Did you know that the Enoch Pratt Free Library has video games? With options available for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One gaming systems, go ahead and check them out!
by Morgan Stanton, Branch Manager
“What is true, and I’m actually being serious here, is that there are, there’s footage and records of objects in the skies, that we don’t know exactly what they are. We can’t explain how they moved, their trajectory. They did not have an easily explainable pattern. And so, you know, I think that people still take seriously trying to investigate and figure out what that is.”
President Barack Obama, “The Late Late Show,” 5/17/2021
Friday, July 2, marks World UFO Day, celebrated as such in commemoration of the alleged crash of an alien spaceship outside Roswell, New Mexico, in 1947. Unidentified flying objects have been part of the national consciousness since at least earlier that same year when aviator Kenneth Arnold reported nine silvery disc-shaped objects flying near Mt. Rainier in Washington State. The press popularized the term “flying saucers” after Arnold’s description of the objects, likening them to saucers skipping across water. Since then, thousands of UFO sightings have been reported by credible witnesses — whether mundane explanations have been determined, or not.
Unidentified Flying Objects, or as the Pentagon prefers, “Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP),” once again made headlines in 2017 following a bombshell expose in The New York Times detailing $22 million budgeted for the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program (AATIP), a secret government program studying UFOs. The program was shut down in 2012, but according to the article remained in existence off-the-books. The Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force was established in 2020, and in their June 25 report to Congress, neither confirmed nor denied that UFOs or UAPs are extraterrestrial in origin.
From a literary standpoint, UFO literature is plagued with tabloid sensationalism, but there are exceptions. The best UFO books are well-sourced and written by credible authorities. Far from B-movie scenarios of invaders from planet Mars, unexplained phenomena detailed by observers often take on a surrealistic, dream-like quality. Below are some recommendations. As we like to say at Pratt, “Your journey starts here.”
If you’re looking for your next book to read, you’re in good luck! Take a look and see what’s new to the Pratt Library’s Lucky Day collection on Overdrive. The collection is constantly updated with eBooks and eAudiobooks that you can download in seconds.
Get the grill ready! Here’s a look at cookbooks that are sure to make sure your next cook-out is fabulous! With options for meat-eaters, vegetarians, and everyone in between, you’re in for a satisfying meal.
The Enoch Pratt Free Library was able to chat with one of the recent graduates of the Career Online High School. Kelly Ross graduated with a diploma and a certificate as a Home Care Professional in April. Congrats Kelly! Below, she shares her experience with the program.
Why did you choose Career Online High School?
I chose Career Online High School because I saw an opportunity for me to obtain my high school diploma.
What was the process of going to school online like?
I actually enjoyed the flexibility of online schooling. I loved the fact that while my babies were virtually learning I could be doing the exact same thing.
How do you hope receiving your diploma will impact your life?
It has already given me a boost of self worth, and self esteem.
What’s next for you?
I just recently applied for a CNA/GNA program so that I can pursue a career in Healthcare.
What advice would you have for someone considering the program?
Do it!! Oftentimes we are so afraid of taking a risk for fear of failure, but when you have a goal and little people watching you, it makes you forget about the what if’s and go after what you want.
Anything else you want to tell us?
Yes, Thank you so much for this opportunity. I am so happy and thankful that I finally have my high school diploma, and even more thankful that I was able to obtain it before my baby received hers.
For more information on how you can now earn your high school diploma entirely online go to Career Online High School, and check out an exciting new scholarship-based program available through the Pratt Library.
Career Online High School is made possible with the support of Crown Castle and the David and Barbara B. Hirschhorn Foundation.
