Polar Bears and Polar Night

I wrote about armchair travel in the past, and I'd like to tell you about my latest armchair trip to a place near the North Pole (and no, it's not Santa's workshop). The book I recently read is Life on Svalbard by Cecilia Blomdahl, a New York Times bestseller by a Swedish YouTuber who has been living for the past 10 years in Longyearbyen, Svalbard's largest town with roughly 2,600 people.

Where the heck is Svalbard, you may ask? Svalbard is a group of islands in the Arctic Circle that belong to Norway. It's a place of extremes. At the moment, they are experiencing what is called polar night, which is when the sun doesn't rise at all for several months in the winter due to the tilt of the earth on its axis. In contrast, they will have 24 hours of sunlight for several months straight in the summer, a phenomenon known as polar day. 

I learned of the book through a CNN article, and I found the thought of people living somewhere like Svalbard fascinating. Blomdahl takes us through a year living in her cabin just outside of Longyearbyen with her Norwegian partner, Christoffer, and her dog, Grim. She writes about her cabin, going to town, seeing the northern lights, boating in the summer, and traveling hours by snowmobile to an off-the-grid vacation cabin, all accompanied by her stunning photos. 

I have to admit I've even started watching Blomdahl's YouTube channel. Cecilia comes across as bubbly and positive, like a good friend chatting with you. It's so interesting to watch her take us to the only supermarket in Longyearbyen, restaurants in town, walks during polar night with Grim, and around her cabin and deck on the water. And let's not forget about polar bears--there are plenty of them on Svalbard, and everyone who goes outside town needs to carry a rifle for protection in the event of facing one of these Arctic giants.

Find the book on Overdrive/Libby (ask us about FREE access), and unless you have a Kindle Colorsoft, be sure to download the app on your phone, tablet, or computer in order to enjoy Blomdahl's photos in all their glorious colors.

Wishing you good armchair travels from the perch.

Presidential Libraries

No doubt you've heard that President Jimmy Carter lay in repose at The Carter Presidential Center, which consists of a museum and library dedicated to the former president's time in office. It was not the first time that a president or a first lady lay in repose at a presidential library before burial. This got me thinking about American presidential libraries--their number and how they began, among other things.

Apparently, presidential libraries are a 20th century phenomenon and there are currently fifteen of them, two of which are completely digital at the moment (Obama and Trump). Franklin D. Roosevelt. was the first president to have a presidential library; he developed and built it, opening it to the public in 1941. Roosevelt was also the first president to donate his professional and personal papers to the federal government, and his presidential library was the only one to be used by a sitting president.

The Presidential Libraries Act in 1955 encouraged but didn't require presidents to donate materials from their administrations, but the Presidential Records Act of 1978 declared that all presidential records are owned by the public. The libraries are operated by the Office of Presidential Libraries, which falls under the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). There is a presidential library for every president since Herbert Hoover, and each library is located in a president's home state (Texas has three). A number of presidents and first ladies are even buried on the grounds of their presidential libraries.

Although it's possible to visit a presidential library, some have virtual tours. Additionally, many presidential documents and photos can be accessed through the internet. For instance, you can see photos of Jackie Kennedy's dresses and find information on when and where she wore them, or you can read the public papers of Ronald Reagan.

I'm probably a bit biased as a librarian, but presidential libraries make it easier for future generations to learn about past presidents and understand their administrations.

As always, sending you best wishes from the perch.