General Interest
Started and run by a group of writers, Muse India is an online bimonthly journal which seeks to showcase Indian writings in both English and in English translation. Begun in early 2005, the journal has produced a number of thematic issues over the past several years, including those that have focused on Punjabi literature, modern Tamil poetry, and Indian aesthetics. Each issue contains a blend of literary commentaries, fiction pieces, book reviews, and poems. Visitors can read these pieces, and also search through the archive via a search engine. For those that are so inspired, they can also contact the editor about the possibility of having their own work included in a forthcoming issue of Muse India. [KMG]
http://www.unicaen.fr/rome/index.php?langue=anglais
During his life, Paul Bigot was a professor at the famed Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris and he was also the winner of the Grand Prize of Rome. Among his many achievements was the construction of large plaster model of Rome during the rule of the emperor Constantine. Over the past several years, an interdisciplinary team of scholars has worked to create a virtual reconstruction of the model for this website. On the site, visitors can learn about the work that they have done so far, and they can also learn about how to visit the actual model which resides at the Universite de Caen. Of course, for those who can make it to Caen, there's the "Tour" section on this site. Here visitors can take a virtual tour of Bigot's scale model of the city as it appeared in the 4th century. [KMG]
http://www.library.cmu.edu/Libraries/FIDArchive.html
Carnegie-Mellon University has a number of exciting digital projects available online for the general public's consideration, and they also keep interested parties abreast of other developments via "The Future is Digital" archive available online. Visitors will definitely want to start by looking through the video series titled "Authors' Rights and Wrongs". Here they will find a number of excellent lectures that address everything from open access policies to the future of intellectual copyright laws. Moving on, visitors can browse past presentations all the way back to 2001. Some of the other highlights offered here include a report on the digitization of rare books from Qatar and full-text documents that look into the progress of other digitization projects. [KMG]
http://lcweb2.loc.gov/diglib/ihas/html/patriotic/patriotic-home.html
Many people may be familiar with patriotic ditties like "America the Beautiful", "Of Thee I Sing", and "Over There", but how many of them know the stories behind each of these works? For those who don't (and for those who do), this site will be quite a treat. Created by the Library of Congress, the site tells the stories of these songs through sheet music, historic images, and other pieces of visual and audio ephemera. For example, the story of "Of Thee I Sing" is told both through a descriptive essay, a photograph of legendary tunesmith George Gershwin, and a print of Ira Gershwin from the very able hand of Al Hirschfeld. All told, visitors can learn about the history of over two dozen songs on the site. [KMG]
The United Nations has been concerned about the growing threat of terrorism for decades, and in 2006, their member states adopted a comprehensive global strategy to counter terrorism. Visitors with an interest in their strategy will want to visit the site to read about the strategy and to also learn about some of their related activities. After reading a brief introduction about the overall strategy, visitors can read the complete United Nations Counter-Terrorism Handbook and also view the latest news updates related to their efforts to combat terrorism around the globe. Along the left-hand side of the homepage, visitors can also look over sections that include "Strategic Framework", "International Instruments", and "Human Rights". Visitors should also be aware that these materials are also available in Arabic, French, Russian, Spanish, and Chinese. [KMG]
Founded in 1882, the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) works to "serve the public interest by providing safe, efficient and economical transit services." Their members include public bus, rapid transit, and commuter rail systems, along with various private organizations that provide support services for these systems. First-time visitors to the site may wish to look over some of their news headlines to get a sense of the APTA's basic activities. While some of the materials on the site are only available to members, there are a number of general access sections. For example, the "Industry Information" area contains links to helpful online documents and surveys, along with a list of transportation definitions and statistics. The online documents area includes titles like "Critical Relief for Traffic Congestion" and "Expanding the Transportation Options in an Aging Society". Additionally, the site contains a search engine and a listing of upcoming conferences and related events. [KMG]
From crochet machines to the uses of acrylic yarn, the Textile Exchange website has rather fine comprehensive coverage across the nooks and crannies of the textile industry. Visitors to the homepage will find a search engine and a very thorough products directory which includes topical headings like "Textile Products", "Fibers, Yarns & Threads", and "Textile Chemicals". After looking over a few of these areas, visitors will definitely want to peruse the "Knowledge Center". Here they can learn more about fiber and textile history, and the types of weaves. One section that should not be missed is the "Textile Personalities" area. For those individuals who've been pining to learn about giants of the textile industry such as John Mercer, John Kay (who patented the flying shuttle), and Richard Roberts, this area will be quite the eye-opener. [KMG]
