Research and Education
http://www.legendsofamerica.com/
Summer is quickly making an exit in anticipation of fall's blustery arrival, but that doesn't mean it is too late for a trip to the American West. This site, developed and maintained by Kathy Weiser, may provide the inspiration visitors need to pack up and make a move out to one of the Western states. Legends of America was inspired by Weiser's love for history and travel, and as such, contains a host of material on the landscape of the Western states, with a particular emphasis on the historic ghost towns, abandoned mines, mustachioed-gunmen, and other once-dominant features of the region. Visitors can click on any number of thematic headings, such as "Old West Legends" and "Legendary Route 66" to peruse a number of short essays and visual materials (such as photographs). Additionally, visitors may browse in a more traditional format merely by clicking on a specific state of interest. Finally, visitors will want to browse through the newsletter published by Weiser as it contains useful information about the latest additions to the site. [KMG]
With its international headquarters in Vienna, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OCSE) is the largest regional security organization in the world. Currently, the OCSE has 55 participating members from Central Asia, Europe, and North America. The OSCE's approach to security issues is quite comprehensive, as the organization is interested in addressing a number of issues including election monitoring, environmental security, and preventive diplomacy. Interested parties will find this site a real resource, as it features access to the organization's magazine (published in Russian and English), feature stories that profile its work in the field, and a number of fact sheets that talk about the OSCE's various activities and general mission. A real bonus is the online video (in the RealOnePlayer format) that talks about the evolution of the OSCE over the past 25 years. The site is rounded by a listing of current employment opportunities within the organization. [KMG]
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/omhhtml/omhhome.html
The oral traditions of many North American Indian groups are generally well known, though access to existing sound recordings and the like can often be limited to on-site listening booths at major museums and archives. This nice collection of traditional music from the Omaha tribe is a fine way to begin learning about these traditions. The online exhibit was created by the American Memory project at the Library of Congress and includes traditional Omaha music both from the 1890s and the 1980s. The selections from the 1890s include 44 wax cylinder recordings made by Francis La Flesche and Alice Cunningham Fletcher. Equally compelling are the 323 songs from the 1983 Omaha harvest celebration powwow that are also available here. The collection also includes a brief introductory essay, fieldnotes from the 1983 powwow, and an original program from the 1983 celebration. [KMG]
http://www-news.uchicago.edu/releases/04/040720.protestant.pdf
The Protestant ethic, long a subject of great interest to numerous generations of scholars (including the esteemed sociologist Max Weber), is one of the most debated subjects within the field of sociology. This recent report authored by two sociologists at the University of Chicago's National Opinion Research Center brings to light the fact that for the first time in the history of the United States, members of the Protestant faith will no longer constitute the majority of the population within the foreseeable future. The 23-page report, authored by Tom W. Smith and Seokho Kim, notes that the percentage of Protestants in the national population shrank from 63 percent in 1993 to 52 percent in 2002. Another interesting finding of the report notes that from 1993 to 2002 the number of people who said they had no religion rose from 9 percent to nearly 14 percent. [KMG]
The Archives Service Center and the Digital Research Library at the University of Pittsburgh have made over 1,200 pictures of Pittsburgh taken by the Pittsburgh City Photographer between 1901 and 1969 available online. Included are views of Pittsburgh parks and recreation facilities, athletic and mayoral events, general street scenes and traffic, as well as interior and exterior shots of familiar Pittsburgh buildings, including some that have been demolished. There are also interesting depictions of home life, and the famous and not so famous people of Pittsburgh. For example, a search on Highland Park retrieves 20 images dating from 1901 - 1968, and includes families at the Childrens' Zoo in the 1960s; various views of the entrance to Highland Park; an early image of the Highland Park Reservoir (1907); and DeLucca's market on Bryant St. It is also possible to search the Pittsburgh City Photographer's Collection along with 26 other image collections at the http://images.library.pitt.edu/cgi-bin/i/image/image-idx?xc=1;page=searchgroup;g=imls">Historic Pittsburgh Image Collections. [DS]
http://americanradioworks.publicradio.org/features/climate/
The American Radio Works radio documentary programs have been garnering acclaim over the past few years, and their latest production is definitely worth a listen. Created by Daniel Grossman and John Rudolph (and narrated by Ira Flatow), this one-hour program addresses the effects that global warming may have on the northern half of the United States over the coming years and decades. The radio program itself is divided into three sections, including one that deals with ice cores and their use in paleoclimatology, the nature of the great ocean conveyor belt, and what might be done to prevent a climatic catastrophe. The site is also complemented by a fine selection of external weblinks, including those leading to the Pew Center on Global Climate Change and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. [KMG]
The intersection between art and science is an area that continues to be worthy of detailed exploration, and several organizations have been created in recent years to do just that. The Art & Science Collaborations group was started by artist Cynthia Pannucci in 1988 when she began to realize that there was a general lack of support for technology-based art across the United States. In the past 16 years the organization has expanded its mission to sponsor public events, panel discussions, and develop resources for artists working in this interesting area. The most compelling part of the site allows visitors to learn about artists who participate in the organization's activities, and also read about their various symposia and public projects in order to get a better sense of their very diverse set of perspectives. The Spotlight Archive will interest most visitors, as it features various developments in the field of visual arts that deal with aspects of technology from around the world, including selections from online journals. [KMG]
Established in 1975, the Council of State Historical Coordinators (COSHRC) is a national organization comprising the various individuals who serve as state historical records coordinators and their deputies. From the homepage, visitors and interested parties can learn about the various collections of each state historical records agency. The site also provides important material on the COSHRC's position on timely matters, such as the statement regarding the sale of historical public records on eBay and policy statements in support of state archives. Visitors to the site can also learn about Archives Week, which happens once a year and is designed to inform the public about what archivists do and why their work is valuable. Another section of note is the Archives Resource Center, which features important online material on Web-based archival training, educational material for teaching with primary sources, and listings of educational programs offered by each individual state archive center. [KMG]
