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Site Spotlight: Owlcation

What can you find on our academic site?

With schools back in session for the start of the fall semester, the HubPages team thought we should take the time to remind everyone of the plethora of information and resources that are available on our academic site, Owlcation. 

From STEM to humanities to even resources for teaching and learning, there are thousands of articles across the site that can provide you with factually accurate, sourced, and well-written content. 

Whether you are a high school English teacher trying to help your class understand what's really being said in Shakespeare's sonnets or a student trying to figure out a niche history subject for a paper, Owlcation has the content to get you started. 

In short, we have our site broken down into four major categories:

• STEM, where you'll find everything related to math, animals, human biology, and other sciences like physics and chemistry.
• Humanities, with information related to literature, history, theology, visual and performing arts, and biographies. We also have a section for writing tutorials, where you can find information on topics like breaking through writer's block and tips for improving your essay. 
• Academia, where you can find information more geared toward teachers, like lesson plans, standardized tests, ESL advice, and information on college and university admissions and life. 
• Social Sciences, which includes articles on psychology, anthropology, sociology, economics, political science, as well as legal studies. 

Though we have publishing standards for all of our network sites, the editorial policy for Owlcation is held to an even higher degree. There are articles here that deal with very important topics, and therefore, we take extra time to make sure the author publishing has some level of knowledge or expertise in the field and that all the information is both well organized and sourced and has worthwhile media accompanying it.

Pay attention to hyperlinked information, sources at the bottom, and author profile pages denoting expertise. Sometimes, at the top, you'll even notice pieces are labeled as having been expert-reviewed, which means it has been looked at by a third person to ensure factual accuracy.

We're excited to be able to offer you such a wide range of information and articles for you to use this upcoming academic year!

(If you are interested in publishing with the site, check out the full  editorial policy and look at the showcase articles we've linked at the bottom to see what type of content is accepted.) 

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Resources at the Public Library

Did you grow up going to a local public library, where you'd run off to grab the next couple of installments of the series you were tearing through? Or maybe you took a class field trip so everyone could register for a library card and learn the Dewey Decimal System? If you did, you might be aware of how many resources public libraries offer; it doesn't start and end with books and DVDs. 

If you don't know what's available, check with your librarians or on the library's website, and you'll find all types of resources, courses, and events at your disposal. 

Here are some things to look out for:

• Kanopy: This is a diverse streaming platform available through public and academic libraries. They offer a rotating selection of films, documentaries, and shows, and depending on each library, you'll receive a certain number of credits that reset every month. 
• Books Unbanned: The Brooklyn and Seattle library systems recently made large portions of their digital collections available to people all across the country in an effort to disrupt book bans. You can sign up to access the digital collection from an address anywhere in the country. 
• Libby: Instead of checking out audiobooks on CD, you can use the app Libby (just create a free account with your library card) to check out and consume ebooks and audiobooks directly from your phone or tablet. 
• English Classes: The New York Public Library offers free English language courses to help with everything from a U.S. citizenship test or general conversation.

There's so much more than we could cover in one newsletter snippet, so we suggest taking the time to dig through your library's website to see what you can find. Other things to keep an eye out for include museum tickets, park passes, yoga classes, COVID-19 tests and information, and resources for people experiencing homelessness. Chances are you can use something that's offered!

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Featured Articles of the Week

Nearly a century ago, Western Australia was engulfed by 20,000 emus, resulting in the government taking a military approach to removing them. Strange historical moments like this, as well as information about a Mediterranean-inspired town in Wales and a couple that went missing 50 years ago en route to one of the largest music shows ever, are just a few of the fascinating topics in our featured articles of the week. 

• LetterPile: Flash Fiction: On Distant Shores by  Darius Razzle Paciente
• WanderWisdom: A Day Out in Portmeirion, Wales by  Pollyanna Jones
• The CrimeWire:  Mitch Weiser and Bonnie Bickwit: Teenagers Disappeared Hitchhiking to a Concert by  Kym L. Pasqualini 
• Soapboxie:  London's Most Exclusive Club by  Rupert Taylor 
• Owlcation:  5 Bizarre Historical Events Not Found in History Textbooks by  Jonathan Wylie