Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum [Real Player]
http://www.lbjlib.utexas.edu/
Born in Stonewall, Texas in 1908, Lyndon Baines Johnson would later become president of the United States after the assassination of John F. Kennedy and oversee one of the most turbulent periods in recent American history. Located on the campus of the University of Texas at Austin, the Johnson Library and Museum was dedicated in 1971 and is part of the system of presidential libraries administered by the National Archives and Records Administration. First-time visitors will want to tour the online research section, which contains a timeline of Johnson's life; information about Lady Bird Johnson; and quick facts about his presidential cabinet, religious affiliation, and favorite foods. The online primary documents are impressive, ranging from selected speeches given by Johnson during his administration, photographs, and most notably a number of oral histories. The oral histories are taken from dozens of his associates, fellow politicians, and friends, including Billy Graham and the late Senator Everett Dirksen. Visitors will also enjoy looking through the audio and video files, including conversations with Adam Clayton Powell, Thurgood Marshall, and Jacqueline Kennedy. The site is rounded out by a nice section especially aimed towards young people. [KMG]
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The Nature of Things: A Look at Pain [Flash]
http://www.cbc.ca/natureofthings/pain/pain_flash.html
Beginning with the quote, "Pain is not a sensation, but an experience, an utterably lonely experience," this interactive exhibit from the Canadian Broadcasting Company offers an introspective look into how we understand, experience, and define the notion of pain. Designed in tandem with the upcoming documentary "A Disease Called Pain" (produced and directed by Vishnu Mathur), the exhibit begins with a brief introduction to the history, research, and treatment of chronic pain. The section About Pain is divided into smaller subtopics such as What is pain? and Why do we feel pain? Along with creative graphics and original music, each subtopic exploration is complemented by a brief essay on the selected theme. The most engrossing section is Living with Pain, which features three brief interviews with Catherine Seton, a former teacher, who recounts her chronic pain (diagnosed as fibromyalgia) and her insights into coping with this condition. [KMG]
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Maps of the Pimeria: Early Cartography of the Southwest
http://www.library.arizona.edu/pimeria/welcome.html
The Pimeria was a region (never defined with any exacting detail) of Spanish colonial Mexico that encompassed what is now southern Arizona and northern Sonora. Derived from the Pima Indians who live in the region, the name first appeared on a map prepared in 1696. This online collection consists of over thirty separate maps, ranging in date from 1556 to 1854. Each map features detailed cataloging information, along with a brief profile of the cartographer responsible for creating each document. A built-in viewer also allows visitors to zoom in and out of each map, as well as adjust the pixel size to their liking. The site is rounded out by a discussion of the methods used to create the online exhibit, along with credits to the respective personnel at the University of Arizona who made the project possible. [KMG]
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Online Journalism Review
http://www.ojr.org/ojr/page_one/index.php
Based at the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Southern California, the Online Journalism Review was launched in 1998 with the intention of "evaluating the emerging field of online journalism, providing readers commentary, monthly features, and Web resource databases." The Review is also committed "to identify who is best serving the public on the Web, and who, hiding in the cloak of journalism, belongs in different garb." To that end, the Review's team of journalists reports on a host of online topics, ranging from Web site designs, private online news sources, and ongoing developments within the world of online journalism. Some of the primary resources available here include the Japan Media Review (focusing on the electronic media coverage within, and about, Japan) and a number of online forums. Additionally, interested visitors can elect to subscribe to the Online Journalism Review via email. [KMG]
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Al Parker, American Illustrator [Flash, Quick Time]
http://library.wustl.edu/vlib/parker/
This tribute to Al Parker, the noted magazine illustrator and artist, was fashioned from extensive holdings at the Washington University Library in St. Louis. Known as "The Dean of Illustrators," Al Parker attended school at the St. Louis School of Fine Arts at Washington University and went on to become of the most prolific and important American illustrators of the twentieth century. Parker was best-known for his modernist deployment of line, patterning, and bold, flat colors, which helped shape the general "look" of the period from the 1930s to the 1960s. Using short clips of Parker's original illustrations and drawings, this exhibit offers a glimpse into his work and contributions to the medium. Of particular interest is the section devoted to Parker's famous "Mother-Daughter" covers for the Ladies Home Journal, which began in 1939 and ran for 17 years. [KMG]
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Cornell Library Historical Monographs
http://historical.library.cornell.edu/cdl/
Beginning in 1990, the Cornell Library initiated an ambitious early attempt to create digital surrogates for materials that were rapidly deteriorating and becoming brittle. Utilizing prototype equipment developed in tandem with Xerox, the materials were scanned and placed online. Currently, the materials available include 441 entire monographs, totaling 159,961 pages. The search engine located on the site allows visitors to search the holding by author, title, and text. Additionally, visitors can browse the collection by author or title. The monographs include Shelley's "An address to the Irish people," Comte's "Positive Philosophy," selected writings of Richard Wagner, and Sir Richard Burton's "Personal Narrative of a pilgrimage to el Medinah and Meccah." The Web site concludes with a help section that contains information about searching and browsing this interesting collection of online monographs. [KMG]
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The Papers of John Jay
http://www.columbia.edu/cu/lweb/eresources/archives/jay/
Contributor to The Federalist, the first Chief Justice of the United States and a two-term governor of New York, John Jay gave much of himself to the fledgling nation. Given that he was an alumnus of Columbia University, it is fitting that this institution has created this omnibus of his collected papers and placed them online. Funded in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Florence Gould Foundation, the Jay materials may be searched by the name of the writer, name of the recipient, date of composition, name of holding institution, and accession number. Along with an extended biographical essay, the site also features four background papers. The papers include hypertext links to germane digitized documents held in the archive and deal with topics such as Jay's work on the treaty of 1794 with the British and his work with France throughout the 1770s. Overall, this is a fine repository of primary documents relating to one of America's early statesmen. [KMG]
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