http://www.africom.museum/

For years, many museology experts knew about the vast cultural resources held within museums throughout Africa, but getting specific information about each one was difficult. In 2000, the International Council of African Museums (AFRICOM) was created, and since then, the organization's outreach has included the creation of this website which provides information for both museum professionals and the general public. First-time visitors will want to look over the "Heritage News" area which will give them a sense of the scope of AFRICOM's primary activities. From there, visitors can also view past issues of AFRICOM's newsletter and view a list of helpful external links. Finally, both the itinerant traveler and the seasoned museum scholar will appreciate the "Museums in Africa" section, which provides ample material on the various museums located throughout the continent. [KMG]

http://www.sociology.org/

Billed as "the world’s first and longest running electronic journal of sociology", the Electronic Journal of Sociology has been in existence in 1994. The Journal's home is at Athabasca University, and persons with an interest in submitting materials for potential inclusion in a future edition of the Journal will want to take a look at their guidelines straight away. Members of the general public may want to browse around in the archives, which contain articles titled "Children and Young People’s Status in Iran: Profiles and Challenge" and "Disembodiment and Cyberspace". The site is rounded out by a section where visitors can read new announcements from the editors and also offer feedback. [KMG]

http://www.exploratorium.edu/poles/index.html

While many have asked the question, "How do you get to Carnegie Hall?" fewer have asked, "How do you get to the South Pole?" One way might be to complete a doctorate in ecology, but for those with a computer and a connection to the Internet, this fine site from the Exploratorium in San Francisco will do quite nicely. Designed to celebrate the start of the International Polar Year, this site includes a number of very informative webcasts that highlight the work of scientists at both the North and South Poles. On the homepage users will find a section that contains presentations on climate change, and another that focuses on the work of scientists who are currently constructing the largest telescope ever utilized in a polar region. In addition, users will also enjoy clicking on the sections that address different themes, such as "sense of place", "ice diving", and of course, "penguins". [KMG]

http://www.historyofsupremecourt.org/

While some citizens may find the United States Supreme Court to be a distant institution, nothing could be farther from the truth. During its annual sessions, the Court addresses a myriad of issues of immediate and enduring importance, including eminent domain, freedom of expression, the death penalty, and so on. With funding from New York Life, this very thorough website was created to complement a major television series on the history of the Supreme Court that will soon appear on PBS. The site's materials were written by educators from across the country, and they present the institution's history thematically, thereby making it easier to use in the classroom. Within each one of the site's sections, users will find essays and teaching materials on gender equality, social rights, personal liberties, and equal access to schools. The site also includes a very nice interactive timeline of landmark cases handed down since 1792. Finally, the site also includes a searchable encyclopedia of terms and court cases of note. [KMG]

http://www.theworkfoundation.com/Assets/PDFs/KE_Europe.pdf

For regional development specialists and those concerned with local economies, the world of the so-called knowledge economy is tremendously important. Specifically, the knowledge economy is meant to be those segments of the economy that include financial and business services, health care, and education. In Europe, the subject is debated a great deal, and this latest 23-page report by The Work Foundation will no doubt add to that ongoing debate. In their report examining the knowledge economy in Europe (and its recent growth) they note that while the Continent continues to experience some growth in this sector of the economy, future growth may be hindered by a lack of significant investment in its knowledge base. The report also includes an extended definition of this notion of a knowledge economy for those who remain puzzled. [KMG]

http://www.openbudgetindex.org/

Around the world different governments provide different levels of information about their national budgets, and for some parties, this is a real area of concern. For those interested in this timely subject, the Center of Budget and Policy Priorities has created the Open Budget Index. Released in October 2006, this index rates countries on how open their budget books are to their citizens. As the site notes, this information can help a variety of groups "identify meaningful budget reforms needed in specific countries to combat corruption and strengthen basic services to improve people’s lives." A great way to start on the site is by looking through country profiles from Uganda, Mexico, and India that will let concerned parties know specifically how budget transparency improves people's lives. After that, visitors can scroll down through a complete list of country summaries and questionnaires from Albania to Zambia. Visitors should also be aware that many of the materials on the site are available in a number of languages, including Arabic, French, Russian, and Spanish. [KMG]

http://www.colorado.edu/GeolSci/Resources/

The study of geology at the University of Colorado has a long and distinguished history, and in recent years they have also become increasingly interested in providing online teaching resources in the field. Educators will be glad to learn about this site's existence, as they can scroll through a list of interactive demonstrations that can be utilized in the classroom. Specifically, these demonstrations include a shaded interactive topographical map of the western United States, a magnetic field of the Earth, and several animated maps of various National Park sites. The site comes to a compelling conclusion with the inclusion of the geology department's slide library, which can be used without a password or registration. [KMG]

http://www-micro.msb.le.ac.uk/109/index.html

For those persons training to enter a vocational program in any number of fields, getting caught up with disciplines such as microbiology can present certain challenges. These parties will be most delighted to learn about the introductory microbiology tutorials on this website. Created by Leicester University, the tutorials include visually-stimulating (and well-formatted) reviews of prokaryote diversity, virology, and microbiology laboratory procedures. After looking over these materials, visitors can move along to the "Online Tutorials" area. Here they will find links to demonstrations of pathogens in action, virus replication, and malaria. The site is rounded out by the "LabWork" section, which includes a number of demonstration experiments that students (or instructors) can use in the laboratory. [KMG]