The American Museum of Natural History Congo Expedition 1909-1915
http://diglib1.amnh.org/
In 1909, scientists Herbert Lang and James P. Chapin, as well as numerous assistants, set out into the remote Central African Congo River basin to explore and catalog the many extraordinary plant and animal species found within. This fabulous new Web site from the American Museum of Natural History details the six-year expedition that resulted in the first comprehensive study of the Congo basin. This online exhibit includes field notes, photographs, illustrations, interactive maps, and films of early 20th century Congo biological and cultural features. There is also a searchable collection of scientific publications, many of which were authored by Lang, Chapin, and their contemporaries. This is a rich resource that is likely to appeal to many. This site is also reviewed in the March 8, 2002 NSDL Life Sciences Report. [AL]
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Will D. Campbell: A Man of the Word [Realplayer]
http://www.lib.usm.edu/~spcol/campbell
The University of Southern Mississippi Libraries' Special Collections offers a glimpse into a unique Southern minister, Will D. Campbell, through his words and voice. The exhibition is based on his papers, which were donated to USM in 1999. A "bootleg preacher," he was educated at Wake Forest College and Yale Divinity School. As an award winning writer, minister, theologian, and social activist, he ardently worked for "civil and human rights causes" across the American South. Excerpts from his writings here are supplemented with oral history recordings and video of Mr. Campbell. Certainly worth a visit for anyone unfamiliar with his life and work, one wishes this glimpse was more substantial. [DJS]
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Scholarly Work in the Humanities and the Evolving Information Environment [.pdf]
http://www.clir.org/pubs/abstract/pub104abst.html
Viewable online or as a downloadable Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) file, the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) report "Scholarly Work in the Humanities and the Evolving Information Environment" is essential reading for anyone involved with or interested in academic librarianship as it moves forward into a more fully automated era. Primarily, the study focuses on scholarly researching techniques and the implications of those techniques for information professionals who serve the researchers. In particular, the authors stress that, as all forms of scholarly information become digitized, there is an ever-increasing need to provide for uniformity of access across various platforms -- uniformity that can only be achieved, realistically, through the application of standard cataloging practices across different forms of media (e.g., audio, visual, text-based). [WH]
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Two from the National Library of Australia
Assessment Guidelines for Managing Cellulose Acetate Collections [MS Word]
http://www.nla.gov.au/preserve/AssGuidelines2.doc
Storage of Cellulose Acetate Collections: A Preliminary Survey of Issues
and Options
http://www.nla.gov.au/preserve/storagecontents.html
Photographic negatives, motion picture film, microfilm, and sound recordings produced from the 1930s into the 1950s often used cellulose acetate as the transparent plastic carrier. As anyone who has ever come in contact with it well knows, its strong vinegar-like scent is hard to miss. Unfortunately, over time, the material is prone to deterioration, which eventually renders it unusable. In an effort to help guide libraries in Australia with this problem, the National Library of Australia has created these two documents. The first provides assistance in identification of cellulose acetate (vs. other similar materials) and establishes criteria to assess condition, cultural importance, and use within the library or storage context. The document guides readers through the first step in a strategy for preserving these collections. The second resource draws upon recent "literature discussing preservation and storage of cellulose acetate based film" to guide librarians and collection managers in choosing storage options (lower temperatures and humidity slow the deterioration process). The report discusses the options and provides guidance for planning and evaluation of each, and an appendix directs one to specific Australian storage facilities. Together, both reports serve as a brief, easily readable introduction to this challenging preservation issue. [DJS]
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Principles for Managing Contaminated Sediment Risks at Hazardous Waste Sites [.pdf]
http://www.epa.gov/superfund/resources/principles/9285.6-08.pdf
On February 20, 2002, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released an eleven-page memorandum entitled Principles for Managing Contaminated Sediment Risks at Hazardous Waste Sites. Eleven risk management principles are presented, such as "control sources early" and "involve the community." The memo is intended to help guide Superfund National Policy Managers make "scientifically sound and nationally consistent risk management decisions at contaminated sediment sites," while giving an interesting look into governmental policies regarding the nation's most dangerous hazardous waste sites. This site is also reviewed in the March 8, 2002 NSDL Physical Sciences Report [JAB]
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Medicare: Nursing Home Compare
http://www.medicare.gov/nhcompare/home.asp
Allowing users to compare and contrast nursing homes based on a wide range of information, this site provides a number of useful (and often enlightening) tools. After choosing a state, county, or zip code, a list of matching nursing homes are displayed for review. Check boxes allow for very narrow or wide comparisons of everything from behavior problems of residents to problems reported in the last state inspection. Also of great help are tools like the Nursing Home Checklist, which provides a four-page printable checklist for use in evaluating and comparing nursing homes. [REB]
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Final Report of the Independent Counsel In Re: Madison Guaranty Savings & Loan Association Regarding Monica Lewinsky and Others [.pdf]
http://icreport.access.gpo.gov/lewinsky.html
Filed May 18, 2001 but released March 6, 2002, this 237-page final report details the comments of Robert W. Ray, the current head of the office of independent counsel that investigated various allegations related to Mr. Clinton and his conduct. The report reveals that, although there was certainly enough evidence to convict Mr. Clinton of perjury and obstruction of justice, Ray chose to not bring charges against Clinton because he believed that Clinton had already paid a significant penalty for his behavior. This report is the outcome of a seven year, 70 million dollar, investigation. [REB]
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