He Volunteers Anywhere He Can Find

by Sarah Binns

The first thing that struck me about Ruben Arciniega was a sense of maturity that far exceeds his years. A long-time member of the Troutdale Library Teen Council, the 16-year-old is already enrolled at Mt. Hood Community College through his high school, achieving high school and college credit for his classes. Pair his challenging coursework with an active volunteering schedule and you have a smart, confident, compassionate young man who is destined to go far--both in the Portland community and beyond.

Ruben initially got involved in the Summer Reading program and the teen council to gain volunteer hours for school. But then, he says, “I started doing more volunteering and realized I really liked it. On Troutdale’s teen council one of Ruben’s roles is to “make everyone feel comfortable,” which led him to create a fun icebreaker to put his peers at ease. He helps the council plan monthly youth-centric events that include everything from an annual Batman party to a visiting game truck, which gives kids who don’t have the resources for video games a chance to play to their heart’s content. “We also do a cyber-bullying event to provide awareness and help for people,” he says. “It’s very fun and rewarding to see how many people are positively affected by what we do.”

Ruben also frequently volunteers at Cherry Park Plaza, an elder care facility, and “anywhere else that I can find,” he says. His community is as impressed with Ruben’s service as I am, and in late June he was honored with a 2017 Volunteer Award from Multnomah County for his involvement in the library.

When I ask what Ruben is interested in pursuing as a career he says he’s undecided, but he finds criminal justice “very intriguing.” For the time-being he has his hands full: “It’s a tough schedule,” he says. “School, volunteering, and trying to find a job. When I do find time to myself I just relax. In the summer I have a lot more time to actually be a kid.” As a fantastic “kid” or an adult, I am confident we will see more of Ruben on the Portland community stage in the future.

A few facts about Ruben:

Home library:  Troutdale

Currently reading:  The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka. “I was told it would be a good book for me because it’s kind of weird. It’s definitely interesting.”

Most influential book:  “I’ve read a couple of books for my literature class that were interesting and changed my perspective. The Prince by Machiavelli is one. It definitely changed my perspective on leadership.”  

Favorite book from childhood:  The Hungry Little Caterpillar. “It successfully enhanced my creativity as a kid.”

Favorite browsing section:  “Usually if I’m thinking about a certain subject, I’ll just look for that book in the database. I’ll just go in the library and ask where are the books on cooking.”

E-reader or paper:  “Paper, definitely. It feels right.”

Thanks for reading the MCL Volunteer Spotlight. Stay tuned for our next edition coming soon! Read last month's Volunteer Spotlight.

What is a nautical chart?

To someone who has not been at the helm of a vessel, a nautical chart might look like nothing more than an oddly detailed water map.  To a boater, a nautical chart is much more than a “road map” of the water.  Instead of roads it details water areas, ports, and coast lines; it also includes information about depth of the sea floor, obstructions, restricted areas, recommended routes, and aids to navigation such as lights and buoys. The main purpose of a nautical chart is to give boaters up-to-date information to avoid grounding or traveling in restricted waters, and to navigate safely for themselves and the vessels around them. 

Where can I find current navigational charts?

The United States Office of Coast Survey (USCS) has been producing nautical charts for more than 200 years, ever since President Thomas Jefferson asked for a survey of the coast in 1807. The USCS has made and maintains over 1,000 charts at varying levels of detail that cover all of the U.S. and U.S. territory coastal waters and the Great Lakes. These charts are conveniently available online for viewing and downloading. They are free of charge and regularly updated.

To find a particular nautical chart, start at the NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) Charts for U.S. Waters Online Chart Viewer. From the Online Chart Viewer you can select a region to view or navigate using the Graphical Catalog. Also available are BookletCharts for printing to help recreational boaters locate themselves on the water.

The Graphical Catalog shows the outlines of charts that are available on a basic geographical map. As you click on a chart, information to the right of the map show you the coordinates for the selected point as well as the Chart number, panel number, and scale of the chart selected. When you zoom in on an area, more detailed charts with larger scales become available to select. The name of each nautical chart is listed below the map as a Panel Title, as well as the date of the most current edition. Each nautical chart is available to be viewed online, downloaded as an RNC (Raster Navigational Chart), or ordered as a paper chart. In addition to finding nautical charts by browsing the map, you can also find nautical charts by entering the coordinates of the location you are seeking.

In addition to these current nautical charts you can also find nautical charts to view at the library by searching for cruising atlas in the online catalog.

Did you know that nautical charts may have more than one compass rose printed on them?

A compass rose shows both the true North in the outer circle and the magnetic North in the inner circle, and the difference between the two is called the magnetic variation.  It is important to always use the compass rose nearest the area for which you are plotting directions. For detailed guidance on how to read a nautical chart, check out How to Read a Nautical Chart by Nigel Calder or Chapman Nautical Chart No. 1 from the U.S. Coast Guard.

What did nautical charts and maritime maps look like in the past?

In addition to modern nautical charts, the USCS also has beautiful and detailed historical maps and charts available on their website. Other recommended historical resources are The Charting of the Oceans by Peter Whitfield (an overview of Europe’s charting history) and Soundings: The Story of the Remarkable Woman Who Mapped the Ocean Floor by Hali Felt (in the 1950s, Marie Tharp turned her husband’s records of sonar pings measuring the ocean’s depth into illuminating maps of the ocean floor that proved for the first time the theory of continental drift).   

Finding these charts can be complicated! If you have any questions, do not hesitate to Ask a Librarian.

The NOAA website includes this note: Use the official, full scale NOAA nautical chart for real navigation whenever possible. These are available from authorized NOAA nautical chart sales agents. Screen captures of the on-line viewable charts available here [on NOAA's online chart viewer] do NOT fulfill chart carriage requirements for regulated commercial vessels under Titles 33 and 46 of the Code of Federal Regulations. 

The Story of One Summer Reading Volunteer

by Donna Childs

Atticus Wilson is an intelligent, thoughtful, and sincere young man who knows himself and is willing to make the most of his opportunities. A freshman at Jefferson High School, he volunteers with the Albina Library’s Summer Reading program and has since he was old enough to qualify, the summer before he started sixth grade. When asked how he knew about the Summer Reading program, he said a librarian from the Albina Library had visited his classroom to encourage young readers - his kindergarten classroom! She had so inspired Atticus that he signed up to volunteer five years later.

He took her words about reading to heart as well, often reading several books at one time: he is currently in the midst of five books! In addition to Summer Reading, Atticus attends a Dungeons and Dragons camp every summer, and that is only the tip of his D&D iceberg. Despite being a new freshman, he founded a D&D club at Jefferson, and he is creating his own D&D campaign (adventure).  When finished, he plans to test it and then send it to the company that makes the game.  

Atticus chose to attend Jefferson, despite its being three miles away, because the closest school to him, Grant High School, is slated to be remodeled, sending its students even farther away. Furthermore, Jefferson has several appealing programs. For example, he is one of fifty students chosen, in a rigorous process, for a biotech program, through which he will be eligible for internships, other learning experiences, and jobs at OHSU after his sophomore year.  And, thanks to Jefferson, he will also be able to take classes at nearby Portland Community College, for free. This year at Jefferson, Atticus also took a television production class, with both field and studio components. He conducted and produced a three-minute interview with one of his teachers, and the class as a whole produced a student-run Jeopardy-type program. (Some previous student productions are available on YouTube at Jefferson Demos.JTV.)  Although his favorite subject is math, and he is interested in technology, Atticus also likes studying history and literature. He is a well-rounded young man, thanks to all that reading, perhaps?

A few facts about Atticus:

Home library:  Albina

Currently reading: Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfus; Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli; Reality Boy by A.S. King; Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare; Still Life with Tornado by A.S. King

Most influential book:  Unknown; they all influence me in different ways.

Favorite book from childhood:  Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

A book that made you laugh or cry:  Hollow City: The Second Novel of Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

Favorite section of the library:  teen fiction

E-reader or paper:  Paper books are better.

Favorite place to read:  locked in my room, holding my dog

Thanks for reading the MCL Volunteer Spotlight. Stay tuned for our next edition coming soon! Read last month's Volunteer Spotlight.

Understanding and mutual respect for people with diverse histories, cultures, and religions is essential to a functioning democracy. If you're curious about Muslim beliefs and the cultural heritage associated with Islamic civilizations. here are some lists and resources to get you started. Many of these resources we put together through a joint project of the American Libraries Association and the National Edowment for the Humanities. 

Attention educators! Are you tired of using the same old books with your students every year? Attend one of our summer educator workshops to learn about the latest and greatest materials to use in the classroom.

Gotta Read This: New Books to Connect with Your Curriculum

Come to this workshop to learn about new books you might integrate into your language arts, social studies, math, science and arts curriculum.

For K-5th grade educators:

• Tuesday, Aug. 8, 2-4:30 pm, Central Library U.S. Bank Room, 801 SW 10th Ave. Register by August 4.

For 6th-12th grade educators: Gotta Read This! online booklists

• Select the subjects of greatest interest to you. Register by August 4, and we’ll notify you when the online booklists are available.

Novel-Ties (for 4th -8th grade educators)

• Discover hot, new fiction to use in book discussion groups and literature circles. Register by August 4, and we’ll notify you when this online workshop is available.

Contact School Corps with any questions!

High schoolers, you can just read for an hour to mark off each spot on your Summer Reading challenge cards. But there are a lot of cool other things you can do, too! Optional challenges are below. If you choose any of the creation challenges from the first list below, share your stuff for a chance to win $100 collage gift certificate! You can email a file to Summer Reading Coordinator Seana Lane or post on Twitter or Instagram and tag with #MultCoLibTeen (if your profile is set to public — if it’s not, just send via email).

Need challenge cards? Stop by any library between June 16 and August 31 to get yours! Just keep track of the hours you read and challenges you complete until you get your cards, then transfer them to the first challenge card.

Create stuff

Share your creation for a chance to win $100 collage certificate (see above)

• Create an alternative book cover for the last book you read.
• Write and perform a rap inspired by one of your favorite books.
• Write fanfiction and share it — think about a book you wish hadn't ended, and create the next chapter.
• Make a zine or blog post listing resources for at-risk teens in your community facing challenges: homelessness, LGBTQ+, bullying, abusive relationships, eating disorders, immigration, scholarship needs.  
• Instagram a video book review and share with your friends (and enter in the contest above).
• Create art inspired by a book — a comic strip or graphic novel version, draw a character as you see them, or paint a landscape described.
• Find a recipe from a different culture than yours, and make it for your family or friends. Take a picture of your feast. 

Do stuff

• Volunteer in your community (maybe even at your library!) Or try VolunteerMatch or Hands On Greater Portland for opportunities.
• Send a letter or an email to an elected representative about an issue you are passionate about.
• Spend time with kids younger than you — read to them, play with them, talk with them.
• Teach a new technology to an adult -- Twitter, Instagram, streaming music 
• Attend a teen maker program at your library or at Rockwood Makerspace.
• Use the chat feature on the library's website to ask something you can't find out from Google. 
• Make a booklist. Create a theme (strong female characters, alternative reality, vampire fiction) and post to GoodReads or the library’s site.
• Write a book review on the library’s (or any other) site.
• Take our quick survey.

Explore, try and learn stuff

• Learn or practice a language through Mango Connect languages on the library's website.
• Watch a video to learn a new skill — cooking, changing a tire, making a tie dye shirt, origami, rapping, mixing music.
• Stream some world music through the library's Hoopla app or check out a CD.
• Download Zinio, the library's magazine app, and flip through different magazines. What would you like to see in Zinio? (You can always suggest a purchase through the library website!)
• Find news or opinion sources from the opposing side of an issue you are passionate about. Talk with friends or family, or write a blog post, about what you learned — or didn't.
• Go to ted.com/talks to understand more about world issues.
• Try our new database Lynda.com to teach yourself a creative or technology skill.
• Use the library's genealogy tools to start learning about your family tree.

Read different stuff

• Read a biography about someone who beat the odds or changed the world.
• Read a different genre of book than you normally do: graphic novel, nonfiction, historical fiction, science fiction, realistic fiction.
• Read a book with a main character from a different culture or ethnic background than yours — here are a couple of lists:
  • #weneeddiversebooks YA edition
  • 10 diverse titles from 2016
• Read a book that won an award in the last 5 years.
• Read a book translated from another language.
• You saw the movie. Now read the book.
• You read the book. Now see the movie.
• Read a nonfiction graphic novel.
• Read a book set in another country.
• Read a book set in Oregon.

President Trump recently ordered that federal funds be withheld from cities and counties that don't help immigration officers. An April 25 court ruling temporarily stops that from happening.

The court ruling blocks enforcement of Section 9(a) of the president's executive order.

This means that, for now, the federal government can't stop funds going to Oregon, where a law keeps Oregon police from helping federal immigration officers.

The ruling also helps Portland and Multnomah County, which are sanctuaries. See the county and the city sanctuary resolutions (for the city, click the download button).

See also:

Court challenges to the second travel ban

Resources for immigrants, refugees and travelers affected by President Trump's first travel ban.