Recently in Interesting Websites Category

From an Outsell report, "Yahoo! recently unveiled a new feature on its image search page that allows a user to easily find pictures available for commercial re-use. After an initial search is conducted, a user simply selects the "More filters" link that appears below the search box and then checks the box marked "Creators allow reuse". With its ownership of Flickr, Yahoo! is tightly integrated to a massive collection of images. It was recently reported that over 3.6 billion images had been uploaded to that site alone. The filter works off of the Creative Commons license system, which provides a free set of tools for content creators to mark their works with a variety of conditions around reuse."

Yahoo's results, in my opinion, are much fore accurate than if you search Creative Commons licensed material using the Advanced Search Page with Google.

The ELM databases are a HUGE deal! They provide statewide access to a set of core resources! When I was at Minitex we had 15 resources, they are now up to ~44! Amazing. A great way for the public to access information and for Extension educators to have students use reliable resources.

Minitex will finalize license agreements with the following vendors for access to the following statewide electronic resources. These resources will be available beginning July 1, 2009 - June 30, 2012. (* denotes a database added to the suite of eresources for the coming contract period.)

EBSCO databases (Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota)
o Academic Search Premier
o Alt HealthWatch*
o Business Source Premier
o Consumer Health Complete*
o ERIC*
o Health Source: Consumer Edition*
o Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition*
o MAS Ultra - School Edition*
o MasterFILE Premier
o Middle Search Plus*
o Points of View Reference Center*
o Primary Search*
o Professional Development Collection*
o Regional Business News
o Science Reference Center*

Gale Group for K-12 electronic resources (Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota)
o Discovering Collection
o Expanded Academic ASAP*
o Educator's Reference Complete*
o General Science Collection*
o InfoTrac Student Edition
o InfoTrac Junior Edition
o Junior Reference Collection
o Kids InfoBits
o Student Resource Center Gold*
o Gale's Spanish-language database ¡Informe! (Minnesota and North Dakota only)

ProQuest for Newsstand Complete, our current package, PLUS two Gannett papers, the St. Cloud Times and the Sioux Falls Argus Leader (Minnesota only)
o ProQuest Newsstand Complete, the current package (North Dakota only)

OCLC for the FirstSearch Base Package (Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota)
o OCLC WorldCat
o ArchiveGrid*
o CAMIO*
o OAISter*
o OCLC ArticleFirst*
o OCLC Electronic Collections Online A&I*
o OCLC PapersFirst*
o OCLC ProceedingsFirst*
o Clase/Periodica*
o ERIC*
o GPO Monthly Catalog*
o MEDLINE*
o World Almanac/Book of Facts*
o OCLC Electronic Books*
o OCLC WorldCat Dissertations and Theses*

Encyclopaedia Britannica's General Reference for K-12, public, and academic libraries (Minnesota and North Dakota only)
o Britannica Online School Edition*
o Britannica Online Public Library Edition*
o Britannica Online Academic Edition*

Wolfram|alpha is worth keeping tabs on;their goal is to make "systematic knowledge immediately computable by anyone." http://www71.wolframalpha.com/ the site is great at conversations. There are all sorts of fascinating things like generating world maps according to life expectancy, etc.

To read a longer discussion of the resource, visit: http://yalsa.ala.org/blog/2009/05/17/search-news-and-teens/

Google announced a new universal search. "These include contextual navigation links above the search results that help users "drill down" to specific types of information. For instance, developers who search for [python] will see links for "web," "blogs," "books," "groups," and "code," whereas [downtown los angeles] will show a different set of links. "

More info on new search engines, here.

Recently I skimmed, Toys to tools : connecting student cell phones to education. Geared towards K12 students and getting them engaged in the classroom by using cell phone technology. The books neglects to discuss how to incorporate technology in populations where everyone does not have a cell phone. However, some interesting ideas and sites were discussed that I made note of:
- Inquiry Question Icebreaker, used wiffiti, to ask a question and have students text answers that immediately post on the live screen.
- In teams during Science Activity Project students looked at a historically significant phenomenon, such as nuclear physics, and then applied the phen to modern day. the students created a Reactee T-shirt (http://reactee.com, shirts $20-27). people would text the number on the t-shirt and get a message to let people know about the connection and how it affects them today.
- Interested in having students create a simple mobile website of information on a topic, try Zinadoo or FeedM8.
- Students can create an enhanced mobile podcast by using PowerPoint slides with QuickTime pro to add audio, and Mobilatory. You will need to convert your PowerPoint movie to a 3G format.
- LastSpotted is a free service where you spy on a something and every tiem you see that thing or person you send a text message. Students can take pictures of insects with their cell phonesand send their pictures with a text message to LastSpotted.

This is a fabulous new site full of free artist interviews! http://www.artbabble.org/

The new Science Information Literacy wiki at:
http://wikis.ala.org/acrl/index.php/Science_Information_Literacy

The wiki was created as a place for science and technology librarians to examine, review, and collect relevant science resources that can be used as part of information literacy instruction to science students and faculty.

In CR&L News the last page highlights a great website for designers, the Book Cover Archive. http://www.bookcoverarchive.com/ Be inspired by the creativity surrounding you in the library.

Wouldn't it be great to have a student book cover design contest?