Welcome to ResourceShelf, where dedicated librarians and researchers share the results of their directed (and occasionally quirky) web searches for resources and information.
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2008-09 Florida Sports Directory and Facilities Guide (PDF; 5.3 MB)
(T)he 2008-09 Florida Sports Directory and Facilities Guide contains detailed information on the many venues available around the state.
Source: Florida Sports Foundation
States have passed laws to address the needs of people with autism. To share this information, the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) has set up a new autism database that provides up-to-date information about autism legislation introduced in the 50 states and the District of Columbia from the 2008 session to the present. The database allows states to track the diverse range of legislative initiatives in the areas of education, professional training, early screening and diagnosis, health coverage, awareness, and task forces.
+ NCSL Autism Legislation Database
Source: National Conference of State Legislatures
It’s hard to believe I’ve had a profile and participated in the professional social network site LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com ) for nearly 5 years now (since Jan. 21, 2004, according to my account profile). I don’t consider myself real cutting edge when it comes to the online social scene, but LinkedIn has always promised a professional place to hang my online hat, with the potential for searching for people at companies and maybe garnering some job prospects. I admit to using it only sporadically over the years. But this year, the number of LinkedIn invitations coming to my inbox has increased dramatically. The traction is really there.
The company claims to be the world’s largest professional network with more than 31 million members and boasting strong growth—up from 18 million at the start of the year. And, not surprisingly, reports indicate that the current economic crisis has caused a spike in use of the professional networking sites for job searches—not just LinkedIn but also Plaxo, XING (Germany-based), Viadeo (Paris-based), and others. During times of instability, professional networking—online and offline—is a necessity. (Even LinkedIn recently announced it was cutting 10% of its work force—calling it a preemptive move—despite raising $22.7 million in venture capital in October.)
While Facebook attracts a lot of attention and users—and I’m also participating there with some professional groups and conferences—it’s more about being fun, trendy, and sociable. LinkedIn is still more of a business tool (no photos except a professional headshot)—and it’s becoming increasingly useful, IMHO, with all its recent improvements and enhanced services. The company has had a continuous string of important announcements of late.
Source: Information Today (Paula Hane)
Obama Transition releases donors
In keeping with President-elect Obama’s pledge to run the most open and transparent transition in history, the Obama-Biden Transition Project has voluntarily chosen to release the names of its donors on a monthly basis. As of November 15, 2008, a total of $1,170,937.44 had been raised from 1,776 donors.
The Obama-Biden Transition project only accepts contributions from individuals’ personal funds – we refuse all donations from corporations, labor unions, and PACs. Individuals may not donate more than $5,000. We also refuse all contributions from registered federal lobbyists and registered foreign agents.
Source: Office of the President-Elect
Posted 1 December 2008 on DocuTicker:
+ Determination of the December 2007 Peak in Economic Activity (National Bureau of Economic Research)
+ Eurostat regional yearbook 2008 (Eurostat)
+ Symantec Report on the Underground Economy (Symantec)
News Briefs
+ CCC Launches Ozmo for Online Content Licensing (Info Today NewsBreaks)
+ Scopus to Expand Arts & Humanities Coverage (Elsevier)
+ School Library Journal’s Best Books 2008 (School Library Journal)
+ danah boyd to keynote AASL National Conference (American Association of School Librarians/ALA)
+ Nixon Presidential Library to Open Additional White House Tape Recordings and Textual Materials (National Archives and Records Administration)
Free Resource—Global Library of Women’s Medicine
he Global Library of Women’s Medicine has launched online and is freely available in beta at www.glowm.com. More than 650 world experts have provided a definitive resource on the latest therapeutic options in women’s medicine for doctors as well as for women who are concerned about their health. Medical professionals who register have access to additional resources.
The Global Library of Women’s Medicine is a unique web library incorporating a range of detailed clinical information across the whole field of women’s medicine. It consists of 442 main chapters and 53 supplementary chapters, supported by more than 40,000 references, which will be kept permanently up-to-date. The chapters have been written by more than 650 specialists and will reflect some of the very best worldwide opinion. The website has been developed from the six-volume, encyclopedic textbook Gynecology & Obstetrics, which was first published in 1934 and has been edited for the last 30 years by professor John J. Sciarra.
The Global Library of Women’s Medicine is primarily designed for the medical profession; however, most of the information will also be accessible by anyone who wants to try and understand more about the therapeutic options available to women. In addition, there are features freely available to registered users that are aimed at medical professionals, including surgical videos, specialist color atlases of visual medicine, comprehensive guidance to laboratory tests and the significance of their results, and even an option to provide doctors with selected patient information handouts.
Source: Info Today NewsBreaks
Spam was once a simple annoyance. But its exponential growth — reports suggest that about 90 percent of all e-mail is spam — has led e-mail users to build daunting ramparts to block unwanted messages and companies to circulate blacklists of alleged spammers. One cannot fault people for seeking ways to avoid unwanted or aggressive solicitations, but the consequences of some anti-spam measures may not be what the people seeking protection from spam had in mind. Some efforts to block unwanted e-messages are threatening free speech on the Internet.
Souce: Washington Post
The PNC Christmas Price Index increased by a lavish 8.1 percent over last year, the second biggest leap in the history of the whimsical economic analysis by PNC Wealth Management based on the cost of gifts in the holiday classic, “The Twelve Days of Christmas.”
…
According to the 24th annual survey, the cost of the PNC CPI is $21,080 in 2008, $1,573 more than last year. The PNC CPI exceeds the U.S. government’s Consumer Price Index - the widely used measure of inflation calculated by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The Consumer Price Index is up 3.7 percent this year. The core CPI has increased 2.2 percent since Oct. of 2007.The Seven Swans-a-Swimming proved to be a driver of this year’s index, carrying the greatest weight with a whopping 33.3 percent increase due to their scarcity. True Loves will spend $5,600 this year for Swans compared with $4,200 in 2007, accounting for $1,400 of the $1,573 increase. The Swans typically have the largest swings in price in the PNC CPI.
Source: PNC Financial Services Group
FBI “Top Ten Fugitives” Widget
A truck driver and ranch hand wanted for allegedly having sexual relations with two young girls has been added to our Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list, and we are offering a reward of up to $100,000 for information directly leading to his arrest.
Edward Eugene Harper, who has been on the run for 14 years, is 62 years old and may be doing ranching work in Montana and Wyoming. He was arrested in Mississippi in 1994 and charged with sex crimes for attacks on the three-year-old and eight-year-old girls, who lived in the neighborhood. After posting bail, Harper skipped town and was later charged federally with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution.
To help spread the word about this case, we are launching a new “widget” (below) that can be added to your website or blog. This interactive tool features information on all Top Ten fugitives, along with continuous feeds for FBI news and stories that are automatically updated several times a week. “The new widget links you to our latest video and multimedia content,” said Jonathan Cox, an analyst in our Office of Public Affairs, “and includes easy to use share buttons so you can add it effortlessly to almost any website, including Facebook, MySpace, and other social media networking sites.”
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation
Hat tip: PW
State Education Reforms Website updated
From e-mail:
NCES has just expanded the State Education Reforms (SER) website. This website was based on the report “Overview and Inventory of State Education Reforms: 1990 to 2000″, and is updated periodically to incorporate new data on state education reform activities.
The SER website, which draws primarily on data collected by organizations other than NCES, compiles and disseminates data on state-level education reform efforts in four areas: 1) standards, assessment, and accountability, 2) school finance reforms, 3) resources for learning, and 4) state support for school choice options. Specific reform areas include student and teacher assessments, adequate yearly progress, statewide exit exams, highly qualified teachers, open enrollment laws, and charter schools.
In the Standards, Assessment, and Accountability area of the website, five tables were updated. One table was updated in the Resources for Learning area. To locate these tables on the State Education Reforms website, please look for the “Updated!” tags next to the table titles.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics
United States Attorney’s Office Announces Creation of Lipoban Victim Website
R. Alexander Acosta, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, announced today the creation of a website to be used by victims to obtain current information about the prosecution of U.S. v. George Forgione and Frank Sarcona a/k/a Dave Johnson, Case No. 07-80138-Cr-Marra. This prosecution concerns the fraudulent marketing of Lipoban, a purported weight loss product, sold by the Lipoban Clinic.
Source: United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida
Gold bookmark that once belonged to Adolph Hitler recovered by ICE
A Romanian national who attempted to sell an 18-carat gold bookmark that reportedly belonged to Adolf Hitler, will make his initial appearance in federal court at 1:30 this afternoon charged with sale or receipt of stolen goods.
Christian Popescu, 37, of Kenmore, Wash., was arrested by agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) outside a Bellevue, Wash., Starbucks Coffee yesterday, after setting up a clandestine meeting to negotiate the sale of the stolen bookmark, which allegedly had been given to Hitler as a gift by his longtime mistress, Eva Braun, in 1943.
Considered an historical artifact, the bookmark was set to be auctioned in October 2002, by a Madrid, Spain auction house when it was stolen by three eastern European thieves, along with several pieces of jewelry. The bookmark is believed to have previously belonged to the family of Wilhelm Keitel, an armed forces chief under Hitler, who was executed following the Nuremberg trials.
+ U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
Florida Virtual School: Virtual Library
The FLVS library is a collection of links and sites that have been reviewed for educational value, currency, and accuracy. However, FLVS has no control over the content of these websites and does not accept responsibility or liability for the material found in them. Additionally, the viewpoints found on these websites are not the viewpoints of FLVS, nor does FLVS endorse products for sale on these websites.
Source: Florida Virtual School
Top 100 DoD Contractors FY 2007 (preliminary) (PDF; 12 KB)
This interim report summarizes data on the 100 companies, including their subsidiaries, which were awarded the largest total dollar volume of Department of Defense prime contract awards during fiscal year 2007.
1 LOCKHEED MARTIN CORPORATION
2 THE BOEING COMPANY
3 NORTHROP GRUMMAN CORPORATION
4 GENERAL DYNAMICS CORPORATION
5 RAYTHEON COMPANY
6 BAE SYSTEMS PLC
7 L-3 COMMUNICATIONS HOLDINGS, INC.
8 UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
9 KBR, INC.
10 SAIC, INC.
See also: Contractors with Contracts Exceeding $25,000 (PDF; 954 KB)
Source: DoD Standards of Conduct Office
