University Libraries

By Scott West

On May 15, Library Journal released its extensive and diverse Notable Government Documents list for 2017. Many are available in the University Libraries in print or electronic form, including the following:

The al-Qaeda organization and the Islamic State organization : history, doctrine, modus operandi, and U.S. policy to degrade and defeat terrorism conducted in the name of Sunni Islam / Paul Kamolnick

The al-Qaeda Organization (AQO) and the Islamic State Organization (ISO) are transnational adversaries that conduct terrorism in the name of Sunni Islam. It is declared U.S. Government (USG) policy to degrade, defeat, and destroy them. The present book has been written to assist policymakers, military planners, strategists, and professional military educators whose mission demands a deep understanding of strategically relevant differences between these two transnational terrorist entities. In it, one shall find a careful comparative analysis across three key strategically relevant dimensions: essential doctrine, beliefs, and worldview; strategic concept, including terrorist modus operandi; and specific implications and recommendations for current USG policy and strategy. Key questions addressed include: How is each terrorist entity related historically and doctrinally to the broader phenomenon of transnational Sunni 'jihadism'? What is the exact nature of the ISO? How, if at all, does ISO differ in strategically relevant ways from AQO? What doctrinal differences essentially define these entities? How does each understand and operationalize strategy? What critical requirements and vulnerabilities characterize each entity? Finally, what implications, recommendations, and proposals are advanced that are of particular interest to USG strategists and professional military educators?  Electronic format.

Certification status and experience of U.S. public school teachers : variations across student subgroups / Taslima Rahman

This snapshot of U.S. public school students’ teachers’ credentials and experience uses two datasets available to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES): the Schools & Staffing Survey (SASS) and the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). The report presents the percentage of U.S. public school students taught by educators with state certification, more than five years of experience, and a post-secondary degree in the subject in which they teach. Access varies among students by demographics, school settings, states, and large urban school districts. Electronic format.

The city becomes a symbol : the U.S. Army in the occupation of Berlin, 1945-1949 / by William Stivers and Donald A. Carter

Thoroughly researched and documented, this book illuminates the development of the Cold War from the vantage point of occupied Berlin. It provides a detailed account of the army’s role in the first four years of the occupation, supplemented with maps, photographs, and an extensive bibliography. Print and electronic format.

Climate change vulnerability and adaptation in the Blue Mountains region / Jessica E. Halofsky and David L. Peterson, editors

The Blue Mountains Adaptation Partnership (BMAP), one of the largest climate change adaptations of federal lands to date, encompasses the Malheur, Umatilla, and Wallowa-Whitman national forests in Oregon and Washington.  BMAP was formed to minimize the negative effects of climate change and facilitate the transition of diverse ecosystems to a warmer climate. This state-of-the-science synthesis projects changes in climate and hydrology and their potential effects on water resources, fisheries, and vegetations. Electronic format.

In persistent battle : U.S. Marines in Operation Harvest Moon, 8 December to 20 December 1965 / Nicholas J. Schlosser

Part of the “Marines in the Vietnam War Commemorative Series,” this document looks at Operation Harvest Moon, the Marines’ last large-scale conventional operation in country. The battle demonstrated many of the frustrations and problems faced by American forces in South Vietnam against the Viet Cong-led insurgency, including the disparity in fighting abilities between the Marines and South Vietnamese Army units and lack of coordination between the Marine Corps and other U.S. forces. Electronic format.

Iranian naval forces : a tale of two navies

This work offers current information on the major reorganization of Iran’s two navies and provides a brief history of Iran’s naval forces, including Iran’s Persian imperial past, the spread of Islam, and the Iran-Iraq War. Nearly a decade after the reorganization, the U.S. has a better understanding of Iran’s ultimate intentions for the maneuver and clearer insight into how its navies are progressing. The book contends that U.S. authorities must address each of these navies as distinct, with independent strategies, doctrines, and missions. Print and electronic format.

Landscapes of West Africa : a window on a changing world

Beautifully illustrated with maps, graphs, tables, and images, this text describes the natural environment of 17 countries in West Africa and the impact of human populations over the past four decades. The atlas tells a story of past and current land use and land cover and guides people in making informed choices to support livelihoods now and for future generations. Print and electronic format.

North Cascades Ecosystem : draft grizzly bear restoration plan/environmental impact statement

Three agencies drafted this plan to evaluate the impacts of four possible approaches to restoring the grizzly bear to the North Coastal Ecosystem, a portion of its historical range. The project seeks to achieve a restoration of 200 bears while creating guidelines for human-grizzly conflicts; promote capture, release, and monitoring techniques; educate and involve the public; and manage access and habitat. The plan analyzes the potential environmental impacts on wildlife and fish, the wilderness, visitor use and recreational experience, public employee safety, socioeconomics, and ethnographical resources. Electronic format.

Recipes for healthy kids. Cookbook for schools

This colorful item is from the Recipes for Healthy Kids Competition, in which school nutrition professionals, students, parents, chefs, and community members cooked up new ideas to get children excited about making healthy food choices. The recipes feature dark green and orange vegetables, dry beans and peas, and whole grains; all are low in total fat, saturated fat, sugar, and sodium. With fun names such as Porcupine Sliders, Smokin’ Powerhouse Chili, and Squish Squash Lasagna, these kid-tested and -approved dishes are sure to be a hit.  Electronic format.

Safer, stronger, smarter : a guide to improving school natural hazard safety / prepared by Applied Technology Council ; prepared for Federal Emergency Management Agency

Schools can use the authoritative information in this resource to develop a comprehensive strategy for addressing natural hazards. Based on a two-year project of the Applied Technology Council with funding from FEMA, the document updates existing policies and provides new knowledge about natural hazard-resistant design, plus strategies and procedures recommended by other federal agencies. Electronic format.