Thursday, April 03, 2008

New Links on our web for the week of April 3, 2008 Arts and Humanities OperaGlass "If you can't remember a particular aria from Gounod's "Faust" or a certain detail from the song contest at Wartburg, this site dedicated to opera may be just the ticket. Created and maintained by Rick Bogart, a research scientist at Stanford, the site provides access to libretti, source texts, performance histories, synopses, discographies, and so on. The site also contains an opera information directory, which features an opera composer index containing 4800 entries. Moving on, those who might be new to the wonders of opera will appreciate the "Opera For Everyone" CD's, which are offered here at no charge. Visitors can use the music here to learn about four classic operas, including "La Traviata" and "Madama Butterfly". The site is rounded out by a list of operas requiring six or fewer singers and a calendar of operatic commemorations." (SR) Health 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) Leisure National Register Travel Itineraries "It's a long and winding road from Indianapolis to Little Rock (and all the stops between), but if one is hoping to learn about the very diverse cultural traditions and history across the United States, the National Register Travel Itineraries are a stellar way to do so. Currently, the site contains over three dozen itineraries which highlight different geographic regions or important themes in American history. Visitors can browse the itineraries alphabetically or by state. Each tour contains a list of the sites covered, accompanied by a map, photographs, and usually a list of additional external sites and readings. While all of the itineraries are well-done, visitors should definitely start by looking over the Indian Mounds of Mississippi tour and the tour of World War II sites in the San Francisco Bay area." (SR) 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)." Reference Desk Ibiblio "Operating under the motto of "Trust Us", ibiblio is a collaboration of the School of Information and Library Science and the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at The University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. Ibiblio is billed as one of the largest "collections of collections" on the Internet, as it contains links to sites that deal with arts and recreation, geography, history, natural science, and philosophy, along with other subjects. First-time visitors can look over their FAQ section, read their collection policy, and then take a look at their "Recent Additions" area. Moving on, visitors can also look at their collection criteria, and even submit a collection for their consideration. Along with their very impressive collections, they also have a wide range of RSS feeds which users can sign up for." (SR) 12:48:47 PM

© Copyright 2008 Jocelyn Shaw. Last update: 5/1/2008; 3:17:31 PM. Photo curtesy of Marjorie O'Brien