The Never-Ending Scourge of Asbestos

Asbestos; mesothelioma [Photograph]. Encyclopedia Britannica Online Library Edition. Retrieved 26 June 2013, from http://library.eb.com.au/eb/art-171564

A recent article in The Age has examined a 'third wave' of victims who have developed malignant mesothelioma after exposure to asbestos.[i] At first it appeared that only the miners and wharfies were affected by this scourge - then tradespeople [ii] started to develop asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma from inhaling asbestos fibres. Now medical specialists are seeing a new wave of sufferers - 'the bystanders', such as women who may have washed their husband's asbestos dust-laden overalls decades earlier. [iii]

 Asbestos, named from the ancient Greek word for 'inextinguishable', was touted as the 'wonder material' of the 1950s, 60s and 70s, and used extensively in Australian buildings between 1945 and 1980.[iv]  As a material, it was cheap, strong and heat resistant, and its versatility resulted in it being used in over 3000 products, including insulation, carpet underlay, brake linings, roof tiles and cement sheeting.[v]

Mesothelioma, one of the cancers arising from exposure to asbestos fibres, can take up to 20-40 years to develop.[vi] Many people who develop mesothelioma do not experience any noticable symptoms for a long period of time.[vii] Early signs of pleural mesothelioma include:

• trouble breathing
• long-lasting cough and pain under the rib cage or in the abdomen
• pain while breathing
• weight loss [viii]

To read the article in The Age, login with your library card's barcode to EBSCOhost's Australian and New Zealand Reference Centre, and to read more about mesothelioma login to Consumer Health Complete or Britannica database.


Rayyan.

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[i] Schmidt, L. 2013, 'Still breathing the devil's dust', Age, The (Melbourne), 19 June, Australia/New Zealand Reference Centre, EBSCOhost, viewed 19 June 2013.

 [ii] Ibid.
[iii] Ibid.
[iv] Ibid.
[v] Ibid.
[vi] Smith, N. 2013, ‘Pleural Mesothelioma’, Conditions and Procedures in Brief [report], Consumer Health Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 21 June, 2013.
[vii] Ibid.
[viii] Ibid.

Human Rights - Everyone, Everywhere and Every Day

Source: Australian Human Rughts Commission (2013)

In Australia, human rights should be enjoyed by everyone - everywhere and every day. It is illegal in Australia to harass, bully or in any way discriminate against a person on the basis of their age, sex, disability or race. The Australian Human Rights Commission investigates and resolves complaints that are based on:
• Sex discrimination, including sexual harassment and discrimination based on pregnancy, marital status, breastfeeding and family responsibilities.

• Disability discrimination, including discrimination based on physical, intellectual, sensory, learning and psychiatric disabilities; diseases or illnesses; and work-related injuries.

• Race discrimination, including racial hatred and discrimination based on colour, descent, national/ethnic origin and immigrant status.

• Age discrimination, including discrimination based on being too young or too old.

Violence, harassment and bullying can shatter people’s confidence and cause lasting physical and psychological damage. If you would like some information on making a complaint, contact the Commission’s Complaint Information Service by phone on 1300 656 419, or by email to complaintsinfo@humanrights.gov.au.

Know your rights – pick up the Australian Human Rights Commission’s information pack at Hurstville City Library or go to www.humanrights.gov.au.

Rayyan

Winter fitness solutions

Winter is a great time to revisit those fitness goals you made on New Year's Eve.

With the chilly weather setting in it can be hard to find the motivation to stay physically active, especially if you normally exercise outdoors. Going to the gym can be equally as difficult if you don't like cold mornings and find it hard to get past the dark mornings and early sunsets of winter.

But don't despair, try a lunchtime workout instead! Lunchtime workouts are quickly becoming a popular exercise regime and it's easy to see why. According to an article in the April 2012 edition of Prevention Magazine,  in addition to helping burn calories, a lunchtime workout can help reduce stress levels, boost your mood and lessen your risk of a winter cold.

If you haven't tried a lunchtime workout before or want to mix up your regular lunchtime routine with something new then make sure you don't miss our Fitness Fridays in June and July. Fitness Fridays are  45 minute lunchtime introductory exercise classes held at Hurstville Library. They are free, fun and best of all are held indoors out of the cold.

If you can't make it to one of our classes make sure you have a look at some of our fantastic fitness resources available to borrow from the library.

DVDs Coming Soon

We have a great selection of DVDs arriving on our shelves within the next few weeks.  Many are old favourites such as Fawlty Towers series 1 and series 2; Sex and the City series 1; Diamonds Are Forever; Sliding Doors; Beaches; Guess Who's Coming To Dinner. 

Below is a list of more recent releases on DVD that may be of interest to you too.

Jack Reacher - a movie based on Lee Child's bestselling novel about ex-military investigator Jack Reacher. Starring Tom Cruise and Robert Duval.

Hemingway and Gellhorn - the story of the romance between Ernest Hemingway and WWII correspondent Martha Gellhorn.  Starring Nicole Kidman and Clive Owen.

Grace Kelly: American Princess - a documentary

Oprah Winfrey Presents - 4 full length movies presented by Oprah.  David and Lisa; Tuesdays With Morrie; Before Women Had Wings; The Wedding

Love My Way  series 1, 2, 3 - a multi award winning Australian drama series.  Winning AFI awards for Best Televison Drama series for each of its three seasons.

Outdoor Room with Jamie Durie - Australia's own Jamie Durie researches new idea's around the world to inspire us to create spectacular backyard makeovers.

Egyptian Secrets of the Afterlife - (National Geographic)  a journey to the afterlife and what the Egyptians knew they would encounter on their afterlife journey.

About Face: Supermodels Then and Now - reveals the stories behind the magazine covers and more.

Come in and visit Hurstville or Penshurst library and check out our fabulous variety of DVDs in our collection.

Explore the Highlights of Hurstville Museum & Gallery

Why not escape the cooler weather this weekend and explore Hurstville Museum & Gallery's current exhibitions? This month's tour will look at:

Living on the Water's Edge: Stories of St George



Image courtesty Hurstville City Library, Museum & Gallery Collection.

Ceremony: An exhibition of artworks by senior Aboriginal men

Kapi Tjukula 2009, Dickie Minyintiri, acrylic on canvas. Image courtesy Sims Dickson Collection.

It's All Around US: Australian Wildlife

Photographs by Alexander Choi



Orange Palmdart Butterfly. Image courtesy Alexander Choi.

Highlights Tour on Saturday 8 June, 2.00pm to 3.00pm. Call us on (02) 9330 6444 or send us an email to book.

Ita Buttrose & Cold Chisel

The recent visit of media personality Ita Buttrose to the Marana Auditorium (Hurstville Entertainment Centre) got us thinking about the strange but true like between Ita and the Australian rock and roll band Cold Chisel. Did you know that Cold Chisel's 1980 album East included a track about Ita? Called simply Ita, the track was a tribute to her prominent position in the Australian media at the time. And despite popular opinion to the contrary, Ita herself has said she was happy about the song.

You can hear Ita on The Best of Chisel, and read more about the band in Cold Chisel: Wild Colonial Boys by Michael Lawrence. Both items are available at Hurstville Library.

Ita's biography Ita Buttrose: A Passionate Life, is also available at Hurstville Library.