http://www.ansp.org/

Like many great institutions in Philadelphia, the Academy of Natural Sciences has a long and storied history. The Academy was started in 1812, and in no time at all, the members of this institution were making expeditions to all corners of the globe. Today, they still sponsor such scientific expeditions, and their website is a great way to learn about their educational outreach activities as well as their museum. As with many institutions in this vein, the Academy’s online exhibits are rather compelling, and visitors can access them through the “Museum” tab from the homepage. Exhibits include a photographic tour of Thomas Jefferson’s famed fossil collection and an overview of the work of Joseph Leidy, a noted 19th century paleontologist and anatomist. If that wasn’t enough, the “Scientific Research” area of the site provides copious amounts of printed literature (including reports and briefs) based on research done at the Academy. Overall, the site will be of great use to the generally curious and to those working in science education and instruction. [KMG]

http://memory.loc.gov/cocoon/ihas/html/grace/grace-home.html

Many Americans might think that the hymn “Amazing Grace” was written in the United States, but in fact it was penned in 1779 in England. The song is without a doubt one of the best-known hymns in the United States, and this lovely site, created by the Library of Congress’s Performing Arts Digital Library, explores the history behind this song. Visitors should definitely start by looking at the “About ‘Amazing Grace’” area, which includes an illustrated timeline of the song, along with a piece on the creation of the song and an essay on the history of sound recordings of the number. After all of that, visitors should make their way to the digital collections area, where they can view scores of the work and then they may wish to listen to a number of recordings of the work by such artists as Johnny Cash, the Soul Stirrers, Chet Atkins, and Skeeter Davis. [KMG]

http://www.columbia.edu/cu/iraas/wpa/index.html

In 1936 the Works Progress Administration’s Federal Art Project joined the Harlem Renaissance, when the WPA commissioned a set of murals designed for the Harlem Hospital Center. In an era where African American visual artists had a particularly difficult time finding work, this project represented a unique opportunity. While the murals fell into disrepair over the decades, they were finally restored to their original glory in the 1990s. Created by the Institute for Research in African American Studies at Columbia University, this site tells the story of these murals, their creators, and the controversy surrounding their subject matter. The site contains a number of video clips that talk about the artwork, along with some nice biographical portraits of the artists, who included Charles Alston, Vertis Hayes, and Georgette Seabrooke. Of course, the murals can also be viewed in their entirety here, and they are simply wonderful to behold. [KMG]

http://www.worldlungfoundation.org/

Lung diseases and related conditions are serious matters, and the World Lung Foundation is dedicated to improving lung health in all regions of the world. The Foundation works with a number of like-minded organizations, including the World Health Organization and the STOP TB Partnership. The Foundation is primarily concerned with researching lung ailments such as acute respiratory infections and tuberculosis, and they also have created a number of education and training programs for health personnel. The site contains six primary thematic areas, including “Tobacco”, “TB and Lung Disease”, and “Lung Health News”. First-time visitors will want to look at the “Lung Health News” area first, as it contains a number of direct news links to recent articles that deal primarily with the worldwide fight against tuberculosis. The site also contains a rather helpful photo image library that includes images of air pollution, tobacco use, and asthma. [KMG]

http://www.brooklynmuseum.org/exhibitions/online/edo/

Many things from Japan have migrated over to the borough of Brooklyn, but none of them probably have the elegant simplicity of Utagawa Hiroshige’s prints of his hometown of Edo, now known as Tokyo. Working through the 19th century, Hiroshige created 118 woodblock landscape and genre scenes of mid-nineteenth century Tokyo. While the actual prints are rather delicate, they can be viewed at one’s leisure online, courtesy of the Brooklyn Museum of Art, where they reside. The site contains an essay on Hiroshige and his life and a very helpful primer titled “How to Read a Japanese Woodblock Print”. Of course, there are the actual images themselves, which can be browsed by season or by keywords, which include “rain”, “dawn”, and of course, “city life”. [KMG]

http://beck.library.emory.edu/greatwar/

As many historians know, the Great War was meant to be the “war to end all wars”, but this was regrettably not the case. During this period, many artists and members of the literati offered their impassioned feelings about the conflict and its aftermath in the form of poetry. Created by the scholar Harry Rusche, this site was designed as a resource for courses in World War I poetry. The site contains sections such as “Poetry”, “Postcards”, and “Links”. Visitors will want to begin their journey through the site by clicking on the “Poetry” area, where they will find digitized versions of rare poetry volumes that address various aspects of this world conflict. Specifically, they might do well to look over the “Flower of Youth: Poems in War Time” volume, which contains the poems “A Girl’s Song” and “To One in Grief”. The “Postcards” section offers a number of postcards created during World War I that deal with different aspects of nationalism, the military, and life on the homefront. [KMG]

http://digicoll.library.wisc.edu/WI/subcollections/WIBlueBksAbout.shtml

Published since 1879, the Wisconsin Blue Books comprise a veritable treasure trove of information about the Badger State. Recently, the University of Wisconsin Digital Collections group digitized all of the Blue Books from the first volume up to the 2003-2004 volume. Within each volume, visitors can browse the complete contents, which include U.S. Census statistics, election statistics, information on state finances, and biographical sketches of various persons within the state. Visitors may also wish to perform a more detailed search across all of these volumes, or they can also use the table of contents for each volume to hone in on different topical areas of interest. [KMG]

http://cooperativeconservation.gov/

Started as an initiative by the United States government, Cooperative Conservation “describes the efforts of landowners, communities, conservation groups, industry, and governmental agencies who join together to conserve our environment.” Their website provides substantial details about their programs, which range from professional training opportunities to an online library of documents related to the creation of this initiative. In the training opportunities area, visitors can learn about programs offered by the Bureau of Land Management, the Forest Service and the Fish and Wildlife Service’s National Conservation Training Center. The homepage also provides information about recent ‘success stories’, including the creation of the Northwest Florida Greenway Project. [KMG]