Historical Manuscripts Commission 2002 Survey of Archive Cataloguing Problems [.pdf]
http://www.hmc.gov.uk/pubs/cataloguingsurvey.pdf
Authored by Christopher Kitching, the director of the Historical Manuscripts Commission in the United Kingdom, this 16-page report details the existing problems (along with offering potential remedies) involved with archive cataloguing throughout the country. Some of Mr. Ktichings' findings include the fact that many archive repositories have significant cataloguing backlogs and that material of great national and local heritage significance (stretching back to the Middle Ages) also remains uncatalogued and unusable by researchers. Mr. Kitching also concludes that the decline in the number of catalogues reaching the National Register of Archives is in fact due to the declining pace of cataloguing in repositories, rather than being a function of the HMC's ability to acquire already extant catalogues. [KMG]
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The Everglades Landscape Model
http://www.sfwmd.gov/org/wrp/elm/index.html
Developed by researchers at the Institute for Ecological Economics and the South Florida Water Management District, the Everglades Landscape Model is one of the tools in a research management program used to focus research and evaluate changes in water management of southern Florida. The site has a brief introduction to the problems involved with the management of the region and the general objectives of the project. In addition, there is a detailed section outlining the particulars of the model's structure and the specific premises assumed within the model. There is also a full list of related publications dealing with different projects involved with the model and various progress reports. Finally, a variety of data generated by the model and data used to run the model is available for visitors to the site. [KMG]
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Global Connections: The Middle East
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/globalconnections/
Global Connections: The Middle East "integrates and contextualizes the rich body of public broadcasting resources to provide a global and historical perspective that will help teachers, students, and the general public explore and understand seminal events of national and international significance." To that end, there is an exhaustive amount of material related to economics, stereotypes, and the role of women in the Middle East, along with a detailed Middle East timeline. Educators will also find that the site will be a good source of information to use in the classroom. The "Connecting Questions" offers perspectives and lesson plans on six large scale questions affecting the Middle East. The site is rounded out by an interactive sociopolitical map of the region. [KMG]
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Canadian Railway Telegraph History
http://railwayop.tripod.ca/crthindex.html
For those seeking information about the Canadian Railway system and an in-depth look into the importance of the telegraph to the railway's success, this site will be quite helpful. Designed by R.G. Burnet, the site has numerous sections devoted to the importance and use of telegraph throughout Canadian history and westward expansion, including a detailed explanation of Morse code. Additionally, there is a detailed explanation of semaphore signals and interesting railway "oddities." Equally engaging is a extended listing of occasions where Morse code has appeared in feature films, either briefly or as a plot device. Finally, "The Bay Window" section features images of items and various ephemera associated with different Canadian railways. [KMG]
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Skyscrapers.com
http://www.skyscrapers.com/english/index.html
Billed as "the world leader in building information," this Web site lives up to its name, providing information on over 43,000 skyscrapers around the world. The site features a search engine that allows visitors to look for skyscrapers in almost every country across the globe, and also has a recently updated list of the 100 tallest skyscrapers. Additionally, the site has an extensive section on how it defines the buildings in its database -- by style, usage, and structural type. One of the most novel features of the site allows users to browse different neighborhoods of Manhattan in search of different skyscrapers and building types. Besides containing information on many different skyscrapers of worldwide renown, there is also a section devoted the "world's strangest skyscraper," the Genex Tower in Belgrade. [KMG]
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Defunct Amusement Parks
http://www.defunctparks.com
While there are many sites on existing amusement parks, this particular Web site contains detailed information on "pleasure palaces" that have gone out of business or that have since been demolished. Created and maintained by Joel Styer, the site features an interactive map of the United States that allows visitors to click on any one of the states to find out information about now-defunct amusement parks. Many of the former parks have additional material available for viewing, such as photographs, postcards, and brief essays and personal remembrances. Also, there is an extensive links page, which directs visitors to other sites dealing with different aspects of amusement park memorabilia such as popular rides from the past and newsgroups. The site also has different contact information for persons seeking to donate materials and recollections related to amusement parks. [KMG]
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Rutgers Oral History Archive of World War II
http://fas-history.rutgers.edu/oralhistory/
Begun in 1994 by the history department of Rutgers University, the Oral History Archive of World War II site (last mentioned in the April 7, 1998 Scout Report for Social Sciences) features transcriptions of interviews with 238 veterans (both men and women) of the war. While the project began with members of the Rutgers class of 1942, it was later expanded to involve many more alumni. The interviews are listed in alphabetical order on the site and feature the personal and intimate recollections of a diverse set of veterans on a variety of topics. There is also a small picture gallery and a complete listing of the military units in which each interviewee served. Finally, there is a listing of related links and a section featuring the most recent interviews that have been conducted. [KMG]
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