Internet Reviews

Joni R. Roberts and Carol Drost

Joni R. Roberts is associate university librarian for public services and collection development at Willamette University, email: jroberts@willamette.edu, and Carol A. Drost is associate university librarian for technical services at Willamette University, email: cdrost@willamette.edu.

GLSEN. Access: https://www.glsen.org/.

Founded by a group of teachers in 1990, GLSEN (Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network) was formed to support student-led activism and movements for LGBTQ+ rights, spawning initiatives such as the Day of Silence and Ally Week. The organization’s website serves to inform about the organization, but more importantly, shares the resources they have developed over their thirty-five-year history.

Under the “Our Work” tab, users will find the information from the GLSEN Research Institute quite useful. A robust collection spanning two decades, one can find reports and briefs on the national, state, and local level. GLSEN provides a report card for each state, rating their policies and practices on a wide range of areas related to education and access. From basic laws preventing discrimination to inclusive curricula, the report cards provide an overall grade for each state. Last reported in 2021, the overall map provides a grim assessment overall, with half of the states receiving a D or an F. In addition to the extensive reports, the site also provides information on how to get involved as an advocate through local chapters and actions throughout the United States.

There have been few times in recent history when the queer community was in the crosshairs of the United States government than it is now. Much of political fear mongering has focused on education and dismantling policies that ensure safe and equitable schools for LGBTQ+ students and allies. At a time when unbiased research on the LGBTQ+ community is being erased from government pages, it is vital to have independent organizations like GLSEN to fill the void. —Bart Everts, Rutgers University Libraries, bart.everts@rutgers.edu

National Organization for Rare Disorders. Access: https://rarediseases.org/.

The National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) is a nonprofit organization created to connect patients/caregivers of patients suffering from a rare disorder with medical professionals, support groups, clinical trials, researchers, and financial assistance options. The intended user and primary client of this site is the patient. NORD provides access to information about rare diseases and a directory of certified medical practitioners so the patient knows where to get expert help. Also provided are links allowing users to search for clinical trials that might offer some relief of symptoms and support groups for specific diseases. The site provides information for finding certified caregiver aid and financial assistance for treatments and medications.

Like most nonprofit organizations, an important part of NORD’s revenue stream is donations, and the “Donate” button is prominently displayed on the website. NORD also receives funding from grants, membership dues, conferences, and events. “About Us” gives the user access to the organization’s vision and mission statements, history, leadership, board directory, and financial information for the past several years. It also lists NORD’s Scientific and Medical Advisory Committee comprised of physicians and researchers who are the organization’s resident experts on rare diseases.

Academic researchers and students may find the NORD Rare Disease Database useful. It is searchable or can be browsed by alphabetical order. Records include a brief description of the disease with a list of available synonyms. Diseases with an asterisk have more detailed NORD Rare Disease Reports written by medical professionals for viewing. Reports include an extend summary/overview of the disease, a brief history, a list of programs and resources, and patient organizations. One of the options under the “Advancing Research” tab for researchers is “request for proposals” and a list of partners that may be willing to provide funding for research involving rare diseases. NORD partners with health-care professionals to provide Continuing Medical Education courses on rare diseases. —Meredith Ayers, Northern Illinois University, mayers@niu.edu

A Vision of Britain Through Time. Access: https://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/.

Created by Humphrey Southall and the Great Britain Historical Geographical Information System project, A Vision of Britain Through Time is an aggregated collection of statistical, geographical, and historical information about Great Britain.

A Vision of Britain is a wealth of knowledge, with access to statistical information from British census information dating back to 1801. Users can search by place from the homepage or click on areas from a map of Britain. Census data is available up to 1971. (For more up-to-date data, please visit the British census website.) Census reports are organized by year and geography. Term searching through multiple census years is available, and results are listed in chronological order. The statistical tables are generated in HTML and are simple to read. Full raw data downloads can be accessed in CSV format for more advanced analyses. Census topics include population, industry, social structure, poverty, housing, and more. Having familiarity with the website is very helpful; novice users may need to take some time browsing in order to find information.

One of the more intriguing features is the plethora of maps hosted by A Vision of Britain. Users can access maps that are color-coded based on historical demographic statistics like birthrates, employment, and other census information. Geographical maps are also available. These maps have an interactive feel, as users can zoom in and out. More specific maps appear and reveal more granular information as users zoom closer into areas they are interested in. The variety of maps includes topographic, boundary, and land use maps. Detailed charts and graphs that tell a narrative about life in Great Britain over a period of time are also available. Individual counties and other places have statistical visuals available that can be used to compare regions with national trends.

Adding to the narrative nature of A Vision of Britain are the “Travel writing” and “Learning zone” components of the site. These sections feature samples of historical writing from famous authors and include a search option. The “Learning zone” has constructed presentations that explain the data, and it provides some background context to the information. Having these excerpts and narrative features makes the site more of a historical encyclopedia rather than a site to ingest and export demographic data.

Overall, A Vision of Britain offers a fascinating wealth of information that is simple to navigate. Some data is missing or unavailable for select geographies. The functionality is perfect for those doing light research or those who struggle to generate data from advanced census tools. —Christopher M. Hulsman, SUNY Buffalo State University, hulsmacm@buffalostate.edu