·http://www.folgerdigitaltexts.org/

As this website proclaims, visitors of the page will find "Timeless Texts” and “Cutting-Edge Code,” culled from the words of the Bard. This code refers to the source code that users can download from the site, allowing interested parties to develop new noncommercial Shakespeare projects and apps. To get started, visitors can access the Read a Play feature. There's a brief introduction to the editions here, courtesy of Barbara Mowat and Paul Werstine. In the About Us section visitors can learn more about this lovely project and also take a look at links to their digital image collection and a range of K-12 teaching resources. [KMG]

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·http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/mathematics/

Interested in integers? Fascinated by fractals? The MIT OpenCourseWare Mathematics website can assist you with your quest for knowledge where visitors have access to all of the materials this institution has contributed over the past few years. Users will note that there are over four dozen courses here, complete with syllabi, lecture notes, and even in some cases video lectures and other audio visual materials. Browse through the Featured Courses to learn about some of the most recent offerings, which include, "Nonlinear Dynamics I: Chaos" and "Category Theory for Scientists.” Additionally, users can sign up to receive updates when new materials are added to the site. [KMG]

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·http://writing.yalecollege.yale.edu/

The Yale College Writing Center "supports writers and writing teachers through the resources on this website" and consequently support an audience far beyond New Haven. First-time visitors should look at the Advice for Students to get started. Here, they will find areas that include "What Good Writers Know" and "Model Papers from the Disciplines.” The first area contains short and succinct advice with detailed explanations while the second area contains thoughtful works from Yale students in fields such as philosophy, natural science, and literature. Moving along, Writing at Yale includes information about the various writing programs and initiatives at Yale College, along with links to writing award programs from around the country. [KMG]

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·http://www.jce.divched.org/video

The JCE Chemical Education Exchange offers a range of videos designed for educators and the curious public. Created as part of the larger ChemEd Exchange website, videos include "Boiling by Cooling,” "Atmosphere Pressure,” "Ammonia Fountain,” and "Canned Heat.” All told, the website hosts over 280 videos and several dozen are available at no charge. Visitors can use the search engine on the top of the page for specific content or browse around at their leisure. A list of related blogs and relevant blog topics, such as Lego Periodic Table, can also be found on this site. It is a great resource to get the creative juices flowing in regard to chemistry education. [KMG]

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·http://pudl.princeton.edu/collections/pudl0110

The letters of Christopher Columbus have fascinated historians and travelers for over half a millennia. This collection from the Princeton University Digital Library brings together four of the seven Latin editions and one German edition of his letters as published in the last decade of the 15th century. This site allows visitors to peruse a clutch of these fine volumes in their original languages. Visitors can look around the volumes as they see fit or search for various phrases and words. It's worth nothing that visitors can browse by topic or document contributor. It's an amazing way to explore these letters which transformed contemporary understandings of the people and places across the Atlantic Ocean from Europe. [KMG]

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·http://www.neh.gov/humanities

What's the National Endowment for the Humanities up to these days? Plenty, of course, and its Humanities magazine provides plenty of information on such matters. The Recent Favorites are a great place to start, containing links to articles from the magazine, such as "The Trail of Hannah Arendt" and "The Otherworldly Malamud.” Moving along, visitors can delve into the Classics, which include some meditations on Alexander Von Humboldt and the plain speaking mode of Carl Sandburg. Visitors also shouldn't miss the Browse Back Issues, which offer access to dozens of back issues. Each issue also features the fabulous Impertinent Questions feature, which profiles scholars' responses to questions about Buffalo Bill Cody, Thomas Jefferson, and Adam Smith. [KMG]

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·http://edcommunity.esri.com/

If you have an interest in the spatial sciences, you'll enjoy the EdCommunity website from Esri. The Education Maps and Data area contains several dozen interactive educational modules designed to teach people about geographic information systems (GIS) and a range of visualization tools. The Lesson Plans are another great find, including hundreds of lessons from "Analyzing Supermarket Access With ArcGIS online" to "An Easy Pathway To Create Storymaps.” Additionally, the Videos and Webinars area includes student GIS presentations and useful webinars such as, "Where Do You Start with GIS in Education" and "Analyzing 10 Landscapes using ArcGIS Online.” [KMG]

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·http://serc.carleton.edu/woburn/index.html

Is it possible to use a popular book to explore interfaces between science, citizen action, public health, and the US Legal system? In short, it is, and this resources from the Science in the Courtroom series makes it possible. Developed by Professor Scott Bair, with funding from the National Science Foundation, the resource uses the landmark case of Anne Anderson et al. versus W.R. Grace & Co. and Beatrice Foods, Inc. to explore a range of issues. The website contains three levels of exploration, including a mock trial and discussion questions, along with a Resource Collection. This last section includes photographs, newspaper articles, animations, and much more. [KMG]

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·http://www.lib.ua.edu/content/libraries/hoole/digital/pcards/pcard.htm

The Historic Postcards of Alabama database was created by Diane Wade and the items are housed at the William Stanley Hoole Special Collections Library at the University of Alabama. The collection contains over 230 rare postcards that document life in this southern state between the years 1900 to 1920. Visitors can get started by using the Location Index to wander around different corners of the state, including Mobile, Selma, and Tuscaloosa. The Birmingham area is a great place to start as it features photos of various prominent buildings, churches, and geographical features. [KMG]

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·http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/onlineex/uscivilwar/index.html

During the Civil War, both the Confederacy and the Union tried to curry favor with Britain in order to support their respective causes. This online exhibition explores these relationships through original period maps, photographs, diplomatic documents, and much more. The Highlights area is a great place to start, as it showcases great finds from the collection including Civil War songs, silk cords from Abraham Lincoln's cortege, and Confederate banknotes. The Anglo-American Relations area provides a brief summary of the relationship and mentions various activities that took places between the United States and Britain during this conflict. Mapping the Civil War is another great feature on the site. Selected by curator, Matthew Shaw, the collection illustrates the terrain, history, and progress of the war. These items include a "Bird's-eye view of the Seat of War" and a fascinating composite portrait of Union Army generals titled, "The Field of Battle.” [KMG]

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·http://www.seattle.gov/CityArchives/Exhibits/PPM/default.htm

The Pike Place Market has been an integral part of Seattle's landscape since 1907 with its amazing mix of vendors and merchants, tourists, locals, and the generally curious. This remarkable exhibit brings together items from the Seattle Municipal Archives, such as photographs, handbills, documents, and other items from the past century. Visitors can learn about its founding and development through thirteen different scions, including Early Expansion, Privatization, Citizen Protests, and Plans for Change. There are even radio clips from politicians and residents talking about the market, including the mayor of Seattle. Urban historians and planners will find this site particularly noteworthy as it presents an amazing case study of preservation amidst a dense urban environment. [KMG]

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·http://www.rwjf.org/en/research-publications.html

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) creates dozens of research reports every year for use by the general public, journalists, and public health specialists. As its site notes, "we continue to support a variety of forms of research to inform both our grantmaking and broader health-related policy." On the site, visitors can look over the Data Center which contains dozens of data sets via the foundation’s official data host, the Health and Medical Care Archive at the University of Michigan. These data sets include the National Profile of Local Health Departments and the National Youth Smoking Cessation Survey. First-time visitors may wish to look over the Most Requested items which include annual reports and blog posts, such as "Why Do Deaths from Drugs Like Oxycodone Occur in Different Neighborhoods than Deaths from Heroin?" Additionally, visitors shouldn't miss "50 Years of Tobacco Control: An Interactive Timeline.” [KMG]

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·http://www.mass.gov/anf/research-and-tech/oversight-agencies/lib/annual-reports-for-former-towns-of-swift-river-valley.html

Built by the commonwealth of Massachusetts between 1930 and 1939, the Quabbin Reservoir is the largest inland body of water in the Bay State. As its creation required the damming of the Swift River, four small towns were evacuated and flooded as a result of this vast undertaking. The towns were over two centuries old and there was some controversy regarding their disincorporation and subsequent destruction. This digital collection from the Massachusetts State Library brings together the official annual reports for these towns, which include Dana, Enfield, Greenwich, and Prescott. These documents report on all manner of activities, including the town cemeteries, public works projects, the schools, and various celebrations. As records of places that no longer exist, they are rich materials for historians, geographers, and story writers. [KMG]

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·http://digital.lib.uh.edu/collection/p15195coll29

This remarkable collection from the University of Houston's Digital Library brings together over 210 black and white photographs from a rare book entitled, India Illustrated. This work was originally published around 1905 and it came from the publishers of the English language newspaper, Times of India. Visitors can get started with the Browse the Collection section which offers thumbnails of such photos as "A Bathing Fair on the Ganges” and "A Corner of Fort St. George.” The collection contains some rather curious images of British colonialism, including shots of the Madras Cricket Club, the Adyar Club, and a range of polo matches. [KMG]

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·http://www.npg.org.uk/learning/digital.php

The UK National Portrait Gallery, which has made its collection of almost 200,000 portraits searchable online since the early days of the world wide web (http://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/), now offers this digital resource page with a variety of tools to help both teachers and casual visitors better utilize its collections. Teacher's resources are provided for primary and secondary students, with those for secondary divided into resources for the study of art, such as "Portrait Photography From the Victorians to the Present Day;” and those for the study of history, such as "The Anti-Slavery Convention: A guide to the painting, The Anti-Slavery Society Convention, 1840 by Benjamin Robert Haydon.” Resources with a broader appeal include, "Portraiture and Art Techniques,” a guide to the materials and techniques of portraiture, and a set of interviews with artists and sitters, some with audio or video, others as transcriptions. [DS]

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·https://unseen.is

What is Unseen, you ask? This free service "provides privacy and security for messaging, email and calling." The free version allows visitors to perform group audio calls, share files, and create encrypted emails. First-time users should check out the FAQ section for additional details on how Unseen functions and the reason for its recent move to Iceland. This version is compatible with all operating systems. [KMG]

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·http://www.citethisforme.com/

Interested in crafting your own bibliography? It's quite easy with this fantastic website, Cite This For Me. Visitors can take advantage of a user-friendly interference to insert their own citations from books, journal articles, websites, and more. Also, visitors can login to create their own account so past bibliographies can be saved. Visitors can even toggle between citation styles and view sample bibliographies. This version is compatible with all operating systems. [KMG]

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Is Today Shakespeare's 450th Birthday? Maybe
http://time.com/73579/shakespeare-450-birthday-april-23/

Shakespeare's Birthday
http://www.shakespearesbirthday.org.uk/

William Shakespeare's 450th birthday: 50 everyday phrases that came from the Bard
http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/news/william-shakespeares-450th-birthday-50-everyday-phrases-that-came-from-the-bard-9275254.html

How to talk like Shakespeare on his 450th birthday
http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/parenting/chi-celebrate-shakespeare-birthday,0,2679515.story

45 Hamlets for Shakespeare's 450th birthday - in pictures
http://www.theguardian.com/stage/gallery/2014/apr/23/45-hamlets-shakespeares-450th-birthday-in-pictures

Folger Shakespeare Library
http://www.folger.edu/index.cfm

In the 19th century, most Americans had two books on their shelves: the Bible and the collected works of William Shakespeare. Today his works remain universally popular and they have been adopted into urban romances, humorous dance numbers, musicals, and much more. This Wednesday was the immortal Bard's 450th birthday with celebrations continuing around the globe for weeks. But a key question remains: is April 23rd his actual birthday? Scholars debate this matter intently with one inarguable fact: the records of Holy Trinity Church in Stratford mark the baptism of "Gulielmus filius Johannes Shaskpere” on April 26, 1564. The thought is that baptisms took place three days after birth, which sets Shakespeare's actual birthday on the 23rd. Yet, some scholars believe baptism wouldn’t necessarily have to take place three days following a birth. This adds an interesting nuance to the life of this most celebrated author. Interestingly, it's worth nothing that scholars do agree on the date of his death: April 23. [KMG]

The first link will take visitors to a TIME article from Wednesday about this curious controversy. The second link will take interested parties to a great site about all of the 450th birthday celebrations taking place at Stratford-Upon-Avon in Britain this year. Moving on, the third link will take users to a great piece from The Independent profiling 50 everyday phrases originating from Shakespeare, while the fourth link will take visitors to a piece from the Chicago Tribune that will help interested parties talk like Shakespeare. The fifth link will take users to a wonderful photo gallery of 45 Hamlets from stage, TV, and film. The final link will take visitors to the complete Folger editions of Shakespeare's works.