Link Love: 3/25/2011

• We agree, Adam! The Smithsonian “Castle” takes the cake for vintage details. Via @voteprime on Twitter: “I am fascinated by this EXIT sign I saw at the Smithsonian ‘castle’: http://flic.kr/p/9rhUvi. I especially love the curly ‘T’ and ‘E’.”

• The past two months have presented unparalleled natural disaster and political unrest. How do museums and archives keep collections safe in times like these? The International Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works talks about collection readiness and response in times of conflict.

• Archives Portal Europe is now open! Check out materials from 17 different European countries.

• Cool! More to see and more to explore . . . 5,282 objects from the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History have just been added to the Smithsonian's Collection Search Center.

• The letters archivists find . . . In found correspondence, former Museum of Fine Arts Boston curator calls out artist John Singer Sargent: “Sargent – Museum will take no nonsense from you  Robinson” Why so terse? An MFA archivist’s sleuthing explains all.

• There’s an algorithm on Netflix that tells us what films to watch, so why not one that tells us what to read? That’s precisely what Goodreads, a social network for book lovers,  has developed.

• Mike Edson, the Smithsonian’s Director of Web and New Media Strategy, apparently has the incurable Smithsonian-itus disease and needs your help! Hear more about his affliction below, and then learn more about how you can lend a hand to Mike, and your web and new media/museum/library/archive/etc. colleagues, on the Ignite Smithsonian wiki: