Research and Education
Located within Oxford University, the Centre for Research for Inequality, Human Security and Ethnicity (CRISE) was created "to investigate relationships between ethnicity, inequality and conflict, with the aim of identifying economic, political, social and cultural policies which promote stable and inclusive multiethnic societies." Visitors will get a sense of their research by looking over the "News" updates on the homepage, and they can also use the embedded search engine to look for specific items of interest. Academicians and policy analysts should make a beeline for the "Publications" area of the site. Here they will find a set of policy briefings, policy work papers, and policy context papers. Recent titles include "The History of Violence and the State in Indonesia" and "Education, Labour Markets and Inequality in Peru". Moving on, the "CRISE Policy Work" area features the specific policy briefings mentioned above, many of which are completed in conjunction with other like-minded organizations, such as the United Nations Development Programme. [KMG]
http://history.denverlibrary.org/
Not many public libraries have the extensive online genealogical collection that is offered by the Denver Public Library, and their site may serve as an inspiration and model to those who seek to work on such an endeavor. First-time visitors may wish to start by looking through the "Browse Collection" area. Here they can look at genealogical documents culled from the Library's extensive holdings, learn about the history of Denver's neighborhoods, and view historic maps of Colorado and other Western states. Moving on, the "Research Tools" area brings together a wide range of research tools for those persons looking into family history, Colorado vital records, and Colorado newspapers. Some of the resources are limited to those persons with a Denver Public Library card, but many are accessible to the general public. Finally, visitors can also sign up to receive their in-house newsletter which reports on their latest finding aids, books, and digital collections. [KMG]
Created in 1995, the Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center (GCMRC) was created in order to measure the effects of Glen Canyon Dam operations on natural and physical resources along the Colorado River. As such, the GCMRC’s projects also monitor and examine the biological, cultural, and physical resources of the entire Colorado River ecosystem. The materials on their site are divided into five primary sections, including "News & Info", "Research", and "Products". In the "News & Info" area visitors can learn about the endangered species that reside in the area covered by the GCMRC and also take a look at their outreach materials, which include fact sheets, posters, and transcripts from recent symposia. The "Research" area is a bit more technical in nature, containing papers on water flow simulations and elevation data. The site is rounded out by the "Products" area, where visitors can look over new publications and evaluate simulation models. [KMG]
http://ldpd.lamp.columbia.edu/lehman/
The late Herbert H. Lehman served in the United States Senate from 1949 to 1957, prior to that he was the Governor of New York from 1933 to 1942. He was also the son of Mayer Lehman, who helped found the noted investment banking firm, Lehman Brothers. The Columbia Universities Libraries Rare Book & Manuscript Library holds the Lehman Special Correspondence Files, which contains the Lehman family correspondence with nearly 1,000 individuals dating from 1895 to 1963. Lehman himself started this particular trove in order to isolate materials he wanted for his own personal use. This digital collection contains over 37,000 documents, which include letters from Benjamin Cardozo, Robert F. Kennedy, Adlai Stevenson, Robert Wagner, Alfred E. Smith, Henry Morgenthau, and Harold Ickes. Visitors can use the finding aid to locate specific items, and the search engine offered here is quite advanced. [KMG]
Created and maintained by the Berkeley China Internet Project, the China Digital Times (CDT) is a "collaborative news website covering China's social and political transition and its emerging role in the world." With their outstanding team of editors and media specialists, the CDT should be considered one of the most compelling sites covering important news and developments across China. Much like a traditional newspaper website, visitors can scroll through news highlights culled from various international media sources, add comments to various news items, and also search the entire site for specific materials. Those users with specific thematic interests will want to move right away to the "Sections" area, which breaks down news items into areas that include politics, society, Taiwan, economy, and culture. Even more fine tuned features can be found in the "News Focus" area, which includes sections that address human rights, the information revolution, and the environment. [KMG]
Andrew Carnegie was known for his philanthropy, and in 1895 he contributed his vast wealth to creating 22 various organizations that still bear his name. In 1901 he created what became known as the Carnegie Institution for Science with an initial gift of $10 million. Over the past century, the Institution has continued to support a wide range of scientific endeavors, and researchers such as Edwin Hubble, Barbara McClintock, and Andrew Fire have been associated with this august organization. On their first-rate site, visitors can browse through sections that profile their various departments (which include embryology and global ecology), read their latest reports, and view an interactive calendar of events sponsored by the Institute. Visitors with a scholarly bent will want to browse on over to the "Publications/Archives" section. Here they will find the Institute's annual report, listings of their books in prints, and a wide selection of online books. The online offerings span the past five decades, and visitors can view everything from "Ceramics for the Archaeologist" to "How Galaxies Rotate". Those persons looking for specific information about the Institution's academic departments would do well to click on through to the "Departments" area to learn more about fellowships, employment opportunities, and recent and forthcoming conferences. [KMG]
http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/2008/RAND_MG702.pdf
When policy makers and others think about what subjects to cut in public school, funding for the arts is often the first to be considered. This June 2008 report from the Rand Corporation takes a critical look at public-private partnerships in United States cities designed to reinvigorate and restore arts education in public school districts. Authored by Susan J. Bodilly, Catherine H. Augustine, and Laura Zakaras, the 109-page report focuses on programs in Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles County, New York City, and Alameda County in Northern California. The study itself was commissioned by The Wallace Foundation and found that "budget cuts resulting from state and local budget problems to the emphasis of the No Child Left Behind Act on reading and math have sharply reduced the number of arts teaching positions." Visitors will note that the study goes into great detail regarding the nature of these programs, and those working in the fields of public policy or arts education will want to let their colleagues and associates know about this timely study. [KMG]
http://www.unesco.org/shs/views
The Social and Human Sciences division of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) works on issues that include human rights, poverty eradication, and social transformations across the world. Starting in 2003, the division began to publish a quarterly magazine to keep interested parties abreast of their work and activities. The magazine is called "SHSviews" and the site provides users with access to current and previous issues. With a broad mission, the magazine contains works that analyzes the state of bioethics in Africa, AIDS outreach efforts in India, and the state of international anti-doping treaties. Visitors can scan through each issue and also sign up to receive the publication electronically. Additionally, the site contains an "Interviews" section, which brings together interviews with persons such as the director-general of the International Labour Organization and the mayor of Nairobi. [KMG]
