LII Newsletter Archive
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In January 2010, the LII Newsletter was renamed
"The Link: The Official Newsletter of the ipl2" and
was published on the ipl2 WordPress Blog.
Links listed within these archived pages are not maintained.
This week's collection features copper thieving, the semantic Web, one way to spend $1.2 trillion, seeing the world with T-rays, and the low-down on that villain of the ocean, the California sea lion. Bon appetit from librarians Wendy, Charlotte, Jennifer, and Maria.
Tip of the Week
Time to hug a tree: Arbor Day approaches any number of times around the country in the coming weeks.
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The Ancient Americas
This exhibition "takes you on a journey through 13,000 years of human ingenuity and achievement in the western hemisphere, where hundreds of diverse societies thrived long before the arrival of Europeans." Features an exhibition overview, a FAQ about culture and the Americas, essays (about topics such as the Ice Age), interactive features, links to related collections, educational resources (including a glossary and reading materials), and more. From the Field Museum, Chicago.
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/25639
Listen to sound files of "the world's earliest sound recordings. These files are not excerpts; they are the full tracks as processed so far." Includes scratchy yet audible clips of a French folk song recorded in 1860 (17 years before the phonograph was invented by Thomas Edison), a phonoautogram recording of the New York City Metropolitan Elevated Railroad from 1878, and others. From a collaborative of audio historians, recording engineers, sound archivists, and scientists.
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/25791
World Book and Copyright Day
Links to resources for this "world-wide tribute to books and authors" held on April 23, "a symbolic date for world literature for on this date in 1616, Cervantes, Shakespeare and Inca Garcilaso de la Vega all died." Provides links to material from UNESCO, the World Intellectual Property Organization, and other websites from the United Nations (UN) and other international groups. Available in several languages. From the UN.
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/25748
You Shall Tell Your Children: The Passover Haggadah in the Yale University Library Collection
Online exhibit of selected images from editions of the Haggadah, "a compilation of biblical passages, prayers, hymns, and rabbinic literature -- [that] was probably assembled sometime during the Second Temple period in Palestine and was meant to be read during the Passover Seder." Includes manuscripts, early printed editions, modern Israeli editions, and other modern versions. From the Yale University Library Collections.
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/25771
Copper Theft: The Metal Theft Epidemic
This article discusses increased copper theft (often from power lines), which has resulted from higher prices for scrap copper. Describes the extent of the epidemic, the connection between copper wire theft and crystal meth (methamphetamine) use, and attempts to combat the problem (such as lobbying programs linking "metal theft to terrorism through the fact that utilities are considered critical infrastructure"). Includes a related slide show. From CSO, a magazine for corporate security officers.
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/25766
This site provides background about metals theft, which "has become an overwhelming problem across the country." It provides examples of and alerts about thefts of metal, such as metal artworks, water covers, copper cathodes, copper-clad railroad signal wire, and aluminum tent frame inserts. Also includes a FAQ and recommended practices for scrap yards for minimizing the risk of purchasing stolen scrap metal. From the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries, and industry organization.
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/25768
U.S. Treasury: Blueprint for a Modernized Financial Regulatory Structure
Government website for the regulatory plan released on March 31, 2008, that is designed to maintain "America's leading role in the global capital markets" by establishing "a rationalized regulatory structure that can adapt to the dynamic U.S. marketplace while improving oversight." Includes the plan, a fact sheet, information about opportunities for public comments, news and announcements, and related speeches. From the U.S. Department of the Treasury.
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/25793
W3C Semantic Web Activity
Background and updates about the semantic Web, which is a "web of data." It "provides a common framework that allows data to be shared and reused across application, enterprise, and community boundaries." Includes a FAQ, collection of documents pertaining to semantic Web specifications such as Resource Description Framework (RDF) and Web Ontology Language (OWL), other publications and presentations, and related links. From the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C).
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/25720
What $1.2 Trillion Can Buy
This January 2007 article evaluates the cost of Iraq War in terms of "what you could buy with the money." Includes a graphic comparing the annual cost of the war to the cost of other potential government programs such as universal health care and universal preschool. Also includes links to related materials about the economics of the Iraq War. From The New York Times.
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/25744
Quick Information For Your Health
"The following titles represent easy-to-read health information available in both English and Spanish. Some titles are available as printable PDFs and as printed brochures for ordering." Brochure topics include diabetes, arthritis treatments, giving medicine to children, volunteering for clinical trials and medical treatments, and using medicine safely. From the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/25713
SelecTree: A Tree Selection Guide
With information on more than 1,400 trees, this tree selection guide features options for searching, browsing by common and scientific names, and generating a list of trees that match a set of attributes (such as height, fragrance, and water and soil requirements). Tree profiles include photographs, growth habit, pest and disease problems, and more. From the Urban Forest Ecosystems Institute, based at California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly).
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/23066
The Gulf Coast's Everyday Heroes
This 2008 ongoing series profiles "some of these little-known heroes who are making a difference" in the rebuilding of New Orleans and Gulf Coast following 2005's Hurricane Katrina. Profiles include educators, religious leaders, a doctor, and the developer of a community database. Includes audio and print pieces. From National Public Radio (NPR).
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/25684
"America's National Game": The Albert G. Spalding Collection of Early Baseball Photographs
"Over 500 photographs, prints, drawings, caricatures, and printed illustrations from the personal collection of materials related to baseball and other sports gathered by the early baseball player and sporting-goods tycoon A.G. Spalding. This collection includes 19th-century studio portraits of players and teams of the day, rare images, photographs, and original drawings." Also includes a brief background of the collection. From the New York Public Library (NYPL).
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/25772
Frequently Asked Questions of the Highway Patrol
This FAQ covers a variety of topics related to cars, driving, and the California Highway Patrol (CHP), such cell phones and driving, after-market tinting of vehicle windows, transport of weapons in vehicles, obtaining police clearance letters, the 11-99 Foundation ("provides financial assistance to the families of CHP officers who are killed in the line of duty"), and the legality of studded tires. From the California Highway Patrol.
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/25775
Companion to a March 2008 Online NewsHour report about a new water treatment plan in California's Orange County "that sends highly-treated wastewater back into the groundwater supply to serve as drinking water." Features include a slideshow of images inside the plant; transcript, audio, and video of experts discussing this "toilet to tap" type of water reuse; and a map of potable reuse projects in the U.S. Also includes a lesson plan.
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/25781
Forest Protection Portal
Forests.org "works to end deforestation, preserve primary and old-growth forests, conserve and sustainably manage other forests, and to commence the age of ecological restoration." The site has news, a large collection of links arranged by topic, action alerts, a blog, and other features about forest conservation around the world.
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/11427
Hidden Art Could Be Revealed by New Terahertz Device
This 2008 article discusses how T-rays (terahertz radiation) "could let art historians see murals hidden beneath coats of plaster or paint in centuries-old buildings" and "could also illuminate penciled sketches under paintings on canvas without harming the artwork." Includes images. From the University of Michigan News Service.
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/25718
The Humane Society of the United States: Marine Mammals
Information about Humane Society of the United States actions with respect to marine mammals. Features background about various marine mammals (dolphins, dugongs, whales, manatees, polar bears, sea lions, sea otters, and seals), an overview of issues, and news, such as about a 2008 government plan "to allow state agents to shoot as many as 85 California sea lions at Bonneville Dam" so that the sea lions will not eat salmon.
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/25776
Rensselaer Center for Terahertz Research
"Faculty members of the Center for Terahertz Research are among the world's first scientists to exploit the unique advantages of terahertz (THz) radiation [T-rays]. ... [T]hey are creating innovative imaging and sensing technologies that hold enormous potential in biomedical imaging, genetics diagnostics, microelectronics, and the chemical and biological materials identification fields." Find news and examples of research and applications such as T-rays of watermarks on paper currency.
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/25717
Shadowy T-rays: Hunting Tumors and Exploring the Universe
This 2006 article describes how T-rays (terahertz radiation), which exist between microwaves and X-rays on the electromagnetic spectrum, allow researchers to see through "many everyday materials, such as clothing, plastics, and wood [which] look transparent under terahertz imaging." In addition, "T-rays have astronomical applications." Includes images and links to related articles. From LiveScience.
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/25716
Terahertz Telescope Unveils a New Molecular Universe
Background about the Harvard-Smithsonian telescope that is based on terahertz astronomy, "the science of receiving and analyzing waves of radiation from space emitted by molecules at frequencies of more than 1 trillion hertz." This type of astronomy "holds great potential for new discoveries in interstellar chemistry and star formation." Describes detector design and location in northern Chile. From the Inside Smithsonian Research newsletter.
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/25719
Zalophus Californianus: California Sea Lion
Background about this marine mammal "found along the shore from California to Mexico including Baja and Tres Marias Islands, in the Galapagos Islands and in the southern Sea of Japan." Includes information about habitat, physical description, reproduction, longevity, food habits, and conservation status. Also includes images. Part of the Animal Diversity Web from the University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/25778
Truth in Immigration
This website was created to refute "legal and factual inaccuracies about immigrants and Latinos," specifically those that are "disseminated and promoted in the media, the public messaging of anti-immigration organizations, and political campaigns."
Features a list of myths and responses, updates, and links to related sites. From the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF).
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/25767
Union for Reform Judaism: Pesach
"Pesach, known as Passover in English, is a major Jewish spring festival, commemorating the Exodus from Egypt over 3,000 years ago. The ritual observance of this holiday centers around a special home service called the seder (meaning 'order') and a festive meal; the prohibition of chametz (leaven); and the eating of matzah (an unleavened bread)." This site provides background about Passover, recipes, and related material. From the Union for Reform Judaism.
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/25773
Thanks for reading LII New This Week!
Jennifer English, Liaison to Califa Library Group
Wendy Hyman, Senior Editor
Maria Brandt, Associate Editor
Charlotte Bagby, Senior Weeder