Archive for the ‘Databases, Directories, and Guides’ Category
Friday, October 23rd, 2009
From an FCW Article:
The Nationwide Graveside Locator service is available on handheld devices with Internet capability. The service provides locations and driving directions to both national cemeteries and private burial grounds, according to the agency.
“This innovative program continues VA’s commitment to use the latest technology to provide veterans and their families with information they need,” VA Secretary Eric Shinseki said. “It will simplify and enhance the experience of many who visit our national cemeteries.”
[Snip]
The Web site allows for searches by name and by cemetery, if the location is known. A search will provide a grave location, a link to a Google map and driving directions, and a link to the cemetery map if available.
The VA is adding about 1,000 new records to the database each day, agency officials said.
Access the Mobile Version of the VA Grave Locator
Access the Non-Mobile Version of the VA Grave Locator
Source: Federal Computer Week
Hat Tip: P.W.
Posted in Databases, Directories, and Guides, Wireless Web and Search | No Comments »
Thursday, October 22nd, 2009
Access the Database Online
Access Data in Excel Format
From the Announcement
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has released a global online database of journalists who have suffered violent deaths relating to their work since 1992. The database is designed to memorialize those who have died and to call call for justice in unsolved cases.
Three Latin American countries, Colombia, Brazil and Mexico, are among the 10 deadliest for murder victims, with Colombia in third with 39 cases.
The database is part of the CPJ’s Global Campaign Against Impunity, which seeks to pressure authorities to solve crimes against journalists, as no convictions have been obtained in 88% of all murder cases in the database.
The database provides
+ Options to limit by year and country
+ Interactive Map (Cursor Over for Number Killed, Double Click and Go to a Info Page for that Country)
After you double click, a page appears with pictures of those killed. Click on the image and you’ll find a bio about the person.
+ Deaths by Type (by country)
+ Deaths by Type (worldwide, since 1992
+ Journalists Killed With Complete Impunity since 1992
+ Statistical Analysis (Beats covered by victims, job, medium, gender, local/foreign, type of death, freelance, suspected source of fire, impunity
+ Methodology
Access the Database Online
Access Data in Excel Format
Source: Committee to Protect Journalists/Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas
Posted in Databases, Directories, and Guides, Media, Resources | No Comments »
Thursday, October 22nd, 2009
A New Online Guide to Hearing Aids
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has launched a new Web site that will benefit current and potential users of hearing aids.
FDA regulates hearing aids, which it defines as sound-amplifying devices designed to aid people who have impaired hearing.
“People who already use a hearing aid know that selecting the right one is not a simple process,” says Eric Mann, M.D., Ph.D., deputy director of FDA’s Division of Ophthalmic, Neurological, and Ear, Nose, and Throat Devices. “There are many issues to consider. Also, current users of hearing aids want to know about the latest types and technology, and how to properly maintain the ones they already have.”
Source: U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Hat tip: PW
Posted in Consumer Issues, Databases, Directories, and Guides, Government Documents and Political Information, Source File | No Comments »
Tuesday, October 20th, 2009
This Friday (in the U.S.) a new movie opens about the life of aviator, Amelia Earhart.
At Purdue University, the George Palmer Putnam Collection is the world’s largest collection of Amelia Earhart papers, photos, memorabilia and artifacts. Several resources from the collection are available online.
1) Searchable Digital Library (Images, cards, ephemera, newspaper articles, etc.), over 2200 entries
2) Biographical Sketch
3) Map of Second World Flight Attempt, 1937
4) Medals
Note: Some medals require Quicktime to view them.
5) Timeline
6) Learn About the Collection
7) Collection of Web Resources about Amelia Earhart
Select Bibliography
9) Bibliography for Children
10) Amelia Earhart at Purdue (Digitized Materials, Over 400 entries)
Source: Purdue University Libraries, Archives and Special Collections
Posted in Archives and Special Collections, Bibliographies, Webliographies, Chronologies and Timelines, Databases, Directories, and Guides, Geographic, History, Resources, Resources for Educators | No Comments »
Tuesday, October 20th, 2009
Think one search interface allowing users to search multiple ebook catalogs from various providers. At the same time, making it easy for various search engines to crawl content from these and other ebook sources.
Before moving on to press coverage, you might want to take a look at a slide presentation about BookServer technology from Peter Brantley, Director, Bookserver Project at the Internet Archive and Co-Founder of the Open Book Alliance.
Also, you can get a very basic feel for searching with Bookserver technology by heading to homepage and looking for the search box on the page. You’ll only be searching one catalog (The Open Library) but it uses Bookserver’s Open Publication Distribution System (OPDS). Of course, all of the books you find are free to access, read, download, etc.
Now, on to media coverage.
From an Article
The Internet Archive and various like-minded partners have launched an open architecture for selling and lending digital books online, an effort to consolidate the fledgling market for net texts – and give Google a little food for thought.
Dubbed BookServer, the open platform is meant to provide a standard means for booksellers, publishers, libraries, and individual authors to serve texts onto laptops, netbooks, smartphones, game consoles, and specialized ereaders a la the Amazon Kindle. The Archive has already demonstrated an early incarnation of the architecture with the Kindle and Sony’s Reader Digital Book.
See Also: Access the Complete Article
Source: The Register
See Also: Internet Archive’s BookServer could ‘dominate’ Amazon (via News.com)
Internet Archive founder Brewster Kahle told CNET News that BookServer is about creating an open system that allows search engines to index books that are available from a wide group of sources. Effectively, commercial publishers, lending libraries and even individual authors would have a way to index their work and offer easy digital distribution under BookServer, Kahle said.
[Snip]
Kahle said that he’s been thinking about such a project since before the advent of the World Wide Web, but that the technology has never been ready. But that’s changed over the last 20 years, he said. “We’ve now gotten universal access to free (content),” Kahle added. “Now it’s time to get universal access to all knowledge, and not all of this will be free.”
Much More After a Click
(more…)
Posted in Databases, Directories, and Guides, E-books, Info Management and Retrieval, Information Industry, Technology and Internet | No Comments »
Monday, October 19th, 2009
Access the Web Page
Make sure to check the page regularly for updates.
Purpose of the Fraudulent Products List
This list is intended to alert consumers about Web sites that are or were illegally marketing unapproved, uncleared, or unauthorized products in relation to the 2009 H1N1 Flu Virus (sometimes referred to as the “swine flu” virus). Note that until evidence to the contrary is presented to FDA, the owner of the listed Web site is considered responsible for promoting the unapproved, uncleared, or unauthorized products. The uses related to the 2009 H1N1 Flu Virus are not necessarily being promoted by the manufacturers of the products.
Consumer Considerations about the Products List
+ This list does not include every Web site that is marketing products related to the 2009 H1N1 Flu Virus without FDA approval, clearance, or authorization, only those Web sites to which FDA has issued a warning letter.
+ Even if a Web site is not included in this list, consumers should exercise caution before purchasing over the Internet any product purporting to diagnose, mitigate, prevent, treat, or cure the 2009 H1N1 Flu Virus.
+ Please note that some of these products may be approved or cleared by FDA for other medical uses. The fact that a product is listed on this page indicates ONLY that the products are not cleared, approved, or authorized for the diagnosis, mitigation, prevention, treatment, or cure of the 2009 H1N1 flu virus.
The list can be browsed by product type or searched by:
+ Brand Name (Example: SilverCure)
+ Product Name (Example: Silver Shampoo)
+ Any combination of: brand name, Product Name
At the Bottom of the Page You Can Download All Unapproved, Uncleared, or Unauthorized Products as an Excel Spreadsheet, a PDF File, or in XML.
Access the Web Page
Source: U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Posted in Business and Economics, Databases, Directories, and Guides, Lists and Rankings, Science | No Comments »
Sunday, October 18th, 2009
U.S. Government Manual (2009-10)
As the official handbook of the Federal Government, the United States Government Manual provides comprehensive information on the agencies of the legislative, judicial, and executive branches. It also includes information on quasi-official agencies, international organizations in which the United States participates, and boards, commissions, and committees. The Manual begins with reprints of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution.
Search current edition and previous editions here.
Source: GPO Access
Posted in Databases, Directories, and Guides, Government Documents and Political Information, Source File | No Comments »
Thursday, October 15th, 2009
From the Article:
CSC will operate an online digital library for the Education Department under a new five-year contract worth up to $29 million, the company announced today.
CSC will support the department’s Education Resources Information Center (ERIC) under the contract. The new agreement has one base year and four one-year options.
Source: Washington Technology
From the News Release (via CSC)
“We recognize the importance of providing our country’s educators and others with easy access to educational resources that will improve learning, teaching, decision-making and research,” said Tom Anderson, president of CSC’s North American Public Sector Civil and Government Health Services Group. “CSC is honored to support this crucial system and continue our 36-year working relationship with the Department of Education.”
See Also: Access the ERIC Database and Thesaurus
Posted in Databases, Directories, and Guides, Education, Reference Tools, Resources for Educators | No Comments »
Wednesday, October 14th, 2009
Jim Fruchterman, Founder of Benetech, writes in The Huffington Post:
Our online digital library, Bookshare, was launched soon thereafter. My shorthand description of Bookshare is Amazon meets Napster meets Talking Books for the Blind, but legal.
How does it work? In the simplest terms, people scan books and we share them online with readers who have qualifying disabilities. It relies on you. If you love books, and want to see them available to people who desperately want equal access to literacy, volunteer to proofread a book for Bookshare.
The Bookshare collection has been built by a community of people with disabilities, their families, teachers and schools, as well as people who simply love books and want to help. You can help us out by donating your time, your books or funds to help us expand the library. World class authors and publishers have also given us permission to make their books available to Bookshare members worldwide and major university presses have donated electronic copies of their books.
Much More in the Complete Article
Source: The Huffington Post
See Also: U.S. Copyright Office Publishes Request for Comments on Facilitating Access to Copyrighted Works for the Blind or Other Persons with Disabilities
See Also: Encyclopaedia Britannica Content Coming to Bookshare, World’s Largest Online Library for People with Print Disabilities
Posted in Databases, Directories, and Guides, Information Industry, Libraries and Librarianship, Technology and Internet | No Comments »
Wednesday, October 14th, 2009
From the Article:
Nelson Mandela plans to open his personal archives to create a new memoir that will reveal how he preserved his values during the fight against apartheid in South Africa.
British, European and international publishing deals for the memoir by the former South African president were announced Wednesday at the Frankfurt Book Fair.
[Snip]
The [Nelson Mandela F]oundation holds an archive of
diaries, notebooks and calendar jottings that include Mandela’s speeches and musings during his time as an activist, his time in prison on Robben Island and his time in office.
Source: CBC
+ Access the Nelson Mandela Foundation Web Site
+ Anti-Apartheid Movement Archives
+ Mandela Materials (Speeches, lectures, etc.) Database
+ South African Histories
+ Nelson Mandela Bibliography (Searchable)
+ Nelson Mandela Filmography (Searchable)
+ Nelson Mandela Timeline
Posted in Archives and Special Collections, Chronologies and Timelines, Databases, Directories, and Guides, History, Print Publications, Resources | No Comments »
Wednesday, October 14th, 2009
From the Article:
The Missouri Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has unveiled the latest version of a database that will allow the public to access all final environmental emergency reports received through the state’s 24-hour environmental hotline.
An updated version of the Missouri Environmental Emergency Response Tracking System (MEERTS) is available here.
Source: Daily Journal (Parks Hill, MO)
Posted in Databases, Directories, and Guides, Government Documents and Political Information, Search News, Source File | No Comments »
Tuesday, October 13th, 2009
NOTE: The Book of Odds site is now live. Registration is free. You can access the Book of Odds database here.
From the NY Times Article:
What’s more dangerous: a playground jungle gym or your office chair? As it happens, one in every 3,759 fatal accidental falls starts from a piece of playground equipment. You’re 85 times more likely, meanwhile, to fall to your death from a chair. That’s one of the many odd pairings waiting to be discovered in The Book of Odds, an online statistical encyclopedia launching Wednesday.
[Snip]
The Book of Odds is a searchable online database of “odds statements,” the probabilities of everyday life. You can search it by keyword or by the odds themselves — for instance, how many things stand a 1 in 142 chance of happening to to you.
[Snip]
The site’s founder, Amram Shapiro, says he wants to create a reference tool for better understanding the endless stream of odds that confront us…
Much More in the Complete Article
Direct to Book of Odds Database
Source: New York Times
Posted in Databases, Directories, and Guides, New Websites and Resources, Reference Tools, Resources | No Comments »
Tuesday, October 13th, 2009
From the Web Site:
Scientists are exploring the health implications of cell phone radiation. Meanwhile, buy smart. Use Environmental Working Group’s new interactive database to find wireless devices with the lowest emissions. Learn how to limit your family’s exposures
On this page, in the lower right corner, you can search for phones by name and limit by provider and/or manufacturer.
Source: Environmental Working Group
Posted in Consumer Issues, Databases, Directories, and Guides, Reference Tools, Resources, Science | No Comments »
Monday, October 12th, 2009
The Daily Record newspaper located in Parsippany, NJ is home to a large number of searchable web databases via a site called DataUniverse.
You’ll find databases (developed by The Daily Record) for the local area (Morris Region), State of New Jersey, and even a couple of national databases. We’re not going to list the local databases in this post, simply visit the site.
Here’s a list of databases with New Jersey and federal info that DataUniverse offers:
NEW: NJ Government Retirees ‘09
NJ State Employees, ‘09
UPDATED: Property Sales
USPS ‘09 Employee Search
NJ State Aid
NJ Property Taxes ‘08
NJ Sentences Search
NJ State Employees, ‘08
Public School Buses Inspection Reports
School administrator salaries, benefits
NJ Libraries, FY 06-07
NJ Child Care Centers
State Employees & Overtime
Alternate Benefits Program
PA [Pennsylvania] Public Educators
UPDATED: NJ Public Employees ‘08
School Finances
Transit Salaries & Overtime
Toll Road Costs
Turnpike Salaries
UPDATED: NJ Pay-to-Play
Government Vendors
Bridge Safety
Special Ed Placements
NJ Fire Departments 2007
Property Owners ‘07
Property Owners ‘06
New Jersey Legislature Employees
New Jersey Preserved Farmland
Rutgers Employee Salaries
Government Overtime & Salaries
Death Notices
School Report Cards
Crime Reports
SAT Scores
Election Contributions
Teachers
State Inmates
Sex Offenders
Medical Information
Consumers
Federal:
Federal Employees, ‘07
Federal Earmarks, ‘08
U.S. College Crime 07
Federal Employee Salaries
Posted in Databases, Directories, and Guides, Government Documents and Political Information, Source File | No Comments »
Friday, October 9th, 2009
Jimmy Wales recently visited Yale University. While he was in New Haven, CT he sat down with the Yale Daily News for a Q&A interview. Here are two exchanges.
Q At the recent annual Wikimania conference, you expressed concern that Wikipedia contributors were mainly a homogenized group of “male computer geeks.”
A A majority, yes.
Q What is Wikipedia doing to try to get a more diverse group of contributors?
A We’re very global; there are people all over the world editing Wikipedia, mostly in their own home language. But there’s a certain geek culture that transcends national cultures; there’s a homogeneity in that. The main thing we’re doing is the useability project. We have a $950,000 grant from the Stanton Foundation that’s specifically targeted at finding the points in the software that are off-putting to people that aren’t computer geeks. There are lots of people that are geeks, but not computer geeks. I always give the example of a stay-at-home mom with a master’s degree. So, this is a very educated person, someone who is already on the Internet and sharing information, but probably not participating in Wikipedia, because she’s not a computer geek.***
The interview continues on to discuss the “flagged revision” policy, favorite Wikipedia pages, celebrities he’s met (and those he wants to meet), what he thinks of students spending three hours a day working on Wikipedia, and criticisms of his own page.
Much Much More In the Complete Interview
Source: Yale Daily News
*** In July, Wikipedians visited the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, MD to promote the project to NIH employees.
See: National Institutes of Health Refers to Wikipedians for Help
ResourceShelf, July 28, 2009
Posted in Databases, Directories, and Guides, Reference Tools, Resources, Social Media | No Comments »
Friday, October 9th, 2009
Steven Aftergood Writes on Secrecy News
The Pentagon’s Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC) last month announced the creation of a new password-protected portal where authorized users may gain access to restricted scientific and engineering publications.
“DTIC Online Access Controlled… provides a gateway to Department of Defense unclassified, controlled science and technology (S&T) and research and engineering (R&E) information,” according to a September 21, 2009 news release (pdf). “As defense S&T information advances, so does the unique community to which it belongs,” said DTIC Administrator R. Paul Ryan.
Much More in the Complete Artcile
Source: Secrecy News
Posted in Access to Information, Databases, Directories, and Guides, Government Documents and Political Information | No Comments »
Friday, October 9th, 2009
From an Article:
Federal agencies shouldn’t be the only ones to open their data for the public — states and local governments should also be ramping up efforts to become more transparent, the National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) contends in a newly published report.
The first thing a state should do is create a one-stop portal, or data catalog, for all its publicly-accessible data, along the lines of the White House’s Data.Gov , the report states.
Much More in the Full Text Article
Source: FCW
See Also: Access the Full Text of the Report Discussed in the Article: A Call to Action for State Government: Guidance for Opening the Doors to State Data (18 pages; PDF)
Transparency initiatives and websites are proliferating across government and industry globally. One aspect of the transparency trend is broader access to government data. NASCIO has published this report as initial guidance and recommendations to help state governments get started with data transparency portals. This guidance presents the value proposition along with principles and guidance on how states should move forward.
Posted in Databases, Directories, and Guides, Government Documents and Political Information, Technology and Internet | No Comments »
Thursday, October 8th, 2009
Access the Van Gogh Letters Database
Background via the AP
While Vincent van Gogh has become almost as famed for his troubled mind as for his paintings, a new exhibition in the Van Gogh Museum seeks to remind us there was more method than madness to his style.
[Snip]
Seeing the letters next to the paintings underlines Van Gogh’s professionalism, which is sometimes overlooked amid spectacular biographical details such as his mental illness, his apparent amputation of part of his own left ear after a quarrel, and his suicide in 1890 at age 37.
[Snip]
The compendium includes all 820 known letters by Van Gogh, tracing his youth and late start as a painter to his spectacular blossoming in the late 1880s. “The number of letters isn’t really unusual but the literary quality of the letters, that’s special,” said Curator Leo Jansen, one of three experts who spent 15 years on the project.
[Snip]
Van Gogh’s letters were previously translated to English in 1958. The new compendium includes 20 new letters as well as complete versions of some letters previously only published in part. More importantly, Jansen said, it gives more precise translations and includes reproductions of more than 2,000 paintings Van Gogh makes reference to. In all, it offers an unusually complete picture of the mental world of one of the world’s great artists. For Van Gogh fans not interested in buying the 6-volume set, the entire compilation has been put online as a free, searchable database in French, Dutch and English – the three languages in which the painter wrote.
The database consists of 902 letters. It can be searched by:
+ Period
+ Correspondent
+ Place
+ Letters with Sketches
Keyword search is available as is a very robust advanced search interface.
You’ll also find a chronology, a concordance, and biographical & historical context .
Here’s are the results for the word “ink.” You’ll see the letter number and by cursoring over an result you’ll see the search term in context.
Click on a letter number and you’ll go to the complete letter. Here, several option are available including the option to view a facsimile of that particular letter.
This guide to viewing letters is very useful and is worth reviewing.
Access the Van Gogh Letters Database
Source: Van Gogh Museum (Amsterdam)
Posted in Uncategorized, Arts and Humanities, Databases, Directories, and Guides, Resources | No Comments »
