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| New This Week for October 2, 2008 |
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This Week This week brings Frank Lloyd Wright's gas station, spelling reform, pro bono legal services, and "all the information college students need to vote by absentee ballot from school." Bon appetit from librarians Wendy, Jennifer, Charlotte, and Maria. Tip of the Week LII IS NOW ADMINISTERED BY IPL This week the editors received a press release announcing LII's merger with the Internet Public Library (IPL). IPL is a huge and wonderful Web portal hosted by Drexel University and maintained by a consortium of colleges and universities with programs in information science. It has solid funding and a paid staff augmented by graduate students in library and information studies programs, allowing it to maintain and improve the database's content and aesthetics with new skills and technical tools. As you may know, in the last two years LII's funding was cut by 50%. Consequently, we had to reduce the number of sites we add each week, halt improvements to the browsing structure, and generally do less of everything. IPL will give LII's years of work continued life and value and we think they'll do a terrific job. The LII editorial staff and the newsletter will continue through April 30, 2009. We will share news with you as it becomes available; for more information, please contact IPL or Linda Crowe at Califa. |
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Arts and Humanities
Advocates Push for Simpler "Spelling"
This 2006 article provides an introduction to the movement to simplify written English spelling. The story notes that while there have been no changes in spelling rules in the 100 years since Andrew Carnegie helped create the Simplified Spelling Board and President Theodore Roosevelt "tried to force the government to use simplified spelling in its publications," advocates "aren't giving up." Includes examples of simpler spelling. From the Minneapolis-St. Paul StarTribune.
URL: http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/11491356.html
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/26863
Frank Lloyd Wright Gas Station Turns 50
This August 2008 article and audio feature describes the Lindholm Service Station in Cloquet, Minnesota, which "has the distinction of being the only gas station ever designed by famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright," and which celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2008. Includes photos of the station, the construction of which was not supervised by Wright, who was "busy in New York, overseeing building of the Guggenheim Museum." From Minnesota Public Radio.
URL: http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2008/08/06/wright_gasstat...
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/26922
Our Town
"Actor/director Paul Newman's first appearance on Broadway in 38 years is a highlight of the Westport Country Playhouse production of Thornton Wilder's classic 'Our Town' which played to sold-out audiences on Broadway." This 2003 PBS Masterpiece Theatre companion website features essays and interviews (including with Paul Newman), who's who in cast and credits, story synopsis, classroom guide, and links and bibliography.
URL: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/americancollection/ourtown/
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/26975
Spelling Reform Files
"This page links to a number of files about spelling reform, including descriptions of and text in a number of systems." Includes links to material on phonemic systems, hybrid systems, respelling systems, and different type of spelling systems, including from the American Literacy Council and "Minglish" from the Alan Beale, the website creator. From an English language enthusiast.
URL: http://www.wyrdplay.org/reform-files.html
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/26861
Business
A First Look at Older Americans and the Mortgage Crisis
"Homeowners age 50 and over have been significantly affected by the mortgage crisis, according to this first-ever analysis of data on the mortgage crisis by age. More than 684,000 homeowners age 50 and over were delinquent, were in foreclosure, or lost their homes during the six months ending December 2007." Read the full September 2008 report, which includes key findings, graphs and charts, and data sources. From AARP Public Policy Institute.
URL: http://www.aarp.org/research/credit-debt/mortgages/i9_mortgage.html
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/26937
Government
Absentee Voter Guide
"This guide contains all the information college students need to vote by absentee ballot from school." Click on the interactive U.S. map to view absentee voting details for each state, including deadlines, dates, and contacts. Also available as a downloadable document. From the Harvard University Institute of Politics.
URL: http://www.iop.harvard.edu/Voter-Information-Center/Absentee-Voter-Gui...
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/26967
The Presidential Debates
News and analysis about the September and October 2008 presidential and vice presidential debates. Includes full video of the debates (where you can jump ahead to a particular topic using a timeline and find key words or phrases on the timeline), video and transcripts of Democrat and Republican debates, and video highlights of past presidential debates. From MSNBC.
URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18296908/
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/26963
Voter Turnout
Collection of research and commentary on voter turnout and 2008 U.S. presidential election results. Topics include evangelical voters, the youth vote, the myth of a toss-up election, how and when experience in a president counts, and voter mobilization. From the Brookings Institution.
URL: http://www.brookings.edu/topics/voter-turnout.aspx
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/26881
Law
American Bar Association (ABA): Standing Committee on Pro Bono and Public Service
Website for this "national source of information, resources and assistance to support, facilitate, and expand the delivery of pro bono legal assistance." Features details about committee projects, publications, policies and rules, and related material. Also includes information about the first annual National Pro Bono Celebration, planned for the last week of October 2009. From the American Bar Association (ABA).
URL: http://www.abanet.org/legalservices/probono/home.html
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/26947
Justia
The goal of this site is "making legal information, resources and services easy to find on the Internet." Features summaries of legal practice areas, links to federal and state law sources, information about law schools and lawyers, and material on noteworthy cases involving computer and Internet technology (such as Facebook and Google). Also includes information about public interest and pro bono projects. From a company that also provides online marketing solutions for law firms.
URL: http://www.justia.com/
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/26950
The Public Library of Law (PLoL)
Free access to selected U.S. legal materials. Includes cases from the U.S. Supreme Court, Federal Circuit Courts back to 1950, state courts back to 1997, federal statutes, codes from all 50 states, and more. Includes tutorials on finding a case and searching for statutes. Requires free registration to view cases. Additional material available for a fee. From an online legal research provider.
URL: http://www.plol.org/Pages/Search.aspx
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/26949
People
Actor Paul Newman Dies at 83
Extensive obituary for actor Paul Newman, "the legendary movie star and irreverent cultural icon who created a model philanthropy fueled by profits from a salad dressing that became nearly as famous as he was," and who died in September 2008 after a battle with cancer. Features video clips, photo galleries, and a related appreciation piece. Additional related links can be found on the appreciation page. From the Los Angeles Times.
URL: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-newman28-2008sep28,0,7543479.s...
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/26979
Recreation
National Park Service Centennial Initiative, 1916-2016
This website compiles background and announcements about National Park Service (NPS) programs in preparation for its centennial in 2016. Find news releases, centennial strategies for specific parks, an interactive report "The Future of America's Parks," videos, and other centennial material. From the NPS.
URL: http://www.nps.gov/2016/
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/24364
Regional: California
California Academy of Sciences: Rebirth of an Institution
This series of stories about the reopening of the California Academy of Sciences in late September 2008 looks at "the renovation and the massive undertaking of moving 20 million specimens." Topics include how architect Renzo Piano wanted the new building to feel rooted in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park and the evolution of the institution back to 1853. Accompanied by many photos and video clips. From SFGate, the website of the San Francisco Chronicle.
URL: http://www.sfgate.com/calacademy/
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/26974
Search Field (California) Polls, 1979-Latest Release, Questions and Answers
Find questions and answers from California Field polls for 1979-2006. "The Field (California) Poll was founded in 1947 by Mervin Field. ... The Field Poll tracks voter preferences in all major statewide candidate and proposition election contests, assesses California public opinion about elected officials and major issues facing the state, obtains reaction to political and social developments, and covers topical news stories of general public interest." From the University of California, San Diego, Libraries.
URL: http://gort.ucsd.edu/calpol/
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/26912
The State Bar of California: Pro Bono Resources
Compilation of "resources for lawyers, law firms, bar associations, legal services providers, judges and law students interested in Pro Bono." Includes a FAQ, link to listings for pro bono opportunities in California, sample law firm pro bono policies, model pro bono board resolutions, and more. From the State Bar of California.
URL: http://www.calbar.ca.gov/state/calbar/calbar_generic.jsp?cid=12509&id=...
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/26945
Regions of the World
NATO-Ukraine Relations
This site describes how "NATO [North Atlantic Treaty Organization] and Ukraine actively cooperate in international peace-support operations and have developed practical cooperation in a wide range of other areas. An Intensified Dialogue is also underway [in 2008] on Ukraine's membership aspirations and related reforms." Also provides official texts and includes discussion of intelligence sector reform talks, the situation in Georgia, and related matters. Available in several languages. From NATO.
URL: http://www.nato.int/issues/nato-ukraine/
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/26980
Ukraine
Collection of news stories about Ukraine, covering topics such as the collapse of the ruling coalition government in September 2008, tensions over the Crimean peninsula (where Ukraine has allowed Russia to lease a military base on the Black Sea until 2017), possible Ukrainian membership in the EU and NATO, Russian actions in Georgia, and related matters. Also includes links to stories on related topics and blog entries. From the British newspaper The Guardian.
URL: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/ukraine
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/26982
Science
Financial Times: Climate Change Series
This news series "looks at the politics of climate change." Includes stories related to the developed world and emerging economies, opinion pieces, and interactive features on climate change agreement and mapping carbon dioxide emissions. Provides links to stories on the science aspects of global warming. From the website for the UK newspaper the Financial Times.
URL: http://www.ft.com/climatechangeseries
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/26933
Society & Social Science
American National Election Studies (ANES)
ANES "produces high quality data on voting, public opinion, and political participation to serve the research needs of social scientists, teachers, students, policy makers and journalists." Its website features graphs and tables on public opinion and electoral behavior (1948-2004), downloadable data, reports, and links to other election study sites. A collaboration of Stanford University and the University of Michigan.
URL: http://www.electionstudies.org/
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/26880
A Billion + Change
Website for this "three-year campaign designed to meet the challenge [to leverage $1 billion in skilled volunteering and pro bono services from the corporate community] and redefine pro bono." Currently the website links to a page that explains the benefits of pro bono work, real-world examples of pro bono work, and other tips and tools for getting started with and understanding pro bono work. From the Corporation for National and Community Service.
URL: http://www.abillionandchange.org
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/26899
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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
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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. |