Hundreds of libraries and archives exist online, from university-supported sites to individual efforts. Each one has something to offer to researchers, students, and teachers. This list contains over 250 libraries and archives that focus mainly on localized, regional, and U.S. history, but it also includes larger collections, eText and eBook repositories, and a short list of directories to help you continue your research efforts.
Beware
February 6, 2009 at 11:36 am (Posts for the Day)
Don’t say you weren’t warned http://blog.wired.com/gadgets/2009/02/austin-road-sig.html
New Book “The Idle Parent”
February 6, 2009 at 11:13 am (Posts for the Day)
This is one of my favorite authors, he wrote the book titled “How to be Idle” a must read…And his new book is “The Idle Parent” http://idler.co.uk/
Ceding control of the larder
When illness strikes, it can bring with it a welcome dose of idleness. A 24-hour tummy bug recently felled each of us in turn, and I found much to recommend in the experience. First of all, an ill child makes a refreshing change from a well child. Apart from the odd pile of vomit to clear up, one finds that the child is simply less work. The ill child sits on the sofa under a duvet quietly brooding and looking cutely Dickensian while you bustle about. It does not demand to be played with and it does not break things, scream, fight, butt siblings, torture animals or up-end the furniture. It eats little and its temper is gentle. Your heart goes out to it with a pity that is almost pleasurable.
After each child had expelled the bug, it was the turn of our four Easter holiday guests – a recently divorced dad and his three children – to succumb. Again, this was convenient as the ill guests required no meals and barely any attention, beyond the odd dose of Calpol. The dad even stopped drinking wine for a 36-hour period, producing a considerable financial saving.
Finally it was my turn and the sickness overtook me on the afternoon of my 40th birthday. I immediately went to bed and Victoria brought me fruit and hot drinks, an unusual but not unpleasant state of affairs: somehow the birthday combined with being ill produced in her a greater degree of solicitude. Clearly, the invalid was also spared any household duties. I picked up a copy of Pepys’s diary and read a few pages before letting it fall from my hand as I moved in and out of a colourful hypnagogic swoon.
The following morning, Victoria departed for a London trip and our guests also went home. I was left alone in the house, bed-ridden, with three children to take care of. I followed what seemed to me the sensible course, which was to do absolutely nothing. Rest was what I needed.
From time to time, the children wandered in to ask for something. I told them that I was ill and they would have to look after themselves. Arthur brought me a plate of fruit, proving once again that idle parenting produces useful children. Do nothing for long enough and they will start to fend not only for themselves but also for you.
After a few hours of this, I realised that I had nearly recovered. But it was 4pm. Had the children eaten anything all day? Arthur came in.
“Arthur,” I asked. “Have you kids had any lunch?” “Yes.” “Well, what did you eat?” “Henry had 13 Space Bars, I had seven and Delilah had five.” “I see.” In case you didn’t know, Space Bars – flat, sticky things made of pulped fruit – are what faddish parents like us substitute for crisps and suchlike. In everyday life, we severely limit intake of these treats. So it seemed that the children had taken the opportunity of my illness to indulge in a Space Bar binge.
They’d also had five hours of freedom to do what they chose without the admonishing presence of a parent. From their point of view, my being ill had been a great laugh. So: another great success for idle parenting.
The only downside was clearing up 25 Space Bar wrappers.
Being ill may be good these days but it was even better in the 18th century. The common prescription for any illness was laudanum and rest – a great combination, I imagine. This at any rate was supposed to be the secret of the success of Dr Erasmus Darwin (1731-1802), Charles Darwin’s eminent grandfather, according to the historian Roy Porter.
Where have all the laudanum-prescribing doctors gone? Now, we have to put up with cures that have had all the pleasure removed: Calpol and Benylin both proudly announce that they are non-drowsy, when surely drowsiness is just what is required?
I suppose that these medicines are designed to mask symptoms so we can carry on with “life” – ie go to the office or school -whereas I think the clever thing to do when ill is to take a well-earned break and give the children some self-sufficiency training into the bargain, all achieved by simply staying in bed.
Kevin Smith Has Seen J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek, Too?!
August 28, 2008 at 1:51 pm (Posts for the Day)
Star Trek 08
From FirstShowing.net:
I hate to sound like a broken record, but in Kevin Smith we trust! Just last week we heard that everyone’s favorite comic book geek / filmmaker had seen an early cut of Zack Snyder’s Watchmen, calling it “fucking astounding.” Now we hear today that he might have seen J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek, too! Or so he makes it seem in a radio chat with KROQ’s Kevin and Bean as transcribed by TrekMovie.com. And if he gets to see McG’s Terminator Salvation or X-Men Origins: Wolverine as well, then he’ll have already seen every big highly anticipated 2009 movie (damn him!). But back on the subject of Star Trek, his praise for this, albeit via some indirect statements, is equal to if not greater than what he had to say for Watchmen.
You can read all the jargon yourself, but here’s the just of what he had to say. He starts off with “I saw a movie last night that I cannot talk about.” But his response: “It was phenomenal.” And that’s not even the best part. The crafty hosts finally get him to speak about the film with very veiled statements. Here’s the best part for anyone who is excited to see Star Trek – this should leave you foaming at the mouth…
“The stars absolutely trek in this film. It is fantastic. Anybody who was worried doesn’t need to be worried–about this film I cannot talk about…It was in very capable hands. The director did a phenomenal job–the director and his crew. Top notch cast and the guy that plays the lead is an instant star. That dude is going to be so famous. He is so wonderful. He picked up a role that I would say is pretty challenging for someone to step into the shoes of, because it is a role that has been played before many times by the same guy.”
If we can believe that Mr. Smith did indeed see Star Trek and is indeed talking about Chris Pine as Captain James T. Kirk, then this is some awesome news. I’m as big of a believer in J.J. Abrams as I am Kevin Smith. And I know that it seems like the new trend amongst us online journalists to report everything Kevin Smith says as big news, but he’s honestly a reliable source. So ignore our infatuation with Kevin Smith and take this as some solid hype for Star Trek next summer. We’ll probably have to wait another few months until we see an actual trailer and can start buzzing about it again, but I know this will hold some of us over until then. Is this not frickin’ exciting to hear or what?!
Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest 2008
August 18, 2008 at 1:40 pm (Posts for the Day)
Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest
2008 Results
Theirs was a New York love, a checkered taxi ride burning rubber, and like the city their passion was open 24/7, steam rising from their bodies like slick streets exhaling warm, moist, white breath through manhole covers stamped “Forged by DeLaney Bros., Piscataway, N.J.”
Garrison Spik
Washington, D.C.
National Geographic/Around the World in 80+ Books
July 17, 2008 at 7:19 am (Posts for the Day)
Ultimate Travel Library: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/traveler/extras/travellibrary/library12.html
Collection of annotated booklists based upon selections in which “dozens of travelers (writers, photographers, explorers, editors, and others) … name[d] the books that have most enriched their sense of place and best informed their peregrinations.” These are “not guidebooks, but novels and narrative nonfiction and classic photography books.” Browsable by region of the world. Also includes an “Around the World in 80+ Books” feature. From National Geographic Traveler magazine. Post from Librarians’ Internet Index
100 Useful Niche Search Engines You’ve Never Heard Of
July 17, 2008 at 7:12 am (Posts for the Day)
Tags: Library
http://www.collegeathome.com/blog/2008/06/19/100-useful-niche-
search-engines-youve-never-heard-of/
From College@home
Though the general Google site is often touted as the number one search engine online, college students sometimes need more specific tools to help them uncover quality information on the Web that they can use for class projects, research papers, and even job and apartment searches. This list features a huge variety of search engines that can be useful to students,faculty and staff including tools that find photos, sound effects, summer internships, health and medical information, reference guides, and a lot more.
The 10 Biggest South Park Geek References
May 8, 2008 at 10:00 am (Odd stuff, Posts for the Day)
Great Post from Comedy Central:The 10 Biggest South Park Geek References
Scientists on their “life-changing” books
April 22, 2008 at 2:39 pm (Posts for the Day)
From New Scientist:
Scientists on their “life-changing” books
By David Pescovitz on Book
I always enjoy hearing about the reading habits of people who are much smarter and more interesting than me. New Scientist has a feature package where seventeen big name scientists recommend books that they considered “life-changing.” Here is the list of the scientists and the books they suggest, with each title linking to Amazon. Follow the link at the bottom of the post to the New Scientist article where you can read the scientists’ thoughts on their picks. From New Scientist:
1. Farthest North – Steve Jones, geneticist
2. The Art of the Soluble – V. S. Ramachandran, neuroscientist
3. Animal Liberation – Jane Goodall, primatologist
4. The Foundation trilogy – Michio Kaku, theoretical physicist
5. Alice in Wonderland – Alison Gopnik, developmental psychologist
6. One, Two, Three… Infinity – Sean Carroll, theoretical physicist
7. The Idea of a Social Science – Harry Collins, sociologist of science
8. Handbook of Mathematical Functions – Peter Atkins, chemist
9. The Mind of a Mnemonist – Oliver Sacks, neurologist
10. A Mathematician’s Apology – Marcus du Sautoy, mathematician
11. The Leopard – Susan Greenfield, neurophysiologist
12. Darwin and the Emergence of Evolutionary Theories of Mind and Behavior – Frans de Waal, psychologist and ethologist
13. Catch-22 / The First Three Minutes – Lawrence Krauss, physicist
14. William James, Writings 1878-1910 – Daniel Everett, linguist
15. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep – Chris Frith, neuroscientist
16. The Naked Ape – Elaine Morgan, author of The Aquatic Ape Hypothesis
17. King Solomon’s Ring – Marion Stamp Dawkins, Zoologist
