Archive
Web Site of the Week: Booknotes: One Book. One Author. One Hour
Between 1989- 2007, C-SPAN aired the series Booknotes, an hour long interview with a single author of a nonfiction book (the show’s tagline: “One Book. One Author. One Hour”). The series was hosted by C-SPAN executive director Brian Lamb, who fastidiously read and annotated the entirety of any book featured on the show prior to interviewing each author. Recently, the staff of George Mason University Libraries has collected archival material related to the show. On this website, Booknotes fans can browse through photographs, listen to interviews; and examine Lamb’s original book annotations. These annotations are especially intriguing, as Lamb often crafted questions for his guests alongside his notes (for instance, inside Mikhail Gorbachev’s Memoirs, Lamb has scrawled “What do you think of Lenin now?”) Visitors can also Browse Collections or peruse 9 themed exhibits. [MMB]
From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout 1994-2016.
Web Site of the Week: ABC books
Alphabet books have been used for centuries and are often one of the first texts that young children will encounter. ABC books is an online collection of 55 English language alphabet books published between 1805-1987. These books were collected from the Cotsen Children’s Library for a spring 2016 Princeton University class on children’s literature and are available for the public to browse. As the website notes, these books reveal more than changing aesthetic sensibilities; each book provides insight into past conceptions of childhood, morality, humor, and education. Many books are designed to teach moral lessons alongside literacy lessons, including Take Your Choice! (1822) and Anti-Slavery Alphabet (1947). Others are intended to be humorous and a surprising number center around apple pie. Some books, as the site notes, include offensive images, highlighting the way stereotypes and prejudice were modeled and taught to children through text. While many are centered around text and rhyming couplets, others are centered on illustration, providing a glimpse into how design in children’s books throughout the past two centuries has evolved. [MMB]
From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout 1994-2016.
Web Site of the Week: History of Vaccines
The History of Vaccines is an educational site maintained by the College of Physicians of Philadelphia. Founded in 1787, the College currently runs the Mutter Museum, a museum of the history of medicine, and the Historical Medical Library. The History of Vaccines website includes an interactive timeline of vaccination history, online classroom activities, and a gallery of over 700 items related to vaccination. These three sections of the website include a number of helpful visuals (such as an interactive animation designed to help individuals visualize the concept of herd immunity) and intriguing primary documents. The Articles tab includes a variety of readings aimed at students, educators, and families alike. In the Educators area of the website, instructors will find four complete lesson plans (compatible with a variety of Science and Health Education standards) that utilize material from the website. Finally, readers will find recent news items related to vaccination in the Blog. Interested parties may also sign up to for an email list to learn about website updates.
From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout 1994-2016.
Web Site of the Week: Time Magazine: Health
Time Magazine’s online Health section is an information rich resource with detailed stories on everything from public health news and developments to “lifehacker” tips for personal well-being. Recent articles have covered reports on children’s health in Flint, Michigan, updates on the Zika virus, and discussions, complete with a helpful video, on the new CRISPR gene editing technology, which may provide new hope in developing cancer treatments. These articles are concise and clearly written, allowing readers to stay up to date on health news. Readers may also browse for articles by categories. Note: a few of these articles require a subscription, but most are free to the public. [MMB]
From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout 1994-2015.
Web Site of the Week: Nineteenth-Century Disability: Cultures and Contexts
Nineteenth-Century Disability: Cultures and Contexts presents primary texts and images on both cognitive and physical disability between the years 1780 and 1914. Authored by over 20 scholars of disability studies, the site includes detailed annotations of over 60 texts and artifacts. These items range from medical instruments (such as an 18th century hearing aide) to literature, both famous (Jane Eyre) and obscure (the fairy tales of Dinah Mulock Craik). Together, these sources create a vivid portrait of how disability was imagined and discussed by medical professionals and artists alike. The Discover section lets readers experience the collection by themes, such as technology, literature, and institutions. For those looking to dive into more scholarship on disability studies and the nineteenth century, the Bibliography provides a mass of sources ranging from online resources to books to scholarly articles and book chapters. [MMB]
From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout 1994-2016.
Web Site of the Week: Rich in Color
Rich in Color is a resource for youth, librarians, teachers, parents, and teen mentors who are looking for new young adult (YA) fiction. The blog, maintained by a small team of teachers, writers, and book lovers, features recently released YA novels authored by writers of color and First Nations writers. The team at Rich in Color is committed to both publicizing books scheduled for release (maintaining an up-to-date book release calendar on the site) and to critically reviewing new books. Books of all genres are covered – including realistic fiction, fantasy, science fiction, and historical fiction – and often feature LGBTQA characters of color. As the site notes, “We believe that teens (and adults!) should be able to find themselves in the books that they love to read.” Readers will also find interviews and book lists by topic. [MMB]
From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout 1994-2016.
Web Site of the Week: : SciStarter
Citizen science is the idea that anyone, any citizen, can volunteer their time for the good of scientific research and discovery without having to be formally trained. SciStarter is the place to find and participate in citizen science projects, whether that be an extension of one of your current hobbies, like collecting data while bird watching (The Great Backyard Bird Count), or a fun educational activity to do with a child, like collecting bugs (Urban Buzz). As a repository for citizen science projects, the SciStarter Project Finder lets users search for projects and opportunities by type of activity, such as something to do exclusively online, or by topic, such as animals, geography, or health and medicine. There are also ways to limit your search by location, by free or low cost projects, or by projects suitable for students. Each entry includes general information about the project and a link to more information about how to participate. If you’re looking to contribute a project to the database, the For Scientists section of the website offers an easy way to add suggestions, while the blog discusses news and outcomes of current citizen science fueled projects. [MM]
From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout 1994-2016.
Web Site of the Week: Busy Beaver Button Museum
Ever since pinback buttons were patented in 1896, buttons have been produced and worn for a plethora of reasons, from supporting a politician (e.g. the iconic I LIKE IKE buttons), to commemorating an event, to just showing off the pinner’s sense of humor. The Busy Beaver Button Museum exists to document this unique item of cultural expression. Readers may visit the museum in person, in Chicago, or browse the comprehensive online collection here. Categories include Ask Me, which includes the classic “Ask me about…” buttons, Self Referential, which includes buttons that reference the fact that they’re buttons, and Sports, Advertising, Political, Innovative, and other descriptive options. There is also a Fan Museum, which allows users to submit their own buttons, as well as browse the buttons of other fans. The News section features blog posts on the history of buttons, such as a great post on the history behind the right to vote, as depicted through buttons. Finally, readers will also find a wonderful book, A Very Brief History of Buttons, which can be viewed for free as a PDF. [MM]
From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout 1994-2016.
Web Site of the Week: American Birding Association
The American Birding Association (ABA) is a non-profit with a two pronged goal: to support and educate birders and to protect birds. On the site, interested readers may like to begin with the ABA Blog, which is updated daily and offers posts about rare bird sightings, information on migrations, habitat alerts, and beautiful photographs of some of North America’s most delightful feathered friends. Birding enthusiasts might also find much to appreciate on the Birding News page, where they will find up-to-the-minute updates on bird activity in all 50 sates and around the world. The site also features numerous links to a variety of publications, events, conservation efforts, and other listings designed to help birders do what they love best. Finally, the Young Birders page offers a blog of its own, as well as a Facebook group and links to summer camps. In all, the ABA provides a stellar host of resources for birding enthusiasts from around the country. [CNH]
From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout 1994-2016.
Web Site of the Week: An Invitation to Dance: A History of Social Dance in America
This online exhibit from the American Antiquarian Society (AAS) traces the history and culture of social dance in the United States. For early Americans, as the introduction explains, social dance was a form of communication, an acknowledgement of rank and class, and a means of cultural expression. Dances came to 18th and 19th century America from France, England, Scotland, and Ireland, then mixed with one another to create new forms. In addition to the thorough introduction, readers may like to explore sections dedicated to Origins, Language, Types, Fashion, Opposition, and Etiquette, as well as a Bibliography for those interested in browsing the primary and secondary sources behind the exhibit. The Opposition section may be of special interest, as it features diatribes by founding Puritans such as Increase and Cotton Mather, George Whitefield, and others who objected to the spectacle of men and women engaging in the sins of carnality that were implied by “mixed” dances. [CNH]
From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout 1994-2015.
Allegany County Library System Director's Notes 