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| New This Week for September 4, 2008 |
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This Week This week we have brilliant foliage and winged migrations for a changing season, and we added re-education in China, news and careers for librarians, and a trip down a leafcutter ant colony tunnel. Bon appetit from librarians Charlotte, Jennifer, Wendy, and Maria. Tip of the Week Hispanic Heritage Month: September 15 to October 15. |
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Arts and Humanities
Bowery Artists Tribute
"A celebration and exploration of the New Museum's new neighborhood, the Bowery Artist Tribute explores the presence of artists on this famed thoroughfare" in New York City. Find a timelime of important dates in the arts and an interactive map showing locations for artists such as Jean-Michel Basquiat, Willem de Kooning, and Sol LeWitt. Includes biographical information for selected artists and a bibliography. From the New Museum, New York.
URL: http://mediaspace.newmuseum.org/boweryartisttribute/
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/25263
A Guide to Medieval and Renaissance Instruments
Images and descriptions of medieval and Renaissance instruments such as the bagpipe, harp, dulcimer, harpsichord, lute, viol, hurdy-gurdy, and recorder. Some sections include sound clips and related links. From the Iowa State University Department of Music.
URL: http://www.music.iastate.edu/antiqua/instrumt.html
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/24556
The U.S. Army in Post World War II Japan, 1945-1952
This video presentation features history of the U.S. Army in Japan following "September 2, 1945 ... [when] representatives of the Japanese government and the Allied powers gathered to sign an instrument of surrender which in effect, formally ended World War II." Also includes transcripts, photos, documents (such as the 1946 Constitution of Japan) and suggested readings and links to online resources. From the United States Army.
URL: http://www.army.mil/postwarjapan/
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/26732
Business
LibGig
"Professional networking website dedicated to bringing together everyone who accesses, organizes, creates, manages, produces or distributes information for a living." Site features searchable job listings, list of American Library Association accredited schools ("including their specialties, degrees, certificates, doctoral programs, admissions and financial aid contact"), career development resources, and a blog.
URL: http://www.libgig.com/
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/26642
Scooter Rundown: Best Fits From Tall to Small
This 2008 article covers points related to choosing a motor scooter, noting that "[r]ecord numbers of Americans are getting out of their cars and hopping onto scooters, spurred by high gas prices and concerns for the environment." Covers scooter size and weight, engine size, and pricing. Includes photos, a link to an article about scooter safety, and links to related websites. From National Public Radio (NPR).
URL: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=93434949
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/26783
Study on the Affordability of College Textbooks
Full text and accompanying material for the May 2007 report "Turn the Page: Making College Textbooks More Affordable." Topics discussed include strengthening the market for used textbooks, increasing library resources, adopting alternatives that lower prices (such as buying consortiums), implementing textbook rental programs, improving financial aid, and utilizing 21st century technology (such as online and electronic textbooks). From the Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance, U.S. Department of Education.
URL: http://www.ed.gov/about/bdscomm/list/acsfa/edlite-txtbkstudy.html
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/26790
Government
Anchorage Daily News: Gov. Sarah Palin
News coverage on Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, who was elected in 2006 and selected as the Republican candidate for vice president in August 2008. Includes a timeline, information about her biography, "Sarah: How a Hockey Mom Turned Alaska's Political Establishment Upside Down," and material about her activities as mayor of Wasilla, Alaska, and governor. Also includes links to material on the 2008 presidential election. From the Anchorage Daily News.
URL: http://www.adn.com/sarah-palin/
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/26812
Charlie Rose: Sarah Palin
October 2007 interview conducted by Charlie Rose with two female governors: Janet Napolitano (Democrat, Arizona) and Sarah Palin (Republican, Alaska). Topics discussed include energy, immigration, education, health care, and role as Commander and Chief of the National Guards for each state.
URL: http://www.charlierose.com/guest/byname/sarah_palin
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/26813
Health
National Children's Study
"The National Children's Study will examine the effects of environmental influences on the health and development of more than 100,000 children across the United States, following them from before birth until age 21." The website provides information about the process and research elements of the study, with the first study results to be made available in 2011. The study is sponsored by several government groups.
URL: http://www.nationalchildrensstudy.gov/
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/23426
Parents: Autumn Tips to Help Keep Your Kids Safe and Healthy
This collection of fall health and safety tips suggests a family food tasting, indoor and outdoor activity, taking an active role in teen employment, checking toy and product safety, demonstrating healthy habits, and more. The sidebar includes a related article, "Kids' Autumn Activities," and several other health and safety features. From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
URL: http://www.cdc.gov/family/parentautumn/
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/26766
People
Malthus
Lighthearted introduction to the life of Thomas Robert Malthus (1766-1834), who was "an English clergyman and political economist -- the originator of Malthusian population theory. Broadly stated, Malthusian theory holds that human and other populations will increase until checked by natural limitations, principally to do with food supply." According to the site, "his family called him Bob." Includes a biography and brief genealogy information. From "a descendant of Bob's older brother, Sydenham (Syd, probably)."
URL: http://homepages.caverock.net.nz/~kh/index.html
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/26792
Texas Monthly Talks
Website for a 30-minute television program hosted by Evan Smith. Watch interviews of noted personalities such as Lance Armstrong (2007), Joe Biden (2006), Lauren Bacall (2005), Ralph Nader (2004), and Ann Richards (2003). Produced by Austin, Texas, public television channel KLRU.
URL: http://www.texasmonthly.com/texasmonthlytalks/
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/26780
Ready Reference & Quick Facts
Disasters & Emergencies: Hurricanes
Information about emergency medical shelters, volunteer opportunities for health care professionals, and other services provided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Also find links to tips about hurricane preparedness.
URL: http://www.hhs.gov/disasters/emergency/naturaldisasters/hurricanes/
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/1601
Emergency Preparedness & Response: Hurricanes
Find hurricane-related health and safety information, as well as information specific to current hurricanes. Includes fact sheets on topics such as hurricane readiness, hurricane recovery, protecting pets, electrical hazards, carbon monoxide, re-entering a flooded home, contaminated water, and protecting yourself from mold. Offers links to information for cleanup workers and health professionals. Some material available in several languages. From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
URL: http://www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/hurricanes/
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/1570
Talk Like A Pirate Day, September 19
"Talking like a pirate is fun. It's really that simple. It adds a zest, a swagger, to your every day conversation." This humorous site celebrates a day of pirate talk with pirate lingo (such as "Arrr!" and "Ahoy!"), a pirate advice column, a newsletter, puzzles, a "pirate personality profile," Web links, and other silliness. (Caution: Some of the content is a tad risqué.)
URL: http://www.talklikeapirate.com/
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/12145
Regional: California
California High-Speed Rail Authority
By 2020, California could have "a 700-mile-long high-speed train system capable of speeds in excess of 200 miles per hour on dedicated, fully-grade separated tracks with state-of-the-art safety, signaling and automated train control systems" serving its major urban areas. The Authority has a legislative mandate to plan this inter-city transportation system. The environmental reports, press releases, newsletter, board meeting minutes and agendas, and route map provide details.
URL: http://www.cahighspeedrail.ca.gov/
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/15872
California State Parks: Fall Colors
A list of some of the state parks in California that display aumtumn foliage. Listings include location, phone number, and brief notes about what visitors may see in the park during the fall. Includes links to the park websites. From California State Parks.
URL: http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=23487
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/26763
Regions of the World
How Educational Is Re-Education?
This August 2008 article considers the recent functioning of "re-education-through-labor" camps in China. The article notes that "since the re-education-through-labor camps were created in the late 1950s, they have -- at least in theory -- been oriented toward 'rehabilitating' inmates both politically and morally" but now have an emphasis on many hours of labor, and not political study. Includes links to related material. From the online magazine Slate.
URL: http://slate.msn.com/id/2198321/
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/26788
Science
Arboretum Plant Photo Gallery: Fall Foliage
This fall foliage collection includes photographs, an explanation of the science of autumn leaf color, and a list of selected plants that provide colorful autumn leaves. The list notes the specific colors provided by the plants (such as orange or dark red), and includes links to the gallery images where available. From the United States National Arboretum.
URL: http://www.usna.usda.gov/PhotoGallery/FallFoliage/
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/26764
Atta Texana: A View Underground
This project "maps tunnels and chambers of a vast leafcutter ant colony. ... The system ... is nondestructive to the ants and is the first time [ground penetrating radar] GPR has been used to map a living ant colony." Provides an abstract, project overview, slide show of the process, tunnel animation, and movies showing GPR to 3-D translation. From a visualization sciences professor at Texas A&M University.
URL: http://www-viz.tamu.edu/faculty/lurleen/main/attatunnel/
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/26779
Migration of Birds: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Circular 16
This circular, originally authored in 1935, "effectively communicated the wonders of bird migration to a wide audience, both young and old, experienced observers of birds as well as the simply curious." Describes subsequent revisions and presents the text of the latest version, which covers the study of migration, basic migration concepts, migration routes and patterns, and related topics. Includes a bibliography. From the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).
URL: http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/birds/migratio/
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/26770
Migration of the Monarch Butterfly: Selected Internet Resources
Small collection of links to websites about monarch butterflies, including general resources and sites about migration projects and monarch butterfly conservation. Compiled by Jennifer J. Harbster, Library of Congress Science Reference Services.
URL: http://www.loc.gov/rr/scitech/selected-internet/butterfly.html
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/26768
The Monarch Butterfly in North America
This monarch butterfly website provides "a gateway to news, information, activities, and resources about the biology and conservation of this fascinating insect." It notes that the monarch butterfly "is among the most recognized, studied, and loved of all of North America's insects." Includes an overview and link to details about interactive "field trips" on migration for the 2008-09 school year, starting in October 2008. From the National Wildlife Refuge System, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
URL: http://www.fs.fed.us/monarchbutterfly/
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/26769
Society & Social Science
Bird Migration: Help Track Migratory Birds
This article promotes volunteering to track migratory birds, which are in decline due to several factors. It provides links to for organizations to contact regarding tracking volunteer opportunities, noting that if "you want to help track migratory birds on your vacation, plan an autumn or spring getaway." From Charity Guide, a listing of flexible volunteering and volunteer-on-demand opportunities.
URL: http://charityguide.org/volunteer/vacation/bird-migration.htm
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/26772
Laogai: "Reform Through Labor" in China
This 2000 article describes "'Laogai,' which translates from Mandarin to mean 'reform through labor,' [and] is the Chinese [criminal] system of labor prison factories, detention centers, and re-education camps." Topics include the three types of Laogai (convict labor, re-education through labor, and forced job placement), conditions, and applicable Chinese law and international law standards. From Human Rights Brief, a student-run publication of the Center for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law, Washington College of Law.
URL: http://www.wcl.american.edu/hrbrief/07/2laogai.cfm
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/26787
Reeducation Through Labor in China
This 1998 paper describes the Chinese "system of detention and punishment administratively imposed on those who are deemed to have committed minor offenses but are not legally considered criminals. Reeducation through labor ... is not to be confused with reform though labor ... the complex of prisons, labor camps, and labor farms for those sentenced judicially." Includes comparison of the criminal and non-criminal systems. From Human Rights Watch.
URL: http://www.hrw.org/legacy/campaigns/china-98/laojiao.htm
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/26786
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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. |