Websites of Interest

I Know Poe

Do you know Poe? Edgar Allen, that is. The Library of Virginia and The Poe Museum do, and they are inviting visitors to learn more about the man, the myth, the legend here at this collaborative exhibition website. Four icons greet the visitor: a raven, a swinging blade, a hot-air balloon, and a sinister looking cat. Clicking on the raven takes visitors to the "About the Man" area. Illustrated by primary documents from Poe's life (such as drafts of poems and highlights from the Southern Literary Messenger), this section serves as a fine introduction. One rather compelling fact described in this section is that Poe's best-selling book during his lifetime was in fact a guide to conchology, appropriately titled "The Conchologist's First Book". Moving on, visitors who click on the sinister cat section, formally titled "Explore the Myth", will find commentaries on some of the popular myths surrounding Poe. Visitors shouldn't miss the "Learn & Play" area (symbolized by the hot air balloon), as it contains the highly entertaining "I Know Poe Game Show". (From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2009. http://scout.wisc.edu/, 10/16/09)


Art & Architecture

This website was created by the Courtauld Institute of Art, a British institute created for the study of Western art. The website is "designed to be explored," and with over 40,000 images and a network of over 500,000 links, there's a great deal to explore. Because of the vast amount of content, visitors might find it helpful to first check out the link at the bottom of the page, entitled "About A&A". From there, click on the "How to Use the Art & Architecture Web Site". This extremely useful link has over a dozen categories of instruction, from "Basics" to "Search Tips" to "Profile and Preferences". The "Quizzes, Polls and Discussions" section on the left hand side of the page is a clever section with quizzes, such as those on the value of watercolors and polls. On the right hand side of the page the "Stories" area contains transcripts of fascinating interviews with artists and architects. ". (From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2009. http://scout.wisc.edu/, 11/6/09)



Mark Twain Boyhood Home and Museum

This museum in Hannibal, Missouri, includes author Mark Twain's boyhood home, the home of the girl who was the model for the Becky Thatcher character in "Tom Sawyer," and his father's office and courtroom, which was the model for the courtroom in "Tom Sawyer." The site features images of the buildings, a chronology and genealogy, a book publishing history, a large collection of lesson plans, and a section for children. (Copyright 2009 Librarians' Internet Index, LII, 11/5/09)


Vincent Van Gogh: The Letters

The letters written by Vincent Van Gogh have appeared many times before, but this is the first time they have appeared as part of a complete digital edition. This fascinating collection was created by the Van Gogh Museum and the Huygens Institute, and the letters were edited by Leo Jansen, Hans Luijten and Nineke Bakker. On the site, visitors can view 902 letters from and to Van Gogh, complete with detailed annotations and illustrations from the
master himself. First-time visitors should definitely click on the "Quick Guide" to get an overview of the site’s holdings, and then they should also take a look at the sections "Van Gogh as a letter-writer", "Correspondents", "Biographical & historical context", and "Publication History". The letters include those from many of his contemporaries, including Paul Gauguin, and of course, those lovely pieces of writing from his brother, Theo. Users can also use the search engine here to look around by keyword. Finally, visitors can also look through the "About this Edition" area to learn about the reading texts included here, the translations, and the annotations. (From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2009. http://scout.wisc.edu/, 11/13/09)


Louis Braille: His Legacy and Influence

This compelling digital exhibit pays homage to the life and work of Louis Braille, the inventor of the tactile six-dot reading and writing system which changed the way that blind people were able to understand and contribute to the world. The exhibit was created by the Library of Congress, and it complements an in situ exhibit at the Library’s James Madison Building. Clicking on the "Exhibition Items" will bring up two dozen items from the exhibit. There’s quite a trove here, including a historic image of the Library of Congress’s Reading Room for the Blind from 1902 and a tactile map of the District’s Metrorail system. Many of the documents also have extra interactive features that allow users to zoom in and out around each dot, image, or corner. (From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2009. http://scout.wisc.edu/, 11/13/09)


Langston Hughes Papers

A portion of the Langston Hughes Papers are available here on Yale University’s Digital Library site. Hughes' complete papers (1862-1980) are comprised of "letters, manuscripts, personal items, photographs, clippings, artworks, and objects" and are available at the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library. For the digitized collection, visitors should click on the "See All Images" option on the left hand side of the page to view the nine pages of thumbnail images. Each thumbnail image can be expanded so that visitors can view each image in detail. Each document can also be saved, by clicking "Save" above the thumbnail. The saved images are then moved to a folder that can hold saved images to be ordered, or just viewed again. The folder is called "My Group", and can be found below the pink menu near the top of the page. Visitors shouldn't miss the beautiful poem entitled "For A'lelia" that Hughes wrote for A'Lelia Walker after she died in 1931, and which was subsequently read at her funeral. It can be found in the second row of images, in the first spot, when "See All Images" is selected on the homepage. (From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2009. http://scout.wisc.edu/, 11/13/09)

- CEO, Youth Services Update, Issue 335, November 18, 2009