Research and Education
http://www.itu.int/wsis/index.html
Convened first by the United Nations in 2003 in Geneva, the World Summit on the Information Society is concerned with providing a place for dialogue on a number of crucial issues, such as the ongoing “digital revolution” that is transforming the developed and developing world as well as the “digital divide”. The most recent international World Summit took place in November 2005, and this website provides detailed information on its proceedings, meetings, and focus groups. From the homepage, visitors can view a list of final documents submitted at the meeting, read a list of speakers, and view some of the webcasts from the proceedings. To get a sense of the broad scope of the general nature of the goals of this summit, visitors may wish to read the text of the opening address given by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan at the meeting. Finally, visitors may also wish to view the four documents adopted at this meeting, including the Tunis Agenda for the Information Society. [KMG]
http://www.bibalex.org/English/index.aspx
The ancient library at Alexandria was rightfully one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World and its spirit and commitment to the pursuit of learning is embodied in the modern Bibliotheca Alexandrina in Egypt. As their mission statement notes, the library is to be “a center for dialogue between peoples and civilizations”. This is no easy feat, and the web-browsing public can learn about their laudable efforts on this website. Visitors may first want to learn about the remarkable structure that houses the library, along with a variety of facts about this building’s construction. While visitors who may be planning a visit to Egypt may wish to learn about tours of the building and the ways in which they may utilize their research collections, others may want to peruse the “Initiatives” area. Here they will find links to some of their digital projects, which include “Eternal Egypt”, which offers an extremely media-rich site that allows visitors to explore over 5000 years of Egyptian civilization through timelines, objects, and interactive maps. [KMG]
http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/2005/RAND_MG422.pdf
With a great deal of general talk and commentary about the role of the so-called “information revolution”, it is at times difficult to tell exactly what these developments may mean for different regions of the world. This report from the RAND Corporation looks at how Russia is utilizing various forms of information and communication technologies to modernize business and industry, stimulate economic growth, and enhance the quality of life for Russian peoples. With significant funding from the Carnegie Corporation of New York, the report (authored by D. J. Peterson) is based on six years of research in this area, and contains chapters on the role of information technology in Russian society, government, and concludes with a brief summary of key findings. Data in the report also receives nice visual representation through a host of charts, tables, and figures. Overall, this is a very interesting document that will be of particular interest to those working in the fields of international public policy and technology development. [KMG]
http://profiles.nlm.nih.gov/WG/
Though he described himself as “a very dull child”, Albert Szent-Gyorgyi developed a passion for learning and science when he was sixteen. He quickly developed a keen interest in becoming a medical researcher, and over the next thirty years he would develop his interest in researching the connections between free radicals and cancer. For his efforts, he would receive the 1937 Nobel Prize for his work in biological oxidation and vitamin C. After Szent-Gyorgyi passed away in 1986, his collected papers (which also included photographs, oral histories, and published articles) went to the Woods Hole Biological Laboratory in Massachusetts. Recently, the Laboratory and the National Library of Medicine collaborated to create this online digital collection that contains many of these documents and supporting materials. Visitors can browse through four different sections that explore different periods of his career, including his time spent at the Institute for Muscle Research and his time at the National Foundation for Cancer Research. Visitors to the site can also elect to view the materials alphabetically or chronologically, if they are so inclined. [KMG]
http://dl.lib.brown.edu/paris/index.html
The world of Paris in the 19th century was one that might be called a gaudy yet rich mixture of cultural, social, and other such delights. From the poems of Baudelaire to the architectural fancies of the Second Empire, the City of Lights became an icon of all that was (and is) urban, for good and for ill. Much of this world can be explored through a variety of visual documents offered by this ongoing project that is being developed as part of the digital projects initiative at Brown University. Visitors to the site can browse the materials here by subject, title, or by historical period. The site also contains a number of historical essays that provide additional background to this subject. The essays deal with the emerging condition of modernity, panoramic literature, and alienation in the city. The site is rounded out by a nice listing of additional online resources dealing with 19th century France. [KMG]
The possibilities afforded scholars by online digital publishing are immense, and a number of persons in higher education have taken full advantage of such opportunities. One such project of note is the Thirdspace journal and its attendant online community, Chora. The role of both projects is “to raise the profile of feminist scholars and scholarship”. The journal is available here, and it contains critical essays, book reviews, and editorials. Currently, visitors can read the most recent issue here, along with perusing back issues to July 2001. Their online community, Chora, is worth taking a look at as well, as it contains listings of feminist organizations, journals, and directories. This area also contains a number of special features, including profiles of feminist publishers and bookstores. [KMG]
