http://www.humansecuritygateway.info/index.php

This Canadian website highlights human security, which is the threat to individuals by one's own government or rebel forces in civil wars, rather than by foreign armies and other forces. The site is available in English or French and will prove to be a useful resource for researchers, policymakers, journalists, educators and the public. The more than 23,000 resources offered on the site include reports, journal articles, news, and fact sheets. On the upper left side of the homepage, you can choose to search by "Topics", "Regions", or "Resources". For a brief description of what the topics, regions, or resources encompass, you can choose (for example) "Describe Topics" located at the bottom of the drop down menu under Topics. Once you have clicked on that area, you will go to a screen of all the topics, with blue question marks next to them. Roll over the question mark to see an explanation pop up. Another useful feature is the ability for users to customize the updates that they receive via e-mail or RSS feed. [KMG]

http://www.dlfaquifer.org/home

The Digital Library Federation's website, Aquifer American Social History Online, is a site that brings together 175 collections that catalog American social history. Some of the types of materials included on the site are photographs, maps, oral histories, data sets, sheet music, posters, books and journal articles. On the right side of the homepage you can browse by "Times", "Subjects", and "Places". The items included here date back as far as the 1600s, covering the 50 states plus Puerto Rico and subjects ranging from African-Americans to World War II. Visitors can search using "Advanced Search", at the top of the page, or a simple search using the box at the top of the page next to the word "Go." Regardless of which search mode you use, you will be able to view your search results in "Image View", "Timeline View", or "Map View". "Map View" is the newest way to view your results, by showing a Google map of the United States with your first 100 results' locations pinpointed on the map. Under the "Tools" at the top of the page, you will find information about OpenID, Zotero, Collectus, and Image Viewer. By signing up for an OpenID, you can save your searches and results, as well as be notified of new material put on the site. Visitors can use the Zotero extension as a research tool to annotate and organize, as well as share the results of your research. The Collectus and Image Viewer, from the University of Virginia, allows visitors the opportunity to create and organize saved image collections and to generate slide shows for use in the classroom. [KMG]

http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/2008/RAND_MG697.pdf

Piracy is becoming an increasingly serious problem in many of the world's oceans and seas. Recent high-profile attacks on cargo ships and tankers have drawn the attention of large governmental organizations and those in private industry. This 53-page report published by the RAND Corporation in June 2008 takes a close look at the maritime dimensions of international security, with a special emphasis on the challenges it presents for the United States. Authored by RAND researcher Peter Chalk, the report looks at the current state of affairs in maritime security, and also makes a broad set of recommendations designed to improve maritime security across the globe. Not surprisingly, the report also takes a close look at the potential links between terrorism and piracy. The report is rounded out by a set of policy recommendations and an appendix which lists high-profile maritime terrorist incidents from 1961 to 2004. [KMG]

http://rru.worldbank.org/businessplanet/

A number of international organizations have grown interested in establishing databases that take a close look at the business climate around the globe. One organization is the World Bank, and they recently created this interactive mapping interface that allows users to discover how easy (or difficult) it is to do business in 181 economies. The Doing Business mapping interface program features more than 20 maps that cover over 190 economies across issues like "How often firms are expected to bribe tax inspectors" and so on. Additionally, visitors can toggle on and off various filters, look closely into different regions of the world, and also share links with colleagues through a toolbar at the top right corner of the site. The site also uses a pretty basic color-coded system to classify countries' business climate, with green indicating an "easy" business climate, orange indicating "moderate", and red indicating "difficult". [KMG]

http://www.newyorkfed.org/education/econ_eduforall.html

Many of the Federal Reserve Banks have significant educational outreach programs, and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York is no exception. Their "Financial Education for All" site produces a wide range of publications and fact sheets that are designed for the general public and for students of financial services, economics, and related fields. These documents are divided into sections that include "Banking", "Federal Reserve System", "Foreign Exchange", and "Home Ownership". Perhaps the most useful area is the "Monetary and Fiscal Policy" section, which includes documents such as "Understanding the Federal Budget", "U.S. Monetary Policy and Financial Markets", and a helpful overview of how open market operations function. Finally, visitors can also sign up for their RSS feed and contact members of their educational outreach team. [KMG]

http://library.syr.edu/information/spcollections/digital/breuer/

Master of modernism, Marcel Breuer spent a great deal of time working in the fields of modular construction, furniture design, and other endeavors. Before her death, Marcel Breuer's widow donated a large collection of his little-known architectural drawings and sketches to the Syracuse University Library. The institution already had a tremendous collection of Breuer's papers, and this selection of over 668 items represented quite a worthy addition. First-time visitors can read a brief overview of Breuer's work, and then they may go on to search through the collection by project title, subject, or keyword. Visitors who might be unfamiliar with Breuer's work may wish to browse around for a bit in order to get their bearings. Overall, it's a fantastic collection, and architectural historians and others will find the archive quite useful and interesting. [KMG]

http://mathdl.maa.org/mathDL/46/?pa=content&sa=viewDocument&nodeId=3120

Humans have long been interested in looking up into the sky and trying to figure out the nature of the planets, the sun, and the moon. Many ancient civilizations were able to systematically observe the sky and eventually they worked out mathematical schemes to describe what they found there. In this compelling article by Sandra M. Caravella, she takes a close look into how they were able to make these calculations. The article is divided into eleven short sections that include "Calculating Planetary Positions" and "The Basic Ancient Model". The piece is meant to be used in the classroom, and it's easy to see how it could be incorporated into the high school or college learning experience. The article also contains a bibliography and suggestions for further reading. [KMG]

http://www.fda.gov/cber/index.html

The mission of the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER) is "to protect and enhance the public health through the regulation of biological and related products including blood, vaccines, allergenics, tissues, and cellular and gene therapies." Their mission is an important one, and consumers and scientists will want to bookmark this page and return to it on a regular basis. On the right-hand side of the page, visitors can sign up for their RSS feed, check out the "About" section, and read through their FAQ. In the center of the page, visitors can peruse the "Hot Topics", which at any given moment might include information on influenza vaccinations or product recalls or withdrawals. The site is rounded out by topical guide to the site along the left-hand side of the homepage. [KMG]