Virtual Reference Desk

Law relating to insurance in community languages

2010-09-16T18:50:00.000-07:00

There are 2 new publications on the law relating to insurance in community languages.

Car insurance matters

Home insurance matters

These have been produced by the Insurance Law Service. They are available in English, Arabic, Chinese and Vietnamese.

To see them go to

http://www.insurancelaw.org.au/multilingual-resources/

from an e-list item by Jeanell Buckley, Legal Information Access Centre

Human Rights resources for school kids

2010-04-21T22:17:00.000-07:00

New teaching resources will help students understand human rights.
Teachers and students now have access to a new range of interactive human rights education resources, released by the Australian Human Rights Commission today.

Commission President Cathy Branson QC, launched the new rightsED resource this week by sending a complimentary DVD to schools around the country in a bid to help students develop a critical understanding of human rights and responsibilities.
“The importance of human rights education should not be underestimated in our efforts to create a more respectful human rights culture in Australia,” Ms Branson said. “Human rights education is critical if we are to make real inroads in our efforts towards true social inclusion in Australia. Ms Branson said the rightsEd resource includes a range of interactive education activities for teachers and students which introduce human rights concepts in an engaging and relevant way.

rightsED is guided by a clear set of education principles and learning outcomes and consists of nine resources which each feature activities around different human rights issues and topics searchable by the Key Learning Area into which they fit.

The nine resources in the new range include: Understanding human rights, Commemorate Human Rights Day, Child rights, Bringing them home, Face the Facts, Voices of Australia, Disability Rights – What about Doug’s Rights?, Young people in the workplace, and Tackling sexual harassment.

“rightsED comprises more than 400 pages of worksheets, resources and activities and is the culmination of over a year’s work. The resource fits in well with the emphasis on human rights education announced by the Attorney-General yesterday,” Ms Branson said. “Education will be a key focus of the Commission in the coming year,” Ms Branson said. “I urge all teachers to take advantage of these practical tools that will bring human rights to life for students around Australia.”

All resources are available free online at www.humanrights.gov.au/education.

Louise

Australia and various wars

2010-03-21T23:22:00.001-07:00

The following sites are all recommended by the NSW Board of Studies for students to use if they are studying any wars that Australia has been involved in, they are all worth while looking at:-
http://www.commemoration.gov.au/ - Australia's war time heritage
http://www.anzacsite.gov.au/ - Gallipoli and the Anzacs
http://www.ww2australia.gov.au/ - Australia and WW2
http://kokoda.commemoration.gov.au/ - Kokoda Track - available in 2010
http://www.anzacday.gov.au/ - Anzac Day site
http://vietnam-war.commemoration.gov.au/ - Australia and the Vietnam War
http://www.ww1westernfront.gov.au/ - Australians on the Western Front in WW1
http://se-asia.commemoration.gov.au/ - Australian involvement in SE Asian conflicts

Louise

Kokoda Track

2010-03-21T23:20:00.000-07:00

Coming in 2010 is a new website about the Kokoda Track, it is being developed in conjunction with the NSW Board of Studies and so will have lots of great information specially designed to help school children
http://kokoda.commemoration.gov.au/
Louise

...Islam and Islamophobia ...

2010-03-21T23:17:00.000-07:00

There is a great section on the multicultural website about Islam and Islamophobia

http://www.multiculturalaustralia.edu.au/history/timeline/period/This-Generation/screen/4.Islam-and-Islamophobia-

Louise

Multicultural Australia

2010-03-21T23:14:00.000-07:00

This Australian educational website has lots of great material on multiculturalism.
One of Australia's leading sources of quality educational resources on multiculturalism.
Teaching resources and strategies to understand cultural diversity and tolerance.
More than 3500 pages of articles, research, teacher guides, lesson plans, audio interviews, video clips, Australian multicultural artworks.
http://www.multiculturalaustralia.edu.au/

Louise

Sydney Harbour Bridge

2010-03-21T23:10:00.000-07:00

This Sydney Harbour Bridge website is great for both history students and engineering students, its co-sponsored by the NSW Board of Studies so has lots of great material that matches the school curriculums

http://sydney-harbour-bridge.bos.nsw.edu.au/

Louise

Electoral boundary changes for Mackellar

2010-03-16T18:04:00.000-07:00

Hi all,
The federal election boundaries have recently changed in the vacinity of Warringah Road Forestville, and will be in effect for the upcoming election.

Maps of the changes can be found here: http://www.aec.gov.au/Electorates/Redistributions/2009/nsw/final-report/

Alzheimers - prediction report

2009-11-15T16:45:00.000-08:00

A NEW Access Economics Report has just been published about the incidence and prevalence of Alzheimers between now and 2050 in Australia. The report "Keeping Dementia Front of Mind: Incidence and Prevalence 2009 - 2050" is available on the Alzheimers website at
http://www.alzheimers.org.au/content.cfm?infopageid=6012
Louise

Libraries Australia - changing to TROVE

2009-11-13T16:18:00.001-08:00

Decommissioning of Libraries Australia Free Search Service
The Libraries Australia free search service will be replaced by Trove by the end of November 2009. Trove is a new discovery service focused on Australia, Australians, and items found in Australian collecting institutions. The URL for Trove will be http://trove.nla.gov.au/.Records in Trove are a copy of the records in the Australian National Bibliographic Database (including the Register of Australian Archives and Manuscripts, and Music Australia), Picture Australia, Australian Research Online, Australian Newspapers 1803-1954 and PANDORA. Some external data sources will also be available

Louise

Letters of a Nation - Australia Post

2009-10-26T01:15:00.000-07:00

This is a good site for history students and anyone looking for PRIMARY source materials https://200years.auspost.com.au/html/loan/archive/
Part of Australia Post's Letters of a Nation campaign, they have developed an online archive that will preserve all letter submissions and act as a resource tool for generations to come.

The original letters have been loaded up, and with transcripts, so you can read them. They are organised in time periods eg 1850-1899 or 1920-1930 and by general topics like sport or war.

Louise

Australian Megafauna

2009-10-13T16:12:00.000-07:00

Sites on Australian Megafauna (definition Large Animals)

Mega - very large and Fauna - animals, together mean very large animals. Megafauna did not mean just animals with fur. It also included birds, reptiles and amphibians - animals with backbones or vertebrates.
Megafauna is really a comparative term, meaning put beside other or similar animals or compared to what went before or came afterwards, these animals were very big. For instance, in Australia, the echidna that exists today in Australia and New Guinea is smaller than the echidna which existed at times in the past. The same could be said of the current suite of kangaroos, wombats and koalas. Text from The Age Of Megafauna ABC site listed below.

The Age of Megafauna ABC Science site
Museum of Victoria Megafauna article
Museum of WA Nullabor Megafauna
Museum of Australia & extinction theory & human involvement in megafauna extinction
Wikipedia article
Death of Megafauna ABC science

using the Drug Info website for HSC students

2008-12-09T18:41:00.001-08:00

This website is a great resource for HSC students. There is information on alcohol, tobacco and illicit drugs; drug and alcohol effects; mental, health and drug & alcohol use; how to talk to others about drug use and where to go for help.
http://www.druginfo.sl.nsw.gov.au/ is a gateway to both factsheets and detailed information. There is a specific section for Students and Teachers which is particularly useful for PDHPE and Society and Culture students.

Louise (from a SLNSW information sheet)

New HOT topics, great for Legal Studies students

2008-12-03T15:17:00.000-08:00

Hot Topics
There are two great new recently released Hot Topics: Human rights and Domestic violence.
Human rights provides an overview of human rights law from its origins and sources, through to the development of modern human rights law. It examines how human rights law operates in Australia, with reference to current issues, and includes the full text of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and further information resources. It is a great resource for HSC Legal Studies students studying the Human Rights topic.
Domestic violence defines domestic violence, gives a detailed explanation of the law on apprehended violence orders, and discusses other legal remedies. It is a very useful resource for those Legal Studies students studying the Crime or Family topic.
Louise (from the LIAC E-News November 2008)

ABS statistics - Statistically Speaking

2008-11-05T15:55:00.000-08:00

Statistically Speaking is a blog for librarians and other like-minded information professionals featuring the latest information, news, tips and stories relating to the Australian Bureau of Statistics
http://abs4libraries.blogspot.com/
Louise

visual dictionary

2008-10-29T19:39:00.001-07:00

Hello all,

There’s a good visual dictionary I hadn’t seen before at http://visual.merriam-webster.com/ (or Google: Visual Dictionary Online). Worth a look.

John

New NSW legislation site

2008-10-15T15:29:00.000-07:00

The website for NSW legislation has just changed to http://www.legislation.nsw.gov.au/ The URLs and core functionality are unchanged but there are additional features, in particular the official authorisation of legislation published online, and a more streamlined interface. The new features will be listed in full in a link from the home page.
The NSW legislation website is the official NSW Government site for the online publication of legislation. The website contains the following features:
The In Force database—NSW legislation in force, both Acts and statutory instruments (regulations etc and environmental planning instruments) that is constantly consolidated and kept up-to-date Historical versions of current legislation, repealed legislation and historical versions
The As Made database—An archival collection of NSW legislation as made since 1990
Advanced searching and browsing facilities.
Louise

Politics and Young People

2008-09-14T22:41:00.000-07:00

A research project of the Whitlam Institute called “Young People Imagining a New Democracy” is investigating how young people engage with the democratic process in Australia. This review shows young Australians are anything but apathetic. They are strongly engaged with political issues and social causes such as the environment, poverty, health and an
Australian republic. However, they feel alienated and marginalised by old, formal, institutionalised politics. The review finds that for young people, there’s been a generational shift in Australian politics. The research shows it’s no longer about political loyalties, it’s about political choice.
Young Australians are distrustful of politicians and they are not content to accept the hierarchies in traditional institutions of democracy. They prefer to engage in grassroots campaigns and
cause-based activities, where they feel like they can make a difference.
The main observations from the review include:
• Young people will vote because they have to, but they do not see the efficacy of voting.
• High numbers of young people state they would not enrol or vote all the time, if it were not
compulsory.
• Issues such as lack of permanent housing impact on young peoples’ electoral enrolment and
participation.
• Few young people are mobilised to join unions and ever fewer are members of political parties.
• Young people are interested in political issues and are engaged in a wide range of new participatory activities, particularly when they can see tangible outcomes for their efforts.
• Gender, class and ethnicity have an impact on young people’s participation.
[from a Media release 27/8/08]
To download a copy of the literature review, visit: www.whitlam.org
Louise

Australian Human Rights Commission

2008-09-03T20:10:00.000-07:00

4 September 2008 - HREOC will now be known as the Australian Human Rights Commission
From today, the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (HREOC) will be known as the Australian Human Rights Commission.
The design represents an evolution from the long-standing HREOC logo, and includes the positioning statement, ‘everyone, everywhere, everyday’, which is drawn from the Australian Human Rights Commission’s new vision statement, “Human rights: everyone, everywhere, everyday”.
The new corporate image for the Australian Human Rights Commission is the first step towards ensuring that all Australian audiences know that Australia has an independent national institution with the responsibility to protect and promote human rights in Australia.
The Commission’s goals are outlined in its new vision and mission statements which can be found at www.humanrights.gov.au/about/index.html
The Commission’s legal name will remain the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission.
Louise

Sydney Water Catchment Filtration

2008-08-27T23:22:00.000-07:00

For information on the Sydney Water catchment and filtration process go to http://www.sydneywater.com.au/OurSystemsAndOperations/WaterSystems/

Ross

handy HOT TOPIC is now on-line

2008-08-24T20:14:00.000-07:00

The latest Hot Topic available on-line is all about the Australian legal system...and so is also good for staff who may be interested in background knowledge about this subject.
http://www.liac.sl.nsw.gov.au/hot/
Louise

NSW HSC ONLINE

2008-08-17T21:25:00.001-07:00

This is a fantastic on-line source for HSC students. Content is run by the NSW Dept. of Education and Charles Sturt University. The website includes study guides, exams, forums, links to other knowledge sites, exam techniques.

http://hsc.csu.edu.au/

Louise

Statistics from Nationmaster

2008-08-13T20:07:00.000-07:00

NationMaster is at http://www.nationmaster.com/ and they have a wide range of current statistical information on such topics as population, geography, crime, transportation, energy, lifestyle, religion.
A major feature of the website is that it allows users to generate graphs based on numerical data extracted from the a wide variety of sources including CIA World Factbook, UN, and OECD. And is excellent for comparing data between countries.

You can use the general search button with keywords or also take a look at the facts and statistics category subject choices. The first screens you get show bar graphs but using the MAP tab you can get visual world wide comparisons and can then zoom in to regions and countries.

Louise

Who plays computer games? - statistics

2008-08-10T18:08:00.000-07:00

2008 Essential Facts About the Computer and Video Game Industry (16 page PDF; 120 KB) http://www.theesa.com/facts/pdfs/ESA_EF_2008.pdf
Source: Entertainment Software Association
65% of American households play computer or video games.
The average game player age is 35.
In 2008, 26% of gamers were over the age of 50.
The average age of the most frequent game purchaser is: 40
Women age 18 or older represent a significantly greater portion of the game-playing population (33%) than boys age 17 or younger (18%).
13 is the average number of years adult gamers have been playing computer or video games.
59% of gamers play games with other gamers in person.
94% of the time parents are present at the time games are purchased or rented.
63% of parents believe games are a positive part of their childrens lives.
83% of the time children receive their parents permission before purchasing or renting a game.
Parents report always or sometimes monitoring the games their children play 88% of the time.
Posted by Louise

Green File - New database

2008-07-29T19:41:00.000-07:00

Green file is a new database available on our database list on the library website. Its an Ebsco database so users of other databases should not have any trouble using it. I have tried out the topic "plastic bottles" with good results so far....
Louise
Please note: The Greenfile database has been added to the list of online resources on the council website. Great database covering environmental issues. http://www.manly.nsw.gov.au/Online-Databases.html
Ross

Historical Electoral rolls

2008-06-18T00:34:00.000-07:00

Electoral Rolls from the 1930's time period can be found on the Ancestry Library database.
available through our website but only for in library use
www.manly.nsw.gov.au/Online-Databases.html
These can be very helpful in identifying where people lived in different time periods, as the rolls are arranged in alphabetical order. Other family members with the same surname and at the same address can also be identified.
When in Ancestry Library - click on search on the first toolbar, then on Australia (part way down the page), then on NSW on the map...this takes you directly to resources just for NSW.
Louise

Extra articles and reports on the DAW site

2008-06-16T17:52:00.000-07:00

http://www.druginfo.sl.nsw.gov.au/

under the A- Z of Drugs tab there is information on a wide range of drugs. The State Library of NSW now has additional links to articles and reports on 3 topics, Cannabis, Alcohol and Ice.

These can be found by clicking on the green button

Feedback also requested as to the usefulness of these

as the SLNSW will add more if popular.

Louise and Anna

Dance styles and history

2008-06-11T23:04:00.000-07:00

For information on different dance styles, the history of dance, the history of famous dancers?
Try the following streetswing website - http://www.streetswing.com/histmain/d5index.htm - it has a Dance Archives section full of useful information on dance styles, dance history, dance movies and dance terms.
Louise

Charity giving by postcode

2008-05-29T21:33:00.000-07:00

For a fascinating look at which areas of Australia give what sorts of money to charity try this website (you can search by postcode!) www.bus.qut.edu.au/research/cpns/postcode.php
How 'giving' is your postcode?
You can find out how much the taxpayers in your postcode claimed in their 2005-06 individual income tax returns for deductible gifts by using the search function.
Louise

Comparitive statistics for Local Government Areas

2008-05-27T19:46:00.001-07:00

Our Community, with the support of social demographer Hayden Brown from the City of Greater Dandenong, has produced some easy-to-use summaries of Australian Bureau of Statistics social indicators for all NSW municipalities. The tables enable easy comparison between LGAs and state averages.
http://www.ourcommunity.com.au/funding/funding_article.jsp?articleId=3537

STATE LIBRARY of NSW
Louise

BELONGINGS ideas list now available

2008-05-25T18:52:00.000-07:00

In 2009 the HSC students stop doing the subject "Journeys" and start doing the subject "Belonging". This means they will be coming in asking for texts (fiction, non-fiction, dvd's etc) to read or watch about this theme. On the www.insidebreak.org.au
website is a list of ideas for the students to use, also on this website is a list of theme words of relevance to the topic. Always remind the students to check with their teachers about the suitability of the text they have chosen.
Louise

Issues today - school violence

2008-05-25T18:50:00.000-07:00

Visit the School Angels website to see how local communities are working together to stop violence and bullies in schools http://www.schoolangels.com.au/ The School Angels are regional groups designed to help better support schools with resources sharing, aid, management, counselling and anti-violence and tolerance programs. The School Angels is about parents, teachers and schools helping each other. Anti-violence needs to be taught at school, as does tolerance education.
Louise

Portals to the World - Country information

2008-04-20T18:01:00.000-07:00

Library of Congress, Portals to the World.
"Each link opens a country page where more links pages under each topic are given.... These pages link you to the best web pages available for every and any country." [as featured in FreePint 10 April 2008] http://www.loc.gov/rr/international/portals.html

Louise

Youth Homelessness

2008-04-20T17:59:00.000-07:00

If you are interested in the NYC report, you also might be interested to read the article by David McKenzie (NYC Commissioner) and Chris Chamberlain that was published in the March issue of Youth Studies Australia. It is based on their most recent survey of student homelessness in Australia.
Their paper reveals that there has been a decrease in youth homelessness, largely as a result of the implementation of programs that have reconnected families; however, they stress that rates of homelessness are still high among Indigenous youth, young people from single parent and blended families and, not surprisingly, teenagers who have been in state care and protection. For example, Indigenous young people make up 3.9% of Australia's young people aged 12 to 18 years, but they make up 19% of Australia's homeless young people.
For more info, check out the YSA page on our website: http://acys.info/journal/overview or write to us!
There are more YSA articles on homelessness at: http://www.acys.info/journal/indexes/subjects/housing_homelessness
And more information on homelessness resources at: http://acys.info/topics/homelessness

Information posted by Louise

Year 12 Geography

2008-04-20T17:25:00.000-07:00

These sites were all mentioned at a recent seminar
• http://www.tate.org.uk/modern/exhibitions/globalcities/default.shtm A must for studying Urban Places covers World Cities and Mega Cities.
• http://www.megacitiesproject.org/default.asp A useful site, quick statistics and some solutions to problems of living in Mega Cities
• http://www.megacities.uni-koeln.de/index.htm A site with lots of useful links for information about Mega Cities • http://www.lboro.ac.uk/gawc/group.html This site presents the idea of Alpha, Beta and Gamma cities, it is useful for students as they consider the operation of global networks and the role of cities within these networks.
• http://homepage.mac.com/helipilot/PhotoAlbum31.html Worth a visit due to the visual nature of the site
Louise

Year 12 Geography - case studies about cities

2008-04-20T17:21:00.000-07:00

Year 12 geography case studies
For studying cities – including studying Sydney as a city
• http://www.tate.org.uk/modern/exhibitions/globalcities/default.shtm
A must for studying Urban Places covers World Cities and Mega Cities.
• http://www.megacitiesproject.org/default.asp
A useful site, quick statistics and some solutions to problems of living in Mega Cities
• http://www.megacities.uni-koeln.de/index.htm
A site with lots of useful links for information about Mega Cities
• http://www.lboro.ac.uk/gawc/group.html
This site presents the idea of Alpha, Beta and Gamma cities, it is useful for students as they consider the operation of global networks and the role of cities within these networks.
Louise

Headspace - dealing with issues for young people

2008-04-07T21:39:00.000-07:00

The headspace website is about looking for advice and information about dealing with issues that you or a friend might be facing. 20% of young people turn to the internet as their first step on the pathway to getting help so that's why headspace has put a lot of time and effort into making sure the information provided is trustworthy, reliable and accurate. Our materials are regularly checked by health professionals.
To find our fact sheets on a range of topics head to the mental health or drug and alcohol tabs in this section. Parents and carers should also visit their area as it takes a different look at the same issues. fact sheets are at http://www.headspace.org.au/default.aspx?page=34

Headspace places are opening throughout the Country. Check out http://www.headspace.org.au/default.aspx?page=33 for more information.

Louise

Youth homelessness report

2008-04-07T21:00:00.000-07:00

$1b needed to fight youth homelessness: reportA new report is calling for a $1 billion funding increase to tackle what it says is the worsening problem of youth homelessness. The inquiry by the National Youth Commission has found the number of young homeless people in Australia has doubled in the last two decades.It says about 36,000 Australians under the age of 25 do not have stable accommodation.
Read the full report here
http://www.nyc.net.au/files/Australias_Homeless_Youth.pdf
Or from the ABC news website http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/04/08/2210387.htm
Louise

War websites from the Dept Of Veteran Affairs

2008-03-27T16:24:00.000-07:00

War resources on the web

http://www.dva.gov.au/ - has pdf versions of educational resources about Anzac to Kokoda, Australians on the Western front, Australia and the Vietnam Warthere is also a commemorations section about the history of Anzac Day and its services
Take a virtual walk at Gallipoli at http://www.anzacsite.gov.au/
Find hundreds of stories of Australians who served in wars at http://www.australiansatwar.gov.au/
and Australia during WWII as http://www.ww2australia.gov.au/
The WWII nominal roll has 1 million records of servicemen and women at http://www.ww2roll.gov.au/
and there are transcripts of interviews from Australian veterans at http://www.australiansatwarfilmarchive.gov.au/

Louise (from DVA education resources sheet)

about immigrants groups in Australia

2008-03-26T17:40:00.000-07:00

http://www.vtpu.org.au/resources/communityprofiles.php
Community Profiles: Immigrant and Refugee Communities in Australia, organised by country.
This webpage comprises a compilation of links to profiles on more than 160 immigrant and refugee communities in Australia available on various Australian (and some international) websites. Information provided by each profile varies and is briefly described in the Contents of site column. Content may include demographic information about the communities in Australia, cultural information such as religious beliefs and traditional practices, mental health information where available, and historical and economic background in the home country. Louise

Mind mapping

2008-03-17T20:44:00.000-07:00

Need to use a mind mapping tool? Lyndon Sharp from the NSW Board of Studies recommends the http://bubbl.us/ website for on-line mind mappingWhat is it? - Bubbl.us is a simple and free web application that lets you brainstorm online.
Why use bubbl.us? - Because you can: Create colorful mind maps online, Share and work with friends, Embed your mind map in your blog or website, Email and print your mind map,
Save your mind map as an image
brainstorming made simple
Louise

Bibliography help

2008-03-17T20:40:00.000-07:00

At a recent 2008 HSC seminar Lyndon Sharp from the NSW Board of Studies recommended the http://www.noodletools.com/ website for making bibliographies. NoodleBib is available on the site and is a comprehensive and accurate bibliography composer with fully-integrated note-taking.
Louise

Need help to take a poll?

2008-03-17T20:37:00.001-07:00

Polls are useful tools for measuring opinions. Lyndon Sharp from the NSW Board of Studies recommends http://www.polldaddy.com/ for high school students to use to make and analyse polls. Louise

Need help to do a survey?

2008-03-17T20:29:00.000-07:00

Lyndon Sharp from the NSW Board of Studies recommends that students use http://www.surveymonkey.com/ to undertake surveys for such school assignments as the Senior Geography project. This site not only helps you design the survey but also analyzes the results with graphs and charts.

Louise

Year 12 Geography ecosystem tips

2008-03-12T22:35:00.000-07:00

At the 2008 HSC seminar the geography presenter recommended the following websites for the Yr 12 geography ecosystem assignments, here the Great Barrier Reef is a popular choice.

• http://www.gbrmpa.gov.au/corp_site
The best site for information on the Great Barrier Reef, all aspects of the syllabus are covered.

• http://www.wri.org/project/coral-reefs
A useful site for threats, mapping of reef areas under threat and information on management

Louise

Year 11 Geography tips - Global challenges

2008-03-12T22:10:00.000-07:00

At the 2008 HSC seminar at the SLNSW the geography presenter recommended these websites for year 11 students doing Global Challenge subjects

• http://hdr.undp.org/en/
An excellent source on population statistics, development trends, climate change and the implications for development.

• http://www.sasi.group.shef.ac.uk/worldmapper/index.html A source that builds up spatial awareness of production and consumption of the worlds resources.

Louise

American recommended medical website

2008-02-25T20:18:00.001-08:00

The SLNSW recommends the Mayo Clinic website and any publications by the Mayo Clinic.

The Mayo foundation for Medical Education and Research runs the http://www.mayoclinic.com/ website, which includes causes, symptoms, treatment options (orthodox and alternative) it also gives suggestions on how to cope and how to help yourself

Louise and Anna

Australian recommended medical website

2008-02-25T20:14:00.000-08:00

The SLNSW health team recommend the Better Health channel http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/ medical website - its run by the Victorian State Government. It has well written fact sheets, some with an audio version, its a good place to start, especially for people who want a concise introduction to a topic.

Louise and Anna

Medical Information

2008-02-21T15:54:00.000-08:00

A big tip from a recent health forum at the SLNSW was that medical sites with this accreditation logo on it are GOOD sites. The accreditation logo is given annually so the information on the site is also accurate.

Louise

Community Profiles - new settlers in Australia

2008-02-14T19:42:00.001-08:00

This series has been developed to assist in understanding the backgrounds and needs of Humanitarian programme arrivals in Australia. They contain information on demographics, settlement locations, and cultural backgrounds - at the moment Burmese, Congolese, Eritrean, Ethiopian, Liberian, Sudanese, Togolese and Uzbek are available but more wil be added
Find these reports (in PDF format) on
http://www.immi.gov.au/living-in-australia/delivering-assistance/government-programs/settlement-planning/community-profiles.htm
OR
http://www.immi.gov.au/ then select "Living in Australia" then "Delivering Assistance" then Programmes (tab) then "Settlement Planning", then "Community Profiles"
Louise

Journeys Ideas Lists

2008-02-14T19:18:00.000-08:00

The Inside Break website now has lists of journeys materials on the site
www.insidebreak.org.au
The lists are divided into physical, inner and imaginative journeys, and have poetry, song, books (fiction and non-fiction), and movies. The lists do not give details of which library holds which resource but are meant for ideas for the HSC students to follow through
The Manly lists that we had have been incorporated into these lists
Louise

Premiers Reading Challenge for 2008

2008-01-14T18:35:00.000-08:00

There is ONE folder in the YA fiction shelves about this challenge ( and a second folder behind the Information Desk on level 1)
In this folder is firstly the new books added this year and then behind this the full list from the previous year, the list is annotated so it’s easy to find books of interest, and marked with which items we hold
As per last year
1. I will be placing blue PRC labels on the non Junior area books in the challenge
2. There is a range of JF and JPB and QJF books that are on this list – these are not labeled for 7-9 years but are labeled for 5-6 years
3. Also appearing will be tags on the catalogue records of the new items on the list
4. Codings – STAR SYMBOL These titles also appear on the 5-6 booklist and are included as easier reads. BULLS EYE SYMBOL Usually read by students in Years 9, 10 and above
5. As the Years 7-9 books cover a wide range of resources (eg, GN.s YA, Adult Fiction, LPF, Classic PB’s, Non-fiction, NFPB’s, biographies) I will not be putting them all out on display or in a separate area –I will be putting selections on Level 1 and in the YA area in February and March…
6. The website is at https://products.schools.nsw.edu.au/prc/home.html
7. This list can be helpful if you are generally looking for recommendations for anyone

Louise

World Vision School resources site

2007-11-27T16:50:00.000-08:00

World Vision have a school resource website area, it includes secondary resources on global issues such as Trade Aid, Children, Poverty, War and 2 page country profiles on developing countries around the world... take a look as
http://worldvision.com.au/learn/schoolResources
Louise

Journeys - ideas lists

2007-10-03T02:18:00.000-07:00

I have put 3 booklists on the desktop on the PC near the phone - they give ideas for English students who want ideas on what to read or watch for Imaginative Journeys, Inner Journeys and Physical Journeys. These will eventually be on the HSC website as well. Any more ideas for these lists please let me know, am particularly after any fiction that could be used for inner journeys.
Louise

Primary Sources for opening of Sydney Harbour Bridge

2007-09-25T23:10:00.000-07:00

Over the past week there have been a number of students seeking primary sources relating to the opening of the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

Primary source articles can be found in the reference title:

R 079.94/Tel Over One Hundred & Fifteen years of news from the Daily Telegraph Mirror.

Also it is worth while suggesting that students join the State Library of NSW (this can be done online) which will then allow them access to the Times Digital Archive database. This is a brilliant resource for those seeking primary source material and in this instance provides numerous full text articles.

Other useful sites:

City Of Sydney Council History of the Sydney Harbour Bridge
Australian Government Cultural and recreation Portal; Sydney Harbour Bridge
Daily Telegraph Celebrating 75 years of the Sydney Harbour Bridge
National Centre for History Education: Includes primary sources; workers comments.
Sydney Morning Herald 1932 article: Bridge sensation: de Groot beats Premier to the ribbon

NoveList

2007-08-22T19:25:00.000-07:00

This database will be part of the NSWnet collection of databases from 1st Sept 2007. At Manly we have access through ANZRC from our on-line databases page. This site comes highly recommended. Strenuous lobbying from Readers Advisory groups ensured it made the list, and it does deserve to be there.

Pros: easy to use/navigate; heaps of useful information; can search by author, title, subject, series; can limit searches by size of book, level of reading and much more; author read-alikes; info for kids; questions with answers for book groups; support for readers advisory staff ; saves lists, print friendly & email
Cons: American bias. Not a lot of Australian content, however they do have list of Miles Franklin Award winners. Readers Advisory Group is currently
working on improving Australian content and looking for contributors.

DO TAKE A LOOK!!

Women in Ancient Rome

2007-08-21T21:33:00.000-07:00

I had an enquiry regarding the role of Women in Ancient Rome. The client had checked the loan material at 937 however; she required further detail. The following resources were extremely useful:

ABI/inform and Masterfile premier:(database) using the search descriptors woman AND roman civilization (LSU({WOMEN}) AND LSU({ROMAN CIVILIZATION})). This search retrieved 139 full text articles.
World History Ancient and Medieval Eras (database)
R700.9 /ART Arts & Humanities Through the Ages. Discussed womans contribution to the Arts and humanities during the Roman period.
R390 GRE Greenwood Encyclopedia of Daily Life.
R355.02/ WOM. Women at War
R937/BAN Encyclopedia of the Roman Empire

Legal Studies Years 11 and 12

2007-08-20T18:57:00.000-07:00

Material for Year 11 Legal Studies students has been loaded on to the LIAC website
www.liac.sl.nsw.gov.au/stduents/hsc.cfm
Most Year 11 students will be researching topics like women, Aboriginals and migrants - at the start of term 4 these students will become new Year 12's studying Crime or Human Rights
Any Year 12's coming in to review material before their HSC exam can be referred to
www.liac.sl.nsw.gov.au/studnets/
Info as supplied by Sarah Condie at LIAC, posted by Louise

Gold Rush Australia

2007-07-09T23:31:00.000-07:00

Following information will direct you to resources in the library focusing on the Gold Rush in Australia.

Books

The key numbers to look at are:

Reference Books

Databases

Websites

The Australian Gold Rush - Stories from Australia's Culture Portal

Australian Government Culture and Recreation Portal
An article about the gold rushes of the nineteenth century which had a huge effect on the Australian economy and our development as a nation.

Sovereign Hill Education Center (Selection of related PDFS)

Notes for Primary Students
Gold! Gold! Properties and Uses (pdf)The Great Irish Famine -1846 (pdf)A Safe Passage (pdf)Golden Literature. Quotes from the gold fields (pdf)The Chinese (pdf)1850s School Life (pdf)

Notes for Secondary Students
Click on the links to download files in Microsoft Word or pdf

Ballarat's Indigenous Heritage (pdf)Law and Order on the Goldfields (pdf)The Discovery of Gold in Australia (pdf)Eureka (Word)Life on the Goldfields (pdf)Women on the Goldfields (pdf)Transport in the 1850s (pdf)Mining Technology (pdf)The Chinese in Ballarat (pdf)Primary Sources - Goldfields Quotes

Events (history, impact and stakeholders) assignment

2007-06-27T21:23:00.000-07:00

The Int College students are doing an assignment where they choose one of a list of 20 events, have to find out about the history of, the impact of, the stakeholders and LOTS of details about, did Cannes film festival with one student (mainly from refbooks and french travel books) then with another student did Running the Bulls from Spanish books, the Hemingway link and some recent database anti-stuff. I gave up on one of the selections which was the impact of Wimbledon on Australian tennis. Louise

Encyclopedia of Holidays and Celebrations

2007-06-25T23:16:00.000-07:00

The Encyclopedia of Holidays and Celebrations; A country by Country Guide on the shelf.
The easy to use three volume set provides a country by country overview of the major holidays, festivals, and rights of passage in 206 countries. The entries for each country include a general overview and subsections on holidays, religious holidays, regional holidays, and rites of passage; origins and rituals; and further reading. There are also numerous photographs and side bar entries with interesting cultural facts supplementing every country entry. The first two volumes are organized alphabetically by country whilst the third volume provides in depth articles on religious festivals and a listing of holidays by country. This title caters specifically to secondary students and general interest enquiries and is highly recommended for the Public Library sector.
The Encyclopedia of Holidays and Festivals is published by Facts on File, (2006) isbn 0-8160-6235-8.