On July 19, 2017, the Supreme Court rejected an attempt by President Donald Trump to include grandparents and other relatives of U.S. residents in his travel ban on people from six countries. But the judges also gave the government the right to enforce a separate ban on refugees, pending a government appeal against a U.S. District Court of Hawaii order.

On July 13, 2017, Judge Derrick K. Watson of the U.S. District Court of Hawaii ruled that grandparents, grandchildren, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and cousins of persons in the United States cannot be included in Trump's travel ban, and that assurances from a resettlement agency were adequate to protect people from the refugee ban. See page 26 of the ruling for the order.  It was appealed to the Ninth Circuit Court on July 14.

On June 26, 2017, the Supreme Court partly and temporarily reinstated President Trump's travel and refugee ban. They will consider it in full in October. The Supreme Court said in Monday's decision: "that [the executive order] may not be enforced against foreign nationals who have a credible claim of a relationship with a person or entity in the United States. All other foreign nationals are subject to the provisions of [the executive order]." The order is on pages 9-13.

On June 12, 2017, the Ninth Circuit Cort of Appeals upheld the Hawaii court decision blocking Trump's revised travel ban on people from six mainly Muslim nations.

On May 25, 2017, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals left in place the freeze on Trump’s revised travel ban. The majority opinion is on pages 12-79. 

See earlier library blog posts:

Court ruling stops President Trump from withholding funds from sanctuary cities

Court challenges to the second travel ban

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

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.

“I feel like I'm a better person when I'm at the library.”

by Sarah Binns

Like most of our Spotlight volunteers, Heather Reed is many things: full time worker, full time student, and full time dog mom to her dachshund, Artemis. But unlike other featured volunteers who fit the library around their careers, Heather hopes the library will be her career. She is currently working toward a computer science degree at PCC, but afterward she'll apply to graduate school programs for a Master's in Library and Information Science (MLIS). “I'm hoping to go into archival work,” she says.

Heather has always been a reader. Growing up in Detroit, Michigan, she was taken to the library by her parents read for hours. . “That was the place I felt most at home,” she says. Heather translated her love for reading into a job, working for two years as a page clerk in Arizona before moving to Portland last year. “A hundred and ten degrees was just too hot for me!” she says about the move from the Southwest.

Heather “does a little bit of everything” as a branch assistant at Midland Library. She processes holds, shelves books, and works on the paging list. Best of all is the occasional interaction with patrons: “I like when I'm able to help people find things. I'm not able to help them a lot, but when I do it's really rewarding.” She can only fit in one shift a week between school and work, but wants to do more. “When you enjoy something that much, it doesn't feel like work. I feel like I'm a better person when I'm there.”

When I ask about her hobbies, she laughs like it's a foreign concept, given her busy schedule. She does collect antique teacups, though, and has about thirty, ranging in origin from Imperial Japan to England. “I like hand-painted ones,” she says with a smile, “those are the most unique.”

Getting her MLIS is Heather's goal, all inspired by her childhood at the library. “I feel like the library is the best place on earth. You should go in there and get the resources you need. If I can bring that to other people—what else can I ask for?”

Home Library: Midland

Most influential book: The Vampire Hound by Jim Hunt. “It's the book that got me into reading and it sparked my love for fantasy books.”

Favorite book from childhood: See above!

Currently reading: The Wheel of Time series' second book, The Great Hunt. “I hear everyone talk about Game of Thrones and I'm sure it's good, but I say 'Have you read this?! It came first!'”

Guilty pleasure: Manga.

Book that made her laugh or cry: “Probably the Harry Potter series is one of the most emotional” for her.

Favorite library browsing section: True crime. With her other favorite, fantasy, “Everything is pretty and interesting, but with true crime you find out about something you never knew happened.”

E-reader or paper: Both.

Favorite place to read: Outside. “Sometimes the wind will blow and it will match up to something in a book and it's hard to get that experience inside.”

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

На занятии участвовали наш постоянный участник В, а также новый участник, тоже В. Поэтому мы его условно обозначим как В2.

Работа с учащимся В2 - Тренируем скорость печати

Предварительно, как обычно делается с новыми учащимися, мы побеседовали о том, какие навыки в работе с компьютером уже есть, есть ли свой компьютер или телефон и зачем нужно обучение работе на компьютере.

Выяснилось, что B2 хочет повысить свою квалификацию и перейти на новую должность, которая требует умения пользоваться компьютером. Причем, он уже работал на компьютере, помогал своим коллегам просматривать заявки, заполнять их, отмечать выполненные и т.д. Но ему не хватает скорости печати, ему трудно запомнить расположение клавиш на клавиатуре, чтобы быстро печатать. Надо сказать, что в целях подготовки к новой должности действует он довольно решительно.

Он принес с собой личный ноутбук. Это достаточно интересная модель GateWay, китайского производства, как и многие ноутбуки сейчас. Выглядит довольно свежо и очень неплохо работает. Мобильным телефоном В2 не пользуется. Таким образом, исходный уровень В2 был определен, задача конкретизирована. Осталось только найти в интернете сайты с компьютерными тренажерами, на которых можно тренировать скорость печати. Причем В2 хочет научиться печатать именно "слепым методом", 10-ю пальцами, чтобы не смотреть на клавиатуру, поскольку в его будущей работе это важно.

В течение занятия он выполнил несколько упражнений, показал хороший результат по скорости, более 80%, но ошибки еще нужно устранять. Дома он уже самостоятельно продолжит эту работу.

Работа с учащимся В - Изучаем английский по-серьезному

Второй участник данного занятия, которого мы условно называем В, в этот раз попросил помочь решить такую задачу - оплатить абонемент на пользование сервисами сайта puzzle-english.com. Это очень хороший сайт для изучения английского языка, на котором собрано большое количество аудио-материалов.

Не секрет, что одной из самых сложных проблем для изучающих английский язык является понимание английской речи на слух. Это одна из важнейших составных частей изучения любого иностранного языка, наряду с чтением, письмом и говорением.

Надо сказать, что задача оказалась сложнее, чем мы изначально предполагали. И на ее решение ушли все 2 часа занятия, но она так и не была закончена. Вначале мы планировали зарегистрироваться в сервисе AppStore, в котором продается приложение для данного сайта. Это, казалось бы, несложное действие, тем не менее заняло довольно много времени. Потребовалось создать профиль пользователя, придумать юзернейм, пароль, указать е-майл, составить секретные вопросы и т.д. По ходу, как это иногда бывает, произошел сбой то ли на сайте, то ли в компьютере и регистрация прервалась. При повторной попытке было получено сообщение, что такой пользователь уже зарегистрирован. Но последующая попытка войти в магазин приложений не увенчалась успехом, система все время выдавала сообщение, что имя пользователя и пароль неверны. В итоге, путем каких-то уже трудновспоминаемых действий мы обнаружили, что такой пользователь уже действительно был зарегистрирован ранее. Это сделал когда-то сын нашего учащегося, о чем он естественно по ходу сразу и не вспомнил.

Мы отнеслись к этой ситуации с юмором, поскольку да, такое бывает, люди забывают о том, что они где-то регистрировались, кто-то им помогает, что-то теряется, забывается. Это компьютеры, интернет, здесь очень много разной информации и не всегда получается ее контролировать от и до. Как говорил Лев Толстой, не страшно если упадешь, главное потом подняться. Так и в этом случае, ничего страшного если что-то забыл, главное разобраться, когда это будет нужно.

С этой ситуацией мы разобрались, но сюрпризы продолжились. Оказалось, что регистрация в данном магазине и не нужна, поскольку это магазин для приложений мобильного телефона, а у нас используется ноутбук. Тогда мы, как настоящие герои)), пошли в обход. Т.е. зашли на сам сайт и посмотрели как именно можно оплатить абонемент прямо с сайта. Надо сказать, что сделать это не так уж сложно, нужно только зарегистрироваться и указать данные карты.

Еще один сюрприз состоял в том, что и на этом сайте пользователь В тоже был зарегистрирован ранее. Хорошо, что мы это обнаружили сразу, подсказал браузер, в котором сохраняются порою реквизиты входа на те или иные сайты. Поэтому нам осталось только обновить регистрационные данные профиля на этом сайте и указать платежные реквизиты.

По поводу указания платежных реквизитов карты довольно часто, особенно у людей старшего возраста, после новостей о разного рода хакерах, возникают сомнения, стоит ли их указывать, не случится ли с картой потом каких-то неприятностей? Это действительно важный вопрос и всегда встречая предложение указать данные карты нужно вначале внимательно проверить кто и почему это предлагает. И если сайт сомнительный, то конечно отказываться. Но в данном случае мы уже знали, что это хороший сайт, у некоторых из нас уже был опыт работы с этим сайтом, опыт оплаты покупок на этом сайте, поэтому мы были уверены, что здесь нет подводных камней.

Более того, свою помощь в обеспечении безопасности оказал нам и банк пользователя. Т.е. он не пропустил сразу эту оплату, о чем нам сообщил сайт - ваша оплата не подтверждена вашим банком. Вначале мы подумали, что это связано с тем, что использовалась не кредитная карта, а дебетовая, поэтому оплата и не была произведена. Но вечером, уже после занятия, пользователь В получил по электронной почте письмо от своего банка, в котором сообщалось, что запрос на оплату проверен и теперь можно эту оплату выполнить. Так что здесь безопасность обеспечивается на двухуровневой основе - вначале мы сами проверяем получателя оплаты, затем банк делает проверку со своей стороны.

Таким образом, наша эпопея временно была завершена, но еще не закончена. Осталось довести дело до логического конца - сделать оплату и получить абонемент.

Как видим, сами по себе такие вопросы с технической стороны не очень сложные, но с точки зрения организационной требуют к себе определенного внимания и времени. И конечно, людям, особенно старшего поколения, которые раньше с такими вопросами не сталкивались, бывает довольно трудно самостоятельно во всем разобраться. Именно в таких случаях и приходит на помощь наш компьютерный класс.

Напоминаем, что следующие занятия нашего компьютерного класса для русскоговорящих пользователей старшего возраста состоятся в библиотеке Роквуд 10 мая и 24 мая.

Время проведения занятий: с 2 до 4 часов дня

Адрес библиотеки: Rockwood Library, 17917 SE Stark St. Portland, OR 97233

Телефон библиотеки для справок: 503-988-5123

E-mail преподавателя (можно задавать вопросы): portlorego259@gmail.com