Association.  Additional support has been provided by the Oklahoma Humanities Council and Lawton Friends of the Library.

The Lawton Public Library is one of more than 150 libraries nationwide that will host the series.  “Making Sense of the American Civil War” uses books and scholar-led discussions as an effective entry into serious thought, discussion and further reading.  It also offers an occasion to bring diverse groups together at the library to discuss the modern implications of the Civil War and emancipation through a mix of scholarly essays, books, and discussions.

A limited number of books are available for checkout.  Kristin Herr, Library Director, encourages everyone to come and learn more about the legacy of the American Civil War. Herr says, “It is a delightful evening of exploring the Civil War through historical and contemporary literature in scholar-led discussion.  Each session focuses on a different fact of the Civil War experience”.

All meetings are held at the Lawton Public Library 110 SW 4^th Street, Lawton, OK 73501 in the library meeting rooms 1 & 2.  For information, call Dory Thomas at 580-581-3450 ext. 3 or dothomas@cityof.lawton.ok.us or visit www.cityof.library.ok.us/library.

August Calendar

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or click HERE

for a larger PDF version.

Genealogy News

Rumblings from the Family History Room

 

Ben Tahmahkera presents “A Clash in Cultures” Tuesday, August 14^th at the Great Plains Technology Center’s Worley Center at 7 pm.  He will discuss Comanche heritage  and offer insights into his famous ancestor Quanah Parker.  This special presentation is free and open to the public.  It is sponsored by the Southwestern Oklahoma Historical Society and the Lawton Public Library.

 

A member of the Comanche Tribe, Ben Tahmahkera is the great-grandson of Tahmahkera and Weryokhi and the great-great-grandson of Quanah Parker and Weckcah.

 

Tahmahkera is a well known and popular speaker who has addressed many diverse audiences, including members of Congress.  For over 30 years he has been educating policymakers and citizens of our area’s rich Comanche and Native American heritage.   On November 7, 2009, Tahmahkera was inducted into the National Multicultural Heritage Museum and Hall of Fame, in Fort Worth.  The museum is dedicated to honoring and documenting the lives of men and women who have made exemplary contributions to Western Heritage, past and present.  Proceeding Tahmahkera’s presentation will be a performance of Native American flute music by Bubba Sovo, the son of June Sove.

 

On the following Monday the Southwest Oklahoma Genealogical Society will meet for their annual birthday bash  at the McMahon Foundation, 716 SW C Ave. and not at the library.   August is the only time during the year they do not meet in the library.  Besides the installation of new officers, members will swap stories, tales and yarns about their families.

 

Paul Follett

Genealogy Librarian

Storytimes

Wednesdays

11:00 a.m.

  Stories, Puppets, Music Fun

geared towards ages 3-5

For more information, contact Heather Everett

580-581-3450, ext. 5