With the help of the Internet, the Ivy League doesn’t have to be walled off. Through online tools, libraries, and more, anyone can get access to learning tools created by Ivy League schools. Read on, and you’ll find 100 Ivy League learning tools that anyone can make use of.

Courses & Lectures

Here you’ll find resources for free courses and lectures from Ivy League universities.

1. Open Yale Courses: Find courses and lectures in astronomy, economics, psychology and more. [Yale]
2. Princeton WebMedia Lectures: See videos of lectures presented at Princeton here. [Princeton]
3. University Lectures: Here you’ll find lectures from Columbia University. [Columbia]
4. Department of Physics Lecture Demonstrations: You’ll find demos on astronomy, fluids, waves, optics, and more here. [Brown]
5. 60 Second Lectures: Listen to quick School of Arts & Sciences lectures here. [Penn]
6. Public Lectures Series: Check out Princeton’s public lectures that are free and open to the public. [Princeton]
7. eCommons@Cornell: Cornell’s eCommons highlights university archives, multimedia, theses, and dissertations. [Cornell]

Career

Develop your career with the help of these Ivy League tools.

8. Career Development Center: Learn about career exploration and more in the Career Development Center. [Brown]
9. CareerSearch: Gain access to the "hidden job market" through this resource. [Brown]
10. Career Resources: Find career profiles, resources, and more from the Schepens Eye Research Institute here. [Harvard]
11. Columbia Resource Library: Columbia’s Resource Library offers an excellent collection of useful career resources. [Columbia]
12. Career Resources Tip Sheets: Download these tip sheets for help with cover letters, business etiquette, interviewing, and much more. [Columbia]
13. UCAN Internship Database: Check out this database, and you’ll find an excellent resource for finding internships, summer jobs, and more. [Brown]
14. FOCUS: With this assessment tool, you can decide on career goals for your future. [Brown]
15. Career Tools: Columbia’s career tools include useful resources for resumes, networking, interviewing, and career assessments. [Columbia]
16. Tip Sheets: Find a wealth of knowledge in Brown’s career tip sheets, including cover letters, interviewing, career fair strategies, and more. [Brown]

Research

Use these tools to improve your research.

17. Introduction to Google Scholar: Find out how to best use Google Scholar with the help of this guide from Brown. [Brown]
18. Ask Dartmouth: Find facts and more about Dartmouth and beyond in this question and answer site for the college. [Dartmouth]
19. Planetary Data Center: This public facility provides researchers, educators, and the public with image data obtained by the US Space Program. [Brown]
20. Brown Library Resource Guides: Check out these guides to find resources in academic departments, special subjects, and more. [Brown]
21. Tips and Strategies for Evaluating Web Sites: Use this resource, and you’ll be able to find out how to find the best sources of research online. [Brown]

Language & Literature

Explore language and more with the help of these Ivy League tools.

22. Brown Language Resource Links: Here you’ll find language resource pages for each of the languages taught at Brown. [Brown]
23. Harvard University Press: Browse books created through the Harvard University Press with this tool. [Harvard]
24. University of Pennsylvania Language Resource Center: Find language resources through this center from the University of Pennsylvania School of Arts & Sciences. [Penn]
25. Harvard Language Resource Center: Harvard’s Language Resource Center offers documentation, learning and more for languages. [Harvard]

Collections

Here you’ll find loads of great collections available through Ivy League universities.

26. Iberian, Latin American, and Latino Resources: Find electronic resources, sound recordings, sheet music and more relating to Iberians, Latin Americans, and Latinos in this collection. [Brown]
27. Our Tools of Learning: See some of the gifts of manuscripts and books in the Plimpton collection at Columbia. [Columbia]
28. Internet-First University Press: In this collection, you’ll be able to find freely available manuscripts and videos in the Cornell University Library’s Digital Repository. [Cornell]
29. Picture Database at Language Resource and Research Center: Find images related to the language and cultures of Africa, China and Mexico, as well as vegetables in this database. [Penn]
30. DigitalCommons@ILR: Find research and scholarship as well as featured collections here. [Cornell]
31. Princeton University Art Museum Home Page: Explore the collections and exhibitions of Princeton online through the University Art Museum. [Princeton]
32. Biomed Library Grand Rounds: Learn about a variety of topics in biomedicine from this library collection. [Dartmouth]
33. arXiv: You’ll get open access to 542,353 e-prints in math and science here. [Cornell]
34. Columbia University Medical Center ALS Patient Education: In this resource bibliography, you’ll find lots of great resources for learning about Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. [Columbia]
35. All About Birds: In this lab of Ornithology, you’ll find a bird guide, images, birding tips, and so much more. [Cornell]
36. NELLCO Repository: Cornell Law School’s NELLCO Repository is full of papers for you to search and download. [Cornell]
37. Helpful Study Abroad and Travel Resources: Here you’ll find useful resources for traveling and studying abroad. [Brown]
38. Exploring New York City: Use Columbia’s guide to exploring New York City if you’re planning to take a trip to the Big Apple. [Columbia]

Environmental

These Ivy League resources can teach you more about the environment.

39. Brown is Green: This resource will show you how Brown University is working to become more sustainable, and how you can become greener as well. [Brown]
40. Growing Greener: Follow this plan to learn about sustainable development as recommended by the University of Pennsylvania. [Penn]
41. Resource Guide for Organic Insect and Disease Management: Use this resource guide to learn about crops, materials, and more. [Cornell]

Health & Safety

Learn about health and more from these Ivy League resources.

42. Health Education: This resource offers useful information on drugs, sexual health, nutrition, sexual harassment, assault, and more. [Brown]
43. TeenScreen: This resource center offers accessible and up to date information on mental health and suicide statistics throughout the US. [Columbia]
44. Sexual Violence Resources: Find resources for dealing with sexual assault in this collection from Harvard. [Harvard]
45. Cornell Women’s Health: Check out this center to find resources for women’s health. [Cornell]
46. Institute for Computational Biomedicine Resource Center: In this resource center, you’ll get access to computational research tools, microarray resources, biocatalogs, and much more. [Cornell]

Resource Centers

Use these resource centers for educational tools and more.

47. Food Entrepreneur Resource Center: In this resource, you’ll learn about the starting a food business from basics to marketing and product development. [Cornell]
48. FORE: Yale’s Forum on Religion and Ecology offered educational tools and class resources. [Yale]
49. Access Dartmouth: Find information about creating accessible websites and more from Access Dartmouth. [Dartmouth]
50. EnhancED: Columbia’s EnhancED offers new media tools and resources for enhancing education. [Columbia]
51. Department of Chemistry Resource Links: You can find useful resources for chemistries, particularly women in chemistry, from this resource center. [Princeton]
52. Resources for Biomedical Terminology and Ontology: Find projects, sources, software, and more for biomedical terminology and ontology in this resource center. [Penn]
53. Peace Education Center: Columbia’s Peace Education Center offers reports, a learning portal, and more for peace. [Columbia]
54. Human Rights Research on the Web: Harvard offers high quality links to human rights research all around the Internet. [Harvard]
55. OncoLink: Find cancer resources from the University of Pennsylvania with OncoLink. [Penn]
56. Agroforestry Resource Center: Through this center, you’ll get access to education, research, and organizational collaboration in agroforestry. [Cornell]
57. Silicon Sam’s Technology Resource: Find excellent resources for computer, electronics, and technology troubleshooting here. [Penn]
58. Web Teaching: Learn about using the web in teaching with Dartmouth’s articles, case studies, and more. [Dartmouth]
59. Self-Help Resources: Find self help in academics, mental health and more. [Harvard]
60. Africa Web Links: The African Studies Center at University of Pennsylvania offers an excellent collection of Africa web links. [Penn]
61. South Asia Center: Find educational, library, community, and more resources for South Asia here. [Penn]
62. Harvard NeuroDiscovery Center Shared Resources: Harvard’s NeuroDiscovery Center shares a variety of programs and resources with the degenerative disease research community. [Harvard]
63. Columbia University Libraries Database: Search for articles, books, data and more in this database. [Columbia]
64. Identity Theft Resources: Dartmouth offers a collection of resources for identity theft here. [Dartmouth]

Multimedia

Find videos, lectures, and much more in these Ivy League multimedia centers.

65. CornellCast: With CornellCast, you’ll get access to video and audio of lectures, discussions, performances and more from the Cornell community and guests. [Cornell]
66. African Studies Center: You’ll find African city maps, sculptures, art, and much more in this multimedia collection. [Penn]
67. Harvard@Home: Get the best of Harvard through these featured programs. [Harvard]
68. Birth of a Supernova: See animations, presentations and more relating to the birth of a supernova here. [Princeton]
69. News at Princeton: Find news stories, student work, and much more in this collection. [Princeton]
70. Career Multimedia: Here you’ll find videos and more that will help you with your career education. [Columbia]
71. Harvard University Multimedia Stories: Find videos, slides, and more from Harvard here. [Harvard]
72. Dartmouth Sights & Sounds: Check out audio, video, images, webcams, and lots more in Dartmouth’s Sights & Sounds. [Dartmouth]
73. Princeton Program in Law and Public Affairs Multimedia Archive: View news and events through this archive of multimedia. [Princeton]
74. Penn Graduate School of Education: Tune into podcasts, small screen productions, and more in this education collection. [Penn]
75. Videos and Multimedia eCommons@Cornell: Check out the Internet-First University press and more here. [Cornell]
76. BioVisions: Check out this multimedia project to get a look into multimedia in biology education. [Harvard]
77. Central Park: Core of the Big Apple: In this multimedia collection, you can explore the people, art, nature, and more of Central Park. [Columbia]
78. MARS Multimedia: Learn about the Multiple Autonomous Robots project here. [Penn]
79. Harvard School of Public Health: Harvard’s public health school offers a collection of forums, symposia, and lecture videos. [Harvard]
80. Kelly Writers House: Listen to recordings, KWH-TV, and more here. [Penn]
81. Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies Multimedia: Check out this multimedia resource to find podcasts, videos, and interactive maps. [Yale]
82. School of Industrial and Labor Relations Multimedia: Find multimedia from the Global Unions Conference in this collection. [Cornell]
83. Harvard Institute of Politics Multimedia Center: Here you’ll get access to a searchable multimedia center with John F. Kennedy Jr. forum events, Q&A sessions, and much more. [Harvard]
84. The South African Truth & Reconciliation Commission Videotape Collection: Watch videos from South Africa through this collection. [Yale]
85. School of Arts & Sciences Multimedia: See a DNA collector, virtual mummy, and much more here. [Penn]
86. Office of University Communications: Find videos highlighting Penn people, news, and events in this collection. [Penn]
87. Princeton Faculty Blogs: You can read the blogs of Princeton faculty through this listing. [Princeton]
88. Massachusetts General Hospital Multimedia: You can learn more about the Massachusetts General Hospital from this collection of multimedia. [Harvard]
89. Pearl S. Buck Multimedia: Browse through this multimedia to find a photographic tour of Pearl S. Buck’s life, video documentaries, and more. [Penn]
90. Columbia University World Leaders Forum: see photo galleries and video from the World Leaders Forum. [Columbia]
91. Penn Perspectives: Get updated on people doing exciting and innovative work at the University of Pennsylvania in this multimedia collection. [Penn]
92. Havard School of Public Health: Harvard’s School of Public Health offers videos and more about health issues that impact the general public. [Harvard]
93. ExoSquad: Find clips, video trading cards, and other multimedia files from ExoSquad in this collection. [Penn]
94. Department of Human Development: This collection offers video, slides, and more discussing human development. [Cornell]
95. Harvard Law School Multimedia: See video and more from Harvard Law School in this multimedia collection. [Harvard]
96. VoxBox: Stay on top of alumni and events at Dartmouth through this multimedia. [Dartmouth]
97. Yale IPAG Multimedia Demos: See an interactive heart, movies, and other multimedia demos from Yale IPAG. [Yale]
98. Multimedia Recent Submissions: Find the latest Cornell multimedia here. [Cornell]
99. Harvard Kennedy School Multimedia: See videos and other multimedia from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. [Harvard]
100. Chandra: Check out Chandra to see images, illustrations, and more from the X-ray observatory Chandra. [Harvard]

By Sarah Russel

Techie librarians have lots of great resources available to them online, and open courses are some of the best tools for your professional development. You can learn about research, open source, technology, and much more. Here we’ll take a look at 50 of the best courses for librarians interested in technology.

Open Source

These courses will teach you about open source in education and more.

1. What Is Open Access Anyhow?: Check out this course, and you’ll learn about open access material in libraries and more. [UC Berkeley]
2. The Open Movement and Libraries: In this course, you’ll get a look into the philosophy of free and open access to information. [San Jose State University]
3. The Impact of Open Source Software on Education: In this course, you’ll learn about open source programs in universities around the world. [Connexions]

Information & Research

Check out these courses to learn about finding information and research materials.

4. Information Skills Mini-Course: Build your information science skills by taking this course. [University of Florida at Gainesville]
5. Research Techniques & Scholarship in the Digital Environment: Learn about information and research with the help of this course. [University of Virginia]
6. Key Skill Assessment Unit: Information Literacy: Find out how you can help support information literacy by taking this course. [MIT]
7. Virtual Continuity: In this lecture, you’ll learn about the future of libraries and storage of information. [Harvard]
8. History of Information: This course offers an exploration of the history of information and associated technologies. [UC Berkeley]
9. Information in Cyberspace: This course discusses the history, infrastructure, and societal aspects of the Internet. [University of Texas]
10. Information Organization: Learn about classification, indexing, thesauri construction, and retrieval. [University of Albany]
11. Information Processing: With this course, you’ll learn about information processing and bibliographic control. [State University of New York at Albany]
12. Research for the Classroom Teacher: Help teachers better understand how to research by building your skills with this course. [Utah State University]
13. Information Exploration: Becoming a Savvy Scholar: With this course, you’ll learn how to make the best use of information for your students. [MIT]
14. Information Literacy: Find out how to locate, evaluate, and apply information with the help of this course. [New Mexico State University]
15. Internet and Information Access: This course covers the Internet and its resources. [State University of New York at Albany]

Engagement

These courses will teach you about better engaging library users.

16. Connecting People with Online Resources: Using this course, you’ll find out how to best get people connected with the online resources they need. [Utah State University]
17. Creating Meaningful Online Discussions: This course will teach you about building effective forums for online discussion. [Connexions]
18. Encouraging Book Talk in the School Library: This course will teach you how to make talking about books more prominent in your library. [Open University]

Technology

These courses offer loads of technology education.

19. Introduction to Computer Science and Programming: Whether you’re updating the library blog, troubleshooting computers, or building the library’s website, this course will help you build the skills you need. [MIT]
20. New Media Literacies: In this course, you’ll learn about media literacies throughout history. [MIT]
21. An Introduction to Information Security: With information and technology comes the need for information security-learn the essentials in this course. [Open University]
22. Blogs, Wikis and New Media for Learning: This course offers information on using blogs, wikis, and new media in your library. [Utah State University]
23. Information Technology: A New Era?: This course covers the debate about innovation in information and communication technologies. [Open University]
24. Fundamentals of Information Technology: In this course, you’ll explore a variety of digital and Internet technologies for information. [State University of New York at Albany]
25. Fundamentals of Information Technology: With this course, you’ll learn about applications of information technology. [State University of New York at Albany]
26. Intro to Instructional Design: This course will help you find out how to design for instruction. [Utah State University]
27. Effective Ways of Displaying Information: Learn about the value of graphics and more to express information clearly. [Open University]
28. Information on the Web: Using this course, you can learn more about finding the information you need online. [Open University]
29. Planning, Communications, and Digital Media: Learn how to use digital media for planning and communications from this course. [MIT]
30. Becoming Digital: Writing About Media Change: This course explains how media has changed in the digital era. [MIT]
31. From Print to Digital: Technologies of the Word: 1450-Present: Explore word technologies throughout history in this course. [MIT]/li>

Books & Writing

As a librarian, you will be expected to understand and speak intelligently about books, so follow these courses to build your knowledge.

32. Forms of Western Narrative: Explore western narrative stories through this course. [MIT]
33. Literary Interpretation: Literature and Photography: This course will help you learn about the intersection of literature and photography. [MIT]
34. Intermediate Writing: Research Writing in a Persuasive Mode: With this course, you’ll be able to implement critical reading and thinking skills in order to improve your research writing. [Utah State University]
35. Technology and Literary Imagination: Find out how technology effects literary imagination by taking this course. [MIT]
36. Introduction to Literary Theory: Take this course, and you’ll get an essential overview of literary theory. [MIT]
37. Film as Visual and Literary Mythmaking: Find out how film creates literary myths by taking this course. [MIT]
38. Introduction to Fiction: Get an overview of fiction from this introductory course. [MIT]

Law

These courses cover laws that are of special interest to librarians.

39. Introduction to Copyright Law: Get an overview of copyright law by taking this course. [MIT]
40. Copyright for Librarians: Get a look at copyright with librarians specifically in mind from this course. [Connexions]

Education

These courses are of special interest to school librarians.

41. Language as a Medium for Teaching and Learning: Find out about teaching methods using language from this course. [Open University]
42. Involving the Family in Supporting Pupils’ Literacy Learning: With this course, you’ll learn about programs that can help you build students’ love of reading. [Open University]
43. Research for the Classroom Teacher: Offer guidance for teachers doing research by taking this course. [Utah State University]

Communication

Improve your communication with these useful courses.

44. Advanced Speaking and Critical Listening Skills: This course will teach you how to best practice critical listening and impromptu speaking. [MIT]
45. Communicating in Cyberspace: This course will help you learn about digital communication in cyberspace. [MIT]
46. Creating Interactive Media: In this course, you’ll learn about creating multimedia that will engage students and patrons. [University of Southern Queensland]
47. Listening to the Customer: Follow this course, and you’ll better understand how to relate and communicate with your customer. [MIT]
48. Communicating in Technical Organizations: Experiment with technical communication with the help of this course. [MIT]

Operations

These courses will teach you how to manage employees and day to day operations.

49. Managerial Psychology: Learn about behavioral science and how you can apply this science to your work and daily operations in your library. [MIT]
50. Marketing Management: Get an introduction to marketing that can be applied to your library with the help of this course. [MIT]

By Sarah Russel

Unless you’re enrolled at a top university or are an elite member of the science and engineering inner circle, you’re probably left out of most of the exciting research explored by the world’s greatest scientists. But thanks to the Internet, and our list of 100 incredible lectures, you’ve now got access to the cutting edge theories and projects that are changing the world.

General

Let the world’s top scientists explain exactly how they do their job when you listen to these lectures.

1. Richard Dawkins on our "queer" universe: Listen to this talk from biologist Richard Dawkins to consider the strangeness of our universe, and how there are so many things out there we can’t comprehend.
2. Kary Mullis on what scientists do: Biochemist Kary Mullis references the 17th century as he talks about the nature of discovery and experimentation.
3. Explanation of objective, issue and element of strategy: Nadine Hilgert discusses research ethics and experimentation in this lecture.
4. Lee Smolin on science and democracy: Physicist Lee Smolin discusses how democratic (or not) the scientific community it.
5. A Passion for Discovery: Peter Freund of the University of Chicago considers the entanglement of physics experiments and their effect on the behavior of scientists.
6. A New Age of Exploration: From Earth to Mars: This video isn’t just about space exploration: it’s about the new age of experimentation and research.
7. Dr. Hugh Ross PhD. Lectures on "Creation as Science": Dr. Ross blames the science education crisis for all the hostility in creation vs. evolution debate.
8. A New Kind of Science - Stephen Wolfram: Stephen Wolfram’s talk A New Kind of Science, credits simple computer experiments with challenging him to look at research in a new way.
9. Science and the University - An Evolutionary Tale - The Endless Frontier: Donald Kennedy reflects on how modern research universities and programs were founded.

Science and Engineering

From materials science to the study of thermodynamics, learn more about the science of engineering here.

10. WTC Lecture - collapse of WTC Buildings: Steven E. Jones discusses the collapse of the World Trade Towers from a physics perspective.
11. Aircraft Systems Engineering: Jeffrey Hoffman of MIT lectures about the origins of the space shuttle, thermal protection systems, main engines and more.
12. Symmetry, Structure and Tensor Properties of Materials: Learn about crystallography, 2D symmetries and other materials science principles.
13. Machine Learning: Discover how machines "learn" due to statistical patterns, learning theory, adaptive control and more.
14. Innovation Design: In this lecture series, you’ll learn about environmental innovation and the innovation process in general, as it’s related to engineering and science.
15. Introduction to Biomedical Engineering: Mark Saltzman from Yale discusses then nature of biomedical engineering, including cell culture engineering.
16. Nanophotonics: Discover the Magic of Light in Nanostructures: Evelyn Hu discusses optical materials and beyond in this lecture.
17. The Second Law and Energy: Listen to Steven Chu’s talk about thermodynamics.

Biology and Medicine

From drug research to evolution to writing the genetic code, watch these lectures for the latest developments in biology and medical research.

18. A Paradigmatic Complex System: The Immune System: Irun Cohen of the Weizmann Institute of Science is a physician and researcher who is trying to understand the complex immune system.
19. Bioinformatic, Structural Biology and Structure Based Ligand Design in drug discovery: Discover how drugs are researched and developed.
20. Molecular Biology: Macromolecular Synthesis and Cellular Function: Qiang Zhou from Berkeley discusses new findings in DNA research.
21. Evolution of the Human Species: The discussion about evolution is still active. This lecture considers evolution from genetic and fossil records.
22. Ventricular fibrillation in the human heart. Why is it different from the dog and pig heart?: Kirsten ten Tusscher looks at the structure of the human heart in this talk.
23. Craig Venter on DNA and the sea: Biodiversity and genomics scientist Craig Venter talks about starting to writing the genetic code instead of just reading it.
24. How Bacteria Cause Disease: Warren Levinson explains how bacteria are transmitted.
25. The Origin of the Human Mind: Insights from Brain Imaging and Evolution: Find out how the human mind continues to evolve.
26. Engineering New Approaches to Cancer Detection and Therapy: Find out what’s on the brink of cancer research.
27. Principles of Systems Biology illustrated using the Virtua Heart: Denis Noble from the University of Oxford discusses complex organisms.
28. Biological Principles of Swarm Intelligence: Guy Theraulaz discusses animal psychology and swarm intelligence.
29. How the body fights infection: Discover the processes that occur when your body tries to protect you when you’re sick.
30. Biological Large Scale Integration: Here Stephen Quake discusses his theories on tiny "plumbing tools" he uses to analyze DNA sequences.
31. Psychology, Sex and Evolution: This lecture combines psychology and biology to find an answer to how preoccupied we are with sex.
32. Dynamics on and of Biological Networks: Case Studies on the Machinery of Life: Stefan Bornholdt discusses molecular networks in this lecture.

Chemistry

These chemistry scientists discuss the atomic theory of matter and other mind-boggling principles in the following lectures.

33. Graphite: a new twist: This University of Sussex scientist talks about carbon, diamond and graphite.
34. Thermodynamics and Kinetics: Learn about work, heat, internal energy and more.
35. Principles of Chemical Science, Normal Track: This course from MIT scientist Sylvia Ceyer covers atomic theory of matter, radiation and more.
36. The simulation of structures in modern materials with the theory of density functional calculations: Karlheinz Schwarz takes on the theory of density functional calculations.
37. Liquid Crystal Elastomers: Professor Heino Finkelmann talks about rubber elasticity and inducing the liquid crystalline state of elastomers.
38. Janine Benyus shares nature’s designs: This lecture covers chemistry, nature and biomimicry.
39. Penelope Boston says there might be life on Mars: Listen to Penelope Boston reveal the possibility of chemical and biological properties that may indicate life on Mars.
40. General Chemistry: Kristie Boering introduces shape matters, chemical bonds and equilibrium in this series.
41. Monodispersed particles in technologies and medicine: These scientists from Clarkson University discuss the chemical properties and use of monodispersed particles.
42. Chemical Structure and Reactivity: Peter Vollhardt from Berkeley gives listeners an introduction to organic chemical structures, organometallics and more.
43. Introduction to Solid State Chemistry: This MIT course lecture introduces you to solid state chemistry.
44. The Families of Sugars and Chemistry of Aldoses: This lecture serves as an introduction to organic chemical structures.
45. Properties and Chemistry of Heteroaromatic Compounds: Learn about heterocycles here.

Physics and Astronomy

Turn to this list of lectures to discover how scientists are harnessing the infinite wonders of the universe.

46. The Physical World: Topics in these lectures from The Open University include quantum physics, Einstein, helicopter flight and more.
47. Astronomy Lecture 1: What is a star?: Finally learn what a star really is and how we all fit into the universe.
48. Quantum gravity in three dimensions: Andrew Strominger discusses quantum gravity.
49. Challenge in Astrophysics: Sarah Bridle introduces the challenge to measure and identify the shapes of distant galaxies.
50. X-rays from comets - a surprising discovery: Watch this talk to learn how comets can be X-rayed and what the images reveal.
51. The Black Hole at the Center of Our Galaxy: Nobel Prize-winning Charles H. Townes talks about what’s next in terms of deep galaxy exploration.
52. An overview of the United State government’s space and science policy-making process: Find out what driving forces control the government’s policy-making decisions in regards to science and space exploration.
53. Loop Quantum Gravity: Carlo Rovelli discusses superstring theory here.
54. Forty years of high energy string collisions: Gabriele Veneziano reviews what’s been going on during string collisions for the past forty years.
55. What is the simplest quantum field theory?: In this lecture, Freddy Cachazo brings forth ideas of simpler quantum field theories.
56. Physics III: Vibrations and Waves: Learn about forced oscillations and other physics properties here.
57. Stephen Hawking asks big questions about the universe: Stephen Hawking asks questions about the beginnings of the universe, where humans came from and more.
58. The Lightness of Being: Mass, Ether and the Unification of Force: Anticipating a New Golden Age: Frank Wilczek introduces listeners to his new physics theory.
59. Transitioning from the Space Shuttle to the Constellation System: In this talk, you will learn about the future of space exploration.
60. The Second Law and Cosmology: Max Tegmark asks questions about entropy, temperature and equilibrium when studying the Second Law of Thermodynamics.

Earth and Environment

Discover deep sea ecosystems, global warming and other Earth science phenomena here.

61. David Deutsch on our place in the cosmos: Scientist David Deutsch urges the greater scientific community to seriously consider global warming.
62. Nature, not human activity, rules the climate: This controversial opinion gives nature all the credit in our changing climate.
63. Stanford Experts on Climate Change and Carbon Trading: Dr. Schneider, one of the leading experts on climate change, talks about the crisis.
64. The Invisible Forest: Microbes in the Sea: Learn about these key ocean organisms.
65. Planet Water: Complexity and Organization in Earth Systems: Rafael Bras is credited with launching the science of hydrology and discusses water complexity here.
66. E.O. Wilson on saving life on Earth: Biologist E.O. Wilson entreats society to become more educated on natural life on Earth.
67. The U.S. Energy Crisis and the Role of New Nuclear Plants: Thomas A. Christopher considers the effects of nuclear plants on the energy and environmental crises.
68. CO2 beyond tomorrow: a fundamental approach: This panel featuring Helmut List aims to predict future CO2 emissions effects.
69. Sea Levels and Climate Change: David T. Pugh is a physicist who is concerned with sea level rise and coastal flooding.
70. Importance of Science in Conservation: Conservation isn’t just a social or political issue: Peter Seligmann argues that science is also a strong part of the picture.
71. In Antarctica: The Global Warming: Sebastian Copeland explains how Antarctica is a microcosm for what will happen to the rest of the world due to global warming.
72. Climate change from the scientific point of view: Listen to a scientist’s view of what’s going on in the development in climate change.
73. Robert Ballard on exploring the oceans: Discover the new research projects going on underwater.

Technology

For the latest in technology and computer science, see what these top lecturers have to share.

74. Saul Griffith on everyday inventions: Listen to inventor Saul Griffith discuss the importance and elegance of designing everyday materials.
75. Energy Efficient Transistors: Alan Seabaugh from the University of Notre Dame explains how transistors are becoming more energy efficient.
76. Bounding nanotechnology: Deconstructing the Drexler-Smalley Debate: Sarah Kaplan dissects the Drexler-Smalley debate in this lecture.
77. Introduction to Robotics: Stanford’s Oussama Khatib covers the history of robotics, spatial descriptions, kinematics and more.
78. Computer System Engineering: Learn the basics of computer system engineering as explained by MIT’s Hari Balakrishnan.
79. Ray Kurzweil on how technology will transform us: Ray Kurzweil introduces the idea of a future populated with nanobots.
80. Technology and Social Responsibility: Larry Page and Sergey Brin hold technology projects, researchers and companies to a higher standard in this lecture.
81. Living with Catastrophic Terrorism: Can Science and Technology Make the U.S. Safer?: Lewis M. Branscomb is actually a public policy professor and co-chair at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, but this lecture takes on a critical debate about the importance of science and technology in government.
82. Steve Koonin- Chief Scientist BP: Steve Koonin talks about his job’s challenge to plot long-term technology strategy.
83. The Inner History of Devices: Sherry Turkle combines a study of psychology with physical science and technology in this lecture.

Science in the Future

These scientists share a glimpse into a future with customized human babies, synthetic chromosomes, and more.

84. Juan Enriquez shares mindboggling science: Juan Enriquez explains how forward thinking and science are going to pull us out of any crises or disasters.
85. Craig Venter is on the verge of creating synthetic life: Discover how synthetic chromosomes may be in the future.
86. To upgrade is human: How can technology help human evolution? Gregory Stock considers customized human babies and the future of adoption.
87. Next Generation of Solar Cells — Lowering Costs, Improving Performance and Scale: Tonio Buonassisi talks about capturing the sun’s power.
88. Do-It-Yourself Biology: Natalie Kuldell combines computer engineering history with genetic engineering to predict a DIY future and scientific community.

Science and Business

Learn about the relationship between science, policymaking and business when you watch these lectures.

89. Balancing Science and Business: Understanding technology and modern business principles is ideal, argues Marc Fleury.
90. Leading Innovation: This talk explores responsible, effective strategies for uniting technology and business.
91. Globalization of Science: Opportunities for Competitive Advantage from Science in China, India and Beyond: Fiona Murray reveals how science, technology and engineering are valid forces in the business world, especially in competitive markets like China and India.

Miscellaneous

From studying the brain in love to monitoring the future of science education, these lecturers continue to explore every avenue of science.

92. Helen Fisher studies the brain in love: If you’ve ever wondered about the physical changes that the brain goes through when you’re in love, watch this lecture.
93. Fuzzy Logic: This lecture from computer and information scientist Michael Berthold reveals how fuzzy logic is used for data analysis.
94. Science Education in the 21st Century: Using the Tools of Science to Teach Science: Dr. Carl Wierman is a Nobel Prize-winning physicist who comments on the future of science education.
95. The Evolution of Trichomatic Color Vision: Consider genetic evolution of sight and brain processes here.
96. Probability for Life Science: This mix of math and life science covers probability and beyond.
97. Psychology in Human-Computer Interaction: David Kieras considers human-computer interaction in this talk.
98. Electrons, Life and the Evolution of the Oxygen Cycle on Earth: This talk examines several different scientific properties and questions.
99. Renaissance Physicists: Steven Weinberg isn’t too optimistic about the future of science and discusses the characteristics that define a truly ambitious scientist.
100. Worms, Life and Death: Cel Suicide in Development and Disease: Consider cell death as a key factor in biological development after listening to this lecture.

Twitter has become a powerful tool for community organizers, marketers, and others who want to share and receive information in a fast, friendly environment. It’s no wonder, then, that teachers have also found success on Twitter, using the tool to connect with students, share information with parents, and find useful resources. Here, we’ll take a look at 100 tools that can help twittering teachers make the most out of this helpful microblogging tool.

Managing Twitter

These tools will help make managing your Twitter account just a bit easier.

1. TweetDeck: You can create Twitter groups on TweetDeck, so you can keep your school and personal contacts somewhat separate.
2. twitTangle: twitTangle will allow you to rate and tag your friends, then filter your timeline based on those that are most important to you.
3. TweetBackup: TweetBackup offers a great way to back up your tweets and friends.
4. RSSFriends: RSSFriends will give you an RSS update of new followers and unfollowers.
5. EmailTwitter You can post Twitter updates using email with this post.
6. Tweetreplies: Use Tweetreplies to have your @replies sent directly to your email in real time.
7. Splitweet: Get multi account management using Splitweet, so you can separate your educational and personal accounts.
8. Followize: Use Followize for a fast and efficient way to read your tweets.
9. Qwitter: Find out when students and other followers stop following you.
10. Tweet Later: With Tweet Later, you’ll be able to schedule your tweets for specific times.
11. HootSuite: You can manage multiple Twitter profiles and more using HootSuite.
12. Twitblocker: Use Twitblocker to temporarily hide your friends that are updating a bit too often.
13. twAitter: This Twitter web client will allow you to schedule, and create recurring Tweets.

Finding Friends

Connect with other teachers, people in your local community, and more by finding followers through these tools.

14. Twits Like Me: Find other users in education through Twits Like Me.
15. Nearby Tweets: You can find Twitter users near you using this tool.
16. Twubble: Twubble will help you find people who have interests that are compatible with yours.
17. WeFollow: WeFollow offers a user powered Twitter directory.
18. GeoFollow: GeoFollow offers a location-based Twitter user directory.
19. Twellow: This Twitter directory is sorted by application.
20. Twitter Packs: Twitter Packs makes it easy for you to find new people based on interests.
21. Follow Cost: Use this tool to determine how much effort it takes to follow a specific Twitterer.
22. Atlas: Using Atlas, you can watch Tweets that are shown on a map.
23. TwitterLocal: TwitterLocal will help you find Tweets from a specific location.

Sharing

Make Twitter a sharing tool for photos, video, and more with these resources.

24. Twitxr: You’ll be able to send photos from your mobile phone using this app, great for teachers and students alike.
25. Annotated Links: You can put a bunch of links and a note into one URL to share on Twitter with Annotated Links.
26. LiveTwitting: During lectures, events, and more, you can use LiveTwitting instead of liveblogging.
27. SnapTweet: Use SnapTweet to post your latest Flickr photos to Twitter.
28. TweeTube: Share videos on Twitter using TweeTube.
29. DreamTweet: Post your dreams and nightmares to share with the world using DreamTweet.
30. Private notes: Send password protected private notes using Twitter with this tool.
31. TweetCube: You can share files via Twitter using TweetCube.
32. Twitter Weather: Share daily weather updates with your class by using Twitter Weather.
33. TwitPic: You can share photos on Twitter, or find photos from all around the world using this service.
34. PhotoTwitter: Use PhotoTwitter to take snapshots with your iSight and post to Twitter.

Games

These tools offer a way for you and your students to learn through Twitter gaming.

35. Outwit Me: On this site, you’ll find intelligent Twitter games.
36. Plinky: With Plinky, you’ll get a daily prompt question or challenge to answer.
37. TweetTest: TweetTest offers a collection of mini games that use data from your tweets.
38. Tweet Words: Get clues and guess the answer from this Twitter game.
39. Twrivia: Twrivia gives a daily pop quiz with a new trivia question every day.
40. Whose Tweet?: Test how well you know your Twitter friends with this game.

News & Research

41. Twitscoop: This tool tracks events as well as trends.
42. Twiggit: Using Twiggit, you can find news and articles related to your curriculum.
43. QuoteURL: You can quote a number of different tweets at once on one page with this app, great for presentations.
44. TweetScan: TweetScan will make research on Twitter a breeze, allowing you to set up an alert to be emailed every time there are tweets matching your keywords.
45. Twups: This Twitter news aggregator makes it easy for you to follow all of your favorite subjects.
46. Just Signal: Using Just Signal, you can create a filter to only get tweets that discuss keywords you choose.
47. twAnswers: Ask a question, and get an answer from Twitter by using twAnswers.
48. TweetGrid: Make your Twitter searches easy with this customized search dashboard.
49. TwiST: This Twitter search tool will help make your searches more efficient.
50. Twilert: Get email updates of tweets that contain keywords you define.
51. twitority: Perform Twitter searches that offer authoritative sources by using twitority.
52. Twitter Search: Twitter Search will help you find out the latest Twitter trends.

Twitterers

Follow these Twitter accounts for useful educational resources.

53. @weather: You’ll learn about weather news from the Science News Blog from @weather.
54. @donorschoose: Follow @donorschoose to learn about funding for public schools.
55. @TWord_Chains: This account is a word game where you change one word into another.
56. @eduguru: You can learn about Internet marketing and web development in education from @eduguru.
57. @pbsteachers: Through @pbsteachers, you’ll get resources and more for teachers.
58. @BBCeducation: Check out this Twitter stream to learn about education and news in the UK.
59. @upromise: @upromise will help you get the latest news about savings, tips, and deals from Upromise.
60. Pulse of Education: The Pulse of Education aggregates tweets from the education community.
61. @educationweek: @educationweek shares news about American education.
62. @CollegeBloggers: Be a part of this Twitter network to connect with college students, faculty, and alumni.
63. @EarthquakeNews: Learn about earthquakes around the world from the USGS Earthquake Center’s account.
64. @LearnHub: Follow @LearnHub, and you’ll find lots of education-related links.
65. @digidirections: Check out @digidirections to learn about trends and advice in K-12 technology.

Groups

Make use of these tools to better manage your classroom group on Twitter.

66. Tweetizen: You can start your own group, or find groups with specific interests on Twitter.
67. HappyTwitday: Celebrate classroom birthdays on Twitter by using HappyTwitday.
68. twtpoll: Take classroom polls and surveys with the help of this app.
69. GroupTweet: You can make twittering in your classroom group-easy using this tool.
70. Tweetworks: Tweetworks offers groups and threaded discussions on Twitter.
71. tweetparty: Communicate directly with your Twitter group by using tweetparty.
72. TwitOrg: TwitOrg offers a great way to create, manage, and join organizations.
73. StrawPoll: Get tiny polls from StrawPoll.
74. ConnectTweet: ConnectTweet will help you combine the voices of your group.

Organization & Productivity

With these tools, you’ll find that your life on Twitter and beyond will be more organized and productive.

75. Tweetree: With Tweetree, you’ll be able to view your tweets in a conversational context.
76. 21Tweets: With this tool, you can create a new habit.
77. Twit2Do: Use Twitter to manage your to-do list using Twit2Do.
78. twtvite: This event management Twitter app can help you plan classroom events.
79. Twtask: Use Twtask to create simple tasks lists on Twitter.
80. TwitterNotes: Make private notes for yourself on Twitter by using this tool.
81. Twitterlights: Get one-click tweeting and content saving through Twitterlights.
82. TrackDailyGoals: TrackDailyGoals will help you keep track of your productivity and goals.
83. postica: postica will let you post sticky notes on Twitter for reminders and more.

Integration

Make Twitter work with other apps by putting these useful integration tools to work.

84. TwitterBox: Use Twitter from within Second Life with this tool.
85. LoudTwitter: LoudTwitter will send tweets to your blog, so you can keep parents and other contacts updated even if they don’t read your Twitter.
86. 30 Boxes: 30 Boxes offers easy integration with Twitter.
87. TwitterFeed: TwitterFeed will automatically post content from an RSS feed to Twitter, so you can update your timeline with educational blogs as well as your own.
88. Twttrstrm: Using Twittrstrm, you can ask a question and have others contribute answers to your Squidoo lens.
89. twiggit: Let your students know about the articles you digg by using twiggit.
90. SI-Messenger: SI-Messenger is a service that integrates IM, Twitter and more in Second Life.
91. Twoxit: Twoxit makes it possible for students and other users to update their Twitter profile from your website or blog.

Classroom Tools

These tools seem to be designed specifically with the Twittering classroom in mind.

92. Twishlistter: Create a wish list for classroom supplies using this tool.
93. Weatherizer: Weatherizer will update the background of your Twitter homepage to reflect your local weather.
94. Book Price Check: Check prices of books from your mobile device through Twitter using this tool.
95. MoochFly: Create a classroom library that you can easily keep track of with MoochFly.
96. FuelFrog: With FuelFrog, you can use Twitter to keep a log of your fuel and mileage.
97. Ququoo: Ququoo can turn your Twitter timeline into a timesheet.
98. Twitrans: Twitrans can translate your tweets to any language using human translators.
99. Tweeteorology: Tweeteorology will show you tweets about the weather.
100. Xpenser: You can use Xpenser to track your time and expenses related to education.

By Caitlin Smith

Whether you want to learn more about business or read some the great works of literature, you’ll find more than enough material to keep you busy for months in collections of free ebooks. Some books are released free of charge by their authors, while others have been around for so long that copyright laws no longer apply and they can be freely exchanged. We’ve pulled together 100 of these free online books that are well worth your time to read, though this is by no means a comprehensive list of the great, free literature out there.

Classics

The Internet can be a great place to find some of the most important works of literature from the past few hundred years. Here are just a few works that have made must-read lists that you can access for free.

1. The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer: Pilgrimages were a major part of medieval life and you can enjoy several different perspectives as Chaucer’s characters travel to Canterbury Cathedral.
2. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain: This well-loved novel follows the hi jinks of young Tom Sawyer, full of humor, adventure and fun.
3. Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert: French bourgeois life in all of its soul-crushing triviality is explored through the character of Emma Bovary in this novel.
4. Moby Dick by Herman Melville: Follow along with this book as Captain Ahab tracks down his arch-nemesis the legendary white whale.
5. The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo: Full of tragic characters, this novel explores life from its beauty to its horror.
6. Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky: Is murder ever justified? This novel explores through its main character the student Raskolnikov.
7. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne: This sci-fi novel is full of adventure as a group of sailors try to track down a deadly sea monster.
8. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen: This story explores the many difficulties associated with marriage and morality in 18th century England.
9. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte: Jane Eyre follows Jane, an orphan, throughout her life providing readers with a compelling story full of love, social criticisms and many elements characteristic of the Gothic novel.
10. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens: Get a more personalized tale of life during the French Revolution as the monarchy is replaced by a regime responsible for terror and numerous executions.
11. War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy: Many know little of this novel other than that its long, but the story takes readers through the impact of the Napoleonic invasion of Russia through a vast and varied cast of characters.
12. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas: Treachery and lost love form the basis for this novel by Three Musketeers author Dumas.
13. Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad: This novella takes readers to the depths of the Congo to find the mysterious Kurtz, along the way exploring ideas of imperialism.
14. Ulysses by James Joyce: The classical Modernist novel, Ulysses follows the story of the Odyssey through stream of consciousness writing that’s been called everything from brilliant to obscene.
15. Siddhartha by Herman Hesse: This novel parallels the life of the Buddha, employing Eastern philosophy in a beautiful and poignant tale of a quest for enlightenment.
16. This Side of Paradise by F. Scott Fitzgerald: Set in the years following WWI, this book explores the life of Princeton student Amory Blaine as he struggles with greed, morality, status and more.
17. The Time Machine by H.G. Wells: When the Victorian scientist at the center of this story propels himself forward in time he discovers a world that may not be all that it’s cracked up to be.
18. Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe: This abolitionist novel helped fuel the movement towards the end of slavery in the United States.
19. Little Women by Louise May Alcott: Follow along with the young women in this novel who come of age in this 19th century setting.
20. Don Quixote by Cervantes: This famous Spanish novel follows the often absurd travels of Don Quixote and his faithful squire Sancho Panza.
21. The Devil’s Dictionary by Ambrose Bierce: Originally published in a magazine, this collection of definitions is entertaining, enlightening and controversial.
22. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson: Readers will be familiar with the title character in this novel who leads a double life as the unpredictable Mr. Hyde.
23. Dracula by Bram Stoker: With all the hubbub about vampires these days why not read the classic vampire novel about the most famous vampire of them all?
24. The Turn of the Screw by Henry James: This psychological short story will have readers questioning their own judgment about what’s real and what’s imagined.
25. Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka: The Metamorphosis is one of Kafka’s most famous short stories, transforming traveling salesman Gregor into a horrifying cockroach.

Philosophy and Religion

These famous works will help you get a better understanding of religious and philosophical theories from around the world and through many different periods of time.

26. Voltaire’s Philosophical Dictionary: This series of essays is highly critical of French life during the 19th century and takes aim at the government, society and religious institutions.
27. Leviathan by Thomas Hobbes: This 17th century book on social contract theory explores the nature of legitimate government and the structure of society.
28. Thus Spoke Zarathustra by Friedrich Nietzsche: This book deals with ideas such as the "eternal recurrence of the same", the "death of God", and the "prophecy" of the Overman, themes expanded on from earlier writings.
29. Beyond Good and Evil by Freidrich Neitszche: This work expands on Thus Spoke Zarathustra, attempting to move beyond traditional definitions of good and evil and tries to gain a better sense of the nature of knowledge and the condition of modern man.
30. Discourse of a Method by Renee Descartes: This philosophical and mathematical work is essential to understanding modern science and thought.
31. The Tao Te Ching by Laozi: Written in the 6th century, this text is fundamental to the Taoist school of Chinese thought and has had influence throughout the centuries since its creation.
32. The Bible: Even if you’re not a Christian, the Bible will help inform your understanding of numerous aspects of Western society from great art to historical motivations.
33. Martin Luther’s 95 Theses: Breaking with the corrupt and indulgent Catholic Church of the Baroque era, this work marks the beginnings of Protestantism.
34. The Critique of Pure Reason by Immanuel Kant: Regarded as the most important work by this German philosopher, The Critique of Pure Reason investigates the limitations reason itself.
35. The Sayings of Confucius: With lessons on morality, social relationships, justice and society at large, these teachings form the foundation of Confucianism.
36. The Problems of Philosophy by Bertrand Russell: This book is an attempt to create a more accessible guide to the issues of philosophy.
37. Myths and Legends of Ancient Greece and Rome by E.M. Berens: The mythology of ancient Greece and Rome is a part of any complete reading of Western history.
38. The Golden Bough by Sir James George Frazer: This study of mythology and religion takes a logical approach to understanding the place of these in modern society.

Politics, Economics and History

Check out these free books to learn more about some important political and economic ideas.

39. The Communist Manifesto by Marx and Engels: Even if you don’t agree with the tenets of socialism you can’t argue about the importance of this work that’s essential to understanding political and philosophical thought in the 19th and 20th centuries.
40. Common Sense by Thomas Paine: Those looking to learn more about American history will appreciate this work that encouraged colonists to pursue freedom from British rule.
41. The Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith: Scottish economist Adam Smith’s well-known work explores the intricacies of the economics at the beginning of the Industrial Revolution.
42. The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli: While today Machiavelli’s name bring negative connotations, this Italian work is essential reading for those interested in politics and the maintenance of political entities.
43. The Jungle by Upton Sinclair: The burgeoning industries of the U.S. brought about many positive changes but some pretty negative ones as well, and this novel was one of the first to expose the seamy underbelly of turn of the century factory work.

Plays and Poems

While novels are a great source of learning, plays and poems shouldn’t be neglected if you want to be well-rounded in your knowledge of literature. These free selections can be a great place to start.

44. Selected Poems of Emily Dickinson: Get a good background in the works of a great American poet though this free collection.
45. The Complete Works of William Shakespeare: With this complete collection of works, you’ll be able to pick and choose the plays and poems you find most interesting.
46. The Complete Works of Percy Bysshe Shelley: Learn more about the works of this Romantic poet through this large collection of his works.
47. Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw: While many people may have seen the film adaptation of this play in My Fair Lady, the written version is just as full of wit and charm.
48. The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri: Explore the depths of hell through this highly important work of Italian literature.
49. Paradise Lost by John Milton: This epic poem follows the fall of Lucifer and his subsequent seduction into sin of the human race.
50. The Raven by Edgar Allen Poe: One of the most well-known poems ever written, this work by Poe is essential to any reading list.
51. Hedda Gabler by Heinrich Ibsen: In this play, a bored housewife dabbles in the lives of others with disastrous results.
52. The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde: With plot twists and turns about mistaken identities, love triangles and romantic affairs this play is an entertaining way to spend an afternoon.
53. The Poetical Works of William Wordsworth: The works of this English Romantic poet helped bring about a new style and approach to literature in 18th century England.
54. The Waste Land by T.S. Eliot: This influential modernist work deals with death, grieving and coming to terms with loss.

Ancient Writings

Go old school with your reading by taking a look at these important texts. You’ll find ideas and stories that have influenced people in the thousand-plus years since they were written.

55. The Iliad by Homer: This epic poem about the Trojan War is one of, if not the oldest, work of literature in the Greek language.
56. The Odyssey by Homer: Homer’s other epic poem, the Odyssey tells the story of Odysseus and his long, problematic journey home.
57. The Art of War by Sun Tzu: The Art of War was written in the 6th century and contains explanations about military strategy and tactics that can still be useful today in any competitive field.
58. The Works of Aristotle: Aristotle’s writings influence writers in the centuries following his life and are still part of philosophy and liberal arts educations today.
59. Symposium by Plato: These speeches by Plato explore love and passion.
60. Apology, Crito, and Phaedo of Socrates by Plato: Socrates was executed for his supposed corruption of young minds, and Plato expands upon the ideas of this great thinker through this series of writings.
61. Aesop’s Fables: From simple morality to classic tales you’ve likely heard before, this collection of fables is full of humor, wit and insight into human nature.
62. Beowulf: This ancient epic work is full of manly fights, hideous, bloodthirsty monsters, revenge, action and adventure that is at your fingertips after you learn to get past the Old English writing.
63. The Aeneid by Virgil: This epic poem tells the story of Aeneas, ancestor to the Romans, and his travels from Troy to Italy.
64. Poetics by Aristotle: Aristotle’s theory of poetry is a classic work that lays out terms you may already be familiar with from catharsis to mimesis.

Technology and Business

Learn more about the basics of business online and off with these free online texts.

65. How to Speak and Write Correctly by Joseph Devlin: Learn how to improve your communication skills from this book, helping you go further in many aspects of life.
66. Professional Customer Service: If you own a business the customer is the real boss, so learn how to provide efficient, high-quality customer service from this ebook.
67. Fail As Fast As You Can and Other Contrarian Business Secrets: Don’t want to run your business into the ground? Check out this online book to learn how to avoid that fate.
68. Beginners Guide to the Internet: Whether you’re trying to get your business on the web or just want to learn to navigate it a little better, this text can give you the information you need.
69. Web Marketing Success: Web marketing is an essential for most businesses today and you’ll get the basics from this ebook.
70. Art and Science of Obtaining Venture or Angel Investor Capital: Need some capital to get your business off the ground? This text can help you find great investors in your business.

Finances

With an economy on the decline, you should be aware of where every cent you have is going. These free texts can help you make sound financial decisions even in tough times.

71. What Women Need to Know About Retirement: This text is a great read for women who want to make sure they’re well-prepared for their golden years.
72. ID Theft: What It’s All About: Worried you might have your identity stolen? This short book will help you understand what happens in ID theft and what you can do to prevent and recover from it.
73. Estate Planning: Make sure your loved ones are well-provided for even if you’re not around with some careful estate planning. Check out this book for tips and advice.
74. Savings Fitness: A Guide to Your Money and Your Financial Future: You worry about getting your body in shape why not your finances too? In this book you’ll find some ways to pump up your savings and investments.
75. Get the Facts on Saving and Investing: This book will give you the basics on saving and investing for newbies in the financial field.
76. Building a Better Credit Report: From getting the free credit report to which you’re entitled to helping improve your credit score, you’ll find loads of helpful advice in this government produced text.
77. Consumer Action Handbook: If you feel like you’ve gotten ripped off you may be able to take action against the perpetrator. Find out more by reading this ebook from this government consumer action group.
78. Taking Control of Your Finances: Feel like you’re going in financial down spin? This text can help you get a handle on your spending, increase saving and deal with a variety of other financial issues.
79. Banking Basics: Learn how to use your bank the right way from this ebook.
80. Know Before You Go: To Get a Mortgage: If you’re thinking of buying a new home this guide can help you make sure you don’t make any big blunders.

Not Just for Kids

While many of these books are today considered children’s literature, their enjoyment is hardly limited to the youthful.

81. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll: Take a tumble down the rabbit hole into the topsy-turvy world of this classic book.
82. The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams: The stuffed rabbit at the center of this story wants nothing more than to become real through the love of his owner.
83. Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie: The iconic character of Peter Pan saw his beginnings in this well-received story.
84. Grimm’s Fairy Tales: With evil witches, beautiful princes, enchantment, adventure and more, these stories will keep adults and children engaged for hours.
85. Black Beauty by Anna Sewell: Anyone who’s ever really loved an animal will appreciate this simple, touching story of the life of a horse.
86. Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame: The collection of animal characters that form the cast of this book wander about on the river, ultimately pursuing storylines that provide valuable moral lessons.
87. Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson: From swashbuckling on the high seas to hidden treasures, this novel explores themes often uncommon in children’s literature like the ambiguity of morality making it a work that holds up for adult readers as well.
88. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by Frank Baum: While many are familiar with the film version of this classic, the original book is well worth a read at any age.
89. Beatrix Potter Collected Works: Beatrix Potter wrote and illustrated many well-loved children’s stories that appeal to adults and children alike in their simplicity and charm.
90. Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift: From the diminutive Lilliputians to the giants of Brobdingnag this book provides plenty of adventure with a little satire on human nature as well.

Miscellaneous

From great biographies to essential historical writings, these varied books are well-worth your time to check out.

91. The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin: One of the best loved founding fathers, this story tells about the life of Franklin in his own words.
92. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: Here you’ll find an epic success story of the child of slaves who grew to be a great intellectual and public figure.
93. The Education of Henry Adams: This book records the experiences of Henry Adams as he comes to terms with the changing and modernizing world in his old age.
94. The Notebooks of Leonardo Da Vinci: Explore the mind of one of the greatest artists and thinkers through his many notebooks.
95. Concerning the Spiritual in Art by Wassily Kandinsky: This modernist painter explores how painting affects the viewer in this theoretical work.
96. Lives of the Artists by Giorgio Vasari: Often regarded as the earliest art historian, Vasari writes about the lives of the artists that play an important role in the Renaissance and the years leading up to it.
97. On the Origin of Species by Charles Darwin: While it may not make for the most exciting reading, this book is essential for those who want to understand the origins of modern biology.
98. Essays by Ralph Waldo Emerson: From advocating the rights of women to speaking about the joys of nature, this collection of essays is great non-fiction reading.
99. Walden by Henry David Thoreau: Get some inspiration on moving closer to nature in this classic work.
100. The Kama Sutra by Vatsyayana: Keep your relationships spicy by checking out this ancient text full of advice on the art of lovemaking.

Whether you work with a library, or just want to find out more about what’s going on in your community library, Twitter is a great place to stay updated on the latest developments. On Twitter, you’ll find librarians in schools, public libraries, and more, and even some working for organizations that have a lot to offer libraries. Read on, and you’ll find some of the best librarians on Twitter.

School & University

Find out how librarians are making things work in schools from these librarians.

1. @heyjudeonline: Judy O’Connell is the Head of Library and Information Services at St. Joseph’s College, Hunters Hill.
2. @joycevalenza: Read @joycevalenza’s tweets to hear from a teacher-librarian and learner in Pennsylvania.
3. @griffey: Jason Griffey is a geek librarian at University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.
4. @kenleyneufield: This community college librarian is obsessed with the social web.
5. @askundergrad: This twitter account supports the undergraduate library at UIUC.
6. @BSULibrary: Stay up to date on the Albertsons Library at Boise State University through @BSULibrary.
7. @Library_Channel: @Library_Channel offers help and more to patrons of the Arizona State University libraries.
8. @amylibrarian: Amy Springer is an academic librarian fascinated by the Millennial student.
9. @heatherloy: @heatherloy is a high school librarian in South Carolina.
10. @acmorton: Andy Morton is the tech librarian at University of Richmond.
11. @OkStateLibrary: @OkStateLibrary features news from the Oklahoma State University Libraries.
12. @neerav: Neerav Bhatt is a librarian, former political candidate, and professional blogger.
13. @dmcordell: @dmcordell is a teacher/librarian in upstate New York.
14. @ekettell: This librarian serves Dentistry at the University of Rochester.
15. @ghardin: Greg Hardin is an academic librarian in Denton, Texas.
16. @chriskeene: Read @chriskeene to learn what’s going on at the University of Sussex Library.
17. @jessnevins: Jess Nevins is an encyclopedia author as well as reference librarian at the University of California at Riverside.
18. @MrMLibrarian: @MrMLibrarian works to get boys to read as a school librarian.
19. @monarchlibrary: This K5 teacher librarian is addicted to technology.
20. @jennyluca: Check out @jennyluca to find a cool teacher-librarian.
21. @uncw_library: You’ll be able to keep up with the Randall Library at University of North Carolina, Wilmington on @uncw_library.
22. @laurenpressley: Lauren Pressley is the instructional design librarian at the Z. Smith Reynolds Library at Wake Forest University.
23. @bookjewel: @bookjewel is an educator, teacher-librarian, lifelong learner, literature lover, and geek.
24. @mstephens7: Michael Stephens is an Assistant Professor in the Graduate School of Library and Information Science at Dominican University.
25. @cathyjo: Check out Cathy Nelson to learn about a school library media specialist.
26. @srharris19: Steven R. Harris is the head of collection development at the University of New Mexico Libraries, and a dog lover.
27. @librarianmer: Meredith Farkas works as the Distance Learning Librarian at Norwich University.
28. @janettefuller: Janette Fuller worked as an elementary school librarian for 30 years.
29. @yalescilib: Check out @yalescilib for updates from the Yale science libraries.

Local & Public Libraries

Check out librarians in community libraries to see how they run things.

30. @RyanDeschamps: Ryan Deschamps is the e-Learning Services Manager at the Halifax Public Libraries.
31. @Librarian: @Librarian is the Twitterer behind the Itenerany Poetry Librarian, a non-static, special collections public library.
32. @jdarlinghess: Originally from NY, @jdarlinghess is a librarian in Columbus.
33. @RapidCityPubLib: @RapidCityPubLib shares updates and events from the Rapid City Public Library in South Dakota.
34. @GlendaleLibrary: Stay up to date on the Glendale Public Library system in Glendale, Arizona through @GlendaleLibrary.
35. @SueLawson: Get updates on Manchester libraries from @SueLawson.
36. @jessamyn: Jessamyn West is a librarian consultant in rural Vermont.
37. @webmaster_ref: @webmaster_ref is a librarian and webmaster for Elkhart Public Library.
38. @harriscountypl: Keep updated on the Harris County Public Libraries in Houston through @harriscountypl.
39. @AbingtonLibrary: You can learn more about the Abington Free Library from this Twitter timeline.
40. @cglibrary: @cglibrary will keep you up to date on all the happenings at Casa Grande Library.
41. @ASCPL_Events: Check out @ASCPL_Events to learn about the events going on at Akron-Summit County Public Library.
42. @tashrow: Tasha is the director of the public library in Menasha, Wisconsin.
43. @aclalibraries: @aclalibraries covers the federated system of libraries in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania.
44. @Cleveland_PL: Cleveland is the third largest public research library in the US, and is on Twitter.
45. @2nickels: Laura Koenig works as a children’s librarian in Boston.
46. @ALD_Teens: Get updated on teen news throughout the Arapahoe Library District from @ALD_Teens.
47. @laurasolomon: Laura Solomon works as a web developer and librarian in Ohio’s libraries all over the state.
48. @adalib: The Ada Library in Boise shares dreams, ideas, and information.
49. @camdencclibrary: The Camden library is updated by Olivia Nellums, reference and instruction librarian.
50. @gonty: This Australian youth services librarian is the brains behind bookboy.net.
51. @mmrl: The Missouri River Regional Library serves the Cole and Osage counties in Missouri.
52. @AustinPublicLib: You’ll be able to keep up with all things APL through @AustinPublicLib.
53. @jrriordan: Jim Riordan is the reference librarian at the Bangor Public Librarian in Bangor, Maine.
54. @Jantweepuntnl: Jam is a librarian and manager at City Library of Haarlem Netherlands.
55. @RoCoPubLib: Check out the Roanoke County Public Library system through @RoCoPubLib.
56. @BoerneLibrary: You can learn about the Boerne Public Library from @BoerneLibrary.
57. @skeskali: Cecily is the web services librarian at Vancouver Public Library.
58. @elizabethhdavis: Elizabeth works as a librarian in a children’s library.
59. @wlgordon: @wlgordon is a professional librarian in Chicago.
60. @ScrantonLibrary: You’ll find out about library industry news, events, and goings on at Scranton libraries through @ScrantonLibrary.
61. @younglibrarian: Katie is a young public librarian.

Other Libraries

These librarians work in law, medical, and other libraries.

62. @infobunny: @infobunny is a law librarian who blogs about Twitter apps.
63. @retennant: Roy Tennant is a librarian, river guide, and father.
64. @lwu5: @lwu5 is a health sciences librarian in Memphis.
65. @sarchet62: Read @sarchet62’s tweets to learn about a medical anthropologist in a librarian suit.
66. @Philbradley: Phil is a freelance librarian, Internet consultant, writer, and trainer.
67. @ultimatelibrarn: Amy Donahue is an aspiring medical librarian.
68. @LPI_Library: Check out @LPI_Library to get updates from the Lunar and Planetary Institute Library in Houston.
69. @Jill_HW: @Jill_HW is interested in digital libraries, social networking, Web 2.0, and more.
70. @conniecrosby: @conniecrosby works as a guerilla law librarian.
71. @vjb: VJ Beauchamp is a web librarian in Northeast Portland, Oregon.
72. @PhilippaJane: Philippa is a librarian that likes to write and podcast.
73. @MegCanada: This librarienne loves technology.
74. @gspadoni: Gina Spadoni is a librarian and competitive intelligence professional, among other things.
75. @wickedlibrarian: This librarian’s dream job is to be Neil Gaiman.
76. @olevia: Cheri Campbell is a librarian, union activist, and social progressive.
77. @pfanderson: Read PF Anderson’s updates to learn about emerging library technologies and more.
78. @shamsha: This medical librarian is interested in evidence based medicine, librarianship, and social media.
79. @kgs: KG Schneider is a Community Librarian for Equinox, the support and development company for Evergreen open source library software.
80. @djleenieman: Check out Dan Nieman to learn about reference librarianship and more.
81. @glambert: Greg Lambert is a law librarian and geek.
82. @nprlibrary: You’ll learn about the latest from the NPR library through @nprlibrary.
83. @stevematthews: Steve Matthews is a fun loving law librarian.

Organizations

Check out these organizations and resources that offer lots of support to libraries and librarians.

84. @librarycongress: Check out the Library of Congress through this Twitter timeline.
85. @msauers: Michael Sauers is the technology innovation librarian for the Nebraska Library Commission.
86. @UtahHive: Learn about the Utah State Library Digital Library Services Team from @UtahHive.
87. @kishizuka: @kishizuka is the technology editor for School Library Journal.
88. @alscblog: The Association for Library Service to Children twitters here.
89. @lbraun2000: Linda Brawn is the YALSA-president elect, librarian, and more.
90. @eagledawg: Nicole Dettmar works as a medical librarian for the National Network of Libraries of Medicine.
91. @LesaHolstine: Lisa Holstine is a Library Manager and contributing book reviewer for Library Journal, Mystery News, and other websites.
92. @yalsa: @yalsa provides followers with updates from the Young Adult Library Services Association.
93. @libraryjournal: Through @libraryjournal, you’ll find news, book reviews, and more.
94. LJBookReview: Read book reviews and other news from Library Journal here.
95. @MLx: Marianne Lenox is a Gadabout Library Trainer.
96. @libraryman: Michael is the Libraryman, with nearly 20 years of experience in various library roles.
97. @AccessMyLibrary: @AccessMyLibrary advocates for increasing disoverability of library content online.
98. @andreamercado: Andrea is a former librarian making a shift.
99. @infogdss29: Beth Gallaway is a consultant for gaming, technology and youth services training.
100. @sljournal: @sljournal will fill you in on children’s and young adult books from School Library Journal.

Wikipedia can be a great site for students who need a quick reference on history, pop culture or even politics. But its reputation as an authoritative research resource is doubted by college professors and other experts who deter students from quoting Wikipedia in their papers. One reason is that a lot of the information on Wikipedia is either incomplete or downright false. Because anyone can technically edit or contribute to Wikipedia, the site is vulnerable to hackers and vandalism. Sometimes, the blunders are serious libel cases which result in lawsuits; and sometimes, they’re just funny.

False Death Reports

These high-profile personalities, politicians and celebrities were falsely reported dead by Wikipedia users.

1. Ted Kennedy’s death: A very high profile Wikipedia blunder falsely reported the "death" of Sen. Edward Kennedy after he actually did suffer a seizure during the post-inaugural luncheon for Barack Obama in January 2009. The Washington Post reports that Kennedy’s Wikipedia entry was edited at 2:59p.m. ET "to say that he had died" by someone who registered on the site under the name "Gfdjklsdgiojksdkf."
2. Senator Byrd: Senator Robert Byrd was also included in the Sen. Kennedy death hoax after he (actually did) leave the same luncheon shortly after Kennedy had the seizure. At 3:08p.m. ET, according to the Washington Post, Sen. Byrd was also reported dead by a Wikipedia user.
3. Vernon Kay: British TV presenter Vernon Kay was reported dead on Wikipedia, saying that "he’d drowned in a tragic yachting accident and Greece," according to Brand Republic. The entry even had specific information about his funeral.
4. Sinbad’s Death: The actor Sinbad was falsely reported dead by a Wikipedia entry in 2007. MSNBC reports that Sinbad found out about the hoax when his daughter called him. The Wikipedia entry claimed he had died of a heart attack and "had been forwarded to hundreds of people" before it was corrected.
5. Miley Cyrus’ death: Miley Cyrus is arguably one of the biggest teen stars in the entire world, and fans were shocked when a hoax involving social media site Digg and Wikipedia falsely reported her death in September 2008. The sites claimed that Miley Cyrus was killed in a car crash on her way to the Hannah Montana set, but it never happened.

Libel

Tony Blair, Robbie Williams and even Nancy Pelosi have been targeted in crude vandalism cases on Wikipedia.

6. John Seigenthaler Sr.: This Wikipedia hoax got a lot of attention because it is truly slander, or "Internet character assassination," as the real John Seigenthaler claims. The real John Seigenthaler is a respected journalist who briefly worked for Robert F. Kennedy. His Wikipedia entry briefly reported, however, that Seigenthaler "was thought to have been directly involved in the Kennedy assassinations of both John, and his brother, Bobby. Nothing was ever proven." Seigenthaler contacted Wikipedia, who took the entry down, but only after it had was on the site for 132 days.
7. Tony Blair: The Times Online reported that the Wikipedia entry for Tony Blair that appeared one week in February 2006 stated that he hung up "posters of Adolf Hitler on his bedroom wall as a teenager" and that he started "a false war against Saddam Hussein." Tony Blair’s entry was a platform for political enemies to rant about the Iraq war and his position on civil service neutrality. The threat was taken seriously; however, and Wikipedia even "launched an investigation to see if any of the postings [were] coming from the House of Commons," since a similar American scandal using the power of Wikipedia was traced back to officials who worked at the Capitol building.
8. Robbie Williams eats pet hamsters: According to a mischievous Wikipedia contributor in 2006, Robbie Williams ate pet hamsters for a living "in and around Stoke," The Independent reports.
9. Ritchie de Laet: The Wikipedia entry for Manchester United defender Ritchie De Laet was a surprisingly offensive rant against his acceptance to the team. The Mirror reports that his Wikipedia page featured the following biography: "The Belgian was surprisingly signed on a performance-based contract by Manchester United on January 8. Many thought it was a joke and Andrew Marshall has agreed to shoot himself if he ever makes a Premier League appearance for the Red Devils."
10. Village of Denshaw: Wikipedia blunders aren’t just limited to individuals. The entire village of Denshaw near Greater Manchester was targeted when someone edited their Wikipedia entry and wrote that it was "the home to an obese population of sun-starved, sheep hurling yokels with a brothel for a pub and a lingering tapeworm infection," according to the Telegraph.
11. Nancy Pelosi: U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi was correctly described as being of Italian descent in her Wikipedia entry, but a hacker/editor continued his piece by saying that "Italians drink children’s blood."
12. Sergey Brin: Sergey Brin is one of the co-founders of Google and now sits on the Board of Directors. In 2002, however, his Wikipedia page was vandalized with remarks like "is he lucky or smart or both?" and "He is sexy." One entry even claimed that Brin had "died in Moscow, Russia." Another vandal wrote that "in July of 2006, Sergey revealed that he is homosexual and dating with Jimmy Wales," the creator of Wikipedia.
13. Bill Gates photo: This vandalized photo of Bill Gates was forwarded around after someone edited his Wikipedia page. It features a perfectly nice photo of Gates, marked up with devil horns and a Hitler mustache.
14. University of Cincinnati President Nancy Zimpher: Someone at the University of Cincinnati had it in for President Nancy Zimpher, big time. Her Wikipedia entry at one time reported that she was a "president/prostitute" and that "critics also claim that she doesn’t care what alumni, boosters or students think. An example of this would be getting rid of midnight madness." The entry closes with the remark, "Nancy Zimpher is a witch, and flys around on a broom stick."
15. Fuzzy Zoeller: Pro-golfer and former U.S. Open winner Fuzzy Zoeller ended up suing a Miami law firm after his vandalized Wikipedia page was tracked back to an IP address at their location. The page reported that Zoeller had admitted to "polishing off a fifth of Jack after popping a handful of Vicodin pills" and had also beaten his wife and children after drinking and taking drugs, reports The Smoking Gun.

Miscellaneous Hoaxes and Mistakes

For even more blunders and random hoaxes involving David Beckham, Dutch royalty and even the Wikipedia logo, look here.

16. David Beckham: Another Wikipedia "joke" from 2006 insisted that David Beckham "was a Chinese goalkeeper in the 18th century." This hoax isn’t as defamatory as Robbie Williams’ or Tony Blair’s, but it’s still pretty outrageous.
17. Wikipedia logo: Besides letting hoaxes slip through the cracks, Wikipedia is also guilty of designing a logo that includes "meaningless" and fake characters. The logo features the globe designed as a puzzle. Each puzzle piece contains a symbol or character from different languages. The Guardian reports, however, that the logo is wrong, and that one Japanese character and one Devanagari character were designed incorrectly and are therefore "meaningless."
18. Contributor lied: An anonymous Wikipedia contributor who edited thousands of entries and claimed to be a professor of religion turned out to be a 24-year-old college dropout, according to MSNBC. The hoax was discovered after The New Yorker "published an editor’s note stating that a 2006 Wikipedia profile in the magazine had erroneously described Essjay’s purported academic resume." He was so respected in the Wikipedia community that he had even been made an arbitrator by Wikipedia and was hired by Wikia Inc.
19. Holland royalty scandal: The Dutch royal family was the subject of a double scandal that started when a Wikipedia entry described a 2003 incident involving now Princess Mabel of Oranje-Nassau. The New York Times explains that Mabel had had a "liaison" with a drug dealer, causing Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende to refuse government approval for his son to marry her. The incident was reported on Wikipedia, but was unethically erased by the prince and princess in 2007.
20. Death in the Afternoon: Hemingway’s nonfiction work Death in the Afternoon was reported by Wikipedia to be "a non-fiction book by Ernest Hemingway about the ceremony and traditions of Spanish whores." The book is actually about Spanish bull-fighting, and the entry was later corrected.
21. Jane Fonda: Jane Fonda’s reputation wasn’t really damaged through her Wikipedia page, but in a report from The Register, even Jimmy Wales admits that her biography at one time read "she won an Academy Award and has a dog," and was not a good example of Wikipedia’s finest work.
22. Plato: Plato was an ancient Hawaiian weather man and surfer, writer of cosmo girls and founder of the punahou in Ancient Florida? According to his Wikipedia entry discovered by a teacher and submitted to Flickr, he was.
23. Stephen Colbert blocked: Stephen Colbert ripped Wikipedia’s open policy when he jokingly said that "if you make something up and enough people agree with you–it becomes reality," according to Newsvine.com. Colbert called this phenomenon "wikiality" and even edited George Washington’s Wikipedia page on the show, and a Wikipedia entry for elephants. Colbert fans joined in the game, "repeatedly vandalizing approximately 20 articles on elephants before all being placed under a lock." Colbert was also blocked from Wikipedia.
24. Alan Mcilwraith: In this hoax, Wikipedia served Alan Mcilwraith with the ability to set up a fake life and possibly get girls. Mcilwraith put up an entry on on a Wikipedia mirror site describing the biography of a British army officer, Captain Sir Alan Mcilwraith, saying that he "is best known for risking his own life to protect that of his men for his action he was awarded DSO." The poorly written entry even features a photo of Mcilwraith in full uniform. In reality, Mcilwraith was a Dell customer service representative.
25. NPA "hoax": When Anthony Benis, the creator of the NPA theory that claims human personalities are comprised of narcissism, perfectionism and aggression, put up a Wikipedia entry about his theory, Wikipedia users got mad, criticizing Wikipedia for letting the creator of a theory to promote his own ideas on the site, calling it a "vanity entry," according to Ars Technica. Wikipedia deleted the entry, claiming that Benis was not notable enough to write his own entry.

From poetry to lengthy prose, creative writing can be a great way to express yourself. Of course, even the best students and writers can use a few tips, a little inspiration and a whole lot of help getting their work out there. These blogs offer all of that and more. From blogs that focus on writers still trying to make it in the publishing world to those providing updates from best selling authors, you’ll find all kinds of information geared towards improving and informing your creative writing.

General

These blogs cover a wide range of issues for students of the written word.

1. Writer Unboxed: Learn both about the creative and business sides of fiction writing from this great blog.
2. Backstory: Ever wonder where writers get their inspiration? You’ll find loads of posts that record just that and you can contribute your own stories as well.
3. Write Anything: Check out this multi-author blog to find writing challenges, inspiration and shared writing.
4. Inkygirl: Daily Diversions for Writers: This blogger not only posts about using the Internet to improve your writing but posts her own comics frequently as well.
5. Women on Writing: Get information on writing geared just towards female writers out there.
6. Cute Writing: Here you’ll find posts on writing, blogging and publishing and many articles focus on ways to make your work more efficient.
7. Write to Done: If you enjoy the blog Zen Habits, you’ll appreciate this blog by the same author. This site focuses on simple, effective ways to write more, better.
8. The Urban Muse: Freelance writer Susan Johnston provides tips and tidbits for other working writers out there.
9. Writing Forward: From grammar tips to ideas for improving your creative writing, check out the helpful posts on this site.
10. Writer’s Write: This blog is a great place to find information about writers, books and the publishing world.
11. Creative Writing Corner: Connect with your creative side through the posts on this blog.
12. Creative Writing Contests: Want to challenge your creative skills? This blog can direct you to the great number of writing competitions out there.

Aspiring Authors

These bloggers are writing on the ‘net and off, still waiting to get their best work published.

13. The Desperate Writer: This writer and cosmetologist shares her stories on this blog, both personal and creative.
14. Incurable Disease of Writing: Blogger Missy is getting her degree in creative writing and posts about her experiences on this site.
15. Emerging Writers Network: If you’re just getting started in your writing career, check out this site to learn about the ins and outs of writing and about other writers working towards success.
16. Ficticity: Check out this site to find posted stories, writing tips and even a few book reviews.
17. Authors’ Blogs: This isn’t just one blog, but a collection of numerous aspiring writers sites, so you can take your pick of reading material.
18. Plot Monkeys: These four bloggers talk about everything from their everyday lives to the books they love.
19. Maternal Spark: Moms who love to write or create on the side

Published Authors

Get some advice, inspiration and motivation from these authors doing what they love and getting paid for it.

20. The Orwell Diaries: Most writers are familiar with the work of George Orwell. Here you’ll find regular postings from his personal diaries.
21. Tom Conoby’s Writing Blog: This blogger shares his thoughts on books he reads, his own writing and much more.
22. John Baker’s Blog: This working writer shares his passions– reading and writing– on this site.
23. The Man In Black: Young mystery writer Jason Pinter shares his thoughts on just about everything on this blog.
24. Neil Gaiman’s Journal: This well-known writer has published a large number of books, several of which have been made into major motion pictures. Check out his blog for more about what he’s working on right now.
25. Wil Wheaton in Exile: Readers of this blog might recognize his name from his days on Star Trek: The Next Generation but these days this actor spends more of this time writing books and posting on his blog.
26. A Writer’s Life: Love the TV series Monk? Learn more about the writer behind the books the series is based on from this blog.
27. The Paperback Writer: With several published books under her belt, this blogger shares her writing tips as well as information about her personal life.
28. Pocket Full of Words: Novelist Holly Lisle shares her experiences as a writer on her blog.
29. Beyond the Beyond: Bruce Sterling has written numerous science fiction novels and now shares his thoughts on science and technology on his WIRED blog.
30. Contrary Brin: Scientist and author David Brin maintains this site where readers can talk about issues from his books or just about anything else.
31. Scott Berkun: This author teaches creative thinking, writes books and give public talks. Read about his writing adventures and otherwise here.

Improving Your Craft

Get some tips on becoming a better writer from these blogs.

32. Becoming a Writer Seriously: Aspiring writers can find all kinds of helpful advice and guidance on this blog.
33. WordSwimmer: Learn to understand the writing process a little better with a little help from blogger Bruce Black. There are loads of interviews with authors as well as suggestions on improving your writing.
34. Time to Write: Blogger Jurgen Wolff wants to strike a creative spark in writers of all kinds by providing tips and inspiration here.
35. Flogging the Quill: Check out this blog to learn more about the craft of creative storytelling.
36. Six Sentences: What can you write in six sentences? Share your attempt at this writing exercise on this blog.
37. Luc Reid: From tips on finding time to practice writing to information about the publishing industry, you’ll find loads of helpful posts on this blog.
38. The Writing Show: While more podcast than true blog, this site is a good place for writers to get answers to their questions and get help finding inspiration.
39. Men With Pens: Whether you’re a writer freelancing or just writing for fun, you’ll find tips on how to do it better on this blog.
40. Write a Better Novel: Make sure whatever you’re writing will get the attention it deserves when time comes to get it published. This blog provides all kinds of information on creating a better novel, no matter the subject.
41. Write Better: Here you’ll find a wide range of writing tips to get your creative writing in top shape.
42. Clear Writing with Mr. Clarity: Learn to get to the point and write clearly and concisely whether you’re writing a letter at work or working on a book.
43. Mike’s Writing Workshop: This blogger is all about posting things that can help writers get better and get inspired.
44. Kim’s Craft Blog: Learn about writing fiction, memoirs and other creative writing from this writer who teaches courses at The Cambridge Center for Adult Education.

Grammar and Editing

You may have the best ideas but that doesn’t mean much if you can’t write them well. These blogs will help you tune up your writing so it’s publish-worthy.

45. GrammarBlog: Laugh at the grammar and spelling errors of others while getting tips on improving your own skills on this blog.
46. Evil Editor: This editor might be evil, but the tips provided on this blog can really help you refine your stories.
47. Blue Pencil Editing: This blog is both a good resource for working editors and and writers in search of a little guidance.
48. Editing and Proofreading Hints and Tips: Get simple tips on improving your editing process from this blog.
49. Headsup: the blog: Here you’ll find posts about the sometimes frustrating world of editing and learn what not to do.
50. Grammarphobia: This site offers readers the chance to ask their own grammar and language questions and get answers.
51. Apostrophe Abuse: Think you know how to use the apostrophe? This blog might teach you otherwise.
52. Daily Writing Tips: Get some daily advice on how to improve the basics of your writing.
53. ProWriting Tips: This blog is home to numerous grammar and writing tips.
54. The Engine Room: JD, a copy editor, runs this blog all about language use that can help you get a handle on your usage.
55. Cheryl Norman, Grammar Cop: If you’ve got some questions about grammar that need answering, visit this blog.
56. English4Today: Get a handle on the English language through the guidance of blogger Anthony Hughes.

Getting Published

The ultimate goal for many students and professionals working on creative writing is to get work published. This blogs can help you learn about the business, get your work out there, or even publish it yourself.

57. Ask Allison: Ask your questions about breaking publishing and gets answers from this helpful blogger.
58. Guide to Literary Agents: Get some tips on where and how to find a literary agent to represent your work when the time comes.
59. Beacon Literary Services: Emerging writers and those with a little experience under their belts alike can take advantage of the publishing advice offered here.
60. Questions and Quandaries: This Writers Digest blog answers a wide variety of questions about publishing.
61. Writer Beware Blogs: While you may be desperate to get your work out there make sure you protect yourself from scams. The information in this blog can help you stay safe.
62. The Swivet: Colleen Lindsay is a literary agent and you can read her reactions to recent publications and if you meet her requirements even submit your own work.
63. The Rejecter: This blogger isn’t a literary agent but an assistant to one, the person you’ll have to go through to get your work published, and she posts all about her work on this blog.
64. Booksquare: This blog works to dissect the publishing industry so you can learn it inside and out.
65. Pubrants: Literary agent Kristen blogs about everything publishing from queries to working with writers.
66. Nathan Bransford Literary Agent: Want to know more about literary agents and the publishing world? Check out this blog.
67. Practicing Writing: This blog posts plenty on writing advice as well as the latest publishing opportunities.
68. Bob Baker’s Full-Time Author Blog: Thinking of making the leap to being a full-time writer? This blog can be a great resource on publishing your own book to set the stage.
69. Future Perfect Publishing: Explore all the possibilities for publishing that are out there through the help of this blog by Tom Masters.

Genre Focused

These creative writing blogs focus on one particular type of writing, such as mysteries, romance and fantasy.

70. Storytellers Unplugged: This multi-author blog is contributed to by writers, editors and publishers and can give you a great background on writing in a wide range of genres.
71. Gibberish: Science fiction and fantasy writer Jayme Lynn Blaschke posts about his writing and more on this site.
72. SF Signal: From books to movies, you can keep abreast of all the goings on in world of science fiction through this blog.
73. SF and Fantasy Novelists: Here you’ll find loads of information on writers working in the science fiction genre.
74. Reading, Raving and Ranting: If you’re interested in historical fiction you can read about Susan Higginbotham’s experience writing about fourteenth-century England.
75. Myth and Mystery: Novelist and contributor to the New York Times Rick Riordan is a mystery writer and you can read about his latest work on this site.
76. Type M for Murder: Learn a little bit about murder mysteries from this multi-author blog.
77. Crime Fiction Dossier: If crime fiction is your thing, you’ll learn loads from this blog by David Montgomery.
78. Jungle Red: Six mystery writers contribute to this blog that talks about writing, life, love and much more.
79. Romancing the Blog: This blog is home to numerous romance novelists who post on just about everything.

Fiction Writing

Most creative writing falls into the category of fiction, so learn more about writing great novels and stories from these blogs.

80. Advanced Fiction Writing: Written by the "mad professor" of fiction writing, this blog is geared towards inspiring you and getting you writing.
81. Writing Fiction: Here you’ll find a lively discussion about writing and publishing novels and short fiction.
82. Killer Fiction: With five published authors contributing to this blog, you’ll get loads of tips and posts on writing.
83. Ginny’s Fiction Writing Blog: Ginny Wiehardt posts about fiction writing in this About.com blog.
84. Becoming a Fiction Writer: This blogger is following her dream of becoming a fiction writer.
85. Blog Fiction: If you plan on taking to the net with your writing, this blogger can give you all kinds of tips on doing it right.
86. Fiction Writers Review: The writers who run this blog are all about reviewing books but they also discuss what works and what makes truly great fiction.
87. Angela Booth’s Writing Blog: Whether you’re writing fiction or just freelancing, you’ll find helpful writing tips on this blog.
88. Fiction Writing: The Passionate Journey: You won’t become a great writer overnight. This blog can help you start and keep going along your journey to writing success.
89. Fiction Scribe: From grammar errors to book tours, this blog talks about a wide range of issues affecting fiction writers.

Poetry

If verse is more your thing, pay these helpful blogs a visit.

90. Avoiding the Muse: Doctor, blogger and author C. Dale Young maintains this blog as well as teaching an MFA program on writing.
91. Poetry Hut Blog: Keep up to date on the latest happenings in the poetry world with this blog.
92. Poet with a Day Job: Does the title of this blog remind you of yourself? Read this blogger’s posts on writing, reading and everyday life here.
93. 1,000 Black Lines: Posts on this blog are a single line long, some of which record daily events and others that read like lines of poetry.
94. The Best American Poetry: Learn about some of the best poetry out there through this blog.
95. harriet: The Poetry Foundation maintains this blog, which posts about happenings in the poetry world and speaks directly to you, the poet.
96. Poems at the Poetry Showcase: Contribute your poetry to this blog, or read the postings of others.
97. Poets.org: The American Academy of Poets lets you know about great poetry that’s out there through their blog.
98. Poetry and Poets in Rags: This blogger is both a salesman and a poet.
99. Silliman’s Blog: Here you’ll find informative posts on contemporary poets and their work.
100. Poets Who Blog: This blog is a great resource for poets, with writing contests, posts about work and more.

If culinary school isn’t in your future but you love food and love learning about it, then you should take a look at these free classes. Some of these classes are taught by Ivy League professors and by world-renowned chefs, while others offer easy-to-follow tutorials from which anyone can learn. Discover what a quenelle is, how to prepare duck, new ways to use mayonnaise, how to make fresh ricotta cheese, take classes that focus on reading and writing about food, or learn about nutrition and food safety. All this and more is available for free in the classes below.

Foodie Discoveries

Nothing is more exciting than discovering new ways to use an old ingredient or finding new foods you never knew existed. These classes bring fun discoveries for those with an adventurous spirit.

1. Kitchen Chemistry. Practice cooking experiments while learning basic chemistry principles in this course. [MIT]
2. Advanced Kitchen Chemistry. The follow-up to Kitchen Chemistry, this course is a hands-on class examining topics such as cheese making, joys of tofu, and the science of spice. [MIT]
3. The Dumpling Called Quenelle. Learn all about this amazing French dumpling and discover several ways to prepare them in this course. [New York Times]
4. Cooking with America’s Finest Ingredients. From specialty salts to aged vinegars to artisan cheeses, this course will help you learn about using great ingredients to create delicious recipes. [The Culinary Institute of America]
5. Rioja: Tradition & Innovation at the Frontiers of Flavor. Choose from a free DVD, iTunes podcasts, or video streaming to learn about this famous Spanish wine region, the wine itself, and culinary pairings. [The Culinary Institute of America]
6. The Professional Chef Discovers Soy Sauce. Learn all about soy sauce, get recipes, and even learn from chefs about how to use this ancient flavoring. [The Culinary Institute of America]
7. Vinaigrettes: Soft and Sharp. Learn about the balance required in making vinaigrettes and put your knowledge to work with these delicious salads. [New York Times]
8. Almonds: New Directions for American Kitchens. If you thought almonds were supposed to be coated in sugary candy and handed out at weddings, then you should check out this class that teaches uses for almonds that include as thickening agents, as texture, and for flavor. [The Culinary Institute of America]
9. The Alaska Seafood Spice Pantry. This interactive course provides all you need to know about preparing Alaskan seafood and selecting spices from around the world to complement these delicious sustainable treats from the Alaskan waters. [The Culinary Institute of America]
10. Sunkist Citrus Celebre. Citrus is much more than lemons, limes, and oranges. Learn about various types of citrus, how to cook with citrus, and become adept at global flavors with this course that offers videos, photos, recipes, and even quizzes. [The Culinary Institute of America]
11. The Mayo Clinic. Find a whole new world with mayonnaise in this class that explores different ways to prepare and use this sauce. [New York Times]

Fun Foodie Experiences

If you are in a rut and need a change, then these classes will help you find something exciting and new. From creating your own dim sum to learning how to make sushi to learning about selecting and preparing live Maine lobster, these classes will help you find something fun for dinner.

12. Thirty Days of Dim Sum. Create your own dim sum dinner after you try these thirty days worth of recipes that include such favorites as Jiaozi dumplings, potstickers, and crab rangoon. [About U]
13. Duck, Demystified and Delicious. Learn the basics about preparing, cooking, and serving duck with this lesson. [New York Times]
14. La Ricetta della Settimana, A Weekly Recipe. Get a new Italian dish recipe by email every week that also includes menu and wine pairings. [About U]
15. Sushi Lessons for Beginners. From the proper rice preparation to creating a variety of sushi, this email course will have you enjoying these tasty bites right in your own home. [About U]
16. Contemporary Flavors with California Raisins. Chef Thomas Keller walks you through the history of many dishes from the Mediterranean to Asia to Latin America using the flavor of California raisins. [The Culinary Institute of America]
17. Beginners Guide to Tamales. Take this 6-day course to master the art of tamale making in your own kitchen. [About U]
18. Marinated Duck Breast in Red Wine Sauce: A Lesson in Knife Skills. This course covers knife skills, making marinade, cooking duck breast, making a red wine reduction, and presenting the dish. [New York Times]
19. Soups: Broths and Purees. This isn’t your mother’s chicken noodle soup. Learn how to create elegant soups in this class. [New York Times]
20. Reimagining Pasta. From salad to main course to dessert, take a whole new look at pasta with this class. [New York Times]
21. The Professional Chef Discovers Maine Lobster. Now there is no need to pay outrageous restaurant prices for Maine Lobster. Learn about lobsters, how to select and prepare them, and get delicious recipes with this course. [The Culinary Institute of America]
22. Calamari Classics. Don’t rely on fried calamari as your only experience with the delicious squid. Learn preparation techniques, recipes, and even wine pairings to enhance these little jewels from the sea. [New York Times]

Nutrition

If you are interested in how the food you prepare makes your body healthy and strong, then these nutrition classes are for you.

23. Critical Analysis of Popular Diets and Dietary Supplements. Learn the science of weight loss and compare this to the structure of various weight loss programs and supplements to analyze their effectiveness. [Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health]
24. Principles of Human Nutrition. This course offers a basic overview of nutrition and the role that proteins, energy, vitamins, and minerals play in health and disease. [Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health]
25. Nutrition and Medicine. Explore the basics of nutrition and how it relates to the human body as a form of healing and wellness. [Tufts University]
26. Obesity: balanced diets and treatment. Learn about balanced diets as well as causes of obesity including genetics and environmental factors. [The Open University]
27. Food and Nutrition Policy. Explore policy making as it pertains to nutrition and the issues surrounding it in this class. [Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health]
28. Nutrition: vitamins and minerals. Study specific vitamins and minerals and discover how they help the human body. [The Open University]
29. International Nutrition. Examine the nutritional problems in developing societies in this class. [Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health]
30. Nutrition. Learn the fundamentals of nutrition, including digestion and metabolism, macronutrients, micronutrients, and nutrition assessment. [Western Governors University]
31. Nutrition: proteins. Find out about the make-up of proteins, how they function in the body, and how they are absorbed and digested. [The Open University]
32. Vitamin village. Vitamins A, C, D, E, and K as well as an introduction to antioxidants are covered in this nutrition class. [The University of Nottingham]

Food Safety

From dealing with food allergies to preventing mad cow disease to food production and public health, these classes take a look at food safety issues.

33. Food Safety, Storage, and Allergies. Study food storage, safety issues, additives, and new food technology. [Utah State University]
34. BSE and vCJD: their biology and management. This course out of the UK examines mad cow disease and the link between the similar disease that affects humans as well as the management of these diseases. [The Open University]
35. Food Production, Public Health, and the Environment. Look at case studies that explore public health and food production as it pertains to issues such as economics, population, and equity in this class. [Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health]
36. Food Allergies: Challenges and Opportunities for Food Service. Learn about food allergies, cross contamination, successful food allergy policies, and recipe alternatives in this class. [The Culinary Institute of America]

Reading and Writing About Food

If your artistic talent doesn’t stop at creating and enjoying delicious food, then give these classes that focus on reading and writing about food a try.

37. Expository Writing - Food for Thought: Writing and Reading about Food and Culture. Explore many facets of food, food preparation, and those who participate in it through reading, watching films, and writing about the experience of food. [MIT]
38. East Asian Cultures: From Zen to Pop. Cuisine is just one of the interesting explorations of this class that looks at premodern and modern East Asian culture. [MIT]
39. Food and Power in the Twentieth Century. Examine the history of food and its transformation over the past 100 years and its impact on society. [MIT]
40. Finding information in health and lifestyle. This course takes students through practical applications of researching and writing about health and lifestyle topics. [The Open University]

Tutorials

These easy-to-follow tutorials make frying a turkey, cooking with master chefs, or even learning to bake an easy endeavor.

41. How to Make Fresh Ricotta. Follow these instructions and accompanying photos to learn how to make your own ricotta with only a few items. [Chef Talk]
42. How to Deep Fry a Turkey. This how-to provides safety information, equipment, and even a recipe so that you will be making fried turkey all year round. [Chef Talk]
43. Making Sense of Food Thickeners. Explore various types of thickeners and discover why one may work better than another for a particular dish. [Chef Talk]
44. How to Make Roux (Making Sense of Food Thickeners-Part II). Take your new-found knowledge about thickeners to the next level with this tutorial that also instructs on how to make the four stages of roux for a variety of dishes. [Chef Talk]
45. How to Make a Marinara Sauce (and Tomato Concasse). This tutorial steps you through making a delicious marinara sauce from scratch and even provides a little history on the sauce. [Chef Talk]
46. How To Cook. Learn a variety of techniques as well as cooking tips with the how-to lessons available here. [Cook's Illustrated]
47. Cuisines. Learn how to cook 80 dishes from around the world with these fun video and text tutorials. [Epicurious]
48. Cooking Primers. From baking a pie to grilling to cooking without gluten, the primers here will help you learn with photos, videos, and text. [Epicurious]
49. Julia Child: Lessons with Master Chefs. Get recipes created by master chefs and the accompanying videos from this series that includes 15 delicious dishes. [PBS]
50. Baking Demonstrations. From butter frosting to powdered sugar glaze to butter toffee and everywhere in between, get video demonstrations to help your baking skills improve. [Land O'Lakes]

Most people don’t think of librarians as legal entities, but the fact is there are a number of legal issues that are important for librarians to understand. Whether you’re dealing with copyright or disabilities, the best way to protect yourself is to be informed. Be sure that you’ve brushed up on these important issues.

1. Filters: Many public libraries are under pressure to filter Internet access to patrons. Whether or not you do so can have legal implications for your library.
2. Accessibility: It’s important that libraries comply with the Americans with Disabilities act in order to make accessing the libray easier for people with disabilities.
3. Accessible website and written materials: Accesibility in your library also extends to your website and written materials. Make sure you’re in compliance with this resource.
4. Privacy: As many libraries become more technologically savvy, the issue of privacy will often come up. You will have to be careful about publishing your patrons’ information, images, and more.
5. Freedom of information: According to the First Amendment, the government is allowed to restrict information in the library. Find out what you can do about it and how you have to comply.
6. Children on the Internet: Your library may be held responsible for offensive content accessed using the library’s computers, so it’s important to find out how to protect yourself.
7. Employee rights: Just like other employment entities, libraries have to be well aware of employment law, avoiding discrimination and wrongful treatment of library workers.
8. Hate meetings: Your library’s meeting rooms and computers may be used in order to spread and promote hateful speech and thoughts. Additionally, you may find that hateful literature is requested. Find out how to deal with this issue before it comes up.
9. Book removal: Librarians have to be careful about removing books from a library’s collection. You will find that you often do not have unrestricted authority to remove offensive library books from your library.
10. Licensing: Public use of electronic resources will almost always require a license, so it’s key that you fully understand how to use the licenses that have been granted to your library.
11. Information liability: If a patron uses your library resources to learn how to build a bomb, and then uses the bomb to harm people, can your library be held partially responsible? Find out the exact legalities and how you can protect your library and resources from this issue.
12. Digitizing material: By creating digital collections, you may be violating copyright law. Be careful not to violate any copyright laws as you make information more available.
13. Library policies: You may make the rules in your library, but that doesn’t mean they are legal. Ensure that your library policies are legally enforceable with this resource.
14. Banned books: Many books can be offensive to library patrons and parents of young patrons that visit your library, and books are often challenged by groups and individuals. How you deal with the removal or preservation of a book is important.
15. Software lending: If you’re lending software out to patrons, be careful that your policies do not violate any legal issues. Considerations to pay attention to are licensing, copyright, and liability.
16. Bulletin boards: Your library’s bulletin boards may be used as a community resource, so it’s important to consider whether or not you’re violating free speech with your bulletin board policy.
17. Latchkey kids: Often, libraries find that children are left to do homework and entertain themselves in the library. Consider how your library could be held liable if something were to happen to a child on the library’s property.
18. Reproduction: It’s important for libraries to respect copyright law when making reproductions for their collections and archives. Additionally, your library may need to monitor patron usage to ensure that they are not violating copyright laws.
19. Video performance: Consider whether allowing patrons to watch videos individually or in a group performance voilates the copyright laws of the motion picture.
20. Game night: Like video performance, allowing copyrighted video games to be played in the library and with library resources may violate copyright law.
21. Homeless people: Educate yourself on the legal rights of homeless library users, particularly solicitation, harassment, odor, and helping to provide homeless people with resources.
22. Fair use: Educate yourself on the law surrounding fair use so that you can understand when usage is fair, and when it violates a work’s copyright.
23. Public domain: Learn about public domain so that you can provide copyright-free resources to your patrons. It’s especially useful to learn how to identify a work in the public domain.
24. FBI in the library: The FBI can use your library as a resource for investigating the public’s usage of your resources, so it’s important to know how to deal with it. One librarian has come up with a few technically legal signs that you can use to let patrons know they may be monitored.
25. Rude patrons: Be careful when dealing with rude patrons. Be sure that you know the laws regarding issues like defacement, theft, violence, and trespassing.