My most sincere apologies
I want to apologize to all who looked up my previous blog and found “the page could not displayed.” Thank you to those who brought it to my attention that I had misspelled one of the most crucial elements in the web address. Please refer to this NEW site when needing to find out resources for the deaf community in our state!
Resources for the Deaf
I found this site interesting, because of growing up with a deaf mother, I have always tried to be sensitive of this disability. She once told me that deaf people are discriminated against more than any other disabled people. Saying that, when I checked out this site, I realized how far advances the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) has come in assisting the deaf community.
EM-DAT: International Disaster Database
This database provides information on worldwide disasters, both natural and technological, that have occurred since 1900. You can browse by country or type of disaster (drought, wildfire, flood, volcano, transportation accident, etc.), or perform a more advanced search. The fires in southern California haven’t made the list yet, but you can see how they compare to other wildfires.
Get Lost in Translation Sites
http://lifehacker.com/software/technophilia/get-lost-in-translation-sites-312991.php
Lifehacker has a great guide to language translation sites and other language tools. Besides common sites already mentioned in this blog, there are links to language dictionaries, slang sites and newspaper translators. Enjoy!
Sites on MRSA
MRSA (Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus) infections have been in the news lately due to some outbreaks around the country. If you have customers looking for more information on MRSA, here are a few links that might be of use. Thanks to John Lloyd (Business/Sciences) for finding these sites!
MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia – www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/007261.htm
CDC’s Community-Associated MRSA Information for the Public – www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dhqp/ar_mrsa_ca_public.html
Mayo Clinic Information – www.mayoclinic.com/health/mrsa/DS00735
FAFSA Changes
Big changes for FAFSA this year…
The 2008-2009 FAFSA form will not be distributed in bulk as it has been in previous years. This means, we will no longer have paper FAFSA forms to distribute.
Students who wish to obtain a FAFSA application at the library will now have two options:
- FAFSA on the Web (www.fafsa.ed.gov) – This is the preferred method of submitting the FAFSA application. We will still be able to order the FAFSA on the Web worksheets to distribute.
- PDF version of FAFSA – Students will be able to download and print out a PDF form at www.FederalStudentAid.ed.gov beginning November 15th. The form can be mailed in to the address given.
Students may order up to three (3) copies of the paper FAFSA for individual use by calling 1-800-4-FED-AID. They should receive their copies in the mail in three to seven business days.
Hersheys.com
www.hersheys.com/trickortreats/asp
I love Halloween because how else can you go completely incognito around your neighborhood and threaten them into giving you candy?! (Trick or treat?! I mean, come on, if that’s not threatening?!) In honor of the holiday, I found this cute site for adults and kids alike. It shows how to design costumes on a budget (they’re cool, not cheesy), gives ideas for party games, and other Halloween-related ideas. Enjoy!
MediaShift
Thanks to Doris Dixon (Raleigh) for suggesting this site!
From The Scout Report:
“It seems like there is a never-ending flow of sites about digital media, and it times it can present an overwhelming challenge to decide which ones might be most useful. MediaShift is certainly one of the best, and it is led by Mark Glaser, noted journalist, critic, and media expert. With support from PBS, this site and weblog looks at how new media such as podcasts and citizen journalism are changing society and culture. On the site, visitors can start by looking through ‘The Week’s Top 5’, which offers a short list of things that have been particularly prominent around the web. Visitors looking for specific topics can look through a topical list that includes ‘Legal Drama’, ‘Online Video’, ‘Satellite Radio’, and several dozen other topics. Finally, visitors can also sign up to receive a RSS feed and also elect to receive updates via email.”
Making “cents” of it all
This is a useful site for a variety of people. Those who travel a lot can quickly find out the conversion of their American dollars into foreign currencies. I personally like it because I read a lot of British fiction (Brit-lit) so I can find out, for instance, how much the “Shopoholic” truly did spend in American dollars instead of English pounds. Talk about getting more bang for your buck!
Work Cited pages made easier!
A coworker showed me this website. Users can document WORK CITED pages in either the MLA or APA format depending on personal perference and need. Using only minimal information about the book (author, title, publication year, etc.), the website itself does the actual gruntwork in citing the source. This website makes it so easier to compose a WORK CITED page, especially compared to the ones I had to write in all my term papers! Of course, I didn’t have a computer way back then, either… I had to use sticks and stone tablets!
Welcome, Andrea!
I’d like to welcome Andrea as an author on the Reference Highway. She is just beginning her new LA position at Poplar-White Station, and I want to thank her for taking the time and the initiative to start blogging and to share her discoveries with us.
Happy Blogging, Andrea!
LocateTV
Anyone who knows me knows that I am a TV junkie, so of course I would love this site. LocateTV allows you to search upcoming programming schedules for any TV show, movie or actor. Before you begin, choose your region by clicking on “Region” in the upper right hand corner and entering your zip code. (Otherwise, it will default to Dallas.)
Experiencing War
www.loc.gov/vets/stories/thewar/
A companion site to Ken Burns’ The War, “this VHP Web feature offers you a chance to experience some of the events depicted in The War, from the attack on Pearl Harbor to V-E and V-J Day, through additional interviews–as well as letters, diaries, and memoirs–found in the Veterans History Project archives.”
U.S. Drought Monitor
http://drought.unl.edu/dm/monitor.html
My! The river is disappearing… Wanna know more? According to the site, the Drought Monitor is “a synthesis of multiple indices, outlooks and news accounts, that represents a consensus of federal and academic scientists.” Users can view a map highlighting current drought conditions use the links at the top of the page for more in-depth information.
Artcyclopedia
Artcyclopedia is a guide to museum-quality art available online. Users can search the artcyclopedia to find links to online images of work by painters, architects, sculptors, photographers and much more. Links to articles and exhibit information are also available. Search by artist, title, or museum.
MPLIC Reference Highway 