July, 2016 - Websites of Interest
This page features various non-commercial websites that might be of interest to our members. Just click on the links to go there. And, as always, if you know of a non-commercial website that you think others might find interesting and informative, please send it along to the Webmaster.
North American Mammals
The National Museum of History presents a searchable database of all living mammals of North America in English and Spanish. Choose the language you want to use by clicking the Enter button or Entre el sitio.
Once you’ve entered the site you’re given several options for navigation. You can use the side menu to the left of the screen to check out the archive, collections, field guide, and glossary. Or you can use the navigation options in the middle of the page that will let you search by map, species name, family tree, conservation status, or special collections.
I recommend before you get started that you check out the About section. It goes through and explains the different sections of the site and how to use them. Visiting this section will make your searches more efficient.
If you decide not to head over to the About page, I recommend starting with whatever is the most interesting to you. I started browsing by checking out the Map search feature. I was interested to see what mammals were hanging out in my neck of the woods in Wisconsin. So I zoomed into the map and click on Wisconsin and then clicked the Explore button. This loads the mammal listing on the right side of the page where you can click the boxes to check them which will in turn display that mammal’s habitat! You can also learn about the eco-region that the area falls into. This was a really interesting way to browse.
That’s just one of the many ways that you can search mammals from North America on the site.
http://naturalhistory.si.edu/mna/
United States Digital Map Library
I love maps, so I was really pleased to find this site. I’d like to welcome you to the United States Digital Map Library, brought to you by the USGenWeb Archives. Their goal is to provide free access to the maps in their possession, as well as the creation of new maps based on scholarly research.
When you arrive at the site there is a nice blurb that explains what the site is all about, and then you scroll down to get to the three categories of maps. They are:
US Maps – here you’ll find maps that provide scope to major events like westward expansion, land survey systems, and more.
State and County Maps – this is the bulk of their collection. In it you will find maps not only from all fifty states, but also maps from individual counties around the US.
Indian Land Cessions Maps – this section provides maps that document the land cessions made by the American Indian Nations up to 1894.
I think this is an excellent tool for genealogists and historians alike.
Supreme Court of the United States
Being Canadian, I was initially unaware of the landmark American Supreme Court decisions that were handed down recently. Of course I learned of them the day after all the hoopla that followed across the internet, but I’ve decided to endeavor to pay more attention to what is happening in the world despite.
No matter what side of the debate you land on for the cases that go before the Supreme Court, you can go to their website to check out what’s on the docket. The calendar near the top of the page shows you when they’re in session and what is being debated before them. Use the handy key on the right of the calendar to decipher what’s going on each day.
Missed the Recent Arguments? Well you can check them out by scrolling down the main page where you can find transcripts and audio for the hearings. You can also check out what’s new and their recent decisions all on the main page.
Along the top of the page, you’ll find a navigation strip with the categories: Opinions, Oral Arguments, Case Documents, Rules and Guidelines, News Media, and About the Court.
A universal favorite section is About the Court where you can learn the history of the court, get biographies of the current justices, and more.