Websites of Interest

100 Places to Connect with Other Bibliophiles Online
Reading is no longer an individual activity. Thanks to online book clubs, book trading networks, social media sites, kids' networds and more, connecting with your fellow bibliophiles and gnashing about favorite books is easier than ever. From the Online Education Database (OEDb), a website that lists accredited online colleges. (Copyright 2009 by Librarians' Internet Index, 7/16/09)

American Bookbinders Museum

Information from this San Francisco museum dedicated to the art of bookbinding in the U.S. Its site features images and information about printing presses and other printing equipment (such as stampers, a glue machine, and a stapler), information about dozens of historical bookbinders, examples of endpapers, and descriptions of selected publications in the museum collection. (Copyright 2009 by Librarians' Internet Index, 6/17/09)

Field Trip Earth

Take your students on a world tour as they learn about Appalachian black bears, red wolves of Alligator River, the elephants of Cameroon and many more species without ever leaving the classroom. Students can read field reports and essays from wildlife experts, interview the researchers, listen to recorded phone calls, see videos shot in the field, and discuss conservation issues. Ongoing wildlife conservation projects from around the world are available from an interactive map. Clicking on a choice brings up a full report including a media gallery. There are a wealth of resources available for educators that include more than a dozen fact sheets for emerging readers on various animals such as the hippopotamus, polar bear, and African elephant; information on using the FTE server to create their own animal tracking maps online; reviews of at least twenty children’s books dealing with conservation topics including tips for how they can be used in conjunction with conservation study; an example of a map interpreting exercise; ideas for using paper-based activities alongside the Web site; plus a host of strategies (lesson plans) that have been submitted by other teachers. (Education World Site Reviews, 6/30/09)

Red Hot Jazz Archive

When the Scout Report last reviewed the Red Hot Jazz Archive in the spring of 1997, the site was pretty hot, and it has continued to heat up over the past decade or so. The Archive is primarily concerned with documenting the world of early jazzmen, so visitors will find ample information on Louis Armstrong, King Oliver, Kid Ory, Bunk Johnson, and many others. Visitors can start their journey through the site by clicking on the "Bands" area. Here they will find an extensive list of the bands from the "hot" era organized alphabetically. When visitors click on a band's name, they will be presented with a short summary of the band's accomplishments, and in many cases, some sample recordings. Moving on, the "Films" section is a real treat, as it contains information about some short films made about jazz bands in the late 1920s and early 1930s. What's even better is that four of the films are available in this section, including a version of "St. Louis Blues", as sung by Bessie Smith. Also, the site contains a series of essays by experts like Scott Alexander and George Avakian on the early days of jazz. (From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2009, http://scout.wisc.edu/, 7/17/09)

Understanding Records and Archives: Principles and Practices

Why do people create records? What are they good for? How can organizations use record-keeping to further their aims and goals? These are but a few of the questions explored by the course "Understanding Records and Archives: Principles and Practices". This site is part of the OpenCourseWare initiative at the University of Michigan, and the course itself was created and taught by Paul Conway. On this site, visitors can access a range of materials from the course, including the syllabus, a reading list, assignments, and a course schedule. In the "Lectures" area, visitors can read the notes from each class meeting, and the topics covered include basic archives concepts, legal issues, and the nature of archives. For anyone involved in information science and library studies, this site will be most useful. (From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2009, http://scout.wisc.edu/, 7/17/09)

Getting Boys to Read
For many adults, helping a boy find the right book can be a very hard task. This website offers motivation tips, reading suggestions, and ways to offer digital storytelling to engage boys with the love of reading. (American Libraries Direct, June 24, 2009)