Web Search–Google
Source: News.Com
Brin Comments on Google IPO
From the article, Brin discussed the reasons for not rushing an IPO during an on-stage interview with technology guru Esther Dyson at the PC Forum technology conference…”That’s a lot of work, and I’m lazy,” Brin joked. “It requires filling out a lot of forms. The S1, in particular, seems like a really long one,” he said, referring to the form required by the government to start the IPO process. “Thus far, laziness has won out,” he added. “There are so many other things for us to do.” More seriously, Brin explained that competitors would gain insight on Google’s finances. He added that going public could cause the company to focus too closely on short-term financial concerns and distract employees who watch the day-to-day movements of the stock…The financial reward to employees is one of the compelling reasons for an eventual IPO, Brin said. “So, we can’t avoid it forever.”

Resources, Reports, Tools, and Full-Text Documents ( 5 Items)
Media Coverage–Iraq
Source: Department of the Parliamentary Library, Parliament of Australia
Full-Text Report, Media Under Fire: Reporting Conflict in Iraq
Also available as html file.
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War in Iraq–Economics
Source: Department of the Parliamentary Library, Parliament of Australia
Full-Text Report, Economics of War with Iraq
Also available as html file.
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War In Iraq
Source: Department of the Parliamentary Library, Parliament of Australia
Full-Text Report, Turkish Intervention in Northern Iraq
Also available as html file
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Congressional Research Service
Source: Law Librarians’ Society of Washington
New Web Accessible Collection, “Selected Congressional Research Service Reports on Congress and Its Procedures”
“The site includes some 36 alphabetically arranged CRS reports, most of which have never before been made available on the Web.”
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Energy–Statistics
Source: EIA
New Edition, Full-Text: International Energy Annual 2001

Virtual Reference
The Wondir Project Announces Beta Test
Matt Koll, co-founder of the Wondir project has let us know that a “concentrated” beta test is scheduled for this Wednesday night from 9-10pm EST. From Matt, “Please come to www.wondir.org during that hour and help us test the system. Feel free to ask questions. And even more important, please jump in and answer a question or two if you see anything on the ticker that you think you can be helpful with. If you register, and answer a question, you will be eligible to win prizes in the weekly Wondir drawing. wondir.org is a place where you can get instant answers to your questions. The Wondir Question Ticker can put your question in front of thousands of eyeballs instantly. And you can see what other people are asking right now. Ask or answer any question by instant messaging (or by posting or by email). Get help with homework, life problems, or anything else on your mind. Help others with their questions. Share your knowledge, experience and interests. Or just watch the stream of questions! Wondir is a free site run by a nonprofit organization. Our goal is to have a big open place where people can ask and answer questions easily. You don’t even have to register to use it. Although, if you decide to register, you can receive tips ($$$) from people you help, and win prizes.”

Web Directories
Source: News.Com
Search engines find new results
In a nutshell, directories are out in the commercial search engine world. This is why (you’ve heard it here many times) resources like RDN, LII, InfoMine, and others (did you see the review of AcademicInfo ten days ago?), are so important and useful.

Enterprise Search–FAST Search & Transfer
FAST Launches New Version of Enterprise Search Tool
Two new features: Live Analytics and the Business Manager�s Control Panel � “The Business Manager�s Control Panel merges the needs of searchers with the business goals of the organization. Utilizing an easy-to-use interface, business managers can tune the search attributes of the data source to ensure specific user search queries return the best combination of results that optimize both the relevance for the end-user and reflect business objectives, while freeing IT resources to concentrate on other tasks.”

Professional Reading Shelf
Institutional Repositories
Full-Text Article, “Institutional Repositories: Essential Infrastructure for Scholarship in the Digital Age”
An article by Clifford Lynch.
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Academic Libraries
Source: ARL
News Release: Annual Salary Survey for 2002-03 Published
From the release, “The 2002-03 data show that ARL librarians’ salaries are barely keeping up with inflation. The combined median salary for U.S. and Canadian ARL universities was $51,636, an increase of only 1.8% over last year. The Consumer Price Index in the U.S. increased by 1.5% last year and in Canada by 2.1%.”

Resources, Reports, Tools, and Full-Text Documents
Chemical Weapons
Source: NLM
New MEDLINEplus Compilation: Chemical Weapons

Information Visualization–Groxis
Source: Forbes
More About Groxis
ResourceShelf linked to a NY Times article about this product in November. The October post also has links to some other info visualization tools.

Two Current Awareness Tools Return to the Web
Speech and Transcript Center Compilation Returns
After being dormant for over a year, the Speech and Transcript Center is back online focusing on the Iraq situation. This compilation features the full-text transcripts of speeches, news conferences, etc. from government and other World leaders. I’m also adding useful full-text reports and reference resources to the page.
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Streaming Audio/Compilation Compilation is Back Online
Another compilation that was full of broken and removed links is in the process of being updated. The page focuses on sources to monitor news from numerous global broadcasters.

Web Search–Google
“Google�s Human Touch”
Where should I start? The article begins by doing a great job of reinforcing the librarian stereotype. “In the good old days, if you had a question, you’d head to the library to do your research. And if you were still stumped, the nice librarian with the horn-rimmed glasses would gladly help.” It continues with the sentence, “Search engines such as Yahoo!, AltaVista, and Google have largely replaced those library trips.” All of that in the first two paragraphs! The author continues on with a the virtues of Google Answers making no mention of the free virtual reference services available from libraries. Also, no mention of remotely accessible databases. The article does contain a mention of Jessamyn West’s experience as a Google Researcher. Nevertheless, this article once again shows that while we may be building some great services and more importantly have the skills to help others find answers/use these tools, many of the people we are trying to offer these services to think the “open web” and Google Answers is it! Sad.
UPDATE: I telephoned the writer of this article and at about 10pm Friday she got back to me. I briefly explained that libraries and library services (databases, virtual reference, non-commercial directories) are available. After hearing my explanation, she told me that she had “no idea” that all of these services and content is available from today’s public and academic library. Good news, It looks like these ideas will become stories that she’ll write in the next few months. Let’s keep our fingers crossed.
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Now, Take a Look at the Next Post

Information Quality
Source: Cleveland Plain Dealer
“Students and teachers cope with Web misinformation”
From the article, “Students say they often simply “Google” homework assignments. They visit the search tool google.com, type in their research subject and pick out the first few Web sites that appear on the list. That hit-and-miss approach often produces bad information, experts say. Teachers and librarians, who see more at stake than bad homework assignments, are revamping coursework and giving younger students a new, tough assignment: to think critically about whether the information they are getting is real, valid and accurate…Students tend to go to the Web and graze and don’t make any distinctions of what they are popping into their brains,” said Earnestine Adeyemon, librarian at Case Western Reserve University.of the Web, because they are Internet savvy, they don’t want to read anymore,” said Adeyemon, who also works with high school students. “They’ve lost a critical step in [research].” Why do libraries (school, public) offer remotely accessible databases if these students and educators don’t use them and just run to Google or Dogpile (give me a break). Do the students know “library databases” are available from home 24×7x365? Do the teachers know? Is it another marketing issue? Do they know reference books still exist and can be found in the library? Does the educator understand the many differences in types of resources? At the same time do they know (so it can be taught) how to judge web site authority? Can students and teachers exploit any part of a search engines technology to help focus searches/increase precision. Doing this could help improve the likelihood of accessing quality material.

Resources, Reports, Tools, and Full-Text Documents (6 Items)
Satellite Imagery
Source: Space Imaging
The Top 10 Ikonos Satellite Images of 2002
Includes a cool image gallery. Space Imaging sells these and other products to various markets. You can also look at the 2001 list.
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Intelligence–Reading List
Source: CIA
Updated: Intelligence Literature
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Political Parties–United States–Statistics
Source: FEC
New, Politcal Party Fundraising 2001-2002
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Education–Statistics–United States
Source: U.S. Census
Full-Text Report, Educational Attainment in the United States: March 2001 and March 2002
Summary and Direct Link to Tables
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Children–Canada–Guide Books
Source: Government of Canada
2003 Update, Services for Children: Guide to Government of Canada Services for Children and their Families
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Privacy–United States
Source: President�s Council on Integrity and Efficiency
Full-Text Report, Disclosure of Social Security Numbers
See Also: “IGs: Watch those Social Security numbers” (via GCN)

News Search–Google
Something New from Google News
A small tweak at Google News makes searching for material from a specific source easier. Let’s say you want to find material from the Chicago Tribune with the containing the keyword, Pentagon. Enter the terms, source first and the query will automatically rewrite itself with the syntax source:Chicago Tribune. This automatically limits your search to a single source. You are also given an option run a search on those specific terms. Note: In some cases the query will not auto rewrite itself but an option to limit to source is offered. For example: a search for the keyword train in The Guardian.

Library Filtering
Source: The Daily News (Longview, WA)
“Library Filtering Bill Passes Washington Senate”
From the article, “”Filters are far from perfect,” said the librarian, Karl Marcuson. “I’m not completely opposed to filters, but my position is that they should be voluntary. For example, a parent could come in and say, ‘I want a filter for the computer my child is using.’ That is what larger systems, like Multnomah County and Fort Vancouver, are doing…Marcuson said the library already asks patrons to use discretion when viewing Internet sites. The computers are near the reference desk, in full view of passers-by. But library policy doesn’t bar visits to certain Internet sites, he said.”

Professional Reading Shelf
The April/May Issue of the ASIST Bulletin is Now Online
This 30 page issue (pdf) includes 5 articles about the Semantic Web.
“More than a Vision”
“An Overview of W3C Semantic Web Activity”
“Semantic Web Services”
“Metadata: A Fundamental Component of the Semantic Web”
“Ontologies and the Semantic Web”
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Library Networks–Columbia
Source: CLIR
Full-Text, Biblored, Colombia’s Innovative Library Network
“This report describes Biblored, the library network in Bogot�, Colombia, that received the 2002 Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Access to Learning Award.”

Libraries–United States
Source: WAMU Radio
ALA President Mitch Freedman Interviewed on Public Radio (Real Audio)
“Mitch Freedman, president of the American Library Association, talks about the possible consequences of state budget cuts for libraries in more than 30 states, plus other issues affecting libraries and librarians.” Thanks to Library Juice for the news tip.

Information Industry–Yahoo
Yahoo Completes Acquisition of Inktomi
Inktomi is now a wholly-owned subsidiary of Yahoo.

Resources, Reports, Tools, and Full-Text Documents
Elections
Source: Pew Internet & American Life Project
New, Full-Text Report: Online campaigners, citizens, and portals in the 2002 elections
A summary is also available.

Digital Archives
Source: The Guardian
“Digital Dark Age”
ResourceShelf had ran an item on this story about six weeks. Today, more on the digital archiving bill currently working its way through Parliament. The bills sponsor Chris Mole says, “We need legislation now to ensure a substantial and vital part of the nation’s heritage is not lost,” he says. “We must ensure the 21st century is not written about in future centuries as a new Dark Age where significant data and records are missing because certain formats were not collected and saved for posterity.” From the article, “The dangers of delay are laid out in a report compiled last year by Electronic Publishing Services Ltd for the JCVD. Within the next three years the number of publications that exist purely as pdf, html or word files is expected to grow from 52,483 to 192,672 and the potential for loss is huge. The types of material at risk include national and local websites covering general elections and other historical data; resource discovery tools, such as the Applied Social Sciences Index and Abstract; major directories, such as Europe Info; bulletins, such as Oxford Economic Forecasting’s Weekly Brief; news sources, such as web-published opinion polls, web-published local and national government documents; and e-journals, such as Sociological Research Online.”

Information Industry–Nexcerpt
Nexcerpt Forms Strategic Alliance with EMM Group
Nexcerpt is one of the many tools I use to stay current with news and other events. I’ve been using it since it launched last month and so far I’ve been alerted to materials that I would have missed.