Harvard University Library: Open Collections Program

Harvard University Library has a cool Open Collections Program where it's digitizing books, manuscripts, maps, and photographs in topical areas. So far it's launched Women Working, 1800-1930 and Immigration to the United States, 1789-1930. Valuable resources for students and scholars -- as well as idle browsers!

Books - Forbes.com

The Dec. 1 issue of Forbes has a special report on Books. Looks interesting, but I don't have the time to read it now. Thanks, beSpacific.

ETS Assesses Information Literacy

The Educational Testing Service has developed a test to measure undergraduates' Information and Computer Technology Literacy. Preliminary findings, based on giving the test to 6,300+ students at 63 institutions, are here. The good news: students could sort emails and files into folders; students recognized that .edu and .gov sites were less likely to have biased information than .com sites (well, that all depends, doesn't it? -- but I see the point). The bad news: students were often unable to narrow searches or to eliminate irrelevant results. The ICT Literacy project home page is here.

The Top 100 - in U.S. History

Lists and rankings are great for stirring up discussion. Here's The Atlantic's list of the The Top 100 most influential figures in American history.

James Patterson PageTurner Awards

Author James Patterson last year launched a very cool awards program, giving money to libraries, bookstores, and schools that promote literacy and the joy of reading. Home : James Patterson PageTurner Awards.