Web Search–Meta Search Engines
Meta Search and Google
Especially important for those of you who do search training!
You probably already know that a majority of meta search engines do not provide results from Google. Why? According to a Google spokesperson, “Google’s terms of service clearly states that meta engines cannot automatically grab results from Google. We’re happy to let any metasearcher use us, under exactly the same terms that we’re happy to sell results to other people, too. O.K., easy enough to understand. However, a few meta search engines claim to include Google results. This is not entirely accurate. I ran several searches (common terms) and limited the meta engine to only return Google material. What happened? Empty result sets.
Examples:
MetaCrawler (Google used to have a paid agreement)
||| MetaCrawler search limited to Google
Metor ||| Metor search limited to Google
Lexibot (an add-on app)
Limit to Google and receive zero results.
Bottom Line
In some cases, you may see Google results if the meta engine uses Yahoo. Google provides an abridged version of its database to Yahoo. I am currently reviewing other meta search tools and will report back. Finally, what you see is not always what you get. Make sure meta search tools deliver what they promise.

Web Tools–IHarvest
IHarvest To Discontinue Web Service
IHarvest allowed you to copy an entire web page and save it to a remote server for access from any web browser. Yesterday, the company announced it’s discontinuing this free service. It will still offer products for the enterprise market. Another goody bites the dust. However, all hope is not lost. If this type of tool sounds useful to you take a look at Surfsaver.Com. It does not provide remote access but it can be useful for saving copies of web pages to computer. It’s free, at least for the time being. An advanced version ($) is also available. Another option would be Webforia. Thanks to W.N. for the IHarvest news tip.

Digital Repositories
RLG (Research Library Group) Seeks Comments,
Attributes of a Trusted Repository for Digital Materials: RLG and OCLC Release Paper for Comment
From the news release, “Dialog is needed on the standards, criteria, and mechanisms for certifying digital information repositories, to help achieve an international consensus. The report is relevant to local, regional, national, and international efforts�successful scholarship in the future will depend heavily on coordinated, interoperable digital archiving.”
News Release ||| Direct to Full-Text

Intellectual Freedom
“First World Report on Libraries and Intellectual Freedom Launched”
From the story, “The first World Report on libraries and intellectual freedom was launched last week at the Annual Conference of the International of the Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) in Boston, USA. The Report, that was prepared by IFLA’s Committee for Free Access to Information and Freedom of Expression (IFLA/FAIFE), intends to provide a picture on the status of libraries and intellectual freedom throughout the world. More than 140 countries have been contacted and 46 have submitted country reports, many of which illustrate cases of violation of free access to information and freedom of expression in libraries worldwide.”
See Also: Direct to IFLA for addtional info

Copyright–United States
Source: The Chronicle of Higher Education
“Libraries Criticize Federal Report on Digital-Copyright Law”
From the article, “Advocates for libraries are criticizing a U.S. Copyright Office report, released late Wednesday, that recommends against revising copyright law to assure that libraries and consumers can lend and archive software and other electronic material they purchase.”
See Also: Access the Full-Text of the U.S. Copyright Office Report,
Study Required by Section 104 of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act”

Web Search–Ixquick
Source: Tornado-Insider.Com
Ixquick: a Metaengine Searching for Revenues

Full-Text Document Shelf (3 Items)
Immigration–Canada–Statistics
Source: Citizenship and Immigration Canada
Facts and Figures 2000: Immigration Overview
126 pages .pdf
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Poverty–United States
Source: U.S. Census
Census Bureau Releases 1998 Poverty Estimates for States and District of Columbia
Summary ||| Link to Full-Text
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Petroleum–Marketing–United States
Source: EIA
Petroleum Marketing Annual, 2000

Congressional Research Service
Selected New or Recently Updated Reports from the Congressional Research Service (Late August Update)
Here we go with another round of new or recenty revised CRS material. I have thrown in a couple of new discoveries as well. Access to these and many more reports are available from either the web site of Rep. Chris Shays or Rep. Mark Green. Once on either of these pages, click and scroll to the appropriate report. All reports are .pdf files. Direct access is not available. This means that most of these reports cannot be found using a general web search engine like AltaVista or Excite.
—-
Listed In “Issue Briefs” Section
V-22 Osprey Tilt-Rotor Aircraft (IB86103)
Broadband Internet Access: Background and Issues (IB10045)
Libya (IB93109)
Middle East Peace Issues (IB91137)
Products Liability: A Legal Overview (IB97056)
Russia (IB92089)
—-
Listed In “Short” Reports Section
Level of Taxes in the United States, 1940-2000 (RS20087)
Prescription Drugs: Importation for Personal Use (RS20996)
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Listed In “Long” Reports Section
Airline Passenger Rights Legislation in the 107th Congress (RL30940)
Child Care Issues in the 107th Congress (RL30944)
Commemorative Observances: A Chronological List (98-45)
Telephone Bills: Charges on Local Telephone Bills (RL30052)
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More CRS Material
Here are two additional reports that are directly available.
(Via FAS) Conventional Arms Transfers to Developing Nations, 1993-2000
(Via FAS) Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical Weapons and Missiles: The Current Situation and Trends

Copyright–United States
Source: Wired
“No Need to Alter DMCA — Yet”
From the article, “A study released on Wednesday on how revised U.S. copyright law is working in the digital age recommends some legislative changes to clarify fair use by purchasers of legal copies.”
See Also: Access the Full-Text of the U.S. Copyright Office Report,
Study Required by Section 104 of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act”

Web Search–Plagiarism
Fee-Based Services
“Pulling Plug on Plagiarism”
Source: San Jose Business Journal
Read about TurnItIn.Com, a fee-based service for educators that searches and analyzes both an in-house database and the web for plagiarized content in student papers.
See Also: TurnItIn.Com’s page about how document analysis works
See Also: A sample TurnItIn.Com report (link, middle of page)

Full-Text Document Shelf (3 Items)
Labor–United States
Source: BLS
Report on the American Workforce
Overview ||| Direct to Full-Text
205 pages .pdf
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Home Schooling–United States
Source: NCES
Home Schooling in the United States–1999
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Automobile Safety–United States
Source: NHTSA
Seat Belt Use in the U.S
Summary ||| Full-Text Document #1 ||| Full-Text Document #2

Classical Music–Searchable Databases
Invisible Web
Today, the New York Times contains an article about Andante. The article calls the site the “gold standard” of classical music web sites. A portion of Andante contains access several searchable databases. Here is a list of what’s available.
Concise Grove Dictionary of Music
Compositions Database (comprehensive list of over 180,000 classical compositions)
Discography Database
Concert Notes
New York Review of Books (classical music coverage from 1963, Full-Text)
Einaudi Encyclopedia of Music
Interactive Musical Event Calendar
Music In Print
(searchable listing of classical sheet music in and out of print, including instrumentation and duration listings)

Web Search–FirstGov
Source: Government Computer News
“Is the FirstGov Playing Field Level?”
From the article, “The General Services Administration�s acceptance of the FirstGov search engine as a gift from philanthropist Eric Brewer �shelters all the information from current law.� Or so says David LeDuc, manager of public policy at the Software and Information Industry Association of Washington…The engine is performing more accurately today than a few months ago and it will continue to improve, said David Binetti, president of the FedSearch Foundation and creator of the search engine. The topics directory, however, still only goes two layers deep for most topics, LeDuc said. Binetti acknowledged that up to 15 percent of visitors don�t find what they�re looking for on the first try. But LeDuc said vendors that might supply more advanced search engines cannot provide adequate responses to GSA�s recent request for information about a new engine because they don�t have access to the back end�the search engine�s index and database.”
See Also: “Who�s Owner of FirstGov Database? Not Uncle Sam”

Web Search–AltaVista
Source: PC World
Do You Use Any of AltaVista’s Regional Search Tools? Be Careful!
From the article, Searching for a Web page that was created after mid-April this year? Better not try any of the 22 regional AltaVista search sites.No new Web pages have been added for months to the index behind the regional search sites, AltaVista confirmed on Tuesday. The local sites are supposed to generate search results relevant for Web users in a specific country. By default, all local sites search in the regional index…AltaVista says the index is outdated because the database that holds the regional URLs is being merged with the main international database…Ultimately the merger of the two indexes should result in a better search service, but the new Web index won’t be ready for about another month…” Database refresh rates have been improving. Sadly, AV doesn’t think it’s important to let us know since they assume most webmasters know indexing takes time. Fine, but what about alerting the searcher, those people who depend on indexes to be fresh and current and don’t understand refresh times? How about telling them to use another AV database that is being refreshed? From the article, “Most Web masters are aware that indexing pages takes time. Typically we update every six weeks. Now we’ve skipped a cycle because of the merge,” says [Ian] Hegerty, [technical architect for AltaVista]. He offers no comment when it is pointed out that more than one cycle has been skipped, as it has been more than four months since new pages were added to the regional indexes.” The Good News? Chris Sherman, editor of Search Day, has seen what AltaVista is developing for the future. He tells us, “I got a peek inside the kimono a few weeks ago when I visited their offices, and what I saw impressed me. They don’t expect the new changes to be fully implemented for some time yet, but if they pull off what they’re planning they’re going to recapture some of their lost glory. That they haven’t updated regional indexes recently isn’t surprising — they’ve endured major job cuts and have simply chosen to allocate resources toward the new functionality rather than worrying too much about maintaining the status quo. Net, I’m optimistic.”

Web Search Industry
Source: News.Com/Gartner Group
How Much Would You Pay to Perform an Internet Search?
I think many info professionals would be willing to pay for a robust, current, and sophisticated web search engine than is currently offered by many of the leading search companies. From the commentary, “Like so many things connected with the Internet, the availability of a variety of free search engines helps people forget the complexity, sophistication and cost of the technology that underlies them. It also encourages the average person to be somewhat fickle in using search engines. There’s little brand loyalty here. If you hear about an engine that is faster and produces better results than the one you’re now using, it costs you nothing to try it…Consequently, the search engine business has become something of a king-of-the-hill game with a succession of royalty. The question for search engine companies has become whether they can create a feasible business model before being knocked off the throne. AltaVista, for example, though it invested heavily in technology, did not succeed in transforming its technological leadership into general portal status.”

Web Search–Vivisimo
Vivisimo Goes International, New Korean Language Demos Available
From the media release, “The new venture Vivisimo Co. Ltd, based in Seoul, Korea, offers Vivisimo’s clustering technology to Korean customers in their own language…The joint venture will license Vivisimo’s clustering and browser navigation products to Korean enterprises and OEMs for installation on top of their web, intranet, and extranet search engines or other knowledge management products.
Direct to Korean Language Interface, Demos
Direct to Vivisimo (Clustering Search Engine) Home Page and Demos

Info Industry–Reed Elsevier
R-E Gets Rid Of Who’s Who (Marquis Publishing)
From the article, “Commonwealth Business Media, Inc. announced today that it has signed a definitive purchase agreement to buy from Reed Elsevier Inc. the Marquis Who’s Who line of business as well as selected titles of the National Register Publishing brand including The Official Catholic Directory and The Official Museum Directory. The acquisition is expected to close in early October.”
See Also: R-E Purchases Classroom Connect

Full-Text Document Shelf (4 Items)
It’s An All-Canada Day!!!
Philanthropy–Canada
Volunteering–Canada
Source: Statistics Canada
Caring Canadians, Involved Canadians: Highlights from the 2000 National Survey of Giving, Volunteering and Participating
Summary ||| Direct to Full-Text
87 pages .pdf
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Banks–Canada–Fact Sheets
Source: Department of Finance
Canada’s Banks
Facts, charts, and lists.
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Insurance–Canada–Fact Sheets
Source: Department of Finance
Canada’s Life and Health Insurers
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Privacy–Canada
Firearms–Canada
Source: Privacy Commissioner of Canada
Review of the Personal Information Handling Practices of the Canadian Firearms Program
News Release ||| Direct to Full-Text
87 pages .pdf

Web Search
Classification and Categorization
Source: E-Content
“Taxonomies and Topic Maps: Categorization Steps Forward”
From the article, “There are so many technologies, and so many approaches to the problem, that we may forget at times that the ultimate goal of search technology is simple�providing users with quick access to meaningful information. In the recent history of content management, much has been made of XML and the related standards, streaming media and Content Distribution Networks (CDNs), and the steady increases in performance through broadband options such as DSL and cable modems. Yet one of the biggest challenges the Web faces is one of its oldest, and indeed is a problem that predates the Web itself. How do average users find the information they need amidst a flood of irrelevant matter? And how do they do this quickly, easily, and consistently?”
See Also: InfoWorld article, “Seeking the Right Data”

Reference Books–The World Almanac and Book of Facts
C-SPAN Booknotes: Interview with the editor of The World Almanac and Book of Facts
Those of you who are reference book lovers, I’m a member, will enjoy watching, listening (RealAudio), and/or reading the transcript of an interview with Robert Famighetti, editorial director of The World Almanac and Book of Facts. This program originally aired on 2/28/1999.

Web Browsers
The New Version of Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE 6.0) is Now Available
IE 6.0 was placed online late Monday.
See Also: News.Com Article, Problems with IE 6.0.

Web Search–WISEnut
Web Search–Teoma
Source: CNET.Com
“Search Start-Ups Seek Google’s Throne”
A look at two engines you have read about here, WISEnut and Teoma.
From Stefanie Olson’s article, “Despite their similarities, Teoma and Wisenut are looking to cut into Google’s dominance by carving up search results in slightly different ways. Each service says it has cracked the formula for delivering germane results in a way that is faster and more cost-efficient. And each is frantically working to amass the largest database of searchable documents to outstrip Google’s lead in the marketplace with more than 1.3 billion indexed pages.”
See Also: Direct to WISEnut
See Also: Direct to Teoma

Web Search–Paid Placement/Inclusion
Source: ClickZ
What is Paid Placement? What is Paid Inclusion?
Although this article is aimed at people who use the web as a marketing vehicle, it’s still important for all of us to understand these concepts. Other search engine concepts to familiar with are pay-per-click and search engine optimization.

Web Sites–The White House
Source: GovExec.Com
Coming Soon: A New White House Web Site
From the article, “Eight months after Bush administration staff took control of the White House Web site, a revamped version of the site is scheduled to be launched in late summer or early fall.”

Electronic Books
Source: NY Times
“Forecasts of an E-Book Era Were, It Seems, Premature”
From the article, “Publishers and online bookstores say only the very few best-selling electronic editions have sold more than a thousand copies, and most sell far fewer. Only a handful have generated enough revenue to cover the few hundred dollars it costs to convert their texts to digital formats…But however low their current sales, several publishers noted that some people do appear to be investigating electronic books. They have flocked to the University of Virginia Library’s Electronic Text Center, for example, which provides electronic editions of classic books free. Between last August and mid-June, users downloaded over three million copies of about 1,600 titles, from “Alice in Wonderland” to `Macbeth.”

Higher Education–United States–Lists and Rankings
Recent Update: Princeton Review’s Best 331 Colleges
Keyword search or browse these rankings. Each entry contains background/overview of institution.

Full-Text Document Shelf (3 Items)
Food–Worldwide–Projections
Malnutrition–Worldwide
Source: International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)
Global Food Projections to 2020: Emerging Trends and Alternative Futures
News Release ||| Executive Summary||| Full-Text of Report ||| Additional Materials
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Budget–United States
Source: Congressional Budget Office
The Budget and Economic Outlook: An Update
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Smoking–United States–Statistics
Womens Health–United States–Statistics
Source: NCHS
Smoking During Pregnancy in the 1990’s
Summary ||| Direct to Full-Text
32 pages .pdf

Current Events–Canada
Bowdens Canada-At-A Glance Service (Free)
The media monitoring company provides, “an overview of some of the news stories airing in the electronic media across Canada in the past 24 hours. News stories are compiled in the following general news categories: telecommunications, health, financial, technology, labour, transportation, media, government and resource sector.”
See Also: Let’s hope this service continues. Bowdens was acquired today by Observer Group, based in Stockholm. Bowdens was part of Rogers Communications prior to todays announcement.

Women’s Health–Canada–Databases
Source: Ontario Women’s Health Council
2 New Databases:
Consumer Education Scan Searchable Database
From a fact sheet, “The searchable database lists over 3000 information resources pertaining to women’s health with a focus on health promotion (prevention and education).”
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Resource Inventory Database
From a fact sheet, “dentifies organizations and agencies that promote women�s health, providing a brief description and outlining services offered (e.g., counselling, peer support). As well, each listing includes contact information; areas of services (e.g., breast cancer); accessibility; and fees.”

Specialty Search Engines/Focused Crawlers–Non-Profit Research
“Sector Search” From the Foundation Center
A search database focusing on private foundations, corporate grantmakers , grantmaking public charities, community foundations, nonprofit organizations, and government resources. This database usses Ultraseek server technology. Special search syntax as well as Boolean operators are available.

Web Search–Google
Source: Up Magazine
“When Larry Met Sergey”
A rare joint interview with the Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin.
Thanks to C.S. for the news tip.

Info Industry–Reed Elsevier
Info Industry–Cambridge Scientific Abstracts
Info Industry–Info Today
Source: Information Today NewsBreaks
“Reed Elsevier Sells Bowker to Cambridge Scientific Abstracts, Information Today, Inc.”
From the article, “� Information Today, Inc. (ITI) announced that it has entered into a joint agreement with Cambridge Scientific Abstracts (CSA) to buy R.R. Bowker from Reed Elsevier (R-E). Cambridge is purchasing the major portion of Bowker, and ITI is acquiring the publishing rights to about 10 reference books. The amount of the transaction was not disclosed but sources close to the deal report that several bids were received in the $20 to $30 million range. The deal is due to officially close the last week of August. The acquisition is actually being accomplished in two steps, with the Cambridge Information Group (CIG) first purchasing all of Bowker from Reed Elsevier and forming Bowker, LLC, and then ITI purchasing the directories from Bowker, LLC.”…”Cambridge is acquiring the entire Books In Print family of products; Ulrich�s Periodical Directory; Magazines for Libraries; a number of abstracts and indexes, including British Humanities Index and Library and Information Science Abstracts (LISA); a number of journals and newsletters, such as Business Information Reviewand Journal of Information Science; and miscellaneous other products. In addition, Cambridge retains the contract for Bowker, LLC to have the exclusive right to operate the U.S. office of the ISBN (International Standard Book Number) agency.”…”The directories purchased by ITI serve the library, publishing, and bookselling markets. The titles include Literary Market Place, International Literary Market Place, American Book Trade Directory, American Library Directory, Annual Register of Grant Support, The Bowker Annual Library and Book Trade Almanac, Library Resource Guide, AV Market Place, Directory of American Research and Technology, and American Men & Women of Science”

Info Industry–ProQuest
Content from ProQuest’s XanEdu Will Soon Be Available on AOL
From the news release, “Under the agreement, AOL members will have access to XanEdu’s significant and valuable breadth of academic content organized by specific subjects/disciplines of interest. Drawing from XanEdu’s digital archive of primary source materials, journals, periodicals, newspapers, reference books and case studies, the agreement will provide members with the opportunity to purchase subscriptions to premier research resources that they currently seek online.”

Full-Text Document Shelf
Legal System–United States–Statistics
Source: BJS
Probation and Parole in the United States, 2000
News Release ||| Direct to Full-Text
6 pages .pdf

Semantic Web
Source: San Jose Mercury News
“Machines to Talk Intelligently on Web”
Dan Gillmor provides an overview to the Semantic Web. From the article, “You tell a search engine you’re looking for a story on the gadget and want the contact information for anyone quoted in the article. This time, several computers communicate with each other and then present you with a list of names and numbers. You can’t do the latter, yet. But technologists are working on what may be a key piece of the next generation of networks — a “Semantic Web” where machines talk intelligently with other machines to solve all kinds of problems for you and me.”

Web Use–Research
Source: NY Times
“Exploration of World Wide Web Tilts From Eclectic to Mundane”
From the article, “Last year, about 60 percent of Internet users visited more than 20 Web sites in a typical month, according to Jupiter Media Metrix (news/quote), a research firm that measures traffic online; this year the proportion is close to half. The number of people using search engines as a starting point has also decreased significantly, a reflection of the more direct, predetermined approach to the Web….What is lost, some say, is the experience of serendipity and the delight in finding things that you would not naturally seek out.

Health and Medicine
New Subject Sources: From MEDLINEplus
Here’s a sampling of NEW subject specific pages from MEDLINEplus.
MEDLINEplus: Neuromuscular Disorders
MEDLINEplus: Premature Babies
MEDLINEplus: Tonsils/Tonsillectomy
MEDLINEplus: Twins, Triplets, Multiple Births
MEDLINEplus: Exercise for Seniors
MEDLINEplus: Legionnaire’s Disease
MEDLINEplus: Smoking and Youth
MEDLINEplus: Snoring

Web Search
Greg Notess Releases Updated Search Engine Size Studies
Notess, the proprietor of one of the most useful sites for the web searcher, Search Engine Showdown, has just updated some of the important and useful engine size studies he compiles.
Updates:
Search Engine Relative Size
Search Engine Total Size Estimate
Search Engine Size Change Over Time

Web Search–Google Groups
New From Google Groups: Enhanced Thread View Capabilities
Word today from the Googleplex (what Google employees call their office) that a new “enhanced threaded view” of Usenet postings is now availabe via the Google Groups service. From an email message, Google Groups users now have direct access to each message in a thread, from a hierarchical list of links to the left of the screen. This improvement enables users to directly jump to a message from a particular author, as opposed to scrolling through an entire page of individual postings. Google Groups users now also have access to the original, detailed header information for each posting. Message headers reveal such information as message ID#, the original posting host, and X-complaints information for abusive postings. To see detailed header information for a particular posting contained in the Google Groups archive, select “view article only,” then select “original format.”

Web Search
Source: PC World
“Do Search Engines Tell The Truth?”
As I have said several times, it’s crucial to:
1) Know that paid placement/inclusion exists.
2) Keep current with changes and new tools.
3) Understand that search engine optimization exists and is becoming more popular.
4) That certain directories only include pay-per-click content.
5) Learn to use engines on a more advanced level. Learn to limit.
It’s also important for the search engines to realize:
A) Not everyone uses an engine as a directory/yellow pages to find services and products.
B) For many of us, the content several levels down is often where we want to be.
C) People search differently depending on what they are looking for. (Known Item Search vs. Unknown Item or Subject Search)
D) Useful content exists on sites that will not or are unable to pay-for-inclusion/placement or page optimization.
D) Relevancy does not only mean a click on a link.

Web Search–FirstGov.Gov
Source: Government Computer News
“Who�s Owner of FirstGov Database? Not Uncle Sam”
From the article, “Millionaire philanthropist Eric Brewer owns the FirstGov database of federal Web sites�and in 2003, he�ll take it back. FirstGov now operates under GSA�s auspices, but Brewer, founder of FedSearch and president of Inktomi Corp. of San Francisco, will be first in line to run FirstGov when his so-called gift reverts to his company in two years� time. At the time Brewer offered to build the search engine, he promised to turn it over to the government in 2003. The search technology, however, produces a database in Inktomi�s proprietary format.”
See Also: FirstGov Still Soliciting Comments About Search Solutions (From Federal Register)
See Also: Office of FirstGov
See Also: Federal Search Foundation

Full-Text Resource Shelf (2 Items)
Internet Statistics–Canada
Source: Statistics Canada
Internet Use Among Older Canadians
Summary ||| Full-Text Document
18 pages .pdf
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Privacy–United States
Crminal Justice Information
Report of the National Task Force on Privacy, Technology, and Criminal Justice Information
Summary ||| Full-Text
124 pages .pdf

***Resource of the Week***
Searchable Database–Book Information
Invisible Web
ISBN.nu
ISBN.nu provides access to (FREE) a searchable database with information on over 3 million book titles. At the moment the searchable database is “powered” with data from Books-in-Print/Bowker. In the next few weeks ISBN.nu will switch to data provided by Baker & Taylor. B&T will also provide info on over 750,000 out-of-print titles. After retrieving basic title info, a second click allows you to compare pricing/shipping info from 10 new and used online bookstores on a single page. Click one more time and you’re now able to order the material from any of these vendors. Want More? In the future many entries will contain brief annotations, table-of-contents, etc. The BETA interface allows you to search the database by: words in the title, author name, subject, and ISBN . You can also limit your search by publication date and/or publisher. A full-text search will soon be available. Using the MyISBN.nu option allows you to personalize the interface to reflect shipping costs depending on shipping location (a currency converter can be configured to assist searchers outside the U.S.) and the delivery service you select. ISBN.nu is being developed by Seattle based writer (Fortune, Wired, New York Times, Seattle Times) industry commentator, and database guru, Glenn Fleishman.

Classical Music–Reviews
Searchable Database–Music
Invisible Web
GramoFile
A searchable and browsable database containing over 25,000 reviews (albums/cd’s) from Gramaphone magazine. This collection of material dates back to 1983. Thanks to the LII for sharing this wonderful database with us.

Librarians
Source: New York Times
“Librarians Adjust Image in an Effort to Fill Jobs” (registration required)
From the article, “In a Web site promoting a campaign by the American Library Association, librarians ride Harleys, surf and skateboard. They are young and hip. They wear dreadlocks and practice yoga. And like Ms. Garzolini, they are known to enjoy an occasional night at a bar. There is a cook and caterer, a “popular culture junkie” who started a hip-hop program for the Cleveland library and a “surfer dude” who owns a record company.”

Literacy–Thesaurus
Invisible Web
Canadian Literacy Thesaurus
From the site, “a bilingual list of standardized vocabulary in the area of adult literacy. Developed in consultation with the Canadian literacy community, both the terminology and structure of the Thesaurus reflect the diversity of regional literacy practices and activities across Canada.” The thesuarus can be keyword searched.

Full-Text Resource Shelf (6 Items)
Science & Technology–Australia
Source: Parlimentary Library, Parliament of Australia
Cultivating Innovation (E-Brief)
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Information Technology Industry–Canada
Source: Industry Canada
The ICT Industry in Canada
3 pages .pdf
See Also: ICT Statistical Overview
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Credit Cards–Canada
Source: Industry Canada
Credit Card Costs
Overview, compatitive chart, and rates over time graph.
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Transportation–United Kingdom–Statistics
Source: Department for Transport, Local Government and the Region
Transport Statistics
A major portion of the site has been updated.
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Vital Statistics–United States
Source: National Center for Health Statistics
National Vital Statistics Report:
Births, Marriages, Divorces, and Deaths: Provisional Data for January-December 2000
8 pages .pdf
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Information Security–U.S. Department of Commerce
Source: GAO
Information Security: Weaknesses Place Commerce Data and Operations at Serious Risk
48 pages .pdf

Web Monitoring Tools
News Alert Tools
Tracerlock Adds New Service, Free Trial
Word today from Tracerlock that this well known web monitoring service has added a news monitoring tool. According to the site, this new service monitors “hundreds” of web news sites for new content. When a new article appears on one of these sites matches term(s) on your keyword list you will be informed via e-mail within 15 minutes. This new service is free to try until September 10th, then it will be available by subscription. All other Tracerlock monitoring services will continue to be available for free.More on this later.

Web Search–Images
Web Search–Legal Issues
Source: Newsbytes
“Appeals Court To Consider ‘Fair Use’ Of Online Images”
From the article, “The question of whether or not a “visual search engine” has “fair use” of copyrighted images will be considered Sept. 10 by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in California.”
See Also: Read The Decision from the District Court (U.S. District Court, Central District of California, Southern Division)

Artificial Intelligence
Source: Lingua Franca
“The Know-It-All Machine”
This cover story from Lingua Franca tells us about Cyc. From the article, “Ever since 1984, [Doug Lenat], the former Stanford professor has been sitting in Cyc’s Austin, Texas, headquarters and writing down the platitudes of our “consensus reality”�all the basic facts that we humans know about the world around us: “Water is wet”; “Everyone has a mother”; “When you let go of things they usually fall.” Cyc currently has a database of about 1.5 million of these key assertions. Taken together, they are helping Lenat create what he calls the first true artificial intelligence (AI)�a computer that will be able to speak in English, reason about the world, and, most unnerving, learn on its own. Cyc is easily the biggest and most ambitious AI project on the planet, and by the time it’s completed, it will probably have consumed Lenat’s entire career.” Learn about the work Cyc did with Hotbot.
See Also: Direct to the Cyc Site
See Also: Listen to a 1997 NPR Interview with Doug Lenat

Acquisitions
Source: News.Com
Amazon Makes Move to Get More Business From Libraries
From the article, “The new Corporate Accounts Program allows institutional purchasers to create a managed account with a payment method other than credit card, by which they can buy books, software, videos and other goods online, the company announced Wednesday.” “Under the new program, Amazon is also offering online account management tools designed for corporate and institutional buyers. Account holders will have access to an online order history for all account purchases; a consolidated, line-item bill for all account activity; and the option to receive an e-mail notification every time a purchase is made.”

Resource Sharing–Canada
Source: National Library of Canada Bulletin
“A Canadian Information Resource Sharing Strategy”

New/Recently Updated Material from the CRS (Congressional Research Service)
Global Climate Change: Market-Based Strategies to Reduce Greenhouse Gases
17 pages .pdf
Global Climate Change
19 pages .pdf
Environmental Protection Issues in the 107th Congress
15 pages .pdf
Monetary Policy: Current Policy and Conditions
16 pages .pdf

Full-Text Document Shelf
European Union–Pathfinders
Accessing European Union Information
A 48 page .pdf pathfinder prepared by the Office of Press and Public Affairs at the European Commission Delegation in Washington D.C.

Census 2000–United States
Demographics–United States
Additional Summary File 1 (Detailed Demographic Info, by State) Now Available
This Week:
Arkansas
Mississippi
Texas

Cultural Institutions–Worldwide
New Searchable Directory: “Windows to Culture”
A new UNESCO sponsored directory of culture institutions from around the World. From the news release, “The directory, which soon after its launch has more than 400 entries, lists culture faculties and universities, foundations, international organizations, ministries of culture, national agencies and organizations of national scope, networks and culturenets, non-governmental organizations, and regional organizations research institutes.”
See Also: Direct to “Windows to Culture” Database

Copyright–United States
Invisible Web
Official Launch Of New Search System from U.S. Copyright Office
From the news release, “Users can search copyright records dating back to 1978 in three categories: General Works, consisting of books, music, films, maps, and software; Serials, such as magazines and newspapers; and Documents, such as contracts, licenses, and wills that relate to copyright ownership.”
See Also: Direct to the New Copyright Search System
See Also: New Search System Called a Band-Aid (from FCW)

Online Translation Tools–Russian
Rustran
Translate English-Russian, Russian-English

Wildland Fires–United States
A Compilation of Resources from the National Interagency Fire Information Center
–National Fire News (Updated Daily)
–The National “Sit Report” (Updated Daily)
–National Fire Maps (Materials for Various Agencies)

Full-Text Document Shelf (3 Items)
PAC (Political Action Committees)–United States–Statistics
Source: FEC
Semi-Annual Federal PAC Count
See Also: PAC Chart
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Child Care–United States–Statistics
Source: U.S. Census
State Estimates of Child Care Establishments: 1977 - 1997
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Aviation Safety–Statistics
Source: Boeing
Statistical Summary of Commercial Jet Airplane Accidents (1959-2000)
22 pages .pdf

Web Search
Back in D.C. After the Search Engine Strategies Conference, Comments from J.D.
Back after spending some time attending and speaking at the SES Conference in San Francisco. Online Journalism Review contributor and research guru J.D. Lasica shares a few of the tips he picked up at the conference. I’m thrilled to say that several come from yours truly.

Web Search–Teoma
Source: Information Today NewsBreaks
Richard Wiggins Shares A Few Thoughts About Teoma
From the article, “� In the 2 short years since Google was in beta, it has captured the fancy of searchers both novice and expert. Arguably, Google is the heavyweight champ of search engines. Now a new contender, Teoma, has strutted into the ring, seeking to provide the knockout blow. Teoma is currently in beta but has been garnering a lot of interest in the search community. In a telephone interview, Paul Gardi, president and CEO of Teoma, explained to me why he has such confidence.”
See Also: Direct to Teoma (Beta)

Info Industry–LexisNexis
Nexis.Com Receives An Upgrade
From the news release, “With our next generation nexis.com, businesses get the on-point information they need easily and efficiently. Listening to customers, we enhanced nexis.com to be as easy to use as any Web search engine, but with superior content not available elsewhere,” [Bill] Pardue [chief executive officer and president of Corporate and Federal Markets of LexisNexis Group] said.
See Also: Direct to Nexis.Com

Online Research
Source: AP
Poll: Students Say Web Is Great Help
Although it’s not unexpected, the following quote from this article leaves me WORRIED! From the article, Most students depend on the Internet to get their stuff,” said 16-year-old Jeff Sands of Horsham, Pa. “You can most find anything by going onto Yahoo,” an Internet search engine.

American Memory Project
American History–Civil War
New Resource: Civil War Treasures from the New-York Historical Society
From the site, “The images in this digital collection are drawn from the New-York Historical Society’s rich archival collections that document the Civil War. They include recruiting posters for New York City regiments of volunteers; stereographic views documenting the mustering of soldiers and of popular support for the Union in New York City; photography showing the war’s impact, both in the north and south; and drawings and writings by ordinary soldiers on both sides.”

Health–Global
Source: Federal Computer Week
New Resource: HHS Links to Global Health
From the article, “The Department of Health and Human Services last week announced the launch of a Web site that addresses the link between U.S. and international health issues.”
See Also: Direct to the GlobalHealth.Gov Site

Business–Lists and Rankings
Source: Working Woman
The Working Woman 500

Full-Text Resource Shelf
Western Wildfires–United States
Source: National Climatic Data Center
Western U.S. Wildfires

Business–Lists and Rankings
Source: Fortune
100 Fastest-Growing Companies-2001
From the article, “To make the list, compiled by Zacks Investment Research, companies had to have been publicly traded for at least three years and have revenue and market caps of at least $50 million.”

Web Search
Source: Wired
“Relevant Info on Search Engines”
The “research oriented” searcher needs to have as much knowledge as possible about all of the engines. Relevancy is in the eyes of the user but many times these engines associate relevancy with a click on a link not on the information the web page provides.

Cataloging of Web Material
Bibliographic Control of Web Resources: A Library of Congress Action Plan
LC would welcome your comments through the end of September. Btw, make sure to take a look at some of the presentations linked on the left side of the page. They were presented at the Bicentennial Conference on Bibliographic Control for the New Millennium: Confronting the Challenge of Networked Resources and the Web, held on November 15-17, 2000.

Technical Reports–Web Access
National Technical Information Service
Source: Federal Register
NTIS Has Plans, Seeks Comments
From the announcement, “NTIS is seeking public comment on its proposal to (a) Make a portion of the NTIS Database available to the public at its web site and (b) assist users in locating free copies of reports described in that portion of the Database.”…”NTIS is proposing to make available at its web site without charge complete bibliographic information, including abstracts, about all technical reports entered into its collection since 1997, when NTIS began scanning all new acquisitions into electronic format. In addition, if the agency that created the document makes it available for downloading at that agency’s web site, NTIS expects to provide a cross-link that takes the user to that site. The link will be permanent, ensuring the availability of that document even if the agency that created it moves it or takes it off the Web.”

Info Industry–ProQuest
Genealogical Research
ProQuest Acquires Heritage Quest, Largest Genealogical Information Provider in the United States
From the announcement, “”Genealogical research is a top-ranked hobby in the United States, with over 70 million active participants,” said Joe Reynolds, president and chief executive officer of ProQuest Information and Learning. “Most people rely on local libraries to help them find the information they need. With the addition of Heritage Quest information to our own collection of some 7 million pages of content, we’ll be able to provide libraries and their users with the most comprehensive collection of genealogical information available anywhere designed specifically for use in libraries. “

Professional Reading
1) “Shaping the Web: Why the Politics of Search Engines Matters”
by L. Introna and H. Nissenbaum
38 pages .pdf
2) “Next Generation Web Search: Setting Our Sites”
by Marti A. Hearst

Web Search–Netscape
Source: Reuters
“Netscape Revamps Search Engine”
From the article, “The new version, one of the largest search directories on the Internet with close to 3 million sites, includes 22 new vertical specialized search engines available right from the index page…Unlike the older Netscape version that only searched for titles and descriptions of Web pages, the revamped version digs deeper and looks for individual Web pages within its directory.”
See Also: Complete Netscape Press Release
Notes: Netscape uses Open Directory Project data. At the bottom of the search results page Netscape offers a link to “Search again for with Google”. This is not a complete version of the Google database.

Full-Text Document Shelf (3 Items)
Education–United States–Statistics
Source: NCES
Projection of Education Statistics To 2011
From the site, “This publication provides projections for key education statistics. It includes statistics on enrollment, graduates, teachers, and expenditures in elementary and secondary schools, and enrollment and graduates of degree-granting institutions. For the Nation, the tables, figures, and text contain data on enrollment, teachers, graduates, and expenditures for the past 14 years and projections to the year 2011.”
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Occupational Safety–United States
Source: BLS
National Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries in 2000
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Energy Industry–United States–Statistics
Source: EIA
Financial News for Major Energy Companies
“Reviews recent financial performance of major U.S. energy companies. Data presented are for April through June 2001.”