There is a difference between the two – the Netherlands, short for the Kingdom of the Netherlands refers to the country, while Holland – actually, North and South Holland – are two provinces out of the 12 provinces that make up the country.

However, the two names are commonly used interchangeably and this could be due to historical reasons. Holland used to be just one province during the days of the United Provinces (1581-1795), where a few provinces in the region came together to form the precursor to the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and most of the nation’s governmental and commercial power was concentrated there. Hence foreigners came to think of the Netherlands and Holland as one and the same.

Though the right term for the country would be the Netherlands, matters are not helped by the country’s national tourism board also using the term Holland to refer to the entire country and in its tourism website address. Some encyclopaedias and books also refer to ‘Holland’ as another name for the Netherlands, further contributing to the common use of both terms to refer to the country.

Sources:

Name: Factiva.com
Source: The Arizona Republic
Title: Holland not the same as Netherlands
Author: Clay Thompson
Publisher: The Arizona Republic
Issue Information: 1 March 2007
Description: What is the difference between Holland and the Netherlands?
Last accessed date: 14 Jul 2010

Name: Factiva.com
Source: The Daily Express
Title: Your questions answered
Publisher: Express Newspapers
Issue Information: 4 November 2006
Description: Is there any difference between Holland and The Netherlands, or are they different terms for the same country?
Last accessed date: 14 Jul 2010

Name: Factiva.com
Source: Boston Herald
Title: Good question; It’s time to brush up on geography by going Dutch
Author: Beth Teitell and Roger Michel
Issue Information: 1 November 1998
Description: “Q: There are questions you just can’t ask after the third grade, and I’ve been carrying one around for 30 years – are Holland and the Netherlands different countries? And who exactly are the Dutch? Please help me with my secret shame!”
Last accessed date: 14 Jul 2010

You may also wish to refer to the following sources for more information on the Netherlands and her history.

Web Resources

Source: http://www.holland.com/global/aboutholland/history/
Title: History – History – The Official Website of The Netherlands Board …
Last accessed date: 14 Jul 2010

Source: http://www.minbuza.nl/en/You_and_the_Netherlands/
About_the_Netherlands/Highlights_of_Dutch_History
Title: Highlights of Dutch History – MinBuza.nl
Last accessed date: 14 Jul 2010

Source: http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/travel-and-living-abroad/
travel-advice-by-country/country-profile/
europe/netherlands/
Title: Country Profile: Netherlands
Last accessed date: 14 Jul 2010

 Answered by Ms Lynn Koh, Associate Librarian, Adult and Young People’s Services

Found this question interesting? What do you think? Post your comments.
If you have a different question, please email to ask@nlb.gov.sg instead of sending a comment

Students performing at the 1966 National Day Parade
Source: www.nhb.gov.sg

National Day Parade, 9 August 1967
Source: www.nationalartgallery.sg

August marks a very special month in Singapore’s history as Singapore holds its national day celebrations on 9 August every year.

9 August is a significant date because on 9 August 1965, Singapore broke away from Malaysia and became a fully independent country. Prior to this, on 27 May 1961, the Malayan Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman proposed merger between Singapore, Malaya and other British colonies like Brunei, Sabah and Sarawak to form Malaysia for political and economic reasons.

However, due to political differences that later led to 2 racial riots in Singapore in 1964, as well as economic incompatability, on 7 August 1965, the leaders of Malaysia and Singapore signed the separation agreement and on 9 August 1965, Singapore became a fully independent country.

This year, Singapore will celebrate its 45th year of independence and the National Day celebrations and parade will be held at the Padang where the first National Day Parade (NDP) was held. The theme this year is ‘Live Our Dreams, Fly Our Flag’ as the organizers hope that Singaporeans will “reflect upon the nation’s achievements and be inspired to work towards their own dreams”.

Do catch the parade and the celebrations in action if you have a chance!

For more information on this year’s NDP celebrations, do log on to the NDP official website :
http://www.ndp.org.sg

Sources:
1) The Living Past
2) NDP 2010 Official Website: www.ndp.org.sg

Posted By:

Ms Chen Wanying
Children’s Librarian
Children’s Services

The colour of your nails may indicate the state of your health.  Below is a guide and does not necessarily mean it reflects actual health conditions.  It is best to seek professional medical advise if you suspect your health is affected by the colour of your nails. 

- If some or all of the nail is white in colour, it could be a sign of fungal growth or liver problems.

-  White dots may indicate a zinc deficiency, or a slight injury to the nail.

-  Brown nails may indicate fungal growth or kidney disease.

-  Yellow nails could be due to jaundice.

-  Blue nails can indicate poor circulation, or a heart, or lung conditions.

-  Pitted nails may suggest a skin condition, such as psoriasis or ezcema.

-  Nails that break or spilt easily could indicate a thyroid problem. 

-  Nails that have a yellowish tint and pink colouring at the base may be linked to diabetes.

-  Curved nails may indicate a respiratory disorder.

(Taken from “Why is yawning contagious?: everything you ever wanted to know about the human body – and some things you’d rather not” by Francesca Gould, p.27).

Below are suggested titles on the human body and its functions which are available in the libraries.  To check their availability, please visit our online catalogue:  http://catalogue.nlb.gov.sg/

    (All Rights Reserved, Portrait, 2007)

1.  Why is yawning contagious?: everything you ever wanted to know about the human body – and some things you’d rather not

By Francesca Gould

Publisher: London : Portrait, 2007

Call No.: 612 GOU -[HEA]

       (All Rights Reserved, Dorling Kindersly, c2009)

2. The concise human body book
By Steve Parker
Publisher: London : Dorling Kindersley, c2009
Call No.: 612.00222 PAR -[HEA]

      (All Rights Reserved, Intelligent Body Press, c2006)

3. The busy person’s guide to easier movement : 50 ways to achieve a healthy, happy, pain-free and intelligent body
By Frank Wildman
Publisher: Berkeley, Calif. : Intelligent Body Press, c2006
Call No.: 613.71 WIL -[HEA]

  
Posted by Kweh Soon Huat, Librarian,  Adult and Young People’s Services

Quoting from the National Marine Sanctuaries (U.S.), the functions and purposes of marine sanctuaries is as follows:

“The primary objective of a sanctuary is to protect its natural and cultural features while allowing people to use and enjoy the ocean in a sustainable way. Sanctuary waters provide a secure habitat for species close to extinction and protect historically significant shipwrecks and artifacts. Sanctuaries serve as natural classrooms and laboratories for schoolchildren and researchers alike to promote understanding and stewardship of our oceans. They often are cherished recreational spots for sport fishing and diving and support commercial industries such as tourism, fishing and kelp harvesting”.

[Source: "National Marine Sanctuaries: FAQ." 03 Aug 2006. . 19 May 2010.]

In addition, the New South Wales Marine Parks website lists the ways in which marine sanctuaries help the marine environment. They do so by:

- protecting habitats and ecosystems;
  – improving commercial and recreational fisheries by protecting juvenile habitats or adult breeding grounds;
  – providing opportunities to appreciate and enjoy the marine world;
  – protecting threatened species;
  – supporting research and education;
  – providing a buffer for the effects of climate change;
  – improving management of introduced marine pests;
  – reducing the risk of pollution by excluding oil and gas developments;
  – improving opportunities for ecotourism for local communities; and
  – conserving cultural heritage.

[Source: NSW Marine Parks. "About Marine Sanctuaries." "Marine Sanctuaries: National Parks of the Sea." 2005. , 19 May 2010.]

You can find out more about marine sanctuaries from the two source websites listed above. You can also read aggregated news reports about local efforts to start a marine sanctuary at Pulau Hantu at the following page on Wild Singapore’s website (http://www.wildsingapore.com/): , 19 May 2010.

Book Recommendations:
1) Title: Endangered oceans / Louise I. Gerdes, book editor.
Publisher: Detroit : Greenhaven Press, c2009.
Call No.: Y English 333.95616 END

2)Title: The marine heritage of Thailand : kingdom of infinite biodiversity.
Publisher: PTT Exploration and Production Public Co. : National Park, Wildlife, and Plant Conservation Dept., 2006.
Call No.: RSEA English 333.916409593 MAR

3) Title: Marine parks of Malaysia / text by Mohd Taupek Mohd Nasir, Nor Ainy Mahyidin.
Author: Mohd. Taupek Mohd. Nasir
Publisher: Kuala Lumpur : Dept. of Fisheries Malaysia, Ministry of Agriculture, 2001.
Call No.: q333.916409595 MOH

4) Title: Wild ocean : America’s parks under the sea / by Sylvia A. Earle and Wolcott Henry.
Author: Earle, Sylvia A., 1935-
Publisher: Washington, D.C. : National Geographic Society, 1999.
Call No.: q333.7830973 EAR

5) Title: Marine reserves in the Philippines : historical development, effects and influence on marine conservation policy / by Angel C. Alcala ; with a foreword by Edgardo D. Gomez.
Author: Alcala, Angel C
Call No.: RSEA 333.916 ALC

To check the availability and locations of the above titles, please use our online catalog

Originally answered by Goh Peck Keong, Librarian, Adult and Young People’s Services

Found this question interesting? What do you think? Post your comments.
If you have a different question, please email to ask@nlb.gov.sg instead of sending a comment

Yes indeed, you have heard it right..

There’s an upcoming anniversary (50th in fact!!) of the publication “To Kill a Mockingbird”, which will happen on 11 Jul 2010. More details can be found here: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/25/books/25mock.html?ref=books

In the local context, it appears that some schools have used Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird” as text/readings for the students in their curriculums:

“All students will study Romeo and Juliet, Oedipus Rex, and Of Mice and Men. Additional readings may be taken from the following: To Kill a Mockingbird…”
Source: http://www.sas.edu.sg/hs/Catalogs/English.html

“Teacher initiated inquiry into the understandings of how societies have evolved or what factors have shaped the nature of societies through the study of your Literature texts, ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ and…”
Source: http://www.chijsec.edu.sg/main/history_1.html

“The course will force students to analyze one core text in depth (for now either The Crucible by Arthur Miller or To Kill a Mockinbird by Harper Lee) while training them to…”
Source: http://www.hci.sg/studies/highSch/literature/?page=blurbs

There’s also a posting done up by my colleague Reena, about this publication at Y.O. blog from NLB as well.

If you wish to borrow a copy of this “Pulitzer Prize” title (print or AV format), please check our online catalogue for its availability and holdings.

** All websites above are last accessed 18 Jun 2010 **

If you have any enquiries or comments, please drop us an email at ask@nlb.gov.sg and we will reply within 3 working days.

Posted by Mr Justin Tan
Librarian
Adult & Young People’s Services

ASK! about Events and Outreach

Thousands flocked to the first Book Exchange in 2009, and it’s back again this year!

Give your books a new lease of life – share them with other book lovers and get new reads in return. Give a book, and get a book.

10th April – 23 April 2010

Starting 10th April, make you way down to any Public Library to drop off your used books. While there, exchange one book for one Book Exchange Coupon.

24th April (Saturday) 8.30am – 6.00pm

Bring your coupons down to The Plaza, National Library Building to exchange for other used books.

And there’s more than just exchanging books!

On 24th April, don’t miss the exciting activities for children at the Central Public Library – listen to stories on Bob the Builder, meet Bob the Builder himself, and there will be opportunities to take a photo with him! Catch screenings of the National Geographic’s documentary “Shark Eden”.

More details in the poster and programme flyer.

Posted by Ang Mei Jun,Associate Librarian, Adult & Young People’s Services

Hiccupping is a sudden, unexpected intake of air that happens when the diaphragm spasms. The diaphragm may twinge when you eat too fast or there sould be some particles in the bloodstream that may irritate the organs near the diaphragm.

There are remedies for hiccups e.g., holding your breath, drinking water, etc. The reason that these remedies are thought to work is the view that carbon dioxide build-up in the blood will stop hiccups.

Also, people also believe that drinking water or pulling the tongue can stop hiccups becuase of the view that if the vagus nerve that runs from the brain to the stomach is stimulated, the spasms in the diaphragm can be stopped, thereby putting an end to hiccups. 

Sources:
[1] Title: World Book Encyclopedia
  Publisher: Chicago: Field Enterprises Educational Corp, 1917-
  Call no. R 031 WOR ( vol. 9)

2] Webpages on “Hiccups”
  http://www.emedicinehealth.com/
  http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/features/columns/?article=BN_Hiccups

For fun reads on hiccups, you can check out these books!

All Rights Reserved, Grosset & Dunlap, 2010
Title: I Can’t Stop Hiccuping
Author: Lauren Child
Call Number: JP English CHI
Publisher: New York, N.Y. : Grosset & Dunlap, 2010
Click here to check item availability

All Rights Reserved, Raintree, 2010
Title: Twitches And Sneezes
Author: Angela Royston
Call Number: JP English 612.2 ROY
Publisher: London : Raintree, 2010
Click here to check item availability

All Rights Reserved, Picture Window Books, c2009
Title: You blink twelve times a minute : and other freaky facts about the human body
Author: Barbara Seuling
Call Number: J English 612 SEU
Publisher: Minneapolis, Minn. : Picture Window Books, c2009
Click here to check item availability

Posted By:

Ms Chen Wanying
Children’s Librarian
Children’s Services

ASK about Myths & Facts

Happy Birthday To You is the most frequently sung song in the English-speaking world. It was derived from the song, Good Morning to All, written in 1893 by sisters Mildred Hill (1859 -1916) and Patty Hill (1868 – 1946).

History of the song
Mildred and Patty Hill were both sisters who are known for their work on kindergarten education in Kentucky. In 1893, they composed a collection of songs called Song Stories for the Kindergarten. Good Morning to All was one of the songs.

A number of events, possibly birthday parties, followed which lead to the substitution of the phrase ‘happy birthday’ into the song. Historical accounts from Kentucky suggest that the first time ‘happy birthday’ was used was for a birthday party at the Little Loomhouse. A historical marker was erected here by the Kentucky Historical Society in 2009 to honour the origins of the song. See how it looks here.

According to news sources (see References), it was first copyrighted in 1936 by Summy Company, who published Good Morning to All. In 1988, Time-Warner Corporation bought over the rights. The current copyright expires in 2030.

References

Posted by Ang Mei Jun,Associate Librarian, Adult & Young People’s Services

(Image courtesy of morel mushroom hunting)

Toadstool is a common term for fleshy and umbrella-shaped poisonous fungi. The word toadstool was thought to have originated from the German word “todes” which means death.

Mushroom is the term usually applied to edible species of fungi. Scientists who study fungi, however, make no such distinction between toadstools and mushrooms as most of them can be poisonous.

Many toadstools and mushrooms in the wild can be poisonous and most of the poisonous types belong to the family, Amanita. The commonly encountered poisonous fungi include the death cap, (a mushroom often adorned with one to several patches of thin white veil tissues and has a white pallid stalk), the destroying angel, (a totally white and tall mushroom), and the fly amanita, (a yellow-orange mushroom). Consuming these mushrooms will result in nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, liver damage and death.

It must be noted however that all mushrooms and toadstools in the wild have to be consumed only with professional advice.

Sources:
Toadstool. (2007). Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia. Retrieved March 3, 2010, from Grolier Online http://gme.grolier.com/cgi-bin/article?assetid=0291140-0
American Mushrooms: http://americanmushrooms.com

Read more about mushrooms and toadstools!

All Rights Reserved, London: Dorling Kindersley
Mushrooms by Thomas Laessoe
Publisher: London : Dorling Kindersley, 2000
Call No.: English 579.6 LAE
View item availability here

All Rights Reserved, London: Dorling Kindersley
The Edible Mushroom Book by Anna Del Conte
Publisher: London : Dorling Kindersley, 2008
Call No.:English 641.358 EDI
View item availability here

All Rights Reserved, Portland: Timber Press
Edible and poisonous mushrooms of the world by Ian R. Hall
Publisher: Portland : Timber Press, 2003
Call No.: English 579.6 EDI
View item availability here

Posted By:

Ms Chen Wanying
Children’s Librarian
Children’s Services

Image courtesy of The University Of Aberdeen
(http://www.abdn.ac.uk/)

Is the idea of vampirish bats real? Or do these blood sucking creatures belong in the dark gothic fiction world of Dracula and Twilight?

Well, there are bats that suck blood and they are aptly known as vampire bats.

A vampire bat bites other animals and drinks their blood. A vampire bat may bite a sleeping horse, cow, or even a person, without being noticed. First, its sharp teeth make a shallow cut. Then the bat simply laps up a small amount of blood and flies away. The chief danger to the victim, (unlike what most gothic movies and books suggest) is not loss of blood but rather infection. This is because vampire bats are known carriers of rabies, a   “fatal viral disease that infects domestic and wild animals and is spread through people through close contact with infected saliva”.

Sources

Land, B. (2008). Bats. (K. F. Koopman, Rev.). The New Book of Knowledge®. Retrieved September 6, 2008, from Grolier Online http://nbk.grolier.com/cgi-bin/article?assetid=a2002420h
World Health Organization http://www.who.int/

For more information on vampire bats, do check out these books!

All Rights Reserved, New York: Power Kids Press
Vampire bats: hunting for blood by Barbara A. Somervill
Publisher: New York: Power Kids Press/Rosen Publishing Group, 2008
Call no.: JP English 599.4 SOM
Click here to view item availability

All Rights Reserved, New York; Londer: Kingfisher
Dangerous Creatures by Angela Wilkes
Publisher: New York; London: Kingfisher, 2003
Call no.: J English 591.6 WIL
Click here to view item availability

All Rights Reserved, New York: Power Kids Press
Vampire Bats by Emily Raabe
Publisher: New York: Powerkids Press, c2003
Call no.: J English 599.4 RAA
Click here to view item availiability

Extracted By:

Ms Chen Wanying
Children’s Librarian
Children’s Services