Monday, December 20, 2010

stopchildlabor

stopchildlabor

Formed in 1989, the Child Labor Coalition is a provider of informational and educational outreach about child labor in the public and private sectors. On their website, visitors will find sections on "Child Labor in the U.S." and "Child Labor Around the World", as well as a "Photo Gallery and Media Library". The Child Labor in the U.S. section provides history, causes, and results of child labor in the U.S. Visitors will also find a link to the report "Fields of Peril - Child Labor in U.S. Agriculture", which addresses the lack of rights of child farmworkers on commercial farms. Visitors with teenagers will be interested in the "Parents' Primer: When Your Teen Works" report that emphasizes the hours of employment governed by child labor laws, and provides information on how these laws "restrict teens from working in hazardous occupations or operating dangerous machinery." The photo gallery contains several albums, including heartrending stills from the documentary "Stolen Childhoods". Visitors will see a child working at a brick kiln in India, and a Kenyan coffee plantation where children work without protective gear from pesticides or the sharp spines of the coffee plant. {From the website]

Friday, December 10, 2010

Pitts Theology Library: Digital Image Archive

Pitts Theology Library: Digital Image Archive

The Digital Image Archive presents more than 31,651 images of biblical illustrations, portraits of religious leaders, printers' devices, engravings of church buildings, and other theological topics. [from the website]

Based at Emory University, the Pitts Theology Library has a number of digital archives that are worthy of mention. This particular one brings together over 28,000 images of biblical illustrations. The archive also includes engravings of church buildings and religious leaders. Visitors can search the archive by call number or Bible verse, which is a rather helpful way to look for items of interest. Visitors are also encouraged to use these images for use in church publications, research papers, and other educational settings. Also, visitors can use the "Revised Common Lectionary" area to identify commonly used items, like Gospel lessons and Hebrew Bible lessons. The site is rounded out by a "FAQ" area and a link to the Library's main Special Collection site. >From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2010. http://scout.wisc.edu/
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Center on Quality Policing | RAND

Center on Quality Policing | RAND

The RAND Center on Quality Policing (CQP) provides research and analysis on contemporary police practice and policy. By determining what practices are most cost-effective and results-oriented, the Center's work helps law enforcement agencies across the United States make better operational decisions and consistently perform at their best. [from website]

The RAND Center on Quality Policing (CQP) "provides research and analysis on contemporary police practice and policy." Their work includes research on the prevention of racial profiling, improving police-community relations, and reducing community violence. On their homepage, visitors can scroll on down to their "Featured Project" area which profiles one of their recent works, such as the police recruitment and retention clearinghouse. On the right-hand side of the homepage, visitors can read current and past issues of the CQP Newsletter dating back to 2006. The "Recent Publications and Activities" area features timely policy documents, including "Enforcing Immigration Law at the State and Local Levels: A Public Policy Dilemma" and "What Cost-of-Crime Research Can Tell Us About Investing in Police". Also, visitors are encouraged to follow the CQP's activities on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. The site is rounded out by information about staff members and contact details. >From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2010. http://scout.wisc.edu/
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Wednesday, December 8, 2010

George Washington Carver Digital Collection

George Washington Carver Digital Collection

George Washington Carver was a man who wore many hats, including those of a teacher, student, researcher, and scholar. During his lifetime, his research yielded 325 products from peanuts and over 100 products from sweet potatoes. Carver's work contributed to rural economic development in countless ways, and he remains an intriguing and compelling figure decades after his passing. This digital collection from the Special Collections Department at the Iowa State University Library brings together images of Dr. Carver, along with letters and other correspondence between Carver and his colleagues at the university. The collection contains over 200 items, and visitors can browse through the items as they see fit, or perform a more detailed item search. Items here include transcripts of conversations with researchers at the Tuskegee Institute, formal faculty photographs, and handwritten letters. >From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2010. http://scout.wisc.edu/

Alliance for Aging Research

Alliance for Aging Research

The private, not-for-profit Alliance for Aging Research is a national citizen advocacy organization working to improve the lives of Americans as they grow older by advancing biomedical and behavioral research in aging and health. The Alliance was founded in 1986 to promote and accelerate medical and scientific research into aging. As America’s Baby Boom is transformed to an unprecedented Senior Boom, the Alliance is a valued and respected voice in the nation’s capital: developing, implementing and advocating programs in research, health education and public policy.

Founded in 1986, to "promote medical and behavioral research into the aging process", the Washington D.C.-based Alliance for Aging Research has a website that covers many different "Topics". Visitors can explore general topics, such as "Caregiving", "Longevity", "Medical Innovation", and "Policy", as well as "Focus Areas". The focus areas include "Access to Breakthroughs", "Drug Development", "Persistent Pain" and "Vision Loss". On the homepage visitors can take "Surveys & Quizzes", like "Understanding Persistent Pain" and "Valve Disease Quiz - How Much Do You Know?" Related to the valve disease quiz is the recent podcast of a valve surgery patient, who discusses the symptoms she felt that resulted in her recent visit to the doctor, how she was diagnosed, her growing knowledge of the surgical procedure, and how she felt after surgery. Visitors can find that podcast and others, at the "Media" link near the bottom of the homepage. Also in the "Media" link, visitors can find videos, such as "Will Science Cure Aging?", and a rich archive of videos and podcasts. >From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2010. http://scout.wisc.edu/

Monday, December 6, 2010

ipl2 Literary Criticism

ipl2 Literary Criticism

Discriminating between the proverbial "wheat" and "chaff" on the Internet presents a number of challenges, and when it comes to discussion about online literary criticism, it's even more difficult. This helpful guide to the best of such resources is made possible via ipl2, which itself is the merger of the Internet Public Library (IPL) and the Librarians' Internet Index (LII). These annotated suggestions are divided into sections that include "Best Starting Places" and "Starting Places for Particular Time Periods". Each resource is profiled in a short paragraph, and the link is also offered for convenience. While some parties might find the suggestions a bit rudimentary, these sites can be quite helpful for persons just coming to this arena. >From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2010. http://scout.wisc.edu/

Robert Louis Stevenson Website - RLS Website

Robert Louis Stevenson Website - RLS Website

From his tales of Jim Hawkins and Long John Silver to his verses for children, Robert Louis Stevenson remains a tremendous literary force well over a century after his death in 1894. This fascinating site provides resources for academics, young people, and people with a general interest in Stevenson's life and literary musings. Along the top of the homepage, visitors will find ten sections, including "Gallery", "Life", "Works", and "In the Footsteps of RLS". The "In the Footsteps of RLS" brings together Google Maps and information about Stevenson's many travels to give visitors an interactive way to track his journeys through France, Scotland, and the South Seas. Moving on, the "Gallery" area contains photos from every part of Stevenson's life, ranging from a photo of him at age 4 (wearing a cape) to his time as a married man living in the South Sea Islands. As for the "Works" section, visitors would do well to check out his 1878 travelogue, "Edinburgh: Picturesque Notes". >From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2010. http://scout.wisc.edu/

Saturday, December 4, 2010

MethResources.gov

MethResources.gov

The use of meth and related substances is of increasing concern to various government agencies across the United States, and this website is a timely one. Created by a set of different government agencies (including the Department of Justice), the website contains an interactive map of meth resources across the country, a set of public service announcements, and information about their recent anti-meth campaign on Native American reservations. The primary sections of the site include "Overview", "Prevention", "Enforcement", and "Community Resources". The "Prevention" area contains resources for policy makers and health care professionals, along with a link to a discussion board. The "Policy & Legislation" area features a MethResources database that allows users to learn about federal legislative actions regarding meth. Finally, the "Community Resources" area features lists of upcoming conferences, grants for meth awareness projects, and a listing of additional related websites. >From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2010. http://scout.wisc.edu/

Thursday, December 2, 2010

African-American Women

African-American Women

The Duke University Libraries has had a long-standing reputation for their digitization projects, and this collection is certainly one of their best. This particular segment of their work focuses on the lives of African-American women, and it contains the full-text memories of Elizabeth Johnson Harris, slave letters from Hannah Valentine, and a rather unusual stand-alone letter from Vilet Lester. Hannah Valentine was born in 1867 to former slaves, and visitors can read her 85-page handwritten memoir here. In her memoir, she talks about the importance of religion in her life, and there are also a few poems by her as well. The letters from Hannah Valentine, a house slave, reveal a rare firsthand glimpse into the lives of slaves in Virginia. Finally, the very unique letter from Vilet Lester offers just a slight, but revealing glimpse, into her life in Bullock County, Georgia in 1857. >From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2010. http://scout.wisc.edu/

About the Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special Collections Library

Developing an understanding of human experience and culture requires access to historical documentation in many forms and subject areas. The Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special Collections Library at Duke University preserves such documentation and promotes its use. While the library's holdings are developed in relation to instructional and research interests in the University, they are available for use by visiting scholars and the general public as well as Duke faculty and students. The library's collections range from ancient papyri to the records of modern advertising. They number more than 200,000 printed volumes and more than 11,500,000 items in manuscript and archival collections. They support research in a wide variety of disciplines and programs, including African-American studies, anthropology, classics, economics, history, literature, political science, religion, sociology, and women's studies.

MIT Visualizing Cultures

MIT Visualizing Cultures

Visualizing Cultures was launched at MIT in 2002 to explore the potential of the Web for developing innovative image-driven scholarship and learning. The VC mission is to use new technology and hitherto inaccessible visual materials to reconstruct the past as people of the time visualized the world (or imagined it to be).

Topical units to date focus on Japan in the modern world and early-modern China. The thrust of these explorations extends beyond Asia per se, however, to address "culture" in much broader ways—cultures of modernization, war and peace, consumerism, images of "Self" and "Others," and so on.

Images of every sort are introduced and examined here—in partnership with contributing institutions and collections, and with the collaboration of experts devoted to transcending the printed word and hard-bound text.

IDMC : Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre

IDMC : Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre

The Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC), established in 1998 by the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), is the leading international body monitoring conflict-induced internal displacement worldwide.

Through its work, the Centre contributes to improving national and international capacities to protect and assist the millions of people around the globe who have been displaced within their own country as a result of conflicts or human rights violations.

At the request of the United Nations, the Geneva-based IDMC runs an online database providing comprehensive information and analysis on internal displacement in some 50 countries. Based on its monitoring and data collection activities, the Centre advocates for durable solutions to the plight of the internally displaced in line with international standards. The IDMC also carries out training activities to enhance the capacity of local actors to respond to the needs of internally displaced people (IDPs). In its work, the Centre cooperates with and provides support to local and national civil society initiatives.

The Victorian Web: An Overview

The Victorian Web: An Overview

Based at Nagoya University in Japan, The Victorian Web presents a wide range of materials on the times and mores of this historical era. The materials are arranged into over one dozen sections, including "Technology", "Religion", and "Authors". Clicking on each of these areas will reveal a set of additional links that contain thematic essays and visual materials that address each theme. Visitors should also note that there is a "What's New?" area that contains the latest updates to the site. The "Bibliography" area is a good resource for young scholars, and it contains listings on "Readings in Victorian Religion", "Victorian Architecture", and "Science and Society in Victorian Britain" >From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2010. http://scout.wisc.edu/

Interactive: State of Metropolitan America Indicator Map - Brookings Institution - State of Metropolitan America - Brookings Institution

Interactive: State of Metropolitan America Indicator Map - Brookings Institution - State of Metropolitan America - Brookings Institution

The State of Metropolitan America is a signature effort of the Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program that portrays the demographic and social trends shaping the nation’s essential economic and societal units—its large metropolitan areas—and discusses what they imply for public policies to secure prosperity for these places and their populations.

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

UCLA Preserved Silent Animation

UCLA Preserved Silent Animation

UCLA's film and television archive of animated silent films from the pre-1930s is relatively small, but considering the rarity of any silent films, it is still an impressive collection. Some of the films offered up on this website include "Felix the Cat", the "Inkwell Imps", and "Aesop's Film Fables". Visitors are lucky enough to be able to view online or download 11 animated films from the library's collection. While watching the films, visitors can listen to the preservation commentary, or listened to the music for each film composed by Michael D. Mortilla, who has played music for silent films for the Silent Society. Visitors can learn more about Michael D. Mortilla by reading the "About the Music" link. There are also film notes and an historical overview that visitors can read for each film. Researchers or interested parties will find a 15-page study guide of films and works about silent films available as a PDF. This helpful document is conveniently located at the bottom of the homepage. >From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2010. http://scout.wisc.edu/

Digital Image Collections — Indiana Historical Society

Digital Image Collections — Indiana Historical Society

Bringing together images of African Americans in Indiana, Abraham Lincoln, and many other subjects is an inspired idea, and it's part of the mission of the Indiana Historical Society. Over the past several years, they have been digitizing materials furiously, and currently there are over 38,000 images available on this website. The images are divided into eight topical areas, including "Military History", "Notable Hoosiers", and "African-American Indiana History". The "African-American Indiana History" area is quite fine, and there are images that document the history of the Indianapolis Recorder and Madam C.J. Walker, a self-made businesswoman in the early 20th century. The "Selected Images of Indiana" is also quite laudable, and it also features a subcollection that documents the Hoosier State across the four seasons. Also, visitors are encouraged to use the search engine to look for specific items. >From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2010. http://scout.wisc.edu/

Penn State Gerontology Center — The Gerontology Center

Penn State Gerontology Center — The Gerontology Center

The Penn State Gerontology Center promotes interdisciplinary research that explores the diversity and complexity of the process of human aging.

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Association for Applied Sport Psychology

Association for Applied Sport Psychology

The Association for Applied Sport Psychology (AASP) was founded in 1986. With about 1200 members, it has emerged as the largest applied sport and exercise psychology organization in the world.

* AASP promotes the science and practice of sport and exercise psychology.
* AASP advocates the application of psychological principles, that have been supported by research, in sport and exercise.
* AASP is interdisciplinary, drawing from the fields of exercise and sport science as well as psychology.
* AASP provide opportunities to share information related to theory development, research, and the provision of psychological services to consumers.
* AASP is member-driven: Special Interest Groups (SIGs) provide grass roots leadership and the elected members of the Executive Board conduct the business of AASP.
* AASP is a leader in promoting and enhancing professional standards in the field of sport and exercise psychology.

The Media Institute

The Media Institute

The Media Institute is a nonprofit research foundation specializing in communications policy issues. The Institute exists to foster three goals: freedom of speech, a competitive media and communications industry, and excellence in journalism.

Founded in 1979, The Media Institute pursues an active program agenda that encompasses virtually all sectors of the media, ranging from traditional print and broadcast outlets to newer entrants such as cable, satellites, and online services.

The Institute publishes books and monographs, prepares regulatory filings and court briefs, convenes conferences, and sponsors a luncheon series in Washington for journalists and communications executives. The organization has evolved into one of the country's leading "think tanks" focusing on the First Amendment and communications policy.

Research Laboratory of Electronics at MIT

Research Laboratory of Electronics at MIT

The Research Laboratory of Electronics (RLE) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) was the first of the Institute’s great modern interdepartmental academic research centers. Today, it is one of MIT's largest such organizations, and the most diverse research laboratory at MIT in its scope of intellectual interests.

Research in RLE encompasses an extensive range of natural and man-made phenomena, and the projects are both basic and applied. Common among all RLE efforts is an expansive 21st century interpretation of the 20th century term “electronics,” starting at the most basic physical realm of particles and quantum physics and extending all the way to sophisticated engineering application technologies relevant to today and critical to tomorrow.

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Sweet Search

Sweet Search Every Web site in SweetSearch has been evaluated by our research experts!

Monday, September 27, 2010

Healthcare-Associated Infection Watch

HAI Watch is your resource for collateral and supplies to help keep your organization aware of the importance of health-care associated infection prevention. The following guidelines on hand hygiene in health-care settings and other tips are available now, but keep checking back. New HAI awareness tools will be added on an ongoing basis.

Friday, September 10, 2010

The Art of Ancient Greek Theater (Getty Villa Exhibitions)

The Art of Ancient Greek Theater (Getty Villa Exhibitions)
The Getty Museum provides this glimpse of Greek theater by utilizing both images and audio. Text at the website informs us that "Colorful characters, elaborate costumes, stage sets, music, and above all masks" were characteristic of Greek drama. Examples of images available to view on the site include sculpture and relief depicting actors. Many of these images feature actors wearing masks, such as Statue of an Actor as Papposilenos, dating from A.D. 100-199. In Greek myth, Papposilenos is the father of the band of satyrs that raised Dionysos. There are also over a dozen vessels to view; these vessels were used for various purposes including cooling wine, storage jars, and mixing vessels. The vessels are painted with scenes from the theater, and several are accompanied by audio of curators explaining the iconography. One of the featured items in the collection is a papyrus fragment from 175-200 A.D. with a few lines from a play by Sophocles. The exhibition closes with a reading, in ancient Greek, of an excerpt from this play, entitled The Trackers; a scene in which satyrs also appear, hearing music played on the then-newly invented lyre. >From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2010. http://scout.wisc.edu/
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The Test Ban Challenge: Nuclear Nonproliferation and the Quest for a Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty

The Test Ban Challenge: Nuclear Nonproliferation and the Quest for a Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty
Over the past sixty years, a number of American presidents have attempted to craft a working comprehensive nuclear test ban. This digital collection from The National Security Archive at The George Washington University brings together a host of documents from the U.S. State Department and other agencies to illustrate how "nonproliferation goals shaped U.S. internal discussions of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) from the 1950s through the late 1970s." There are eleven key documents here, dating back to the 1957 draft background paper which identifies nuclear proliferation as the "fourth country" problem. The "fourth country" concept arose as the next country after the United States, Soviet Union, and the United Kingdom to obtain nuclear devices would be the so-called "fourth country". The collection was edited by William Burr and released in August 2010, and it is one that policy experts and diplomacy types will find very intriguing. >From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2010. http://scout.wisc.edu/
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Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Resource: A Biography of America

Resource: A Biography of America
A Biography of America is an impressive undertaking by public television station WGBH and it is designed for high school, college, and adult learners. The site presents America's history as a "living narrative" and by utilizing first-person narratives, photos, film footage, documents, debates and lectures, the video series encourages critical thinking and offers American history as something best understood from multiple perspectives. Visitors will find that the website for Biography of America allows for free streaming of the series, and offers transcripts, exercises, and interactive maps for the 26 half hour lessons. Lesson 15, "The New City", compares the traditional messy growth of cities, such as New York City, with that of the planned, orderly growth of the newer city of Chicago in the late 1800s. The question that is asked to foster critical thinking "What vision of the future city did the fair present," refers to the World's Columbian Exposition. Lesson 26, "The Redemptive Imagination", emphasizes the role of storytelling in the formation of history, and features insights by several contemporary novelists.
>From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2010. http://scout.wisc.edu/
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Exhibitions: Christo and Jeanne-Claude: Remembering the Running Fence / American Art

Exhibitions: Christo and Jeanne-Claude: Remembering the <i>Running Fence</i> / American Art
A curtain of glowing white nylon that winds across the brown earth until it disappears where the land meets the blue sky - this is what images of Running Fence, Sonoma and Marin Counties, California, 1972-76, an installation artwork created by Christo and Jeanne-Claude depict. Running Fence, stretched 24 1/2 miles through Sonoma and Marin counties in California to end in the Pacific Ocean, was the project of two people, Christo and Jeanne-Claude, for 2 weeks in September 1976. The work had far reaching effects on many people, and has lived on in both memory and documentation. In 2008, the Smithsonian American Art Museum acquired the archives of Running Fence, and "Remembering the Running Fence" presents more than 350 objects selected from the archive. On the website, visitors can view a slideshow with comments where California residents talk about their experience with the fence; read a blog interview with Christo; and peruse hundreds of maps, photographs, and documents including the Environmental Impact Report, which is the first ever created for a work of art. >From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2010. http://scout.wisc.edu/
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Honoré Daumier Digitized Lithographs

Honoré Daumier Digitized Lithographs
Honoré Daumier is celebrated as one of the most trenchant social critics of the modern age. Through the use of the lithograph, he created works which offered commentary on the heady atmosphere of 19th century France. Brandeis University is the home of one of the major collections of his work in the United States, and this digital collection offers over 3,800 items from this trove. The digitization of these works was made possible by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and the works were originally donated by Benjamin and Julia Trustman. Visitors can browse the collection by title, subject, or date, and they are also encouraged to create their own search string. To get a sense of the offerings here, new users can start by viewing the lithographs that deal with subjects such as actors, politicians, and Paris.
>From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2010. http://scout.wisc.edu/
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Supreme Court Nominations - Law Library of Congress (Library of Congress)

Supreme Court Nominations - Law Library of Congress (Library of Congress)
This website from the Law Library of Congress provides a great deal of insight into the Supreme Court nominating process, including "Nomination Documents" of those "Confirmed" and "Not Confirmed". There is a chart in each of the previously mentioned sections which includes the date of nomination, date of confirmation or other result, the available nomination "documents" and who they were nominated by and who they replaced. Some of the nomination documents available are "Floor Debates", "Floor Vote", "Hearings", "Senate Floor Statements", and "Executive Report", although they are not all available for all justices at this time. The "Selected Resources" section lists recent Supreme Court nominees, some who were confirmed, and some who were not. Clicking on each nominee will provide a set of links that provide different resources for each nominee; resources include "Articles/books by", "Congressional Documents", and even "Video" of some of the nominees featured here.
>From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2010. http://scout.wisc.edu/
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Cincinnati Art Museum | The Collection

Cincinnati Art Museum | The Collection
The Cincinnati Art Museum has a long and storied history, and their collection includes works by a variety of artistic masters, old and new. This website provides interested parties with access to items from their permanent collection, courtesy of a grant from the Harold C. Schott Foundation and the Institute of Museum and Library Services. The works here are organized into ten different themes, including "Photographs", "Art of Africa", and "American Decorative Arts". The "American Decorative Arts" is worth a look, and it contains items from the Rockwood Pottery Company, which was established in Cincinnati in 1880, and is still in business. In the "European Painting & Sculpture" visitors shouldn't miss works like the portrait of Philip II by Titian. Visitors will also appreciate the easy to use search engine and the accession and provenance details which are provided for each item. >From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2010. http://scout.wisc.edu/
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Digital Comic Museum

Digital Comic Museum

The mission of this site is to provide as close to a free resource as possible where users can easily download public domain golden age comics without the need to ask or worry about searching the net for them.

U.S. Greenhouse Gas Inventory | Climate Change - Greenhouse Gas Emissions | U.S. EPA

U.S. Greenhouse Gas Inventory | Climate Change - Greenhouse Gas Emissions | U.S. EPA

EPA develops the national greenhouse gas inventory each year to track the national trend in emissions and removals since 1990. The national greenhouse gas inventory is submitted to the United Nations in accordance with the Framework Convention on Climate Change Exit EPA Disclaimer. In preparing the annual emissions inventory report, EPA collaborates with hundreds of experts representing more than a dozen U.S. government agencies, academic institutions, industry associations, consultants and environmental organizations.

Please see the 2010 Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks for a detailed analysis of all U.S. emissions and removals. You may also download the Executive Summary (PDF) (26 pp, 249K, About PDF), which includes an overview of recent trends, anthropogenic sources and sinks of greenhouse gases and an explanation of the relative importance of emissions and removals from each source category.

UMDL - 4th of July Speeches

UMDL - 4th of July SpeechesThe Fourth of July Orations Collection contains published pamphlets of addresses made on Independence Day from 1791-1925. The speeches explore topics central to the developing United States in the first 150 years of its existence and include themes such as honoring the generation that fought in the Revolutionary War, westward expansion, national politics, the Civil War, civic duty, religion and other concerns current throughout the nineteenth century. Several pamphlets focus specifically on the fiftieth and one-hundredth anniversaries of the Declaration of Independence in 1826 and 1876 and contain reports on the progress of the nation since the Revolutionary War.

The majority of the pamphlets were published in New England, with Massachusetts being the most heavily represented state. However, the collection also includes pamphlets from other states, such as Tennessee, Louisiana, North Carolina, Illinois, and Indiana. Foreign countries such as Canada, France, and Italy are also represented, and the collection also includes a speech made in Honolulu, Hawaii, in 1854, almost one hundred years before statehood. The collection is of interest to scholars of American social and political history, and it provides a sweeping demonstration of the ways in which the concept of America has changed through several formative events in the nation.s history.

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Sidney D. Gamble Photographs

Sidney D. Gamble Photographs
From 1908 to 1932, Sidney Gamble (1890-1968) visited China four times, traveling throughout the country to collect data for social-economic surveys and to photograph urban and rural life, public events, architecture, religious statuary, and the countryside. A sociologist, renowned China scholar, and avid amateur photographer, Gamble used some of the pictures to illustrate his monographs. The Sidney D. Gamble Photographs digital collection marks the first comprehensive public presentation of this large body of work that includes photographs of Korea, Japan, Hawaii, San Francisco, and Russia. The site currently features photographs dated between 1917 and 1932; the 1908 photographs will be digitized and uploaded as part of future additions to the site.

Energy & Sustainability News, Articles, and Information from Scientific American

Energy & Sustainability News, Articles, and Information from Scientific American
Energy and the broader ideas surrounding "sustainability" are hot topics today, and Scientific American has created this website to provide access to high-quality information about these subjects. The website begins with a list of "Latest Stories", and there is also a "Most Popular" listing so that users can gauge what other folks are interested in. Users shouldn't miss the "Multimedia" area, which offers up features like "How Much Is Left? The Limits of Earth's Resources", which is quite amazing. After a dramatic introduction, the piece allows visitors to watch an interactive time line and view video clips which provide some insight into this situation. There are other features here, including "The Music of Language" and "When the Sea Saved Humanity". The site also features links to selected articles from the magazine and a listing of materials by topic. [Scout Report]

Library and Information Technology || Digital Projects and Collections || Bucknell University

Library and Information Technology || Digital Projects and Collections || Bucknell University, Adieu Saigon, Au Revoir Hanoi The 1943 Vacation Diary of Claudie Beaucarnot

Adieu Saigon, Au Revoir Hanoi (also known as the Beaucarnot Project) is a large, collaborative project that involved several people from Bucknell University and California Lutheran University. The project ties together the diary of a young woman from 1943 French colonial Indochina, the journey she took while keeping the diary, and the journey re-traced by a team of history students and their professor in 2004. The project's web site includes a complete history and explanation of the project as well as additional supporting research.

Monday, August 23, 2010

Science/AAAS | Multimedia: Science in Image, Sound, and Motion

Science/AAAS | Multimedia: Science in Image, Sound, and Motion
In the Science Multimedia Center, we've gathered a variety of special features with a multimedia bent, to provide access to science not only in words but also in images, sound, and motion. Most of the material accessed from this gateway is free to all users of the site. Here's a description of the main portal areas:
Science Podcast. These are weekly online audiocasts built around interesting stories in Science and its sister sites.
Images and Slide Shows. These presentations showcase striking images or interesting photo essays associated with content on the Science sites.
Videos and Seminars. This section includes video presentations tied into Science special issues, other particularly interesting supplemental video from Science research papers, and the Science Online Seminars -- a joint project of AAAS's Office of Publishing and Member Services and the firm Biocompare, in which authors of selected breakthrough research papers discuss their work.
Interactives. Enhanced Web versions of posters, illustrations, and other material.
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The Center for Advanced Holocaust Studies

About the Center
The Center for Advanced Holocaust Studies is a high priority for the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. It supports scholarship and publications in the field of Holocaust studies, promotes the growth of Holocaust studies at American universities, seeks to foster strong relationships between American and international scholars, and initiates programs to ensure the ongoing training of future generations of scholars specializing in the Holocaust.
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Wednesday, June 2, 2010

The UN Secretary-General's Database on Violence Against Women

The UN Secretary-General's Database on Violence Against Women
 
This web-based database was launched in March of 2009, and is the result of a resolution adopted by the UN Secretary-General to eliminate all types of violence against women. A good place for visitors to start searching the extensive database is by clicking on the "About the Database" tab at the top of the homepage. To see the content of the questionnaire that was sent to all UN Member States, visitors can click on the hyperlink "Questionnaire on Violence Against Women" in the second paragraph. By clicking on the "Country Pages" tab at the top of the home page visitors can view a particular country's treatment of violence against women. For visitors interested in reading about the practices that some countries have in place, clicking on the "Good Practices" tab at the top of the homepage will take them there. The good practices are divided up into promising practices in law, prevention, and the provisioning of services. The "Advanced Search" tab at the top of the homepage allows visitors to search using various criteria, including type of measure taken to address violence against women, form of violence, country, and year. >From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2009. http://scout.wisc.edu/
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Shakespeare's Staging

Shakespeare's Staging
 
The University of California at Berkeley's English Department has undertaken the enormous task of presenting "a survey of current information, opinions and visuals about...the original nature of Shakespearean performance during his lifetime, and of its development through four centuries thereafter." Visitors can click on "Performance Galleries" at the top of the homepage to be taken to ten albums of over 900 images. Some of the topics of the albums that you can link to are "Productions from the Sixteenth through the Twentieth Century", "Productions in Britain 1960-1998", and "Unusual Representations of Shakespeare Performances". The albums contain items such as playbills, photos and drawings of performances, and photos of the rebuilt Globe Theatre. On the far left side of the homepage, visitors can click on "Videos" to view a documentary series about Elizabethan life, as well as excerpts of performances staged by the Shakespeare Program of UC Berkeley at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre. The videos can be viewed by "Latest", "Most Viewed", "Highest Rated", and "Featured". Visitors interested in other websites that explore Shakespeare performance will want to click on "Relevant Websites" on the far left side of the homepage, to access a link that has 27 Shakespeare performance related websites. >From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2009. http://scout.wisc.edu/
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American Cinema

American Cinema
http://www.learner.org/resources/series67.html

Teaching creative thinking through American film is a worthy idea, and this educational resource from the Annenberg Media group is quite a find. Produced by the New York Center for Visual History along with KCET/Los Angeles and the BBC, this thirteen-part series contains 10 one-hour and 3 half-hour video programs. Visitors will need to register to watch the programs, but after doing so they can watch all of them in their entirety, and they may also view special extras, like the classroom exercise "Writing a Scene". The programs cover topics like "The Western", "The Studio System", and "The Film School Generation". Along the way, visitors will also hear from a variety of Hollywood insiders, including Steven Spielberg and James L. Brooks. >From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2009. http://scout.wisc.edu/
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Monday, May 24, 2010

US Credit Conditions: Federal Reserve Bank of New York

US Credit Conditions: Federal Reserve Bank of New York
http://data.newyorkfed.org/creditconditions/

Whether economic conditions are good or bad, inquiring minds want to know about mortgage delinquencies, foreclosures, and their impacts on communities across the United States. Drawing on data provided by one of the nation's dominant credit agencies, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York has created this dynamic map that tracks credit conditions related to auto loans, bank cards, mortgages, and student loans. On the website's homepage, visitors can zoom in on different counties across the country, and also toggle different data sets on and off on the display map. The site also includes a set of technical notes, a glossary, and a link to subscribe to email alerts. Also, visitors can display information from the current fiscal quarter, or look at year-by-year change. >From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2010. http://scout.wisc.edu/
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Matisse: Radical Invention, 1913-1917
 
This website is the online version of the current blockbuster exhibit at the Art Institute of Chicago (AIC), Matisse: Radical Invention, 1913-1917. The exhibition is a curator's delight - an in-depth examination of a specific, productive period in Matisse's long career. The exhibit is an opportunity to bring together works never seen before in the same place and many of the paintings in the exhibit were conserved before the show, dark varnishes removed, and colors brightened. Twenty-one works have been selected for the online exhibit, including Bathers by a River, one of Matisse's largest paintings. There is also a video of the installation of this large painting in the new modern wing at AIC, as well as a curators' overview.



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Monday, May 17, 2010

Virginia Emigrants to Liberia

Virginia Emigrants to Liberia
 
With the assistance of the American Colonization Society from 1820-1865, 3,700 hundred free blacks emigrated from Virginia, to Liberia to establish the first African Republic. This well-researched gem of a website from the University of Virginia provides an interesting look into the lives of the emigrants as well as a glimpse into the identities of the emancipators who freed their slaves in order to allow them to emigrate to Liberia. A large number of resources on the emigration to Liberia are also provided. Visitors can click on "Resources" at the top of the page, to find a tab entitled "Timeline", which provides a detailed history of Liberia, with links to primary sources such as letters, articles, photographs, and even the Constitution of Liberia. Once visitors have gotten their bearings there, they can click on "Search Emigrants" to search by name, county or city of origin, ship name, emancipator, and destination. Visitors can also click "Search Emancipators" by last name, county or year of emancipation. Also under "Resources", the "Links" tab has more than two-dozen links to resources about Liberia and African Americans from a variety of authoritative websites. To read some of the intriguing stories behind the names of the emigrants and emancipators that visitors may have found in their searches, click on "Stories" at the top of the web page. The stories of ten families, individuals, emigrants, and emancipators are detailed in this link. >From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2009. http://scout.wisc.edu/

Friday, May 7, 2010

Inside Islam: Dialogues and Debates

Inside Islam: Dialogues and Debates [iTunes]
 
Under the banner of "Challenging Misconceptions, Illuminating Diversity", the University of Wisconsin-Madison's National Resource Centers and Wisconsin Public Radio's Here on Earth: Radio Without Borders have created this very thoughtful and probing website. The site contains links to the various broadcasts of Inside Islam from Wisconsin Public Radio, a weblog, a set of helpful external links, and a link that allows visitors to sign up for their RSS feed. Visitors can view previous weblogs by category, or they just scroll down the site at their leisure. The radio program is also quite good, and visitors would do well to start by listening to "Young Muslims and New Media" or "Women and Sharia". Finally, there's also a place for visitors to offer their own feedback on their weblog posts and the radio program. >From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2008. http://scout.wisc.edu/

American Social History

American Social History
 
The Digital Library Federation's website, Aquifer American Social History Online, is a site that brings together 175 collections that catalog American social history. Some of the types of materials included on the site are photographs, maps, oral histories, data sets, sheet music, posters, books and journal articles. On the right side of the homepage you can browse by "Times", "Subjects", and "Places". The items included here date back as far as the 1600s, covering the 50 states plus Puerto Rico and subjects ranging from African-Americans to World War II. Visitors can search using "Advanced Search", at the top of the page, or a simple search using the box at the top of the page next to the word "Go." Regardless of which search mode you use, you will be able to view your search results in "Image View", "Timeline View", or "Map View". "Map View" is the newest way to view your results, by showing a Google map of the United States with your first 100 results' locations pinpointed on the map. Under the "Tools" at the top of the page, you will find information about OpenID, Zotero, Collectus, and Image Viewer. By signing up for an OpenID, you can save your searches and results, as well as be notified of new material put on the site. Visitors can use the Zotero extension as a research tool to annotate and organize, as well as share the results of your research. The Collectus and Image Viewer, from the University of Virginia, allows visitors the opportunity to create and organize saved image collections and to generate slide shows for use in the classroom. >From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2008. http://scout.wisc.edu/

Monday, May 3, 2010

Preventing Genocide

Preventing Genocide [Flash Player]
 
The United States Holocaust Museum website contains a section on genocide which offers eyewitness accounts of victims of various genocides, a timeline that details the concept and law of genocide, and information about the peoples who are at risk of becoming victims of genocide in our own time. The "World is Witness" link, located on the left hand menu, takes visitors to a map of the areas at risk, "Field Updates", and a "Gallery" of photos of "Burundi", "Chad", "Rwanda", "Sudan", "Congo" and "Other Regions". Visitors can read the caption for the photograph by clicking on it. In the "Chad" gallery, there are drawings by children at refugee camps of attacks on their villages. In the "Rwanda" area there are many photos of the memorial site of the 1994 Rwandan genocide. The mass graves of those who were killed are also pictured, as well as the graves of those few who received individual burial plots. Lastly, the website offers the ability to "View and Download the Report" of the Genocide Prevention Task Force, which is co-chaired by Madeleine Albright. >From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2010. http://scout.wisc.edu/

"The Pageant of America" Photograph Archive

"The Pageant of America" Photograph Archive
http://digitalgallery.nypl.org/nypldigital/explore/dgexplore.cfm?topic=culture&col_id=187

In 1926, the United States celebrated its sesquicentennial, and a number of special projects were organized to document the country's people, history, culture, and folkways. One such project was "The Pageant of America: A Pictorial History of the United States", published by Yale University Press from 1925 to 1929. Professor Ralph Henry Gabriel edited the work, and all told, it contained 15 volumes that addressed themes like exploration, arts and leisure, industry, commerce, and politics. This digital collection from the New York Public Library contains over 7000 of the published and unpublished photographs and prints used in these extravagant volumes. It's great just to look through the "Source Title" headings found by clicking on "Collection Contents" near the top of the page. Here visitors can meander through sections like "In defense of liberty", "American idealism", and "The American spirit in architecture". One can imagine that this collection could be used in American studies classroom, or in a setting that addresses the history of photography. >Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2010. http://scout.wisc.edu/

Monday, April 26, 2010

Looking Glass for the Mind: 350 Years of Books for Children

Looking Glass for the Mind: 350 Years of Books for Children
 
The University of Washington Digital Collection of children's books starts off with a wonderful piece that touches on the beloved memories children's books bring back for so many, but also on the reasons why a university library would collect children's books. Several of the reasons given regard what children's books can teach us: printing and book illustration history, the "study of the gradual changes in familiar tales to reflect changes in societal acceptance and sensibilities," social and ethnic history, the historical role of women, and shifting views on education. After the homepage is the index to the exhibit with an introduction, a brief history of the first children's book publishers. To the left is the "Index" of topics that the books cover. Visitors will find a multitude, including "Fables", "Grammar, Spelling, Elocution & Rhetoric", "Math & Money", "Activity Books", and "Prejudice & Bigotry". Under the topic "Fables", visitors should check out The Baby's Own Aesop, illustrated by Walter Crane, who began an illustrating apprenticeship at the age of fourteen. >The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2010. http://scout.wisc.edu/

Ecology of Infectious Diseases

Ecology of Infectious Diseases
With a dramatic image of a bustling city superimposed over a peaceful forest, the National Science Foundation's homepage on the ecology of infectious diseases is quite intriguing. After clicking on the image, visitors will be treated to an overview of this special report that asks: "Is our interaction with the environment somehow responsible for the increases in incidence of these diseases?" The report is divided into five sections, each exploring a different facet of the National Science Foundation's work on this problem. The sections include "Medical Mystery Solved" and "Lyme Disease on the Rise". Each of these sections includes helpful graphics, well-written text, and links to additional sites. Overall, the site will be most useful for science educators and members of the public health community. >The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2010. http://scout.wisc.edu/

Throwaway History: The Broadside in American Culture

Throwaway History: The Broadside in American Culture

Although broadsides may seem like a thing of the past, this Tennessee Virtual Archive mentions they are used still to this day, and have broadsides in their collection that are from the 1980s. Visitors should go to the "About the Collection" link to read some background on what broadsides were used for and how they were distributed. The information disseminated via broadsides was varied, including everything from a recruitment announcement to help fight the Creek Indians in Tennessee to a lecture on the perils of school desegregation to a promotion for an African-American radio station--the very one where Oprah Winfrey got her start. Visitors can view the 90 digitized broadsides by clicking on the "View Collection Images" link. A thumbnail of the broadside is given, along with the title, subjects, and description. Visitors can sort the images by the aforementioned categories simply by clicking the desired heading. Visitors should check out the very well- illustrated broadside, "Columbia Gives to Her Son the Accolade of the New Chivalry of Humanity, World War I", which is dedicated to a fallen soldier. The Historical Note in the full record explains when and how broadsides were used to memorialize fallen soldiers. >From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2010. http://scout.wisc.edu/

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Pilgrimage and Buddhist Art

Pilgrimage and Buddhist Art [Flash Player]
 
The Asia Society's website has an exhibit that explores the art that has derived or been inspired by Buddhist pilgrimage in Asia. Visitors unfamiliar with Buddha and Buddhism might want to watch the "Curator's Introduction", in the right hand corner of the homepage. The art objects in the exhibit are divided into three main parts, "The Buddha and the Sacred Site", "The Journey", and "Memory, Memento and Sacred Bond". Each part has several paragraphs explaining the significance of the art, and visitors can click on each image to see it in greater detail and to learn what it's about. There are also short films that accompany each part that are about a specific event in Buddha's life, such as his enlightenment, his first sermon, and his death. The "For Educators" link, near the top of the page, offers many resources from the Asia Society website, and a "Teacher Resource" specifically for the Pilgrimage and Buddhist Art exhibit. >From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2010. http://scout.wisc.edu/

Exploratorium's Origins: From Jungle to Lab: The Study of Life's Complexity

Exploratorium's Origins: From Jungle to Lab: The Study of Life's Complexity
 
The Exploratorium in San Francisco has a smart-looking website that highlights the cooperation between London's Natural History Museum and the Las Cuevas Research Station in Belize. The subject of this joint effort is the complexity of life and why it is studied with such intensity. The website is divided into the sections "People", "Ideas", "Tools", "Place" and "Live". The section entitled "Place" explains the connection between the Natural History Museum and the Las Cuevas Research Station. The "People" section highlights the researchers at the Research Station in the jungle of Belize, and what they study specifically. Visitors can scroll over the pictures of the researchers to read a brief bio. Particularly interesting is the "Tools" section, which shows the level of detail the researchers get at with their tools. "DNA analysis", "Scanning Electron Microscope", hand collecting, and "Geographic Information Systems" are the tools that visitors can learn more about by scrolling over the respective images. >From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2010. http://scout.wisc.edu/
Richard Throssel Photographs
Born in Marengo, Washington in 1882, Richard Throssel entered the world of photography at the age of 20. He had recently moved to the Crow Reservation in Montana, and he quickly became interested in taking photographs of the people and the land around him. Throssel would remain on the reservation until 1911, and he took over 1000 photos of Crow Indian life before he left. This digital collection from the American Heritage Center at the University of Wyoming presents over 570 of his images. Visitors can browse the collection by subject or date, and each item contains a complete bibliographical record. As one might expect, visitors can zoom in and out around the photo as they see fit in order to look for various details and nuances. >From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2010. http://scout.wisc.edu/

Friday, March 26, 2010

Teach. Genetics: Epigenetics

Teach. Genetics: Epigenetics [pdf, RealPlayer]
The University of Utah continues to add to their very fine offerings at their Genetic Science Learning center website. This recent addition deals with the field of epigenetics, which is the study of the chemical reactions that switch parts of the genome off and on at strategic times and locations. This learning module contains an animated introduction to the epigenome ("The Epigenome At A Glance"), along with worksheets, tests, and discussion questions. Moving on, the "Your Environment, Your Epigenome" area contains a checklist that helps students record some of the epigenome-influencing factors present in their own environments. This is really the tip of the iceberg, as there are ten other similar activities, complete with learning objectives and assessment questions. The site is rounded out by a talk by scientist Moshe Szyf on "The Epigenome As an Interface Between the Social Environment and Our Genome". >From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2010. http://scout.wisc.edu/

Art Through Time: A Global View

Art Through Time: A Global View 
How do we understand art? What is the relationship between art and the society from which it comes? These are but a few of the questions explored by this fine thirteen-part series produced by the Annenberg Media group. The motivating principle behind the series is to explore "diverse cultural perspectives on shared human experiences." Visitors will note that each program has a theme, and visitors can watch the entire program sequentially, or just bounce around as they see fit. Some of these themes include "Dreams and Visions", "Converging Cultures", and "Portraits". Alongside each video program, visitors will find select images that reflect the themes of each program, and it's fun to look at these images before and after a viewing. The "Compare" area allows visitors the opportunity to look at two works of art side-by-side and consider questions like "How can art inspire technical innovation?" and "How can hybrid art define individual identity?" >From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2010. http://scout.wisc.edu/

Friday, March 5, 2010

Furness Image Collection Shakespeare

Furness Image Collection
If you're a fan of Shakespeare, you're going to love the University of Pennsylvania Library's online Furness Image Collection. Composed of books, manuscripts, artifacts, and over 2,000 prints and photographs, this archive of material is not just about Shakespeare's works, but also about the history of Shakespearean theatrical presentations. The theatrical performers and performances of such works are documented via the images in the online collection, most of which date from the 19th century. On the homepage you can choose to "Browse All Collection," or do a simple or Boolean Search. You can also "Compare" images side by side, and ample information about the intellectual property rights of the images can be found in a link given at the end of the copyright notice in the section labeled Access. Clicking on "Browse All Collection" will take you to the beginning of the collection, and you can view the materials in three ways: "Text List", "Slide Show", and the default thumbnails. For pure viewing pleasure, slide show is the visitor's best choice. You get to see the image in its full glory, accompanied by a title - some lyrical, some simply descriptive. The "Simple Search" is easy to follow and via a drop down menu, offers many criteria by which to search, including notes, medium, collection, and created/published. >From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2008. http://scout.wisc.edu/

C-SPAN: American Political Archive

C-SPAN: American Political Archive [Real Player]
http://www.c-span.org/Series/American-Political-Archive.aspx
C-SPAN has created this online archive as part of their general mission, and educators and politicos will find much to search through on this site. On the top of the page, visitors can look through the most recent programs, which include broadcast audio recordings from a number of the Presidential Libraries, the Smithsonian, and the Library of Congress. Further down the page, visitors can look through the "Past Programs" area. Here they will find links to interviews with figures such as Shirley Chisholm, Lady Bird Johnson, and Arthur Schlesinger, Jr. Along the right-hand side of the page, visitors can make their way through a host of important web resources, including a collection of oral histories with former Secretaries of Defense and an interview with Harry Truman. >From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2008. http://scout.wisc.edu/

Doing What Works: Education

Doing What Works [Real Player, pdf]
The U.S. Dept. of Education sponsors this Doing What Works website, which focuses on pedagogy in order to assist this nation's teachers in finding what are likely to be effective methods of teaching. To see the areas of study that are covered on the website, look to the top left side of the page. You'll find "Early Childhood Education", "English Language Learners", "Math and Science", and "Psychology of Learning". Topics to be added to the site are also listed under "See What's Coming!" To always be up-to-date on new material the site has added, simply click on "Subscribe for Updates" on the right hand side of the page. By clicking on the "What Works Clearinghouse", found at the top right corner, visitors will be taken to the real heart of the site. By clicking on one of the topics of study, visitors can watch, listen, and read a short animated video overview of the topic that includes current research. If videos aren't your thing, you can just head straight to the other options, which are "Review the Research Base", "Understand the Essentials", "Find Recommended Practices", and "Access Planning Templates". It should be noted that the Department of Education makes sure to point out that it is not endorsing any of the commercial products that might be used in any of the teaching approaches. >From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2008. http://scout.wisc.edu/

Policy Archive

Policy Archive [pdf]
Policy institutions around the United States spend a staggering $1.5 billion on research each year. Many of them do an excellent job in terms of putting their policy papers, working papers, factsheets, and so on online for use by the public and scholars. Of course, it can be very difficult to locate some of them, and that's where the Policy Archive steps in. Sponsored by the Center for Governmental Studies (CGS) and the Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) Library, the Policy Archive site brings together thousands of full text documents, reports, videos, and multimedia material generated by these various think tanks and institutions. First-time visitors can take a look at the "Featured Collections" on the right-hand side of the page, and then move on over to the topic quick links, which include everything from agriculture to technology. Additionally, policy institutions and the like can learn how to submit their own work to the archive. Visitors can also sign up to receive email newsletters about the latest research in the topic areas that are of interest to them. >From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2008. http://scout.wisc.edu/

Monday, February 22, 2010

Afghanistan Digital Library

Afghanistan Digital Library
The goal of the Afghanistan Digital Library at New York University is "to retrieve and restore the first sixty years of Afghanistan's published cultural heritage." This period, from 1871 to 1930, is of great importance as the earliest publications from this time frame are very rare and decades of war have not helped the situation. A team of scholars working at the National Archives in Kabul and NYU has helped to digitize a number of these documents for inclusion in this digital library. The project is sponsored by NYU Libraries, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and The Reed Foundation. Currently, the archive contains over 380 books, and visitors can browse them at their leisure. There is a search feature, but as the transliteration part of the project is still in development, visitors might just want to look around at items they find compelling. The viewer application is quite user-friendly, and visitors can zoom in to examine various details of each work. >From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2010. http://scout.wisc.edu/

Friday, February 19, 2010

ActionBioscience: Issues in Biotechnology

ActionBioscience: Issues in Biotechnology
Created by the American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS), the ActionBioscience website is designed to promote bioscience literacy through a host of educational activities, worksheets, interactive features, and online demonstrations and visualizations. This particular part of the site looks at issues in biotechnology through a range of articles and activities that can be used in classrooms or for personal edification. This section contains over two dozen of these activities, arranged into thematic sections including technology and ethics, cloning, and medical biotechnology. Each article contains a brief introduction, a set of related external links, and a set of references for future use. Some of the pieces that shouldn't be missed are "Agricultural Bioterrorism" by Radford G. Davis and "Designer Babies: Ethical Considerations" by Nicholas Agar. >From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2008. http://scout.wisc.edu/