The electronic Environmental Resources Library (eERL) is an innovative, interactive digital library that provides a comprehensive library of online environmental and sustainability resources for educators, students, practitioners, and the public.

eERL provides information pertaining to environmental technology (a career field that applies the principles of mathematics, science, engineering, communication, and economics to ensure human health and safety and to manage and protect natural resources). eERL also includes environmental information pertaining to the allied health field, and to vocational and technical fields, in addition to those fields that cut across most environmental technology occupational categories.

eERL resources are intended for various audiences with varying levels of interest, including: basic materials intended for the general public, basic and advanced educational materials for students and members of the environmental technology workforce, and resources for educators and researchers.

eERL - PART OF A NATIONWIDE COLLABORATIVE EFFORT

eERL is part of a nationwide collaborative effort. Along with a variety of other information providers, eERL provides access to its resources as a portal on the National Science Digital Library website (http://nsdl.org).In addition, the partnership between eERL and the Laboratory for Energy and the Environment (LFEE) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has resulted in provision of access to selected LFEE (http://lfee.mit.edu/) and other research documents through the eERL database.

TYPES OF RESOURCES INCLUDED IN eERL

eERL resources are chosen by a committee of innovative teachers and trainers who possess extensive knowledge and expertise in the field of environmental technology. eERL also encourages users to submit sites that contain information of unique, specific value for inclusion in the database.

The eERL database includes documents and web pages that provide information pertaining to: government regulations, laws, and pending legislation; industry and industrial regulations; environmental research; associations, organizations and societies, and education and training. Resources include annual reports, books, bibliographies, brochures, case studies, conference proceedings, checklists, curriculum, databases, fact sheets, guides, handbooks, lists, manuals, newsletters, periodical articles, proposals, reports, software, technical bulletins, journals, and theses.

SELECTION CRITERIA

The following criteria are considered when evaluating a resource for inclusion in the ERL database:

AUTHORITY

• Can a creation authority be identified?
• What are the qualifications and reputation of that authority?

SCOPE AND AUDIENCE

• Who is the audience? Is it appropriate for the intended audience?
• Why does it exist? What is the purpose — to instruct, inform, or persuade? Is the purpose clearly stated or easily inferred?
• How does the resource compare with others that provide information on the same subject?

ACCURACY AND BALANCE

• Does it provide credible, reliable, accurate information?
• Does the point of view helps to balance the entire collection?
• If opinion is provided, is it clearly identifiable as such?

LEGALITY

• Is the creation authority legally entitled to present the content with copyright and fair-use guidelines?

DESIGN AND FUNCTION

• Is it searchable or browsable? Is the level of complexity appropriate for the intended audience?
• Is it well organized and easy to navigate?
• Does it display well in popular browsers? Is it in current versions of Netscape and Internet Explorer?
• Is it consistently available?
• Is it visually appealing?
• Does it provide a text-only version (if its content is primarily graphics)?

COPYRIGHT RESTRICTIONS

The eERL database contains full access to: (1) non-copyrighted materials, and (2) abstracts of copyrighted materials. (Users are encouraged to request copies of copyrighted materials via interlibrary loan at their library or by contacting the source directly.)

eERL advocates and promotes copyright and fair use practices according to the Fair Use clause of the U.S. Copyright Statute (Title 17 U.S.C.); however, it cannot guarantee that all linked sites are in compliance with copyright law. Ultimate responsibility for adhering to copyright principles rests with the creator of each web site. It should not be assumed that access to a site through the eERL database confers copyright. In addition, each user is responsible for adhering to copyright law. No permission is required to link to any of the Web pages accessed through the eERL database.

CREDIBILITY OF RESOURCES

eERL will make every effort to verify that each resource has been designed by a credible authority and that it meets established criteria; however, links to external servers do not imply an endorsement of the opinions or ideas expressed therein, nor do they guarantee the validity of the information provided. The responsibility for assuring the reliability of information ultimately rests with the author or creator of each resource. In addition, it is necessary for information users to utilize critical thinking skills in evaluating information and determining its potential value.

COMMERCIAL SITES AND FEES

Links to for-fee sites will be provided; however, it is the responsibility of the user to determine their potential value. The inclusion of commercial sites in the eERL database is in no way an endorsement of these products or services.

REGISTRATION

If registration is required for use of any site, users will share this information at their own risk. eERL is not responsible for assuring the confidentiality of any information shared by any user.

NON-PARTISAN RESOURCES

Links will not be made to external servers that would appear to provide official endorsement of fundraising efforts or lobbying for any political agenda. In addition, links to external servers do not imply an endorsement of the opinions or ideas expressed therein, nor do they guarantee the validity of the information provided.