ResourceShelf Newsletter 254 March 30 2006

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ResourceShelf Newsletter
<http://www.resourceshelf.com>
Number 254
March 30, 2006


 ++  Thursday, March 30, 2006  ++


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

Economics--United States--Portal
  Source: Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
  Liber8

  Here is a website by librarians for librarians. "Federal Reserve
  Bank of St. Louis librarians designed this site with university and
  government document librarians, students, and the general public in
  mind. Economic information can, at times, be difficult for the non-
  economist to find and understand. We hope this site will provide a
  single point of access to the economic information that the Federal
  Reserve System, other government agencies, and data providers have
  to offer. We specifically selected non-technical sources that would
  be simpler to use and easier to understand."

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


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

Metadata
  Source: PerX
  New Publication: The Power of Good Metadata Discussed in 'Marketing'
  with Metadata -- How Metadata Can Increase Exposure and Visibility
  of Online

  Content
  From a synopsis, "'Marketing' with Metadata - How Metadata Can
  Increase Exposure and Visibility of Online Content is aimed at
  content providers of various kinds -- for example, journal
  publishers, professional societies and database providers and owners
  -- who may have such data, or metadata, available for the content
  they produce." See Also: Metadata (via Digital Curation Centre) A
  chapter from the DCC Curation Manual. Excellent intro to metadata.
  See Also: Introduction to Metadata: Pathways to Digital Information
  (via Getty Research Institute A full text book on the topic.

Internet2--Statistics
  http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/Internet/INTERNETII/Internet_II.html

Weblogs
  Wikis
  Source: Intelligent Enterprise

  One Person's Opinion: Wikis, Blogs and Other Points of Failure

  A column by Joshua Greenbaum. From the column, "I hate to be the one
  to throw cold water on the latest cool thing, but wikis and blogs --
  and all the other unwashed, untethered, so-called "new information"
  sources proliferating across the enterprise -- are, all too often,
  just a lot of bunk masquerading as information...The integrity of
  all information -- corporate or private -- rests on the ability of
  users to judge the validity of the source. So heaven help us if no
  one calls the bloggers and wikites on the carpet when they mislead
  and misinform; degrading information on the Internet will globalize
  ignorance to an incredible degree. And the last thing anyone needs
  these days is more global stupidity. We have enough politicians
  contributing to that problem already."

Vocabularies
  Medical
  Source: NLM New Fact Sheets Provide Info About Unified Medical
  Language System

+ Unified Medical Language System "The purpose of
  NLM's Unified Medical Language System (UMLS) is to facilitate the
  development of computer systems that behave as if they "understand"
  the meaning of the language of biomedicine and health."

+ UMLS
  Metathesaurus "e Metathesaurus is a very large, multi-purpose, and
  multi-lingual vocabulary database that contains information about
  biomedical and health related concepts, their various names, and the
  relationships among them."

+ UMLS Semantic Network "The Semantic
  Network consists of (1) a set of broad subject categories, or
  Semantic Types, that provide a consistent categorization of all
  concepts represented in the UMLS Metathesaurus and (2) a set of
  useful and important relationships, or Semantic Relations, that
  exist between Semantic Types."

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


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

Newspaper Archives
  Digitization Projects
  United States History
  Source: NewspaperARCHIVE.com
  Two New Archives of Historic Material (Free) from
  NewspaperARCHIVE.com


  Since January we've been chronicling a steady stream of FREE, full
  text, full image, searchable/browsable newspaper archives focused on
  a specific topic from NewspaperARCHIVES.com. The company is part of
  Heritage Microfilm based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. This week the
  company has released two new archives each containing tens of
  thousands of newspaper articles from various newspapers. Each
  article is delivered as a pdf file ready for printing or saving.
  Kudos to Heritage for offering these databases and underlying
  content at no charge. Also a great way to see local newspaper
  coverage.

What's New this Week?

+ FBI Newspaper Archive
  More than 50,000 full text articles about the FBI, criminals, etc.
  Love the timeline.

+ September 11th Archive
  More than 15,000 articles. Advanced interfaces are available for
  both databases.

See Also: Links to More Archives from NewspaperARCHIVES.com Including:

+ MartinLutherKingJrArchive
+ Pro Baseball Archive
+ College Basketball Archive
+ Abraham Lincoln Archive
+ AsbestosArchive.com (Asbestos and Asbestos Related Lawsuits)
+ HMS Titanic Archive
+ Winter Games Archive

Reference Shelf--Statistics
  Source: OECD
  Just Released, OECD Factbook 2006: Economic, Environmental and
  Social Statistics

  "How does France compare with other EU countries in terms of growth
  in labour productivity? Where does Japan rank versus the other major
  developed countries in public spending on health? People and
  politicians want to know how their countries and regions are
  performing. The OECD's Factbook is designed to help them." Numbers
  in charts and graphs available in Excel format. Data, reorganised by
  country, also available.

Digital Libraries--Science
  Resources for Educators
  Source: Exploratorium, San Francisco
  New, Exploratorium Digital Library

  Expect a closer look from ResourceShelf soon. From the site, "The
  different collections in the library include digital media and
  digitized museum materials related to interactive exhibits and
  scientific phenomena, including images, educational activities in
  PDF and html formats, QuickTime movies, streaming media, and audio
  files. You may search, select and download digital files for
  individual, noncommercial educational use."

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


Briefly
-------

+ Convera and Factiva enter indexing deal (via IWR)
+ H.W. Wilson Introduces New Web Technical Support Center

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


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

+ Happy 1st Birthday to Yahoo 360

+ Google Files With SEC To Offer More Shares of GOOG

  5.3 million shares of Google Class A shares to be precise. That's
  about $2.1 billion based on tonight's closing price. What for? "This
  offering will partially meet the anticipated needs of index funds to
  purchase Google Class A common stock when Google is added to the S&P
  500 Index at the close of trading on March 31, 2006. Proceeds from
  the offering will be used for general corporate purposes, including
  working capital and capital expenditures, and possible acquisitions
  of complementary businesses, technologies or other assets...We have
  no current agreements or commitments with respect to any material
  acquisitions. Pending such uses, we plan to invest the net proceeds
  in highly liquid, investment grade securities."

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


                 ++  Wednesday, March 29, 2006  ++

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

Librarianship--Quotations
  Source: IFLA
  Quotations about Libraries and Librarians: Subject List
  An author index is also available.

Health Information--United States
  Source: U.S. National Commission on Libraries and Information Science
  NCLIS Announces Finalists for 2006 Health Information Awards (PDF)

  "The U.S. National Commission on Libraries and Information Science
  (NCLIS) today announced the ten finalists for the 2006 NCLIS Health
  Information Awards for Libraries. The awards are designed to
  encourage library programs that address one or more of the
  following: dietary choices; exercise; smoking cessation; alcohol
  and/or drug abuse prevention or cessation; immunizations and health
  screenings; and improved health literacy, that is, the ability to
  understand and make use of health information." See Also: NCLIS
  Announces 2006 Health Awards State Winners -- Inforation Technology
  Source: Pew Internet and American Life Project Teens and technology
  (PDF) A presentation given by PI&ALP Director, Lee Rainie, at the
  Public Library Association Conference last week. "This is a
  discussion of the eight realities of technology and social
  experience that are shaping the world of today's teens and twenty-
  somethings. It looks at the growing role of technology in teens'
  lives, the way they use their gadgets, their expectations about how
  to find and use information, and the social consequences of their
  use of technology."

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


Scholarly Publishing--Citation Reports
--------------------------------------

Source: ISI

+ Science in Japan, 2001-05
+ The 20 most-cited countries in Chemistry for 1995-August 31, 2005
+ Journals Ranked by Impact: Business, Finance
+ Chemical Engineering: High-Impact U.S. Universities, 2000-04
+ Canadian Universities: Highest Impact in Organic Chemistry/Polymer
  Science, 2000-04

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


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

Information Technology--Forecasts
  Source: Computer Industry Almanac
  Smartphones to Outsell PDAs by 5:1 in 2006

  "What a difference two years can make. In 2003 worldwide PDA sales
  surpassed Smartphone sales by over 70%. In 2005 Smartphones outsold
  PDAs by a factor of 3.4 to 1, which is forecasted to reach 5:1 in
  2006. Smartphone sales will continue to grow and will surpass PDA
  sales by an 11:1 margin in 2011."

Counties--United States--Lists & Rankings
  Source: TNS Financial Services
  TNS Study Names Top Ten Wealthiest U.S. Counties (PDF; 120 KB)

  "TNS Financial Services today released its list of the top ten
  wealthiest counties in the United States. The Affluent Market
  Research Program (AMRP), TNS annual survey of wealthy U.S.
  households, identifies the ten counties across America with the
  highest number of millionaire residents."

Bankruptcies--United States--Statistics
  Source: US Courts
  Bankruptcy Filings Surge in Calendar Year 2005
  Tables in xls are available.

National Security--United States--Database
  Source: White House (via askSam)
  askSam Makes Searchable/Browsable Version of Recently Released
  National Security Strategy Available

  "Search and analyze the the full-text of The 2006 National Security
  Strategy of the United States. On March 16, 2006, the White House
  released President Bush's second term National Security Strategy
  (NSS), which reflects the President's most solemn obligation: to
  protect the security of the American people. The NSS explains how
  the United States governemnt is working to protect the American
  people, advance American interests, enhance global security, and
  expand global liberty and prosperity. You can browse this databases
  online or download it to your PC."

See Also: More Searchable/Browsable e-Books Databases from askSam

Documents in the News
  Radioactive Materials
  Source: GAO
  Two New Reports from the GAO (via DocuTicker.com)

+ Border Security: Investigators Transported Radioactive Sources Across Our
  Nation's Borders at Two Locations

+ Border Security: Investigators Successfully Transported Radioactive
  Sources Across Our Nation's Borders at Selected Location

Population--United States--Statistics
  Source: U.S. Census
  Two New Reports
  The Black Alone Or in Combination in the U.S.: 2004 and 2003 and The
  Asian

Alone Or in Combination in the U.S.: 2004 and 2003 -- National-level
tabulations from the Current Population Survey for non-Hispanic blacks
and Asians by age and sex. Internet addresses:

+ The Black Alone or in Combination Population in the U.S.: 2004 and
  2003

+ The Asian Alone or in Combination Population in the U.S.: 2004 and
  2003

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


Freebies
Web 2.0
  Source: PC World
  Just Released: 101 Fabulous Freebies
  All sorts of goodies in more than 10 categories. Also new on the web
  is the SEOmoz Web 2.0 Awards. Over 300 sites, tools and services
  listed.

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


Briefly
-------

+ Alacra Store Unveils New Keyword Search
  One-stop shop search and purchase reports from over 35 business info
  publishers. Basic company snapshots are free. Advanced search
  interface also available.

+ New Edition Posted: Scirus News Update
+ Scirus index surpasses 250 million mark
+ New: Daily indexing to Repository Search partners
+ Grouping of results per source

+ CIPO improves searching capability of Canadian patent documents

Direct LINK to These ResourceShelf Post <http://digbig.com/4gygn>



                  ++  Tuesday, March 28, 2006  ++


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

ERIC
Education--Databases
  Source: ERIC
  New, ERIC Structured Abstract Initiative

  "ERIC is developing a structured abstract format for ERIC database
  records. Structured abstracts, pioneered by the scientific
  community, provide a template for the presentation of common
  research study elements such as background, purpose, research
  design, and conclusions. They provide readable, informative, and
  accurate summaries that enable users to quickly identify and
  evaluate research literature." Learn more about the SAI here.

Council for Networked Information
  Source: CNI
  Project Briefings: A Preliminary List

  A look at the many projects that CNI is backing. Most listings have
  direct links to the actual project. Presentations about these
  projects will be made next week at the CNI spring 2006 Task Force
  Meetings. Lots of interesting material here.

Copyright--United States--Fair Use--Congressional Testimony
  Source: Library Copyright Alliance
  The Role of Fair Use in Libraries and Education--Testimony from the
  Library
  Copyright Alliance

Finding vs. Discovering
  Source: St. Petersburg Times
  The endangered joy of serendipity

  "Serendipity is defined as the ability to make fortunate discoveries
  accidentally.... Think about the library. Do people browse anymore?
  We have become such a directed people. We can target what we want,
  thanks to the Internet. Put a couple of key words into a search
  engine and you find -- with an irritating hit or miss here and there
  - exactly what you're looking for. It's efficient, but dull. You
  miss the time-consuming but enriching act of looking through
  shelves, of pulling down a book because the title or the binding
  interests you. Inside, the book might be a loser, a waste of the
  effort and calories it took to remove it from its place and then
  return. Or it might be a dark chest of wonders, a life-changing
  first step into another world, something to lead your life down a
  path you didn't know was there."

Libraries--Databases
  Web Search
  Source: NY Times
  Searching for Dummies

  Unfortunately, the libary world has heard much of this before. Yet
  another look at the poor info retrieval skills. The question is what
  are we doing to change things? In 2002, this article from the
  Columbia Journalism Review (by an instructor at Harvard) said the
  same type of thing.

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


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

Country Profiles
  Source: Federal Research Division, Library of Congress
  Just Updated: United Arab Emirates
  25 pages; PDF.

Sleep
  Source: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
  New Guide: Your Guide to Healthy Sleep
  60 pages; PDF. Summary and more resources here.

Small Business--United States--Statistics
  Source: U.S. Census
  Fast Facts: Small Business Week 2006
  SBW begins on April 9th. This new compilation offers a wide range of
  statistics. Stats include:

+ $830 billion
  Receipts for nonemployer businesses (those without paid employees)
  in 2003, up from $586 billion in 1997. These nonemployers, often
  "mom and pop" corner stores or home-based businesses, comprised more
  than 70 percent of all businesses.

+ 5.3 million
  Number of business establishments with fewer than 10 employees in
  2003. Among these businesses, 3.9 million employed fewer than 5
  people.

+ 1 million
  Number of nonemployer businesses added to the nation's total between
  2002 and 2003.

Business Research--Guides
  Source: Science, Technology and Business Division, Library of
  Congress Both print, electronic, and web-based resources are listed.

+ United States Money
+ The Sports Industry
+ Peter Drucker: A Tribute. Resources by and about Peter Drucker (1909
  - 2005)
+ Financing Your Future: Selected Guides to Personal Financial
  Planning

Higher Education--United States--Statistics
  Source: BLS
  College Enrollment and Work Activity of 2005 High School Graduates

Internal Revenue Service--Audits--Statistics
  Source: TRAC (Syracuse University)
  Only 30 out of more than 180,000 Millionaires Faced Traditional IRS
  Audits Last Year

  "New data from the IRS reports that only 30 of the nation's 180,000
  plus millionaires were subject to face-to-face audits in FY 2005.
  Analysis by Syracuse University's Transactional Records Access
  Clearinghouse (TRAC) also shows that when only traditional face-to-
  face audits are considered, those reporting less than $25,000 in
  total positive income were six times more likely to be audited than
  all those reporting $200,000 or more in income. IRS continues to
  withhold from TRAC statistical data it has made public in the past
  that might explain the aberration." (via DocuTicker.com)

Phishing--Statistics
  Source: Anti-Phishing Working Group
  New, January Phishing Trends Report Available
  "No Relief from Phishing Onslaught of '05 Holidays, Password-Stealing
  Crimeware Hits New Record"

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



                  ++  Monday, March 27, 2006  ++



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

Archives
  Source: The International Council on Archives (ICA)
  The ICA Section for Archival Education and Training: Training the
  Trainer

  Resource Pack Now Online

"The Training the Trainer resource pack is intended for anyone who
  wants some guidance or direction in planning, organising and
  delivering effective training for both professionals and support
  staff whatever their working or learning environment. The bulk of
  the pack addresses the various techniques for delivering training
  but it also covers the practical administrative tasks that are
  essential for successful training courses and which underpin the
  training content." The complete pack can be downloaded (Zip File).

Jargon Alert Buzzword Bingo, The Ultimate Icebreaker, Training Tips
http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/Teachers/jargon.html

Privacy--United Kingdom
  Data Security--United Kingdom
  Source: ManagingInformation.com
  Two Thirds Of Businesses Fail On Data Protection And Privacy

  "A new survey among the UK's leading businesses -- all of the
  FTSE100 organisations 'reveals that around two thirds of them are
  failing to handle incoming telephone enquiries related to data
  protection and privacy,' despite their IT systems. The Marketing
  Improvement survey, entitled 'How FTSE100 Companies Handle Data
  Protection and Privacy Enquiries', suggests that while many of these
  organisations may have addressed the technical challenges presented
  by the requirements of data protection and freedom of information
  laws, they have failed the people and processes issues." The study
  is available here but does require registration.

Access to Information
  Ordnance Survey--UK
  Source: The Guardian
  Ordnance Survey challenged to open up

  From the article, "The inventor of the world wide web has called for
  more open access to Ordnance Survey (OS) mapping data -- and may get
  his wish later this year. Sir Tim Berners-Lee told an Oxford
  University audience last week getting "basic, raw data from Ordnance
  Survey" online would help build the "semantic web," which he defines
  as a web of data using standard formats so that relevant data can be
  found and processed by computers. 'There's a moral argument that
  says, for a well-run country, we should know where we are, where
  things are, and that data should be available,' he said."

Direct LINK to These ResourceShelf Post <http://digbig.com/4gygj>


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

Iraq--Documents
  Source: NY Times
  Iraqi documents are put on Web, and search is on

  "American intelligence agencies and presidential commissions long ago
  concluded that Saddam Hussein had no unconventional weapons and no
  substantive ties to al-Qaida before the 2003 invasion. But now, an
  unusual experiment in public access is giving anyone with a computer
  a chance to play intelligence analyst and second-guess the
  government. Under pressure from Congressional Republicans, the
  director of national intelligence has begun a yearlong process of
  posting on the Web 48,000 boxes of Arabic-language Iraqi documents
  captured by American troops." Direct to Documents via Foreign
  Military Studies Office Joint Reserve Intelligence Center

See Also: Recently Posted Documents
See Also: Overview via Director of National Intelligence (DNI.gov)

Health
  Source: MedlinePLUS
  New Topical Resource Compilations

+ Minerals

+ Arm Injuries and Disorders
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/arminjuriesanddisorders.html

Minimally Invasive Robotic Laparoscopic Kidney, Prostate, and Bladder Removal
http://www.brynmawrurology.com/



Higher Education--United States--Statistics
  Source: NSF
  Time to Degree of U.S. Research Doctorate Recipients

  "This InfoBrief looks at the relationship between doctorate field
  and average time-to-degree differences. Broad field of study
  differences in time to degree are first examined over a 25-year
  span, then differences across more detailed fields are described in
  terms of standard Carnegie classifications of doctorate-granting
  institutions for the 2002?03 academic year, hereafter referred to as
  2003."

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


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

+ InfoSpace Begins Beta of New Local Directory Search Service Quite
  the busy day in Seattle at the Infospace HQ. First, the new
  location-based search l deal with Sprint Nextel (see below) and also
  the launch (beta) of a new local directory service/interface. More
  here.

Fast Facts about InfoSpace Beta
++ Residential and business listings
++ Interface consists of two search boxes ("Who or What" and Where)
++ Search by Neighboorhood Option (Example: Greenwhich Village;
  Country Club

Plaza, MO; Lincoln Park Neighborhood, IL)
++ Search near Landmarks (Example: Independence Mall, PA)
++ More examples here
++ Refine by (Distance/Radius, Name, Business Category)
++ View Results on Map (Uses MSN MapPoint Technology)
++ "What's Nearby" Feature on Each Entry Page
++ Links to Send Entries Direct to Mobile Phone (Other Offer This
  Feature) and

Get Driving Directions

++ Directory data from InfoUSA and Acxiom

+ Sprint to offer local search on phones (via Reuters) This fee-based
  service ($2.99) combines location-aware services (the phone knows
  where you are) to help you find theatres, restaurants, etc. It's
  powered by InfoSpace. "Initially Sprint and InfoSpace do not plan to
  charge businesses for being listed in the directory but such
  services are eventually expected to create advertising revenue." The
  Sprint/InfoSpace deal is non-exclusive. It also doesn't stop someone
  from using other mobile web directory services. Requires download. I
  do think the location-based technology coupled with local search is
  quite powerful. We will test the service asap. More in this news
  release.

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


Briefly
-------

+ Standards: NISO Launches RFID Committee

+ See Also: UK: CILIP launches second RFID in Libraries Conference

+ Coming Very Soon: Biography Index: Past and Present

+ New EBSCOhost Features Now Available
  From RSS feeds to clustering.

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


                  ++  Sunday, March 26, 2006 ++

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

Tagging
  Social Search
  Social Networking
Tagging Words are Folksonomy which is explained here:
  http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/Technology/podcast.html

  Newsweek Cover Story Tackles Social Search, Tagging and Related
  Issues
  This time Newsweek tackles social search, tagging, and the rest.
  Flickr's Caterina Fake and Stewart Butterfield grace the cover.
  Services mentioned include the usual suspects and a couple of
  others:
+ Flickr
+ YouTube
+ MySpace
+ Facebook
+ imeem
+ Dabble (This company hasn't even launched yet and the authors can't
  describe what it is; their pr person should get a raise.)
+ del.icio.us


Internet
  Online News
  Source: Pew Internet & American Life
  Online News: For many home broadband users, the internet is a
  primary news source

  "By the end of 2005, 50 million Americans got news online on a
  typical day, a sizable increase since 2002. Much of that growth has
  been fueled by the rise in home broadband connections over the last
  four years. For a group of 'high-powered' online users -- early
  adopters of home broadband who are the heaviest internet users --
  the internet is their primary news source on the average day."
  Direct to full text report. (via DocuTicker.com)

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


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

Science--Solar Eclipse--Webcast
  Source: Exploratorium
  Live Web Coverage/Webcast (March 29, 2006) of Total Solar Eclipse

  "On March 29th, a total solar eclipse will darken parts of the North
  Atlantic, Africa, and Southern Asia. But you don't have to go any
  further than the Exploratorium to experience this spectacular event:
  we're presenting a whole evening of entertainment, including a LIVE
  webcast from Side, Turkey." NOTE: ARCHIVE AVAILABLE

Biometrics
  Source: U.S. Department of Defense: Biometrics Management Office
  Biometrics 101

  "This tutorial provides a high-level overview of biometric
  technologies, and is offered courtesy of the National Defense
  University, Fort McNair, Washington, DC." Modules include
  Definition, Why Use Biometrics, Types of Biometrics, Basic Terms, A
  Little Science, Cultural & Social Issues. See also: Biometrics
  Glossary

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


Conferences
-----------

Podcasting
  Vlogging
  Personal Broadcasting
  Source: The New Media Consortium (NMC)
  Coming in April: NMC Online Conference on Personal Broadcasting
  April 26-27, 2006 -- via the Internet (Fee-Based)

  "The conference features 45-minute live breakout sessions conducted
  in an interactive online format, each with a "live/interactive"
  component, a "presentation-on-demand" component, and a vibrant
  threaded discussion that will expand on and illuminate the topic."
  Interedested in presenting? You can submit proposals through April
  3rd.

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


                 ++  Saturday, March 25, 2006  ++

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

Current Awareness
  Source: BNA
  Current Awareness Resources: BNA's Web Watch
  Free. A periodic review of online resources prepared by the BNA
  Library's Laura Gordon-Murnane (and ResourceShelf and DocuTicker
  contributor). Here you will find links to government, industry, and
  academic resources on selected topics spanning the breadth of BNA
  coverage. New subjects will be posted weekly, and new resources will
  also be added to existing topics."

WebJunction E-Learning Advisory Committee named (via OCLC)

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


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

Iraq
  Source: U.S. Joint Forces Command, Center for Operational Analysis
  Command releases JCOA-produced Iraqi perspectives report

  "Can history be wrong? Not exactly, but history can be distorted if
  data is provided by only one side's perspective. U.S. Joint Forces
  Command has released an unclassified historical report of military
  operations conducted in Iraq. The twist is that this historical
  report reflects the Iraqi civilian and military leadership's
  perspective of events."

+ Iraqi Perspectives Project: A View of Operation Iraqi Freedom from
  Saddam's Senior Leadership (PDF: 7.2 MB)

+ Media Roundtable on the Iraqi Perspective Project -- Transcript

Education--United States--Surveys
  School Libraries--United States--Surveys
  Source: NCES
  Just Released, Characteristics of Schools, Districts, Teachers,
  Principals, and School Libraries in the United States: 2003-04
  Schools and Staffing Survey

  "The Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS) is the nation's most
  extensive sample survey of elementary and secondary schools and the
  teachers and administrators who staff them. This report introduces
  the data from the fifth administration (2003-04) of SASS. It is
  intended to give the reader an overview of the SASS data for the
  school year 2003-04 through tables of estimates for public, private,
  and BIA-funded schools and their staff." Direct to Full Text (PDF;
  1.12 MB)

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


                 ++  Friday, March 24, 2006  ++


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

Libraries--United States--Funding
  Source: IMLS
  Institute of Museum and Library Services Awards Over $160 Million to
  State Libraries

  "Anne-Imelda Radice, Ph.D., Director of the federal Institute of
  Museum and Library Services (IMLS), announced grants totaling more
  than $163 million to states for library service. 'This funding helps
  libraries meet the changing needs of their communities,' said Dr.
  Radice. A recent national study from the American Library
  Association (ALA) underscores this assertion -- 92% of Americans
  surveyed believe libraries will still be needed in the future, even
  with all of the information available on the Internet." See Also:
  Direct to IMLS Awarded Grants Database

Sensitive Information--Australia
  Access to Information--Australia
  Source: Parliamentary Library, Parliament of Australia
  New Research Brief, Spy versus spy: Government control of sensitive
  information
  16 pages; PDF.

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


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

U.S. Department of State--Databases
  Foreign Policy--United States
  Source: NARA
  National Archives Makes Portions of U.S. State Department's Central
  Foreign Policy Files (1973-1974) Available Online

  "For the first time, the National Archives and Records
  Administration has made available online more than 400,000 State
  Department telegrams and other records for 1973 and 1974."

Aging--United States--Surveys
  Source: AARP/USC
  New, Images of Aging in America 2004

  "The facts and fallacies of growing old are scrutinized in this
  AARP/University of Southern California study of how much adult
  Americans know - or think they know - about aging. While the people
  surveyed are moderately knowledgeable, the study found that many
  still have misconceptions about aging and older people."

Pollution--United States--Lists & Rankings
  Source: Forbes
  America's Most Polluted Cities
  Also includes list of most polluted cities in China and the world.

Roads--United States
  Bridges--United States
  Source: Federal Highway Administration
  Recently Released, Status of the Nation's Highways, Bridges, and
  Transit: 2004

  Conditions and Performance

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


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

+ Content from 60 Minutes Coming to Yahoo Video (via Reuters)

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


Cool Tools
----------

WIFI LOCATION FINDER
http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/Technology/Web_Sites.html

+ WiFi Location Finder + Local Info = Loki (via Boston Globe)
  Wow! It really works. "A Boston company is giving away software that
  can turn nearly any laptop computer into a global positioning
  system, enabling users to find the nearest restaurant, hospital, or
  gas station at the touch of a button."

See Also: Microsoft Live Local Also is Testing a Wi-Fi Based Location
Finder

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



               ++  Thursday, March 23, 2006  ++

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

Government Secrecy
  Source: Federation of American Scientists Project on Government
  Secrecy Secrecy News

  First, a little background on the Federation of American Scientists
  (FAS).

  This venerable non-profit organization is 60 years old. It was
  founded in 1945 by atomic scientists from the Manhattan Project
  "...who felt that scientists, engineers and other innovators had an
  ethical obligation to bring their knowledge and experience to bear
  on critical national decisions, especially pertaining to the
  technology they unleashed...." Some 66 Nobel laureates sit on its
  Board of Sponsors. The Federation undertakes a wide range of
  research and education projects "in nuclear arms control and global
  security; conventional arms transfers; proliferation of weapons of
  mass destruction; information technology for human health; and
  government information policy," and has lately turned its attention
  to "our country's critical challenges in housing, energy, and
  education," including a Housing Technology Project.


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


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

Encyclopedias
  Source: Ask the Researcher (via MySA.com)
  Encyclopaedia Britannica strikes back...

  Julie Domel, a news librarian at the San Antonio Express-News,
  reports on a letter (and shares some great comments) that was sent
  to educators about the recent study in Nature regarding EB's's
  science coverage as compared to Wikipedia. EB says in the letter the
  research was invalid and goes on to explain their side. The actual
  letter (PDF) is available here. Great work Julie and thanks for
  sharing!

See Also: Nature mag cooked Wikipedia study (via The Register)
See Also: Internet encyclopaedias go head to head (via Nature, 12/05)
See Also: Wikipedia Pretty Accurate (via ABC News, 12/05)

Learning
  Source: JISC
  New, Designing Spaces for Effective Learning

  "The focus is on the way technologies can transform space
  utilisation, as well as merely being 'fitted into' the design.
  Taking the approach of a walkthrough in an imaginary educational
  institution, the guide highlights current thinking about the use of
  learning technologies in key areas and their impact on these
  physical spaces. Richly illustrated, it also offers architect's
  prototype designs and concludes with a checklist of key points to
  help senior managers embarking on new build and refurbishment
  projects." 36 pages; PDF.

Preservation--Audio
  Source: CLIR, National Recording Preservation Board, Library of
  Congress New, Capturing Analog Sound for Digital Preservation:
  Report of a Roundtable

  Discussion of Best Practices for Transferring Analog Discs and Tapes

  "This report investigates procedures to reformat sound on analog
  carriers to digital media or files. It summarizes discussions and
  recommendations emerging from a meeting of leading audio
  preservation engineers held January 29?30, 2004, to assess the
  present state of standards and best practices for capturing sound
  from analog discs and tapes." Direct to Full Text (43 pages; PDF).

Library of Congress
  Source: ARL, ALA, CLIR, and NHA
  Joint Letter in Support of Library of Congress FY 2007 Budget
  Request PDF.

Libraries and Librarians
  Source: UKOLN
  A New Issue of Focus on UKOLN is Now Online
  Read about a variety of events and projects including the Immortal
  Information Project.

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


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

+ Yahoo Launches US VoIP Services (via BetaNews.com)
  Learn more direct from Yahoo.

+ A Deeper Look At Personalized News Search Engines (via SEW Blog)

+ Share Google Reader Feeds (via Google Blogoscoped)

+ LookSmart's Zeal Directory To Close (via SEW Blog)
  Yet another reason why non-commerical directories like LII, IPL,
  Infomine, and RDN are so important.

+ ProQuest Launches Central American Archives

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


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

Lookup Databases--United States
  Source: Melissa Data
  Street Names Lookup
  Quickly access a list of streets and address ranges for any U.S. Zip
  Code. Then, clickand see imagery and maps of the location using
  Google, MSN, and Yahoo mapping products. The service is free. More
  lookup databases (free) from Melissa Data.

Health--United States--Databases
  Source: NLM
  TOXMAP Adds New Chemical and Health Data

  "In response to feedback from users, the National Library of
  Medicine (NLM) has added new chemical and health-related data to its
  interactive mapping site, TOXMAP...Now, users can also use TOXMAP to
  find information about Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
  Superfund sites and substances. The Superfund program is part of a
  federal government effort to clean up land in the United States that
  has been contaminated by hazardous waste and identified by the EPA
  as a candidate for cleanup because it poses a risk to human health
  and/or to the environment...TOXMAP has also added mortality data
  from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the
  National Cancer Institute (NCI), as well as age and gender data from
  the US Census, and income data from the Bureau of Economic
  Analysis." Direct to Toxmap Database.

International Business--Costs--Lists & Ranking
  Source: KPMG
  Competitive Alternatives: KPMG's guide to international business
  costs

  "Competitive Alternatives represents KPMG's guide for comparing
  business costs in North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific. The 2006
  study is the most thorough comparison of international business
  costs ever undertaken by KPMG, and contains valuable information for
  any company seeking cost advantage in locating their international
  business operations. The study is an expansion and update of
  previous KPMG publications, and measures the combined impact of 27
  significant business cost components that are most likely to vary by
  location. The study covers 17 industry operations in nine
  industrialized countries: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the
  Netherlands, Singapore, the United Kingdom, and the United States."
  (via DocuTicker)

Labor--United States--Statistics
  Source: BLS
  Women in the Labor Force in 2005
  Updated fact sheet compiling data from several sources. Thanks to
  Stuart B. (a new ResourceShelf contributing editor) for the news
  tip.

Country Profiles
  Source: Federal Research Division, Library of Congress
  New Profile, Algeria
  22 pages; PDF.

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

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

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