Hobby Links

General | Birding | Chess | Collecting | Comics | Crafts
Ham Radio | Photography | Puzzles | UFOs | Woodworking

Mango Languages - Mango is an online language learning system that teaches real conversation skills for practical communication including English as a Second Language (ESL). Through fun and engaging interactive lessons, Mango makes learning a new language fast, easy and incredibly effective. Languages included: ESL Spanish, ESL Vietnamese, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Vietnamese, Arabic, Japanese, Russian, and Hebrew. Use your library card number to log in from home.

Home, Garden & DIY

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Nature & Science

General

HGTV - Crafts, collectibles and decorating

Birding

American Birding Association Online - this site is filled with info on habitat conservation, community projects, volunteer opps, summer camps and more.
Audubon Online - dedicated to educating people about bird behaviour and habitats, this site covers endangered species and threatened habitats.
Birdwatchers Digest.com - links, advice on gear, bird song id, birding myths and more.
Electronic Resources on Ornithology - info on birdwatching, conservations, scientific studies, bird education prgrams
The Virtual Birder - includes illustrated tours, a media shelf, ecotourism recommendations, and interactive bird song activities

Chess

About.com Chess - an excellent gateway to hundreds of links and archived articles
The Basics of Chess - a simple site for novices to learn the moves, pieces, rules, etc.
Chess Cafe - columns, tips, endgame studies and tournament announcements

Collecting

U.S. Mint - get the new coins, commemoratives, tours of the mint, etc.

Comics

Comics Research Bibliography - lists of Comics resources on History, Business, Marketing, Reviews, and Original Works
Michigan State Comic Art Index - a comprehensive index to the Comic Art Collection at MSU
Tony's Online Tips - Comic book writer and columnist Tony Isabella shares his thoughts, views, news, etc.

Crafts

Paper Crafts
- Joseph Wu's Origami Page - learn basic folds, get new diagrams, etc.
- Money Origami from folding money!
- Paper Airplanes - a megasite for paper airplane know-how
- Scrapbooking - from Memory Makers Magazine, includes lettering, binding, layouts, articles, etc.
Sewing
- AllFreeSewing - free patterns to keep you in stitches, from expert tips to project ideas for every style and skill level.
- Butterick - a great sewing site with an especially good guide to fitting
- The Mining Co.'s Sewing Page - links to all kinds of sewing sources, patterns, etc.
Soapmaking
- Miller's Homemade Soap Page - a huge site with all the how-to details you need
- Sabrina's Soapmakers Resources - recipes, tips and links on soapmaking

Ham Radio

The American Radio Relay League - how to get your amateur radio license, FCC forms, info on equipment, and more
DXer.com - for the advanced radio operator, beyond the basics on specs and equipment
Wireless Telecommunications Bureau Amateur Radio Service - the FCC site that tells you all about the licenses and tests

Photography

Black and White World - a celebration and exploration of b and w photography
Digital Preview - Digital Camera news and reviews
Focus on Photography - take travel pix like a pro!
George Eastman House Photography and Film Museum - a worthy site for those interested in the history of Photography, including a photo archive and timeline
Kodak - a vast amount of info to help amateurs take better pictures
National Geographic Photography - How do they get those great pix? resources, workshops, behind the scenes, and in the gallery
PhotoArts - an excellent resource for the fine art photo enthusiast
PhotoNet - a world of links from exhibits to how-to
Quickstart - Learn all you need to know about Digital Cameras, getting started, accessories, expert advice, etc.
Short Courses in Digital Photography

Puzzles

Online Crossword Maker
Online Tangram
Puzzle Makers - all kinds of puzzles from DiscoverySchool

UFOs

UFO Documents - commonly requested UFO files from the National Security Agency

Woodworking

The Amateur Woodworker - this site is aimed at laypeople who don't have big tools and big budgets
Woodsmith Magazine - articles, plans, etc.
Woodworker's Central - good for the beginner
Woodworking at the Mining Co. - general resources and links