NSDL Scout Reports for the Life Sciences and Physical Sciences
The fifth 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 covers the Signs of Spring. The Physical Sciences Report's Topic in Depth section offers Web sites and annotations on the land, science, and scientists of Ireland.
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Documenting the American South
http://docsouth.unc.edu/
Sponsored by the Academic Affairs Library at the University of Chapel Hill, Documenting the American South (last mentioned in the April 18, 1997 Scout Report) is a collection of sources on Southern history, literature, and culture from the colonial period through the first decades of the 20th century. This Web site has grown considerably since its inception and currently contains over 1,000 books and manuscripts that depict slavery, literature, education, and religion in the South through the words of the people who experienced them. This digitized collection currently contains six chapters: First-Person Narratives of the American South; Library of Southern Literature; North American Slave Narratives; The Southern Homefront, 1861-1865; The Church in the Southern Black Community; and The North Carolina Experience, Beginnings to 1940. One of six chapters on the site is what Joe Hewitt, North Carolina's associate provost for university libraries, calls "our signature project," which is an expansive collection of North American slave narratives published in English in books and pamphlets up to 1920. At present, more than 230 narratives are available online from persons including Frederick Douglass, Sojourner Truth, and many others. In short, this phenomenal collection is not just for educators and researchers, but for anyone interested in Southern slavery and history. [MG]
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George Washington: A National Treasure
http://georgewashington.si.edu/
George Washington: A National Treasure is a national exhibit that focuses on the Lansdowne portrait of George Washington, painted by Gilbert Stuart in 1796 (the last painting of Washington before his death). An historic tour from the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery, this painting will travel across the country to eight major cities for the first time. The portrait is currently at the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, Texas, and will remain there until June 16, 2002. Over the next two years, the painting will travel to seven other cities: Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Seattle, Minneapolis, Oklahoma City, Little Rock, and New York City. Currently, Internet users may explore this historical portrait at the above listed site using three different filters: symbolic, biographic, and artistic. Each filter highlights a distinct component of the portrait, provides background information, and offers an interpretation of each individual element. In addition, the site contains biographical information on Washington's life, an exhibition schedule, and a teaching section for kids. [MG]
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National Academy Press: Scientific Inquiry in Education
http://www.nap.edu/books/0309082919/html/
For those who presume the centrality, if not the supremacy, of the scientific method as a given in the elaboration of America's educational objectives, readers of this report will be in for a surprise. This study, published by the National Academy Press, explores the role and status of the scientific method in the development of American education. In particular, the report focuses on attempts to establish a science of education, a formal method of testing, and proof of what does and doesn't work. Offering great historical perspective, the study clearly illustrates the difficulty that education theorists have had in establishing their discipline, to say nothing of their methods, on the same solid footing as those of the "pure" sciences. As readers of the report will discover, this difficulty has had manifold implications on both teaching theory and practice, especially where financial support of education is involved. [WH]
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Ansel Adam's Photographs of Japanese-American Internment at Manzanar
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/aamhtml/aamhome.html
In 1943, Ansel Adams (1902-1984) documented the Manzanar War Relocation Center in California where Japanese Americans interned during World War II. Presented by the Library of Congress, Ansel Adams's Photographs of Japanese-American Internment at Manzanar displays side-by-side digital scans of Adams's 242 original negatives and 209 photographic prints. Furthermore, viewers get the opportunity not only to see Adam's darkroom techniques but also how he cropped his prints. Some of the photographic images include views of daily life, agricultural scenes, and sports and leisure activities. Adams offered the collection to the Library of Congress in 1965, stating that the purpose of his work was to "show how these people, suffering under a great injustice, and loss of property, businesses and professions, had overcome the sense of defeat and despair by building for themselves a vital community in an arid (but magnificent) environment...." Searchable by keyword and browseable by subject, for the first time, Internet users can get an illustrative glimpse of what life was like for Japanese Americans during this time. [MG]
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Council on Foreign Relations
http://www.cfr.org/index_public.html
Founded in 1921, the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) is a nonpartisan membership organization who is dedicated to "increasing America's understanding of the world and contributing ideas to U.S. foreign policy." CFR's Web site is an online foreign affairs resource that contains updated information on terrorism; videos and transcripts of past meetings on America's response to terrorism; foreign relations articles, publications, and press releases; and much more. Viewers may search the site's database by keyword or browse by subject categories, programs, projects, people, meetings and conferences, or date ranges. In addition, viewers may browse the site's extensive collection of foreign affairs articles by region or topic. For updated information on terrorism and other international issues, this site is definitely the place to go. [MG]
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Report on the Congressional Campaign Fundraising of 2001 [.xls]
http://www.fec.gov/press/20020312canstat/20020312canstat.html
Issued by the Federal Election Commission, the annual report on congressional campaign fundraising for 2001 is both interesting and informative, noting, for one thing, that fundraising declined by 7.4 percent overall for the first time since the organization began collecting data on off-year elections in 1987. With detailed figures on all House and Senate members who ran for election in 2001, the report lists contributions to candidates by individuals as well as by political action committees (PACs). The report also discloses expenditures, cash on hand, and debt for each of the top fifty listed candidates. Aside from following incumbent campaigns, the study also makes available figures and statistics on challengers and their war chests. [WH]
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Chemistry.org
http://www.chemistry.org
The American Chemical Society (ACS) is a self-governed organization that consists of more than 163,000 members at all degree levels and in all fields of chemistry. The ACS hosts the Chemistry.org Web site, whose professionals page offers free and continually updated information and resources organized for easy access. Visitors can read recent articles, find out about upcoming meetings, search databases and directories, and much more. With free registration, users can have a personalized mychemistry.org page and, if interested, receive a monthly email newsletter on chemistry.org information. Any educator or professional will find the site a great source of up-to-date chemistry specific information. This site is also reviewed in the March 22, 2002 NSDL Scout Report for Physical Sciences. [JAB]
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McIntyre, Pennsylvania: The Everyday Life Of A Coal Mining Company Town: 1910-1947
http://www.mcintyrepa.com/frontpage.htm
Presented by Susan Ferrandiz, assistant professor in the library department of Slippery Rock University, McIntyre, Pennsylvania: The Everyday Life of a Coal Mining Company Town "tells the story of a representative bituminous coal town in western Pennsylvania" from its founding in 1910 to its fall as a company town in 1947. Equipped with photos, documents, letters, and the memories of current and former town residents, the site is divided into a number of sections that include the coal company, miners and mining, the union, school and education, family and town life, leisure and recreation, and church and religion. A product of her master's thesis, Susan Ferrandiz hopes that "this assemblage of documents, memories, and information will convey a taste of the everyday life of the town and its residents during the first half of the 20th century." [MG]
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Misunderstood Minds
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/misunderstoodminds/
The Misunderstood Minds project consists of three elements: the PBS documentary, the companion Web site on PBS Online, and the Developing Minds Multimedia Library. A co-production of the Kirk Documentary Group, Ltd., and WGBH Boston, the documentary is a 90-minute film that examines several learning problems and disabilities by following five families who try, together with experts, to solve the mysteries of their children's learning difficulties. Produced and directed by renowned "Frontline" filmmaker Michael Kirk and narrated by ABC's "Nightline" correspondent and guest anchor Chris Bury, Misunderstood Minds is scheduled to air Wednesday, March 27, 2002 at 9pm on PBS (check local listings). In correspondence with the documentary, the Misunderstood Minds' Web site contains profiles of the students in the documentary, as well as sections on attention, reading, writing, and mathematics. In addition, the site contains an interactive feature entitled Firsthand that provides a sense of what it may be like for a student struggling with a learning disability. The multimedia library of videos and print guides is designed to help parents and teachers of elementary and middle-school children explore differences in learning through the approach and conceptual framework of developmental-behavioral pediatrician, author, and professor Dr. Mel Levine. Ordering information may be obtained by downloading the brochures on the order videos page of the Web site. [MG]
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Record of Officers and Men of New Jersey in the Civil War, 1861-1865
http://www.njstatelib.org/cyberdesk/DIGIDOX/Digidox20.htm
A publication of the Adjutant General's Office of New Jersey, the Record of Officers and Men of New Jersey in the Civil War is a compilation document arranged by regiments in numerical order. Originally drafted in 1876, each regiment's chapter gives a brief summary of its actions, followed by a roster of its members that provides rank, date commissioned or enrolled, date mustered in, length of enlistment, and date mustered out. Chapters also provide other information including promotions, transfers, wounds, deaths, and desertions. Also accessible on this site is the New Jersey 1947 Constitutional Convention Proceedings held at Rutgers University in New Brunswick. This lengthy document contains five volumes of information, which can be searched separately or simultaneously. [MG]
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TenLinks.com: Ultimate Directories for Technology Professionals
http://www.tenlinks.com/
Like the Scout Report, TenLinks.com provides privileged access to Web-based resources by seeking out, evaluating, and reviewing Web materials for its target audiences -- professionals in technology-related or driven fields. It does a very good job of assessing and listing what's out there, presenting its treasure trove of top picks in a readily accessible short list of key industry categories, such as computer-aided design (CAD) and global information systems (GIS), as well as broader classifications like civil engineering and architecture. For each broad category, TenLinks offers a top ten list of recommended sites and, then, further suggestions, including product reviews, general reference sources, and even field-specific job search information. Beyond this, TenLinks also serves as a primary source for a broad range of professionals through extensive lists of general information sources areas like mathematics and computer programming. Available 24/7 online, TenLinks also makes its top ten lists available via email. For those who might have missed a listing or two along the way, TenLinks archives its material. [WH]
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Working in the 21st Century
http://www.bls.gov/opub/working/home.htm
Published by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Working in the 21st Century is a thorough portrait of the US workforce that begins with the new millennium. Covers topics ranging from education levels to retirement plans, the report can be viewed through an online slide show or accessed by clicking on a topic that appears in the Web site's table of contents. Some of the subject headings include: The labor force is growing more slowly; More women are working today than in the past; Immigrants are found at the high and low ends of the education scale; Education pays; Workers with computer skills are in demand; The ten occupations that will generate the most jobs range widely in their skill requirements; and The workplace is becoming safer. In short, for anyone looking for a job, interested in changing occupations, or just curious about the job market, this site is an excellent place to start. [MG]
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US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
http://www.eeoc.gov/index.html
Established in 1965, the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is focused on the elimination of illegal discrimination from the workplace. The Web site presents a plethora of information that includes federal laws prohibiting job discrimination, how to file a charge against your employer for discriminatory practices, small business information, data on the federal sector, and much more. The site also contains information on a wide variety of fee-based training and technical assistance programs offered by the EEOC throughout the country. These programs are geared towards employers, employees, and organizations in the private sector, including small businesses, as well as federal, state, and local governmental agencies. Equally important, for newsworthy information regarding the EEOC, the site provides access to press releases that date back to 1994. [MG]
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Mariner's Journal
http://www.aims.gov.au/pages/about/communications/journal/mariners-journal-00.html
This new Web site from the Australian Institute of Marine Science currently has only one featured cruise, the Northwest Cape and Ningaloo Reef expedition. The expedition began on March 6 and focuses on water circulation patterns and food supply for marine fish and crustacean populations. Users can track the progress of the research vessel and click on each date to read daily research reports and view photos from the field. This site is also reviewed in the March 22, 2002 NSDL Scout Report for the Life Sciences. [AL]
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The Currency Gallery
http://www.currencygallery.org/
Presented by the Currency Gallery and Research Foundation, The Currency Gallery is an online museum that takes Internet users on a walk through time with a pictorial, historical, and information tour of US currency. Whether it's pounds, pence, dollars, or cents, this site features pictures of every type of currency ever printed by the US government. This site is currently under construction; therefore, every page is not yet accessible. However, regardless of whether you are a currency novice or expert, this historical journey has something to offer for everyone. [MG]
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Becoming WebWise
http://www.bbc.co.uk/webwise/learn/index.shtml
Sponsored by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Becoming Webwise is an online course for the novice Internet user that wants to learn at his/her own pace. The course consists of eight sections that take users through the Internet basics in a simple and easy-to-follow format. Becoming WebWise covers topics such as getting connected, emailing, searching, bookmarking, creating address books, and the basic fundamentals of building a Web page. Users will also learn about technological developments like Digital TV, WAP phones, legal online rights, the history of the Net, as well as other ways of accessing the Internet. The course is estimated to take up to ten hours to complete, and users are able to return to any of the sections as often as they choose. [MG]
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Prospero 2.0: An Open Source Internet Document Delivery (IDD) System
https://bones.med.ohio-state.edu/prospero/index.html
The John A. Prior Health Sciences Library of Ohio State University has recently released Prospero 2.0, an open source Internet Document Delivery (IDD) system that allows libraries to send and receive documents in electronic format from Prospero or Ariel workstations and patrons to retrieve these documents using any Web browser. This innovative tool is separated into two modules (a library staff module and a user interface module) and is operable on any Windows (NT/2000/XP/98) machine. The tool takes up 10 MB of disc space and uses a 5-15 MB memory footprint. The server-side module should run properly on any platform with a Web server and support for perl scripting. Non-Windows users will need to rely on a program such as SAMBA to provide SMB shares that the Ariel/Prospero workstation can map locally. [MG]
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United States Postal Rates Soon to Increase
Postal Commission to Decide on Rates
http://www.abcnews.go.com/wire/Politics/ap20020321_987.html
Postal Rates Set for Summer Increase
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A2027-2002Mar22.html
US Postal Financial Outlook Dire
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A57655-2002Mar20.html
Post Office Gives Up on Wireless Service
http://news.cnet.com/investor/news/newsitem/0-9900-1028-9431000-0.html?tag=ats
Postal Rate Commission
http://www.prc.gov/
The United States Postal Service
http://www.usps.com/
Beginning this summer, it looks like consumers will have to pay an additional 3 cents to mail a letter. Without the usual opposition, the Independent Postal Rate Commission gave heavy consideration to the Postal Service's request for new rates. Under the Unites States Postal Service (USPS) proposal, which could take effect as early as June 30th of this year, the cost of a first-class stamp would rise to 37 cents. Other increases requested by the USPS include a 2 cent increase in postcard mailings, a 35 cent increase in a 1-pound priority mail item, an 84 cent to a $2.18 increase in a 5-pound parcel post item, a $1.20 increase in a half-pound express mail item, and a 20 cent increase in certified mail items. In addition, insurance charges would go up for most mail, but would be reduced for Express Mail.
Affected by declining businesses in a slow economy, the USPS lost $1.68 billion last year and has anticipated a $1.35 billion loss this year after freezing new construction and cutting 12,000 jobs. Furthermore, the terror attacks, followed by the anthrax-by-mail infections, hit the agency with millions of dollars in additional costs for cleanup and preventative measures for future mail contamination. In the end, all but the American Postal Workers Union signed on to the deal, which avoided months of hearings and arguments before the agency. For more information on the expected postal rate increase, viewers may access the first two articles listed above by the Associated Press and Washington Post respectively. The third article, also from the Washington Post, delves into the financial outlook of the USPS, while the fourth article talks about their decision to eliminate wireless service. The fifth site leads to the Postal Rate Commission's homepage, where viewers can receive updated information on postal rates. Finally, the USPS Web site offers information regarding its online services, mailings, shipments, stamps, postal rates, fees, and more. [MG]
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Below are the copyright statements to be included when reproducing annotations from The Scout Report.
The single phrase below is the copyright notice to be used when reproducing any portion of this report, in any format:
From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2002. http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/
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Copyright Susan Calcari and the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents, 1994-2002. The Internet Scout Project (http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/), located in the Computer Sciences Department of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, provides information about the Internet to the U.S. research and education community under a grant from the National Science Foundation, number NCR-9712163. The Government has certain rights in this material. Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of the entire Scout Report provided this paragraph, including the copyright notice, are preserved on all copies.
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