Cold vs. Flu

As a library, we are a center for providing our patrons with accurate information. We felt the need to write a blog about H1N1, seasonal flu and colds to try to debunk some of the myths, misinformation, hype and panic-inducing emails that are out there. The following information was gathered from reputable sources and there are links to the referenced information throughout the blog. Please feel free to leave any comments you may have. Thank you.


Know the Difference between Cold and H1N1 Flu Symptoms – (printable PDF)

Symptom	Cold	H1N1 Flu (Swine Flu)
Fever	Fever is rare with a cold.	Fever is usually present with the flu in up to 80% of all flu cases. A temperature of 100°F or higher for 3 to 4 days is associated with the flu.
Coughing	A hacking, mucus producing cough is often present with a cold.	A non-mucus producing cough (dry cough) is usually present with the flu.
Aches	Slight body aches and pains can be part of a cold.	Severe aches and pains are common with the flu.
Stuffy Nose	Stuffy nose is commonly present with a cold and typically resolves spontaneously within a week.	Stuffy nose is not commonly present with the flu.
Chills	Chills are uncommon with a cold.	60% of people who have the flu experience chills.
Tiredness	Tiredness is fairly mild with a cold.	Tiredness is moderate to severe with the flu.
Sneezing	Sneezing is commonly present with a cold.	Sneezing is not common with the flu.
Sudden Symptoms	Cold symptoms tend to develop over a few days.	The flu has a rapid onset within 3-6 hours. The flu hits hard and includes sudden symptoms like high fever, aches and pains.
Headache	A headache is fairly uncommon with a cold.	A headache is very common with the flu, present in 80% of flu cases.
Sore Throat	Sore throat is commonly present with a cold.	Sore throat is not commonly present with the flu.
Chest Discomfort	Chest discomfort is mild to moderate with a cold.	Chest discomfort is often severe with the flu.

~ Information provided courtesy of the Alliance Library System (ALS).

The only way to stop the spread of the epidemic is to spread the awareness.


Rear Admiral Anne Schuchat of the Center for Disease Control (CDC) was on "The Dr.s" television show, October 26, 2009. She said that one of the biggest warning signs that you need to speak about with a physician is when a person is sick with flulike symptoms, gets better, then gets sick again. They could have pneumonia following the flu and that is what seems to be causing the most complications. Furthermore, she discussed the effectiveness and safety of the H1N1 vaccine. According to Schuchat, the vaccine is just as safe and effective as the annual flu vaccine. She also added that if we'd have known about the H1N1 strain sooner it would have been incorporated into the current seasonal flu vaccine and there would not have been all the misinformation floating around about it.

Pregnant Mothers:
It is very important for pregnant women to get the H1N1 and Seasonal Flu vaccines. During pregnancy a mother's immune system is weakened so the body doesn't reject the fetus, plus the body is under added stress working to support two lives. According to the CDC, the H1N1 and seasonal flu vaccines are safe for pregnant mothers and their unborn babies.


Breastfeeding While Sick:
According to the CDC's website, it is ok to give your baby breast milk while you are sick. The antibodies your body is producing to fight illness are passed on to your baby. It is recommended that you express your milk and have someone who is not sick do the actual feeding. If you cannot do this, you should put a blanket over your arm (which you have been told to cough/sneeze into) and wash your hands thoroughly or use an alcohol based hand rub before each feeding. Also, try not to cough or sneeze into the babies face.

Since this is a new virus, we don't know yet about specific protection against it. Mothers pass on protective antibodies to their baby during breastfeeding.  Antibodies are a type of protein made by the immune system in the body.  Antibodies help fight off infection.


Where to find the FACTS!
There are so many panic inducing emails and forwards flying around. Ignore all the "he said he heard she read" and go directly to the facts!

• www.cdc.gov/H1N1FLU/ - Visit the CDC's 2009 H1N1 Flu page for the most up-to-date information on the H1N1/Swine Flu.
  
• www.flu.gov also has lots of information on when to visit your doctor.
  
• www.medlineplus.com – MedlinePlus is a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health. You can search their site for information on flu or other illnesses and health conditions.
  
• http://blogs.webmd.com/focus-on-flu/?ecd=ban_cdc1_cdc_cdc-flu-cb – The CDC and WebMD team up to answer questions about the flu season.

What should you know about flu antiviral drugs? At this time there are no studies suggesting harm to pregnant women or their unborn babies if she takes antiviral medicines.

Your "Virtual Library"

Did you know your library is also online? Through our website, http://www.lmelibrary.org/, you can access an abundance of information! From what's going on at the library to entertaining your kids to browsing newspaper articles you can find it through our website.

By clicking the RSACat logo you can browse our catalogue, view holdings in other libraries, place items on hold, renew materials, see what you currently have checked out, material due dates and fines owed.

If you visit our "Calendar" link you can find information on upcoming programs and events that may be of interest to you and your family.

Not sure what's new on the library shelves? Check out our "New Arrivals" section. We have our newest materials broken down into 9 different categories, including fiction and DVDs, to make searching easier for you.

Our "Reference Center" is another great resource for our patrons. Are you doing genealogy research? The HeritageQuest database will assist you in finding ancestors, all you need is your library card number. Want to find an old newspaper article? America's Newspapers has editorials, articles, obituaries, announcements and more, including a direct link to the Journal Star. If you have children, Tumblebooks is great educational entertainment! We even have databases to help you choose books based on your favorite authors or genres. There are many more great databases for you through the library's website.

Going Green with Your Library!

Today, everyone is trying harder to “go green.” Our library is trying to be as green as possible as well. Currently, we participate in the Princeville recycling program, have a yearly book sale, have live plants in and around our building. We have florescent lighting, have tinted window film, and whenever possible we use both sides of paper before recycling it.

You can help the library go green by providing us your email address. No, we won’t send you a bunch of junk mail! We will use your email to send you overdue notices and hold available notices. As an added bonus you may request to be notified a few days before your materials are due (also via email) so you can either renew or return your items and avoid dreaded late fees!

To get your email address added to your library account, or those of your children, please send us an email at lill@lmelibrary.org, call us at 309-385-4540 or talk to someone at the service desk during your next visit (you may add the same email address to multiple library accounts). Please do not post your email in a comment to our blog for your security.

*Note: If you sign up for email alerts, you will no longer receive overdue notices by United States Postal Service mail. Please ensure that you only sign up for this service if you check your email regularly.

Loving the small library

I love working in a small library. Our library is small by any standard: small population, located in a small town, and in a small building; I love it. I love the fact that I know the people I serve. My office looks out at the interior of the library and when I see someone tucked into a corner engrossed in a book or magazine, I love it. I know the families, sometimes three and four generations of them. I love that they like just dropping in to say hello or to see what's new. Having the technology to get the information for my patrons, just like a big library, means I can usually find information that they might need quickly and efficiently.

Last evening just reminded me of all of these things as we were one of a number of locations used in the filming of a community DVD. There was a hum of excitement and lots of chuckles as we local residents served as film stars for the night. We try hard to meet the needs of the community, it's our home.

Techno Bingo!

The Lillie M. Evans Library wants to encourage adults and teens to try something new and have fun learning about technology. Play Techno Bingo and learn about MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, the library’s databases, Wikipedia, Hulu and more!

You can print your board here and get started right away! If you have any trouble completing any of the squares, there is an online tutorial and a printable tutorial available on our website to help you complete the tasks. For an additional challenge, try completing the entire board! The Lillie M. Evans Library is also proud to announce a new service called “Book a Librarian” where you can schedule one-on-one time with a library staff member to get help completing a square or for other research and training needs. You can sign up to Book a Librarian here on our website or schedule an appointment by phone 309-385-4540.

We would love to hear your feedback on this. Please feel free to comment here or send us an e-mail at lill@lmelibrary.org.

Summer Reading signups underway now!

Hi, all!

Summer Reading has begun for grades K-7th! If you have not signed up yet, now is the time to do so! The theme for this year is "Read on the Wild Side," and do we ever have some wild things lined up. Two interesting aspects of the summer program:

READING CHALLENGE
If all the kids signed up for summer reading read a total of 1,500 books before closing on July 1, Mrs. Routh will kiss a live snake at the "Snake Man" program at the library on July 2.

BOOK DONATIONS
Every time 5 books are read for the summer program, a book will be donated to the Children's Home of Illinois. Our goal is to donate 300 books to this organization by the end of the summer program.

Happy Reading,
Library Lill

Welcome from the garden bench

Welcome to the library's blog, "From the Garden bench." Funny name for a library blog, you say? Well, the idea of sitting in the garden thinking and dreaming or talking with your best friend was very appealing to us and we hope it is to you too. That's what this blog is about, just sharing ideas and thoughts about library things together. You are welcome to add your ideas and comments here too. Some of you will be doing just that as a part of our adult summer program, TECHNO BINGO. If you want to join us, there is more information on the homepage. Sharing ideas, telling you about favorite movies and books, telling you about new programs, asking your advice and listening to your suggestions is what this is all about. This time of year, the garden is especially beautiful so spend a while sitting on one of the garden benches and then share your thought with us here. We, the staff, will all be contributing to the blog. We will all be using the "Library Lill" as a signature.