The Scout Report -- Volume 23, Number 37

Supported by the National Science Foundation, the Crowd & the Cloud is a series of television programs, launched in April 2017, that highlight a variety of citizen science projects around the world. For educators and librarians, this project also offers a variety of resources that will appeal to those who want to incorporate citizen science into their classroom, library, or community center. For example, under the Join a Project tab visitors will find the SciStarter Project Finder, which allows one to search for citizen science projects of interests by selecting the filters of Topics (e.g. Agriculture, Computers & Technology, Nature & Outdoors, Social Science), Area (e.g. Can Be Done Outdoors, Use a Smartphone or Tablet App), Activity (e.g. At Home, At School, on a Hike), and Age Group (ranging form Elementary School to Seniors). Visitors can also search for projects by keyword or location. In addition, visitors may want to check out the CitSci Calendar, which includes a timeline of the history of citizen science. Finally, on the site's homepage one will find a number of short documentary clips that may be incorporated into science classrooms. [MMB]

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In the Library with the Lead Pipe is a free, open-access online journal "founded and run by an international team of librarians working in various types of libraries" that seeks to reflect the views points of all librarian professionals and patrons, including "educators, administrators, library support staff, technologists, and community members." This publication originated as a group blog and grew into a formal, peer reviewed publication over the past decade. This journal publishes a range of articles, including analyses of best practices in a variety of libraries, literature views, original research studies, and more. Readers may find the most recent additions to this journal on the site's homepage. As of this write up, recent articles include a case study of a student literacy assessment for first year college students; an interview with a librarian with autism about neurodiversity in library settings; and a survey of digital humanities researchers in New York City. Readers can also check out all previously published articles via the Archives tab. [MMB]

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On April 7 1760, in the midst of the Seven Year War, approximately 1,500 enslaved individuals in Jamaica initiated what would be the largest slave revolt in the history of the British empire. To this day, however, many questions remain about this significant part of the history of slavery and imperialism: "Was the revolt a unified and coordinated affair, or was it instead a series of opportunistic riots? What in fact did the rebels hope to achieve? Was there ever a real danger to the British Empire in America or was the threat blown out of proportion by panicked whites? If the insurrection was as well planned as the colonists feared, why didn't it succeed?" Harvard University Professor and Historian Vincent Brown created this interactive map and timeline of the revolt in order to facilitate exploration of these questions among history scholars and students alike. Visitors of this digital history project may want to start by reading the Project section, which provides an overview of both the history of the revolt as well as Brown's mapping project. Visitors can then explore the project itself via the Map tab. This incorporates text from primary documents to create an illuminating narrative. Those interested in researching the revolt further will want to check out the extensive bibliography available in the Sources tab. [MMB]

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The Dickinson Electronic Archives was one of the first online archival collections. The original Dickinson Electronic Archives was launched in 1994 and was regularly updated until 2012 - the project's new archive collection is referred to as the Dickinson Electronic Archives 2. The site's founder, Martha Nell Smith, is both a leading scholar on Emily Dickinson and the founding director of the Maryland Institute for Technology in the Humanities. Last featured in the 11-30-1999 Scout Report, the Dickinson Electronic Archives 2 continues to offer both archival material as well as up-to-date essays and resources related to the famous poet. In the Exhibitions section of this website, visitors will find find five thoughtfully curated collections that provide insight into different aspects of Dickinson's work and life. For example, one exhibit explores the recent release of 1859 daguerreotype that possibly depicts Emily Dickinson at approximately 30 years of age. In this photograph, Dickinson appears self-assured, challenging conceptions about the poet's personality. Another exhibit, Ravished Slates, allows visitors to explore Dickinson's later drafts and papers. In addition, visitors looking for further resources about Dickinson, including teaching resources and scholarly books, can check out the Bibliography and Links sections. [MMB]

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From Austin, Texas's local NPR affiliate KUT comes Higher Ed, a "lively and entertaining weekly discussion of issues related to higher education." The show is hosted by Jennifer Stayton of KUT and Dr. Ed Burger, president of Southwestern University, Georgetown, Texas and covers a range of topics related to higher education, including curriculum, pedagogy, college readiness and more. On this website, visitors can browse recent episodes of Higher Ed, arranged by date of broadcast. Recent episodes include an exploration of how one knows if they have learned something; advice from graduating seniors to their former selves (in which Dr. Burger talks about what he heard from recent graduates in a recent event he hosted), and the role of social media in colleges. While these conversations are mainly geared toward four year colleges, some of these podcasts will may appeal more broadly to faculty and staff at all kinds of institutions of higher education. [MMB]

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The National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) and University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) offer the Research Applications Laboratory (RAL), which aims to "conduct directed research that contributes to fundamental understanding of the atmosphere and related physical, biological, and social systems; to support, enhance, and extend the capabilities of the scientific community; and to develop and transfer knowledge and technology for the betterment of life on Earth." On their website, RAL offers a number of publications relating to the lab's research. Visitors can browse these publications, organized by date, in the Publications section of the Who We Are tab; some of these articles are freely available, while others require subscriptions to publishing institutions. This section includes a link to the Open Sky Lab, which features archival material relating to the NCAR. Alternatively, visitors can also browse publications by topic via the What We Do Section, which features publications, articles, and information about ongoing research projects organized into six categories: Aviation Applications, Climate Science & Applications, Hydrometeorology Applications, Joint Numerical Testbed, National Security Applications, and Weather Systems and Assessment. [MMB]

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From the Canadian Cryospheric Information Network, in collaboration with numerous other research institutions, comes the Polar Data Catalogue, a collection of data and metadata related to polar research. These data collections may be of interest to scholars and students researching topics including geology, atmospheric science, and climate change. Visitors are invited to search this data repository via an interactive map labeled PDC Search Map, which is linked on the site's homepage. From here, visitors can view data that is collected from the Arctic and Antarctic, respectively. Additionally, visitors can open up one of the site's data collections, in order use this map to search for data by location. By selecting points on the map, the PDC automatically enters lines of latitude and longitude into the search tool, allowing users to find data in a selected area of interest. In addition, visitors are also invited to search for data by keyword. Alternatively, the somewhat more user-friendly PDC lite tool allows visitors to search more limited sets of data by regions of Canada. [MMB]

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Launched in 1903 and still in publication, The Burlington Magazine is the longest running academic art journal in the English language. For art historians interested in the early days of this journal, a number of issues published between 1903 and 1922 have been digitized and made available by the Internet Archive. These digitized issues include all text and images (including photographs and illustrations, in both color and black and white) from this voluminous journal and can be read in their entirety. Articles featured in this digitized collection include: "The Early Painters of the Netherlands as Illustrated by the Bruges Exhibition of 1902" by W.H. James Wheale (1902); "English Domestic Spoons" by Henry Newton Veitch (1912); and a series on the "Chinese Philosophy of Art" by Arthur Whaley (1920-21). These early issues provide a glimpse into early twentieth century British criticism and the field of art history. [MMB]

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From the National Park Service, Clemson University, and the Institute of Museum and Library Services comes the Open Parks Network, an extensive digital repository of images related to the U.S. national parks, past and present. This impressive collection, which includes over 200,000 images, can be explored by Park and by Collection. As of this write up, the Open Parks Network features 19 national narks. Each of these parks contain multiple specific collections, ranging from Civil War Newspaper Illustrations (part of the Fort Sumter National Monument); Jimmy Carter Memorabilia (from the Jimmy Carter National Historic Site) and items from the National Prisoner of War Museum (from the Andersonville National Historic Site). Of course, this collection also includes a number of striking images taken of the parks themselves throughout history, revealing how the national parks have changed over time. [MMB]

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Crash Course Computer Science is one of the latest additions to the popular YouTube series founded by Hank and John Green in 2011. Hosted by computing educator Carrie Anne Philbin, this series debuted in February 2017. As of this write up, the series includes 27 episodes. As Philbin explains in the show's preview, this series is not a "how to" series designed to teach viewers how to program. Rather, this series is designed to introduce members of the general public to the history of computers, the major concepts behind computing, and the role of computers in our contemporary society. Individual videos in this series include Early Computing, Representing Numbers and Letters with a Binary, Intro to Algorithms, and The Cold War and Consumerism, to name just a few. This series is designed to be viewed sequentially, as episodes build off of concepts and information presented in earlier episodes. [MMB]

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During World War I, over 350,000 African-Americans served in the racially segregated U.S. Military. In addition, numerous African-American individuals, including African-American women, served in the Red Cross and played a critical role in wartime industry on the homefront. The National World War I Museum and Memorial, in collaboration with the Google Cultural Institute, has created this powerful online exhibit that allows visitors to learn about the role of African-Americans in World War I. This exhibit centers on a rich collection of photographs, letters, and other primary documents. These items are organized into a series of "chapters" and accompanied by annotations that provide additional context and, at times, biographical information about individuals. At the heart of this exhibition is the tension inherent in the fact that black Americans fought in segregated troops to "make the world safe for democracy." The material in this exhibit allows visitors to explore these tensions while learning more about the varied individual experiences of African-Americans during World War I, both at home and abroad. [MMB]

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Pitt Med Magazine is a quarterly publication from the University of Pittsburgh. While aimed explicitly at "alumni, students, staff, faculty, and friends of the School of Medicine," this accessible and engaging magazine may appeal more broadly to people interested in news and research developments in the areas of health and medicine. In the Fall 2017 edition of the magazine, visitors will find an article about an ongoing research project at the University, led by Dr. Toren Finkel, that examines aging and the human "health span" or "the period of life during which a person remains free from serious illness." Another article, excerpted from an upcoming book The Inheritance by Niki Kapsambelis, profiles a family intimately affected by early-onset Alzheimer's disease. Interested readers can download PDFs of previous issues of Pitt Med Magazine via Archives. Podcast fans may also be interested in the magazine's podcast, the PitMedcast. [MMB]

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Fans of StoryCorps, the project that records powerful stories from everyday people in "storybooths" across the United States, will also enjoy the project's accompanying blog. (Those unfamiliar with StoryCorps may want to check out the 02-02-2007 issue of the Scout Report) Here, visitors will find extended interviews, news about projects and initiatives, and more. In one recent entry, readers can check out recordings from 10 institutions that were recently awarded the Institute of Museum and Library Service's 2016 National Medal. Another recent entry features an excerpt from the recently published StoryCorps book Calling: The Purpose and Passion of Work. This particular excerpt features an interview between friends that highlights the work of Clarence "Clancy" Haskett, who works as a beer vendor at sporting events. [MMB]

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Launched by Olga Harmsen in 2012 (and inspired by Julie Powell's blog about Julia Child), About Art Nouveau is a delightful and informative blog about all things Art Nouveau. Updated regularly, this blog explores Art Nouveau design and architecture around the globe and provides reports about recent exhibitions and events that may be of interest to Art Nouveau enthusiasts. As of this write up, recent entries include a report from the Reseau Art Nouveau Network (RANN) conference in Glasgow, Scotland; an examination of the recent exhibit Prints in Paris 1900: From Elite to the Street in Amsterdam's Van Gogh museum; and an interview with Matt Hughes, a contemporary Art Noveau artist based in Atlanta, Georgia. Visitors are invited to explore previous blog posts by a number of subject tags. Harmsen is especially interested in Art Nouveau around the globe, and in the Itineraries tab, visitors may explore previous blog entries by cities, from Buenos Aires to Vienna to Moscow to New York. [MMB]

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Alternative Transport is a blog dedicated to "old, current and new travel, transportation and language." Authored by "cartography, language and travel enthusiast, with an engineering background," Stephan F. Steinbach, this eclectic blog will appeal to those who enjoy exploring maps, ruminating on urban planning, or analyzing linguistic trends, among others. Public transit enthusiasts will be especially interested in Steinbach's recent series in the city of Vienna (where Steinbach lives), while considering the history and geography of the city's bus system and the ways Viennese residents choose to commute in the city. Another recent post compares and critiques various cartograms designed in the past several decades that depict global population by country. Finally, Steinbach is especially interested in mapping lexical distance, or the relationship of various languages with one another. Worth noting: Steinbach (who is not a trained linguist) created his own map of lexical distance, which recently caught the eye of the website Open Culture. [MMB]

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Europeana (http://www.europeana.eu/portal/en), the large consortium of museums, archives, and libraries in Europe, released the Art Up Your Tab plug-in for the Chrome browser in April of this year, and in August made it available for use with the Firefox browser. Europeana's developers say that there is a set of images related to fire and foxes loaded in the Firefox version. Once installed, every time a new tab or window is opened in the browser, its background is a full-screen image selected from the over 53 million digitized items in Europeana's collections. Images are accompanied by descriptive caption information, including the artist, the institution that contributed the image, license information, and can be downloaded and reused instantly. The first few images we saw after installing the plug-in included a late 19th century Japanese print; a 1950s photo of a Dutch family of 10; a miniature painting of a marine officer, created in 1759 by Dutch painter Joseph Marinkel; and a 1924 pink and black chalk drawing of a unicorn by another Dutch artist, Gerrit Willem Dijsselhof. (The Rijksmuseum in the Netherlands is a major contributor to Europeana and has a liberal usage policy for its images.) Europeana hopes "that seeing inspiring and unexpected artworks will make you put your busy life on hold for a brief moment and spark your imagination." [DS]

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Group video conferencing can be both extremely useful and very annoying to set up. Tribe provides group video chats of up to 8 participants with very little set up. When a Tribe call is started, a unique link is generated that can be shared to invite new participants to the call. On desktop or laptop computers, users need only have a modern browser to join a call. No additional software is required. Smartphone apps are also available for iOS and Android devices. Tribe calls can also be integrated into Slack chats. More whimsically, Tribe includes video filters similar to Snapchat and has a number of integrated games. [CRH]

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