NSDL Scout Reports for the Life Sciences and Physical Sciences
The ninth 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 annotates sites on antibiotic resistant bacteria. The Physical Sciences Report's Topic in Depth section offers Web sites and comments about fluids.
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Towards a Sexually Healthy America: Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Programs that Try to Keep Our Youth "Scared Chaste" [.pdf]
http://www.siecus.org/pubs/tsha_scaredchaste.pdf
In response to last week's review of the Heritage Foundation's report on abstinence programs, the following study was turned in for our consideration by way of counterpoint. Offered by the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States, a nonpartisan, nonprofit think tank, both the message and the messenger stress knowledge over ignorance and better living through education. Not knocking abstinence as a tenable choice, the authors of the report simply argue that, if exercised, abstinence should be one among a young person's considered options, rather than the only sure path to survival. Backed by many studies and a lot of hard science supported by the Center for Diseases Control (CDC) and other governmental agencies, the report is interesting and carefully crafted. [WH]
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Creating a Framework of Guidance for Building Good Digital Collections
http://firstmonday.org/issues/issue7_5/cole/
In the fall of 2001, the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) published the "Framework of Guidance for Building Good Digital Collections" on their Web site. The report, which was done in collaboration with participants from the National Science Foundation's Science, Mathematics, Engineering, and Technology Education Digital Library program, highlights "digitization collection practices that facilitate integration and aggregation of digital information resources developed by museums, libraries, and similar institutions." Comments and responses to the Framework were solicited from the digital library community through May 1, 2002. In response to this solicitation, Timothy W. Cole presented "Creating a Framework of Guidance for Building Good Digital Collections" at the Web-Wise 2002 conference held in March. Cole's paper illustrates the context and development of IMLS's Framework, briefly depicts the essential ideas articulated in the Framework, and concludes with remarks regarding the immediate impacts of the work accomplished by the IMLS Digital Library Forum and a call for the continued development and maintenance of the Framework. The paper consists of 8 sections -- Introduction, Starting Premise, Framework Scope and Organization, Principles for Good Digital Collections, Principles for Good Digital Objects, Principles for Good Metadata, Principles for Good Digitization Projects, and Concluding Remarks -- and is valuable to those particularly interested in the digitization of primary source materials. [MG]
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Silicon Valley Cultures Project Website: What We Are Finding [.pdf]
http://www.sjsu.edu/depts/anthropology/svcp/SVCPfind.html
The Silicon Valley Cultures Project from the Anthropology Department at San Jose State University (last mentioned in the June 1, 2000 issue of the Scout Report for Business & Economics) has recently published a book excerpt, along with three newly released reports and articles, on their Web site. The book excerpt is from Cultures@SiliconValley by J.A. English-Lueck, and it provides a 16-page abstract of the book. The first new report "Creating Culture in Dual Career Families" by C. N. Darrah, J. A. English-Lueck, and J. M. Freeman (all from the Department of Anthropology at San Jose State University) is based on ethnographic fieldwork conducted with fourteen different families between 1998-2000. The second report, "Success and Survival in Silicon Valley: An Ethnography of Learning Networks" by J.A. English-Lueck, Sabrina Valade, Sheri Swiger, and Guillermo Narvaez, was presented to the Center for Educational Planning's Santa Clara County Office of Education on March 21, 2002. This report takes an ethnographic look at the lives of students, teachers, and workers as they find their way through the maze of de facto education. The last newly released report, "Students, Technology and Everyday Life" by Dr. Chuck Darrah, was prepared for the Junior Achievement of Santa Clara County and the Institute for the Future, and explores how the incorporation of information technology in the lives of middle and high school students can best prepare them for careers in the Silicon Valley region. This paper elicits potential questions for further investigation and, therefore, does not provide definitive answers to complex and emerging issues. All of the reports can be easily viewed and printed in Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) files. [MG]
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Museums and the Web 2002: Speakers
http://www.archimuse.com/mw2002/speakers/index.html
In Boston, Massachusetts, the Archives & Museum Informatics organized and held a national conference from April 18-20, entitled Museum and the Web 2002 (MW2002). This conference specifically addressed Web-related issues for museums, archives, and other cultural heritage institutions. Selected papers from the conference have recently been made available for the Internet audience, viewable in HTML format. [MG]
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Food Security and Safety: Economic Perspectives
http://usinfo.state.gov/journals/ites/0502/ijee/ijee0502.htm
At a time when safety and security are universal concerns, food is increasingly being considered both an asset and a liability. This study is essential reading for anyone interested in the exploitation of food as a basic resource. Offering numerous case studies of agricultural foreign aid programs sponsored by the United States and the United Nations, this issue of the State Department's online journal, Economic Perspectives, is at once serious and thought-provoking, exploring programs in several critically affected developing areas. A shining example of success, Bangladesh is pointed to as a nation that has completely reversed a long history of poverty and dependence through outside efforts to help it diversify and build its agricultural infrastructure. Focusing on the broader social and political implications of national and international agricultural policies, the study highlights the efficacy of well coordinated assistance and education in the alleviation of hunger as an unnecessary global ill. [WH]
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Pesticide Residues in Conventional, IPM-grown and Organic Foods: Insights from Three U.S. Data Sets
http://www.consumersunion.org/food/organicsumm.htm
The above mentioned report by Brian P. Baker, Charles M. Benbrook, Edward Groth III, and Karen Lutz Benbrook was published in the May 2002 edition of Food Additives and Contaminants, Volume 19, No. 5. The Consumers Union (an independent nonprofit testing, educational, and information organization) has released a summary of this report for Internet viewers. According to the Consumer Union (CU), this report is the first detailed analysis of pesticide residue data in foods grown organically and conventionally. The report reveals that consumers who purchase organic fruits and vegetables are exposed to only one-third as many residues as in conventionally grown foods. The authors gathered and analyzed test data on pesticide residues in organic and non-organic foods from three independent sources: tests done on selected foods by CU in 1997; surveys of residues in foods in the US market conducted by the Pesticide Data Program of the US Department of Agriculture in 1994 through 1999; and surveys of residues in foods sold in California, tested by the California Department of Pesticide Regulation in 1989 through 1998. The combined residue data sets covered more than 94,000 food samples from more than 20 different crops of which 1,291 were organically grown. A complete copy of the paper may be purchased from the publishers of Food Additives and Contaminants.[MG]
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Worthington Memory
http://www.worthingtonmemory.org/
This Online Scrapbook of Worthington History is a collaborative project between the Worthington (Ohio) Libraries and the Worthington Historical Society to present local history materials. Visitors can search or browse the digitized collection, currently over 117 photographs and documents. Those unfamiliar with Worthington can use the browse feature to retrieve collection items organized into broad categories such as Arts, Architecture, Agriculture, Business and Commerce, or by decade from 1800 to 2002. Documentation, such as selection criteria, and a 36-page manual "Worthington Memory Digital Imaging Workflow" is provided, making Worthington Memory a handy resource for other public libraries wishing to begin a local history digitization project. [DS]
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Institute of Arable Crops Research
http://www.iacr.bbsrc.ac.uk/iacr/tiacrhome.html
The UK's Institute of Arable Crops Research has a commitment to "high quality scientific research relevant to plant-based agriculture with the objective of achieving improvements in rural and agricultural economies that are financially, environmentally and socially sustainable." The institute conducts a great deal of research, and summaries of many of these projects are available in the Research section of the site. The amount of detail found within this section varies, but some sections also include publication citations, abstracts, and links to laboratory home pages. The research topic entitled crop performance and improvement is particularly extensive. This site is also reviewed in the May 17, 2002 NSDL Life Sciences Report. [AL]
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American Experience: War Letters
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/warletters/
Based on the book by Andrew Carroll, War Letters is a television special airing on PBS on Sunday, May 26, at 9pm (Eastern Time). Revealing personal correspondence from the Revolutionary War to the Gulf War, War Letters gives accounts of famous battles, intimate declarations of love and longing, heartbreaking "Dear John" letters from home, and much more. The accompanying Web site provides a comprehensive description of the film and a transcript. It also provides a timeline of US military actions and wars from 1775 to the present, excerpts of letters from Carroll's book, and a teachers guide section grouped into categories of history, economics, geography, and civics. Additionally, for those interested in letter preservation, the site also provides tips on how to keep letters safe. [MG]
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American Libraries: US Periodical Prices 2002
http://www.ala.org/alonline/archive/periodicals02.html
American Libraries, the magazine of the American Library Association, has recently released the 2002 edition of US Periodical Prices by Barbara Albee and Brenda Dingley. The price index is based on subscription price information supplied, compiled, and analyzed by divine/Faxon Library Services (formerly Faxon Library Services, RoweCom, Inc.). The report's tables and analysis measure changes in average US periodical prices in an historical context. On the whole, this report may be of use to librarians and others who prepare annual budget serial requests, as well as those involved in the analysis of serial pricing trends over a period of years. [MG]
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2001 Consolidated Federal Funds Report
http://www.census.gov/govs/www/cffr01.html
Provided and maintained by the US Census Bureau, the Consolidated Federal Funds Reports give one an appreciation of just how extensive are the government's outlays and obligations. Accessible by state or county, the reports publish direct federal expenditures and other federally facilitated programs in infinite detail. Making available yearly accounts of federal expenditures to individual states for retirement and disability, among other things, the report also tracks indirect outlays such as wages and salaries, federal grants, procurement contracts, and insurance programs. For instance, just in case you have ever wondered how much the federal government spends to help fill potholes or combat weeds in your neighborhood, this is the place to look. [WH]
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American Museum of Photography
http://www.photographymuseum.com/
The American Museum of Photography (last mentioned in the January 8, 1999 Scout Report ) is presently featuring new and exciting online exhibits covering a range of categories. Viewers can choose to enter the "private universe of photomontage artist" Scott Mutter (creator of Surrational Images) and view some of his most famous photographs, or choose to take a brief glimpse into the faces of slavery and other early images of African Americans. Curious and daring viewers can take a journey through the gallery of ghosts and ectoplasm captured by the camera, or explore the remarkable images by Shotaro Shimomura XXI. Taken from his trip around the world in 1934 and 1935, the Shimomura photographs combine elements of both the pictorialist and modernist styles prevalent in the 1930s. In all, regardless of what gallery one chooses to enter or what collection one chooses to explore, one is sure to be moved and entertained by the remarkable images. [MG]
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Canadian Heritage Information Network: Creating and Managing Digital Content
http://www.chin.gc.ca/English/Digital_Content/index.html
Canadian Heritage Information Network (CHIN) (last mentioned in the May 29, 1998 Scout Report) has recently launched its new Web site and has a completely new and improved look. The site now offers a section entitled Creating and Managing Digital Content, which, among other things, gives information on the planning and implementation of digitization projects. The site also offers an Intellectual Property section, which gives information on rights management as well as licensing issues and guidelines. The Collections Management section provides software reviews and cataloging procedures, while the Reference Library offers a list of museum resources throughout Canada. Last, but certainly not least, the Conservation section gives viewers the opportunity to learn about the proper care and preservation of museum collections. In all, librarians as well as museum catalogers and preservationists are sure to find something of value on this newly enriched site. [MG]
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Virtual Sky
http://virtualsky.org/index.html
The Virtual Sky Viewer is sponsored by The Center for Advanced Computing Research at the California Institute of Technology and the Microsoft Corporation. The Web site allows users to view "stunning, seamless images of the night sky; not just an album of popular places, but the entire northern sky at high resolution". Although reading the help link before attempting to use the viewer is recommend, the powerful application gives fascinating and unique views of the sky that most people have never seen. This site is also reviewed in the May 17, 2002 NSDL Physical Sciences Report. [JAB]
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Silverpoint Drawing Complete
http://silverpointweb.com/index.html
Authored by James M. Glenn, Silverpoint Drawing Complete provides information and materials on and for the silverpoint medium. Mr. Glenn, who is a practicing artist with a MFA from Ohio University, has created a complete resource center for artists and anyone else interested in silverpoint drawing. The site offers a brief history section that includes an essay on writing technology development entitled "From Pencils to Pixels: The Stages of Literacy Technology" by Dennis Baron. This site also offers two galleries, one of which links to images of "Old Master" and modern master metalpoint drawings, while the other links to images by contemporary artists on offsite galleries and museums. Additionally, the site has a workshop sections that illustrates the procedure of silverpoint drawing, and a materials section that lists available materials including "points, stylus, grounds, ground materials, plus do-it-yourself alternatives." In short, it is an enriching site for art students and enthusiasts. [MG]
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Text Encoding Initiative
http://www.tei-c.org/
The Text Encoding Initiative (TEI) is an "international and interdisciplinary standard that helps libraries, museums, publishers, and individual scholars represent all kinds of literary and linguistic texts for online research and teaching." The site offers information about the TEI consortium; recommendations for the encoding of textual material in various languages; TEI Tutorials that provide introductory and advanced teaching materials, presentations, and user case studies; a history archive of TEI publications and working papers; and much more. This site is primarily for individuals who already possess some knowledge of material encoding. [MG]
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Elcomsoft: Advanced PDF Password Recovery
http://www.elcomsoft.com/apdfpr.html#logo
Forget the password to your source document? Don't fret. ElcomSoft Co. Ltd., has recently released Advanced PDF Password Recovery 2.0, a software package that removes both password encryption and usage restrictions from Adobe Acrobat PDF files. Designed for Windows 95/98/Me/NT/2000/XP, this software tool comes in a standard and professional edition and takes up approximately 600K of hard disk space. Internet users may download a free version of the software for use during a 30-day trial period. [MG]
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University of Michigan's Law School's Affirmative Action Policy Rendered Constitutional by Appeals Court
Boston Herald: Appeals Court Backs Michigan Law School Admissions Using Race; Could End Up in Supreme Court
http://www2.bostonherald.com/news/national/ap_mich05142002.htm
Business Day: Second Take
http://www.bday.co.za/bday/content/direct/1,3523,1086879-6096-0,00.html
Leadership Conference on Civil Rights Applauds Sixth Circuit Decision Upholding University Affirmative Action Plan
http://www.ascribe.org/cgi-bin/spew4th.pl?fname=2002-05/20020514.125542&time=15:41+Pacific+Time&year=2002&public=1
National Urban League Urges President to Support University of Michigan Law School Admissions Policy; Organization's President Sends Open Letter to President Bush
http://news.cnet.com/investor/news/newsitem/0-9900-1028-9915732-0.html?tag=ats
Chronicle of Higher Education: Affirmative Action Documents
http://chronicle.com/indepth/affirm/document.htm
Chronicle of Higher Education: Affirmative Action: The States
http://chronicle.com/indepth/affirm/state.htm
US Supreme Court: University OF California Regents v. Bakke, 438 US 265 (1978)
http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/cgi-bin/getcase.pl?court=US&vol=438&invol=265
The US Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit recently ruled that the University of Michigan's Law School legally considered race in determining which students to admit. The court's written opinion stated, "We are satisfied that the law school's admissions policy sets appropriate limits on the competitive consideration of race and ethnicity." This recent 5 to 4 ruling overturned a lower court's ruling that asserted the admissions policy used by the law school illegally discriminated against white applicants. There has been widely divergent opinions on the subject of affirmative action by circuit courts around the nation, and, because the Sixth Circuit's ruling conflicts with decisions rendered by other federal appeals courts, many legal experts believe there is a strong possibility that this case will be taken up by the US Supreme Court.
The last Supreme Court ruling on affirmative action took place in 1978 with the University of California Regents vs. Bakke case. Allan Bakke, a thirty-five-year-old white man, was rejected twice by the University of California Medical School at Davis due to the school's reserved spaces for qualified minorities as part of the university's affirmative action program. However, many found the ruling unclear and ambiguous, and have been questioning its limits for the past two decades. Many are hoping that, if the University of Michigan's Law School case does reach the Supreme Court, it will make a comprehensive and definitive ruling as to the do's and don'ts of affirmative action practices. For more information on the University of Michigan's Law School case, viewers may access the first two above listed articles. The next two articles highlight opinion of the court's decision by presidents of both the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights and the National Urban League, respectively. The fifth article provides affirmative action documents including court cases and decisions, while the sixth article gives affirmative action stories and court cases categorized alphabetically by state. Finally, the last site is a copy of the Supreme Court ruling in the case of the University of California Regents vs. Bakke. [MG]
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Annotated Bibliography of Government Documents Related to the Threat of Terrorism and the Attacks of September 11, 2001
In the last Scout Report, we stated that each print copy of the "Annotated Bibliography of Government Documents Related to the Threat of Terrorism and the Attacks of September 11, 2001" cost $502.39. This is incorrect. There were 300 copies produced at a total cost of $502.39. Many apologies to US Government Information Division, Oklahoma Department of Libraries.
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