Great content, no fines: The Florida Virtual Library
December 5, 2008
Don’t be deterred by the terms-of-use warning on the front page, which cautions you to “surf at your own risk.” The Florida Virtual Library is an excellent resource for student exploration, research, and reference, compiling an abundance of links to support education. If you find “objectionable content” here, you’ll find it at Disneyworld.
The Florida Virtual Library mimics the experience of walking into a library building, but without all those fussy right angles. The quirky, colorful interface is engaging enough to appeal to students without screaming, “Hey kids, I’m rad! This site is da bomb! See? I talk like you! I’m down! Hey kids! Come back!”
The FVL is the library of the Florida Virtual School, an award-winning institution that’s been excelling in online education for more than ten years. Lucky for us, they’ve made the library accessible to the general public.
The site’s well-labeled collections of links cover every major curriculum area, and include things like collections of primary resources, entry points for learning about current events, a writing center, information about college and careers, and portals for teachers and parents.
A word about site navigation: using your browser’s “back” button doesn’t always seem to work, so it’s best to rely on the FVL’s internal navigation tabs.
Add this one to your bag of tricks when you’re looking for a one-stop place to send students for conducting online research. -EMILY JACK
