Knox County Public Library, Knoxville, TN

Database for studying controversial issues

Points of View Reference Center is especially useful for students with papers due as the end of the school year approaches. It presents multiple viewpoints on current issues and offers guides to debate, developing arguments and writing position papers.

For 200 topics you'll find an overview and opposing arguments, plus articles from leading political magazines, newspapers, transcripts, primary source documents and reference books. Additionally, this database contains the Video Encyclopedia of the 20th Century, a searchable collection of some of the most important social, political, and cultural moments of the 20th century.

Our Reference Databases are your first place to go for sources--and they don't count as "websites" for most teachers.

 

Dead Sea Scrolls

Time Magazine is covering a controversy about the community who saved and stored the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Essenes. The Library just happens to have an online reference book about the scrolls. Using your library card number, you can login to the Encyclopedia of the Dead Sea Scrolls. The encyclopedia's article about the Essenes points out some similarities and differences between classical sources (such as Josephus) and other data.

Brown Bag, Green Book #1: Hot, Flat and Crowded

Mike Edwards, CEO and President of the Knoxville Chamber, led a community discussion of the book Hot, Flat and Crowded: Why We Need a Green Revolution and How It Can Renew America by Thomas Friedman.

In his groundbreaking book, Thomas Friedman discusses what he sees as America’s surprising loss of focus and national purpose since 9/11, as well as the global environmental crisis, which is affecting everything from food to fuel to forests. Friedman explains why he believes this is a great challenge, but also a great opportunity--one that America cannot afford to miss. Not only is American leadership the key to the healing of the earth--it is also our best strategy for the renewal of America.

Edwards says he chose Hot, Flat and Crowded because it "hits the nail on the head. We're facing a big uphill climb, but fortunately, in East Tennessee we've got some world class resources to deal with the issues ahead of us."

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