Website of the Week – a new library feature

You can’t find everything online.  But you can still find a lot, if you know where to look!  When it comes to San Antonio and Texas history, our librarian is always on the lookout for outstanding online resources. Many of these websites are not only good sources of information, but fun to explore.

Each week, the library will feature a different website on its landing page under the heading, “What’s New?” All of the featured sites can be found by topic under Research Links.

If you have a question about any of these sites, or have one to share, please contact librarian Beth Standifird at bstandifird@saconservation.org.

Featured Website:  RoadsideArchitecture.com

Topic: Roadside Architecture

Creator: Debra Jane Seltzer

This recent find represents the work of a woman who canvasses the country on photo-gathering road trips and shares the fruits of her labors online.  There isn’t always a lot of information (contributions are welcome), but the visual documentation alone is valuable.

The website contains more than 2,500 pages and over 60,000 photos. It features buildings, signs, and statues from across the U.S.  Most are objects from the 1950s-1970s that still exist.  You can either search by category or use the search box.

Beth’s comment: “As a librarian, I love the  breakdown into subcategories. The building category alone has 15 subcategories that include types, such as gas stations, and styles, like Mid-Century Modern.  Not only did I find San Antonio’s Woolworth Building under Buildings: Five and Dime Stores: Woolworth Stores: Texas, I  also discovered a giant octopus attacking a pirate in Scranton, PA under Statues: Giant Animals: Octopuses. Who could resist checking that out?”

Octopuses?  Yes.  According to Merriam-Webster, there are actually three correct plurals for “octopus.”