http://rmc.library.cornell.edu/lafayette/index.html

In 1824, General Marie Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, marquis de LaFayette, made his return to the United States. He had given much to the United States during the Revolutionary War, serving as a general and a diplomat. Cornell University recently decided to celebrate the 250th anniversary of his birth by creating an exhibition drawn from its extensive Lafayette collection. Offered in both French and English, this complementary online exhibit offers up primary documents that address Lafayette's contributions to both the United States and France during periods of significant cultural and political transformation. The exhibit contains nine sections that offer digitized copies of his military plans, depictions in the popular press, and a copy of his remarks from when he visited the tomb of George Washington at Mt. Vernon. It's quite an inspired site, and one that persons with an interest in American history and international relations will want to recommend to friends and others. [KMG]

http://content.lib.washington.edu/ptecweb/index.html

The worlds of theater, tourism, and urban development all come together in this delightful and intriguing digital collection. Created by staff members at the University of Washington Libraries Digital Collection group, the collection includes pamphlets, books, and theater programs that cover tourism in Washington State, urban development in Seattle, the world of theatrical amusements in the area, and the Alaska Yukon Pacific Exposition of 1909. The Seattle architecture offerings are quite useful, and they include promotional brochures for new buildings and a pamphlet that explores the later development of the land which contained the first home of the University of Washington. The theater programs collection contains original programs from a diverse range of production from the early days of Seattle Theater, including productions of "Just Out of College" and "The Pirates of Penzance". All told, the entire collection contains 115 items and it's well worth a look. [KMG]

http://slavetrade.parliament.uk/slavetrade/index.html

On March 25, 1807, Britain's Parliament passed an act which abolished the British slave trade. There was a great deal of public discussion and debate about the act, and this very nice online exhibit from the Parliamentary Archives explores some of the issues through primary documents and other records. The site is divided into six sections, which include "History", "Your Voice", "Explore", "Timeline", "Learning", and "Glossary". The "History" section is a great place to start, as it provides background on Britain's slave trade, the wider world of the international slave trade, and the economics behind slavery. Visitors must make a stop at the "Explore" area, where they will find poems by enslaved Africans and abolition supporters, along with various dramatizations of the slavery debate, and interactive explorations of objects related to the slave trade. Additionally, the "Learning" section contains an interactive studio for teachers who wish to create their own educational resources and a number of lesson plans and activities. [KMG]

http://www.technewsworld.com/

Billed as "All Tech, All the Time", the TechNewsWorld is a good way to stay on top of the latest developments in the worlds of technology, computing, information technology management, and other related areas. On the homepage, visitors can take a look at some of their top stories and then move on over to the "Shortcuts" area. Here they will find a selection of podcasts, webcasts, and even a helpful WiFi hotspot locator. The podcasts include "Weekly Roundups", which offer a digest of the week's news and the latest activities from various major technology companies. Visitors who wish to keep tabs on the site may wish to sign up for RSS feeds, email news updates, and their discussion boards via the "Reader Services" tab. [KMG]

http://lcweb2.loc.gov/diglib/ihas/html/ragtime/ragtime-home.html

Ragtime is a uniquely American musical idiom and it is generally distinguished by its three or four contrasting sections or strains, each one being 16 or 32 measures in length. Played by itinerant pianists who made their way across the South and Midwest, the music first began to be formally published in the mid-1890s, and it soon made its way to Europe and other parts of the world. The Library of Congress recently created this fun and interesting site which pays homage to this art form through essays, musical selections, and digitized sheet music. Visitors can browse through the offerings at their leisure, though they may wish to start their journey by reading one of the four explanatory essays which cover topics such as "The History of Ragtime" and "The 'Classic' Rag". Moving on, visitors can also read biographies of artists like Scott Joplin and Joseph Lamb and also listen to noted ragtime performer Bob Milne. [KMG]

http://www.lacma.org/art/ScreeningRoom.aspx

Art lovers who can't make it down to 5905 Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles will enjoy mulling over some of the videos and podcasts presented on this site. Currently, the site has over fifty different programs, and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art will continue to add new programs over the coming months. In the "Current Features" area, visitors can take a walk through the new museum campus and also learn a bit about an exhibition that highlights the work of Salvador Dali. Other visitors may be more interested in the "Public Programs" area. Here they can listen to conversations and dialogues with the likes of Anthony Hernandez, Ken Gonzales-Day, Jeff Koons, and John Baldessari. Finally, the "Documentaries" area offers up profiles of Jacob Lawrence, a group of contemporary potters, and noted fluorescent light artist Dan Flavin. [KMG]

http://americanhistory.si.edu/exhibitions/small_exhibition.cfm?key=1267&exkey=244

The North American settlements at Jamestown, Quebec, and Santa Fe were all founded within a three-year time period, and this online exhibition from the National Museum of American History takes a closer look at some of the Native and European artifacts that have survived from that compelling moment in history. The exhibition was created through a partnership that involved the Virginia Historical Society, the Canadian Museum of Civilization, and a number of other institutions. The materials are gathered into nine separate sections which cover labor systems, spiritual life, trade, and the expansion of these fledgling colonies. Visitors can start by reading short introductions about each colony and then delve into other areas which include digitized images of everything from early farm implements to treaties. [KMG]

http://www.warhol.org/mappingpgh/index.html#new

Created by staff of the education department at the Andy Warhol Museum and other community partners, including artists, writers, curators, and activists (particularly bicycling), Mapping Pittsburgh attempts to "show the hidden side of Pittsburgh." As a hilly city with distinct, possibly isolated, neighborhoods, Pittsburgh does not have one clearly defined arts district. Mapping Pittsburgh tries to connect the cultural production happening all over Pittsburgh in one spot in cyberspace. Definitely a work in progress, probably the most frustrating aspect of the site is that many photographs do not enlarge. On the plus side, the links section provides information about all kinds of community organizations in Pittsburgh, from art galleries to bicyclists' coalitions to media. And, to see more pictures, the compendium of Pittsburgh Bloggers includes dozens of photography blogs. [DS]