Here’s your daily dose of library-oriented speed-reads to start your day!

TODAY IN THE LIBRARY…

Villanova Electronic Enthusiasts Club (VEEC) Regular Group Meeting. The VEEC is a social club, focused on recreation and relaxation. Participants gather once a week on (most) Fridays to play video games in a safe and fun environment. 2:30-4:30 p.m. in the first-floor lounge (Holy Grounds). Always accepting new members. Questions? Contact: laura.matthews@villanova.edu

SAVE THE DATE!

Don’t miss the Annual Black History Month lecture co-sponsored by Falvey Memorial Library and the Africana Studies Program. This Monday, February 9, at 4:30 p.m. in Speakers’ Corner. Saladin Ambar, PhD, Associate Professor in the department of Political Science at Lehigh University, where he teaches courses on the American presidency and governorship, race and American political development, and political parties and elections. He is a graduate of Rutgers University’s PhD program in political science and a former fellow of the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia. Professor Ambar is the author of How Governors Built the Modern American Presidency and Malcolm X at Oxford Union. 

SHAMELESS SOCIAL MEDIA PLUG ☺
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RANSOMWARE: WHAT IT IS AND HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF.

Thanks to Sarah Wingo for this heads-up! “The best way to keep ransomware off your computer, experts say, is to follow best practices by keeping software updated, using antivirus and other security software, and being careful about where you click and what you install. Backing up data on a separate hard drive or using a cloud service could save you from being held for ransom if an infection does occur.” More info here.

PRESIDENT OBAMA’S BUDGET INCREASES LIBRARY FUNDING

FROM THE ALA: President Barack Obama today (2/5/15) transmitted to Congress the Obama Administration’s nearly $4 trillion budget request to fund the federal government for fiscal year 2016, which starts October 1, 2015. The President’s budget reflected many of the ideas and proposals outlined in his January 20th State of the Union speech.

Highlights for the library community include $186.5 million in assistance to libraries through the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA). This important program provides funding to states through the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).

“The biggest news for the library community is the announcement of $8.8 million funding for a national digital platform for library and museum services, which will give more Americans free and electronic access to the resources of libraries, archives, and museums by promoting the use of technology to expand access to the holdings of museums, libraries, and archives. Funding for this new program will be funded through the IMLS National Leadership Grant programs for Libraries ($5.3 million) and Museums ($3.5 million),” said American Library Association (ALA) President Courtney Young

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“I’m not afraid of storms, for I’m learning how to sail my ship.” – Little Women by Louisa May Alcott 

SAIL STRONG, FRIENDS!

If you have ideas for inclusion in The 8:30 or to Library News in general, you’re invited to send them to joanne.quinn@villanova.edu.