In the news this week, the Oxford English Dictionary says goodbye to print, NARA releases a new report on Web 2.0 tools, and the New York Times publishes an obituary for David Weber. Also read about a Constitution Day panel discussion and the Smithsonian’s newly acquired Muppets. Then, turn to a series of articles on scholarly publishing.  Dan Cohen, Clare Potter, and David Crotty weigh in, and we also link back to Robert B. Townsend’s article on the topic from earlier this summer.  Finally, learn about historians’ roles in California’s Prop 8 ban on gay marriage and Lawrence v. Texas, check out ten ways to get experience in the field of preservation, read about universal design in digital media, and get a free historical thinking poster.

News

• Oxford English Dictionary ‘will not be printed again’
  The internet appears to have claimed another victim in the world of print, with an announcement from the Oxford University Press declaring that the third edition of the Oxford English Dictionary will not be printed, but rather will only be released online.
• A Report on Federal Web 2.0 Use and Record Value (PDF)
  The National Archives and Records Administration reports on the use of Web 2.0 tools in the federal government, and some of the challenges departments and agencies face in reaching out to constituents and keeping up with fast-changing technologies.
• David Weber, Southwest Expert, Dies at 69
  As we noted last week, David Weber, vice-president of the AHA’s Professional Division, has passed away. Here we link to the New York Times notice of his death.
• A Panel Discussion in Commemoration of Constitution Day
  The United States Capitol Historical Society is holding a Panel Discussion in Commemoration of Constitution Day on Thursday, September 16, 2010, from 2 to 3:30 p.m. at the Howard T. Markey National Courts Building, Courtroom 201, 717 Madison Place NW. This event is free and open to the public.
• An old coat and a ping pong ball = Kermit?
  Kermit and other Jim Henson characters have been donated to the Smithsonian. The National Museum of American History’s blog takes a look at the history of the Muppets.

Scholarly Publishing

• Scholars Test Web Alternative to Peer Review
  This front-page article in the New York Times about “rethinking how knowledge is understood and judged” in a digital age sparked some interesting discussion, most notably from Clare Potter at Tenured Radical, “Journal-isms: What Would It Take To Reform Scholarly Publishing?“, who is all for it, and David Crotty at Scholarly Kitchen , “The “Burden” of Peer Review“, who is deeply skeptical.
• Assessing the Future of Peer Review
  Related to the issues above is this AHA Today post from Robert B. Townsend earlier this summer. In it, he takes a look at “the future of peer review in the humanities, and whether it can and should continue in its current form.”

More

• Historians and the Prop 8 Decision
  HNN presents an article about the importance of testimony from historians in the legal decisions about Proposition 8 in California and Lawrence v. Texas. In November, look to Perspectives on History for an article from Mike Grossberg about preparing the Prop 8 amicus brief.
• Ten Ways to Gain Experience in Preservation
  The National Trust for Historic Preservation has posted an article by Priya Chhaya, a program associate at the Center for Preservation Leadership, on ten ways “to beef up your résumé, make connections, and gain experience in preservation.”
• Academic Resources and Universal Design
  This article from the Chronicle’s ProfHacker blog looks at universal design in digital media and includes some very useful links.
• Free Historical Thinking Poster
  Just in time for the new school year the National History Education Clearinghouse has created a free, two-sided Historical Thinking Poster.

Contributors:  Miriam Hauss Cunningham, David Darlington, Debbie Ann Doyle, Kelly Elmore, Elisabeth Grant, Vernon Horn, and Robert B. Townsend

This post first appeared on AHA Today.