From the news release:

Library and Archives Canada, in collaboration with the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) in the United States, is launching today a unique international exhibition at 395 Wellington Street in Ottawa, on the occasion of the 225th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Paris. The exhibition entitled 1783: Subject or Citizen? marks the first collaborative educational initiative between the two national institutions.

“The Treaty of Paris changed forever the life of not only one nation, but two,” said the Librarian and Archivist of Canada, Ian E. Wilson. “This exhibition tells the story through a unique partnership, one which serves as an elegant metaphor for the special friendship Canada has with the United States.”

Source: Library and Archives Canada

From the site and timeline:

This interactive timeline features some of the significant institutional and legislative milestones important to both House practice and procedure, as well as U.S. history itself.

Source: Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives

Direct to FRD’s 230 page, PDF file.

See Also: Links to All FRD Country Profiles

From the British Library News Release:

Free engravings to give away to every reader, satirical stories about the Royal Family and advice on whether it is correct for a recently widowed husband to marry his sister-in-law: these aren’t press features from today’s newsstands but from papers 150 years ago. All of this material becomes freely accessible as the British Library, Birkbeck College, King’s College London and Olive Software launch a complete digital edition of six 19th Century newspapers and periodicals on 13 May. Selected for their rich variety and originality, the titles offer a fascinating glimpse into 19th century life, and will resonate with students, researchers and the general public interested in subjects ranging from history, theology and politics through to art and feminism.

The Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (ncse), funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council, is a unique digital resource, which gives the user an informative, accessible and authentic experience of 19th century newspapers. The collection illustrates the phenomenal growth and transformation of the press in the 19th century and brings to life a society and century in flux.

Source: BL

+ Scholars run down more clues to a Holocaust mystery (via AP)
Note: CONGRATS to librarian and researcher RANDY HERSCHAFT for receiving a co-byline.

+ Twittering King (via Forbes.com)

+ Canadian Points of View Reference Centre Now Available from EBSCO Publishing

From the introduction:

The Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum join in paying tribute to the generations of Jewish Americans who have helped form the fabric of American history, culture and society.

Direct to Web Site

Jewish Heritage Month takes place in May.

Source: LC, NARA, NEH, NGA, SI, USHMM

US Civil War: Selected Resources

This guide is a compilation of many of the Civil War resources at the Library of Congress, along with links to selected resources outside the Library.

Source: Library of Congress

Indians of North America: Selected Resources

This guide is a compilation of many of the resources on the Indians of North America available at the Library of Congress as well as selected resources outside the Library.

Source: Library of Congress

From the announcement

On 15 April 2008, the British Library releases the latest addition to its popular series of literary spoken word CDs, featuring previously unpublished BBC broadcasts of Evelyn Waugh, recorded 1938 – 1963. Released to coincide with the 80th anniversary of the publication of his first novel, Decline and Fall (1938), these recordings are being made commercially available for the first time.

Endangered Movable Objects and their Untold Stories - Vol. 1: Ritual Objects
PDF. 345 pages.
Edited by Einat Ron and Ariella Amar.

Vol. 1. includes 95 ritual objects.

Vol. 2. will include 5 Illuminated Manuscripts.

Learn More/Support Page

Source: Center for Jewish Art in the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and UNESCO

Evelyn Waugh - extracts from new British Library ‘Spoken Word’ CD
MP3 audio.

Source: BL

The April 2008 Issue of the World Almanac Newsletter is Now Available Online
A must for the reference desk librarian and/or fact “geek.” The newsletter contains a list of March events, “This Day in History,” a chronology of March, 2008 events and much more.

See Also: Back issues and subscription info (free)

See Also: The World Almanac Blog

To the documents:

Tatiana Fessenko (1915-1995) was a cataloger at the Library of Congress for several decades, retiring in the early 1980s. A native of Kiev with an educational background in Russian language and literature, Ms. Fessenko was particularly interested in the Library’s Yudin Collection, acquired in 1906. It was she who cataloged most of the 18th and early 19th century materials from the 80,000 volume Yudin Collection, in many cases doing extensive bibliographical and biographical detective work to discover the authors of pseudonymous and anonymous works, and the original titles of works originally published in French, German, or English.

The printed catalog cards of the 18th century publications — because of the size and importance of this collection — were published in book form in 1961. The catalog contains entries for 1,316 bibliographic units. A number of 18th century Russian publications remained uncataloged at the time the book was published; these titles have since been cataloged, and entries for them appear in the Library’s online catalog. Nevertheless, the 1961 book catalog remains very useful for researchers interested in Russian publications from the 1700s, and is presented here in complete digital form. The Library of Congress’ collection of 18th century Russian imprints is most likely the largest in the United States and compares with similar collections at major libraries in Russia.

Source: The Library of Congress, European Reading Room

The digital collections of the Library of Congress contain a wide variety of material associated with John Adams. This resource guide compiles links to digital materials related to Adams such as manuscripts, letters, broadsides, government documents, and images that are available throughout the Library of Congress Web site.

Direct to Guide

Source: LC

From the web site:

First published in 1867, the Canada Year Book is the premier reference on the social and economic life of Canada and its citizens. Presented in almanac style for ready reference, the 2007 edition contains some 500 pages of tables, charts and succinct analytical articles on every major subject in Statistics Canada’s areas of expertise…Now the wealth of historical data in Statistics Canada’s annual Canada Year Book is available free on the Internet in the Canada Year Book Historical Collection. It covers the first century of Canada’s history, from 1867 to 1967, with historical text, tables, charts and maps, supplemented by interconnected learning resources for students and teachers.

Source: Statistics Canada