Maps, manuscripts, medals and portraits are now available for viewing online, chronicling the travels of Sir Francis Drake, an English explorer and naval strategist, as he circumnavigated the world.

Spawning almost two centuries from 1579 to 1765, these materials are presented by the Library of Congress in an online collection titled “The Kraus Collection of Sir Francis Drake.” The collection is available from the Global Gateway Web site at international.loc.gov/intldl/drakehtml.

Hans Peter Kraus, a 20th century bookseller, and his wife, Hanni, established the collection about Drake and his voyages. In 1980, eight years before Hans Peter’s death, the couple donated the collection to the Library’s Rare Book and Special Collections Division.

The presentation of historic Drake materials now joins other collections available online from the LOC Global Gateway Web site, which features international collections from the Library, as well as from partner libraries in Brazil, Spain, the Netherlands and Russia.

Union Station, Nonprofit Raise Funds for Tsunami

A number of merchants at Union Station have teamed up with AmeriCares to help victims of the tsunami in southern Asia.

The nonprofit is taking donations at America, Appalachian Spring, Parfumerie Douglas, Pizzeria Uno and Thunder Grill. AmeriCares pledges that 100 percent of the donations it receives will go to victims of the tsunami.

AmeriCares, an international nonprofit headquartered in Stamford, Conn., is a disaster relief and humanitarian aid organization devoted to providing immediate response to emergency situations and long-term crises around the world.

Tax-deductible donations can be made at the participating merchants through Feb. 18. For more information, see www.ameri cares.org or www.unionstationdc.com.

— Jennifer Lash and Amy Carlile