Welcome to Moon Library - the "living room" of the ESF Campus.  We hope you stop by - for library resources; to study, meet and socialize; to visit the Academic Success Center; or meet with faculty. Check out our hours page to see when the building is open.

So you’re leaving town—to vacation, study, or attend a conference in another country!  Doing your homework before you go can make the experience more valuable and enjoyable. Here are some sites to check out before you start packing:

Library of Congress Country Studies

http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/csquery.html

These are online versions of earlier Country Studies/Area Handbooks put out by the Federal Research Division of the Library of Congress.  This archive, searchable by combination of keyword with a limit of one or several countries at a time, is useful mainly for historical and cultural information.

World Factbook

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/index.html

Yes, that CIA!  The agency has put together a country-by-country guide for U.S. officials assigned abroad, including demographic details on each.

Great Buildings Online

http://www.greatbuildings.com/

Okay, you’ll recognize the Eiffel Tower when you see it, but this site tells you all about it, as well as about a thousand other significant architectural works worldwide, including history and 3D models.

ExecutivePlanet.com (go to “Guidelines for Business Etiquette” and “Essential Business Culture Guides”)

http://www.executiveplanet.com/index.php?title=Main_Page#Guidelines_for_business_etiquette

Customs and etiquette vary widely from one country of region to another.  Look here for pointers on being a polite and thoughtful visitor.

World Switch

http://www.worldswitch.com/Countries/index.htm

Pick a country and find links to background and tourism information, including travel advisories.

Transportation Security Administration

http://www.tsa.gov

Packing tips, security updates, estimated security waits by airport, day of the week, and time of day.

Tyzo.com

http://www.tyzo.com/tools/

A directory of links useful to travelers—sizes, currency, languages, etc.

OneBag: The Art and Science of Travelling Light

http://www.onebag.com/

Why and how to do it, with packing lists and suggestions.

Global Gateway : World Culture & Resources

http://international.loc.gov/intldl/intldlhome.html

A collection of links assembled by the Library of Congress.

BBC Languages

http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/

Free online audio and video instruction in a variety of languages.

Reference Librarians are here to help you with your research.  A librarian is on call from 9am - 6pm Monday-Thursday and 9am - 4pm on Friday.  We are also available by appointment.  Please stop by - we are here to assist students, faculty and staff with their information needs.

Direct reference queries to us using this form, calling 315-470-6711 or directly contacting a librarian.

Jo Anne Ellis is the department liaison for LA.

Please click here to request library presentations for your class.  We have new catalog and database interfaces and we are busy with instruction this fall. Request a guest lecture - we can cover assignment specific resources, general instruction or Zotero (citation managment software).

Contact Jo Anne Ellis for questions or comments about this guide, or to report broken links.