http://digicoll.library.wisc.edu/WI/subcollections/BelgAmrColAbout.html

While Wisconsin is well-known for its German-American community, some may be surprised to learn that a significant number of Belgians made their way to the Badger State in the 1850s. Most Belgians who came to Wisconsin made their way to the northeastern section of the state and their descendants continue to celebrate the harvest festival known as Kermis as well as a number of other cultural practices. This particular online collection from the University of Wisconsin's Digital Collection provides a host of materials related to this ethnic community. Visitors will note that the materials are divided into six sections, including "Immigration Histories", "Oral History Recordings", and "Belgian Survey Maps". The maps are well worth a look, as they include detailed renderings of nine different Belgian-American farms. Visitors should also not overlook the oral history excerpts and the substantial immigration histories. [KMG]

http://bryophytes.plant.siu.edu/

Bryophytes include mosses, liverworts and hornworts, and they can be found in many parts of the world, including peat bogs and the deserts of Australia. This lovely resource deals with bryophytes and was created by Dr. Raymond E. Stotler and Dr. Barbara J. Crandall-Stotler of Southern Illinois University, Carbondale. New visitors to the site (and the world of bryophytes) may wish to start by visiting the "What are Bryophytes" area, which features a fine narrative essay about these nonvascular land plants. Moving on, visitors can look at images of bryophytes, learn more about current research, and their classification. The site also contains a number of academic treatises, along with a nice piece from the magazine "Outdoor Illinois" titled "The Green Beneath Our Feet". [KMG]

http://unow.nottingham.ac.uk/resources/resource.aspx?hid=0cc6fb79-9b43-b3cd-7ae6-88653d5e08b4#

Learning about the various parts of a cell can be tricky business, but this virtual yeast cell offered by The University of Nottingham will come in handy for biology students and science instructors. This learning resource was created to help students in the brewing science program learn about yeast cytology, though just about anyone with an interest in cells will learn something from visiting the site. After entering the interactive cell, visitors can click on different parts of the cell (such as the cytoplasm or the nucleus) in order to learn more about the importance of each one. Visitors should remember that they can also download the virtual yeast cell and use it in the classroom or just with a group of friends. [KMG]

http://www.cfr.org/publication/by_type/backgrounder.html

The Council on Foreign Relations provides a number of services for the general public, and in the past they have offered up public discussions, forums, and other outreach activities. In addition, they offer the "Backgrounders" series, which offer succinct explanations of current political and economic issues. First-time users can visit the "Most Recent" area to peruse the latest piece, or they can click on the "Daily Analysis" or "Daily Brief" sections. The profiles cover everything from the role of delegates in the U.S. presidential nominating process to understanding Kenya's politics. Also, visitors can click on complementary materials, such as podcasts, interactive features, and online debates. Finally, visitors can also search for specific materials via the search engine offered here. [KMG]

http://www.uow.edu.au/student/attributes/statlit/

Statistics surround us in the form of polling reports, census data, and the other seemingly mundane details of life. This site created by the University of Wollongong offers up a series of modules designed to help users learn about the world of statistics. As their site suggests, the modules will help users become more knowledgeable about surveys and scientific experiments. Users will want to look at the short explanations concerning the purpose of these modules and statistics in general before getting started. Currently, the site offers two modules: "Producing Data" and "Describing, Clarifying and Presenting Data". In each module, visitors will be presented with detailed explanations of these different aspects of statistics in a language that is quite accessible. [KMG]

http://www.loc.gov/topics/africanamericans/

February is African American History Month, and, as the Library of Congress site notes, it's an area of history that should be incorporated into all discussions about American history. The Library of Congress listened to its own advice and created this most useful site to help students, teachers, and others to do just that. First-time visitors may wish to click on the "African American Voices" to hear audio clips from the Queen of Buganda, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's appearance at the Library's Book Fest, and many others. Moving down the homepage, visitors can read about a number of notable African Americans, including historian Carter G. Woodson and Congressman Major Owens. By clicking on the "Collections" area visitors can look through some of the digital collections related to various aspects of African American history. Additionally, the site also has other sections that provide primary materials on African Americans in the performing arts as well as oral histories from the Veterans History Project. [KMG]

http://www.gtj.org.uk/en/index

The rich cultural history of Wales is the focus of this rather fine website created by a consortium of institutions that included the National Library of Wales, the Federation of Welsh Museums, and the Welsh County Archivists Group. The website was launched in 2003 and currently contains over 20,000 images of objects, books, letters, aerial photographs, and other documents culled from Welsh institutions. From the homepage, visitors can click on one of many topical areas. These areas include "The Domestic Sphere", "This and That", "Protest and Politics", and "Transport". The geographically-minded can elect to use the interactive map of Wales to look for materials of interest, or they can type in the name of a town or village. Visitors should definitely not miss the "Film" area of the site, as they can view close to thirty short films, such as "Turn Out of the Cardiff Fire Brigade" from 1924 and the moving portrait of Bardsey Island (or Ynys Enlli) from 1953 titled "The Island in the Current". It's worth noting that many of the materials here are also made available in Welsh. [KMG]

http://ocw.umb.edu/

Like many other institutions, the University of Massachusetts, Boston has decided to make a foray into the world of OpenCourseWare. While the courses offered online here will not lead towards a formal degree (or confer course credit), they represent some of the best that the school has to offer. Visitors can click on the "Courses" tab to learn more about the current offerings, which include course materials on political science, biology, history, along with nursing and health sciences. Moving on, visitors can also take a look at their FAQ area and send in feedback on the site and its contents. Additionally, visitors can sign up for RSS feeds and they will be notified when new material is added to the site. [KMG]