The Scout Report -- Volume 16, Number 43

http://oscdl.research.pdx.edu/

How has the Portland area grown and how will it grow in the future? Its a timely question for public policy analysts, local residents, and community activists. To help answer this and other questions, analysts and activists alike can make use of the Oregon Sustainable Community Digital Library, which is a central online repository for the collection and dissemination of key urban planning documents on the Portland Metropolitan area. The funds for this project came from an Institute of Museum and Library Services grant, and Portland State University's Millar Library is the project's lead grant participant. On the site, visitors can check out the "Most Recent Additions" area, and then use the "Interactive Map" to search by neighborhood or region. Here they will find planning documents, feasibility studies, urban transportation planning studies, and minutes from charrettes and other gatherings. Also, visitors can browse by thematic collection area, which include "City Club of Portland", "African Americans", and "Equity Planning". [KMG]

http://go.worldbank.org/KP8RTF2L20

The World Bank's Annual Report and the website that accompanies the report are full of data about the world's 79 poorest countries that the World Bank aids through its International Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the International Development Association. The 32-page report covers the period from July 2009 to June 2010. Visitors will find that the website for the Report contains a lot of interactive features for a better understanding of the global poverty situation which the World Bank is trying to help alleviate. The "Data & Research" tab near the top of any page has an "At a Glance" section that features several "Analytical Tools". Visitors won't want to miss the "iSimulate", which allows for performing macroeconomic simulations; "ADePT", which is a software platform for automated economic analysis; and "PovCalNet", which is a poverty analysis tool that "assess[es] global poverty incidence figures." [KMG]

http://quod.lib.umich.edu/l/labadie/

The Labadie Collection at the University of Michigan Library in Ann Arbor houses the oldest research collection of 19th and 20th century radical history in the US, and there are now approximately 600 digitized pamphlets available on the library website. The documents from the international social protest movements found in the Collection are from the 19th and 20th centuries, and a few are authored by some familiar names. Visitors should click on "Browse the Collection", near the bottom of the home page, to find such authors as Clarence Darrow, Louisa May Alcott, and the Free Society Group of Chicago. The pamphlets range from the pragmatic "Anarchism: Is it Possible?", to the humorous "Listen to the Mocking Bird: Satiric Songs to Tunes You Know", to the lyrical "In Praise of Freedom: A Selection of Prose and Poetry". [KMG]

http://scholar.library.miami.edu/msdouglas/

Marjory Stoneman Douglas is most famous for being a champion of the Florida Everglades and her 1947 book, The Everglades: River of Grass. The University of Miami Libraries holds Douglas' papers in their Special Collections, and a portion of the papers are highlighted in this digital exhibit on the University website. Those visitors unfamiliar with Douglas' environmental and humanitarian activism should definitely check out the "timeline" link at the top of any page. The timeline is divided up into three columns: Douglas' life events; "Miami and Florida Events"; and "International and National Events". Each event can be clicked on for a brief explanation. The "Maps" link features three maps, one of which shows the 1946 boundaries of the Everglades National Wildlife Refuge. Another map is of the vegetation of South Florida, along with a colorful key that shows the variety of vegetation in the area. The last map is of Coconut Grove, where Douglas lived for 72 years, and where she died. Interestingly, the map is of 1896 Coconut Grove, and shows the boundaries of homesteads, and the legend includes the family names of residences on the map. [KMG]

http://seekingmichigan.org/

The Seeking Michigan website is part of a collaboration between the Library of Michigan and Archives of Michigan, and its aim is to provide "access to unique historical information that promotes Michigans cultural heritage." Some of the historical information visitors will find on the site includes images, documents, oral histories, maps, films, and artifacts. The "Look" section of the website is a blog where various people author articles about a story or item they have chosen from the site, for example Randy Riley of the Library of Michigan writes about Elmore Leonard, often called "The Dickens of Detroit" by his fans. Visitors who are Detroit Red Wings fans will appreciate the article about their last game at Olympia Stadium, authored by Matt Zarb of the Michigan Historical Museum. Lastly, visiting educators will find that the "Teach" link has a short video about the "History of the Photograph", which is the introduction to a lesson for young people on how to analyze the many historic photographs on the Seeking Michigan website. The link to the lesson is at the end of the video. [KMG]

http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=4

The national media watch group Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR) was started in 1986 in order to "invigorate the First Amendment by advocating for greater diversity in the press and by scrutinizing media practices that marginalize public interest, minority and dissenting viewpoints." As part of this work, FAIR publishes Extra!, which is a monthly magazine of well-documented media criticism and commentary. The first issue was published in June 1987, and this website gives interested parties access to many of the articles that have been published over the past twenty-plus years. The magazine receives no money from advertisers or underwriters, and as such, they are able to offer less biased, objective commentary on many of key media issues. Recent articles from Extra! have included a critical assessment of PBS's flagship news show "NewsHour" and an assessment of the Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act, which deals with copyright extensions on books, movies, and so on. Visitors can also browse their "Back Issues" here and sign up for their email list. [KMG]

http://www.aapt.org/Resources/teacherresource.cfm

The American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT) was formed in 1930, and today it has over 10,000 members in 30 countries. Their educational outreach work is significant, and along with the usual conferences and professional development meetings, it includes this website. Here visitors will find several video guides, including one that documents the well known collapse of the Takoma Narrow Bridge in 1940, which is a commonly used case study in physics and engineering courses. Also, the site includes a seven part instructional series designed to be used with a DVD series. Visitors do not need to have the program to appreciate or use the guides, and they cover over a dozen topics, including kinematics, conversation laws, and electricity. The materials here are rounded out by a PowerPoint presentation on teaching about energy. [KMG]

To find this resource and more high-quality online resources in math and science visit Scout's sister site - AMSER, the Applied Math and Science Educational Repository at http://amser.org.

http://www.teachingeducpsych.org/

Based at the Millersville University of Pennsylvania, Teaching Educational Psychology (TEP) is an online, peer-refereed journal that is "devoted to increasing our shared knowledge base about the teaching of educational psychology to a variety of educational constituencies" including administrators, policy-makers, parents, and the public. The journal started publication in 2005 and is published twice a year. Visitors to the site can access all of the back issues of the journal, and they should also take a look at their reviewing guidelines and submission materials. Recent articles include "Using Student Interviews to Understand Theories of Motivation" and "Narrative as a Basis for Teaching Educational Psychology" Moving on, the site also includes links to related educational psychology sites and a list of reviewers. [KMG]

http://www.dlib.indiana.edu/collections/hoagy/

As a secular saint of Tin Pan Alley, Hoagy Carmichael looms large in the world of American popular song. As a native Hoosier, Carmichael graduated from the Indiana University School of Law and went on to write hundreds of standards, including "Star Dust" and "Two Sleepy People". This digital tribute and archive to his work was created by staff members at the Indiana University Library. On the site's homepage, visitors can read a brief introduction about Carmichael and the digitization project. Next, the "Browse" section will give visitors access to photographs, correspondence, typescripts, publicity, and personal effects from the collection. The "Lyric Sheets" area shouldn't be missed as visitors can look at the music for "Always", "Air pollution blues", and several hundred other ditties. The "Photographs" area includes portraits of Carmichael as a young man and during his time on the Movie Time USA tour in the 1940s. Additionally, visitors can get help with research about Carmichael and also perform a more detailed search across the entire collection. [KMG]

http://www.library.georgetown.edu/digital/lecture-hall

The Georgetown University Library sponsors a wide range of events each academic year, and they have created this website for those curious individuals who might want to revisit a talk or event they might have missed. The programs are divided into three categories, including "Library Associates Events" and "Georgetown University Forum". All told, there are about a dozen events here currently, and new events continue to be added on a regular basis. Some of the more recent programs include conversations like "Food Politics: Personal vs. Social Responsibility for Dietary Choices" and "The Myth of the Rational Voter: Why Democracies Choose Bad Policies". The site is rounded out by a link to some of the other digital initiatives at the Georgetown University Library and a feedback section. [KMG]

http://www.historyofvaccines.org/

Created by The College of Physicians of Philadelphia, The History of Vaccines website is designed "to provide a living, changing chronicle of the compelling history of vaccination, from pre-Jennerian variolation practices, to the defeat of polio in the Western Hemisphere." It is truly a remarkable website, and along with learning about variolation practices, visitors can look through interactive timelines, watch video profiles of scholars who work on vaccination techniques, and also read articles on the future of immunization. On the homepage, visitors can take short quizzes, read recent posts from their blog, and explore their gallery of images. The "Articles" area contains pieces such as "Top 20 Questions about Vaccination" and other works designed to be used in the classroom. The site also contains a glossary of terms and a place to sign up for email updates. [KMG]

To find this resource and more high-quality online resources in math and science visit Scout's sister site - AMSER, the Applied Math and Science Educational Repository at http://amser.org.

http://history.ky.gov/military/

Funded by the Kentucky Veterans Trust Fund and the Kentucky Historical Society Foundation, the Kentucky Military Treasures site profiles the stories and experiences of veterans from the 18th century all the way up to the current day. The stories bring together artifacts, primary documents, and photographs to help enrich these unique stories. First-time visitors should peruse the timeline to get a sense of the ways in which Kentuckians have contributed to military conflicts large and small across the globe. In the "Signature Stories" area, visitors can learn about Richard M. Johnson of Beargrass, Kentucky. He was known for his leadership at the Battle of the Thames in 1813, and his story his told through four artifacts, including a powder horn and a cannon from the period. The "Curator's Corner" features an introduction from director of the Kentucky Historical Society, Kent Whitworth, and other comments on flags and weapons from curators at the Society. [KMG]

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/secrets/

Produced by member station WNET, PBS's "Secrets of the Dead" is a fascinating look into the "most iconic moments in history to debunk myths and shed new light on past events." The team of experts on the show uses a wide range of techniques, including historical examination and forensic science to challenge established wisdom and also turn a spotlight on forgotten mysteries. Visitors to the site can watch many of the previous programs, and they feature a visit to the royal tomb of Pharaoh Psusennes I, a look into Winston Churchill's decision to bomb the French Navy, and the Battle of Stalingrad. The site also includes a number of extras, including background essays and production notes for each episode. Visitors can also view a list of the "Most Popular" episodes, check out viewer comments, and add tags to episodes of note. [KMG]

http://arago.si.edu/flash/?slide=1%7Ceid=395%7Cs1=6%7C

The National Postal Museum at the Smithsonian Institute website has a very informative and straightforward exhibit on certified plate proofs (CPPs). A CPP is the "last printed proof of the plate before printing the stamps...like the master copy of the sheets of stamps issued to the public." Visitors interested in getting the best view of the CPPs should enlarge the digital images in the collection. The initials of the siderographer and the approval initials appear in the margins of the sheet, and visitors can see them on page 5 of the collection on the 10-cent Louisiana Purchase CPP. The first commemorative stamp of the United States, Western Cattle in Storm, is called by many the most beautiful. Visitors will find it on page 7, and should click on the sheet to see the option to view a single stamp. Users can also enlarge this single image to see the beautiful detail of this tiny piece of engraving. The cattle represented the ruggedness of the American West, but the cattle were actually a Scottish breed. Visitors will also find a brief history of revenue stamps here and a place where they can send their own comments on the exhibit. [KMG]

http://content.lib.washington.edu/exhibits/suffrage/index.html

This intriguing and thoughtful collection was created by the University of Washington's Digital Collection initiative, and it deals with the struggle of Washingtonian women who sought to obtain the right to vote in the 19th century. Visitors will find the digital exhibit is streamlined and easy to follow, with text, photos, and documents divided up between six sections, including the "Introduction" area, which offers a nice overview of this work. Page "One" teaches visitors how pioneer women in the West generally had greater rights than their sisters in the East, in exchange for the more difficult life they had to endure. Page "Four" explains how the defeat of the women suffrage law in 1898, and the resulting disinterest in the movement it caused, forced the movement to look to women's clubs to spread the message of women's voting rights. Visitors shouldn't miss the Alki Suffrage Club pamphlet, which talks about the rights of women, and why the male voting public should give women the right to vote. [KMG]

http://www.themourners.org/

By happy accident - gallery renovation The Mourners, tomb sculptures from the Court of Burgundy, have been removed from the Muse des Beaux-Arts de Dijon and digitized by the French Regional & American Museum Exchange (FRAME), a consortium of museums in France, the U.S., and Canada. The Mourners were originally created for the tomb of Jean sans Peur (John the Fearless), one of the Valois Dukes of Burgundy and installed in the Charterhouse of Champmol in 1470. The tomb was moved but did not escape vandalism during the French Revolution and was restored in 1819 in what was then the ducal palace in Dijon, now the Muse des Beaux-Arts. Around the base of the tomb is a sculpted arcade of white alabaster, in which figures of the mourners, also white alabaster, seem to march in a processional. There are choirboys, a cross bearer, a deacon, a bishop, three cantors, and two Carthusian monks, followed by members of John the Fearless' family. At the website, individual mourner's figures can be viewed in 360-degree and 3-D views, as well as in the arcades. There are also overviews of the tomb and its history, and links to additional information about the Dukes of Burgundy and their works. [DS]

http://caminobrowser.org/

Unlike other browsers designed for PC's, Camino is designed to function specifically on Macs. This open-source browser has a number of new bells and whistles this time around, including content zooming and keychain support. This version also has a number of new customizable skins that make Camino a bit more fun, and they are worth checking out. This version is compatible with computers running Mac OS X 10.4 and newer. [KMG]

http://www.5dfly.com/free-photo-editing-software/

The Fly Free Photo Editing and Viewer breathes new life into the world of photo editing software by offering a number of professional tools that can be used with ease by neophytes. There are the usual suspects, including redeye removal tools and modifying color images into grayscale. The application's compatibility with a range of social media is refreshing, and it features a push-button option for uploading photos to Facebook, Flickr, and Google. This version is compatible with computers running Windows 2000 and newer. [KMG]

N.C. Dorm Wins Energy Contest
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303467004575574231410723108.html?mod=WSJ_hp_MIDDLENexttoWhatsNewsFifth

UNC wins EPA energy contest
http://marketplace.publicradio.org/display/web/2010/10/26/am-unc-wins-epa-energy-contest/

The Biggest Loser (of energy waste): UNC dormitory
http://www.grist.org/article/2010-10-26-the-biggest-loser-of-energy-waste-university-of-north-carolina

National Building Competition: Energy Star
http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=buildingcontest.index

Green Building
http://www.epa.gov/greenbuilding/

Green Guide for Everyday Living
http://www.thegreenguide.com/

When the University of North Carolina goes head-to-head with their rival North Carolina State University it tends to be on one of the athletic fields of endeavor, or at least those are the competitions that garner the most headlines. Both schools received additional positive accolades this week as part of their finish in a "Biggest Loser" style competition sponsored by the Environmental Protection Agency. The competition was designed to see which commercial building could trim its energy use the most over 12 months, and the winner was the Morrison Residence Hall at UNC. The structure beat out a number of other contenders, including structures at North Carolina State University, a Sears store in Maryland, and the Virginia Beach Convention Center. During this period, Morrison Hall relied on some bread-and-butter modifications to effectively cut energy consumption by almost 36%, and as a result they cut almost $250,000 off their bills during this period. After a number of tweaks (including coaxing students to reduce their hot water usage in the laundry room), they were able to triumph in the contest. In a recent interview, the university's director of energy management, Chris Martin Jr. remarked, "The big lesson for us is that efforts need to include occupants as well as the maintenance personnel of buildings. Otherwise, eventually the savings will be lost." [KMG]

The first link will take visitors to a piece from the Wall Street Journal's Gwendolyn Bounds on the results of this recent energy contest. The second link leads to a profile of the contest results from National Public Radio's Marketplace program. Moving on, the third link leads to a post from The Grist's Jonathan Hiskes about the contest, which talks a bit about the winning energy project and the other entries. The fourth link leads to the official competition website, and it includes details on all the entries. The fifth link will take users to the EPA's "Green Building" site, which includes materials on the components of green building and a bit of a primer on why various parties should build green in the first place. The last link will take visitors to the National Geographic's Green Guide, which contains helpful tips and suggestions on how to live green everyday.