The term "family" is one that continues to be highly debated, both in terms of its societal importance and in terms of its shifting definition across generations. Exploring one family's experience in the United States is the remarkable PBS program American Family, which profiles a multigenerational family living in Los Angeles. This well-designed site allows visitors to learn about the series and...

The sheer volume of "top" and "best" lists should never be viewed as indicative that an inordinate amount of so-called "objective" research has been done to arrive at a logical hierarchy that will effectively squelch debate on any given topic. Released earlier this week, the American Film Institute's list of the top 100 movie quotes (as voted on by 1,500 persons in the entertainment industry) will...

The University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee has rolled out a number of fine digital collections over the past few years that have covered everything from Golda Meir to the Milwaukee Repertory Theater. This latest addition provides access to over 2000 photographs from the American Geographical Society Library (AGSL). The current collection is primarily focused on countries in Asia and the Middle East,...

Created by the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Libraries, this nice digital archive is a collection of photographs and maps of Tibet and Lhasa from the early 1900s to the late 1930s, some of which were captured by Wisconsinite Harrison Forman. The website is divided into a number of sections for easy navigation that include photos taken by Forman, maps, and photos from early 1900 taken by two...

The American Geosciences Institute (AGI) has produced high-quality educational materials for decades, and its website is a great resource for teachers working in the physical sciences. On the site, visitors can take advantage of collections created to support thematic textbooks or peruse online programs such as EarthInquiry. This particular resource contains a series of web-based and print...

Most people know of the American Humane Association (AHA) from the "No animals were harmed" disclaimer at the end of a movie or television show, but the AHA has been protecting children, as well as animals, since 1877. According to their website, they aim to end the abuse and neglect of children and animals, and are at the forefront of "understanding the human-animal interaction and its role in...

Published in Chicago between 1895 and 1899, the American Jewess described itself as "the only magazine in the world devoted to the interests of Jewish women." The publication was founded by Rosa Sonneschein, and it offered the first sustained critique, by Jewish women, of gender inequities in Jewish worship and communal life. Recently, it was digitized by the Jewish Women's Archive as part of the...

The National Park Service has done a smash up job of creating thoughtful and compelling historical travel itineraries and this one is no exception. This particular tour takes visitors through the world of the American Latino experience via key sites around the country. First-time visitors will want to look through the Essays section to get a better context for all of these destinations. The essays...

How do you tell the life of a country through its people? It is a difficult task, to be sure, and in the 1930s and 1940s the Federal Writers' Project sent hundreds of interviewers out across the country to talk to people about their lives and experiences. These interviews touch on the Great Depression, slavery, political views, the role of the federal government, local folklore, and a myriad of...

40 million Americans move from one home to another every year. In November 2011, Jon Bruner of Forbes created this remarkable set of maps documenting where people are moving to and from using recent statistical data sets from the Internal Revenue Service. Visitors can get started by clicking on any county in the United States to see where people are moving based on this data. Visitors can also...