March 11, 2009

NEW LEHIGH ELECTRONIC THESIS/DISSERTATION PROGRAM //
ADOBE SOFTWARE AVAILABILITY CHANGES //
WIRELESS NETWORK UPGRADE PLANS //
GOOGLE APPS COMING TO LEHIGH //
MARCH 25TH: AN EVENING WITH JEFFREY TOOBIN //
HIGH PERFORMANCE COMPUTING DAY 2009 //
AUTOMATED EXTERNAL DEFIBRILLATORS (AEDs) INSTALLED


NEW LEHIGH ELECTRONIC THESIS/DISSERTATION PROGRAM (ETD)
Spring ’09 doctoral and master graduates will submit a digital copy of their approved dissertation or thesis via the Lehigh ETD (electronic thesis/dissertation program) for publication of their work by ProQuest/UMI. The Lehigh ETD is a platform for students and college coordinators to track the submission and publication process. Electronic thesis/dissertation submission programs are in place in many universities; this is the first year for ETD at Lehigh.

For details about Lehigh ETD, see Dissertations and Theses: Electronic Submission Guidelines for Masters and Doctoral Students or from the Library home page under Guides, Handouts>Research and Finding Guides & Tools>dissertations.

LTS staff will offer training, both on campus and online, and drop-in sessions to assist students in converting their work to PDF. Training sessions planned for declared graduates will cover the approved dissertation or thesis electronic submission process from creating the student profile (account) on the Lehigh ETD site to converting the dissertation or thesis to PDF, as well as information on publishing and copyright options available.

College coordinators and Registrar staff as well as librarians, Help Desk staff, the Graduate Student Life Office and others have received comprehensive training on the use of the Lehigh ETD system.

Dissertations and theses produced at Lehigh will be exposed to the world of scholarship via ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, a subscription database held by libraries worldwide, and by open web access to the citation and abstract of dissertations from the last two years. Time to publication is eight to twelve weeks.



ADOBE SOFTWARE AVAILABILITY CHANGES
As of September 1, 2009, there will be changes in the availability of LTS maintained Adobe software.

Adobe Creative Suites and Adobe Acrobat will no longer be available through the LTS Install Software page for use in faculty and staff offices, due to difficulties with distributing this software through LTS systems, rising costs, and restrictions on concurrency. Many universities have arrived at a similar conclusion. Earlier versions of some programs will remain available but will not be upgraded.

Faculty and staff who use the software regularly on Lehigh-owned computers are encouraged to purchase the software at a significant discount through the AICUP program from JourneyEd.

For purchasing options, see: http://www.lehigh.edu/computing/software/adobe.htm

Example of pricing for Adobe Acrobat Professional under the AICUP Program (for use on Lehigh-owned computers only):

• License: $56.00
  
• Media CD: $26.00: this may be an optional cost. Contact your Computing Consultant to see if LTS has the CD for the software you are ordering – if so, you can just order the license and the Consultant will install the software for you.

Adobe software needed for use on a personally-owned computer may not be purchased under the AICUP program, but is available at a discounted box copy price from JourneyEd at their website: http://www.journeyed.com/select



WIRELESS NETWORK UPGRADE PLANS
LTS has upgraded the wireless network in the EW Fairchild-Martindale "B" building (Computing Center). The new wireless network offers broader coverage and faster speed, especially for laptops with network cards that can take advantage of the 802.11n standard. The upgrade consists of dual band (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz) Aruba access points that use the 802.11n draft standard for higher performance. The next phase of the wireless upgrade will be Whitaker Lab and Linderman Library. These buildings have recently upgraded switches which have the necessary speed for the gigabit Ethernet based Aruba access points.

Technical Details
Two SSID's are being broadcast: "lu" for backward compatibility with our existing wireless network and "lehigh" which will be the new SSID to take advantage of the 802.11n performance. Use the "lehigh" SSID whenever possible to take advantage of the higher speeds of 802.11n and for higher security using WPA2.



GOOGLE APPS NOW AT LEHIGH
Look for an official announcement any time now, but Google apps are now available at http://www.lehigh.edu/google . Lehigh University and Google have entered a partnership to bring selected Google Apps products to Lehigh students, faculty, and staff. These Google products will enable the Lehigh community to better communicate, share, and collaborate. Google provides over six gigabytes of storage per user for email message/attachments and documents and files. Lehigh staff please note: **Do not store sensitive data on Google apps or rely on Google apps for critical services. Google apps is an externally hosted service.**

What is included in Lehigh Google Apps?

• Start Page: Personalized Google page similar to iGoogle. The start page allows you to add your own content, gadgets and RSS feeds.
  
• Email: Nearly unlimited (six gigabytes) storage of email messages and attachments.
  
• Google Docs: Word processing, spreadsheets, forms, and more.
  
• Google Calendar: Personal calendar that you can edit, share with friends, and/or publish as a Web page.
  
• Google Sites: Web site for collaborative writing and sharing content.

How do I access Google Apps?
To access Google Apps, go to http://www.lehigh.edu/google and log in with your Lehigh username and password. If you want to forward your email to Google, go to http://www.lehigh.edu/account and forward your mail to username@g.lehigh.edu. For more information, see the Lehigh Google Apps FAQ on http://www.lehigh.edu/google



MARCH 25TH: AN EVENING WITH AUTHOR AND CNN ANALYST JEFFREY TOOBIN
At 8:00 pm on Wednesday, March 25th noted Author and CNN Political and Legal Analyst Jeffrey Toobin will speak in Packard Laboratory Auditorium (room 101) at Lehigh University. He will share his thoughts about the new administration and its response to the global economic crisis, related legal issues, and the role of the media. Toobin is the author of The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court (2007) among other books and is a staff writer for The New Yorker.

This event is co-sponsored by the Friends of the Lehigh University Libraries and the Lehigh University Visiting Lecturers Series. It is free and open to the public with no tickets required. For more information call Library and Technology Services at 610-758-3039 or consult www.lehigh.edu/lts/friends/events.html



HIGH PERFORMANCE COMPUTING DAY 2009
Please join us on Friday, April 3rd, for the Fourth Annual HPC Day Symposium, for a full-day of events featuring keynote speaker, Dr. Richard Loft of NCAR, speaking on “Recent Advancements Implementing High Resolution Earth Systems Models on Massively Parallel Computers.” All Events will be held at the Rauch Business Center (RBC).

There is no cost to attend, but registration is requested for planning purposes. Please register online at the HPC Day registration page: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=TSNj_2bz9KhiPZEryOqHnQQg_3d_3d.

For more details on HPC Day at Lehigh:
http://www.lehigh.edu/computing/hpc/hpcday/2009/index.html



AUTOMATED EXTERNAL DEFIBRILLATORS (AEDs) INSTALLED
Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) have been installed in the main lobbies of the Fairchild-Martindale/Linderman libraries, and Iacocca Hall - Second Floor outside Wood Dining room. Please see the full announcement at: http://cf2.cc.lehigh.edu/act/aed/

February 4, 2009

New LTS offering: Sprint Mobile broadband rental //
LTS Web pages get a face lift //
A Webmail taste test //
Laptop encryption opportunity //
HP computer support //
Camio Image database //
Charles Darwin at 200 exhibit

New LTS offering: Sprint Mobile broadband rental
Enjoy the Internet wherever you go! LTS is pleased to announce the introduction of Sprint Mobile Broadband rentals. Sprint Mobile Broadband is a small USB device that enables your computer to access high-speed wireless Internet nationwide. Service is provided via the Sprint cellular network. For more information, please visit http://cf2.cc.lehigh.edu/act/mobile_data_rental/

LTS Web pages get a facelift
Over the holiday break, the LTS web pages were updated to a new design. This redesign features a fresh, updated look and feel while leaving the familiar navigation intact. A more thorough redesign is planned for the near future, but if you have comments or feedback please contact the LTS Help Desk at helpdesk@lehigh.edu or 610-758-4357.

A Webmail taste test
LTS invites students, faculty, and staff to weigh in on our two campus Web-based mail systems: IMP and the portal email. Due to problems with reliability, the portal Webmail may be phased out at the end of the semester. IMP would then become the supported Webmail system on campus. IMP offers superior features such as folder management, sorting, and configurability. It has also been more reliable than portal email. You can test drive both IMP and portal mail at portal.lehigh.edu (icons appear in the top right hand corner). Send feedback to portal@lehigh.edu or visit http://luimp.blogspot.com/.

Laptop encryption opportunity
As a first step toward improved data security, LTS has begun a full disk encryption project for University-owned laptop computers containing sensitive or confidential information, using PGP Whole Disk Encryption. Both PC and Mac laptops are eligible. This is currently a voluntary program, with anticipation that all University computers be encrypted in the future. LTS will fund all PGP licenses for laptops until June 30, 2009. If you are interested in taking part in the program, please fill out a work order at http://www.lehigh.edu/help. An LTS Computing Consultant will contact you to arrange the installation. More information on encryption can be found at http://www.lehigh.edu/security/encryption/encrypt.html.

HP computer support
Lehigh University is currently in the process of adding Hewlett-Packard (HP) computers to our list of supported hardware, joining Apple, Dell and Lenovo. This means you will be able to purchase HP computers at an educational discount, as well as receive warranty support by our technicians on campus. A purchasing page will soon be added to http://www.lehigh.edu/computing/buy/main.html to help facilitate HP purchases. If you are interested in purchasing an HP computer in the immediate future, contact your Computing Consultant for the latest information, to make sure your hardware will be supported.

CAMIO image database from OCLC (one year trial subscription)
CAMIO (OCLC's Catalog of Art Museum Images Online) is an online collection documenting works of art from around the world, representing the collections of prominent museums and institutes. CAMIO highlights the creative output of cultures around the world from prehistoric to contemporary times. Images may be used for educational and research purposes only, and must be properly credited. CAMIO includes photographs, prints, sculpture, paintings, decorative arts and objects, drawings and watercolors, costume and jewelry, textiles and architecture. Lehigh has initiated a one-year trial subscription to this database. Please direct questions and send opinions and comments about the usefulness of this image database to Kathe Morrow, kem6@lehigh.edu.

Charles Darwin at 200 exhibit
Special Collections will present an exhibition featuring works from Lehigh’s premier Darwin collection. Included will be annotated proof copies of Darwin’s ground-breaking works in the theory of evolution, including On the Origin of Species and The Descent of Man. The exhibition opens in Lehigh’s Linderman Library on February 12th, the shared 200th birthday of Charles Darwin and Abraham Lincoln. It will be on view on the ground and first floors from February 12 - June 30, 2009. Darwin’s contributions to scholarship are most closely associated with the theory of evolution, but his impact may be felt across a wide range of disciplines. Although his training is that of a biologist, his first published work was as a geologist. His wide-ranging influence will be reflected in the selection of works chosen for this exhibition. Several faculty members in diverse fields will contribute thoughts about the impact of Darwin in their disciplines. In addition, the Smithsonian Institution Libraries have arranged to borrow a manuscript page from Lehigh’s first edition of On the Origin of Species, one of very few extant handwritten pages. It will be displayed in their upcoming exhibit, Darwin as Scientist, scheduled to open in June 2009 in the Museum of Natural History Library. ******************************************************************

December 5, 2008

-- Campus impact of MPC/Gateway bankruptcy filing
-- Fairchild Library electrical testing and shutdown
-- Refreshing public site machines
-- LTS Alerts: An update
-- Unlimited access to a Web conferencing tool
-- LTS studying Ebook options
-- LTS Turkey Trot team (LTS Mountain Goats)
-- Library hours over exams and winter break


CAMPUS IMPACT OF MPC/GATEWAY BANKRUPTCY FILING
The computer company known as MPC which purchased Gateway has filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy protection and has scaled back its business offerings and obligations. Gateway offerings have been removed from the Library and Technology Services Purchasing Computers website and the Lehigh Purchasing Department is blocking Gateway purchases. In addition Gateway/MPC is currently NOT providing warranty repair service or funding it through Lehigh University or anyone else.

The LTS Computer Repair operation will continue to repair Gateway computers as requested for both computers under warranty or out of warranty. For those computers that are university-affiliated purchases (purchases made through the Lehigh/LTS website by faculty, staff, students, or departments) and still under warranty, there will be no labor charge. Owners will need to pay for parts and parts shipping,
assuming it continues to be possible to purchase parts. For out of warranty machines, there will be labor and parts charges as usual. For more information, contact the LTS Help Desk at 610-758-4357.



FAIRCHILD LIBRARY MART WING ELECTRICAL TESTING AND SHUTDOWN IN DECEMBER
After final exams, new electrical panels will be installed in the Mart (south) Wing of Fairchild-Martindale Library. On December 18th testing will take place with recurring power outages. Beginning on Monday, December 22 and continuing on December 23, 29, 30, and 31 (extending even to January 2 if necessary), the electricity to the entire Mart Wing will be shut down, most likely including the Digital Media Studio. Computers and printers located in the Fairchild (north) Wing will continue to operate. A minimal level of photocopy and microform printing/reading services will be maintained at other locations in the building. Books can be checked out and returned as usual. Thank you for your patience as this 40 year-old building gets an e-update.



REFRESHING PC'S AT THE PUBLIC SITES
The PCs at the public sites are heavily used by faculty, staff, and students. As specialized software is loaded through Install Software and through steady use and abuse, machines begin to experience performance issues. The solution to this problem is to refresh the hard disk image. The highest use public sites are refreshed on a weekly basis in the early morning hours.

What is a refresh?
During a refresh, the hard disk contents are completely replaced with a "fresh" installation of the basic operating system and default software (e.g., Microsoft Office, Firefox/Thunderbird, etc.). Any user customizations, software installed via Install Software, and files saved anywhere on the hard disk are erased.

How can I refresh a public site PC?
When you reboot a public site PC, you will see a startup screen that displays two options: Refresh or Go to Windows XP. If you choose Refresh, the system will begin to install a new hard disk image. This can take 10-20 minutes.

I saved a file to a hard drive on a public site machine. It's gone! More than likely the PC has been refreshed, either by another computer user or as part of regularly scheduled site refresh. DO NOT SAVE FILES YOU NEED ON A PUBLIC SITE PC. Instead, save them to your networked H: drive.



LTS ALERTS: AN UPDATE
LTS and University Communications feature an LTS Alert feature. The LTS Alert feature is an icon on the Inside Lehigh page and all LTS pages. Clicking on the icon will display more detailed information. Currently, the LTS Alert has three statuses: All systems go, Planned Downtime, and LTS System Down. The middle category, Planned Downtime, is seldom used, so the three statuses will be changed in time for the spring semester. The LTS Alert feature will be modified to these (3) three statuses:

--All systems go: indicates all systems are up and running.
--LTS System Bulletin: provides news about LTS-related services
including phishing alerts, planned downtime, non-critical service
issues, etc.
--LTS System down: indicates a campus-wide or severe service outage
(e.g., email, Web server, phone, etc.)

Any questions about this change can be directed to the LTS Help Desk at
8-4357.



UNLIMITED ACCESS TO WEB CONFERENCING TOOL
Library and Technology Services has purchased a site license for Elluminate, a web-based conferencing tool that has been used at Lehigh for several years in various applications. The software is a real-time online learning and collaboration tool that has many uses: online courses, traditional classrooms, and other academic and administrative environments.

Elluminate has been used widely at Lehigh in online courses, by graduate students for their dissertation defense when committee members have been away, by traveling faculty who have taught their classes from afar, as an easy way for outside guest speakers to share their expertise with students, and for meetings of people at multiple locations without the expense and effort of traveling. There is also a Blackboard course link that gives instructors the ability to schedule their own Elluminate sessions from within their course. This tool works on PC's, Macs and
Linux computers.

The new site license removes the limitation on the number of participants in an event because it no longer references any specific number of "seats" although there may be some practical limits. LTS has used Elluminate on campus for three years and thus has good experience to assist new users. For more information or a demonstration about this exciting option, contact Sherri Yerk-Zwickl (shy2@lehigh.edu
) or other instructional technologists at
http://cf1.cc.lehigh.edu/LTSstaff/browse_album.cfm?id=15.



LTS STUDYING E-BOOK COLLECTION OPTIONS
Lehigh librarians are studying e-book content and platforms, in part to consider how e-books can be effectively acquired, cataloged and discovered in the library and to evaluate if expanding and diversifying our e-book collection is a valid strategy for developing academic content from the Library.

As part of that evaluation process, trial access to e-books from several vendors is available over the next two weeks. Please visit the E-Books Trials page at http://library.lehigh.edu/page.php?id=E-Book_Trials to connect to the e-book sites. We hope you enjoy your reading on screen and welcome your comments and questions.

The Lehigh Libraries currently hold over 7,000 e-books fully accessible online from anywhere, anytime; our first e-book online was acquired about ten years ago and our first e-book on disc was acquired over twenty years ago as part of our millionth book celebration. During 2008 the e-book market continued to grow and mature so now it is a good time to reexamine e-books and their utility for teaching and learning at Lehigh.



LTS TURKEY TROT TEAM (LTS MOUNTAIN GOATS)
The LTS Turkey Trot team competed in the 54th Annual Turkey Trot held on Thursday, November 20th beginning in front of Packer Chapel. The Turkey Trot is a 2.5 mile running race that goes through the upper Lehigh campus to the top of Upper Sayer Drive returning to the lawn in front of the University Center. It is a team event composed of various teams including the Lehigh Clubs, Sororities, Fraternities, Faculty/Staff and Independent teams. Each team can have a maximum of 10 members of which the top 5 finishers are included in an overall team score.

This is the LTS Mountain Goats 11th year competing in the Turkey Trot and they are undefeated in the Faculty/Staff division. Overall, the team placed 3rd out of a total of 29 teams including the student teams which are made up of MUCH younger members than the LTS team. There were a total of 280 runners competing in the Turkey Trot this year. Rob Weidman, a Digital Library Technical Coordinator for LTS, finished 1st overall for the second year in a row and Tim Hayburn (a new recruit from
the History department) finished 8th overall. Gale Fritsche, an LTS Client Services Team Leader finished 15th overall, Chad Meyerhoefer from the Economics Department finished 34th, John Rodgers, a Mechanical Engineering graduate student finished 79th, David Ramsay, a LTS Senior Computing Consultant finished 129th and Ken Kodama from EES finished strong but an error in recording his number failed to give Ken an
accurate place.



LIBRARY HOURS -- EXAMS AND WINTER BREAK
Exams*
Fairchild Martindale*
OPEN 24/7
8 am Monday, Dec. 8 through 10 pm
Wednesday, Dec. 17


Linderman
Monday through Friday - 8 am -- 2 am
Saturday through Sunday - 9 am -- 2 am
Wednesday, Dec. 17 - 8 am -- 10 pm


*Winter Break*
December 18 -- January 11
Thursday 12/18 through Friday 12/19 - 8 am -- 5 pm

Saturday 12/20 through Sunday 12/21 -- Noon - 5 pm
Monday 12/22 through Tuesday 12/23 - 8 am -- 5 pm
Wednesday 12/24 -- 8 am - Noon

Thursday 12/25 - CLOSED

Friday 12/26 - 8 am -- 5 pm
Saturday 12/27 through Sunday 12/28 - Noon -- 5 pm
Monday 12/29 through Wednesday 12/31 - 8 am -- 5 pm

Thursday, 1/1/09 - CLOSED

January 2 -- 11
Monday through Thursday - 8 am -- 8 pm
Friday - 8 am -- 5 pm
Saturday through Sunday - Noon -- 5 pm

CONTENTS:

--HELP DESK SURVEY TO BE DISTRIBUTED IN NOVEMBER
--LTS HELP DESK SERVICE ENHANCEMENTS
--PHISHING: HOW TO AVOID GETTING HOOKED
--NEW ILLIAD INTERFACE
--DALAI LAMA EXHIBIT: THE PATH TO LEHIGH AND BEYOND
--MAKING EVERY E-VOTE COUNT
--ELECTION RESOURCES


HELP DESK SURVEY TO BE DISTRIBUTED IN NOVEMBER
In November, the LTS Help Desk will distribute a survey to a sample of staff, faculty, and students who use the Help Desk service. The intent of the survey is to get feedback on how we are meeting the needs of our clientele. It should take about ten minutes to complete, and those who receive the survey will have a chance at a drawing to win a $200 gift certificate to Barnes and Noble. We value the opportunity to serve the Lehigh community. Thanks in advance for your input!



LTS HELP DESK SERVICE ENHANCEMENTS
The LTS Help desk has recently added new support tools that will aid in providing service to a wider range of users. By the time you read this message, a Macintosh computer will be installed at the EW Fairchild-Martindale location to better assist Macintosh computer users.

A new remote support tool from Bomgar Corporation will allow help desk staff to offer a "remote in" service where help desk staff connect to the user's computer, view the desktop, and issue commands to resolve the issue. The service is available to both PC and Mac platforms.



PHISHING: HOW TO AVOID GETTING HOOKED
Phishing is a deceptive practice used to steal personal data such as credit card numbers, passwords, or other sensitive information. Scam artists send an email that appears to come from a Web site or corporation you are affiliated with, such as online auction sites, banks, or even Lehigh University. The email will ask you to click on a link within the mail, or will ask you to provide password or credit card information in a reply to the message. NEVER provide your password information via email, and DO NOT click links in an email that appears to be requesting sensitive data. Call the Help Desk with any questions about email purporting to be from Lehigh or LTS.



NEW ILLIAD INTERFACE SAME GREAT INTERLIBRARY LOAN SERVICE
A recent upgrade to the Libraries’ ILLiad interlibrary loan software has presented users with a fresh, simple interface while maintaining the streamlined, reliable service Lehigh users have learned to expect from Interlibrary Loan. Some of the continuing advantages of ILLiad are:

Single entry for personal information. With ILLiad you only need to enter personal information such as name, address and delivery preferences once.

No need to retype bibliographic information. ILLiad is linked to most of the Library’s online databases through SFX. When possible SFX will link you to an electronic version of the publication you need or guide you to a copy owned by Lehigh Libraries. If these options are not available, it will link you to ILLiad and fill out the ILL form with all the necessary bibliographic information, automatically.

Quick and easy status reports on all your ILLiad requests. Login to ILLiad to see the status of all current requests - when processed, when available electronically, or when shipped to Lehigh and when received.

Email notification. ILLiad sends an automatic email when an item is ready for pickup, if it has been scanned and ready for your use, if it is being mailed directly to you, or if a loan is overdue.

To register as an ILLiad user go to https://illiad.lib.lehigh.edu/illiad/logon.html and type in your Lehigh user name and password to begin. To make an ILLiad request from an online database, look for the Lehigh Links logo . Users are reminded that for quick access to books, PALCI EZ-Borrow service provides free, express access to the collections of over 60 academic libraries with holdings of over 36,000,000 volumes. EZ-Borrow requests are usually received within 2-3 days.



DALAI LAMA EXHIBIT: THE PATH TO LEHIGH AND BEYOND
An exhibition opening on October 15th in Linderman Library will commemorate the events and activities leading up to and including the visit of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to Lehigh University in July 2008. This exhibition will be on display throughout the fall semester.

This exhibit, made up of event artifacts and images, begins with the first year student experience reading an autobiography of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and includes coverage of the numerous exhibits and lectures presented throughout the school year, with such highlights as the sand Mandala created in Linderman Library by Monks of the Namgyal Monastery Institute and the teaching and public lecture in July by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. The artifacts and images in this exhibit are located in the Rotunda, Café Gallery and in the 4th floor Parents Gallery. All items have been generously shared with the Library by individuals and departments throughout the University.

An opening reception with refreshments will be held in Linderman at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, October 15th.



MAKING EVERY E-VOTE COUNT
At noon on Thursday, October 23rd, the Friends of the Libraries will sponsor a talk on "Making Every E-Vote Count" by Professor Daniel Lopresti, Computer Science and Engineering, in Linderman Library (Room 200).

Professor Lopresti, an active researcher, expert witness, and lecturer on electronic voting, will talk about what kinds of technology voters will encounter this November and what kind of reliability they can expect. Lopresti is co-director of Lehigh's Pattern Recognition Research Lab and co-principal investigator of the new multi-institutional NSF project: Paper and Electronic Records of Elections: Cultivating Trust (PERFECT).

Lehigh has been involved in voting machine research for a very long time, in 1906 George Street, Jr., a mechanical engineering major, wrote his bachelor's thesis on “the original design of an automatic balloting machine." It is held by Special Collections and will be on view at the talk.



ELECTION RESOURCES
Hungry for information on the candidates and the upcoming election? Just trying to sort out fact from fiction? Perhaps the following Web sites can help.

Produced by the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania, the non-partisan FactCheck.org works to determine the accuracy of the statements of candidates and campaigns in their speeches, interviews, debates and advertisements.

Wondering about campaign spending and finance? The Federal Election Commission website has maps which allow you to compare contributions to candidates by state. You can even search by donor name!

Do your research! Project Vote Smart provides candidate biographies, voting records, issue positions, interest group ratings and public statements along with campaign finance information.

The ever reliable League of Women Voters has a website, Vote411.org which will help you find plenty of data on candidates in federal, state and local races. Use it to find your polling place or learn about the election process and rules in your state.

Aimed at young voters, VoteGopher.com was created by Harvard University students as a one-stop place to learn candidate’s positions on issues.