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Students in a two-year ethnographic study referred to Google more than any database when discussing their research habits. But ironically, say the study's authors, they weren't very good at using it.

Informal science is a burgeoning field that operates across a broad range of venues and envisages learning outcomes for individuals, schools, families, and society. The evidence base that describes informal science, its promise, and effects is informed by a range of disciplines and perspectives, including field-based research, visitor studies, and psychological and anthropological studies of learning. Learning Science in Informal Environments draws together disparate literatures, synthesizes the state of knowledge, and articulates a common framework for the next generation of research on learning science in informal environments across a life span. Contributors include recognized experts in a range of disciplines--research and evaluation, exhibit designers, program developers, and educators. They also have experience in a range of settings--museums, after-school programs, science and technology centers, media enterprises, aquariums, zoos, state parks, and botanical gardens. Learning Science in Informal Environments is an invaluable guide for program and exhibit designers, evaluators, staff of science-rich informal learning institutions and community-based organizations, scientists interested in educational outreach, federal science agency education staff, and K-12 science educators.

Published by the African Women's Development and Communication Network (FEMNET), this resource book is a collection of case studies from Cameroon, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, and Zambia. It documents the experiences of women's participation in these processes leading to laws or policies that enable citizen to enjoy freedom of information, particularly information in the custody of the government. It highlights best practices that have facilitated positive results and the challenges faced by champions of freedom of information campaigns in the five countries.

I love the classroom possibilities that new technology brings, and I'm aware of the massive impact phones, tablets or whatever can have on the ability of students to continue their studies outside the classroom in a manner they feel comfortable with. Paper-free education - what can possibly go wring? http://t.co/zWYOWddv @endineering

If librarians truly wish to be where the user is and to be user-centric, they need to be present in those spaces that users are. Embedded librarianship is a major focus for the future for the profession. The physical library will continue to provide  a place for research, for study, and for group work. But, with the dramatic increase in electronic resources and technological capabilities, bringing the library and the librarian to the user, wherever they are-office, laboratory, home, or even on their mobile device-is at the forefront of what it means to be embedded. 

"Sweet Search is a search engine that searches only the sites that have been reviewed and approved by a team of librarians, teachers, and research experts. In all there are 35,000 websites that have been reviewed and approved by Sweet Search. In addition to the general search engine, Sweet Search offers five niche search engines. The niche search engines are for Social Studies, Biographies, SweetSites (organized by grade and subject area), School Librarians, and Sweet Search 4 Me (for elementary school students)."

"This site contains *almost all* of Mark Twain's works.articles, FAQ, Study Guides, Essays, etc "

Lingro remembers all the words you look up, so you can easily review and study them.

As a modern day library student, you're probably excited about discovering and experimenting with the new tools and systems that have changed the way we find, receive and catalog information. But with all of the new technology out there, it can be hard to keep track of everything beyond your own niche field of study. This collection of library and information technology blogs have changed that, and now you'll be able to learn about all of the trends, developments, tools and resources available to librarians in every niche.

Any number of recent studies are concluding that reading is declining, primarily the reading of novels and longer works of nonfiction. Pundits are remarking that online reading is changing their personal reading behaviors. Doug Johnson infers from this and other observations that we are rapidly becoming a "postliterate society." In Doug's feature, you can find out just what he means by that, and learn how libraries can serve this postliterate society.

"Why are we reading a book about a crazy knight? What does Don Quixote have to do with social studies?" Great literature helps students to think better by challenging their assumptions, by making fun of certain situations, and by providing insights. All classes benefit from reading whole pieces of literature, abridged versions or even just specific chapters from outstanding literature.

How will you survive and thrive as social media changes our world? What are the best ways to use social media to succeed in our work, our lives and our future? "Content Nation" is a wide-ranging look at what makes social media tick, offering case studies and practical tips as to how we can conduct our business, our politics and our personal lives using social media and a look at how a future shaped by social media will be very different in many ways than the civilizations of the past several thousand years.

"The World Digital Library hosts more than 10,000 primary documents and images from collections around the world. Sponsored by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, the mission of the World Digital Library is to promote the study and understanding of cultures. The WDL can be searched by date, era, country, continent, topic, and type of resource. In my search of the WDL I noticed that roughly half of the resources are historical maps and images. The WDL aims to be accessible to as many people as possible by providing search tools and content descriptions in seven languages. The WDL can also be searched by clicking through the map on the homepage."

"Open access to 593,460 e-prints in Physics, Mathematics, Computer Science, Quantitative Biology, Quantitative Finance and Statistics"

MLA, APA, and Chicago styles are the three most common documentation styles required by Calvin professors. The official rules and guidance for these styles are provided the manuals listed below. All three manuals can be found in print in the Reference Col