Now that we're well back to school, it's time to find useful Web sites for school reports or other projects. In this month's column, we?ll look at some of the research sources on the open Web that are helpful to students. We'll also take a look at some good sites for very young children, and pick up some tips for child safety on the Web.
One quick link to good resources on the open Web can be found on the Taft College Library Web site. Go to their home page and, under Quick Links, click on Websites. As you scroll through the three columns of links, you'll see quite a variety of study topics with several links under each one. Medicine and law are two areas where you want to be sure youre getting good information, and you'll find quick links to trusted Web sites on both of those topics. In addition to study topics, you'll also find some entertainment and relaxation links, news sources, and a lot of local interest sites.
The TC Library's Local Interest section list sites in Taft, Bakersfield, and the region. See what's playing at the Taft Fox Theater or take a virtual tour of nearby Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park. Have fun with the historical photos posted by the San Joaquin Valley Digitization Project and enjoy the wildflower photos at the Carrizo Plain National Monument. If you know of more great local Web sites, give the library a call and ask that those sites be added to the library's list.
For young children, there are good Web search engines that will direct them to responsible, reviewed Web sites. Try Kids' Search Tools as a starting point, or Great Websites for Kids, which has a more interesting interface. For teeny people, try Net-mom Approved Web Links for Kids. If you have a creative kid who wants to share artwork, stories, and music, try Kids' Space. Those who homeschool will be familiar with A to Z Home's Cool, which has a lot of good sites for any kids, whether homeschooled or not.
Safety for children surfing the Web is always of concern. The best way to keep kids safe on the Web, of course, is to teach them responsible use. Just as you teach your children how to protect themselves from face-to-face strangers, you can teach them how to protect themselves from online strangers. Kids on the Web has a section, Safety on the Net, that has good information on Web safety, as does SafeSurf, a Web site rating system. You can also download a free "safe search" Web browser, KidRocket.
Remember that libraries subscribe to excellent databases that are even better for school research papers than most resources on the open Web, but library subscription databases are only accessible to library card holders. Get yourself and your children a free library card at your nearest library.
As always, email mcollins@taft.org for a list of live links to the sites mentioned above.
Mimi Collins recently retired as Taft College Library and Learning Resources Director.