Research and Education
http://www.nyulawglobal.org/globalex/Public_International_Law_Research.htm
Aspiring lawyers and academics hoping to peer into the world of public international law will be glad to learn about this site. Authored by lawyer and researcher Vicenc Feliu, this introduction to public international law research is offered up as part of the Hauser Global Law School Program at New York University's Law School. Published in May/June 2008, this thorough introduction includes a host of information about online and offline resources that will come in handy. After reading the introduction, visitors can browse around sections that offer up material on treaties, case law, and relevant journals.
Along the way, visitors will also learn about the major players in public international law, such as the United Nations, the Council of Europe, and the European Union. Overall, this site is indispensable, and visitors with an interest in this area will want to tell their colleagues and friends about it.
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http://ec.europa.eu/energy/climate_actions/
Recently, the European Union member nations agreed to work on a package of proposals that will help fight climate change and promote renewable energy. Overall, the intent of these programs is to reduce greenhouse gases by at least 20% and increases to 20% the share of renewable energies in energy consumption by 2020. This fine website serves as the clearinghouse for all of the information related to this ambitious project. First-time visitors may wish to look over the "Citizens' Summary", which is available in all of the European Union languages, including Maltese, English, and Dutch. After that, users can look over fact sheets for each country and read a number of working documents created by European Commission staff members. On the left-hand side of the page, visitors can learn about European Union Sustainable Energy week, watch a short video about these proposals, and also even read additional reports on emissions trading schemes. [KMG]
How might the United States boost productivity, innovation, and growth? It's a good question, and scholars and researchers at The Brookings Institution have come up with a compelling idea that's worth a look in this 75-page report. Released in April 2008, the report, authored by Robert Atkinson and Howard Wial, suggests that the federal government should establish a National Innovation Foundation (NIF) which would be "devoted to supporting firms and other organizations in their innovative activities". The NIF would also be responsible for catalyzing industry-university research partnerships, expanding regional innovation-promotion, and encouraging technology adoption. Visitors can read their executive summary here, and also look over the other eleven chapters and appendices. It's a rather intriguing idea, and one that will pique the interest of urban planners, economists, and many other stakeholders. [KMG]
http://www.library.hbs.edu/hc/ssb/
The very name "South Sea Bubble" conjures up an image of a marauding marine monster seeking to prey on unsuspecting spice traders and thieving pirates. Actually, the South Sea Bubble refers to a "complex network of intersecting financial, legal, political, and cultural factors" which contributed to the "bubble" in question. This bubble led to the total collapse of the South Sea Company in 1720, which led to a massive series of financial catastrophes. Not surprisingly, this fine digital documentation project of the South Sea Bubble was undertaken by the Baker Library at the Harvard Business School.
Visitors can click on the "What is the South Sea Bubble?" to learn a bit more about the basic outline of the history of this financial collapse and then move on over to the actual collection of items. Here they will find topical lists divided into such headings as "Commerce and Trade", "Government and Politics", "Crime and Law", and "Finance". Each of these areas contains complete bibliographical information about each item, and visitors can also click on the "List All Digital Content" link to find the items that are currently available directly through this site. The site is rounded out by a "Project Overview" area that provides a brief sketch of how this collection was created.
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http://mathdl.maa.org/convergence/1/?pa=content&sa=viewDocument&nodeId=1796
In 1834, the Committee on Military Affairs at the United States Military Academy at West Point was unequivocal in their support for mathematics, noting that "Mathematics is the study which forms the foundation of the course of study at the United States Military Academy". This fine piece of research by V. Frederick Rickey and Amy Shell-Gellasch looks at the first hundred years of mathematics education at West Point, offered as part of the Convergence magazine published by the Mathematical Association of America (MAA). Following a brief introduction, the piece takes a close look at the role of mathematics education during the early years of West Point, and then moves on to examine the use of various mathematics textbooks and principles during the next century. It's an engaging read, and one can imagine that this article could be used in any number of educational history or mathematics education courses. [KMG]
http://content.lib.washington.edu/historicalbookartsweb/
The history of the book is a fascinating subject, and one that is addressed head on by this most wonderful collection from the University of Washington Libraries Historical BookArts Collection. This digital collection features a sampling of materials held in their Special Collections Division and is primarily intended to serve as a teaching tool. The materials here are contained within sections that include "Binding", "Printing", "Paper", and three others. By clicking on each section, visitors can find digitized images that illustrate everything from examples of insect damage, endsheets, and gilt stamped works. Along with the actual items, visitors will also want to read the three essays offered here, including "Illustration Techniques" and "19th Century Bindings". Finally, visitors can also search the entire collection via three well-designed search functions. [KMG]
http://www.swiftiana.com/stella/
Long before he took a journey to Lilliput, satirist and all-around man of letters Jonathan Swift took up his quill in 1710 to write a series of letter-diaries that became known as the "Journal to Stella". In these writings, Swift wrote to one Esther Johnson, who died shortly after Gulliver's Travels appeared in 1727. These letters reveal a rather different Swift than one might discover through reading his letters to such well-known personages of the time as Alexander Pope and others. This digital version of these compelling correspondences was created by the English department at the University of Oxford. Visitors can click on the "About" section to learn more about Swift, this electronic version of the letters, and the editors of this project. After browsing through the letters at their leisure, users can also login or register to post comments on these writings. Also, users will appreciate the hypertext links within the letters that lead to other documents and pieces of writings mentioned by Swift. [KMG]
Nevada is much more than the Hoover Dam and a certain large neon-drenched city, and the Online Nevada Encyclopedia revels in covering aspects of the state that include business, mining, politics, exploration, and the economy of the Silver State. Started in 2007, the Encyclopedia has been developed by the Nevada Humanities organization, with generous support of the U.S. Department of Education and the State of Nevada. It's a good idea to start a tour through the site by looking at one of the exhibit galleries, which include "Civil Rights in Nevada" and "Hoover Dam". All four of the current exhibits bring together primary documents with brief descriptions of each document. After that, visitors should head over to the topical areas to read high-quality articles about various facets of the state. All of the articles are authored by subject experts, and they cover everything from the archaeology of Tule Springs to the spooky world of the state's many ghost towns. [KMG]
