The global geometry of the moduli space of curves

This is a survey written for the Proceedings of the AMS Summer Institute in Algebraic Geometry held in Seattle in 2005. Topics discussed in the survey include the ample and the effective cone of the moduli space of curves, Kodaira dimension, Slope Conjecture, log canonical models etc.Comment: 23 pages. Minor revisions. To appear in the Proceedings of the AMS Summer Research Institute in Algebraic Geometry-Seattle 200

The Geometry of the Moduli Space of Curves of Genus 23

We prove that the Kodaira dimension of the moduli space M_{23} of curves of genus 23 is at least 2. We also present some evidence for the hypothesis that the Kodaira dimension of the moduli space is actually equal to 2. Note that for g > 23 the moduli space is of general type, while for g\leq 22, Harris and Morrison conjectured that M_g is uniruled. The result on M_{23} is obtained by investigating the relative position of three explicit multicanonical divisors which are of Brill-Noether type.Comment: 21 pages, Late

Using Wikis to Create Online Communities

A wiki allows anyone the ability to take part in the creation and editing of web content. With its simplified text-formatting rules that anyone can easily learn, it truly puts experienced web designers and web novices on equal footing. In public libraries, where the technological skills of employees can range from high to non-existent, wikis can allow everyone the ability to develop the website. The resulting website would reflect the imagination and good ideas of the entire organization, not just a select few with the requisite "tech-savvy." The possibilities for what libraries can do with wikis are endless. At their least, they are spaces for quick and easy collaborative work. At their best, they can become true community resources that can position the library as an online hub of their local community