MicrobeLibrary

The MicrobeLibrary is an online collection of peer-reviewed resources for teaching microbiology supported by the American Society for Microbiology. Its contents include visual images and animations; curriculum activities for both classroom and laboratory; articles from Focus on Microbiology Education and Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education.

The MicrobeLibrary contains over 2000 resources for teaching and learning microbiology. MicrobeLibray is dynamic and ever expanding. New submissions are received, reviewed, and accepted for publication in the Library three times a year. Over 200 new resources are added each year.

MicrobeLibrary is a founding partner in the Bioscience Education Network (BEN) collaborative managed by AAAS, which is a part of the National Science Foundation’s National STEM Education Digital Library.

How can materials from the MicrobeLibrary promote teaching and learning in the sciences?

All resources are linked to the ASM Curriculum Recommendations via six microbial themes allowing the MicrobeLibrary to serve as an important foundation to microbiological instruction. Members of the ASM education community developed the Curriculum Recommendations for introductory microbiology during the 1994 and 1995 annual ASM Conference for Undergraduate Educators and reaffirmed these Guidelines in 2001.

ASM Curriculum Recommendations: Introductory Course in Microbiology

Since 2001, ASM developed other curriculum guidelines, one for students majoring in microbiology and another for introducing bioterrorism into the undergraduate curriculum.

The MicrobeLibrary welcomes submissions of visual and curriculum resources, articles and manuscripts for the online publications, and reviews from educators commenting on various education resources. Please visit the Submit section to learn more about the details and requirements for contributing resources and having submissions reviewed for inclusion.

Can you give me some examples of how I might use materials from the MicrobeLibrary?

Faculty members who teach biology and microbiology can use the MicrobeLibrary resources to enhance their classroom presentations, laboratory activities, and curriculum resources. They will acquire new understanding about the microbial world and practical advice for improving students’ knowledge and skills. They will read about the latest science education research relevant to microbiology. They will find reviews of educational resources (books, videos, software, and websites) and links to relevant resources. Students can use the Library as a resource for research projects and reports.

Are there any restrictions on how/where the material from the MicrobeLibrary can be used?

The only exception to the guideline stated above is seeking permission to use MicrobeLibrary Resources for either 1) classroom purposes such as faculty presentations and course notes, student presentations and projects, or 2) laboratory manuals or handout packets that are assembled by faculty for a single course and disseminated at cost to students enrolled in the course by the faculty or third party vendor such as a campus bookstore.

Visual Resources
In addition to the above terms, Visual Resources can be used a single time in newsmedia such as magazine or newspaper. An example of giving credit when using Visual Resources in MicrobeLibrary is:

SEM of Agrobacterium tumefaciens. © Kim R. Finer and John J. Finer, authors. Licensed for use, ASM MicrobeLibrary (linked to http://www.microbelibrary.org if used on a website).

Curriculum Resources
An example of giving credit when using Curriculum Resources in MicrobeLibrary is:

Activities for Understanding Gene Regulation. © Linda E. Fisher and Gail E. Rowe, authors. Licensed for use, ASM MicrobeLibrary (linked to http://www.microbelibrary.org if used on a website).

Articles
An example of giving credit when using Articles from the MicrobeLibrary is:

Benson, S. A. 2001. Defining the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Microbiology. Focus on Microbiology Newsletter. 7(3): 1-6. (linked to: http://www.microbelibrary.org if used on a website).

To download a still image, simply right click on the image and choose “save as” from the pop-up menu. You may then save the image on your hard-drive. Be sure to note the location on the drive you save the image to.

To download an animation or video, simply right click on the link and choose "save target as" from the pop-up menu. You may then save the animation or video on your hard-drive. Be sure to note the location on the drive you save the image to.

To download and save a shockwave flash .swf file while using Internet Explorer Browser:

1. Using your IE browser, click Tools - Internet Options.
2. Under the General Tab, look under the Temporary Internet Files group and click the Settings button.
3. Click View Files to open your Temporary Internet Files folder on your computer.
4. Click View - Details. Now click View - Arrange Icons By – Last Accessed.
5. Once you find the desired flash file, right-click and choose Copy. Paste the swf file in the directory in which you want to save the file. Make sure to keep the page and IE open to avoid purging of the cache file.

However, in order to play the saved .swf file, you will probably have to download a free viewing program such as IrfanView and its plugins; see http://www.irfanview.com/. Some computers, especially those that are part of a network, may already have a program for directly playing a .swf file.

(The above directions were found on http://labnol.blogspot.com/2005/11/save-flash-from-firefox-and-ie.html. Directions for other browsers can also be found on this page.)

Since finding the desired animation in the cache file can be a bit cumbersome, you may wish to download another free program called Flash Saving Plugin at http://www.snapfiles.com/get/flashsave.html. This program puts an icon on the IE browser that finds any animations or movies on the page and lets you save them in a folder. This is simpler than going through your entire cache file. You will still probably need a viewing program such as IrfanView to view the .swf file. Once the .swf is saved, you right click on the .swf file and select “Open with” IrfanView.

To play the saved .swf file on PowerPoint you have to use a specific Active X control called Shockwave Flash Object and have that Active X control “registered” on your computer; see http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/powerpoint/HA010348071033.aspx for more detail.

The only images available are what is present on the MicrobeLibrary site. In most cases, the only available image is 72 dpi. However, most authors do retain high resolution images. Please contact the author of the image via the email provided about obtaining high resolution images. A very limited number of Visual Resources have higher resolution (150 dpi to 300 dpi) images available. If a higher resolution image is available there will be a link provided to the higher resolution image.

Materials in the Visual Resources section of the MicrobeLibrary are available in Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese. Cell Biology and Microorganisms and Humans are the two Core Themes for which all legends have been translated. Microbial Genetics and Microorganisms and the Environment will be translated next.

If you have a Preferred Language in which you wish to view the resources, select it from the drop-down list provided near the bottom of the Advanced Search screen. Any submission available in that language will be listed; all other submissions will appear in English.

The International Microbiology Education Committee (IMEC) has recently launched a new program designed to make ASM web-base materials more accessible to international members. Through the Volunteer Translators Network members can assist in translating important resources such as the MicrobeLibrary into other languages. Currently, the IMEC is working with Spanish-speaking members, and is seeking Portuguese speakers for a new team. For more information or to volunteer, contact International Affairs staff at: international@asmusa.org.