NSDL.org - Frequently Asked Questions - The National Science Digital Library

Frequently Asked Questions about NSDL by Educators

What is NSDL?

NSDL is the National Science Foundation's online library of resources and collections for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education and research.

What is a digital library?

A digital library is a coherent, organized collection of resources, usually accessible via the Internet. A digital library may appear to be a single entity, but often links to other libraries or information services in an effort to present a unified view of a topic or collection to the end user. Despite the strong connotation with printed resources that the term library carries, digital libraries usual contain far more than electronic versions of textual documents, and can include any type of information that is "born digital" or can be converted into an electronic format.

What kinds of resources can I find at NSDL?

Resources available through NSDL include images, video, audio, animations, software, datasets, and text documents such as lesson plans and journal articles. In addition, NSDL provides search, browse, help, blogging, collaborative workspaces, collection creation and management services, news reports, and online community discussions.

Is there a cost for using NSDL?

Use of the NSDL.org website and related search and reference services is completely free, as are the majority of the resources discoverable through NSDL. However, some of the resource providers who make their materials accessible through NSDL do require a login, or a fee-based membership or that users purchase the complete version of a resource.

Who operates NSDL?

Under the support of the NSF, the Library's development, project management, and daily operations are a collaborative effort of the NSDL Resource Center, and the NSDL Technical Network Services provider, and other NSDL-funded projects. The broader NSDL community of resource builders and contribuptrs is composed of a diverse range of institutions including universities, museums, libraries, research labs, federal agencies, professional societies, and commercial content providers.

How is NSDL funded?

NSDL receives the majority of its funding through the generous support of the National Science Foundation. Individual NSDL collections and services also receive funding from a wide variety of public and private sources.

How big is the Library?

As of October 2009, NSDL contains 113 unique collections of resources and over 115 thousand records, in addition to other supporting user services and content, such as NSDL news and online exhibits. New resources are added to the Library every week.

How are the items in the Library selected?

NSDL relies on experts in all STEM disciplinary fields to select exemplary resources for their own collections that are held within their digital libraries and made accessible via NSDL. NSDL Pathways are discipline-specific or audience-specific digital libraries that have both a history and expertise in serving their portal's target audiences. Review for scientific accuracy is made by qualified specialist(s) in appropriate fields of science. The qualifications of specialists and their selection processes are documented by individual resource providers. Common mechanisms for selection include peer review boards, content creation committees, and user recommendations.

Quality guidelines for NSDL resources are contained within the NSDL Collection Development Policy and are adhered to in reviewing resources submitted to NSDL. These include criteria for quality, accuracy, reliability, and appropriateness.

More about NSDL Pathways

NSDL Pathways are NSDL projects that provide audience-specific views of selected NSDL resources (these specialized views are also known as portals). Pathway audiences may be grouped by grade level, discipline, resource or data type, or some other designation. Pathway projects represent a strategy for building the NSDL in a manner that best supports efficient resource discovery for broad categories of users. NSDL Pathways are developed and managed in partnership with organizations and institutions that have a history and expertise in serving the portal's target audience. Pathway partners select appropriate resources and user services, and act as reference librarians for their communities. These partnerships are important not only to enhance the educational character of NSDL, but also to demonstrate the value of NSDL in a variety of educational settings.

How do I contribute resources that I have developed into NSDL?

To suggest an existing resource or collection of resources for inclusion in NSDL, visit the Participate in NSDL page, where policy, detailed guidelines, recommendations, and helps for contribution to NSDL can be found.

How is using NSDL different from doing a Google search?

NSDL collections and services are selected from high quality providers of scientific and technical materials that are accurate and appropriate for educational settings. NSDL's search results are drawn only from this body of pre-selected materials. In contrast to a single term Google search which will often produce search results numbering in the millions, many of which are likely not relevant, NSDL allows for efficient discovery by only searching resources that are useful for science, mathematics, engineering, and technology teaching, learning, and research.

What age/grade level does NSDL target?

NSDL has resources addressing learning at all levels including preK-12, post-secondary, graduate study, professional education, and lifelong learning. The NSDL Science Literacy Maps service allows for search results aligned to science standard benchmarks, and the NSDL Google Search Gadget added to browsers are step in making it easier for the user to locate resources designed for specific audiences.

What are the copyright policies governing the reuse of images, graphics, animations, and other resources available through NSDL?

Because NSDL aggregates materials developed by a wide range of content providers, each resource carries its own policy for reproduction and/or reuse of content. In many cases, the content authors anticipate "fair use" for educational purposes with proper attribution; however, it is always best to contact the author before reusing any text, animation, image, or other content. In some cases rights information can be determined by clicking "more info" where it appears next to a resource in NSDL search results.