September 19, 2003
A Publication of the Internet Scout Project
Computer Sciences Department, University of Wisconsin-Madison
A Note to our ReadersNSDL Scout Reports for the Life Sciences and Physical Sciences
The Hauser Center for Nonprofit Organizations Cultural Policy & the Arts: National Data Archive GenderNet CEOs for Cities Project for Public Spaces Just for Kids! Canada Hurricane Center South African Government Online NATURE: Horse and Rider
Two on James Dickey The British Museum COMPASS Entertaining America: Jews, Movies, and Broadcasting Baldy Editorial Cartoons, 1946-1982, 1997: The Clifford H. Baldowski Collection at the Richard B. Russell Library Project Vote Smart Breaking and Making Tradition: Women at the University of Virginia BBC History: Audio and Video
All in One Secretmaker 3.6 Avast! 4 Home Edition 4.1.26
Librarians in Uproar Over New Action Figure
The Internet Scout Project is pleased to announce our new Web site! Please check out our new look at http://scout.wisc.edu and let us know what you think. Feedback and comments are definitely welcome. [JPM]
http://scout.wisc.edu/nsdl-reports/life-sci/2003/ls-030919.php
http://scout.wisc.edu/nsdl-reports/phys-sci/2003/ps-030919.php
http://scout.wisc.edu/nsdl-reports/phys-sci/2003/ps-030919.php
The eighteenth issues of the second volumes of the Life Sciences Report and Physical Sciences Report are available. The Topic in Depth section of Life Sciences Report annotates sites on Human Ectoparasites. The Physical Sciences Report's Topic in Depth section offers Web sites and comments about Sand Dunes.
Headed by Professor Derek Bok (the former president of Harvard University), the Hauser Center for Nonprofit Organizations was launched in 1997 with a mission "to expand understanding and accelerate critical thinking about civil society among scholars, practitioners, policy makers, and the general public." As part of working towards achieving this goal, the Hauser Center's Web site contains information about ongoing research projects, events sponsored under its direction, and publications conducted under the auspices of the Center. Visitors will want to examine the research section, as they will find valuable information on the Center's current work, which ranges from work in the nonprofit sector, as well as public policy, philanthropy and social investing. The Hauser Center Working Paper Series is also available here, reaching back to the year 2000, and addressing such topics as The Role of NGOs in Human Security and Social Entrepreneurship and Social Transformation. [KMG]
Funded by the Pew Charitable Trusts and located at Princeton University, the Cultural Policy & the Arts National Data Archive (CPANDA) is the world's first interactive digital archive of policy-relevant data on the arts and cultural policy in the United States. Through its work, CPANDA seeks to "guide researchers to sources of high quality information about arts & cultural policy issues, contribute new knowledge to the academic field of arts and cultural policy studies, and promote open and equitable access to archived data." The site itself is divided into four primary sections: the Data Archive, Quick Facts, Research Guides, and Other Resources. The data archive consists of machine-readable files that contain numeric data that will be helpful to those concerned with arts and cultural policy. One recent addition in this area is the data set from the 1998 survey of cultural programs for adults in public libraries in the United States. The Quick Facts section contains answers to such basic questions as How many artists are there? and How many people participate in arts and cultural activities?. The Research Guides section contains a series of guides highlighting data on arts and cultural policy issues. Finally, the Other Resources section contains a number of links to other outside resources such as academic centers, nonprofit organizations, external data sources, working papers, and online journals. [KMG]
A number of reports over the past decade have paid great attention to the numerous gender inequities that exist throughout both the "developed" and "developing" nations of the world. As part of its vast program of activities, the World Bank has developed this site, which describes how the Bank "seeks to reduce gender disparities and enhance women's participation in economic development through its programs and projects." Along with describing the World Bank's programs, the site provides a host of gender statistics and provides updated research reports, and helpful development resources. The development resource section is particularly useful as it contains practical how-to strategies that may be used to close the gender gap in such areas as the digital divide, participation in rural development, and transport. Visitors will also want to take a look at GenderStats, which is an electronic database of gender statistics and indicators culled from countries across the globe, from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe. [KMG]
The past few years have seen a growing number of organizations, institutions, and national think tanks express an increasing concern for sustaining the competitive economic advantage of major urban areas. One such group is CEOS for Cities, which is a national bipartisan alliance of mayors, corporate executives, university presidents, and other nonprofit leaders whose primary directive is to advance the economic competitiveness of cities. The group's executive committee includes such powerful leaders as Mayor Richard M. Daley of Chicago and Paul S. Grogan, the CEO of the Boston Foundation. One of the site's best features is the Trends and Data Analysis Reports, coupled with the Best Practice reports. Many of these documents are co-authored with other like-minded institutions, such as the Brookings Institution, and delve into such topics as What the IT Revolution Means for Regional Economic Development and Leveraging Colleges and Universities for Urban Economic Revitalization: An Action Agenda. [KMG]
Given the heated discussion and debate surrounding the future redevelopment of the World Trade Center site, it is no surprise that there is a great deal of interest in public places, along with much dissent about what makes an effective and meaningful public place. Drawing on the work of the late William H. Whyte (whose seminal book, The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces is still read today), the Project for Public Spaces is dedicated to creating and sustaining public spaces that build communities. The site contains a number of best practices information on such places as parks, plazas, streets, public buildings, and public markets that will be of great interest to planners, civic officials, landscape architects, and anyone seeking to restore meaning and usability to a wide variety of places. Additionally, visitors can elect to subscribe to PPS's free bi-monthly newsletter, Making Places. [KMG]
If you are searching for resources to help teach children all about hurricanes, then you should visit this Environmental Canada site. First, a glossary of hurricane terms is provided to help children understand the essentials. Following, visitors can gain a basic understanding of how hurricanes form and why they spin. To help students further understand the process, the site describes how to make your own hurricane in the bathtub. Users can find essential guidance on how to prepare for a hurricane and what to do during a hurricane. The site also provides a fun Hurricane Word Search puzzle. Lastly, students can learn interesting facts about previous hurricanes such as the longest lasting cyclone and the largest hurricane. This site is also reviewed in the September 19, 2003 NSDL Physical Sciences Report. [RME]
Over the past few years, more and more national governments have aggressively sought to establish a highly visible presence on the Internet. South Africa's official government site combines pertinent information about elected officials with important documents and general information about the country. From the homepage, visitors can learn about the current president, Mr. Thabo Mbeki, and browse through an archive of his speeches and press releases. Also on the homepage are sections that explain South Africa's provincial and local units of governance, along with providing some basic information about the country taken from the most recent edition of the South Africa Yearbook. Those interested in international policy affairs will want to be certain to browse through the Key Issues section of the site as it contains materials on various national initiatives and programs, such as the country's partnership against HIV and AIDS, its recent growth and development summit, and its partnerships with other African nations. [KMG]
This Web site is the online companion to the recent PBS NATURE documentary "Horse and Rider," which "explores a fascinating partnership between animal and human." Click on For Teachers on the main Web page to find an interdisciplinary lesson plan for grades 9-12. The lesson, titled Creating the "Perfect" Horse, has students study horse biology and behavior, explore the reasons why different horse breeds were developed, and analyze research findings to determine if breeding an all-purpose horse is practical or even possible. The lesson plan provides downloadable worksheets, and the main Web page contains some fun special features, including video clips. This site is also reviewed in the September 19, 2003 NSDL Life Sciences Report. [RS]
Atlantic Online: James Dickey [RealOnePlayer]
http://www.theatlantic.com/unbound/poetry/dickey/jdindex.htm
James Dickey Newsletter & James Dickey Society
http://www.jamesdickey.org/
http://www.theatlantic.com/unbound/poetry/dickey/jdindex.htm
James Dickey Newsletter & James Dickey Society
http://www.jamesdickey.org/
Born in Atlanta, Georgia on February 2, 1923, James Lafayette Dickey would become a distinguished poet, novelist, and essayist during his life, along with an appointment as the Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress in the 1960s. Dickey dropped out of college during World War II to serve in the Army Air Corps, where he also became a voracious reader, and began to write. Upon his return to the United States, Dickey returned to school at Vanderbilt University, where he received both his BA and MA in English. After working for a time in advertising, Dickey received a Guggenheim Fellowship, and began a long career in writing and teaching that would last until his death in 1997. The first link leads to a page provided by the Atlantic Monthly that features Dickey reading several of his own works, along with several articles from the Atlantic Monthly by Peter Davison that discuss Dickey's work. The second link leads to the James Dickey Newsletter and James Dickey Society Web page, which features information about Dickey along with information about events sponsored by the Society. [KMG]
To help visitors find treasures in its vast holdings, the British Museum presents COMPASS, which is based on a database of around 5000 objects selected from the Museum's collections. Simple keyword searches work well in COMPASS, and searches can be limited to a particular index. Who? searches for a particular person, What? searches for particular objects, How? for processes and materials, and Where/When? for geography and date. COMPASS automatically adds the word and between words, just like Google. Object pages include detailed information, written for the average museum go-er, with links into an online glossary, although we were unable to discover why a search on sextant returned astrolabes (consulting another dictionary revealed that the astrolabe was an nautical instrument used prior to the sextant). There are also guided tours, on a huge list of subjects from 100 Views of Mount Fuji to the Wetwang Chariot Burial, with Chinese Jade, several Egypt tours, and over 45 Highlights of the British Museum in between. Another great way to approach COMPASS is to try the Galleries search (found on the search page) where selecting any one of about 35 gallery names displays all the objects in that room. [DS]
Since the rise of the nickelodeons, Jews have been bringing their own performance sensibilities to audiences all over the United States and the world in many different incarnations. Ranging from the comic genius of Jerry Lewis to the vaudeville legend Al Jolson, Jews (like many other ethnic groups) have become an indelible piece of the American entertainment fabric. Provided by The Jewish Museum (in tandem with an ongoing exhibit at the museum in New York), this online exhibit takes a look at certain popular works (like The Jazz Singer) and the rise of Yiddish film and radio as a way of looking at the relationships between Jews and American entertainment media. Through the exhibit, visitors can read brief essays and view objects related to such cultural phenomena as Seinfeld, Your Show of Shows, and Yiddish film. [KMG]
Dating back to the days of Thomas Nast, editorial cartoonists have often been the individuals who have most accurately depicted (or parodied) the political climate and culture of the United States. This recent online collection from the Digital Library of Georgia pays tribute to one of their own, Clifford "Baldy" Baldowski, who spent most of his career drawing editorial cartoons for the Atlanta Constitution. Baldowski was born in 1917 in Augusta, and after a career as a navigator in the Army Air Corps during World War II, he joined the Augusta Chronicle as a part-time cartoonist. In 1950, he joined the editorial department of the Atlanta Constitution, where he remained until he retired in 1983. Baldowski received numerous accolades during his career, including a Pulitzer Prize nomination for his 1964 cartoon, Goldwaterloo, which commented on the presidential campaign of US Senator Barry Goldwater. This cartoon, along with approximately 2500 others, may be viewed at this site. Users may utilize the embedded search engine to browse by keywords. [KMG]
Founded in 1992 by a diverse group of leaders (including former Presidents Jimmy Carter and Gerald Ford), Project Vote Smart is a "citizen's organization dedicated to serving all Americans with accurate and unbiased information for electoral decision-making." PVS is a non-profit independent organization that is funded through private donations and grants from various foundations, including the Carnegie, Ford, and Revson Foundations. From their site, the general public can find out a great deal of information about local, state, and national government officials and political candidates, including their voting records and which legislation they have sponsored in the past. The information about candidates and elected officials is divided into five basic categories, including issue positions, campaign finances, voting records, and performance evaluations. Most recently, PVS has created a special section devoted to providing the most current and comprehensive information on 2004 presidential candidates. [KMG]
By the turn of the 19th century, while many states had made provisions for educating women at the college level, Virginia had no such initiatives, and would not admit a full class of undergraduate women until 1970. This special online exhibit, developed by Larissa Mehmet at the Special Collections Library at the University of Virginia, traces the history of the education of women at the institution from the creation of the Summer Normal Institute in 1880 (at which students did not receive academic credit) to the present, where women make up fifty-five percent of the undergraduate student body. Visitors can peruse this rather compelling online exhibit, reading a number of brief historical essays, and viewing such primary documents as a letter from Thomas Jefferson to Nathaniel Burwell from 1818, where Jefferson remarks that the idea of educating women "is a subject on which I have not thought much." The site is rounded out by a timeline, and a place for alumna to share their memories. [KMG]
Known around the world for its fine radio and television documentaries, the BBC has selected a number of audio and video clips from some of the more recent programs and placed them on this site for the Web-browsing public to peruse. Spanning several millennia, the two sections of audio clips hone in on the World War One experience and the experiences of different individuals in ancient Egypt. Both of these historical eras are brought to life by actors who read from a number of primary documents, including diaries and letters. In the section dealing with World War One, visitors can hear about the horror of gas attacks, learn about what it was like to be on night patrol, and life in the trenches. The section on ancient Egypt allows visitors to hear actors portray the words of Princess Kiya, and the soldier Khusobek, among others. The video clips available here are from Simon Schama's series on the history of Britain, Julian Richards' explorations into Viking Britain, and Ancient Apocalypses, which takes a look at how human civilizations have been undermined by natural forces throughout history. [KMG]
This latest edition of the All in One Secretmaker combines several features that will make it a valuable addition for users seeking to maintain their privacy online. Secretmaker's features include a built-in spam fighter, a pop-up ad blocker, a banner blocker, a cookie eraser, and a worm hunter, which helps aid in the fight against email viruses. Along with these features, the Secretmaker Web site contains information about upcoming version releases, and a place to submit queries about the program. All in One Secretmaker 3.6 is compatible with all systems running Windows 98 and higher. [KMG]
With the growing number of computer viruses that seem to be popping up everywhere, users would do well to take a look at the Avast! 4 Home Edition 4.1.26 application. The program is a complete antivirus package that allows users to find viruses, check the integrity of currently installed programs, and to test the integrity of email as well. Additionally, this edition utilizes an automatic update feature, and also draws on a greatly simplified user interface. Avast! 4 Home Edition 4.1.26 is compatible with all systems running Windows 98 and higher. [KMG]
Librarians Protest New Action Figure
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/apus_story.asp?category10&slugShushing%20Librarian
Toymaker Finds Librarian Whos a Real Doll
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/135224851_librarian10.html
NPR: Librarians to the Rescue [RealOnePlayer]
http://www.npr.org/display_pages/features/feature_1415714.html
Librarians Deserve Action Hero Status
http://www.purdueexponent.org/interface/bebop/showstory.php?date 03/09/10§ioncolumns&storyidcolumn
LibrarianActionFigure.com
http://www.mcphee.com/laf/index.html
Washington Center for the Book at the Seattle Public Library
http://www.spl.org/wacentbook/centbook.html
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/apus_story.asp?category10&slugShushing%20Librarian
Toymaker Finds Librarian Whos a Real Doll
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/135224851_librarian10.html
NPR: Librarians to the Rescue [RealOnePlayer]
http://www.npr.org/display_pages/features/feature_1415714.html
Librarians Deserve Action Hero Status
http://www.purdueexponent.org/interface/bebop/showstory.php?date 03/09/10§ioncolumns&storyidcolumn
LibrarianActionFigure.com
http://www.mcphee.com/laf/index.html
Washington Center for the Book at the Seattle Public Library
http://www.spl.org/wacentbook/centbook.html
Over the past few decades, librarians have fought an uphill battle to change the public's perceptions of the vocation as one that is characterized by individuals who patrol the library telling patrons to be quiet or peering over a pair of bifocals from behind a reference desk. A new action figure developed by the Archie McPhee Toy company in Seattle plays on some of these popular stereotypes and features a bespectacled woman in a cardigan, long plain skirt, and sensible shoes, who moves her index finger to her lips with "amazing push-button shushing action." The model for the actual doll is Nancy Pearl, a real-life librarian in Seattle, who is the executive director of Seattle Public Librarys Washington Center for the Book. Some are not so happy with the doll (which will be released in October), and Pearl has been deluged by emails and phone calls, including one unsigned email that accused Pearl of setting the profession back 30 years. Pearl does not regret posing for the doll, remarking that "Its a lovely idea and a lovely tribute to my chosen profession."
The first link leads to a recent news article from the Seattle Post-Intelligencer about the various reactions to the upcoming librarian action figure doll. The second link, provided by the Seattle Times, talks at length about Helen Pearl and her many accolades, including the 2003 Washington Humanities Award. The third link will take visitors to an audio news story from NPRs All Things Considered where Melissa Block interviews Pearl. The fourth link leads to an opinion piece from the Purdue Exponent (authored by Matt Poston) that celebrates the new librarian action figure as a "long-overdue tribute" to librarians. The fifth link leads to the page from the Archie McPhee company where visitors can learn more about the upcoming librarian action figure. The final link leads to the Washington Center for the Book homepage, which contains information about the Centers activities, including the very popular (and often-imitated) If All of Seattle Read the Same Book program, designed to foster dialogue and discussion about a single book. [KMG]
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