LGBTQ Heritage Theme Study

The U.S. National Park Service, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, is charged with researching and maintaining many of America's most beloved historic sites. Some of those sites relate to the civil rights struggles of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) population. A special heritage theme study of LGBTQ sites and history was published this year. It's extensive, peer-reviewed, and covers many sub-populations:

https://www.nps.gov/subjects/tellingallamericansstories/lgbtqthemestudy.htm

Whether you're interested just in historic closets, or also in the people who emerged from them, this study might well have valuable information for you.

Everyday Mysteries: Fun Science Facts from the Library of Congress

There are many questions that mystify most of us. Is a coconut a nut, a seed, or a fruit? Does your heart really stop when you sneeze? What causes the sound of thunder? The Library of Congress has attempted to answer many of these questions on its Everyday Mysteries page:

http://www.loc.gov/rr/scitech/mysteries/archive.html

One question I hope we'll never be able to answer is, "Where would we be without libraries?"

Postal Explorer

Do the rules and procedures of the U.S. Postal Service ever confuse you? If so, the sources available on the Postal Explorer site might help to answer your questions. According to the site, "Postal Explorer is a virtual library of postal information and tools designed for U.S. Postal Service customers, business mailers, and employees. It puts a wealth of postal requirements for mailing and shipping domestically, internationally, and to APO/FPO/DPO destinations, at your fingertips in an easy-to-use format:"

http://pe.usps.gov/

If this site doesn't provide all the answers you need, just send Uncle Sam a postcard to complain.