North York Central Library Blog

September 22-29 is Science Literacy Week. The Toronto Public Library will be joining the University of Toronto’s Gerstein Library to highlight and promote science and science literacy through displays and programs.

Last week, the CBC reported that Canadians' science literacy was ranked highest in the world. According to the National Science Education Standards, scientific literacy means a person has the ability to:

• Ask, find, or determine answers to questions derived from curiosity about everyday experiences
• Describe, explain and predict natural phenomena
• Read with understanding articles about science in the popular press and to engage in social conversation about the validity of the conclusions
• Identify scientific issues underlying national and local decisions
• Evaluate the quality of scientific information on the basis of its source and the methods used to generate it
• Pose and evaluate arguments based on evidence

The Science & Technology department, in particular the Science Fair collection, at the North York Central Library, contain books that can help understand and improve science literacy:

Want something to read right now? Access and download these popular science magazines through our Zinio database:

Also, access our Science in Context database for journal articles, news, videos, images and audio on major science topics:

Science Literacy Week is a good opportunity to brush up on your science knowledge or learn something new through the library’s programs, books and displays.