What is out there on the web that is useful?  Marylaine Block comes up with lists that intrigue and amaze. they are helpful links that she finds and allows other to post.  So once, again thanks to Marylaine Block and her Neat New Stuff!

August 21

The 100 Easiest Fastest Recipes Ever
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2009/jul/19/easy-quick-recipes
The Observer solicited favorite quick and easy recipes from top chefs, foodies, and cookery writers. Some of the ingredients will be more readily at hand in an English kitchen than an American one, but many of the recipes sound well worth trying.

Book Seer
http://bookseer.com/
Insert the name and author of a book you liked, and this site will gather and link in recommendations for like titles from Amazon and Library Thing.

Business and Human Rights Resource Center
http://www.business-humanrights.org/Home
This would be useful for any course on corporate social responsibility. Among the offerings: news stories, reports from nongovernmental organizations (Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, many others), links to the human rights policy statements of 242 corporations, full texts of selected international business and human rights standards, and more. Search or browse the online library by company, business sector, country, or issues.

Charity Navigator – America’s Largest Charity Evaluator
http://www.charitynavigator.org
Many of us would like to donate to worthy causes, but want to make sure the money will be used well. You can search for known charitable organizations or search by topic to find organizations doing work you wish to support; entries for each organization include a description of its purpose and its management, as well as a ranking based on how much of its revenues go directly to those it seeks to benefit. Check out its Top 10 lists (10 charities with the most consecutive 4-star ratings, 10 charities drowning in administrative costs, etc.) and the 2009 Executive Compensation study.

Encyclopedia of Life
http://www.eol.org/
“an unprecedented global partnership between the scientific community and the general public … to make freely available to anyone knowledge about all the world’s organisms.” For each signed article about an organism, the data includes its species name, photo, description (morphology, behavior, life history), ecology and distribution, conservation status, common name, additional references, and the opportunity to contribute additional phots and text to the entry.

Go Frugal Blog at FreeShipping.org
http://www.freeshipping.org/blog/
“Where each day you’ll find valuable tips and money-saving ideas from some of the web’s foremost deal-hunters, savvy shoppers and cost-conscious bloggers.” Recent articles include how to save money on prescription glasses, reduce your utility bill, and decorate your dorm room on a dime. Search or browse by categories like car talk, coupons, freebies, green frugality, shopping tips, etc. Check out links to “our favorite reads” for several similar money-saving sites.

Less Carbon, More Jobs – Environmental Defense Fund
http://www.edf.org/page.cfm?tagID=33427
“How a cap on carbon will create a new energy economy.” Job seekers will be particularly interested in the map of existing green jobs in the US; business owners considering a green business model will be interested in the case studies of companies that have already done so.

MediaGlow – AOL
http://www.mediaglow.com/
AOL has quietly been buying a lot of blogs and hiring lots of writers. Their media site could well become an Internet publishing empire.

Physics Games – Online Physics-Based Games
http://physicsgames.net/
Where kids can (at least in theory) pick up principles of physics from games like Fantastic Contraption, Demolition City, Forklift Kid, Building Blaster, and such.

Safe Food Handling Fact Sheets
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/FactSheets/Safe_Food_Handling_Fact_Sheets/index.asp
With all the recent outbreaks of food-borne illnesses, concerned parents will welcome the advice here.

State Legislation on Comprehensive Health Care Coverage
http://www.loc.gov/law/help/statehealthplans/index.php
Hawaii, Maine, Massachusetts, and Vermont have already led the nation with health care coverage for all their citizens. Find out how they did it here.

UN Secretary General’s Database on Violence against Women
http://www.un.org/esa/vawdatabase
Search or browse by country. Country profiles include links to the legal framework for protecting women’s rights, policies, strategies & programs, institutional mechanisms, services for victims/survivors, preventive measures & training, and research & statistical data.

Nominations open for 2009 Carnegie Corporation Of New York/New York Times I Love My Librarian Award

NEW YORK – Nominations open today for the 2009 Carnegie Corporation of New York/New York Times I Love My Librarian Award.

http://www.ilovelibraries.org/lovemylibrarian/home.cfm

The award invites library users to recognize the accomplishments of librarians in public, school, college, community college and university libraries for their efforts to improve the lives of people in their community. Nominations will run through October 9 and are being accepted online at ilovelibraries.org/ilovemylibrarian.

Up to 10 librarians will be selected. Each will receive a $5,000 cash award, a plaque and a $500 travel stipend to attend an awards ceremony and reception in New York, hosted by The New York Times in December. In addition, a plaque will be given to each award winner’s library.

Each nominee must be a librarian with a master’s degree from a program accredited by the ALA in library and information studies or a master’s degree with a specialty in school library media from an educational unit accredited by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education. Nominees must be currently working in the United States in a public library, a library at an accredited two- or four-year college or university or at an accredited K-12 school.

Nominees will be judged by a selection committee based on quality of service to library users, demonstrated knowledge of the library and its resources and commitment shown in helping library users.

In 2008, Carnegie Corporation of New York awarded the American Library Association (ALA) $489,000 to support the award, which will continue annually through 2013. The award continues in the tradition of one The New York Times presented from 2001 to 2006.

Last year, more than 3,200 library users nationwide nominated a librarian, and 10 librarians received the award. For more information on last year’s winners, visit http://www.ilovelibraries.org/lovemylibrarian/home.cfm

The award is administered by ALA’s Public Information Office and Campaign for America’s Libraries, ALA’s public awareness campaign that promotes the value of libraries and librarians.

Carnegie Corp. of New York was created by Andrew Carnegie in 1911 to promote “the advancement and diffusion of knowledge and understanding.” For more than 95 years, the foundation has carried out its founder’s vision of philanthropy by building on his two major concerns: international peace and advancing education and knowledge. Each year, the private grant-making foundation invests more than $100 million in nonprofit organizations to fulfill Mr. Carnegie’s mission, “to do real and permanent good in this world.”

The New York Times Company, a leading media company with 2008 revenues of $2.9 billion, includes The New York Times, the International Herald Tribune, The Boston Globe, 15 other daily newspapers, WQXR-FM and more than 50 Web sites, including NYTimes.com, Boston.com and About.com. The Company’s core purpose is to enhance society by creating, collecting and distributing high-quality news, information and entertainment.

The American Library Association is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with more than 65,000 members. Its mission is to promote the highest quality library and information services and public access to information.

Paul Ng has been photographing professionally since 1990. His fine arts prints have been collected by private individuals, businesses and institutions in the U.S. and overseas. His commercial works, wedding and portrait images have set new standards in Southwest Wyoming and drawn praise and compliments widely.

Paul has been an instructor in photography at Western Wyoming Community College since September, 2002, teaching both traditional black and white and color photography. Considered by many as one of the premier photographers in Wyoming, Paul is a master printer and a skilful dark room artist. His works have been exhibited in Wyoming State Museum, Wyoming Arts Council Gallery and the Rock Springs Community Fine Arts Center and others. His prints have appeared in Outdoor Photographer, Photo Art (Hong Kong), Photog (Hong Kong), Shutterbug, Wyoming Wildlife other publications.

Check out his images on his website, and plan to attend what promises to be the program of the summer! Saturday, August 22 from 10:00 am to 12:00.  Bring your questions, your cameras and prepare for a treat to the eyes!

Once again, the Sweetwater County Librarians celebrated the Children’s Reading Program success by dressing as Punk Rockers as a reward for the 80,000 pages read by Green River Youth readers!  Where are those librarian buns???

It has become a tradition (3 years in a row) to link to the Beloit College Mindset.  It is that time of year when parents pack up their kids and haul them and tons of electronic equipment off to college. 

It is interesting to take a look at the history of these new Freshmen and how they think. Tom McBride and Ron Neif, professors at Beloit put together a list, used around the world for professionals and others to understand what makes up the new Freshmen class.  Take a look and prepare to feel old.