·http://www.afi-global.org/

The Alliance for Financial Inclusion (AFI) works to provide "its members with the tools and resources to share and implement their knowledge of policies that increase access to financial services for the poor." This peer-to-peer learning model is funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and works closely with many partners around the world. On its website, visitors can look over six different areas, such as the Global Policy Forum, News & Events, and Policy Areas. This last area provides highlights of AFI's work and policy outreach efforts concerning consumer protection, microcredit lending programs, and the metrics behind financial inclusion. The Global Policy Forum, AFI's keystone event, is hosted each year by a different member institution, in a different region of the world. Within this section, visitors will find links to past meetings and information sessions, previously held in such locations as Kuala Lumpur, Cape Town, and Bali. The site's Library is another great addition, including dozens of case studies, policy notes, special reports and video updates on how policymakers in developing countries are working on financial inclusion policy. [KMG]

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·http://www.upstate.edu/cdb/education/grossanat/

This website, crafted by the State University of New York-Upstate Medical University, brings together key resources for students and others interested in human anatomy. These materials were designed with first year medical students in mind, but they will also be of use to individuals taking biology and other science-related courses. On the site, visitors can make their way through six sections ranging from extremities to the head and neck. Each area contains a variety of detailed anatomical charts, glossaries, and images. Radiology resources are also prominently featured within each section, providing students with a different perspective of the human body through x-rays, CT scans, and MRIs. Other helpful resources include fact sheets, quizzes, teaching materials, and other freely available course materials offered from other medical schools. [KMG]

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·http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=18548

How do we measure happiness? Is it through the strength of our relationships with others? Is it by the number of material possessions we have? This remarkable book, edited by Arthur A. Stone and Christopher Mackie, looks at "the current state of research and evaluates methods for the measurement of happiness." Additionally, the report "offers guidance about adopting subjective well-being measures in official government surveys to inform social and economic policies." The report is divided into six chapters, three appendices, and a set of references. These chapters include "Measuring Experienced Well-Being" and "Subjective Well-Being and Policy." It's a compelling piece, stirring meditations on an important aspect of human behavior. For those interested, a paperback version can be pre-ordered and purchased from the National Academies Press. [KMG]

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·http://www.fws.gov/refuges/vision/index.html

This thoughtful policy document from the National Wildlife Refuge System "sets forth a path for the next decade." Illuminating the Refuge System's vision, Conserving the Future highlights the best ways to continue the organization's mission of preserving and enhancing unique habitats and recreation areas for future generations. On the homepage, visitors can learn about the implementation team, read through their 24 recommendations, and check up on their stated goals over the coming years. Users can also read the entire Vision Document online or look over the complete Implementation Plan. Additionally, the homepage offers a Recommendations drop down menu (not to be confused with The Recommendations PDF) that offers brief synopses around themes such as "Conservation Plans," "Access to Data," and "Hunting/Fishing." [KMG]

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·http://amazing-space.stsci.edu/visions/

What have we learned about the universe over the past four centuries? Visions of the Universe asks just that, looking deep into the past to bring a bit of this history to the general public. On the site, visitors can make their way through twelve exhibits, including Storms on the Sun and Journey To Mars. Each section features a detailed poster for classroom use, along with other activities and resources to assist with further online exploration. The accompanying For Educators and Developers tab also features additional teaching tools, astronomy basics, and a look at What's New? in Amazing Space. While here, visitors should make sure to check out Tactile Astronomy, an incredible collection of Hubble images that can be downloaded and printed in a tactile format. [KMG]

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·http://library.sc.edu/digital/newspaper/

Based at the University of South Carolina Libraries, the South Carolina Digital Newspaper Program (SCDNP) is part of a concerted effort to preserve the printed culture and record of the palmetto state for future generations. Since 2009, the SCDNP has digitized a number of key newspapers with the assistance of the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Library of Congress. An interactive map chronicles the digitization progress and allows visitors to explore over three dozen newspapers by location and years of publication. Notable periodicals include the Charleston Daily News, the South Carolina Leader, and the Southern Indicator. Users can scan through each newspaper using the embedded image reader or view complete holdings information about each publication. Make sure to check back regularly as new titles become digitally available. [KMG]

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·http://oregondigital.org/digcol/bracero/

In 1942, the Braceros Program was forged when the United States entered a labor agreement with Mexico allowing male citizens to work as farm laborers throughout the United States. During this time, over 15,000 Mexican men came to Oregon, working on farms and forming small and distinct communities from 1942 to 1947. This remarkable collection brings together 102 photographs that document the Braceros activities, courtesy of the Oregon State University Libraries. These unique visual items were originally taken by Oregon State College Extension staff members as part of a larger effort to document the various groups working to alleviate the state's farm labor shortage. Visitors can browse through the photos at their leisure or look through the items by county. This is a unique and rare offering, and should be credited for highlighting an important period in American history. [KMG]

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·http://www.library.okstate.edu/okmaps/

A team of talented librarians at the Oklahoma State University Library have created this collection of 3,600 maps, a true find for those with an interest in Sooner history, geography, culture, and more. The cartographic resources are divided into four collections, including the WPA Collection and the USGS Collection. This first collection consists of almost 2,400 detailed county maps produced in the 1930s by the Works Progress Administration and the Oklahoma Tax Commission to determine real estate values. Moving on, the USGS Collection is made up of 300 detailed maps generated from 1892 to the 1950s documenting topographical conditions throughout the state. Interested parties can view all of the maps here via a nice digital image tool and are also welcome to search across the entire collection by keyword. [KMG]

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·http://jameelcentre.ashmolean.org

The Yousef Jameel Online Centre for Islamic and Asian Art provides visitors with access to the Ashmolean Museum's Eastern Art collection. Anyone with an interest in the visual arts will find much to enjoy here amongst the thousands of items collected from the past 5,000 years. The site consists of five primary areas, including Galleries, Exhibitions, and Highlights. This last area features 35 wondrous items such as bronze decorative fireplace elements, Ming vases, and bronze statues from Greece. Within Galleries, users can virtually explore all of the in situ exhibits, including "Japan from 1850" and "Mughal India 1500-1900." Finally, the Exhibitions area is a nice way to round out the site, featuring detailed explorations of past exhibitions and educational materials. [KMG]

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·http://irishsheetmusicarchives.com/sheet-music.htm

Based out of Milwaukee, the Ward Irish Music Archives were established in 1992 and is dedicated to the preservation of Irish and Irish-American music in all of its forms. Visitors to this remarkable site can browse over 5,000 pieces of Irish and Irish-American sheet music. While some of these ditties are not in the public domain, the collection can be narrowed down by filtering for only publicly available items. The History section contains a topical history of sheet music from the days of the broadside to the more challenging days of the early 21st century when digital versions became dominant. The Galleries are another great feature, containing additional information about cover artists, composers, and themes. It's an amazing collection and one that will inspire a few sing-a-longs from Dublin to Boston. [KMG]

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·http://www.lib.uidaho.edu/digital/priestlake/

What is this place, this Priest Lake, Idaho? It's a resort, it's a way of life, and it's a special area to many Idahoans. This digital collection from the University Idaho Library was made possible via the holdings of the Priest Lake Museum Association. The 380 photos here depict family, community, and business life in the Priest Lake area from around 1880 to 1950. The images bring this certain time and place to life, highlighting fishing at Two Mouth Creek, horse-drawn sledding, and general outdoor merry-making. Most interesting are the images of Nell Shipman, a silent film star who brought her own production company and zoo to the area. The photos can be viewed using the map, timeline, or interactive word cloud, which is rather fun. [KMG]

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·http://www.digitaltheatre.com/

The Digital Theater is a truly unique concept, working with Britain's leading theatre companies "to capture live performance authentically onscreen." From their homepage, visitors can Browse Productions, find out How to Watch, and read about Theatre Partners. A nice way to get started is by clicking on one (or more) of the Digital Theatre Originals, which include Much Ado About Nothing and Into the Woods. Additionally, visitors can make their way through offerings from the Royal Opera House or Shakespeare's Globe Theatre. Listings of Classic Plays, such as Far from the Maddening Crowd, can also be viewed here and purchased for a small fee. [KMG]

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·https://urresearch.rochester.edu/viewInstitutionalCollection.action?collectionId=27

What is invisible culture? In this instance, it is an electronic journal produced by the Visual & Cultural Studies graduate program within the Art and Art History Department at the University of Rochester. The journal was founded in 1998 under the editorship of Mario Caro and edited by a host of talented individuals since then. Currently, there are nineteen issues available online, including "Interrogating Subcultures," "The Loop as a Temporal Form," and "Making Sense of Visual Culture." Each issue contains thoughtful commentary, complemented by various slideshows of images and other complementary materials. One of the more recent issues takes on the world of the TV show "Mad Men" with the piece "Serializing the Past: Re-Evaluating History in Mad Men." [KMG]

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·http://journalofdigitalhumanities.org/

The Journal of Digital Humanities is a comprehensive, peer-reviewed, open access journal that features "the best scholarship, tools, and conversations produced by the digital humanities community." This endeavor was started by the Press Forward Project and its rigorous evaluation process ensures that interested parties will be exposed to a wide range of talent and subject matter. Arranged by trimester, recent issues of the journal have focused in on the ways digital humanities projects can be used to teach undergraduates about the world around them, while also highlighting the pedagogy involved with such endeavors. Visitors can search through the entire collection of back issues or they may also look through the list of contributors to get a sense of those involved with the project. [KMG]

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·https://belt.io/

Belt.io is a great way to share materials with collaborators and colleagues from Indiana to Indonesia. Essentially, it is a central place for storing and sharing simple items such as text or links. It's a bit like a clipboard with more control and the ability to sync across a diverse set of devices. First-time visitors can click on Learn More to explore the various features before signing up. This version is compatible with all operation devices. [KMG]

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·http://www.weekcal.com/

The Week Calendar is a great app that allows visitors to create a dynamic and collaborative calendar, allowing the user to elaborate on meetings, planning sessions, or busy activity schedules. One remarkable features is Travel Time which smartly acquires the time it will take to travel between calendar events with locations. The site contains a great FAQ area along with several tutorials. This version is compatible with iPhones running iOS 7. [KMG]

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Voice of America: UN Marks 20th Anniversary of Human Rights Declaration
http://www.voanews.com/content/un-marks-20th-anniversary-of-rights-declaration/1807057.html

On Human Rights Day, I'll be thinking of my father in a Chinese prison
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/dec/10/human-rights-day-unhrc-progress-china-abuse

Cuban dissidents detained on Human Rights Day
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/americas/2013/12/cuban-dissidents-detained-human-rights-day-20131210224649740907.html

U.S. Department of State: Human Rights Day 2013
http://www.state.gov/secretary/remarks/2013/12/218580.htm

United Nations: Human Rights Day
http://www.un.org/en/events/humanrightsday/

United Nations Human Rights: Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Pages/WelcomePage.aspx

The United Nations had a major celebration this week: the 20th anniversary of the Human Rights Declaration. Officially titled the Vienna Declaration, the 1993 declaration committed states to the promotion and protection of human rights for all. A number of international non-governmental organizations offered comment on this anniversary, including Philippe Bolopion of Human Rights Watch. He noted that while we celebrate tremendous progress in global human rights, "on a day like today, it is hard not to think about civilians trapped in Syria or in the Central African Republic who probably feel that the international community is failing them." Also commenting on this important day, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon noted that 57 million children worldwide are unable to attend school. Many of them live in identified conflict areas and most are girls. Clearly, there is much work still to be done. As the holiday season approaches and we commemorate Human Rights Day, it's important to remember the many people who live in such difficult circumstances. [KMG]

The first link will take users to a news article from the Voice of America on this recent celebration of the Human Rights Declaration. The second link will take interested parties to a commentary piece from Ti-Anna Wang, writing in the Guardian, about her father who has been imprisoned for his pro-democracy activism in China. The third link will take visitors to a news article from this Wednesday's Al Jazeera about the imprisonment of Cuban dissidents on Human Rights Day. Moving along, the fourth link will take visitors to the official press statement from U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Human Rights Day 2013. The fifth link leads to the official homepage of Human Rights Day, courtesy of the United Nations. The final link will take users to the official page of the Office of the Commissioner of Human Rights. Here, visitors can learn about the United Nations' outreach efforts, upcoming conferences on human rights, and the "16 Days of Activism."