ResourceShelf Newsletter 243

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ResourceShelf Newsletter
<http://www.resourceshelf.com>
Number 243  January 12, 2006

++  Thursday, January 12, 2006  ++


Resource of the Week
--------------------

Natural Science--FAQs
  Source: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)
  Frequently Asked Qustions

  The one-line description on this simple, uncluttered page says it
  all: "Our FAQ database contains hundreds of answers to frequently
  asked questions on a wide range of natural science topics." And so
  it does. You can browse these by topic -- they're in alphabetical
  order, from aerial photographs to wildlife -- or do a simple search
  of everything by typing a keyword or phrase in the text box
  provided. There are 34 topics in all, several of which pop up
  regularly as school report assignments, e.g., Endangered Species,
  Volcanoes.

By default, clicking on each FAQ topic will display 20 questions and
their answers. Radio buttons at the bottom of the page allow you to
display up to 100 questions and answers at a time (if that many are
available for a given topic). In some cases, the source of the
question and answer is available as a live link -- e.g., to the
Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) FAQs or the National Atlas
of the United States of America. This is pretty cool because it leads
you to related resources outside this site.

BTW, while you're browsing around here, you may want to also visit the
USGS Library. It offers four databases:

+ Geographic Names Information System (GNIS)

+ National Geologic Map Database

+ Publications Warehouse

+ Selected Journal Holdings

Additionally, there are vetted collections of links to map-related
sites, and U.S. and world geological surveys. You can also search the
library catalog.

Direct LINK to This ResourceShelf Post <http://digbig.com/4fxqd>


Professional Reading Shelf
--------------------------

Web Search--Google
  Source: SEW Blog
  Google Scholar Begins International Push
  Late word from Google Scholar that they now offer content in
  Portugese and Chinese (traditional and simlified) as well as
  interfaces for four countries.

Reference Reviews
  Peter's Digital Reference Shelf, January 2005, Is Now Online
  Dr. Jacso (from the University of Hawaii) reviews:
  EconPapers

  "The largest open-access, partially full-text database in economics
  containing information about journal articles, working papers and
  software, and sporting online usage statistics and links to
  digitally available cited and citing references is a perfect example
  to encourage social scientists to deposit research papers in open-
  access databases."

&

GenderStats
  "Useful compilation of gender-specific statistical indicators for
  ready reference from a variety of sources, with download/export
  options for further data processing."

Conferences--Canada
  Source: Information Highways
  17th Annual Information Highways Conference

Research Libraries--Statistics
  Source: ARL

+ More than 31% of the library materials budget is spent on electronic
  resources (PDF)

+ Research Library Trends - Introduction to the ARL Statistics 2003-04

Direct LINK to This ResourceShelf Post <http://digbig.com/4fxqc>


Resources, Reports, Tools, Lists, and Full Text Documents
---------------------------------------------------------

Health Statistics
  Source: KFF
  New Web Resource: GlobalHealthFacts.org

  Expect a full ResoureShelf overview soon. "GlobalHealthFacts.org
  provides the latest country and region-specific data on HIV/AIDS,
  tuberculosis and malaria; demographic and economic indicators;
  program funding and financing; and other emerging health problems
  such as avian flu. The data are displayed in tables, charts, and
  color-coded maps and can be downloaded for custom analyses.
  GlobalHealthFacts.org is a companion site to
  GlobalHealthReporting.org."

Legal Terms--United States--Glossary
  Source: USCourts.gov
  Updated, Legal Term Glossary
  Stumped by a legal term? An updated glossary of legal terms
  encountered in the various federal courts is now included on this
  web site."

Transportation--United States--Statistics
  Source: BTS
  Updated with Q4 Data: National Transportation Statistics 2005

Health--United States
  Source: CDC
  Recommended Childhood and Adolescent Immunization Schedule ---
  United States, 2006

Direct LINK to These ResourceShelf Posts <http://digbig.com/4fxqb>


Search Briefs
-------------

+ Seven Recently Published Patent Applications from Microsoft Deal
  with Computation of Web Page Ranking, Calculating a Docments
  Importance, and Search Spam Detection and More

+ From Package Tracking to Google Mini Users, More Examples of Google
  Maps (and Other Cool Stuff!)

Direct LINK to These ResourceShelf Posts <http://digbig.com/4fxqa>



                 ++  Wednesday, January 11, 2006  ++

Professional Reading Shelf
--------------------------

Public Libraries
  Source: IFLA
  Updated: Meeting User Needs: A Checklist for Best Practices
  18 pages; PDF

Public Records--Wisconsin
  Source: AP
  Bill would let people anonymously request records
  "People could anonymously examine statements listing the financial
  interests of public officials under proposed legislation. Under
  current law, people who look at the financial statements must
  disclose their names and employers -- information that is sent to
  the public officials who filed those statements."

Information Standards--Metasearch
  Source: NISO
  Metasearch Initiative Reaches Major Milestone
  "NISO's Metasearch Initiative has released its first round of
  documents providing the technical solutions to the challenge of
  providing federated search services. Just released: a Ranking of
  Authentication and Access Methods and Metaseach XML Gateway
  Implementors Guide."

Libraries--United States--Funding
  Source: LJ
  LSTA Funding Shows Slight Increase
  "In late December, Congress passed the Labor-HHS-Education
  Appropriations bill, which included a slight increase for Library
  Services and Technology Act funding over the previous year."

Medical Librarianship
  Source: MLA
  Now Available: January 2006 issue of The Journal of Medical Library
  Association

Articles include:

+ The MedlinePlus public user interface: studies of design challenges
  and opportunities

+ Information-seeking behavior and use of information resources by
  clinical research coordinators

+ How do primary care physicians seek answers to clinical questions? A
  literature review

+ Developing a virtual community for health sciences library book
  selection: Doody's Core Titles

+ Exploring the roles of librarians and health care professionals
  involved with complementary and alternative medicine

Direct LINK to These ResourceShelf Posts <http://digbig.com/4fxja>


Resources, Reports, Tools, Lists, and Full Text Documents
---------------------------------------------------------

U.S. Supreme Court--Confirmation Hearings
  Source: askSam
  Judge Alito Hearings: askSam Offers Database of Supreme Court
  Hearing Transcripts

  Phil Schnyder and the askSam team are offering (free) a searchable
  database (they call them eBooks) of transcripts of the confirmation
  hearings going on this week of U.S. Supreme Court nominee, Judge
  Samuel Alito. Another database contains more than 350 of Alito's
  published opinions and rulings. You can download the databases here
  along with a copy of the askSam reader (also free) here. The
  transcripts of the hearings will be updated daily. These databases
  are also available (search or browse) online. For more free eBooks
  from askSam, check this page.

Employers--United States--Lists & Rankings
  Source: Fortune
  Just Released: 100 Best Companies to Work For 2006

Top 10:

1. Genentech
2. Wegmans
3. Valero Energy
4. Griffin Hospital
5. W.L. Gore
6. Container Store
7. Vision Service Plan
8. J.M. Smucker
9. REI
10. S.C. Johnson & Son

Patents--United States--Lists & Ranking
  Source: USPTO
  USPTO Releases Annual List of Top 10 Organizations Receiving Most
  U.S. Patents

Patents--United States--Lists & Ranking
  Source: IFI Patent Intelligence
  IFI Announces Top Patent Winners for 2005

  "Using proprietary, state-of-the art indexing and standardization
  technology, IFI Patent Intelligence, a Wolters Kluwer business,
  today issued its annual compilation of the top U.S. patent winners.
  According to the analysis, the total number of U.S. patents issued
  in 2005 declined 12 percent compared to 2004. This is the second
  year in a row to show a decrease -- 2004 posted a 2.7 percent drop.
  Even IBM Corp., which tops the list this year as it has for 13
  straight years, saw a decline of more than 9 percent with 302 fewer
  patents than in 2004. At 2,972 patents, IBM's annual total falls
  below the 3,000 mark for the first time since 2001. Canon
  andHewlett-Packard come in at number 2 and 3 respectively, but well
  below IBM."

Schools--United States
  Source: NCES
  New, Parents' Reports of School Practices to Provide Information to
  Families: 1996 and 2003

  "his Statistics in Brief analyzes parents? reports of school
  practices to provide information to families, using data from the
  2003 Parent and Family Involvement in Education Survey and the 1996
  Parent and Family Involvement in Education and Civic Involvement
  Survey of the National Household Education Surveys Program. Parent
  reports of school information practices to involve parents in their
  children's education are described and are examined in relation to
  family involvement at school, and school, family, and student
  characteristics."

Electronic Surveillance--United States
  Source: Congressional Research Service
  Presidential Authority to Conduct Warrantless Electronic
  Surveillance to Gather Foreign Intelligence Information

Poets--Canada
  Writers--Canada
  Source: Library and Archives Canada
  New Web Compilation: Irving Layton (1912-2006)

Direct LINK to These ResourceShelf Posts <http://digbig.com/4fxjb>


Search Briefs
-------------

+ Cool! Newsplayer.com Offers Video Access to Over 100 Years of
  History

+ Ready Reference Databases: AcronymFinder Adds New Search Features

+ Answers.com Adds More Research Tools to Database

Direct LINK to These ResourceShelf Posts <http://digbig.com/4fxhx>


Briefly
-------

Factiva Granted United States Patent

Direct LINK to This ResourceShelf Post <http://digbig.com/4fxhw>


                  ++  Tuesday, January 10, 2006  ++


Professional Reading Shelf
--------------------------

Legal Information
  Source: Legal Information Committee of the Law Librarians
  Association of Wisconsin
  Report on the Public's Access to Legal Information and Assistance in
  Wisconsin

  40 pages; PDF. "The Public Access to Legal Information Committee of
  the Law Librarians Association of Wisconsin is pleased to announce
  the results of a year-long study of the public access to legal
  information and assistance in Wisconsin. Published in a 40-page
  report, the study compares access levels across libraries and
  courts, as well as noting success stories in the area of legal
  assistance to the public. An historical overview of the laws
  regarding county law libraries, as well as several sets of data, are
  included."

Academic Libraries--Digitization Projects
  Source: The Dartmouth Online
  Library to digitize many historical resources

  "Keeping up in the fast-paced digital technology world, the
  Dartmouth College Library recently announced a partnership with
  Readex, a Vermont-based company that specializes in online
  publications of historical collections. In the agreement, Readex
  will digitize the College's U.S. Congressional Serial Set as part of
  Readex's Archive of Americana collection. The Congressional Serial
  Set, which provides numerous primary sources from many aspects of
  American History, dates from 1817 to 1980. Although actual volumes
  from the Set are not rare, Readex chose Dartmouth's collection
  because of its completeness and condition."

Database Management
  Source: Information Week
  Data, Data, Everywhere

  "Megaterabyte databases are getting downright common. But with more
  real-time data, complex queries, and increasing numbers of sources,
  managing them is anything but routine."

Public Libraries--Architecture--Seminar
  Source: Office of Executive Education, Harvard University Graduate
  School of Design

  The Planning and Design of Public Libraries (March 20-22, 2006)

  "What do patrons want and expect from their local libraries? This
  three-day seminar, intended for architects and librarians, examines
  concepts and methods for the planning and design of public
  libraries. Participants explore library programming and design
  issues that are evolving rapidly to meet the changing demands of
  patrons for library services and technology."

Direct LINK to These ResourceShelf Posts <http://digbig.com/4fxht>


Resources, Reports, Tools, Lists, and Full Text Documents
---------------------------------------------------------

National Science Digital Library
  Resources for Educators

Two New Databases Added to National Science Digital Library Collection

+ MASSIVE: Math And Science Song Information, Viewable Everywhere
  "MASSIVE is a searchable online database of over 1500 math and
  science songs."

+ MicrobeLibrary "The MicrobeLibrary is an online collection of peer-
  reviewed teaching resources for undergraduate microbiology education
  supported by the American Society for Microbiology (ASM)."

Philanthropy--United States--Lists & Rankings
  Source: Chronicle of Philanthropy
  Biggest Grants Announced in 2005

Language
  Source: American Dialect Society
  Truthiness Voted 2005 Word of the Year by American Dialect Society
  (PDF; 220 KB)

  "In its 16th annual words of the year vote, the American Dialect
  Society voted truthiness as the word of the year. First heard on the
  Colbert Report, a satirical mock news show on the Comedy Channel,
  truthiness refers to the quality of stating concepts or facts one
  wishes or believes to be true, rather than concepts or facts known
  to be true. As Stephen Colbert put it, 'I don't trust books. They're
  all fact, no heart.' Word of the Year is interpreted in its broader
  sense as 'vocabulary item'?not just words but phrases. The words or
  phrases do not have to be brand new, but they have to be newly
  prominent or notable in the past year, in the manner of Time
  magazine?s Person of the Year. The election is serious, based on
  members' expertise in the study of words, but it is far from
  solemn."

Health Care--United States--Surveys
  Source: Kaiser/Hewitt
  Prospects for Retiree Health Benefits as Medicare Drug Coverage
  Begins Findings from the Kaiser/Hewitt 2005 Survey on Retiree Health
  Benefits

Travel Industry--United States--Statistics
  Source: BTS
  New, Cruise Passenger Traffic Shows Continued Growth
  "For the first nine months of 2005, cruise passenger traffic in
  North America was 4.5 percent above the same period in 2004, despite
  the impact of hurricanes on Gulf port cruises, according to third
  quarter statistics released by the U.S. Maritime Administration."

Academy Awards
  Source: AMPAS
  Just Released: Press Kit for the 78th Annual Academy Awards
  "The 78th Academy Awards press kit contains information about the
  history and structure of the Academy, an explanation of the voting
  procedures, information about the producer and host of the telecast,
  approved artwork of the Oscar statuette and other general
  information." It's also available in Spanish.

Direct LINK to These ResourceShelf Posts <http://digbig.com/4fxhs>


Briefly
-------

+ xrefer Signs Deal With Encyclopaedia Britannica, Concise
  Encyclopedia to be Added to xreferplus service

+ Complete List of American Society for Information Science and
  Technology Public Mailing Lists You'll even find a list for special
  interest group on blogs, wikis and podcasting.

+ London Librarian Finds Byron Manuscript (via ALA.org)

Direct LINK to These ResourceShelf Posts <http://digbig.com/4fxhr>


Search Briefs
-------------

+ Free Access to History: Don't Forget the British Pathe News Archive
  Database

+ 4INFO's Top SMS Search Queries of 2005

+ What Was Ask Jeeves Up to During the Consumer Electronics Show?

+ Google CEO Chats with the BBC About Online Info, Click Fraud (Not a
  Problem So Far), 20% Time, and the Competition

Direct LINK to These ResourceShelf Posts <http://digbig.com/4fxhq>


                  ++  Monday, January 9, 2006  ++


Professional Reading Shelf
--------------------------

Background Checks--Databases
  Sarbanes-Oxley Compliance Journal
  Largest Real-Time Database Of Criminal Infractions In The Country

  "Verified Person (VP), developer of the largest, real-time database
  of criminal infractions in the country, co-founded by John Sculley,
  former CEO of Apple and Pepsi, has pioneered the first-of-its-kind,
  automated search system that goes above and beyond pre-employment
  background checks to instantly alert employers of employees,
  contractors, or temporary workers acquiring a criminal record during
  the course of their employment."

Health Information
  MedlinePlus
  Source: NLM
  NLM Adds Herbal and Dietary Supplement Information to MedlinePlus

  "On December 13, NLM released another enhancement to its Web-based
  consumer health resource, MedlinePlus. In addition to information on
  thousands of prescription and over-the-counter medicines,
  MedlinePlus now includes over 100 herbal and dietary supplement
  monographs in English and Spanish from Natural Standard. Natural
  Standard is an evidence-based, peer-reviewed collection of
  information on alternative treatments."

Document Delivery
  Google Scholar
  Source: SEW Blog
  Google Scholar and Medicine; Infotrieve's ArticleFinder Database is
  Now Free

Google Book Search
  Source: Congressional Research Service
  New Congressional Research Report Looks at Google Book Search,
  Online Indexing and Fair Use

Library Organizations--United Kingdom
  Source: MLA: The Museums, Libraries and Archives Council and to the
  Joint Information Systems Committee (the JISC)
  UKOLN Annual Report, 2004-2005

Direct LINK to These ResourceShelf Posts <http://digbig.com/4fxhp>


Web Search--Clusty
  Source: SEW Blog
  Clusty Gives Benjamin Franklin His Own Search Engine
  From the SEW Blog, "News from Clusty this morning that they have
  launched a new "specialty search database" to mark the 300th Bithday
  (his tercentenary) on January 17th of one of American history's most
  important, most interesting, and most dynamic figures, Benjamin
  Franklin. The new site can be accessed and searched at:
  http://ben.clusty.com."; Much more about the new service and some
  commentary from Gary, on the SEW Blog.

Direct LINK to This ResourceShelf Post <http://digbig.com/4fxhn>


Resources, Reports, Tools, Lists, and Full Text Documents
---------------------------------------------------------

Banking--Database
  Source: askSam
  Basel II Accord

  "Search and analyze the text from Basel II. Basel II is the second
  Basel Accord. It contains recommendations by bank supervisors and
  central bankers from the 13 countries making up the Basel Committee
  on Banking Supervision to revise the international standards for
  measuring the adequacy of a bank's capital. It was created to
  promote greater consistency in the way banks and banking regulators
  approach risk management across national borders."

  See Also: More Free Downloadable Databases from askSam

Population--United States--Statistics
  Source: U.S. Census
  Fast Facts: *Special Edition* Oldest Baby Boomers Turn 60!

  "In 2006, the oldest of the baby boomers, the generation born
  between 1946 and 1964, will turn 60 years old. Among the Americans
  celebrating their 60th will be our two most recent presidents,
  George W. Bush and Bill Clinton. Other well-known celebrities
  reaching this milestone include Cher, Donald Trump, Sylvester
  Stallone and Dolly Parton. To commemorate this occasion, the Census
  Bureau has compiled a collection of facts relating to, perhaps, our
  most celebrated generation."

College Graduates--United States--Statistics
  Workforce--United States
  Source: NSF
  New Report, 2003 College Graduates in the U.S. Workforce: A Profile
  "The total number of college graduates[1] in the United States rose
  to 40,621,000 in 2003, an increase of 40 percent in the decade
  between 1993 and 2003."

Word Origins
  Source: Answers.com
  Answers.com Adds Collection of American Word Origins Info

Direct LINK to These ResourceShelf Posts <http://digbig.com/3fba>


Search Briefs
-------------

+ New Forum Discussion Search Tool

+ Cool! 3D Maps from Maps24

+ Search U.S. Business Listings in Spanish and Chinese; French,
  Japanese, and German Coming Soon

Direct LINK to These ResourceShelf Posts <http://digbig.com/4fxhm>


Briefly
-------

+ CSA Acquires Community of Science, Inc.

+ H.W. Wilson: Fiction Catalog--New 15th Edition Coming in February
  2006

+ EMBASE.com makes important inroad into China

Direct LINK to These ResourceShelf Posts <http://digbig.com/4fxhk>


                  ++  Sunday, January 8, 2006  ++

Professional Reading Shelf
--------------------------

Academic Integrity
  Source: Proceedings Librarians' Information Literacy Annual
  Conference (via E-LIS)
  Plagiarism Detection Software and Academic Integrity: The Canadian
  Perspective

  "In this study, we seek to determine how leading Canadian
  universities using text-matching software address issues of academic
  integrity. Particular attention will be paid to the role of
  librarians in promoting academic integrity and in educating students
  and faculty about information literacy. Having identified seven of
  the G10 currently using Turnitin, we intend to survey key
  stakeholders from each institution via electronic questionnaire for
  information on four areas relating to academic integrity: promotion,
  policy, education, and library involvement. We expect to report a
  summary of our findings, paying special attention to the current
  situation at McGill."

Direct LINK to This ResourceShelf Post <http://digbig.com/4fxhj>


Resources, Reports, Tools, Lists, and Full Text Documents
---------------------------------------------------------

Satellites--Databases
  Source: Union of Concerned Scientists
  Union of Concerned Scientists' Satellite Database
  "The database is a free research tool for specialists and non-
  specialists alike. It contains 21 types of data for each satellite,
  including: technical information (orbit, mass, power, launch date,
  expected lifetime); what the satellite is used for; and who owns,
  operates and built the satellite." Direct to Database (XLS file),
  User's Guide, and Update Info.

OS X--Applications
  Source: Mac Specialist
  Essential Mac OS X Applications
  Alphabetical list of links to key Macintosh OS X applications and
  utilities.

Employment-California--Surveys
  Source: San Jose Mercury News/Kaiser Family Foundation
  Survey of Bay Area Employment, 2005
  "This 2005 survey provides an in-depth look at workers in the Bay
  Area, their professional and financial challenges, and their views
  of the area's job market and quality of life."

Direct LINK to These ResourceShelf Posts <http://digbig.com/4fxhh>


                 ++  Saturday, January 7, 2006  ++


Professional Reading Shelf
--------------------------

Public Libraries--Canada
  Source: London Free Press
  Library installs bins for needles

  "London's Central Library has installed a new feature to go along
  with books, magazines and movies -- needle disposal bins in the
  public washrooms. 'We know the reality is that drugs are present in
  our society. The last thing you want is a needle left on the floor
  and someone picking it up,' Anne Becker, chief executive officer of
  the London Public Library, said yesterday."

Digitization--Audio
  Source: University of California, Santa Barbara Library
  Cylinder Preservation and Digitization Project

  "Cylinder recordings, the first commercially produced sound
  recordings, are a snapshot of musical and popular culture in the
  decades around the turn of the 20th century. They have long held the
  fascination of collectors and have presented challenges for playback
  and preservation by archives and collectors alike. With funding from
  the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the UCSB Libraries
  have created a digital collection of over 5,000 cylinder recordings
  held by the Department of Special Collections. In an effort to bring
  these recordings to a wider audience, they can be freely downloaded
  or streamed online."

Direct LINK to These ResourceShelf Posts <http://digbig.com/4fxhg>


Resources, Reports, Tools, Lists, and Full Text Documents
---------------------------------------------------------

Population--United States
  Source: U.S. Census
  Just Released, National and State Population Estimates for the Adult
  Population: 2005
  CSV file.
  See Also: 7/1/2005 State Age-Sex Population Estimates File for
  Internet Display

Motion Pictures--United States--Lists & Rankings
  Source: BoxOffice Mojo
  Top 150 Grossing Films, 2005 (Domestic U.S.)

Internal Migration--United States
  Source: United Van Lines
  Southeast, West Continue to Attract Residents as Midwest, Northeast
  See More Leave
  "During the year 2005, many people packed up and moved their homes
  to the Southeast and West, while the Midwest and Northeast
  experienced an increase in residents leaving, as measured by the
  business trends of United Van Lines, the nation's largest household
  goods mover."

Direct LINK to These ResourceShelf Posts <http://digbig.com/4fxhf>


Search Briefs
--------------

+ Google Faces Plenty Of Competition In Online Video Rental & Sales
  Marketplace Check out the new Vongo.com (U.S. Only) service I
  mention. Looks very cool! Unlimited movies (over 1000 titles and
  growing) to choose from.

Direct LINK to This ResourceShelf Post <http://digbig.com/4fxhe>



                 ++  Friday, January 6, 2006  ++


Professional Reading Shelf
--------------------------

Electronic Publishing
  Source: Campus Technology
  The Impact of Electronic Publishing
  From the article:

  "'It has always been a characteristic of our planet that, besides
  eating and sleeping and squabbling and reproducing, we are also
  producing knowledge,' writes Stevan Harnad, a scientist at
  Universite du Quebec a Montreal (Canada), who has been a vocal
  advocate in changing how we go about publishing all that knowledge.
  Electron-borne information is clearly transforming academic
  publishing; not just affecting how journals and books are assembled
  and distributed, but stirring up the culture that surrounds the
  creating and sharing of new knowledge. Some of these new
  manifestations look like hot-rodded versions of things we knew in
  the past (online journals, eBooks); while others (like research
  repositories, wikis, RSS feeds) are novel variants that may
  ultimately live or die, but meanwhile are teaching us lessons about
  how our research community really works."

Information Industry
  Source: ITI NewsBreaks
  Wrapping Up 2005; Looking Forward

Direct LINK to These ResourceShelf Posts <http://digbig.com/4fxhd>


Resources, Reports, Tools, Lists, and Full Text Documents
---------------------------------------------------------

Energy--Country Profiles
  Source: EIA
  Updated Country Energy Profiles for Iraq and Iran

Postsecondary Institutions--Faculty--Demographics
  Source: National Center for Education Statistics
  Employees in Postsecondary Institutions, Fall 2004, and Salaries of
  Full-Time Instructional Faculty, 2004-05

  "This report presents information from the Winter 2004-05 Integrated
  Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) web-based data
  collection. Tabulations represent data requested from all
  postsecondary institutions participating in Title IV federal student
  financial aid programs. The tables in this publication include data
  on the number of staff employed in Title IV postsecondary
  institutions in fall 2004 by primary occupational activity, length
  of contract/teaching period, employment status, salary class
  interval, faculty and tenure status, academic rank, race/ethnicity,
  and gender. Also included are tables on the number of full-time
  instructional faculty employed in Title IV postsecondary
  institutions in 2004-05 by length of contract/teaching period,
  academic rank, gender, and average salaries."

Direct LINK to These ResourceShelf Posts <http://digbig.com/4fxhc>


Search Briefs
-------------

+ bblocal and Other City Guides and Travel Resources for Mobile Users

+ BBC News Makes 80 "Iconic" Video Clips Available Using Creative
  Archive License

Direct LINK to These ResourceShelf Posts <http://digbig.com/4fxhb>


               ++  Thursday, January 5, 2006  ++

Resource of the Week
by Shirl Kennedy, Deputy Editor
-------------------------------

Society and Religion--Resource Round-Up.

+ American Religion Data Archive: "The American Religion Data Archive
  (ARDA) is a project funded by the Lilly Endowment, Inc., and acts to
  preserve quantitative data on American religion, to improve access
  to this data, to increase the use of the data, and to allow
  comparisons across data files. The ARDA collection includes data on
  churches and church membership, religious professionals, and
  religious groups (individuals, congregations, and denominations)."

+ The American Religious Experience (West Virginia University): "The
  American Religious Experience Project encourages the development and
  publication of American religion manuscripts and images on the World
  Wide Web. The project directors welcome manuscript submissions from
  instructors, students, and avocational scholars that inform our
  understanding and appreciation of American Religions. We hope that
  the page will eventually reflect the American religious landscape's
  remarkable diversity."

+ Divining America: Religion and the National Culture (National
  Humanities Center): "Divining America: Religion and the National
  Culture is designed to help teachers of American history bring their
  students to a greater understanding of the role religion has played
  in the development of the United States. It is based on the fact
  that American history and religion intersect importantly at various
  points--the Puritan migration to New England, for example,
  abolition, or the Civil Rights Movement. Divining America will
  illuminate these intersections, for to understand such events fully,
  students must acquire some appreciation of their religious
  dimensions."

+ Encyclopedia of Religion and Society: "We have tried to assemble
  entries, both lengthy and brief, that survey as broadly as possible
  the different theoretical traditions and research styles that have
  emerged over the century. Although more heavily oriented toward
  North America, the scope is global, and an effort has been made to
  address the major traditions of world religious experience. We also
  have attempted to provide a historical reference tool particularly
  with regard to the major professional societies in the social
  scientific study of religion: the Association for the Sociology of
  Religion, the Religious Research Association, the Society for the
  Scientific Study of Religion, and the Société Internationale de
  Sociologie des Religions--and as much as possible the Association
  for the Social Scientific Study of Jewry and Research Committee 22
  (sociology of religion) of the International Sociological
  Association. Entries are also provided for the sections of the major
  professional organizations, the American Psychological Association
  and the American Sociological Association. This resource is intended
  to aid each of these organizations in historical retrieval, and we
  hope that subsequent editions of this work may increase the detail
  that can be provided." From the Hartford Institute for Religion
  Research.

+ The Leonard E. Greenberg Center for the Study of Religion in Public
  Life: "The Leonard E. Greenberg Center for the Study of Religion in
  Public Life was established at Trinity College in 1996 to advance
  knowledge and understanding of the varied roles that religious
  movements, institutions, and ideas play in the contemporary world;
  to explore challenges posed by religious pluralism and tensions
  between religious and secular values; and to examine the influence
  of religion on politics, civic culture, family life, gender roles,
  and other issues in the United States and elsewhere in the world.
  Non-sectarian and non-partisan, the Center sponsors public lectures,
  organizes conferences and workshops, contributes to the liberal arts
  curriculum, and supports the publication and dissemination of
  materials for both academic and general aud

Direct LINK to This ResourceShelf Post <http://digbig.com/4fwdm>


Professional Reading Shelf
--------------------------

Library Leadership
  Source: CNI
  Podcast Interviews with Library Leaders

Wow! Including:

+ Purdue's James Mullins

+ University of Rochester's Susan Gibbons

+ MIT's MacKenzie Smith

+ UNC's José-Marie Griffiths

+ Northwestern's Jerry Goldman

+ DLF's Executive Director, David Seaman

+ ALA's Rick Weingarten

+ University of Minnesota's Joseph Konstan about GroupLens

+ NYPL's Barbara Taranto

+ An Interview with the Internet Archive's Brewster Kahle
  and many more.

Public Libraries--United Kingdom
  Source: MLA
  Library visits on the up for the third year running

  "For the third consecutive year there has been a rise in the number
  of people visiting public libraries in England. Statistics released
  today from the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy
  show that in 2004/05 visits to public libraries increased by over
  three million. There were over 17 million more visits to libraries
  in 2004/05 than there were in 2001/02."

Libraries--Marketing--Bibliography
  Source: Library Connect (Elsevier)
  Marketing Library Services: An Annotated Bibliography (PDF; 980 KB)

  "The role of the LIS professional is adapting to changing
  technologies, and our users' perception of the nature of the library
  is also changing radically -- particularly in universities. In this
  environment the effective presentation of the library is an
  essential survival tool. This is true whether a library is
  contributing effectively to an organization's overall marketing
  effort or, sensitively and subtly, promoting positive attitudes in
  the minds of its local constituency. Citations and annotations
  shared here will provide background, ideas, techniques and
  inspiration for both novice and experienced marketers."

Access to Information--United States
  Source: Searcher
  Shhh!!: Keeping Current on Government Secrecy
  A new article by ResourceShelf contributor, Laura Gordon-Murnane.
  See Also: A Selected Bibliography on "Sensitive But Unclassified"
  and Similarly Designated Information Held by the Federal Government
  (via LLRX.com)

Business Information
  Source: Online
  The New Life Cycle of Business Information
  New from Online Editor, Marydee Ojala.

Disaster Management
  Source: Federal Research Division, Library of Congress, FEMA
  Cost Estimates For The Replacement Of Periodical Holdings

  65 pages; PDF. From 2001. "The attached information was prepared in
  response to a request from the Federal Emergency Management Agency
  (FEMA). The agency contracted with the FederalResearch Division
  (FRD) to provide cost estimates for the replacement of periodical
  holdings lost by the North Dakota State University Library in a
  flood in 2000. In consultation with Library of Congress acquisitions
  experts, FRD developed a strategy for locating this information. A
  representative list of 375 periodical titles was developed and sent
  to potential suppliers, who were asked to provide replacement costs
  for in-stock items and for any other items they could obtain.
  Additional sources were contacted as they were identified. The
  estimates received from suppliers then were collated and provided to
  FEMA for use in computing replacement payments to the university.
  The project ran from January 1 to March 31, 2001."

Library Organizations--United States
  Source: ALA
  American Library Association debuts online Advocacy Resource Center

Direct LINK to These ResourceShelf Posts <http://digbig.com/4fwdh>


Resources, Reports, Tools, Lists, and Full Text Documents
---------------------------------------------------------

USA Patriot Act--Database
  Source: askSam
  USA Patriot Act: Free Searchable Version

  "Passed after the September 11, 2001, Terrorist Attacks, the Act
  expands the authority of U.S. law enforcement for the stated purpose
  of fighting terrorist acts in the United States and abroad. This
  expanded legal authority is also used to detect and prosecute other
  alleged potential crimes. Among its provisions, the USA PATRIOT Act
  amends the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). We've
  imported the complete legislative text into a searchable askSam
  database file."

Philanthropy--United States--Lists & Rankings
  Source: Chronicle of Philanthropy
  Biggest Gifts Announced in 2005

Publishing Industry--Salary Surveys
  Source: PW
  15th Edition of Publishers Weekly Salary Survey

Ready Reference
  Fast Facts
  Source: The World Almanac
  New, The January 2006 Issue of The World Almanac E-Newsletter is
  Online
  Contains a chronology of December events, January holidays, "This
  Day in History," and much more.
  See Also: Back issues and subscription info (free)

Direct LINK to These ResourceShelf Posts <http://digbig.com/4fxha>


Search Briefs
-------------

+ Access Event Information with New IM Bot from Eventful

+ Purchase Items and/or Compare Prices With Your Mobile Phone or
  Device

+ Sources for Product Reviews Online

+ PC World Talks Web Mail Betas and Desktop Search

+ New OSX Dashboard Widget for MSN Virtual Earth; Yahoo Maps Gets a
  Widget

Direct LINK to These ResourceShelf Posts <http://digbig.com/4fwdf>

(c) Willco Limited 2006 <http://www.Willco.com>

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