Monday, October 24, 2011

Unknown No Longer: Virginia Historical Society

Unknown No Longer: Virginia Historical Society
http://unknownnolonger.vahistorical.org/

Persons with an interest in African American history in the United States often encounter incomplete records or limited access to databases. The Virginia Historical Society has done an excellent job of addressing this situation by creating this remarkable database of enslaved Virginians, drawing on their trove of unpublished documents. With support from the Dominion Foundation, this database brings together the names of these persons, along with any other pertinent information that may be associated with each name, such as their occupation or the names of other family members. Visitors to the site can browse the database by record type or location. Also, they can use the "Find A Record" area to look for listings by occupation, first or last name, or gender. The site is rounded out by a message board where users can post comments and questions for other users. >From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2011. http://scout.wisc.edu/

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Three Percent

Three Percent
http://www.rochester.edu/College/translation/threepercent/

Launched in the summer of 2007, the Three Percent website is designed to be a "destination for readers, editors, and translators interested in finding out about modern and contemporary international literature." The "three percent" in question refers to the fact that only 3% of all books published in the United States are works in translation. The site includes translations and reviews by students at the University of Rochester, and there are also a number of prominent guest reviewers and commentators. On their homepage, visitors can check out their "Recent Reviews" area, and then look over their "Upcoming Translations Events". Also, the site contains links to their RSS feeds and copies of their in-house newsletter. Visitors can also receive additional information and inspiration via the "Reading the World" podcast and their extensive lists of related weblogs, literary journals, and publishers. >From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2011. http://scout.wisc.edu/

Andover-Harvard Library: Holocaust Rescue and Relief: Digitized Records of the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee

Andover-Harvard Library: Holocaust Rescue and Relief: Digitized Records of the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee
http://www.hds.harvard.edu/library/collections/digital/service_committee.html

A humanitarian crisis was brewing in Prague in 1939, and the Reverend Waitstill Sharp and his wife Martha went to investigate when they heard about it. From their initial work the Universal Unitarian Service Committee (UUSC) was born, and they eventually worked to establish food and clothing distribution centers, hospitals, and homes for children. The Andover-Harvard Theological Library is the official archive for the records of the Committee, and they have worked with the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum to digitize approximately 257 boxes of UUSC material dating from 1939 to 1967. Visitors can get started by clicking on the collection name on the homepage, and then reading the scope and content note for each area. The sections here include "Executive Director Records", "General Administrative Records", and "Special Initiatives". The site presents a rather unique record of the UUSC's activities over a 25-year period, and it is a collection that is quite well organized and worth viewing. >From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2011. http://scout.wisc.edu/