Pearson Pipeline

Yes ladies and gentleman, it’s that time again when we change our clocks.  On Saturday, November 6, 2010, before you go to bed, remember to turn your clocks back an hour in order to observe Daylight Saving Time (DST).  The practice was originally conceived by Benjamin Franklin in order to save on energy costs (extra daylight in the evening means less need for lighting.  See parts of his essay with commentary on DST).  The idea was later elaborated on by a New Zealand naturalist George Vernon Hudson (read an article about him).  DST was followed off-and-on for a long time.  For example, during WWI and WWII, as a way to save coal, the U.S. implemented DST but reverted to normal time when the country was at peace.  It was not until 1966 that the U.S. Congress passed the Uniform Time Act to standardize the practice even when the country was not at war.

Today we continue to change our clocks: every March/April we turn our clocks an hour forward and in October/November we turn them back an hour; hence the saying “Spring forward, Fall back”.  Even so, there is still a lot of confusion about why and who.  Did you know that Arizona, Hawaii, Guam, and Puerto Rico do not observe daylight saving time?  I know what you’re thinking: “What!?  Why?!”  I have to admit, this has also created a lot of confusion for me when calling friends who live in Hawaii or when I’m making a connecting flight in Phoenix (and thinking I’ve missed my flight).  The reason: States can opt out of DST/Uniform Time Act.  The Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records has a timeline of DST in the state and why they don’t participate.

Where and why did I find all of this information?

1. I began by looking on the internet (google, wikipedia) and then checking the information that I found with library resources, including electronic encyclopedias in the Oxford Reference Collection and Reference Library-Gale Virtual Reference Library.  The encyclopedias included Dictionary of American History and World Encyclopedia.  I found the resources by typing in “daylight saving”.
2. To get more information, I looked at the library’s database.  Ones about American history or sciences (specifically astronomy) were great, including America: History and Life and Science Direct.  Similarly, I found the articles by typing in “daylight saving”.

An important part of research is to check a variety of resources for accuracy.  Not everything you find (all types of resources – Wikipedia, books, articles) should be taken at face value.  It’s always best to evaluate them for reliability, accuracy, currency, etc.  Here is a resource to help you with evaluating resources.

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