First Book is proud to celebrate the joy of reading with the incredible women of Pi Beta Phi Fraternity. Today marks the Fraternity’s 141st year and another milestone in the Fraternity’s long history of supporting literacy.
On April 28, 1867, 12 women joined together to form a secret college society for women at Monmouth College in Monmouth, IL, not knowing what the future would hold. More than 140 years later, those 12 women have touched the lives of over 236,000 members across North America. Pi Beta Phi was the first national secret college society of women to be modeled after the Greek-letter fraternities of men. At a time when few women were admitted to colleges and universities, Pi Beta Phi created a feeling of unity among pioneering women.
To honor this anniversary, First Book and Pi Beta Phi distributed 250,000 brand-new books to children in need across the country.
In addition, Pi Beta Phi and First Book hosted two reading party events in celebration of Founders’ Day in Dallas and Champaign, Illinois. Dallas area Pi Beta Phi alumnae and collegians and members of the University of Illinois chapter of Pi Beta Phi celebrated the donation of brand-new books by decorating bookplates and reading with local children. Each child participating received two new books to take home.
Pi Phi has a long legacy of supporting literacy and we applaud their renewed commitment to literacy for children across the country. Happy Birthday Pi Beta Phi!
Okay friends. I have a reference question for you--one which has stumped the libraries of many major U.S. Cities, quite a few university reference sections and the Library of Congress. Think you're ready for this? Willing to take a shot at immortality? Here you go:
Question: I have an antique shovel stamped with the number 7. I know that shovels and scoops are numbered according to size, but need to know the origin and parameters of this system.
That's all. The shovel is actually a scoop; a number seven, as stamped on the metal portion of the shank. By way of reference, most modern shovels are number 2. By the way, Greg Galer at the Stonehill Industrial History Center (the "Shovel Museum") doesn't know the origin of the system, either. There is a federal specification for "Scoops, shovels, spades and spoons" (GS-S-11 of the Federal Standard Stock Catalog) but this shows nothing, either, at least that I can find of the numbering system. Neither Ames Manufacturing Co. nor Union Tools know, and they are prime manufacturers of the implement; I've contacted both and they have no clue. Frederick Taylor, who made an absolute science of shoveling and used his studies as examples of his Scientific Management, refers to numbered shovels on at least two occasions in his book Principles of Scientific Management, but does not state whether he or his people initiated the numbering system. Nor does Taylor's biographer, Robert Kanigel, mention the origin of the numbering in The One Best Way, which does otherwise treat the subject with some depth.
I am aware of a study done by Andris Freivalds and Y.J. Kim (Blade size and weight effects in shovel design, [Appl Ergon. 1990 Mar; 21:39-42]) but have not seen this article.
The situation we have here is of a reference system for shovels currently in partial use whose origins seem lost in the mists of time. I believe that the government may have established a numbering system or at least confirmed such in or around the First World War.
If you still think you've got what it takes, see if you can find the answer. The winner gets praise beyond reckoning. And perhaps more. By the way, library students are encouraged to try, too. Feel free to forward this.
Michael McGrorty
Why does this modern, Internet-driven world need the services of librarians, those folks who wait patiently behind the reference desks in towns all over the country and most of the world? Here's a hint:
The other day I realized the I had a feijoa tree growing against my fence. I am the lucky recipient of fallen fruit from this tree. [I posted about this a few days ago, right here.] At any rate, I was wondering how one actually pronounced the name of the fruit. I cranked up the search engine of choice and got the following results:
1. “The feijoa (pronounced fah-joe-ah) is a slow-growing, multistemmed evergreen shrub.”
Source: http://www.floridata.com/ref/F/feijoa.cfm
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2. “Feijoa (pronounced fee ho-ah) also known as pineapple guava or guavasteen.”
Source: http://vivaciousvegan.blogspot.com/2006/09/drum-roll-please.html
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3. “The pineapple guava or feijoa (pronounced fay-JOE-uh) is a small shrub that can be pruned into a small tree form.”
Source: http://duval.ifas.ufl.edu/pdf/lawn_and_garden/NLJulyAug.04.pdf
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4. “Feijoa: Pronounced:fay-YOH-ah, fay-JOH-ah. A small, egg-shaped fruit native to South America, that is often mislabeled in produce sections as guava.”
Source: http://www.recipezaar.com/library/getentry.zsp?id=671
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5. “Feijoa. Pronounced as "fee-jo" this small egg-size and oval-shaped tropical fruit is native to South America but grown in temperate climates throughout the world.”
Source: http://www.hormel.com/kitchen/glossary.asp?id=35963
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6. “The Feijoa (pronounced fay-zho-a) . . . a vigorous fruiting shrub. . . “
Source: How plants are trained to work for man, (Fruit Development, V. III) Luther Burbank, New York, Collier & Son, 1924. Accessed via Googlebooks.
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7. Feijoa. Main Entry: fei·joa. Pronunciation: \fā-ˈyō-ə, -ˈhō-ə\ . Function: noun
Etymology: New Latin, genus name, from João da Silva Feijó died 1824 Brazilian naturalist. Date: 1898: the green round or oval juicy fruit of a shrub or small tree (Feijoa sellowiana) of the myrtle family that is native to South America and is grown commercially especially in New Zealand; also : the tree or shrub.
Source: http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/feijoa
Note : there is also a pronouncing audio feature on the site. Go see, you aren't that busy.
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Seven different results at seven different sites. How fun, as they say when they don't mean it. Which is the genuine item, and which of them are wrong? How could so many authorities come up with this hash of conflicting information? And who(m) do I seek out to make sense of this?
Mind you, the last item is the one I place the most faith in. It has what they call authority, in the lingo of the library business. And the audio pronouncing aid seals the deal. By the way, if you want some of this fruit, come on by, but be quick--it isn't going to last.
Michael McGrorty
Wow! So exciting! And thank you for the birthday wishes from a NC Pi Phi!