March 2008
Family Education
In
her column, "The Lines We Remember," Julie
Douglas mines her knowledge of children's literature for the memorable quotation
and shares some real gems with us.
Related
to our interest in Family Education, there's a new "Brain-Powered
Playground" at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry. I noticed
the project in an e-newsletter I get from the Institute of Museum and Library
Services in Washington. IMLS is capable of playing a much larger part in the
lives of Missouri's cultural institutions. The newsletter is a great place
to start paying attention.
Teacher Development
We've just funded several teachers' institutes for this summer on opposite sides of the state. You can sign up to study Mark Twain at the Twain Museum in Hannibal, or study The Border War at the National Frontier Trail Center in Independence. Details on our Teacher Development page.
Better Readers
There's
a great opportunity for Libraries and schools at the web site of the American
Library Association. ALA is brokering the free national distribution of Picturing
America. It's a set of 20 two-sided images of evocative images
to use in teaching American history. The National Endowment for the Humanities
created this opportunity. You can read all about it at the web sites of both
organizations.
Also, there's a fascinating worldwide book discussion project under way through Oprah's Book Club.
Details on both opportunities on our Better Readers Page.
Better Museum Visits
If you're in the Branson area, we encourage you to visit the wonderful American Presidential Museum and see the CNN exhibit, the great gift shop, and the great tour given by the Director, Stormy Snow. Details on our Museums Page.
You've got to see the beautiful new Virtual Museum at the Center for Archaeological Research at Missouri State! "Where The Wilson Meets The James" is on our growing list of "21st by 21" projects to upgrade Missouri museum practices.
If you're ready to upgrade your museum or historic house, one of the best places to start is the Performance Management Program of AASLH. We highly recommend this way of getting a toe-hold on 21st Century thinking!
If you've ever wondered
how much Web design is too much, have a good laugh at the Bad
Usability Calendar 2008. Then subtract a few things from your web site!
NEH Support of Digital Humanities Projects
If you're working on a Digital Humanities project, take advantage of the NEH web page and newsletter devoted to that work.
The Essence of Storytelling in an Irish Book
My colleague, Julie, just returned from a pilgrimage to Ireland and is wearing a great deal of green. This morning she sent out one of her vintage book recommendations, and I know what I'll be reading next month after I finish The Starcatcher Trilogy by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson.
Julie
says, "I have just finished reading a book that I wanted to share with
you all. If you have not read Frank Delaney’s Ireland: A Novel,
you will find it very interesting. The story is about a young Irish boy
who encounters a storyteller and is mesmerized by him. The aging storyteller
moves on, but Ronan makes it his mission to find the old man and learn the
art of storytelling. The chapters alternate between Ronan’s search for
the storyteller and the stories the old man tells about the history of Ireland. The
chapter where Ronan describes the storyteller’s method of enchanting
his audience is one of the most beautiful things I have read!"
Social Networking With Books and Ideas
I discovered something exciting at the Amazon.com bookstore, a place where parents can share photos of themselves and their children with Goodnight Moon. I tried to say hello to four of those parents, but to no avail. Succeed or fail, I thought I'd write a blog about networking at the Amazon bookstore.
