http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/treasures/franklin-home.html

As America’s first proverbial ambassador of goodwill and intelligence, Benjamin Franklin is a fascinating and immediately engaging individual, even three hundred years after his birth in Boston. Drawing on their prodigious collections, the Library of Congress has created this very nice online collection designed to pay homage to Franklin the printer, writer, inventor, scientist, and so on. Complementing an in situ exhibit at the Library, this collection is ordered chronologically, and allows visitors the ability to traipse through Franklin’s substantial involvement in the Continental Congress, the Treaty of Paris, as well as his own inventive spirit. Some of the documents include Franklin’s own design for a stove, his 1775 plan for a colonial confederation, and the founding charter for the American Philosophical Society. Visitors can also navigate a complete checklist of objects found on the site and also read about some of the public programs planned to complement the exhibit, such as lectures and demonstrations. [KMG]

http://eyelevel.si.edu/

Eye level is an art blog written by a collaborative team at the Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM). According to the site, "... the conversation at Eye Level will be dedicated to American art and the ways in which the nation's art reflects its history and culture." The SAAM collection is meant as a foundation for the conversation on Eye Level. A recent post begins by talking about a road trip through the American West to see site-specific artwork, but at least one of the artists mentioned, Andrea Zittel, has a prior affiliation with SAAM. She was the 2005 Smithsonian Lucelia Artist Award winner, and the post links to prior entries on artwork at SAAM, both in and inspired by the American Southwest. These links were to works such as Robert Smithson's Spiral Jetty (an installation in the Great Salt Lake) and Albert Bierstadt's Among the Sierra Nevada, California, 1868. The February 1 post considers the future of art blogs, and the impact they may have on art criticism, museums, and the art world on the whole. [DS]

http://www.traffic.org/

The trade in wild species is difficult to regulate, despite the presence of numerous international organizations dedicated to this cause. One such organization is TRAFFIC, which is a wildlife trade monitoring network primarily concerned with making sure that this trade does not pose a threat to the conservation of nature. Since its founding in 1976, the group has been concerned with monitoring wildlife trade activities, and their website provides detailed information on their work. First-time visitors may want to first look at the “What is TRAFFIC?” section, then proceed to the “Priority” area, which give specific material on the species and eco-regions that are of the greatest concern to the organization. As one might imagine, there are also a number of fine publications available here, including their annual reports and their journal, Traffic Bulletin. [KMG]

http://www.transparency.org/

With headquarters in Berlin, Transparency International (TI) is an international non-governmental organization dedicated to combating corruption in its many guises across the world. As their website notes, TI “focuses on prevention and reforming systems”. With a well-designed and rather elegant homepage, visitors will find much to admire here. The top of the homepage provides access to their “In Focus” feature, which draws attention to some of TI’s more recent work, such as the Global Corruption Report for 2006. Below this feature, visitors will find links to recent news stories dealing with corruption, such as the recent Kenyan government scandal and anti-corruption initiatives in West Africa. Visitors can also utilize the “Corruption: Learn About it” area, as it contains FAQs on corruption, and a number of indices, such as the global corruption barometer as well as a number of regional surveys. For pragmatic material, one need to look no further than their “How to Fight Corruption” section, which contains an anti-corruption handbook and a set of business principles for countering bribery. [KMG]

http://www.uschamber.com/

One would be hard pressed to find a better slogan for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce than “Fighting for Your Business”, so it is rather fortunate that they have already effectively trademarked these exact words. With a long and storied history dating back to 1912, the U.S Chamber of Commerce is the world’s largest not-for-profit business federation, representing over 3 million businesses and 2800 state and local chambers. Their website will be most useful to both businesspersons and those with an interest in the role this organization plays throughout the United States in terms of its effect on the creation of national and local policy regarding the climate for small and large businesses. As might be expected, the homepage contains a full-site directory, which will lead visitors to information on international trade, current issues of relevance to business, and the Chamber’s own Center for Workforce Preparation. Some visitors may also wish to sign up for their free weekly e-newsletters, which cover topics such as corporate citizenship and workforce preparation. [KMG]

http://www.cbpp.org/

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities was founded in 1981 to take a close look at how various budget choices have affected the lives of low-income Americans. Since then the center has continued to grow more expansive, covering budget priorities at the state level as well. First-time visitors to the site will find a host of materials of note, including a number of “Issues In Depth” special features. These features take a close look at such important subjects as budget priorities after Hurricane Katrina and other federal budget issues. The “New From the Center” area is a great way to become well versed in their most recent work, as it covers such topics as state income trends and Social Security. Users who wish to look for a specific topical area will do well to look at the bottom of the homepage which contains coverage of such topics as low-income housing, health policies, and unemployment insurance. [KMG]