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This time of year wildflowers are everywhere. Of course Texas is most famous for its bluebonnets, but there are lots of varieties of wildflowers out there. Most people know that Ladybird Johnson was responsible for the Texas Wildflower Program, but not everyone knows that it continues to this day. TxDOT continues to sow wildflower seeds everywhere, beautifying the highways of Texas. Mowing is only done during this time when necessary for public safety. Great for the environment and great for the scenery! Get more information on the program , or check out the Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center . To find them and see for yourself, get sighting info from Wild About Texas  Wildflower: Sightings . See some great Texas wildflower pix at Flickr .

COM Library now has a mobile site so that you can use library resources on the go! Go to COM Library's Mobile site . If you prefer, you can still get to the full site by selecting the link below the menu from the mobile page. You'll find our most popular resources and services: -Mobile Research -Hours -Ask COM Library -Book A Study Room -What New in COM Library -Library Apps -COM Library on Facebook

The beta version of Europeana recently launched, a joint effort of EU countries. It is a wonderful digital library that is archiving European culture. One may view paintings, full text literature watch video, more. Great collections. Check out the Reading Europe or Art Nouveau exhibits. From the about us page:   Ideas and inspiration can be found within the more than 14.6 million items on Europeana. These objects include: Images - paintings, drawings, maps, photos and pictures of museum objects Texts - books, newspapers, letters, diaries and archival papers Sounds - music and spoken word from cylinders, tapes, discs and radio broadcasts Videos - films, newsreels and TV broadcasts Some items and topics are world famous, like Isaac Newton's book about the Laws of Motion , the drawings of Leonardo da Vinci , Johannes Vermeer's painting of the Girl With A Pearl Earring or objects about the Berlin Wall. Others are hidden treasures, waiting for you to discover them.

History fans, check out this fascinating site: http://sundaymagazine.org/ . The “most interesting” stories from the New York Times Sunday Magazine 100 years ago. Here are a few examples: The Hobble Is The Latest Freak In Woman’s Fashions Being Fat Is Like Having Money In The Bank Dr. Hyslop Tells Of Experiments With Famous Mediums Hudson Maxim On “A Coming War Of Aeroplanes” Mark Twain’s Secret Book Gives Startling Views

The JFK Library tweets JFK's progress on the campaign trail--50 years later, creating a unique timeline to this historical event. Go to the site to view the tweets, follow or subscribe to the RSS: http://twitter.com/Kennedy1960 .

Have you ever sent out a “tweet” on the popular Twitter social media service? Congratulations: Your 140 characters or less will now be housed in the Library of Congress. That’s right. Every public tweet, ever, since Twitter’s inception in March 2006, will be archived digitally at the Library of Congress. That’s a LOT of tweets, by the way: Twitter processes more than 50 million tweets every day, with the total numbering in the billions. Get the rest of the story .

Google recently launched a new feature, Google Discover Music . Now, when you enter a music-related query — like the name of a song, artist or album — your search results will include links to an audio preview of those songs provided by our music search partners MySpace (which just acquired iLike ) or Lala . When you click the result you'll be able to listen to an audio preview of the song directly from one of those partners. For example, if I search for [21st century breakdown], the first results provide links to songs from Green Day's new album. MySpace and Lala also provide links to purchase the full song. Put it to the test, try one of Google's sample searches: Artists: Kings of Leon , Bob Dylan , Bon Jovi Albums: 21st century breakdown , Pet Sounds , Southern Voice Artists and a song: Paramore Ignorance , Plies Hypnotized , Luke Bryan Do I View the Original Article from Google

This month is the 40th year of Apollo 11's mission to the moon. Relive one of the defining moments in human history. Thanks to NASA for the use of the image. CNN: Astronaut Armstrong recalls moon landing , The 10-year-old who helped Apollo 11, 40 years later Google: Apollo 11 Images , Land on the Moon in the new Google Earth (see astronaut footprints, and watch Apollo footage) LIFE: Up Close with Apollo 11 Families NASA: Apollo 40th Anniversary NASA has complied stunning images and interactive features, including real time mission audio and moonwalk video . National Geographic: MOON LANDING FACTS: Apollo 11 at 40 POPSCI: Ten Things You Didn't Know About the Apollo 11 Moon Landing TIME: Watching the Apollo 11 Liftoff We Chose the Moon (multimedia presentation)

And learn a little something about how it all got started. Access HotSpot web sites, eBooks and print books on Independence Day, all available in COM Library. USA.gov: Fourth of July is Independence Day (website) The Complete Idiot's Guide to the American Revolution (COM Only eBook) The Fourth of July : and the founding of America (book) E286 .A266 2007 Get more Independence Day HotSpots .

Access HotSpot web sites, eBooks and print books on D-Day, all available in COM Library. Photograph of Dwight Eisenhower Giving Orders to American Paratroopers in England, June 6, 1944, courtesy of the Library of Congress. Here are a few samples: BBC: Audio Slideshow: D-Day and Auschwitz from the air (website) ProQuest: History Study Center: The D-Day Landings, 6 June 1944 (map), Operation Overlord: The D Day Landings (animated map: click on the map and when larger version loads, click play), Preparations for D-Day, June 1944 (video clip, requires media player), The Road to D-Day (COM Only database) The Bedford Boys: One American Town's Ultimate D-Day Sacrifice (COM Only eBook) Normandy : the landings to the liberation of Paris (book) D756.5.N6 W5313 2008 Get more D-Day HotSpots .

Meet "Ida," the small "missing link" found in Germany that's created a big media splash and will likely continue to make waves among those who study human origins. From National Geographic . read more | digg story Related: Google Search: Missing Link +Ida TheLink National Geographic: PHOTOS: 7 Major "Missing Links" Since Darwin National Geographic: Atlas of the Human Journey

Artifacts and books on Mexican culture were on display in the library from Dr. Urbina, Blanca Comeaux and the Multiculture Team. If you missed it, you can still see highlights: check out the slide show on Flickr , view the books in the library, or check out our Cinco de Mayo HotSpots . Here are a few HotSpot samples: Cinco de Mayo de 1862 - La Batalla de Puebla (website) Encyclopædia Britannica: Cinco de Mayo , Puebla, Battle of (COM Only resource) The Mexican Revolution in Puebla, 1908-1913 : The Maderista Movement and the Failure of Liberal Reform (COM Only resource) Benito Juarez (book) F 1233 J9342 Upcoming displays: June: Juneteenth July: 4th of July

Get the facts from reliable sources including frequently asked questions, symptoms, Galveston County and Texas information, podcasts and videos from our Swine Flu HotSpots. Here are a few samples: CDC: H1N1 (Swine Flu) , Interim Guidance for H1N1 Flu (Swine Flu): Taking Care of a Sick Person in Your Home , follow CDC Emergency on twitter Galveston County Health District: H1N1 (Swine Flu) Information Mayo Clinic: Mayo Clinic expert answers your questions on swine flu , Swine Flu , Symptoms

Google Image Search has always been one of the best ways to search for images on the Internet. You can search the way you would for any Google search, but get results as thumbnails of the images, allowing you to sort through results quickly. If you go to Advanced Image Search , you have more search options, such a limiting to just color or black & white photos, getting results in specific file formats, or to content such as news or faces. Now there's even more reason to check out Google Image Search: Google is now hosting millions of photos from LIFE magazine . You can search or browse the collection by theme or decade. View some of the world's best known photographs from the collection now: 3-D Film Audience the Beatles , taking a swim Buzz Aldrin on the Moon Dewey Defeats Truman Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. giving his "I Have a Dream" speech the kiss on VJ Day Get more sites like this one from COM Library's Photography page. COM students, faculty and staff ...

Access HotSpot web sites, eBooks and print books on Black History Month, all available in COM Library. This year the spotlight is on Barack Obama. Here are a few samples: CNN: Barack Obama , The 44th President First 100 days , The 44th President Inauguration , 107-year-old: 'Nothing but the greatest!' , 1.20.09: Your view of history Wikipedia: African American history GVSU: Ask Gleaves About the U.S. Presidency Get more Black History Month HotSpots , or check out our President's Day HotSpots .

See COM Library's Latest Photos See our latest pix of the library and events that take place in the library: http://flickr.com/photos/comlibrary . Contribute Your Own Photos While library staff contribute to the main photostream, any COM student, faculty or staff can contribute pictures to our two Flickr groups: Ducks @ COM and Library @ COM . Feel free to join if you’d like to contribute pictures of ducks on campus or pictures in the library. Learn More About Flickr Want to learn more about Flickr? Take the Flickr tour , or get help from Flickr . See the small slideshow of our pix:

Access HotSpot web sites, eBooks and print books on Veterans Day, all available in COM Library. This year the focus is on Native Americans. Here are a few samples: Depatrment of Defense: American Indian Medal of Honor Recipients , American Indian Participation in the United States Military , Native American Women Veterans , American Indians in World War II , Native Americans in the Korean War Crossing the pond the native American effort in World War II (COM Only, eBook) American Indians and World War II : toward a new era in Indian affairs D 810 I5 B47 1991 (COM Only, print book) Get more Veterans Day HotSpots , or check out our Native American Heritage Month HotSpots .

Access HotSpot web sites, eBooks and print books on Native American Heritage Month, all available in COM Library. Here are a few samples: America.gov: American Indian History, Culture EBSCO: Full Text Articles on Native Americans The Native American World (COM Only, eBook) Cambridge companion to Native American literature PS153.I52 C36 2005 (COM Only, print book) Get more Native American Heritage Month HotSpots .

If you have already registered, there are several ways you can vote. Get more voter information . Vote Early at a voting branch Early Voting is from Monday, October 20, 2008 - Friday, October 31, 2008 Early Voting Branch locations* (PDF) Vote by Mail Last Day to Apply for a Ballot By Mail, October 28, 2008 Vote on Election Day at an election day poll Polls are open from 7 am to 7 pm on Election Day, November 4, 2008 Galveston County Election Day Polls* (PDF), instructions (scroll down page for step by step instructions) * It's not clear if locations were chosen before or after Hurricane Ike, so please check before voting.

Who knew? After hitting us in Texas, Ike went on to plague the Midwest, finally exiting through Canada. To find out what happened when the power was out (or still is?) or get help with recovery, check out COM Library's Hurricane Ike Hotspots . Here are a few samples: Attorney General of Texas: Texans Should Be Alert To Clean-Up, Repair Services Scams in Wake of Hurricane Ike FEMA: Disaster Assistance , Disaster Assistance Available from FEMA , Texas Hurricane Ike or call Call 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) / 1-800-462-7585 (TTY ) Wikipedia: Hurricane Ike , Effects of Hurricane Ike in inland North America , Effects of Hurricane Ike in Texas