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| New This Week for October 13, 2005 |
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This Week (See below.) Tip of the Week Next week we will begin offering an option to subscribe to a lovely, "colorized" version of our New This Week newsletter. We will continue to support our text-based version of the newsletter. Watch for the announcement of "New This Week Fancy" in next week's "Tip." |
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Arts and Humanities
Are You Wearing Woolies? Medieval Knitting, Nålbinding
Annotated links to websites about period knitting. Includes sites about medieval Muslim knitting, Egyptian socks, hand-knit stockings from the 1500s, Viking-age yarnwork (nålbinding), and more. From SCAtoday.net, a website "offering news, information, and discussions ... to members of the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA)."
URL: http://www.scatoday.net/node/3765
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/19290
The Independents: The Ashcan School & Their Circle From Florida Collections
Essay about this group of early 20th century painters, who worked in "a style of realism that was later, imprecisely, designated 'The Ashcan School.'" Includes information about their genesis as "The Eight," their involvement in the Armory Show of 1913, and links to information about individual artists, such as Robert Henri, George Bellows, and Maurice Prendergast. By a curator of American art at the Flint Institute of Arts, Flint, Mich.
URL: http://www.tfaoi.com/aa/6aa/6aa55.htm
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/19292
Knitting Charities: Knitting for a Better World
Annotated list of organizations and projects focused on knitting and crocheting for charitable causes. Includes knitting for premature infants, children in hospitals, domestic violence victims, chemotherapy patients, U.S. armed forces, humanitarian projects in other countries, and more. From a publisher of craft books.
URL: http://www.interweaveknits.com/community/charities.asp
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/19286
The Reading Cure: How to Organize a Book Group With a Social Conscience
This opinion piece provides suggestions for starting a reading group centered on "socially conscious and political novels." It includes ideas for forming and running the group and a briefly annotated list of reading suggestions that includes both classics and contemporary novels. From the website for Mother Jones magazine.
URL: http://www.motherjones.com/commentary/columns/2005/10/the_reading_cure...
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/19243
Business
Looking Back at the Crash of '29
Special feature from 1999 recounting the history of the U.S. stock market crash in October 1929. Provides images of The New York Times front page and archived articles from the time period. From the website for The New York Times.
URL: http://www.nytimes.com/library/financial/index-1929-crash.html
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/19278
Stock Market Crash [1929]
Concise summary of the U.S. stock market crash of 1929, including the events leading up to the crash and the effect of the crash on the economy. Also includes links to interviews with two history professors about the 1929 crash and related topics. From the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) special program "The First Measured Century."
URL: http://www.pbs.org/fmc/timeline/estockmktcrash.htm
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/19280
Government
The Prince of Wales Visits San Diego: A Study in Perception
Article about the visit by Edward, the Prince of Wales, to San Diego in April 1920. Includes a discussion of the United States' "preoccupation and a fascination with English royalty," the preparations for the visit, and the events of the visit. Also includes photos. From the journal of the San Diego Historical Society.
URL: http://www.sandiegohistory.org/journal/92summer/wales.htm
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/19287
Health
Health Officials Keep Close Watch on Bird Flu
A compilation of radio programs from 2005 about the response of world leaders and health officials to "an especially virulent strain of the bird flu [that] is spreading out from Southeast Asia. Known as H5N1, the virus can infect humans as well as birds." Also includes information about the 1918 influenza epidemic and about "Wickett's Remedy," a recently published novel set at the outset of the flu epidemic. From National Public Radio (NPR).
URL: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4949542
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/19275
Influenza 1918
This site explores the influenza epidemic that killed more than 600,000 Americans and between 20 and 40 million people worldwide. Includes reflections about the pandemic and its epidemiology, a pathologist's analysis of whether the same type of devastation could occur again, a map showing the spreading of the disease in the U.S., audio files of interviews, a timeline, a teacher's guide, and the epidemic's effects on Boston, Philadelphia, and San Francisco. Based on the 1998 PBS American Experience program.
URL: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/influenza/
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/10700
Lead in Children's Lunch Boxes
In this August 2005 press release "the Center for Environmental Health (CEH) announced it is filing lawsuits ... against makers and retailers of soft vinyl lunch boxes that can expose children to harmful levels of lead. The Center has also notified several other companies of violations under California's toxics law Proposition 65." Includes a FAQ, images, and information about testing vinyl lunch boxes you already own.
URL: http://www.cehca.org/lunchboxes.htm
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/19222
Leeches!
Fact sheet on the biology of leeches, which "are commonly found in lakes and ponds and many of [which] provide food for vertebrates such as fish, ducks, turtles and some other birds." Also discusses the history and current use of leeches for medicinal purposes. Includes related links. From the King County (Washington State) Department of Natural Resources.
URL: http://dnr.metrokc.gov/wlr/waterres/Bugs/Leeches.htm
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/19300
Home & Housing
America's Housing Craze
Collection of articles and analysis from 2005 about the increased cost of purchasing a house in the U.S., financing options, buying and selling, and related topics. Includes information about prices in selected cities, hunting for a house in California, and affordability of houses. From MSNBC.
URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3038118/
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/19307
Halloween Safety: Safety Alert
Safety tips from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, covering safe costume designs, flame-resistant costumes, pedestrian safety, and more. Includes a diagram illustrating safe Halloween costumes.
URL: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/hallow.html
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/8895
Resources for Home Preserving Pumpkins
"Pumpkins offer far more than a door-stop at Halloween." This site provides ideas and safety tips for various methods of preserving pumpkin flesh and seeds, including canning, freezing, drying, and pickling. Features links to further information on the preparation of pumpkin butter, fruit leather, and canned winter squash. From the National Center for Home Food Preservation.
URL: http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/tips/fall/pumpkins.html
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/12531
Law
Religious Affiliation of the U.S. Supreme Court
Information about the religious affiliations of current members of the Supreme Court and of all Supreme Court justices. Also includes links to information for members of the U.S. Congress, presidents and vice-presidents, and governors. From a site that provides national and world religion statistics and "is not affiliated with any religious, political, educational, or commercial organization."
URL: http://www.adherents.com/adh_sc.html
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/19247
Media
NPR Podcast Directory
Dozens of free podcasts (audio downloads suitable for computers or handheld computer devices) produced by National Public Radio and partner organizations. Includes podcasts of morning and evening news, shows such as "Pacific Time," "Michael Feldman's Whad'Ya Know," "The California Report," and much more. Also find reader-friendly explanations of podcasting. Browsable, with annotations for each program, but not searchable.
URL: http://www.npr.org/rss/podcast/podcast_directory.php
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/19258
Union Jack
"The Union Jack is the Only National British Newspaper produced and published in the United States." The site features articles from the current issue, immigration information, a calendar of British events in the United States, and columns about Britons in Florida, California, and Texas. Also includes links to related information.
URL: http://www.ujnews.com
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/19289
People
Einstein's Big Idea
Companion website to a Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) Nova program about "the story behind the world's most famous equation": energy equals mass times the speed of light squared (E = mc²). The site features an essay explaining this 1905 equation that "says that energy and mass (matter) are interchangeable," information about scientists whose experiments paved the way for Albert Einstein, an audio clip of Einstein explaining the equation, links to related sites, materials for library activities, and much more.
URL: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/einstein/
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/19304
Senator E.L. "Bob" Bartlett: Architect of Alaska Statehood
This site uses a statue of Senator Bartlett (Alaska Territorial Delegate 1945-59, senator 1959-1968) as a "gateway into an abridged account of the historical and political context of Alaska's long struggle from neglected colony to 49th state." Features a brief illustrated history of Alaska statehood (admitted January 3, 1959) and information about the role of Edna Ferber's novel "Ice Palace" in Alaska's quest for statehood. Part of the Capitol Project from American Studies at the University of Virginia (UVA).
URL: http://xroads.virginia.edu/~CAP/BARTLETT/btintro.html
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/19313
Ready Reference & Quick Facts
The Ig® Nobel Prizes
Every October, Ig Nobel Prizes are awarded to "honor achievements that first make people laugh, and then make them think. The prizes are intended to celebrate the unusual, honor the imaginative—and spur people's interest in science, medicine, and technology." Find award winners, video clips of the award ceremonies, "personal reminiscences of some participants," and more. Ig Nobel Prizes activities are organized by the Annals of Improbable Research (AIR).
URL: http://improbable.com/ig/
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/12138
Recreation
Baseball as America
This site is a companion to a traveling exhibit featuring artifacts from the Baseball Hall of Fame. The exhibit "reveals how baseball has served as both a public reflection of, and catalyst for, the evolution of American culture and society." The site features commentary and images of exhibit highlights, an exhibit overview (topics such as ideals and injustices, enterprise and opportunity, and sharing a common culture), and a tour schedule.
URL: http://www.baseballasamerica.org
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/19303
Regional: California
1906 Earthquake Centennial Alliance
The objective of this organization is to "use the centennial of the 1906 earthquake [in the San Francisco Bay Area] to highlight a century of progress in understanding earthquake hazards and reducing risks as well as to commemorate the cultural and social response to this historic event." The site features a speakers bureau, and information about activities, events, and exhibitions. Also includes links to related information.
URL: http://1906centennial.org/
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/19305
California Apple Commission
Find descriptions of leading apple crops, apple varieties common to California, a timeline for California apple production, a map of California apple growing regions, children's games, and more. Includes recipes for apple crisp, sugarless apple pie, and other dishes.
URL: http://www.calapples.org
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/2556
California State Lands Commission: Ballast Water Program
This organization "recommends specific performance standards for the discharge of ballast water into the waters of the state" following international shipping trips. Includes information about measures to prevent nonindigenous (also called exotic) species into the waters of California, shipping rates, legislation, and related information and documents.
URL: http://www.slc.ca.gov/Spec_Pub/MFD/Ballast_Water/Ballast_Water_Default...
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/19281
The New de Young
Series of articles on the grand opening in October 2005 of the new M.H. de Young Museum in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco. The "sinuous copper-clad structure ... has been likened to a Mayan temple or a rusty aircraft carrier, complete with an observation deck." Includes news and opinion pieces, photos, a chronology of the museum back to 1893, and audio and video tours of the new museum building. From the website for the San Francisco Chronicle.
URL: http://www.sfgate.com/deyoung/
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/19266
Taking It All In: Documenting Chemical Pollution in Californians Through Biomonitoring
Results of a study to measure chemical pollutants in 11 Californians through biomonitoring analysis of blood, hair, and urine samples; the purpose was to detect chemicals "commonly found in plastic water bottles, non-stick cookware and other consumer products." Participants in the study included actor Peter Coyote and U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi. From Commonweal, a nonprofit health and environmental research institute in Bolinas, Calif. Opens directly into a PDF file.
URL: http://www.commonweal.org/programs/download/TIAI_1205.pdf
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/19302
Regional: Washington State
The Seattle Public Library: Reading Lists
Collection of reading lists for children, teens, and adults, created by staff at the Seattle Public Library. Includes a series of lists on Pacific Northwest explorers and travelers, fiction set in Seattle and Washington state, Seattle mysteries, local science fiction and fantasy authors, and more.
URL: http://www.spl.org/default.asp?pageID=collection_readinglists
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/19259
Washington Apples
This attractive site contains extensive information about varieties of apples grown in the state of Washington, an apple usage chart, nutritional information, recipes, statistics and "core" facts. Directions to the Washington Apple Commission Visitor Center in Wenatchee are available as well as a Just for Kids section, media kit, and large graphics library which includes historical photographs.
URL: http://www.bestapples.com/
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/1149
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife: Living With Wildlife
The "animal species covered in this series were selected after surveying agencies and organizations [in Washington state] that receive calls from the public about local wildlife. ... [I]n many cases the calls are from people who are -- or think they are -- experiencing a conflict with a wild animal and are seeking a way to remedy the problem." Includes tips for dealing with snakes, gophers, cougars, black bears, raccoons, skunks, deer, Canada geese, muskrats, and other species.
URL: http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/living/
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/19263
Regions of the World
Liberia's Uneasy Peace
News coverage of politics in Liberia, covering the October 2005 presidential and parliamentary elections and the civil war that preceded the election. Features information about candidates and leaders, essays and lesson plans on Liberian history and U.S.-Liberia relations, background on the civil war, archived news stories, and related material. From the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) Online NewsHour.
URL: http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/africa/liberia/
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/19308
Q&A: Liberian Elections
Questions and answers about the October 2005 elections in Liberia for a new president and parliament. Also includes related news stories about the election, candidate profiles, feedback from Liberians about the elections, and links to background information about Liberian history and civil war in the country. From the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).
URL: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/4321814.stm
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/19309
ReliefWeb: South Asia: Earthquake - Oct 2005
Updates on relief efforts related to the major earthquake that struck in Pakistan-administered Kashmir on October 8, 2005, and affected India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. Includes information about rescue efforts and relief, assistance from other countries, and extent of damage. Also includes links to maps. From the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
URL: http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/dbc.nsf/doc108?OpenForm&emid=EQ-2005-00017...
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/19273
Science
Energy Hog
Aimed at children, this site about saving energy features games and and interactive house to teach about energy efficiency. Includes sections for teachers and other adults. From the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).
URL: http://www.energyhog.org/
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/19295
Hudson River PCBs Superfund Site
Information about the cleanup of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the Hudson River. In October 2005 the Justice Department and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reached an agreement with the General Electric Company requiring it to begin the dredging of the Hudson River in 2007. This site contains background information, maps, photos, a FAQ (with information about PCBs, contamination of the Hudson River, and the dewatering facility that will hold dredged sediment), and related material. From the EPA.
URL: http://www.epa.gov/hudson/
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/19272
National Ballast Information Clearinghouse (NBIC)
The NBIC, a program of the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center and the United States Coast Guard, "collects, analyzes, and interprets data on the ballast water management practices of commercial ships." A main goal of the NBIC is "to determine the degree to which ... [ballast] water has undergone ... treatments designed to reduce the likelihood of ballast-mediated invasions by exotic species." It features a database with ballast discharge information and links to research.
URL: http://invasions.si.edu/nbic/
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/19282
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Thanks for reading LII New This Week!
Jennifer English, Liaison to Califa Library Group
Wendy Hyman, Senior Editor
Maria Brandt, Associate Editor
Charlotte Bagby, Senior Weeder
| Copyright Notice Use of the annotations from this list must be accompanied by: Copyright 2009 by Librarians' Internet Index, LII. We encourage you to cite our records, to forward all or part of New This Week to colleagues and other discussion or announcement lists, to include citations to our resources in your pathfinders and training materials, and to otherwise leverage this publicly-funded resource. |
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| Funding and Support Primary financial support for LII (Librarians' Internet Index) from the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act, administered in California by the State Librarian. LII is also supported by the IPL Consortium, and hosted by The iSchool at Drexel, College of Information Science and Technology. Other sources include California Digital Library. |