The Future of the Internet

Will Google make us stupid?

Will the internet enhance or detract from reading, writing, and rendering of knowledge?

Will it be possible to be anonymous online or not by the end of the decade?

These are just a few of the questions being explored in Pew Internet’s report: The Future of the Internet IV.

"A survey of nearly 900 Internet stakeholders reveals fascinating new perspectives on the way the Internet is affecting human intelligence and the ways that information is being shared and rendered." Source: Pew Internet

The report is available on Pew Internet’s Future of the Internet pages.

A changing pattern of childlessness

The fertility rate in Australia is currently below the level required to replace the population. Women in high status occupations may find little time for having children and raising a family. But is it also the case that women in other occupations are increasingly remaining childless, or putting off having children?
Commentary from Robert Tanton who is Principal Research Fellow at the National Centre for Social and Economic Modelling (NATSEM). Text adapted from AustralianPolicyOnline. Read the full commentary here

Photo: Alex E. Proimos/ Flickr

New Journal Databases

The Library now subscribes to two new EBSCOhost journal databases, Humanities International Complete and Consumer Health Complete.

Humanities International Complete
Humanities International Complete is an invaluable resource for students, researchers, and educators interested in all aspects of the humanities, with worldwide content pertaining to literary, scholarly and creative thought. Humanities International Complete provides comprehensive coverage of the humanities with full-text content.

Check out Humanities International Complete.

Consumer Health Complete
Consumer Health Complete provides content covering all areas of health and wellness from mainstream medicine to complementary, holistic and integrated medicine. This full-text database covers topics such as aging, cancer, diabetes, drugs & alcohol, fitness, nutrition & dietetics, children's health, men & women's health, and much more.

Try Consumer Health Complete for yourself.

What do digital natives want from their library?

Abbey is a 3 year old digital native.

This is what she wants from her library.



Abbey's video launched the 15th Biennial VALA Conference and Exhibition in Melbourne, Australia, and VALA's new YouTube channel, VALATV.

• What is VALA? Check out the VALA website to find out more.
• What is a 'digital native'?

"A digital native is a person for whom digital technologies already existed when they were born, and hence has grown up with digital technology such as computers, the Internet, mobile phones and MP3s." Source: Wikipedia

• For more information about digital natives, read 'Born Digital: understanding the first generation of digital natives' by John Palfrey and Urs Gasser - Check Availability - or check out the Harvard University's 'Digital Natives' site
  

Boat arrivals in Australia.

This APO report gives an overview of the historical and political context surrounding boat arrivals in Australia since 1976. It includes background on the global context; government policy responses; trends in public opinion on the issues and links to some of the key resources. (Text adapted from AustralianPolicyOnline). Read this interesting update here
Image: Joshua Ryan Adelman / flickr

Trying to use Library services - Do you have a current CSU Card?

It's important for Distance Education students to have a current CSU Card as you need it to borrow from the Library and to use many of our online resources & services.

For information about your CSU Card click here.

If you haven't yet received your CSU Card you should check with Student Administration as you may need to submit an application form, and photo, to ensure you receive your CSU Card.

Byte into a new database

CSU Library has recently increased its subscriptions to EBSCOhost databases and one of the new acquisitions is Computers and Applied Sciences Complete, a database which covers the research and development spectrum of the computing and applied sciences disciplines.

It provides indexing and abstracts for more than 1900 publications, including academic journals, professional publications, and other reference sources. These publications include more than 840 periodicals that are available in full-text. Research is aided by the inclusion of searchable cited references for key journals.

Subjects covered include engineering disciplines, computer theory & systems, and the impact and social and professional context of new technologies.

CSU staff and students are invited to take a byte of this new resource!

Other newly acquired EBSCOhost databases include:
• Academic Search Complete
• Dentistry & Oral Sciences Source
• Communication & Mass Media Complete
• Consumer Health Complete

And you can see all our EBSCOhost databases here.

Intergenerational report 2010

This report discusses the challenges Australia will face over the next 40 years, including an ageing population, escalating pressures on the health system, and the environmental and economic challenges of climate change. Also read the Treasurer's speech to launch the report and comments by Crikey's Bernard Keane (Text adapted from AustralianPolicyOnline).

World's Biggest Book

"It takes six people to lift it and has been recorded as the largest book in the world, yet the splendid Klencke Atlas, presented to Charles II on his restoration and now 350 years old, has never been publicly displayed with its pages open. That glaring omission is to be rectified, it was announced by the British Library today, when it will be displayed as one of the stars of its big summer exhibition about maps."

"The summer show will feature about 100 maps, considered some of the greatest in the world, with three-quarters of them going on display for the first time.

Read the rest of this article on the Guardian.co.uk website.