Aerial view of the City of Hopewell and the Hopewell Library. Image courtesy of Google Earth.

Become a globetrotter without ever leaving home. How, you ask? Google Earth is a virtual globe, map and geographical information program that makes it possible for you to explore almost any location: Paris, Rio, Tokyo, or your own front yard. Google uses images obtained from satellites, aerial photography, and GIS 3D globes to render high resolution displays. Google Earth is useful for a variety of day-to-day and nontraditional purposes. Teachers are adopting Google Earth in the classroom to teach students geographical themes. For those with some extra time and curiosity, they can explore the surfaces of the Moon and Mars. One can also search for directions using Google Earth based on street names, cities and establishments. Google Earth can function as a travel guide for a city by plotting the locations of gas stations, restaurants, museums, and other areas of public interest. As of October 2011 Google Earth has been downloaded more than a billion times. You can download the program for your home computer or smartphone for free at www.earth.google.com, the App Store, and the Android Market.

Photo courtesy of HowStuffWorks

From car engines to search engines, from cell phones to stem cells, and thousands of subjects in between, HowStuffWorks is the award-winning source of credible, unbiased, and easy-to-understand explanations of how the world actually works. No topic is too big or too small for their expert editorial staff to unmask … or for you to understand. In addition to comprehensive articles, helpful graphics and informative videos walk you through every topic clearly, simply and objectively. The premise is simple: Demystify the world and do it in a simple, clear-cut way that anyone can understand. On HowStuffWorks, you can also find consumer opinions and exclusive access to independent expert ratings and reviews from the trusted editors at Consumer Guide—all of the information you need to make a purchasing decisions—in just a few clicks.

If you’re like me, you rely on Google every day for information. The Google search engine processes millions of searches daily, and every time a user searches, they start from the iconic Google homepage with its bright white screen and colorful logo. But did you know that a bright white screen requires more power to display than a black (or dark) screen? In 2007, a blogger proposed that a black version of Google could save 750 Megawatt-hours of energy each year. (A megawatt-hour is the equivalent of ten thousand 100 watt light bulbs burning continuously for one hour.) In response to the blogger’s proposal, Heap Media created Blackle, a “lights out” version of Google that uses the same search engine so you don’t have to sacrifice the quality or comfort of your searching style. I enjoy Blackle because it not only reminds me how important it is to make greener choices, but I find the black screen and muted text to be easier on my eyes. Blackle creators acknowledge that the energy savings are small, but, in time, they all add up.

Children need to be physically active for at least thirty minutes a day. DayByDayVA.org features simple games and activities to help you get active with your child and have fun doing it! Photo courtesy DayByDayVA.org.

If your New Year’s resolution is to prepare your child for success in school, the Library of Virginia has a new online tool to help. DaybyDayVA.org is an online family literacy calendar, activity guide, and resources. Each day the website suggests brief and entertaining activities to develop early reading skills, an electronic picture book from the TumbleBook Library, and a short animated video for families to watch together. The site also provides links to other great online resources. For parents and other caring adults, there is information on health and safety, craft ideas, links to free eBooks for children. Coming soon are links to your community public library and family-friendly activities.

Image courtesy of Open Library

The name says it all: Open Library is a digital library that offers free access to a collection of 1,000,000+ eBooks. The project began in 2004 with the goal of creating a web page for every book ever published, in effect establishing the most comprehensive catalog of the written word. Users can choose just how they want to read by selecting from a variety of online versions suitable for PC and Mac, Kindle, and DAISY for print-disabled readers. One of the highlights of Open Library is how easy it is to search and find just the book you want. Browse by subject, search by title and/or author, and view multiple editions of the same title. Like Google Books and Project Gutenberg, the majority of Open Library’s collection is comprised of Public Domain works. That means you won’t find new bestsellers on this site, but you will find popular classics that are standard reading in most high schools and colleges. Classics are great for browsing and research as well.