http://www.americangardenmuseum.com/

For those who ask others the eternal question, "How does your garden grow?", the American Garden Museum website may be a nice way to find out how different American gardens have evolved through history. As a statement on the site proclaims, "The Museum highlights gardens big and small, urban and rural, gentle and outrageous, wildly expensive and affordable." Visitors may want to delve into the site by looking through the "Showcase" area. In this part of the site, a different garden or landscaped environment is profiled every couple of months, including such interesting sites as Opus 40, which is located in Saugerties, New York. The "Gardens" area features an interactive clickable map of the United States, where visitors may learn about prominent gardens in each state, such as the Stonecrop Gardens in Cold Spring, New York. Finally, those who already have a green thumb may submit their own gardening stories or experiences, which may then be shared with the online gardening community via this particular website. [KMG]

http://sfpl.lib.ca.us/news/onlineexhibits/rv/

Sometimes traumatic events, though harrowing and disturbing, may serve as catalytic moments that can create openings for informed discussion, debate, and eventually, healing. One such event occurred in the early months of 2001 when San Francisco Public Library staff began finding damaged books hidden under shelving units throughout the main library. The books were mostly related to issues of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered individuals, and the works had been carved and mutilated with a sharp instrument. Eventually the vandal was caught by a librarian, and later found guilty of a hate crime. After this series of events, a number of local visual artists and library staff began to think about creating the "Reversing Vandalism" project, which would allow artists to use the damaged books to create new works of arts. When the project was completed, participants from more than 20 states had created new works from these books in a wide range of media. On this site, visitors can view the completed works, read statements from the artists, and read various media responses to the project. Overall, a very fruitful and creative idea is expressed through this insightful online exhibit. [KMG]

http://www.brooklynpubliclibrary.org/eagle/

Nicholson Baker to the contrary, this online version of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, created by Brooklyn Public Library with support from IMLS (Institute of Museum and Library Services), is just as much fun to read as paper. The digitization was done from microfilm of the newspaper provided by Library of Congress and processed using Olive Software, so that readers can see the paper in its original page layout, as well as zooming in on particular articles, and searching. The Brooklyn Daily Eagle was in print from 1841 to 1955, and briefly revived from 1960 to 1963. Currently, October 26, 1841 to December 31, 1902 is online, about half of the Eagle's years of publication. Browsing by date is especially easy; users who visit this day (December 3) 110 years ago (1894) can read front page news including: the 53rd Congress is again in session in Washington D.C., on the same carpets but with fresh flowers on the desks; and a small scandal in the opera world - Mme. Nordica, announced as the soloist at the December 10 Seidel Society concert, is also booked at the Metropolitan the same evening. Keyword searches can be limited to retrieve terms only in headlines, bylines or article text, since picture captions and advertisements are indexed. The hit list defaults to displaying by score, which is based on term count, and where terms appear the results display may also be sorted by date or alphabetically by title. [DS]

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/scrolls/

Once again, the good people at NOVA have created an eye-opening website to complement another interesting and compelling program in the long-running series. This website presents a host of materials about a recent archaeological exploration into a cave in the Judean desert designed to explore the last refuge of the legendary Jewish patriot Shimon Bar-Kokhba, who led a revolt against the Romans in the year 132 CE. This latest exploration was designed as a follow-up to a previous excavation led by Israeli archaeologist in 1960, which successfully uncovered a cache of ancient documents and artifacts that enhanced understanding of this legendary revolt. On the site, visitors can read an overview of the program, and partake of several nice interactive features, including an interactive translation of a 2000-year-old document found in the cave 40 years ago. Another feature that should not be missed is an interview with the late Pinchas Porat, who was just a young volunteer on the first fateful archaeological dig in 1960 that just happened to find some of these important relics from the Second Revolt of the Jews. [KMG]

http://www.safeplaceservices.org/

In today's world where many social services for young people are being scaled back due to budgetary constraints, outreach programs such as Project Safe Place are important to know about. The program got its start in 1983 in Louisville, and since then has spread to many parts of the country. Essentially, the Safe Place program creates a network of locations (such as schools, fire stations, YMCAs, and libraries) where young people who may be distressed by difficult and threatening situations, such as domestic disputes or other such problems, can find help and support resources. On the site, visitors can learn in great detail about the program, find Safe Place locations around the country, and read about the organization's history and current leadership. One highlight to note on the site is the Teen Topics area, which has been designed specifically for teenagers as a place to read about topics they may have questions about, such as eating disorders, suicide, and teen crime. [KMG]

http://www.gsd.harvard.edu/research/publications/hdm/

As the originator of the first formal programs in both city and regional planning and urban design in North America, it is fitting that Harvard University's Design School should play host to the fine Harvard Design Magazine. Published bi-annually since 1997, each issue contains thoughtful and provocative pieces that range from book reviews, the practice of architects and planners, to current trends in landscape design. It should be duly noted that only selected materials from the print version of the magazine are made freely available here, but there is certainly enough offered online at no charge to warrant several visits to the site. Some of the more compelling pieces include a commentary on planning titled "Suburbia and its Discontents" by Matthew Kiefer and a fine piece by noted urban designer and theorist Michael Sorkin on the Guggenheim in Las Vegas. For some older chestnuts, visitors need to look no further than the commentary on New Urbanism and communitarianism offered by noted Marxist geographer David Harvey in the Winter/Spring 1997 issue. [KMG]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/interviews/

The BBC is held in high esteem throughout the worldwide broadcasting community for the illuminating interviews the network's correspondents and hosts hold with various individuals, including international political activists, artists, scientists, public intellectuals, and numerous others who represent the very best in their respective fields of endeavor. BBC Four has created this website to provide online access to many of its recent interviews, along with some "classics" from previous broadcasts. Some of the more current interviews include transcripts of talks with Simon Schaffer on the nature of light and Katie Barlow, a filmmaker who has explored the nature of suicide attacks on Israel's buses. Of course, visitors will want to take a close look at some of the classic interviews, which include snippets of conversations with Sir John Gielgud, Robert Altman, Benjamin Britten, and Salvador Dali. [KMG]