General Interest
http://www.preservation.gc.ca/flashindex.html
Preserving an old family cabinet can be more than just wood restoration and elbow grease. Often, it’s about keeping a memory alive for future generations. The Canadian Conservation Institute is well aware of that, and that’s why they have developed this website. Visitors can dive right in by clicking on the “How To Care For” section and taking the interactive tour of a sample home and some items which might be in need of preserving. While the suggestions aren’t tremendously technical, they will give users a general sense of how they can take steps at home to keep family documents, photographs, rugs, and other items in good order. Moving along, the “Information On” section provides thumbnail sketches of how to move artifacts and on how to have family heirlooms appraised. The site is rounded out by the Institute’s newsletters, past and present, and a selection of links to other conservation resources. [KMG]
http://www.pewinternet.org/pdfs/China_Internet_July_2007.pdf
Readers may be aware that China’s population continues to grow, but what they may be less aware of is that many millions more Chinese continue to gravitate towards various online activities. This report from the Pew Internet & American Life Project provides some insights into this trend. Authored by Deborah Fallows, this July 2007 report looks at the potential ramifications of this increasingly web-savvy populace. The report also suggests, “An expanding Internet population might also increase domestic tensions that could spill over into China’s relations with the U.S. and other countries.” The rest of the report covers who exactly is using the internet in China, and also offers some analysis of how China’s internet population will grow in the coming years. [KMG]
On a recent visit to the Library of Congress: Poetry website, the first line of a poem by William Stafford appeared on the top of the page. The poem in question was “At the Un-National Monument Along the Canadian Border”, and it just one of many poems that can be found on this simple delightful site. Amidst this cornucopia of poems, visitors can also learn about the current poet laureate and take in a few webcasts from the “Poet Vision” series. It is an august group indeed, and some of the programs include those that profile Rita Dove, Louise Gluck, and Stanley Kunitz. Visitors can also look over a list of poetry news and events and breeze on through the related resources offered by the Library of Congress. Educators and students will want to pay close attention to the “For Teachers & Students” area, where they can find resources designed to bring poetry into the classroom in an experiential fashion. [KMG]
Global warming, climate change, and other related topics are all covered by environmental journalists. For those who seek to learn more about the profession (or for those who might already be involved in this world), the Society of Environmental Journalists website will be a most welcome discovery. The objective of the Society is “to build a stronger and more closely connected network of educated environmental journalists and editors”, and their site is a testimony to that spirit. Here, visitors can sign up to receive the “EJToday” news updates, read their biweekly tip sheet, and also learn about their mentoring program. The “Resources” section is very much worth a visit, and it includes links to online resources dealing with hurricanes, teaching environmental journalism, relevant blogs, and a work in progress guide “Climate Change: A Guide to the Information and Disinformation”.
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Located in the peaceful town of Mystic, Connecticut, the Mystic Seaport is billed as “The Museum of America and the Sea”. Visitors to the actual Museum can take in some of the exhibitions, jump on a boat or two, and make quite a day of it. Visitors to their website can also find a great deal of seafaring type information, including several online art galleries, an interactive feature about Amistad, as well as learn more about their very impressive nautical collections. Some of the nautical materials are available through the site, including ship registries for Salem, Massachusetts and New London, Connecticut for much of the 19th century. Additionally, the site includes yacht registers from the late 19th century and selected dates of the American Lloyd’s Register of American and Foreign Shipping. [KMG]
Despite the seemingly spooky title of this site, visitors should not be afraid of entering and exploring around the contents of this very interactive site. Created through a collaborative partnership between organizations such as the Canadian Museum of Civilization and the Drents Museum, this site concerns itself with the artifacts and material world created by the so-called “bogpeople” of northwestern Europe who lived approximately 10,000 years ago. Visitors can explore their world through sections that include “Science”, “Timeline”, “Profile” and “Mediatheatre”. The “Mediatheatre” section is a good place to start as visitors can view short film clips that cover the mysteries of the bog, fishing with a harpoon, and the fabled Ubbena wheel. Moving along, the “Timeline” area gives some nice chronological context to the events and transformations covered by the site, and the “Science” area includes some insights into what archaeologists do in the field. [KMG]
http://www.gk3onlineinteractions.net/
Formed through a worldwide partnership that includes the United Nations and a host of other international organizations, the Global Knowledge Partnership was created to apply knowledge and technology to address development issues in areas like poverty reduction and access to knowledge. To facilitate the exchange of ideas in these areas, the Partnership has created this Online Interactions site. Here, visitors can look over various blogs, podcasts, and video forums that focus in on these themes. Visitors can start by looking through the “Latest videos” area, which features everything from “What is Web 2.0 Explained in under 5 minutes” to a video on robotics programs in Costa Rica. Visitors can also search the site’s contents and sign up to receive RSS feeds of material as it is posted to the site. [KMG]
Incorporated in 1901, the Toledo Museum of Art has a wide range of collections, including some rather fantastic items from the world of the decorative arts and American painting. Visitors who might be making a visit to that part of Ohio might wish to look over the “Museum Information” section for starters. One new feature of the Museum is their highly touted Glass Pavilion, which was designed by Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa. After viewing a selection of images of the Pavilion, users may then wish to peruse the “Collection” area. Here, they will find high-quality images of some of the Museum’s works of art, coupled with fine overviews of printmaking and the architectural renderings of Hudson River School master Thomas Cole. [KMG]
