By Reyna Gobel and Margaret Engel

Here's a reminder to those attending this year's IRE convention — don't forget to sign up to be a mentor or a mentee.

We did and lives changed as a result.

By G.W. Schulz Center for Investigative Reporting

Nearly $70,000 worth of surveillance gear left unused in its original packaging by a county north of San Francisco. A $2,300 plasma TV for university cops. More than $1.3 million spent without maintaining proper documentation to show where it went. Millions more in bomb-disposal robots and new communications systems bought from suppliers who weren’t forced to compete.

By Chris Ison University of Minnesota

Even to seasoned reporters, long-term investigative projects look like mountains. The long climb will bring breaking news stories and beat duties that distract them, impatient editors who divert them, and months of digging that might turn up little to justify the time and expense. Combined, an exciting idea can turn into a tough and discouraging slog.

For a college newspaper, multiply those problems by 10. Constant turnover. Inexperienced reporters who graduate or change beats after only months on the job.

For the first time, IRE has turned its annual list of investigative books into an online database. More than 250 books published in 2009 made the list, which can be sorted by title, author and publisher. The annual list is compiled by Steve Weinberg, senior contributing editor of The IRE Journal.  A PDF suitable for printing also is available.