A Growing Site . . .
The Library of the Workplace is a growing site. Launched in the fall of 1998, the Library is a major project of the Center for Occupational Research and Development (CORD). It is expected to expand during the next two years to cover more than 100 concepts and occupations, representing the major academic disciplines as well a full range of occupational clusters. The site is provided for free use by educators and students in schools, job training centers, and companies; it is sponsored by the companies and institutions represented on the site. Please check the site every 60 to 90 days to find new information and.

 Purpose of the Site
The Library of the Workplace web site offers a storehouse of information about the working world, especially about how work relates to a variety of academic studies. The Library of the Workplace is designed primarily for teachers and students, although many employers also may find it useful. It is designed to do the following:
  • Connect concepts and skills taught in the classroom directly to activities that are performed in the workplace-through employees' stories and related problem-solving activities for students
  • Provide users with an understanding of the thinking, problem-solving, and other essential work skills
  • Provide career role models and career information for students who want to know about specific occupations

The Library of the Workplace answers a question often asked by students: "Why do I have to learn this?" It integrates abstract concepts and applications in a format that is easy to use and enjoyable.

Employers may find the site helpful in orienting and training new employees, especially employees who may not be familiar with the contemporary workplace and its demands.

Features of the Site
The Library of the Workplace features-
  • Full-motion video clips of employees discussing how they do their work and what they have to know in order to do it
  • Audio clips and text containing additional information on how academic concepts are used, how work is done, and how careers are made
  • Student activities (based on featured work situations) that can be downloaded and printed

How to Locate Information on this Site
The first-person accounts of employees are subdivided and indexed in the following categories-
  • Academic concepts and skills: This part of the database includes concepts such as scientific laws (Ohm's Law, the Gas Laws), frameworks (the Periodic Table, the electromagnetic spectrum), and skills (matrix mathematics, writing concisely).
  • Student problem-solving activities: This database includes all of the problem-solving activities on the web site; some are interdisciplinary and others fall within specific academic disciplines.
  • Thinking, problem-solving and other essential skills for work: The categories of the work skills index are based on the framework established in What Work Requires of Schools: A SCANS Report for American 2000, published by the Secretary's Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills of the U.S. Department of Labor in June, 1991.
  • Job titles: This database includes a job overview for each job listed as well as features such as a typical day, career path, background, and job satisfaction, as experienced by the employees.
  • Companies and institutions: This part of the database includes a web page on each sponsoring company or institution, with links to their respective web sites.

Select the appropriate index to find the information you want. Most teachers will be interested in academic concepts and student activities. Teachers as well as employers may be interested in the work skills. Students may want to explore the index of job and career pages (indexed by job title) or find out more about the sponsoring companies.
Sponsorship of the Site
The Library of the Workplace web site is an ongoing project of the Center for Occupational Research and Development (CORD). An initial grant form the AT&T Foundation funded exploration of a variety of ways to connect schools and workplaces using technology. The Sony Corporation funded the development of the site prototype. AT&T subsequently also sponsored a presence on the web site. About the Center for Occupational Research and Development The Center for Occupational Research and Development (CORD) is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to furthering excellence in education. Over the past two decades, CORD's work has taken the form of many projects centered around the goal of preparing students for the technological workplace of the future. Whether it be creating new applications of technology, designing and developing curriculum models and materials, delivering professional development workshops, conducting applied educational research, or facilitating business and education partnerships, CORD's work is about empowering educators to make meaningful connections between school and work for the benefit of students. CORD seeks to add sponsoring companies and institutions to this web site in order to create an expansive database of academic skills, student activities or problems, general work skills, and a variety of jobs, companies, and institutions.

If you are interested in having your company or institution represented in the Library of the Workplace, please contact Hope Cotner at CORD at 800-972-2766 or e-mail your request for information to library@cord.org.

Production Credits
This web site was produced by ISIS MultiMedia in Austin, Texas.
ISIS MultiMedia specilizes in designing and developing interactive multimedia education and training applications for CD-ROM, Internet or DVD.

Site design and AT&T and Sony sections were developed by Olive Design.
OliveDesign is a Multimedia Design Studio specializing in professional web site and CD-ROM development, with extensive experience in marketing, digital media production, graphic design and project management.

The U.S. Navy section was programmed by Net Ingenuity.
Net Ingenuity specializes in creative content and website production.

Video production was provided by Austin Video Bureau.
Austin Video bureau specializes in shooting and editing digital video.
Sony video segments were provided by San Diego City College under the direction of Hope Shaw.