Specialized Web Search–Scirus
Science Resources
Scirus Debuts Enhanced Search Tool
Word from Elsevier, the organization that owns Scirus, that they are online with an “enhanced” and hopefully improved version of their science search tool. What’s new? According to the company Scirus has an easier to use interface, a fresher index of content (the Scirus web index is provided by Fast), and word that the engine has formed an advisory board of scientists and librarians to advise “on development” of the engine. Actions speak louder than words and I’m looking forward to testing. In the past Scirus results have been less than impressive. I haven’t had a chance to run some sample searches yet but you might want to compare your results with what P�ter Jacs� found when he reviewed Scirus last June. More later.
See Also: Direct link to Scirus

Information Industry–OCLC
Used Books
OCLC and Abebooks Make A Deal
From the Abebooks news release, “Users will be able to link to the abebooks web site (www.abebooks.com) to source out-of-print, secondhand, and rare copies of the books they are looking for in OCLC’s WorldCat, the world’s largest bibliographic database, through the OCLC FirstSearch service, an online reference service. In turn, visitors to the Abebooks web site who cannot find what they are looking for will have the option to find the title in their local library through WorldCat.” The OCLC announcement tells us that this new service can be turned on and off by each subscribing library. Also from OCLC, “This alliance is part of OCLC’s global strategic initiative to “weave libraries into the Web,” giving libraries greater visibility and expanding the availability of WorldCat for information seekers. The partnerships also allow libraries that use the FirstSearch to offer a wider range of services and materials to their users by providing online access to partner services. The first step in this program was the link from FirstSearch to the Alibris bookseller’s web site in October 2001. Since that time, OCLC has signed partnerships with the following organizations: the Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America, Bowker’s booksinprint.com and Gale Group’s InfoTrac. Links to these partners from the OCLC FirstSearch service will be implemented in the next few months.”
See Also: OCLC/Alibris Announcement and Links (via VAS&ND 10/19/01)

Public Companies–United States
Companies A to Z from Business 2.0
Direct links to key resources and related full-text articles (no charge) from Fortune and Business 2.0. Links for the top 200 companies in the Fortune 500 plus “major players” in key industries.

Information Quality
Source: The Virtual Chase
“Assess the Quality of the Information at a Web Site”
Short and to-the-point with respect to the steps readers can take to avoid relying on bad information.

Resources, Tools and Documents
New Edition of Standard Reference Tool Now Available: Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2001
Highlights and Fast Facts ||| Direct to Full-Text (Available by Chapter)

This entry was posted on Friday, January 25th, 2002 and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.