Australian Newspapers Digitisation Program

This project by the National Library to scan the nation’s newspapers going back to the nineteenth century has been accessible for nearly a year now. This recent article by Gideon Haigh reminded me to mention it here. As they say on the website:

We are creating a free online service that will enable full-text searching of newspaper articles. This will include newspapers published in each state and territory from the 1800s to the mid-1950s, when copyright applies. The first Australian newspaper, published in Sydney in 1803, is included in the Program.

Picture Australia

 

Picture Australia have recently announced that their new site is up and running. This site allows you to search for both contemporary and historical pictures and includes photographs, objects and works of art. It draws together images from CSIRO to the Australian War Memorial, from the National Portrait Gallery to the National Library.

There is information on the site with regards to copyright, using the pictures and requesting copies. There seems to be good scope to use them for educational and research purposes, but you can also usually contact the relevant owning institution directly if you have any queries.

A new ‘research tips’ page provides information for teachers and students on activities that build research and observational skills. They also mention that you can  develop illustration lists using Endnote.

Changes to Informit

The Library subscribes to numerous Australian databases via the Informit interface. This includes A+ Education, which is the full-text version of the Australian Education Index. Informit also provides us with full-text resources such as Australian Public Affairs — Full Text and Family & Society Plus.

Over the last 12 months there have been some changes to the Informit interface so it might be a good moment review what these are and to remind ourselves of the important education resources available here.

OECD releases Education at a Glance 2007

The OECD last night released its annual snapshot of the state of education in OECD countries, Education at a Glance 2007. The report allows the comparison of education systems in spending, participation, outcomes and so on. There has been some reporting in the newspapers with the opposition highlighting a drop in education spending and the government disputing some of its findings.

You can search the news reporting in the Library’s Factiva database. The Library also has a subscription to OECD publications via SourceOECD.