NSDL Scout Reports for the Life Sciences and Physical Sciences
The fourth issues of the first volumes of the Life Sciences Report and Physical Sciences Report are available. The Topic in Depth section of Life Sciences Report provides sites and annotations about endocrine disrupters. The Physical Sciences Report's Topic in Depth section offers comments and Web sites on tornadoes.
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World Development Report 2002: Building Institutions for Markets [.pdf]
http://www.worldbank.org/wdr/2001/fulltext/fulltext2002.htm
A carefully weighted, well-conceived document, the World Banks World Development Report 2002 (last mentioned in the October 5, 2000 Scout Report) discusses the viable options available to developing nations attempting to open their markets to the world and thereby better the circumstances of their peoples. Honestly recognizing that free market economies are not one-size-fits-all, the report encourages policy builders and analysts to carefully consider the specific circumstances and histories of their countries as they add to infrastructure. A primary focus of the report is on individual institutions and their positive potential in serving in a nationwide system of checks and balances, ones which can greatly extend the interests of the people. Here, the reports insists, policy makers must look to establish institutions and organizations that are right for given populations at a given place and time. Ultimately, therefore, the report calls on those responsible for true nation building to look to the welfare of their own people, especially as they seek to move their nations into an increasingly voracious global market. [WH]
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Internet Archive: Movie Collection [RealPlayer]
http://www.archive.org/movies/index.html
In addition to its Wayback Machine (last mentioned in the November 2, 2001 Scout Report, the Internet Archive offers the Internet Moving Images Archive, an extensive collection of digitized films from the Prelinger Archives. Not Hollywood movies, these films should provide researchers and scholars unique insight into certain aspects of 20th-century culture, industry, and institutions. Being able to select from titles like Care of Hair and Nails (1951), The Kingdom of Plastics (1955), and This is Coffee (1961), other users should easily find something interesting in the 956-film archive. Each film tends to have multiple file formats; RealPlayer, MPEG-2, and MPEG-4 are the most frequently employed. Because many of the files are over 100MB, users with low bandwidth should be wary. [TS]
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Two from the Canada's Digital Collection
The Underground Railway: Niagaras Freedom Trail
http://collections.ic.gc.ca/underground/
Rallye patrimonial de Lanaudire [Flash]
http://collections.ic.gc.ca/rallye/ralley.htm
A magnificent presentation on the Underground Railroad by Canadas Digital Collection Project (last mentioned in the May 25, 2001 Scout Report), The Underground Railroad, Finding Freedom in the Niagara Region Web site is a multimedia tour of the area and its unique history. In all, the site is comprised of nine separate elements, each with its own topic or emphasis. The site includes an interactive map of the region, featuring presentations at a significant points along the route taken by slaves as they crossed into freedom in Canada. Arguably, the sites central attraction is its presentation of the major figures involved in the Underground Railroad, including such famous and infamous characters as Harriet Tubman and John Brown, among others. Also worth considering are the sites well-stocked image banks, including a presentation of historic plaques and monuments, as well as another featuring photos of notable sites and landmarks. For students and educators, the site also offers something just for fun in the form of puzzles, mazes and trivia tests. A second new site from CDC covers historic Lanaudire in the Saint Laurence region of Qubec Provence, Canada. Presented in 25 separate segments or modules, the slide show features presentations on historic landmarks, as well as follow-up questions for basic comprehension. A great resource for teachers and students, with captivating text and high quality images, the site offers a great deal to others, too, tourists in particular. Most notably, the site does a marvelous job celebrating the diversity of a region enriched by numerous cultures and traditions over a span of some three hundred years. [WH]
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The Year in Review: United Nations Peace Operations in 2001
http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/dpko/pub/year_review01/index.html
Covering the peace operations undertaken by the United Nations (UN) during 2001, this report details efforts to defuse mass hostility and violence in Europe, Asia, Africa, Central America, and in the Pacific. Approximately 39,500 soldiers and 7,500 civilian police worked with 4,300 international civilian staff and 8,500 local civilian staff. Under often tense and difficult conditions (58 were killed), these peace workers functioned as observers, engineers, analysts, human rights workers, legal and administrative experts, and translators and linguists, as well as working on military demobilization and land mine removal. Translation: Heroic and valuable service to humanity. This report (also available in French and Spanish) is dedicated to telling these workers's stories, expressing their collective voice, and celebrating the year's accomplishments. Divided into sections by geographic area (Asia, Americas, Asia and the Pacific, Europe, and the Middle East), the report offers brief fact sheets and links to more comprehensive UN sites on Peacekeeping Operations, Peace and Security Issues, and Employment Opportunities. [DJS]
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Digital Library of Georgia
http://dlg.galileo.usg.edu/
Part of the University of Georgia Libraries, the Digital Library of Georgia works with state libraries, museums, and archives to provide online access to state and regional historical and cultural materials. The site serves up a rich and diverse selection of materials, ranging from the newly released Baldy Editorial Cartoons (a digital offering that brings users 2,500 cartoons from the larger collection) to the substantial Southeastern Native American Documents (2,000 images and documents relating to the Native American population of the Southeastern United States). [REB]
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Russian Basic Science After Ten Years of Transition and Foreign Support [.pdf]
http://www.ceip.org/files/pdf/wp24.pdf
Authored by two experts in the field of Russian science and technology, "Russian Basic Science After Ten Years of Transition and Foreign Support" is a February 2002 offering from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (CEIP). Assessing the state and status of science and basic research in Russia since the fall of the Soviet Union, the report observes that while much has been accomplished over the past decade, much more remains to be done. While declaring that the worst is over and that Russian science is beginning to hold its own, the authors of the report nonetheless insist that Russia remains in need of continued direct foreign aid and investment to help ensure that its scientific community remains on viable paths toward autonomy and self-sufficiency. [WH]
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Linus Pauling Research Notebooks
http://osulibrary.orst.edu/specialcollections/rnb/
Special Collections at the Oregon State University Valley Library is the repository for the Ava Helen and Linus Pauling Papers, which include 46 research notebooks kept by Dr. Pauling from 1922 to 1994. Part notebook and part scrapbook, the collection offers some photographs and printed materials; the notebooks' primary contents, though, are Pauling's handwritten laboratory calculations, experimental data, scientific conclusions, ideas for further research, and notes to himself. The notebooks have been scanned as individual page images; currently, there is no search function. For the best searching method, begin with the notebook index, which lists all 46 notebooks. Select one to be taken to its table of contents, a list of dated topical entries with links to page images. Some topics cover multiple pages, such as "Research notes by Fred Ewing [re: structure of proteins?]" (44 pages of Notebook 29, March - September 1957). There is a subject index that covers topics for notebooks 30-46 but does not include personal names. Once in a notebook, "Home" takes you back to the beginning of that notebook. Select Return to Notebooks Index to go all the way back. [DS]
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Biz/ed: Virtual Learning Arcade
http://www.bized.ac.uk/virtual/vla/
A new offering from Biz/ed (last mentioned in the July 20, 2001 Scout Report), the Virtual Learning Arcade uses simulations and interactive online models to help teach concepts related to economics and business. Along with the simulations are a variety of support materials written to help educators take full advantage of the tools provided. Ten simulations are currently available, but the goal of the project is to have twenty eventually. Interested users can sign up for the Biz/ed newsletter to keep up-to-date on the newest VLA releases. [REB]
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The American Museum of Natural History Congo Expedition 1909-1915
http://diglib1.amnh.org/
In 1909, scientists Herbert Lang and James P. Chapin, as well as numerous assistants, set out into the remote Central African Congo River basin to explore and catalog the many extraordinary plant and animal species found within. This fabulous new Web site from the American Museum of Natural History details the six-year expedition that resulted in the first comprehensive study of the Congo basin. This online exhibit includes field notes, photographs, illustrations, interactive maps, and films of early 20th century Congo biological and cultural features. There is also a searchable collection of scientific publications, many of which were authored by Lang, Chapin, and their contemporaries. This is a rich resource that is likely to appeal to many. This site is also reviewed in the March 8, 2002 NSDL Life Sciences Report. [AL]
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Will D. Campbell: A Man of the Word [Realplayer]
http://www.lib.usm.edu/~spcol/campbell
The University of Southern Mississippi Libraries' Special Collections offers a glimpse into a unique Southern minister, Will D. Campbell, through his words and voice. The exhibition is based on his papers, which were donated to USM in 1999. A "bootleg preacher," he was educated at Wake Forest College and Yale Divinity School. As an award winning writer, minister, theologian, and social activist, he ardently worked for "civil and human rights causes" across the American South. Excerpts from his writings here are supplemented with oral history recordings and video of Mr. Campbell. Certainly worth a visit for anyone unfamiliar with his life and work, one wishes this glimpse was more substantial. [DJS]
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Scholarly Work in the Humanities and the Evolving Information Environment [.pdf]
http://www.clir.org/pubs/abstract/pub104abst.html
Viewable online or as a downloadable Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) file, the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) report "Scholarly Work in the Humanities and the Evolving Information Environment" is essential reading for anyone involved with or interested in academic librarianship as it moves forward into a more fully automated era. Primarily, the study focuses on scholarly researching techniques and the implications of those techniques for information professionals who serve the researchers. In particular, the authors stress that, as all forms of scholarly information become digitized, there is an ever-increasing need to provide for uniformity of access across various platforms -- uniformity that can only be achieved, realistically, through the application of standard cataloging practices across different forms of media (e.g., audio, visual, text-based). [WH]
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Two from the National Library of Australia
Assessment Guidelines for Managing Cellulose Acetate Collections [MS Word]
http://www.nla.gov.au/preserve/AssGuidelines2.doc
Storage of Cellulose Acetate Collections: A Preliminary Survey of Issues
and Options
http://www.nla.gov.au/preserve/storagecontents.html
Photographic negatives, motion picture film, microfilm, and sound recordings produced from the 1930s into the 1950s often used cellulose acetate as the transparent plastic carrier. As anyone who has ever come in contact with it well knows, its strong vinegar-like scent is hard to miss. Unfortunately, over time, the material is prone to deterioration, which eventually renders it unusable. In an effort to help guide libraries in Australia with this problem, the National Library of Australia has created these two documents. The first provides assistance in identification of cellulose acetate (vs. other similar materials) and establishes criteria to assess condition, cultural importance, and use within the library or storage context. The document guides readers through the first step in a strategy for preserving these collections. The second resource draws upon recent "literature discussing preservation and storage of cellulose acetate based film" to guide librarians and collection managers in choosing storage options (lower temperatures and humidity slow the deterioration process). The report discusses the options and provides guidance for planning and evaluation of each, and an appendix directs one to specific Australian storage facilities. Together, both reports serve as a brief, easily readable introduction to this challenging preservation issue. [DJS]
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Principles for Managing Contaminated Sediment Risks at Hazardous Waste Sites [.pdf]
http://www.epa.gov/superfund/resources/principles/9285.6-08.pdf
On February 20, 2002, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released an eleven-page memorandum entitled Principles for Managing Contaminated Sediment Risks at Hazardous Waste Sites. Eleven risk management principles are presented, such as "control sources early" and "involve the community." The memo is intended to help guide Superfund National Policy Managers make "scientifically sound and nationally consistent risk management decisions at contaminated sediment sites," while giving an interesting look into governmental policies regarding the nation's most dangerous hazardous waste sites. This site is also reviewed in the March 8, 2002 NSDL Physical Sciences Report[JAB]
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Medicare: Nursing Home Compare
http://www.medicare.gov/nhcompare/home.asp
Allowing users to compare and contrast nursing homes based on a wide range of information, this site provides a number of useful (and often enlightening) tools. After choosing a state, county, or zip code, a list of matching nursing homes are displayed for review. Check boxes allow for very narrow or wide comparisons of everything from behavior problems of residents to problems reported in the last state inspection. Also of great help are tools like the Nursing Home Checklist, which provides a four-page printable checklist for use in evaluating and comparing nursing homes. [REB]
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Final Report of the Independent Counsel In Re: Madison Guaranty Savings & Loan Association Regarding Monica Lewinsky and Others [.pdf]
http://icreport.access.gpo.gov/lewinsky.html
Filed May 18, 2001 but released March 6, 2002, this 237-page final report details the comments of Robert W. Ray, the current head of the office of independent counsel that investigated various allegations related to Mr. Clinton and his conduct. The report reveals that, although there was certainly enough evidence to convict Mr. Clinton of perjury and obstruction of justice, Ray chose to not bring charges against Clinton because he believed that Clinton had already paid a significant penalty for his behavior. This report is the outcome of a seven year, 70 million dollar, investigation. [REB]
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DivX Version 5.0
Windows Version
http://www.divx.com/divx/index.php#download
Mac (5.0 Alpha) and Linux (4.02) Versions
http://www.divx.com/divx/maclinux.php
Associated previously with Internet video piracy, DivX Networks released DivX Version 5.0 this week in its bid to challenge the supremacy of Internet video formats like Windows Media, RealPlayer, and Apple Quicktime. Self-dubbed the "Mp3 of Video," DivX offers additional functionality from previous versions, including image quality improvement, MPEG-4 compatibility, and faster performance. Three versions of the Windows software bundle (encoder and decoder included) are available: DivX, the free version; DivX Pro, a $30 version that offers advanced encoding and video tools; and DivX Pro (Ad-Supported), a free version of DivX Pro that has pop-up advertising banners. Windows 98/Me/NT/2000/XP and DirectX 7.0 drivers are required. DivX Networks also provides software for Mac and Linux. Both Mac OS and Linux users can download bundles that include "DivX Playa," the decoder for DivX-encoded files. Mac OS users will not be able to encode in the DivX format though; only the Linux bundle has encoding capabilities. [TS]
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AltaVista Shortcuts
http://www.altavista.com/sites/search/shortcuts_overview
Added in February 2002, AltaVista Shortcuts are a perfect tool for the novice Internet surfer. The Web page above links users to the Help page concerning the Shortcuts functionality. To use Shortcuts, you simply need to visit Altavista homepage and enter a query like you would at any search engine. Then, along with the standard list of rated links, AltaVista will provide relevant links, or "Shortcuts," that search engines typically don't render--to pages like maps, yellow pages, or specific business information (e.g., SEC filings). For example, if you enter "New York" in the search engine form, you will receive links to a map, weather, yellow pages, people finder, and more. For advanced users who have a solid grasp of finding specific information on the Internet, this tool will offer little help other than saving a mouse click or two; for novice users who don't know the resources offered on the Internet, the service should prove extremely valuable. [TS]
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EPA Official Quits over White House Air Pollution Policies
EPA official who quit to testify
http://www.msnbc.com/news/717430.asp?cp1=1
EPA regulators resignation letter
http://www.msnbc.com/news/717482.asp
Earth Justice: EPA Officials Resignation Signals Deeper Problems with Administrations Enforcement of Environmental Laws
http://www.earthjustice.org/news/display.html?ID=322
For Bush, Environment Is Local
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/front/la-030302enviro.story
Don't Foul the Air
http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&node=&contentId=A49720-2002Jan1¬Found=true
White House Warned on Easing Clean Air Rules
http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&node=&contentId=A16624-2002Jan8¬Found=true
White House: Climate Change Review [.pdf]
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2001/06/climatechange.pdf
President Bush Announces Clear Skies and Global Climate Change Initiatives
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2002/02/20020214.html
Eric Schaeffer, the Director of Regulatory Enforcement at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), resigned recently, citing "frustration about the fate of [the EPA's] enforcement actions against power companies that have violated the Clean Air Act." An EPA employee for twelve years, Mr. Schaeffer accused the White House of being "determined to weaken the rules [the EPA] is trying to enforce." According to him, new White House environmental policies, such as the Clear Skies and Global Climate Change Initiatives, will widen the loop holes already present in the Clean Air Act and, in the end, help the nine power companies under prosecution to continue violating laws already in place. In response to the resignation, Senator Joseph Lieberman (D-Conn) intends to address Mr. Schaeffer's complaints when the Governmental Affairs Committee, chaired by Sen. Lieberman, convenes to discuss the Bush Administration's environmental policies.
The first two hyperlinks come from MSNBC: a news report explaining Mr. Schaeffer's' departure and, second, his resignation letter to Christine Whitman, the top administrator at the EPA. An Los Angeles Times report further outlines the situation, and the link from Earth Justice, a nonprofit, pro-environment law firm, provides a statement that gives more details on the connections between the resignation and the policies of the Bush Administration. From the Washington Post, two older articles from January, an editorial and a report, are next. The editorial requests that President Bush "reject any proposals" that don't "put older plants on a track to cut emissions over time," while the report details potential partisan opposition to then-proposed plans to ease air pollution standards for older, coal-burning power plants. Finally, the White House outlines its new environmental policies on their Web site with an Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) file of the Climate Change Review and substantial Web presentations of the Clear Skies and Global Climate Change Initiatives. [TS]
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