Information is everywhere. One is assaulted every moment of every day with advertising, online media, email, broadcast television, radio, and even personal phone calls. We cannot escape it. Does all this information really mean we are retaining more data? Are we learning more because of the ubiquity of resources by which to do so? One could assume the answer is "yes." But, one may be wrong in this assumption.
 
What’s most interesting about the current informational landscape is that despite a significant increase in available news and information, Americans are still no better informed than they were in much less information-rich times. For instance, a recent Pew Research study indicated that in 2007, 69 percent of Americans could correctly name the vice-president, down from the 74 percent who could in 1989.
 
So, what’s happening?
 
First and foremost, people become apathetic in the face of too much information. We just stop actively attempting to process it and it falls flat. And, with so much customizable content available, people can be very selective about what they want to hear/see and can ignore everything else. 

Because of this, there’s actually a far greater likelihood of an individual being less informed as they are not choosing to be exposed to multiple news sources. It makes for a very narrow view and a very limited knowledge base.
 
Also, acquiring new information requires specific, prolonged focus and an ability to ignore distractions. In our world of media multi-tasking few, if any, are concentrating for long enough on a single subject to make it stick. 

In order to absorb the information contained in a newscast, for example, we must not only direct our attention to the person talking, but also filter out the running headlines, news updates, and financial ticker on the lower part of the screen.
 
It would seem we’ve come to an age of too much information and this is particularly true for younger people who spend extensive time media multi-tasking. They will have to decide, if, in the future, if the constant barrage of information is worth the forfeiture of true knowledge.

Some studies show that the younger, more technologically savvy generations use their brains in completely different ways than previous generations.  While the jury is still out on the subject and many scientific studies to validate this claim are necessary, the fact is that filtering through the wealth of information is still the reality for everyone involved.
 

The habit of reading is going out, along with those quaint old bookshops on the corner that are making way for fancier malls that are as devoid of character as the goods they house. It’s the age of technology, and people don’t seem to have the time or the inclination to settle down with a good book any time they’re free – they’d rather fiddle around with their gadgets, or if they must read, do a cursory scan of the latest from the blog world. 

But there are some people like me who make it a point to continue their love affair with books, the one that started as a child when words and the stories they wove formed one’s best friends. And then there are others who discovered the pleasures that books could bring, later on in life. There are various reasons why people read, even today when there are numerous alternatives for entertainment, and here are some of them:

    * The right book at the right time: Kids these days are being wowed by the Harry Potter phenomenon – they begin to read just to get a taste of the hype, and once they’re hooked and have finished devouring the series, they move on to other books. A good habit is thus formed for a lifetime. The younger you are, the more likely you are to take to the reading habit. But, while it’s true that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, there are times when adults, who find themselves with nothing else to do, pick up a book that’s lying around only to find that they enjoy the experience much more than they thought they would.
    * An affinity with the characters: How often have you read a book to discover that the lead character is so much like you, that you seem to think, feel and act the same way? How often have you empathized with the situations the hero or heroine finds themselves in, because you have been in similar situations yourself? This reason, at times, forms the basis for liking the book, the author, and the genre, in that subsequent order.
    * A liking for the author, not necessarily the genre: I don’t experiment much in my choice of genre, but there are times that I’m open to trying new authors in the hope that I will like their writing style and so have an infinite stream of books to read. What I’ve discovered in the course of this trial and error method is that though I like a particular author, it doesn’t follow that I like all authors who write the same genre.
    * A taste for the genre: But there are others who read only if the book is of the genre they fancy – romance, mystery and thrillers find more takers than any other kind of books, mostly because of the feel-good factor of boy and girl living happily ever after or justice being done and the criminal getting what he or she deserves.

The semantic web has been touted as the next great frontier on the Internet. Teaching computers to understand how the human brain categorizes and thinks is at the heart of this concept and promises to open the doors to easier and more efficient access to information on the Internet. For educators, this means that information available to students is of a higher caliber than what is sometimes available with traditional web applications. While this field is just starting to grow, there are several applications available right now of which educators can take advantage. From web browsing to research to blogging to collaboration, these apps will provide a taste of what may be on the horizon with the semantic web in education.

Web Browsing

Browsing the web can be difficult at times when you get bogged down in junk websites or dead links. These apps will enhance your browsing experience.

1. BlueOrganizer. Add this button to your toolbar to start shortcuts based off your browsing history. Also, as you visit websites, BlueOrganizer inserts SmartLinks on your page that give you information on books, music, and movies relevant to what you are researching. You can also manage the things you find during your Internet searches and get widgets.
2. SnapShots. When you add this app to your browser, you will get small windows as you hover over links that preview what is on that link. You can also add this to your blog to allow readers to preview and links you’ve included in your posts.
3. Appalachian. Appalachian manages several OpenIDs to ease browsing and logging in to sites. This Firefox add-on can be especially useful in the classroom where logging in with many students could be a problem.
4. Piggy Bank. Rather than bookmarking entire webpages, this Firefox add-on will allow you to save only the information you are interested in keeping from the websites you visit. The saved information can also be shared–a feature that is perfect for class projects.
5. Gnosis. Use this app to get more information from the websites you visit. As you are reading, hover over identified topics to find out more information about them as provided by reputable sources such as BBC News, Google Finance, MSNBC, and Wikipedia. This browser extension can be used with both Firefox and Internet Explorer.
6. headup. Combine content from several popular web services and enhance your browsing capabilities with this add-on. headup is currently in private beta, so you will need to request an invitation to us this app.
7. Juice. Firefox users will enjoy this app that allows you to highlight text or video, then gives you relevant information about your highlighted material. You can also save and organize your information.
8. Interclue. This Firefox add-on allows you to roll over a link while you are browsing the web and get a preview before you click on the link. This is a great tool to prevent clicking on dead links or links to sites with malware.
9. Thumbstrips. Another Firefox add-on, this app provides you with a rolling strip of thumbnail images of the websites you’ve visited from your browsing history. Not only is this visual easier to use than the text form of the history, it is also a good way to keep tabs on what other users have been browsing when you have a computer used by more than one person.
10. CoolPreviews. Similar to Interclue, this Firefox add-on previews websites before you click on them. It also includes a feature that allows you to email the link of the previewed websites to others with just a simple click.

General Web Searching and Research

Whether you are looking for resources for the classroom or your students are working on a project, these sources of information will make your searches more relevant and much quicker.

11. Hakia. This popular search engine uses semantic technology and only accesses credible websites that are recommended by librarians.
12. [true knowledge]. While this search engine is in beta, you can sign up to help the creators test it. If you want something a little more immediate, try their Quiz Bot that finds answers to your questions.
13. DBpedia. Find information in Wikipedia with sophisticated questions with this app. Just recently, DBpedia expanded to be linked with Freebase.
14. Powerset. Enter a topic, phrase, or question to find information from Wikipedia with this app. Your search results will include articles related to your search terms and often a direct answer to your question. You can also search by a person’s name and find fast facts about that person from all across Wikipedia.
15. Zotero. This Firefox add-on helps you organize your research material by collecting, managing, and citing any references you want during your Internet research.
16. Freebase. This community-powered database includes information on millions of topics. Search Freebase to get useful information and not the junk that sometimes comes with typical search engines. You can also contribute information as a member.
17. Stumpedia. This "human powered" search engine relies on its users to index, organize, and review information coming from the Internet. Rather than relying on automated rankings, your search results here will be thoughtfully compiled by real people.
18. Evri. This search engine relies on semantic technology to provide you with relevant results from articles, papers, blogs, images, audio, and video on the Internet.
19. Gnod. Search for books, music, movies and people with this search engine that remembers your interests and focuses the search results on those things you are more likely to enjoy.
20. Kartoo. Enter your keyword and you will receive a visual map of all the different topics that pertain to your keyword. Hover your mouse over each and you will see a thumbnail of the website along with a short description of the site.
21. Boxxet. Search for what interests you and you will get results from the "best of" news, blogs, videos, photos, and more. Type in your keyword and in addition to the latest news on the topic, you will also receive search results, online collections, and more.
22. Quintura. Enter your search terms and watch a cloud of related terms appear at the left while a list of links comes up on the right. Hover over one of the words or phrases in the cloud to get a whole new list of links. This search engine eliminates having to click through several spots to find what you want.

Specialized Research

With everything from medical publications to geography to politics to rhyming words, these resources for finding information on the Internet are sure to provide you and your students with exactly what you need.

23. Citeline. Publish bibliographies and other citation collections online with this app. If you are a Zotero user, you can even install their Zotz add-on to have these two apps work together.
24. GoPubMed. Search by keyword to find articles published in PubMed with this search engine. You can read the abstracts as well as organize and collect articles and link to the full articles.
25. Gist. Enter search terms and find Reuters news stories enhanced with video, interactive graphs, and more. This amped-up news source is a great way to stay abreast of current events.
26. NextBio. This search engine focuses solely on life sciences. You can search, compare your data, and even collaborate with others using this app.
27. Daylife. Stay on top of breaking news with this semantic-powered site that offers some of the best global news stories. You can also get photos, articles, quotes, and more.
28. Silobreaker. Silobreaker is a great tool to show how news and people in the news impacts the global culture. In addition to current stories, you can get maps, graphs of trends, networks of related people or topics, fact sheets, and more.
29. geonames. Type in a place name anywhere around the world and get information such as population, altitude, latitude, and longitude. Click on the place name and you can get even more information including natural and man-made landmarks and a map.
30. watchdog.net. Enter your zip code into this tool and it will search across several different websites to collect data about the politics specific to your area. Once you get the information, you can then chose to take action by signing petitions or find out who to write and you can connect with others to start a movement for a cause close to your heart.
31. GovTrack.us. Use this tool to keep track of everything going on in Congress. Research members of Congress, bills, who voted for what, and learn about Congressional committees.
32. CIA-The World Fact Book. Get profiles of all the countries in the world as well as maps, flags, and much more within The World Fact Book.
33. U.S. Census Bureau. Find all types of information about population, businesses, and people and they way they function within the United States with this government-sponsored tool.
34. WordNet. Type in a word (noun, verb, adjective, or adverb only) and you will receive not only a definition for the word, but synonyms as well. Check out the FAQ section to learn how to cite your findings in a paper, the way this database of English words has grown, and more.
35. RhymeZone. A fun tool for anyone struggling to find a rhyming word, this tool–that borrows its results from WordNet–also provides synonyms, antonyms, homophones, and plenty of other fun ways to play with words.

Blogging

These apps will help your blogs become a better source of information for your readers as well as provide opportunities for your blog reading to become a more dynamic experience.

36. Yahoo! Shortcuts. This app will help you create a more dynamic blog with more information available for your reader. As you compose your blog post, Shortcuts offers suggestions for photos and badges that you can incorporate into your blog.
37. Lingospot. This app works similarly to Yahoo! Shortcuts, but also allows you to include related posts from your blog archives and liven up your blogroll.
38. seesmic. This microblog uses videos to communicate rather than text posts. Using privacy settings, an entire class can communicate via video clips that are easy to create. As a class, you can explore videos from around the world in any number of languages.
39. Tagaroo. Enhance your WordPress blog with this plug-in that allows you to add relevant tags and photos to your blog posts.
40. MyBlogLog. Either allow your blog to record photos of participating visitors or have your photo added when you visit blogs. This app is a great way for building community through blogs.

Collaborating and Connecting with Others

From mindmapping to sharing data to finding information on people, these tools will help you and your students work together and share information much more easily.

41. Text2Mindmap. Type in text as you brainstorm ideas for whatever project you are creating and this app will create a network of hubs using that text. This tool makes mind mapping a snap.
42. Swirrl. This web-based app allows you to collect and share data, documents, ideas, and more. While this app works similarly to a wiki, it has features that take it a step further to better enhance your collaboration abilities.
43. Twine. With Twine you can search for information, collect what you find, share with others, and even get recommendations from Twine on other resources. You can also find other people with similar interests and see what they have to offer from their collections.
44. Kreeo.com. This collaborative site offers shared knowledge from its members through forums, blogs, and shared websites. You can participate in this private beta by emailing your contact information.
45. Talk Digger. Find out what other people are saying about web sites, blogs, and specific topics with this app. A free registration is required to use this app.
46. spock. Find anyone on the web through blogs, pictures, social networks, and websites with this app. You can search by name, email, location, or keyword.

The Fun Stuff

After all that hard work, everyone deserves a little reward. These fun apps offer constructive and instructive ways to have fun on the Internet.

47. gwap. Play these five games and not only do you have a little fun, but your results from the games are actually used to help the search engines better understand the way the human mind works. You can enjoy some fun and help build the semantic web at the same time.
48. TripIt. Whether you are planning to go away for a conference or you are counting the days until vacation, this app will help you plan every aspect of your trip from the flight to the itinerary as if you had a personal assistant overseeing your plans.
49. musicmesh. Visit this site and music from your browsing history pops up with information from all the albums of a particular artist. Look at playlists, read reviews, find out where to purchase the music, and even add it to your favorites list.
50. Glue. Search popular sites about anything from books to actors to stocks and you will see who else has visited these same topics and what they thought about them.

Finding a place to take free classes can be a bonus for musicians struggling to pay the rent. The following open courseware collections include classes, entire courses, and lessons that are sure to please the musician in you. Select from college courses from some of the top-ranked universities, educational open courseware collections, music schools, and even podcasts and webcasts.

University Collections

Whether you take music classes from MIT or learn about early cultures from Utah State University, these university collections offer plenty of quality classes.

1. MIT OpenCourseware Music and Theater Arts. MIT offers a great collection of free music classes ranging from musical structures to specific music styles from around the world.
2. Columbia Interactive Arts. These art classes offered through Columbia often include music classes such as the history of the pops or music from the renaissance and baroque.
3. The Open University Arts and History. Search this section of The Open University’s courses to find plenty of music classes that include examples such as Creating musical sounds and Using film music in the classroom.
4. Harvard University Extension School. These classes change every semester with only two semesters offered at a time, so stay updated with the course offering here. Some classes have included topics such as History of Blues in America.
5. Gresham College. The lectures assembled here include several courses on music including such varied topics as Chamber Music Fights Back and The Composer in Action.
6. Sofia Project. This project of the Foothill College offers only one music class at this time, but stay tuned for any potential additions in the future.
7. Fathom. Search this site to discover all music courses offered from any of Fathom’s member institutions.
8. Utah State University. The anthropology department offers a class on cultural anthropology that includes information about music, dance, and more in early civilizations.
9. Brigham Young University Division of Continuing Education. The free classes offered here include organ workshops, English horn, and adult modern dance.

Open Educational Resources

From an open courseware consortium to a huge collection of free online books and texts on music, these resources will provide you with plenty of information to help your music appreciation.

10. OER Commons. Search for "music" at this collection of shared lessons among teachers and professors and you will find a variety of classes that range from classes constructed by Pete Seeger to an introduction to musical instruments.
11. Qedoc. This educational resource sharing site provides many helpful resources for musicians and music teachers with such fun items as the Country Music Nicknames Quiz and Famous Composers I.
12. Connexions. With topics such as Noisy Learning, Michael’s Sound Reasoning, and A Parent’s Guide to Band, you know the courses here will be varied and interesting. Just click on "Arts" or search for "music" in the search box.
13. Federal Resources for Educational Excellence. Learn about music on this government site that provides information ranging from Broadway to blues to gospel.
14. Open Vault. This media library and archives provides 140 different music lectures, videos, and more that go back from 1973.
15. Open Courseware Consortium. Search for any musical topic with this resource and find open courseware classes offered by any of the consortium participants.
16. MERLOT. Find almost 300 educational music classes and resources all specifically designed for faculty and students of higher education, but available to anyone.
17. World Lecture Hall. Search for "music" at this site and find courses from around the world with topics on music such as Rhetoric of Popular Music and Physics of Sound.
18. Project Gutenberg. While not technically an open courseware collection, this amazing resource of free downloadable books offers enough information to fill a number of courses with topics on any music subject you could want to learn about.

Music-Only Resources

These resources focus only on music instruction through either specific instrument lessons or with classes on music theory, songwriting, and more.

19. Berklee Shares. This premier free music lesson site offers a wide variety of classes any musician can enjoy. Study specific instruments or more technical aspects of making music.
20. Ricci Adams’ Musictheory.net. Search by lessons, trainers, or utilities to find a vast amount of free lessons and classes from this site.
21. May Music Studio. Learn to play an instrument with the free lessons on this site or find out about music theory, songwriting, and more with the more academic classes offered.
22. Gary Ewer’s Easy Music Theory. Get 26 free lessons complete with an instruction sheet, quizzes, and answer sheets to learn the basics about music theory.
23. GetPianoLessons.com. These ten lessons culminate with an examination to see how far you’ve come. Using a combination of video, text, and photos, these lessons will have you playing the piano in no time.
24. PracticeSpot. Get resources, classes, and much more from this site that specializes in helping musicians improve their talent.
25. Folk of the Wood Acoustic Classes. Learn to play the mandolin, violin, mountain dulcimer, banjo and more at this site that specializes in wooden instruments.
26. Drum Bum Drum Database. This huge database offers many lessons about drumming in general and for specific drum types.

Free Lessons and Classes

These free lessons and classes don’t necessarily come from a university or music school, but offer a great selection that will provide you with the information and lessons you want.

27. About.com About U. Take a wide variety of music and music related classes here that range from guitar lessons to learning about pop music.
28. Wikiversity. Get free classes on music theory, music appreciation, understanding music, and more at this resource that offers open source classes.
29. SoYouWanna.com. Learn about classical music, jazz or opera; learn to play the guitar; learn how to get signed to a record label; and much more on this site that makes it easy to learn how to do what you want.
30. Free Online Education. Look through the free online music classes available through this resource with everything from drum lessons to a history of music class.
31. Instructables. Find short, simple and fun lessons that range from making a drum to building a stereo tube amp.
32. Essentials of Music. This site has a wealth of information about classical music which includes articles, a glossary, and more.
33. BBC Training & Development Radio Courses. Learn important radio skills such as editing and interviewing with these free online courses from the BBC.
34. Free or Affordable Distance Education. This site offers a good selection of free online dance classes that anyone interested in combining their love of music with dance should check out.

Videos, Podcasts, and Webcasts

From full university courses to lectures from experts in the field to interviews with musicians, these podcasts, videos, and webcasts bring you many hours of free instruction.

35. UC Berkeley Webcast Courses. Study such interesting classes as Earthquakes and Music from the offerings found here. Be sure to browse through the older course offerings as well.
36. KQED Radio Perspectives. Get podcasts from this California radio station and learn what radio listeners find worth discussing.
37. Stanford on iTunes. Download courses from Stanford that you can listen to on your iPod. Open the application and search for "music" to find plenty of classes for you to enjoy.
38. How to Play the Cello. Watch these videos to learn the basics about playing the cello. From storage and cleaning to finger position to tuning, you will begin to feel more comfortable with your cello after this primer.
39. Violin Masterclass. With these Quicktime videos, you can learn all you need to know to get started playing the violin. There is also a section just for children learning to play.
40. Guitar Noise Podcast. Get 30 minute guitar lessons for free with this podcast that brings you everything from basic strumming to advanced techniques.
41. Front Row. From Boston College, these podcasts offer a wide variety of lectures. Search for "music" and come up with subjects as varied as the roots of Gaelic music or Russian rock music.
42. UChannel. Get educational lectures on these podcasts from member organizations. Some of the music-related subjects include programs as The New Mediterranean Symposium, We-think: the power of mass creativity, and Future Radio.
43. University of British Columbia Podcasts. Scroll through these podcasts to find lectures on subjects such as opera and music from the play "Beautiful Thing."
44. University of Oregon Campus Radio. Stream two different campus radio stations from UO, one of which offers university talk radio in addition to eclectic music.
45. University of Virginia Podcasts & Webcasts. Do a search for music among these podcasts to pull up some interesting podcasts and webcasts that explore such topics as bridging cultures through music and music as medicine.
46. University of Washington Television. Get videos that educate and explore music in video classes that include contemporary composers and piano power.
47. NPR Podcast Directory Music. Browse through this collection of podcasts offered by NPR affiliate stations that touch on various topics of music including A Musician’s Life, musician interviews, and more.
48. Open Source. The podcasts here courtesy of Brown University include a variety of topics that sometimes touch on the musical. Listen to learn about the Tanglewood Music Center or the connection between Bob Marley and Barack Obama at a literary festival in Jamaica.
49. Library of Congress Webcasts. Browse through the titles here within the "Culture, Performing Arts" section to find a decent listing on music-related webcasts.
50. WGBH Forum Network. The lectures here are provided by some of the best cultural and educational institutions in Boston. Click on the "music" section for several interesting webcasts.

Writers today need to understand how to diversify by writing for different markets, including personal blogs, websites and for technical assignments. This emphasis on versatility means that no matter what your major’s focus was in college or what your writing background is, you’ve got a lot to learn if you want to continue to succeed in the writing world. Luckily, you don’t have to waste time or money going back to school. This list of 100 free open courseware links can help you improve your essay-writing, fiction, blogging, and even managing your own small business.

Essay Writing and Research

For tips on critical writing, essays and figuring out your audience, turn to this list.

1. Essay and Report Writing Skills: The Open University’s writing course challenges writers to consider the purpose of writing, as well as general tips for improving writing.
2. Rhetorical and Critical Writing: Learn how to target and persuade your audience in this course.
3. Advanced Writing Seminar: MIT’s advanced writing class involves many different types of writing.
4. Foundations of Language and Communications: Sharpen your research and reasoning skills in this class.
5. Writing About Race: Writers with a social conscious and those who want to effectively depict their characters will want to take this course.
6. Writing and Experience: Exploring Self in Society: The writer learns techniques in self-examination in order to write with a strong sense of self.
7. Introduction to Writing: Academic Prose: Get tips for organizing an essay, preparing a thesis and conducting your own research in this Utah State course.
8. Finding information in arts and history: Make your research process more effective when you take this course.
9. Targeting New Audiences: Finding Your Niche: This course in market research and narrowing your focus can help you reach more readers.
10. Writing and the Environment: Study the writings of scientists in order to learn techniques in persuasion and more.
11. Writing About Literature: Get tips for analyzing and writing about literary forms like poetry, plays and novels.
12. Advanced Essay Workshop: Even if you’ve had a lot of practice writing essays, this advanced course can help you sharpen your ability to write about identity.
13. Writing and Reading the Essay: This course focuses on the style and techniques of the literary essay.

Communications, Media and Society

This list features great courses and resources for journalists and those who write with social or global conscience.

14. Expository Writing: Analyzing Mass Media: Academic writers learn how to analyze mass media outlets in order to develop their own research.
15. Expository Writing: Social and Ethical Views and Print, Photography and Film: Learn how to write passionately about issues that appeal to you in this course.
16. Identity in Question: Understanding the factors that shape a person’s or community’s identity is vital as a writer. Learn how to consider this question here.
17. Consumer Culture: Better understand your audience and methods for writing for mass media outlets here.
18. The Building Blocks of News: Learn the basic questions that news stories are supposed to answer, as well as how to write professionally and ethically.
19. Get Me Rewrite: The Craft of Revision: Learn why rewrites are important and get tips on editing.
20. Reporting Across Platforms: Freelance writers have to be able to write for a number of different media outlets, including the Internet and print platforms. Learn how to treat each one uniquely in this class.
21. Identity in American Literature: Keepin’ It Real Fake: Gain insight into the ways that American writers depict different racial and ethnic groups.
22. The Interview: Writers can get tips for conducting and writing interviews here.
23. Expository Writing: Food For Thought: Writing and Reading about Food and Culture: Bloggers and reporters who write about food and culture will benefit from this free course.
24. Documentary Photography and Photo Journalism: Still Images of a World in Motion: Writers who are curious about branching out into photojournalism can explore the new medium in this course.
25. Telling Untold Stories: Reporting Across Cultures: Better understand issues and themes like diversity, multimedia storytelling, stereotypes, race relations and more in this course.
26. Proofreading Your Writing: Purdue’s tutorial will help you clean up your pieces.

Technical Writing

Read below for tips on writing for medical and scientific platforms.

27. Introduction to Technical Communication: Perspectives on Medicine and Public Health: Study the writings of physicians to learn about technical style and issues.
28. Intro to Tech Communication: Technical researchers learn the basics of technical writing here.
29. Introduction to Technical Communication: Ethics in Science and Technology: Writers who work in science and medical fields can learn about unique ethical standards here.
30. The Science Essay: Scientific writers can learn techniques about appealing to an audience and revising their work in this course.
31. Technical Writing: Here you’ll find a great resource for technical writing.

Language and Grammar

Brush up on grammar, punctuation and structure with these classes.

32. Introducing Representation: Consider how language is used to communicate thoughts, expressions and feelings.
33. The Writer’s Workbench: 50 Tools You Can Use: Tools explained in this course include sentence structure, special effects and more.
34. Language and its Structure I: Phonology: Go beyond your writing to study language in a greater context in this course.
35. English4Today: Membership to this project is free, and you’ll get to learn about punctuation, grammar and more.
36. Language and its Structure II: Syntax: Brush up on your understanding of syntax here.
37. 1 language Online English Courses: Review grammar dos and donts like passive voice, plural nouns and more.

Freelance and Finance

For tips on managing your writing business, getting loans and marketing your services, turn to this list.

38. Assessing Your Company’s Financial Needs: Learn how to determine your business’ financial standing in this course.
39. Running a Profitable Company: Writers who are unfamiliar with business techniques may have a hard time making a profit. Learn how to do so in this course.
40. Online Marketing Tips: The Internet is a valuable branding tool for independent writers. Learn how to make the most of its marketing possibilities here.
41. HP Learning Center: Learn about designing a logo, writing your own marketing copy and creating your own marketing materials here.
42. Introduction to Accounting: The U.S. Small Business Administration offers a free introductory accounting class here.
43. Maintaining an Agile Company: Get tips on being flexible and and learning how to reinvent your brand so that it always attracts an audience.
44. My Own Business: The SBA’s class helps new entrepreneurs create a business plan and organize their new business.
45. Start-Up Basics for the First-Time Entrepreneur: Lessons in this course include learning how to identify new opportunities.
46. Preparing a Balance Sheet: Learn how to balance your company’s finances and budget when you take this course.
47. Analyzing Your Competition: Find out ways to study other writers’ advertising and pitching tactics here.
48. Competitive Decision-Making and Negotiation: Learn about different bargaining and negotiation techniques and that can help you secure higher rates and attract more clients in this class.
49. Preparing a Cash Budget: Understand the basics of expected cash intake and spending here.

Technology, Web Writing and Design

Below is a list of courses that teach writers about blogging, Internet writing, the digital revolution and more.

50. Writing and Experience: Culture Shock! Writing, Editing and Publishing in Cyberspace: This highly specialized course teaches web writers how to maximize Internet techniques.
51. Technology for Professional Writers: Writers learn how to compete in the evolving marketplace here.
52. The Dynamic World: Textuality and Technology: Discover the many ways that technology now affects literature. You’ll also get an introduction to digital media and writing for different media.
53. Build and Engage Local Audiences Online: Learn how to reach out to audiences online in this course.
54. Multimedia Reporting: Covering Breaking News: Online news means that all reports need to be accurate and timely. Learn how to cover breaking news on your own here.
55. HTML Basics: New web writers can take this class to understand basic HTML coding and format.
56. Interactive and Non-Linear Narrative: Theory and Practice: Discover how digital media can open up your narrative techniques in this course.
57. Digital Poetry: Learn about factors like animation, hypertext and more in this evolving poetry form.
58. Evaluating Sources of Information: This course is dual-purpose: you can get tips on finding quality research materials and discover ways to design your own blog so that others will notice its authority.
59. Introduction to Web Writing: Wikiversity’s introductory class can help writers who are unfamiliar with web writing catch up.
60. Web Page Authoring: Here is another course that teaches HTML format, design and more.
61. Quick Ways to Clean Up Your Writing: Web writers aren’t exempt from grammar and typo mistakes. Learn fast tips for making your writing easy-to-read and error free.

The Classics

Understanding the classics, from mythology to philosophy to poetic form and structure, can be very helpful to your writing.

62. Greek Mythology: Keep all of your gods, goddesses and myths in order when you take this course, which can help with inspiration, allusions and more.
63. Classical Drama and Theatre: If you want to become a playwright, or if you’re interested in classical literature, take this course.
64. Classical Rhetoric and Modern Politics: This class can serve as a foundation for political writers and persuasive writers.
65. Foundations of Western Culture 1: Homer to Dante: Fiction writers, journalists and essay writers can benefit from a review of the trends, works and individuals that shaped Western culture.

Literature

If you’re looking for inspiration or examples of great literary forms, check out these courses that analyze Shakespeare, American literature and more.

66. Prizewinners: If you’re aiming to become a world-famous fiction writer, study writers like Seamus Heaney in this course.
67. Forms of Western Narrative: See how your style fits in with the techniques, media and sub-genres of Western literature.
68. World Literatures: Contact Zone: All writers need to have a global perspective these days, and this course studies the effects that come about when different cultures converge.
69. Literary Studies: The Legacy of England: The influence of British literature on English language fiction is vast: analyze its effects here.
70. The American Novel: Track the evolution of the American novel according to changing social standards, politics, economic trends and more.
71. Literary Terms: Review these terms before writing literary criticism.
72. Introduction to Shakespeare: Read plays like Othello, Richard III, Much Ado about Nothing and other Shakespeare classics.

Legal Resources

Here you’ll learn how to protect yourself professionally, understand Internet law and more.

73. Freedom of Information: Journalists and reporters will learn about the Freedom of Information Act and Public Records Laws in this course.
74. Online Media Law: Bloggers and other Internet writers will learn about writing and criticizing government, as well as gain an understanding of Internet publishing laws.
75. Introduction to Ethical Decision Making: This class isn’t all about the law, but coordinating your business and writing with an ethical perspective are vitally important to your career and reputation.
76. Literary Law Guide: This resource has great information for web writers, bloggers and more.
77. Avoiding Plagiarism: Lessons in this resource include Safe Practices and Is It Plagiarism Yet?
78. Law for the Entrepreneur and Manager: Learn how to protect your business here.
79. Privacy Rights and the Law: Writers working for UK-based publications and websites can review human rights and privacy laws here.

Videos and Podcasts

There are loads of podcasts and instructional videos online for writers. Here are some of our favorites.

80. Grammar Girl: Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing: Listen to these famous podcasts to learn about grammar, usage and more.
81. The Secrets: Listen to podcasts about writer’s block, characterization and other fiction writing techniques, career building, and more.
82. Small Biz Tech Girl: If you need help learning how to use web tools to start up your business or blog, listen to these podcasts.
83. The Survival Guide to Writing Fantasy: Fantasy writers get tips on standing out amongst the competition here.
84. Freelance Radio: FreelanceSwitch’s podcast channel, Freelance Radio, offers up tips and news stories.
85. Hot for Words: Who said learning about words had to be boring? These videos feature a hot blonde host who explains the origin of weird words.
86. The Writing Show: This popular podcast is a great resource for writers. You can listen to interviews with other writers, get tips on essay writing, and more.
87. Perfcast: Bloggers can find tips for advertising and more on this site.
88. How to Write Better Almost Instantly: Writing workshop teacher Rix Quinn shares easy tips for transforming your essay-writing techniques.
89. Litopia: Educate yourself on the publishing industry when you listen to Litopia’s podcasts.
90. Novel Writing Made Easy: Learn how to take the novel writing system and "dumb it down" so that it’s more approachable.

Creative Writing

From poetry to short stories to developing characters, these courses can help you become a better creative writer.

91. Comedy: Writing comedy is harder than you think. This course teaches techniques and studies the works of Mark Twain, Shakespeare and others.
92. Writing on the Contemporary Issues: Imagining the Future: Learn how to analyze present day issues and social trends in order to depict futuristic communities and themes in your writing.
93. Writing and Reading Short Stories: If you want to be a short story writer, take this course.
94. What is poetry?: This course covers topics in poetic techniques, the imagination and poetic form.
95. Start writing fiction: Learn all about character development and experiment with different genres in this course.
96. Agatha Christie and Archaeology: Learn how Agatha Christie gained inspiration for her novels from trips to the Middle East.
97. The Creative Spark: Get techniques for uncovering your creativity in this class.
98. Writing and Reading Poetry: Analyze 20th-century poetry and poetry techniques in this class.
99. Emotion: an introductory picture: By understanding how and why people react to situations, your fiction writing will improve.
100. Introduction to Fiction: Analyze the different forms of fiction and narrative styles in this course.
101. Tragedy: Learn about the tragic hero, ethical crisis and the scapegoat in this course.
102. Screenwriting Class: UCLA professor Steven Barnes has put up a modified version of his screenwriting class here.
103. Pattern and Variation in Poetry: This class can help you find your own style and understand how to analyze others’ works as well.

The Internet is home to loads of resources for tried and true book lovers as well as numerous search engines and directories that can help you sort through those resources to find just what you need. Whether you want to find a great deal on the latest thriller or do some extensive research for a school project, these 100 search engines and web tools can help to point you in the right direction, saving you time that can be better spent reading.

General

These sites cover a wide range of book searching needs from getting recommendations to finding out more about a particular book.

1. Google Book Search: With this specialty search engine from Google you can search through books you might like to buy and read previews and excerpts.
2. LazyLibrary: Use this search engine if you’re looking for a short read. It can give you results on books with 200 pages or less.
3. What Should I Read Next?: On this site, simply enter in the latest book you’ve read and loved and you’ll get results based on your personal preferences that can help you choose a new book to read.
4. Whichbook: Need help choosing a book to read? This search site can help. Simply enter in some search parameters like "sad", "long" or "easy" and you’ll get a list of books that fit your wants.
5. BookBrowse: Don’t waste your time browsing through tons of books you could care less about, use this search and recommendation tool to find books that are geared towards your personal interests.
6. Internet Book Database: Similar to the more well-known Internet Movie Database, this site is an essential resource for those who want to know more about a book. Enter the title or author into the search engine and you’ll get informative results about the content and themes of the text.
7. BookSpot: This site allows you to search or browse for a huge range of information on books. You can compare prices, read reviews, find facts and much more.
8. A9: This search engine is a great tool if you’re in the market to buy books, but it can also give you previews of their content letting you get a sneak peek before you buy.
9. Amazon.com: While not just a search engine, Amazon does provide an easy and fast way to search for the books you want. You can buy them new or used, get recommendations, read reviews and possibly not even pay shipping to have them arrive at your doorstep.
10. Fiction Database: Lovers of fiction can take advantage of this site which allows you to search, organize, buy and sell books all from their webpage.

Research and Study

The Internet is a great place to do some research, whether personal, business or academic, and these search tools can save you some time and help you find what you need.

11. Google Scholar: Find the journals and books you need to write a killer term paper with this helpful search engine.
12. Pink Monkey: Don’t understand what the heck an author is talking about? Search through this site for helpful study guides and summaries of famous books.
13. BookMuse: Be the envy of your classmates with a little help from this site. It can give you lists of questions to consider when reading a book. Simply search for your novel and get some pointers on the big ideas it contains.
14. Intute: This site is a great place to search for resources for your research on science and technology. You’ll get access to hand-selected journals, websites and, yes, books too, that can help you make the most of your topic.
15. INFOMINE: While it might not link you directly to books, this site can be a great help in directing you to other sites that do contained more specific annotations for research.
16. Virtual LRC: This site contains carefully chosen resources from all over the web in a wide range of topics. You’ll be able to find the most reliable and informative sites that can direct you to books and articles of interest.
17. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: Don’t let that Kant or Nietzsche book get you all confused and unable to write a paper. Use this online encyclopedia to search for terms you don’t understand.
18. Quoteland: Want to reference a quote but don’t quite remember who said it or the exact wording? You can find both through the search function on this site.
19. Bubl Link: Check out this site for easy searchability for academic sites and resources to help you in your studies.
20. Scandoo: One problem with researching on the Internet is that not everything you find may be accurate or helpful. This search engine can help you to find the most trustworthy sites so you can draw your information from those.
21. Scirus: For those who not only love books but science too, this site can be an extremely helpful resource. It provides an easy way to search everything science related from journals to scientist webpages and even the records of scientific institutions.

Shopping

These search tools and websites can help you find the best deals on virtually any kind of book that you’re in the market to buy.

22. BookSaleFinder: Use the search tools provided by this site to find the biggest and best book sales in your area.
23. Booksprice: Enter the book you’re looking for on this site and get comparisons with prices from online stores all over the net.
24. BookCost: Search for new books to read on this site and when you’ve found a winner, you can compare prices for it on a wide range of online stores.
25. ISBN.nu: With this search tool you can guarantee that you’ll find the best price on a book whether it’s brand new or out-of-print.
26. BookFinder: Check out this search tool to compare prices on over 150 million books, including rare, old and international editions as well.
27. BookBurro: Install this program and you’ll be able to easily find the best prices on any book you spy on the web.
28. ISBN Spy: Simply enter the ISBN number of the book you want to find into this search engine and you’ll get results that tell you where to go to get the lowest price.
29. BigWords: Whether you need textbooks for a class or just a new book to read on a long flight, you’ll find the best deal through this online search and comparison site.
30. IndieBound: If you can’t bear to give your money for books to a big corporation, check out this site. It can help you search to find the books you’re looking for at smaller, independent bookstores in your area or online.
31. Abe Books: This online retailer can help you find the best prices on books as it draws from over 13,000 online retailers to give you prices.
32. AddAll: If you’re looking for a book you know is going to be hard to find, check out this search engine. It combines searches from loads of other sites to help you find the book you need.
33. Biblio.com: This online shopping site allows you to search through millions of books, purchase them or list your own books to sell. You can even find a special section for rare books.
34. Bublos: Search for books and compare prices on this site. You’ll also find reviews and links to bookstores in your area.

Online Books

If you’re not too attached to your paper versions of books, check out these search engines for online books as an alternative.

34. Free Books: Why pay for books if you don’t have to? This site offers a number of free and legal book downloads.
35. ManyBooks: This site makes it easy to find free books to read on your computer, PDA, iPod or eBook reader with both new and old titles available.
36. FeedBooks: Check out this site to search for for loads of books that you can read on the go.
37. The Rare Book Room: Search through this site to see photos and text from some of the most famous books ever written.
38. Bartleby.com: Here you can find thousands of online books that you can read for free. Simply search through their database to get access to those you’re interested in.
39. eBookSearchr: Use this search engine to make finding eBooks and other online reading materials easy as can be.
40. BookYards: With a huge collection of eBooks and free texts, searching through this site can provide you with reading material for a long time.
41. Digital Book Index: Refine your search for online reading material on this site. You’ll get easy access to thousands of the best digitized text resources on the web.
42. Wowio: Search for the book you want to read on this site. If they have it, you’ll be able to download and read it free of charge.
43. DailyLit: This site provides an interesting twist on searching for online books. You can find the book you want and have chunks of it sent to you in email or RSS form to read.
44. World Public Library: While this site isn’t free to use, it does contain a large number of searchable e-books that can make it possible for you to find just about anything you’re looking for.
45. Project Gutenberg: This site provides one of the largest repositories of free eBooks with thousands of titles that are in public domain available.

Specialty

Find books that fit your specific interests and needs through these searchable sites.

45. TitleZ: Whether you’re doing research on a particular author or want to know when to push your new book, this site can help. Enter in the book you want and you’ll get all kinds of statistical data about it.
46. Wordie: Just love words? Check out this site to search for your favorite words and see who else is talking about them too. You may even learn a few new ones in the process.
47. The Poetry Archive: If you’re a fan of poetry, check out this online site. You’ll get free access to search through hundreds of recordings of poets reading their poems.
48. Stop, You’re Killing Me: Fans of mystery novels can find out information about their favorite authors and series through the indices on this site.
49. The Neglected Books Page: Explore some of the world’s most forgotten works of literature by searching or browsing on this page.
50. AuthorsTrack: If you want to meet your favorite author this site can help you do that. Search for your state to find out who’s coming to sign books soon in your area.
51. Comic Book Database: Comic books are literature too, and you can search through this database for information about your favorite series or issue.
52. Mostly Romance: Fans of romance novels can find facts and information about their favorite titles through this site, and if you see one you don’t have it’s easy to add it to your shopping cart and buy it.
53. TomFolio: If you’re a book collector, check out this site. It will put you in touch with a collective of rare and old book sellers.
54. The Science Fiction Search Engine: Find information about your favorite science fiction authors and books through this search engine.
55. SciFiMatter: Give this site a look if you’re interested in learning more about a variety of science fiction and fantasy authors and their works. You can find links to sites on books like the Lord of the Rings and Wheel of Time.

Literature

These search engines and databases can make it easier to find information on your favorite works of literature.

56. Inlibris: This site provides a large collection of literary resources presented in a novel search format that can use searches by previous users to give you results.
57. Pilot-Search: Give this site a try to find search results in literature as well as the other fine arts.
58. Voice of the Shuttle: Here you’ll find an searchable database of resources on books, authors and literary movements.
59. Furness Shakespeare Library: If you’re a fan of Shakespeare but don’t own copies of all of his work, don’t despair. You’ll find a searchable collection of his famous works free to you here.
60. The Labyrinth: Search through tons of resources on Medieval literature on this Georgetown University site.
61. British Fiction 1800-1829: While somewhat specific in scope, this site contains an online database that you can search for more information on your favorite 19th century authors.
62. The Johns Hopkins Guide to Literary Theory and Criticism: Search through this online guide to literary theory to information on how to write your own criticism as well as learn about some of the most important literary critics.
63. A Celebration of Women Writers: Search through this site to find information about important female writers from ancient times to today and all around the world.
64. Great Books List: Want to make sure you’ve read the best of the best when it comes to books? Check out this collection of great books lists to find one that suits your personal needs.
65. Glossary of Poetic Terms: Get a leg up on understanding the poetry you’re reading with this helpful searchable glossary.
66. Glossary of Literary Terms: Whether you’re delving into literary criticism or just want some basic definitions this site can help you search and find what you need.

Library

Why pay for books if you don’t have to? These sites make it easy to find a library or locate library materials.

67. WorldCat: This search engine makes it easy to find the books you need or want at a library near you. Simply enter the item you’re looking for an get of list of area libraries that have it.
68. Law Library Search Engine: If legal reference material is what you’re looking for, this site can help you identify where to find the books or journals you need.
69. Medical Library Search Engine: Whether you are a medical student or you just love reading about medical issues, you’ll find help locating books and information on this site.
70. Library of Congress: One of the largest libraries in the world, the Library of Congress contains millions of books and resources. Search through their online catalog or enjoy their digital resources.
71. Public Library Search: Find the public library closest to you with this government-sponsored search engine.
72. Ibex: Visit this site for a directory of library homepages so you can find libraries in your area, mange the materials you have checked out or browse the catalogs of other libraries.
73. The Open Library: This open source project features an advanced search to ensure you get the exact book or publication you’re looking for.
74. Awesome Library: This online library search engine can help you find full-text books, journals, kid-safe sites, business information and more.
75. Internet Public Library: Check out this site to find helpful references, links to search engines and archives and much more.

Sharing and Swapping

These sites are great places to search for books and potentially not have to pay a dime for them.

78. Textbook Revolt: Whether you’re in a need of a history textbook to refresh your memory or just want to read about Plato’s philosophies, you swap books online on this site geared towards college students.
79. Read It Swap It: This UK-based site allows you to search for the books you want and get them for free by posting and trading books you don’t want.
80. Paperback Swap: Sign up on this site to post your old books and search through thousands of others you might want to add to your bookshelf.
81. Book Mooch: Check out the listings on this site to give new life to your bookshelf. List the books you want and trade with others for new books you haven’t read.
82. Bookins: Through this site, you can get all kinds of new books (and DVDs). Use their search feature to find what you want and simply pay shipping and handling to have it sent to your door.
83. Book Crossing: Join thousands of others who share and search for new reading material on this book swap site.
84. America’s BookShelf: Search through the listings on this site to find new books that you want and clear off your bookshelf of books you’ve already read.
85. Swap Tree: This site provides a free forum for trading books and audio recordings with others. Simply join and start searching.
86. Frugal Reader: If you love to read but can’t bear to part with the money for full price books, check out this swapping site. You can search through books to find the titles you want to read.
87. Title Trader: Check out this site to search through listings of books people are looking to get rid of and post your own books to arrange a swap. You’ll get new reading material at no cost to you.
88. Book Swap: Don’t let those old books just gather dust on your shelves, trade them for books you do want on this site.

Reviews and Summaries

Find out what other people think of books through these search engines.

89. Juice Spot: Get the "juice" on books of all kinds, fiction and non-fiction on this site. You can search through other user’s reviews or add your own.
90. All Readers: This site provides a searchable collection of book reviews. You can search generally by the type of book or very specifically if you know just what you’re looking for.
91. Book Jive: Don’t have time to read a whole book? This site allows you to search for summaries of books that can make it easier to determine if it would be useful to you or to pretend that you have read all those great works of literature.
92. Mostly Fiction: This site is a great place to go for reviews of the latest fiction titles. Browse through the latest listings or enter your search at the bottom.
93. Economic History Book Reviews: Need a review of a book related to economics? Check out this search engine to find out if it’s worth your time to read or use as a resource for further research.
94. Reviews of Books: Search this site for hundreds of book reviews to give you an idea of what people love and what wasn’t quite as good as expected.
95. Book Wire Reviews: This large site provides a number of book-related resources and can be a great place to find quality book reviews.
96. Books In Print: Search through this site to get reviews on books both old and new.
97. AntiStudy: Even if you love to read, the reality is that sometimes you just don’t have the time to get everything done and need a little help. This site provides summaries and study guides for a range of well-known novels.
98. JiffyNotes: Get high quality literary summaries on this site as well as loads of study guides and helpful notes.
99. Free Book Notes: Visit this site for free summaries and notes on books from The Bell Jar to The Republic.
100. GetAbstract: If you’re a busy entrepreneur, you likely want to read all the new business books that come out but in reality only have time for one or two. This site gives you abstracts so you can get the gist of books without having to buy and read each one.