In an age of the internet, information is becoming more and more accessible every year. Although the internet has given some corporations the opportunity to make more money by locking this information behind a paywall, some libraries have taken the chance to make this information available for free. In this post we’ll be looking at three such libraries and some of the databases they offer.
Arlington Public Library Although it does provide a short list of databases that one would expect from a library, the majority of Arlington Public Library’s databases are resources that are more practical for the average Arlington resident than a researcher. All of these resources are available with just a library card, which is free. For example, Brainfuse Jobnow is a database that’s beneficial for those with changing career paths. The site has resources and coaching for writing and perfecting resumes, practicing and preparing for job interviews, creating skills that are sought after in the job market, and navigating unemployment. Another database hosted by Arlington Public Library is the Health & Wellness Resource Center. This database holds information about various diseases, conditions, drugs, alternative medicines, healthcare providers, and treatments. It also includes terminology and current health news, which is especially relevant to the community at the time of writing, as we are in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. A third database that is beneficial to the community is the Legal Forms database. This database is rather self-explanatory. It contains printable legal documents of all kinds. However, it also contains articles on legal topics, definitions of legal terms, a question and answer section for users, and contact information for local attorneys. NOVA Library NOVA Library provides a very long list of databases ranging from video collections to newspapers. Their databases have mostly an academic focus, including the following three. Chadwyck-Healey African American Poetry, 1760-1900 is a database of poetry by African American poets. The database includes poetry, as well as publications, such as anthologies and letters. The search feature allows one to search by title, author, year, and type of poetry, as well as to use keywords. ICE Learning Center’s Video Library contains medical videos. These videos range from explanations of the function of a device, to interventions, to observational videos. A medical student could benefit greatly from these videos, as they provide real life visuals of medical information without having to find people with those conditions to observe. Mango Languages is a database of language learning information. With lessons, quizzes, and tests on over 70 languages, this database makes it easy to explore various languages and brush up on them or learn something new. The Library of Virginia The databases hosted by the Library of Virginia have a very research-heavy focus. These databases are mostly available to those who hold library cards, although some are available without a card. The Books In Print database lists the publication status of books, ebooks, audiobooks, video, and other multimedia in the United States. Media can also be put into lists and categorized by format or awards won, among other options. Another database, titled Mountain People: Life and Culture in Appalachia (1700-1950) contains primary and secondary resources such as journals, letters, and stories about people who lived in the Appalachian mountain range in this time period, as well as information about the development of agriculture and mining in the area. Proquest Historical Newspapers Black Newspaper Collection is one other database hosted by the Library of Virginia. This one hosts historical collections of nine black newspaper archives from the United States. Conclusion It’s important as a researcher to understand the difficulties you might experience in doing research. Although databases are a fantastic resource, it can be time consuming and tedious to find the one that will have the information that you’re looking for. It might seem like Google search would be an easier method, but Google is even more unlikely to give you the specifics of what you need. Using databases can help you access free information you may never have otherwise known.
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Style Design on this Blog
On this blog, in the past posts, I have changes in font to create emphasis. It's common to use different fonts and font sizes to create headers for content. I did consider doing this. However, after some trial and error, I decided that with the rather monotonous color scheme I've elected to use, having changes in color was the best way for me to show emphasis. With a basic knowledge of color theory, I decided to use distinct, but not contrasting colors. Although some people like them, I find perfectly contrasting colors to clash visually and give me headaches. I also used bolding in some areas to create emphasis. When I chose to use bolding and not a change in color, it was due to me not wanting to draw the eye to that area, and instead to just emphasize it within its context. Importance of Style Considerations There was a lot of information in the readings this week. Color theory was one aspect that was discussed. On computer screens, color is displayed using systems of red, green, and blue dots. Because of this, each color is given a value of how much of each of those pure colors is shown. There are also a few significant pieces of information that make up a color. Those are hue, value, tint, and saturation. Hue is the wavelength of a color. Value is the brightness of a color. Tint is how much a color varies from its original, from dark to light. Saturation is the intensity of a color. With these four factors, we can create better combinations of colors to make webpages look good. For further reading on color, visit COTW. Although many other considerations are important, as discussed in this week's readings, many people who build websites use website builders. Website builders eliminate the need to write and understand coding languages. They also often come with pre-made themes that have built in gridding systems, font matches, and other essential website features. However, it is commonly mentioned that many website builders do not back up your website. Because of this, for those wanting a rather simple but enduring website, learning the basics of HTML and CSS instead of using a website builder could be beneficial. As exemplified by our reading, blogs are used in a variety if ways in the study of history. Our reading lists usage as a blog, as a website, or as a bit of both. In reading through the examples given, I've also noticed a few further subcategories. Learning A portion of the blogs were collections of a student, just as this one is. Notable examples include Incidents in Alexandria, a blog dedicated to documenting the learning and progress of its author. Although this blog is new (at the time of writing), it is likely to expand to document the information its author gathers over time. Another example of a learning blog is this one, that you're reading right now. Immersive Teaching/Digital Tourism Another portion of the blogs were clearly intended for use to teach, either as a teaching aid to a class or a virtual experience of an otherwise possibly inaccessible location or time period. One example of the teaching side is Pramoedya Ananta Toer, which is a blog (in the form of a website) that provides resources and instruction to complete assignments about one author's influence on the decolonization of Dutch Indonesia. An example of the digital tourism side is WETA's Boundary Stones, which allows the reader to explore significant historical sites around the DC, Maryland, and Virginia areas. This is especially significant due to how much of American political history is present in those areas. Information Collecting (Archives) Yet another group of blogs serve as archives. Archives are defined as collections of primary sources, usually surrounding a specific individual, organization, time period, or topic. An archival example includes World War I Veterans (do beware the broken links strewn across the top of the page). This blog documents several interviews with World War I veterans before their deaths. An even more organized archival blog is WWI: Experiences of a Soldier. This blog is an archive of the letters of Harry Lamin, an English World War I soldier. To those interested in very specific information, archives are incredibly useful. Information Sharing One final category of blogs I noticed are those devoted to sharing information, but not in an archival or teaching sense. This does encompass a majority of "hobby" blogs, but also includes many more official blogs, as well. The History Blog appears to be a news source for new historical findings, both large and small, across the world. It discusses the findings and explains the historical context behind them. Conclusion To conclude, it's clear that blogs can be used to document and share history in a variety of ways. In order to keep up with the ongoings in my local history, I'll being keeping up with the Facebook pages for NOVA's Public History and Northern Virginia History. CategoriesWhat intrigues me about the local digital history websites is the way that information is presented. Sites that call themselves "libraries" seem to present information in a more disorganized manner. They use bright, eye-catching colors in what seems to be a bid to distract from how poorly organized the information is. Written word is in small font and unbroken paragraphs, making for poor readability. The information in itself, however, is much more extensive than other collections. This is likely due to the fact that they are libraries. Sites that call themselves "archives" appear to be more organized. Fewer flashy colors are used, and information is tagged and presented in a very specific manner. The written word varies, but tends to be broken into more parts and categorized. This lends to better readability. The downside of the archival sites is that they are clearly intended to be specific. Although they are clearly beneficial for those looking for very specific information, there are significant pieces that could be missing. I find it interesting to note how much has changed between the publishing of Rosenzweig's writing and now. According to the writing, in 2005, just over 30,000 websites were devoted to history. Today, in 2022, a search returned over 2 million. I think that similarly to this vast increase in websites, all of the other things that Rosenzweig mentions have been further exaggerated over the years. Computers can now store even more information in even less space. The streamlining of search engines and presence of archives has made information infinitely more accessible. Misinformation is even more rampant than it had been. Categories |
DescriptionThis blog will aim to capture the many projects and ideas that occur throughout this Digital History course. Specific focus on the impact of the digital world on the recording and changing of language will be noted.
AuthorHello, welcome. I'm Asher. As a linguistics and language focused student, I aim to track the ever changing nature of language through digital history in this blog. Enjoy your stay. ArchivesCategoriesFurther Reading |