PALMM: Publication of Archival, Library & Museum Materials, from the State University Libraries of Florida.

About Us: PALMM is a cooperative initiative of the public universities of Florida to provide digital access to important source materials for research and scholarship. PALMM projects may involve a single university or may be collaborative efforts between a university and partners within or outside of the state university system. PALMM projects create high-quality virtual collections relevant to the students, research community and general citizenry of Florida.

The PALMM Collections include:
Archives Florida
Aerial photography Florida
Big Cypress National Preserve Collection
Coral Gables Memory
The Everglades Digital Library(EDL)
Florida Environments Online
The Florida Heritage Collection
Florida Historical Legal Documents
Florida Historical Quarterly
Florida Voices
Koreshan State Historic Site Collection
Literature for Children
Linking Florida's Natural Heritage
The Miami Metropolitan Archive
Mile Markers: Florida Keys community photo album
PRISM : Political & Rights Issues & Social Movements
Psychological Study of the Arts
Reclaiming the Everglades
The Ringling Collection
Ringling Museum Digital Collections
The Sanborn® Fire Insurance Company Maps of Florida
Sanibel Island History
Southwest Florida Environmental Documents
The University of Florida Herbarium Collections
University of Florida Performing Arts
United States Virgin Islands History and Culture
Eric Eustace Williams
West Florida Photo History
The Wolfsonian-FIU Modern Dutch Collection
The Wolfsonian–FIU Collection of Modern Italian Art and Design
World Map Collections
Yiddish Children's Books
Recommended in Dec 2013 Choice

All About Birds Your online guide to birds and bird watching

Welcome to All About Birds: Your online guide to birds and bird watching

Our mission: To interpret and conserve the earth's biological diversity through research, education, and citizen science focused on birds.

"The Cornell Lab of Ornithology is a world leader in the study, appreciation, and conservation of birds. Our hallmarks are scientific excellence and technological innovation to advance the understanding of nature and to engage people of all ages in learning about birds and protecting the planet . . .  scientists, conservationists, engineers, educators, and students all work together for a common purpose: to understand birds and other wildlife, to involve the public in scientific discovery, and to use our knowledge to protect our planet".
Founded in 1915, the Cornell Lab is a nonprofit organization supported by 45,000 friends and members. Our vibrant community includes 200,000 citizen-science participants from all walks of life and 5 million bird enthusiasts of all ages who connect with us online at All About Birds.

As a proud unit of Cornell University we have ten faculty on staff and access to world-class resources.  As a nonprofit environmental organization, however, we depend on members, donors, research, and our other programs for 99 percent of our operating budget. Your support will result in direct impacts and improvements for conservation science.

We invite you to join us as a member of the Lab. Learn more about the lives of birds, enhance your birding skills and enjoyment, and be a part of our community. As a Cornell Lab member, you’ll help in our far-reaching work to make the planet a better place for wildlife and for people.

Choice, March 2014: Highly recommended. Lower- and upper-division undergraduates and general readers

Valentine's Day 2014: statistics from the Census Bureau

Facts for Features consists of collections of statistics from the Census Bureau's demographic and economic subject areas intended to commemorate anniversaries or observances or to provide background information for topics in the news. Valentines Day statistics!
"Expressing one's love to another is a celebrated custom on Valentine's Day. Sweethearts and family members present gifts to one another, such as cards, candy, flowers and other symbols of affection. Opinions differ as to who was the original Valentine, but the most popular theory is that he was a clergyman who was executed for secretly marrying couples in ancient Rome. In A.D. 496, Pope Gelasius I declared Feb. 14 as Valentine Day. Esther Howland, a native of Massachusetts, is given credit for selling the first mass-produced valentine cards in the 1840s. The spirit continues today with even young children exchanging valentine's cards with their fellow classmates." find all the stats here.  selected stats below - 

Candy: 1,148

Number of U.S. manufacturing establishments that produced chocolate and cocoa products in 2011, employing 35,538 people. California led the nation with 122 of these establishments, followed by Pennsylvania, with 109.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns: 2011, NAICS code (31132) and (31133),
 http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/BP/2011/00A1//naics~31132

Flowers: 15,307

The total number of florists' establishments nationwide in 2011. These businesses employed 66,165 people.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, NAICS code (4531)
http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/BP/2011/00A1//naics~4531

Jewelry: 23,394

The estimated number of jewelry stores in the United States in 2011. Jewelry stores offer engagement, wedding and other rings to couples of all ages. In February 2013, these stores sold an estimated $2.8 billion in merchandise.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, NAICS code (448310),
 http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/BP/2011/00A1/0100000US/naics~448310 and
Monthly Retail Trade and Food Services http://www.census.gov/retail

"Please Be Mine": 29.0 and 26.6 years

Median age at first marriage in 2013 for men and women, respectively.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Families and Living Arrangements: 2013,
http://www.census.gov/hhes/families/data/marital.html, Table MS-2

Giving Love a Second Chance: 19.4%

Among people 15 and older who have been married, the percentage of men and women, who have been married twice as of 2012. Five percent have married three or more times. By comparison, 75.4 percent of people who have ever been married have made only one trip down the aisle.
Source: 2012 American Community Survey
http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/12_1YR/B12505