http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/collections/madison_papers/

The mention of James Madison conjures up images of the emergence of the U.S. Constitution, as well it should. In this remarkable new digital collection, the American Memory Project at the Library of Congress presents over 12,000 items in some 72,000 digital images that offer a detailed and authoritative portrait of the man who is often referred to as the "Father of the Constitution". This portrait effectively emerges from the diverse set of documents offered here, which include personal notes, drafts of letters and legislation, and autobiography, and correspondence. The collection itself is organized into six series, and it begins with a selection of his father's letters and continues all the way to the postwar years of his presidency. The digital collection is further enhanced by four nice essays, including an introductory piece by John C.A. Stagg and a rather intriguing piece on the ciphers used by Madison in his correspondence. The site is rounded out by a search engine and a timeline. [KMG]

http://www.huduser.org/intercept.asp?loc=/Publications/pdf/wnioc.pdf

The past decade or so has been a true "comeback" era for American cities. Once proclaimed to be rather dead and lifeless, many urban centers have been reinvigorated through massive capital investments in a number of mega-projects, including huge residential and retail developments. Unfortunately, a number of people are now unable to afford to live in the cities in which they work. This latest report from the Department of Housing and Urban Development looks at the regulatory barriers that impact the availability of affordable housing around the United States. Released in February 2005, the 31-page report finds that "outdated, exclusionary and unnecessary regulations continue to block the construction or rehabilitation of affordable housing in some parts of America". Some of these specific trends in today's housing markets include complex environmental regulations, "smart growth" principles, and various impact fees that may be assessed on such developments. The report will definitely be of interest to those with an interest in housing policy in the United States and in urban policies and trends more generally. [KMG]

http://www.asu.edu/educ/epsl/EPRU/documents/EPSL-0503-101-EPRU.pdf

The purpose of testing students has long been debated among educational policy and educational psychology experts, and there has been a litany of research disseminated on the subject. This latest paper from the Education Policy Research Unit at Arizona State University (authored by Sharon L. Nichols and David C. Berliner) explores the problematic nature of high-stakes testing in detail throughout its 187-pages. Sponsored by a grant from the Great Lakes Center for Education Research and Practice, the executive summary of this well-written report begins with the assertion that "this study finds that the over-reliance on high-stakes testing has serious negative repercussions that are present at every level of the public school system." The report itself contains a number of helpful chapters on its methodology, the corruption of indicators, the incidences of student cheating, and the misrepresentation of student data. Overall, this report is one that is well worth reading in detail, particularly for educational policy researchers and those directly involved in school administration and governance. [KMG]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sn/tvradio/programmes/supervolcano/index.shtml

As a follow-up to a recent television broadcast, the BBC offers fascinating articles and interactive modules about supervolcanoes. Students and educators can learn about the supervolcano in Yellowstone that erupted 2.1 million years ago and produced 2,500 times more ash than Mount St. Helens. Users can play an interactive game to learn how they should respond to a disaster. The website describes how volcanoes and other natural disasters occur and how people and the environment are affected. After reviewing the materials, students can test their knowledge about natural disasters. This site is also reviewed in the April 15, 2005 NSDL Physical Sciences Report. [RME]

http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/11/10/34571365.pdf

Among its members, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) includes such nations as Italy, Japan, Korea, and the United States. Within these countries (and the numerous other members of the OECD) there has been great concern over the lack of skilled health-care professionals, and in particular, nurses. Currently, many member nations have to effectively import nurses from all over the world in other to fill the rapidly increasing demand for these important professionals. This 58-page report on the nature of such nurse shortages was authored by Steven Simoens, Mike Villeneuve, and Jeremy Hurst and was released to the public in early 2005. Not surprisingly, the report notes that current nurse shortages exist in almost all OECD countries and that current nurse shortages seem "to be caused by fewer young people entering the workforce, a greater range of professional opportunities open to young people, the low social value given to nursing, negative perceptions of nurse working conditions and an ageing nurse workforce." The report concludes with some helpful policy suggestions, including the observation that a variety of mixed incentives (including innovative approaches to nurse education) may ameliorate the situation. [KMG]

http://www.agnic.org/agnic/index_html

Started in 1995, the Agriculture Network Information Center (AgNIC), is part of a collaborative alliance between various libraries and extension programs at different universities and other institutions. This partnership is designed to bring quality agricultural information to those parties and to the general public as well. Starting at the Center's homepage, visitors can view their featured site, search the entire contents, or look at the portal's features in detail. Visitors can also browse by topic, which include such subjects as entomology, plant science, and rural and agricultural sociology. Within each topic, visitors will find a host of informative resources, such as the proceedings of relevant conferences, plant and insect management guides and notes on how to maintain an optimal environment for dairy cows. Finally, visitors can also browse through a very well-maintained calendar of events and a news center. [KMG]

http://www.columbia.edu/cu/iraas/harlem/index.html

Beyond a shadow of a doubt, Harlem is perhaps the most famous African-American neighborhood in the United States (though over history it has been host to a number of ethnic groups), and hundreds of its residents have gone on to major positions of prominence in politics, the arts, and a host of other areas. This multimedia website, designed by the Columbia University Digital Knowledge Ventures group (in conjunction with The Institute for Research in African-American Studies) brings together a number of archival highlights and scholarship from a number of sources at Columbia University. The thematic areas on the site include "Arts and Culture", "The Neighborhood" and "Politics". Visitors can delve into each of these areas and read essays on the architecture and growth of Harlem, its former Jewish identity, and the recollections of the famed labor leader A. Philip Randolph. Finally, the site also contains a number of photo essays of note. [KMG]

http://pelicanmedia.org/wildparrots.html

Hosted by Pelican Media, a nonprofit film production organization, this intriguing website introduces a flock of wild parrots that make their home in San Francisco. The site was created by Mark Bittner, a local resident who has been studying, and interacting with, the parrots since 1990. Bittner recently authored a book entitled The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill, which documents his experiences with the flock. The parrot flock is primarily composed of the species Aratinga erythrogenys, commonly known as the cherry-headed conure. The website contains short bios and photographs of 17 birds that Bittner has identified and named. The site also contains a brief history of parrot flocks in San Francisco, FAQs, and short journal entries chronicling Bittner's interactions with the parrot flock during the past few years. The website is not too deep yet, but once Bittner's book sales slow down, he intends to add considerable additions to the site. This site is also reviewed in the April 15, 2005 NSDL Life Sciences Report. [NL]