Web Search–Daypop
Daypop, A Search Engine For Weblog and News Content, Is Back Online
Dan Chan has his wonderful resource running at its new home in the Bay Area.
Update: As of 11/28 Daypop is Down Again

The Internet Archive
The Wayback Machine
Source: New Scientist
Meet the Founder of The Wayback Machine: A Conversation With Brewster Kahle
Kahle discusses many topics in this fact-filled interview. An informative read.
See Also: Direct to The Wayback Machine
See Also: “Software Aims to Put Your Life on a Disk” (via New Scientist)
From the article, “Engineers are working on software to load every photo you take, every letter you write – in fact your every memory and experience – into a surrogate brain that never forgets anything, New Scientist can reveal It is part of a curious venture dubbed the MyLifeBits project, in which engineers at Microsoft’s Media Presence lab in San Francisco are aiming to build multimedia databases that chronicle people’s life events and make them searchable. “Imagine being able to run a Google-like search on your life,” says Gordon Bell, one of the developers.”

Public Company Research–EDGAR
Completely Free to Access, Search: A New Full-Text EDGAR Database Debuts On the Web
Say hello to EDGAR IQ, a recently launched database that�s free to access and provides searchable full-text access to the complete document. Many other services that provide free access to EDGAR filings DO NOT provide searchable keyword access to complete document. These services only provide searchable access to document header information. Here are a few quick points about the database and Inverito Inc., the company that provides the service.
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About EDGAR IQ
* A company spokesperson labeled the current version as a �beta plus�. Be ready for changes.
* Inverito is based in Silicon Valley. The company is owned and managed by four former WiseNut employees.
* No plans in the �foreseeable future� to charge for access to the database.
* EDGAR IQ is currently updated daily but a real-time feed and with e-mail alerts should be available in the next few months.
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A Bit About Searching EDGAR IQ
* The search interface is simple and straightforward. One search box allows you to enter a company name or ticker symbol. If you enter a company name and several possibilities exist you�ll be prompted with a clickable list to help you narrow. Entering a ticker symbol will resolve into the correct company name. You can enter up to 10 ticker symbols, company names per search. Make sure to place a comma between them.
* The other search box allows you enter keywords. You can �not� out a term with a minus sign.
* The default search is two years but can be changed with a couple of quick clicks. Material in the database begins in 1996.
* If you want to find specific keywords within a company filing you can enter a company name in one box and keywords in the other box.
* After selecting a document, your search terms will be highlighted inside the document.
* A results page provides the ability to sort documents by document type
Each result page also provides a hypertext hierarchy as to industry. For example, Boeing falls in the Manufacturing -> Transportation Equipment -> Aircraft And Parts -> Aircraft hierarchy. Clicking on any of these terms allows you to a list of all companies in the category. Categories are built using SIC data.
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I�ll continue investigate and “try out” EDGAR IQ and report back on whatever else I discover. Because the product is still in beta, Inverito Inc./Edgar IQ would welcome your comments.

Digital Libraries
The National Library of Medicine Awards 52 Digital Library Grants
From the site, “The National Library of Medicine (NLM) announces 52 awards in its new Internet Access to Digital Libraries (IADL) grant program. The purpose of the IADL grants is to help health-related organizations provide consumers, health professionals and health staff with access to digital health information resources and information services of the highest quality. These projects will use computers linked to the Internet to give access to published articles and books, electronic health records, curriculum materials and scientific knowledge bases. The FY 2002 IADL awards, amounting to just over $4 million.”
See Also: Direct to List of Grant Recipients

Resources, Tools and Full-Text Documents (3 Items)
Higher Education–United States–Lists & Rankings
Source: The Chronicle of Higher Education
Students & Scholars Abroad
From the collection, “Data on study abroad by American students and on foreign students and scholars in the United States, including foreign enrollments at American institutions, those students’ national origins, and American colleges sending the most students abroad.”
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Education–United States–Projections
Source: NCES
Web Version Now Available, Projections of Education Statistics to 2012
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Dance–Webliography
Source: C&RL News
Dance: A Guide to Web Resources
Compiled and written by Carol Hansen a librarian in the Stewart Library at Weber State University in Ogden, Utah.

Web Resource of the Week
Web Resource Compilations
A Free Service from the BNA Library, Web Watch
BNA (The Bureau of National Affairs) is a well-known and respected publisher of news and analysis tools dealing with legal and regulatory issues in business and government. On Wednesday, Laura Gordon-Murnane, a librarian and BNA’s Intranet Webmaster, introduced a new and free service called Web Watch. From the site, “…you will find links to government, industry, and academic resources on selected topics spanning the breadth of BNA coverage. New subjects will be posted weekly, and new resources will also be added to existing topics.” From ozone issues to workplace safety, from aviation security to broaband, you’ll find an amazing collection of useful and authoritative resources and reports. This “must have” site and is not only a useful directory (worthy of sharing with patrons) but an excellent collection development and alerting tool to locate new content for your web site and bookmark files. Kudos to BNA and Laura for providing this service.

Online Databases
Source: The Washington Post
“Free Web Research Link Closed Under Pressure From Pay Sites”
This article discusses the shutdown of PubScience. From the article, “The decision alarmed researchers in and out of the federal government, who worry that services operated by other federal agencies might be forced to give way to private gatekeepers that would control access to information and research, much of which was created with public money. Government agencies maintain extensive databases and search engines for information on medicine, agriculture, finance and other disciplines.” This article goes on to note the Federal Computer Week article (see last Thursday’s VAS&ND postings) about the SIIA (Software & Information Industry Association) targeting two other databases. Since I posted the FCW story last week, I’ve heard through a reliable grapevine Global Legal Information Network is one of the targets. I’ve also received a conflicting report that Agricola is the other target. Only time will tell. Stay tuned.
See Also: SIIA News Release on the PubScience closure.

World History
Source: The Guardian
Digital Archive of British Newsreels Goes Online
From the article, “…archive of 3,500 hours of news bulletins starting in the era of silent cinema in 1902, when Pathe News opened in Britain, and ending in 1970…Some 15,000 hits were counted on the site by lunchtime yesterday and 3,500 people downloaded film clips. Clips are free at present [for personal use] but web pages already have forms which would allow prices to be charged. A spokesman for Pathe News, which is owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust Group, said subscriptions would be introduced in several years’ time, “but they will not be prohibitively expensive”. He added: “The site will be immensely useful to historians and to others. There are enough footballers on it to keep a fan going for months.” A long-running complaint against Pathe News was that it followed the views of governments too closely in framing news for its mass audiences. A tendency towards propaganda is reflected in the archive.”
See Also: Direct to the British Pathe Web Site
See Also: NewsPlayer
“Re-live the events of the past hundred years, witness them at first hand as they happened. Newsplayer brings you video footage of music, fashion, art, lifestyle, sport, crime, royalty, weather, showbiz, wildlife, transport, science and war. All live and uncut historic events.” This U.K. based subscription site costs about �25/$40 per year.
See Also: FrostTV
A database (fee-based, �25/$40 per year) of hundred of interviews (searchable/viewable online) of interviews conducted by David Frost.

Topics in the News
Iraq Inspections: Selected Resources
I’ve prepared a short webliography of resources relating to the U.N. and IAEA inspections in Iraq.
From the International Atomic Energy Agency
1) IAEA and Iraq Page
2) General Schedule
3) Press Releases and Statements
4) Chronology
5) Additional Background and Reference Resources
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From UNOVIC (United Nations Monitoring, Verification, and Inspection Commission)
1) UNOVIC Home Page
2) Bio of Hans Blix
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From the UN Cartographic Office
1) Map of Iraq
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Congressional Research Service Reports
Iraq: The Turkish Factor
Iraq: Former and Recent Military Confrontations With the United States
Iraq: Weapons Threat, Compliance, Sanctions, and U.S. Policy
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House of Commons (U.K.) Library Research Papers
Iraq and the UN Security Council Resolution 1441
Iraq: the debate on policy options
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Other Resources
GlobalSecurity.Org
Includes Satellite Images of Various Locations in Iraq ||| Direct Link to Iraq Section
Weapons of Mass Destruction (via Federation of American Scientists)
UNSCOM Web Site

Web Search–Inktomi
Inktomi Introduces New Web Search Features
New features of greatest interest to the searcher from the Web Search 9 release include:
1) Inktomi Claims they Are Refreshing Their Complete Database Every 10-14 Days
3) Smarter Summaries
“Document summaries returned in search results are culled from algorithmic and editorial sources and selected based on user context and intent. Users receive abstracts that are more useful in understanding search results than simple computer-generated page summaries.”
3) Improved Relevance
This can only be determined after we have time to try out these new features.
What Else is New
A) PDF and other Microsoft Office Formats Accessible (.doc, .ppt, .xls)
B) Claiming Database Size is Over 3 Billions Pages
B) Inktomi Now Provides Single Database to its Partners. Previously, many chunks of the database were available. However, because different partners offer different features and tweak the relevancy algorithm you will still see different result sets.
C) A Primary Focus of Inktomi Going Forward Will Be Developing Tools To Better Understand User Intent. As an info pro knows this is a major challenge and why “traditional” reference interview skills are still crucial.
Where Can I Check Out These New Features?
As most of you know Inktomi doesn’t offer its own interface but sells search services to many sites including MSN Search and Hotbot. The new features and content will roll out over the next few weeks.
See Also: Inktomi Press Release
See Also: Learn More About Inktomi, It’s Partners, History, and More via Search Engine Showdown

Professional Reading Shelf
Librarianship
“Reference Work in Our Web World � Integrating Internet and Traditional Sources”
A few comments by George Plosker, Vice President for Content Support, at Gale. Before we go any further I would like to thank him for including the ResourceShelf and a few of my others resources in this article. Plosker writes, “Let’s be blunt: information professionals, particularly reference librarians, have had a tentative relationship with the Internet and the World Wide Web. Initially viewed with distrust and perhaps even scorn, librarians have slowly recognized the added value that the Web brings to their ability to answer a broader range of patron questions. Now, finally, there is the widespread acceptance that either alone or in combination with more traditional resources, the Web expands the capabilities of reference professionals.” He ends the column with, “The bottom line: today’s reference professional needs to think broadly and creatively to meet user needs in a Web-conscious world.” No arguments here. In fact, George’s bottom line is VERY similar to the mindset I have when finding, annotating, and creating content for this site. An equal challenge is marketing, advertising, call it what you want, the resources, tools, and skills the information professional can provide.

Information Quality
Source: AP
Whales in Lake Michigan? Another Story for Your “Well it Was on the Web” File
After a news source for teachers runs a story that whales live in Lake Michigan, a reader questions this so called fact. The news source first stands by the story but later learn that the web page they were using as a source was a joke. Not only does it illustrate bad journalism but it also shows how easy it is to dupe someone with a web site and bad information. The reporter should take Journalism 101 over again.

Resources, Tools and Full-Text Documents (2 Items)
Philanthropy–United States–Databases
Source: Foundation Center
New Database, 9/11 Funding Database
From the site, “The Center will continuously update it as new information becomes available. This interactive database provides users with a versatile tool for locating the latest information on a wide range of institutional donors, grant recipients, and grants made following September 11. According to Center staff, users can search the database to find out how much a specific corporation or foundation gave and to which organizations. The database also makes it possible to look at donors and recipients in various geographic areas, as well as the organizations receiving funds in human services, arts and culture, immigrant rights, foreign policy research, and other service areas. In the future the Center will add information about distributions from relief funds in order to increase understanding of the long-term impact of 9/11 contributions.”
See Also: Full-Text Report,
Giving in the Aftermath of 9/11: An Update on the Foundation and Corporate Response
Summary ||| Direct to Full-Text
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Information Technology–Lists & Rankings
Source: InfoWorld
2002 InfoWorld 100
“Companies that have made the best use of technology to enhance their business.”

Information Industry–Dialog
Dialog Set to Launch a “Very Searchable” Version of the WHOIS Database
It’s taken many years but finally a major online vendor, Dialog, is set to launch a version of the WHOIS domain name registration database (file 225) available. Cool! For a long time I have thought that WHOIS would be a very useful marketing (who owns what), competitive intelligence (what names were recently added/deleted), and business research tool if you could perform a variety of searches and get more than 25 results. According to Dialog the new database will have up to 78 indexable fields and contain historic WHOIS data. I hope to have more to say after I spend some time “trying out” the new product. An upcoming “must read article” will be Mary Ellen Bates review of the new resource in an upcoming issue of Online.
See Also: Genie Tyburski’s article, “Find Domain Names Owned By Companies or Individuals”
The article offers several search tips including info on record availability as well as links two to services currently offering a WHOIS database.

Digital Libraries
Full-Text Books Online
Source: NPR
Learn About: The International Children�s Digital Library
From the story, The library, a joint project of the University of Maryland and the Internet Archive, is billed as the world’s largest digital library for children. Every page of Alice in Wonderland and 200 other books have been scanned into the International Children’s Digital Library’s collection…Eventually, 10,000 texts from 100 cultures are planned.” You can listen to the complete report from All Things Considered online. You’ll need to have Real Audio. Additional details via an IMLS news release. Even more from The Library of Congress.
See Also: Direct to the International Children’s Digital Library

Online Industry–Verity
Online Industry–Inktomi
Source: Information Today
Analysis of the Verity/Inktomi Deal
Avi Rappaport, the well known and highly respected search analyst and proprietor of one of the search world’s most informative sites, SearchTools.Com, takes a look at last weeks announcement

Web Search
Issues in Web Searching: Diacritics
Bottom Line? Each engines handles them in a different manner. Examples and tips from Search Engine Showdown’s, Greg Notess.

Resources, Tools and Full-Text Documents (4 Items)
Legal Industry–United States–Lists & Rankings
Source: National Law Journal
National Law Journal 250 (Largest Law Firms in the U.S.), 2002
See Also: Direct to NLJ 250 Chart
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Science–United States–Lists & Rankings
Source: Scientific American
The Scientific American 50 Award
From the site, “Through their many accomplishments in 2001-2002, they have demonstrated clear, progressive views of what our technological future could be, as well as the leadership, knowledge and expertise essential to realizing those visions.” Companies and people on the list familiar to the information profession include Lawrence Lessig and In-Q-Tel, Inc.
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Schools–Crime and Safety–United States–Statistics
Source: National Center for Education Statistics, Bureau of Justice Statistics
Full-Text Report, Indicators of School Crime and Safety, 2002
Summary/Access to Spreadsheets ||| Direct to Full-Text
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Stem Cell Research
Source: Department of the Parliamentary Library, Australian Parliament
Full-Text Research Report, An Introduction to Stem Cell Research

Web Search–AlltheWeb
Tweaks at AlltheWeb
A couple of useful “tweaks” at AtW.
1) Dynamic Snippets and Descriptions Now Part of AtW Result Pages
AtW search result pages now include both a dynamically generated snippet (aka keywords in context) along with a “description” generated from the meta description tag IF it’s been used by the page author.
Example A: Search for Airports, Runways, and “Control Towers”, Limited to .Gov Sites
Below the snippet (search terms bolded) you’ll see a description generated from the meta tag.
Example B: Search for “Library of Congress”
2) AlltheWeb News
You can now sort/view results by date as well as relevance. I’ve also noticed improved results and a reduced amount of duplication.

Web Search Habits
Source: NUA.IE
People Just Look at the First Few Results and Other Search Engine Statistics
A few numbers from a recent study. Principle of least effort, instant gratification, whatever you want to call it is very evident here. The numbers say many things but perhaps illustrate that a well trained info pro will have plenty to share with the patron/user on how to improve his/her search habits. For many “advanced searching” is placing phrases inside of quotation marks. Actually, suggesting to place a phrase or name in quotes is a very quick and easily understood tip an info pro can share with a searcher.
1) “According to a recent study from iProspect, three-quarters of Internet users use search engines. However, 16 percent of Internet users only look at the first few search results, while 32 percent will read through to the bottom of the first page.”
2) “The study also indicates that 52.1 percent of Internet users choose the same search engine or directory when searching for information, while 35 percent alternate among a number of favorite search properties.”
3) “Just 13 percent of users said that they use different search engines for different types of searches.”
4) “Only 7.5 percent of Internet users said they refined their search with additional keywords in cases where they were unable to achieve satisfactory results.”