Reasons to Be Thankful

On Thanksgiving 2013, I’m thankful for:

• The love and support of my partner, Seth J. Bookey.
• The tools, skill and opportunities that allow Seth and me to nurture and take care of each other.
• The house that Seth and I share.
• Our health and well-being.
• The company of people who believe in me and the impact that we can have on the world.
• My network of friends and family, whether we talk often or rely on social media and email.
• Smart, friendly and supportive colleagues in my professional communities.
• The opportunities to enjoy and create art and to build communities.
• The chance to live in a diverse society where differences are appreciated and valued.
• The chance to celebrate the holidays and everyday life with a mixture of faith, humanism, and occasional outlandishness.
• A significant amount of freedom and safety that much of the world cannot take for granted. 
• The opportunity to live at a time when we can joyously celebrate light and pause to give thanks, in one rare magical confluence of holidays.

I hope that I demonstrate my gratitude throughout the year.

Primer on US Government Contract Databases Published in Online Searcher

I'm excited to have my first article published in Online Searcher, a magazine for librarians and other information professionals. 

In the article, aptly titled in U.S. Government Contract Databases, Amy Affelt of Compass Lexecon and I write about how to find money from the federal government and what sequestration is likely to mean for funding sources. We focus on both free and subscription databases that businesses, entrepreneurs and the general public (and libraries serving them) can use to research contract awards and analyze the data to make intelligent choices for their businesses and become smarter taxpayers and citizens.

The article appears in the May-June 2013 issue of Online Searcher. An old-fashioned routing slip taped to each new issue makes this magazine required (or at least suggested!) reading for every reference librarian at the library where I work part-time. It may be the same at your library. 

Every issue, the publisher Information Today makes a few articles available for free online. This isn't one of them, so unfortunately I cannot share it widely. Articles from Online Searcher are available from Factiva* and other business and academic journal databases. 

* Disclosure: I work for Dow Jones & Company, which owns Factiva.