Search Briefs
+ Two New Beta Releases from Lycos (via SearchDay)
People Search is a rebranding of WhoWhere.com offering telephone and other data sources including direct links (labeled “professional profile”) to the Eliyon.com database. Eliyon aggregates data from a variety of open web sources. Be careful, some of these profiles might contain old, outdated info (you mean every web page doesn’t contain the most current data? (-;).
–
The other beta, Discussion Search, aggregates results from THOUSANDS (Lycos would not provide an exact number) of online discussion boards including Yahoo Groups. I agree with Chris, this is a very good idea and something that is long overdue. Some search result pages also offer direct links to “related organizations” and web pages based on your search terms. For example, this search for “search engines” offers a direct link to the InfoPeople “Best Search Tools” page.

Web Search–Google
View a Presentation By Google’s CEO Eric Schmidt
Eric Schmidt delivered this presentation (it runs about one hour) at UC Berkeley during the EECS Annual Research Symposium in February. You’ll need MS Media Player to view.
–
–
See Also: Seminar Presentation: Challenges in Running a Commercial Search Engine (3.5 MB; PDF)
From the IR perspective, interesting! A presentation by Amit Singhal, Senior Research Scientist at Google. It was the keynote address at IBM’s Second Search and Collaboration Seminar 2004 in Haifa.

Professional Reading Shelf
Internet Filters–Public Libraries
Source: Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
Porn filters expose flaws
From the article, “When John Mihelcik clicked on GasBuddy.com, a Web site that tracks retail gasoline prices across the country, a message popped up on the Mt. Lebanon Public Library computer: “Access Denied — the site you have chosen has been categorized as a sex site.” …In the seven weeks they have been mandatory, filters have disrupted hundreds of routine searches in public libraries, according to librarians and patrons. They say the filters have become a counterproductive hassle at best and, at worst, an impediment to the free flow of ideas, information and speech.”
See Also: Library will be checking in with public on Internet filters (via The Oregonian)
“A Multnomah County proposal requires filters for those 12 and younger but not for users 13 to 16 unless parents say otherwise.”
–
Citation Analysis
Source: In-Cites.com
The Top 5 Library & Information Science: High-Impact U.S. Universities, 1999-2003
–
Scholarly Publishing
Source: Houston Chronicle
Lawsuit alleges fraud in sale of subscriptions
From the article, “A federal judge has frozen the bank accounts of a Houston subscription company in a lawsuit involving multimillion-dollar fraud allegations and the arcane world of the $6 billion-per-year scientific publishing industry. “Some of the biggest companies in the international scientific publishing business are accusing Scholarly Publications Inc. of fraudulently purchasing individual subscriptions at low rates and reselling them at institutional rates that can be as much as 10 times higher. Bringing the lawsuit are the American Chemical Society, a nonprofit publisher; London-based Elsevier Inc.; Sage Publications Inc. of Thousand Oaks, Calif.; and three companies owned by New York-based John Wiley & Sons Inc.” Thanks to Sherry A. for the news tip.
–
Libraries–Use
Source: Newsday
Library fits any budget but its own
From the editorial: “We don’t have any additional data,” Larra Clark, the association’s spokeswoman, said last week. “But from what I’ve heard from around the country, many libraries are still reporting increases in circulation. That good news is complicated a bit by all the cuts in library funding.” In other words, making an apples-to-apples comparison of the present and recent past is tricky. Even if more people continue to show up at libraries, tightened budgets have yielded reductions at many locales in library personnel and purchases of books, CDs, videos and other materials. Operating hours have been slashed.”
–
Libraries
Source: Christian Science Monitor
Something new to check out at the mall: library books.
From the article: “Typically, people go to malls to shop and to socialize. They may meet a friend for a quick lunch and then hunt for a new outfit. But at two malls in the greater Seattle area, they can also pick up a copy of the latest bestseller, do a computer search for a new job, and listen to a Spanish- language CD – all for free. The freebies aren’t some enormous give-away by the malls, but typical library services in a not-so-typical location.”

Resources, Reports, Tools, Lists, and Full Text Documents
Industrial Products–Specialized Databases
Thomas Publishing Launches (Relaunches?) ThomasNet
We’re trying to figure out what, if anything, is new today. Thomas issued a similar sounding news release six months ago. From the announcement, “Thomas Industrial Network, Inc., a leading online provider of Internet sourcing and marketing solutions for industrial buyers and sellers, today announced the launch of its new Website, www.ThomasNet.com(TM). ThomasNet.com is a next generation industrial search engine that enables industrial buyers to find the exact products and companies they need quickly and easily, and connects sellers with qualified potential customers.” Browse by category or keyword search (excellent search refinement options). Numerous customization options.
–
Environment–Europe
Source: European Environment Agency
Recently Released/Full Text, Impacts of Europe’s changing climate
“The impacts of climate change on Europe’s environment and society are shown in this report. Past trends in the climate, its current state and possible future changes are presented using 22 selected indicators.”
–
Criminal Justice–United States–Statistics
Source: BJS
Just Released, Sourcebook of Criminal Justice Statistics, 2002
“The 30th edition of Sourcebook contains over 600 tables from over 100 sources.” Print and CD-ROM versions are also available.
–
Campaign Finance–United States
Source: FEC
Election 2004
+ Receipts of Presidential Campaigns Through July 31, 2004 [ EXCEL ] [ PDF ]
+ Disbursements, Cash, and Debts of Presidential Campaigns Through July 31, 2004
[EXCEL ] [ PDF ]

Conferences
Source: Searchblog
The Web 2.0 Conference
Wired magazine co-founder, Industry Standard editor, Searchblog proprietor, and our friend, John Battelle has announced some of the lineup for the Web 2.0 conference this October. The speaker list is nothing short of awesome. It includes Brewster Kahle, Jerry Yang, Lawrence Lessig, and Cory Doctorow. You can find the rest of the speaker list and comments from JB here.

Professional Reading Shelf
Digital Rights Management
Source: CNET News.com
Publishing industry tackles digital rights
“There’s no Napster for books yet, but creators of text and images still have to deal with a lot of the same digital rights management issues perplexing the movie and music industries.”
–
Open Access Publishing
Source: Biomed Central
Who, What & Why?
“A series of short guides to the players, stakeholders and technical terms relevant to Open Access publishing. ‘Who, What & Why?’ will help readers to become informed about the world of Open Access.”
See also: The devil you don’t know: The unexpected future of Open Access publishing (First Monday)
++
Source: Yale University Science Libraries
Open Access Journals: revenue beyond author charges
“This page will attempt to outline the current pricing models that are being tested for supporting Open Access to electronic journals. My definition of open access is: freely available immediate access to published peer reviewed research articles. The untenable journal inflation situation is described on the Journal Cost Update web page. There are a number of elements that influence (or hinder) open access distribution of the scientific research literature:
+ copyright (intellectual property) restrictions,
+ for-profit activities, and
+ the underlying publish-or-perish pressure.
The major concern of the community should be maintaining a revenue stream to support the peer review process.”
See also: Non-Exhaustive List of Resources About Open Access Publishing (Lehigh University)
–
Librarians–Canadian–United States
Source: Carol Dales, Reference Librarian, California State University, Dominguez Hills
Canadian Librarians in America
“This page is especially for all of those intrepid Canadian Librarians who have chosen to move temporarily to the United States under the provisions of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Some of us have been unable to find entry level jobs in our provinces, some have chosen to retire in the south and work part-time in the US, and some of us have simply decided that it was much more beneficial �- to both our career paths and our bank accounts �- to move south. Whatever our reasons, moving to a new country is never as easy as we think it will be. This site is designed to provide information to those considering the move, and to support those of us already down here!” Offers legal information, a list of U.S. libraries that have hired Canadian librarians, job-hunting advice, “tips for the newly arrived”.

Resources, Reports, Tools, Lists, and Full Text Documents
Oil–Transportation
Source: U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration
World Oil Transit Chokepoints
“The following presents information on major world oil transit centers. Over 35 million barrels per day (bbl/d) pass through the relatively narrow shipping lanes and pipelines discussed below. These routes are known as chokepoints due to their potential for closure. Disruption of oil flows through any of these export routes could have a significant impact on world oil prices.”
See also: Straits, Passages and Chokepoints: A Maritime Geostrategy of Petroleum Distribution (PDF; 232 KB)
–
Iraq–Pipelines–Security
Source: Institute for the Analysis of Global Security
Iraq Pipeline Watch
Lists “(a)ttacks on Iraqi pipelines, oil installations, and oil personnel,” from June 2003 to the present. Offers a map showing pipelines and other information.
–
Regulations–United States–Databases
Source: GPO
Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (e-CFR)
From the site: “The Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (e-CFR) is a prototype of a currently updated version of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). The e-CFR prototype is a demonstration project. It is not an official legal edition of the CFR. The e-CFR prototype is authorized and maintained by the National Archives and Records Administration’s (NARA) Office of the Federal Register (OFR) and the Government Printing Office (GPO). The OFR updates the material in the e-CFR on a frequent basis”
Read more about the prototype
–
Military Law–United States
Source: National Lawyers Guild
Military Law Task Force
“The National Lawyers Guild Military Law Task Force assists those working on military law issues as well as military law counselors working directly with GIs. It trains and mentors counselors and beginning military law attorneys in all aspects of military law through training materials and direct communication. It updates changes in military law and policy.” Available here:
+ Military counseling resources
+ Leaflets (about counseling, G.I. rights, free speech in the military, etc.)
+ Resources (on such things as obtaining a discharge, conscientious objection, immigration, military families, reservists, sexual harassment, “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”)
+ Military law
+ Unconventional warfare (terrorism) research links

Web Search
Source: News.com
Moveon.org subscribers exposed: Is it Only Google?
This article discusses how Googlebot crawled personal info of some Moveon.Org members. According to the article a Moveon.org server misconfiguration caused the problem and it has been fixed. We’ve said before the issue of keeping material out of commercial web engines is primarily an issue for the webmaster/site owner. However, I don’t understand why Google is the only engine mentioned in the article since it’s not just a Google issue. Yes, they’re the number one engine BUT other crawlers can access the same data and often do. For example, I ran a couple of searches with Yahoo and turned up the same info described in the article. The article doesn’t mention that the data might be accessible elsewhere. Here’s a Yahoo search I tried. You’ll find some of the material mentioned in the article beginning at result #5 and clicking some of these links and other versions of these pages might return even more personal info. Focusing only on Google is not only unfair but it can give webmasters a false sense of reality. Other engines and databases exist. Someone looking for this content would likely have the skills to find it elsewhere. Actually, this is not a Google or Yahoo or any other web engine problem. In other words it’s not their fault unless you just don’t like the idea of web engines in the first place. Webmasters and content owners need to be aware of the fact that many web crawlers are out there and having the skills to keep content out of these databases (if they don’t want it there) rests on their shoulders.
See Also: Inspired by Our Post and Comments (THANKS!) Eric Baillargeon offers his thoughts and a few screen captures.

Professional Reading Shelf
Libraries–Filtering
Source: Arizona Republic
Debate over library Internet
From the article: “Several Ahwatukee and Chandler library visitors say they would support Phoenix officials’ idea to use filters to restrict access to pornographic Web sites in order to protect children. Phoenix has filters, which are designed to weed out or block objectionable materials, installed on its public library computers. The library branches allow adults to turn off those filters if they so request. Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon wants to change that and require that all computers in the city’s public libraries, which include Ahwatukee’s Ironwood Branch Library, keep their filters on.”

Resources, Reports, Tools, Lists, and Full Text Documents
Higher Education–United States–Lists & Rankings
Source: U.S. News and World Report
usnews.com: Education: America’s Best Colleges 2005 Rankings
Some content is available at no charge. New this year is the ability to search schools by major. Lists of schools by major are also new this year.
–
Terrorism–Bibliographies
New from Air University Library (AUL)
Terrorism 2004
Extensive, updated bibliography includes coverage of terrorism history, terrorism organizations, financing terror, geographic areas affected, methods used (e.g., suicide bombers), roots of terror, state-sponsored terrorism, targets, current trends, lessons learned, homeland security, U.S. foreign policy, legal issues and rights. Comprises Internet sites, books, periodicals, audio-visual materials. Also includes links to a selection of related AUL bibliographies. Essential resource for anyone dealing with this topic.

Professional Reading Shelf
Health Information–United States–Funding
Source: NLM
Forty Projects Funded to Improve Access to Electronic Health Information for the Public
“The National Library of Medicine is pleased to announce that 40 projects to improve access to electronic health information for the general public have been funded in 24 states. All projects will last up to eighteen months. Funding for the projects was provided through the National Network of Libraries of Medicine.”
–
Libraries
Source: New York Times
Making a Web Search Feel Like a Stroll in the Library
A commercial/general web engine is not a library for many reasons. I’m sure you can list several. Here’s one: Libraries — in the physical sense — and even many electronic resources/digital libraries (free and fee) are controlled and well organized. Web search engines do offer access to data (although making it available in a timely manner can be an issue), but the organization of that data is something that still needs a great deal of work in the world of general web engines like Google, Yahoo and others. Jeeves is doing good work with Smart Search, as is Vivisimo, with dynamic clustering. (More about clustering in a post yesterday). We can refrain from discussing all the information that’s not accessible on the open web, all the information that hasn’t been digitized (books still matter), info quality, and other ways commercial web search engines are not libraries. From the article: “A visit to the school library was once a necessity before writing term papers or reports. But nowadays, many students use the Internet as their library. However convenient it may be to search the Web from home or a dorm room, the Internet cannot replace many of the built-in benefits of the library, like browsing the stacks for related information that could add spark and depth to an essay or a report. But researchers are working on more flexible approaches to searching for digital information not only on the Web, but on one’s own hard drive, where elusive details may be scattered through photos, e-mail and other files.”
See Also: Home Page of Dr. Marti Hearst

and while we’re on the topic…
Law Libraries
Source: Bangor Daily News
Law library still relies on hard copy in time of Google
From the article: “During that time, Bennett has decreased the number of books purchased to pay for online research services like Westlaw, a key site for topics in business law, criminal justice and paralegal studies and treatises that include analysis of recent decisions in specialty areas of the law such as education, trademark and patent, labor and real estate. Bennett said that while the number of attorneys using the library might have decreased over the years because of expanded online services, the public is using the library more often. Many people come to the law library after they fail to find what they need at their local public library.”

Public Libraries
Source: LA Times
New City Librarian Named in Los Angeles
“Mayor James K. Hahn has tapped 30-year city librarian Fontayne Holmes to head the Los Angeles Public Library and its 71 branches, a system that serves a larger population than any library system in the country.”
–
Libraries–Italy
Source: Reuters
Italian library crack down
From the article: ” Italy’s Senate library is getting tough on forgetful lawmakers demanding they return books on Adolf Hitler and other subjects that are up to 25 years overdue. In letters and calls to the absent-minded bibliophiles, including a former senate president, the library recently issued a gentle plea for the safe return of books on everything from French philosophy to Italian law. “With a letter or a phone call, we say: Attention. A certain period has passed, so please return them in a good will gesture to the library,” a library official said, explaining the campaign to reclaim the literature.

National Archives–United Kingdom
Source: Kable’s Government Computing
British history gets online gateway
“Documents spanning 1,000 years will available electronically by 2007, under plans from the UK’s national archiving organisation. The UK’s National Archives has set a 2007 deadline to boost its online services and become a leading source of historical information on the internet, according to its latest annual report. ‘In its first year, National Archives has created the first ever online archives of government websites and made over 3.5m documents available online,’ Sarah Tyacke, National Archives chief executive, told Government Computing News on 20 August 2004.”
See Also: National Archives 2004 Annual Report
The report is titled, A new gateway to British history.
See Also: UK Government Web Archive
In conjunction with The Internet Archive

Resources, Reports, Tools, Lists, and Full Text Documents
Business–Women–Lists & Rankings
Source: Forbes
Released Today, The World’s 100 Most Powerful Women
–
Small Business–United States–Statistics
Source: SBA
New, Full Text, The Small Business Economy: A Report to the President 2002-2003
“The annual reference source since 1982 that business owners, policymakers, and researchers have turned to when they need information on small business’ performance in the economy.”
–
Refugees
Asylum
Source: Department of the Parliamentary Library, Australia
Just Released, Refugees and asylum seekers: a guide to key resources and recent developments
This guide is global in scope.
–
Cellular Phone Service– Consumer Guides
Source: PCWorld.com
Smart Talk
“Time for a new cell phone, service plan…or both? Use this guide to pick the perfect ones for your needs and budget.”
–
Highways–United States–History
Source: United States Department of Transportation – Federal Highway Administration
Highway History
Offers such things as “Origins and Construction of the Interstate System” and “Highway History” articles from the FHA’s Public Roads magazine, as well as articles from other sources. Ever wondered about Blue Star Memorial Highways? Looking for a comprehensive list of Road Songs? Curious about The Origins of the U.S. Numbered Highway System?

Briefly
+ Swetswise Launches Title Bank
+ Infotrieve and Wiley Sign Distribution Agreement
+ New Journal Agreement Between Oxford University Press and HighWire Press (via Managinginformation.com)

Information Visualization
Source: Directions Magazine
Product Review: Anacubis Desktop
We’ve mentioned Anacubis and their interesting and useful (free too!) visualization demos a couple of times on ResourceShelf. Today, a Directions Magazine review of their fee-based Anacubis Desktop product.

Web Tools
Clustering
Word of a New Result Clustering App Called Topgist
As web databases of all types grow larger, it’s becoming more and more important that some sort of dynamic or other type of clustering be used to assist the user in finding the best possible result(s) quickly. Vivisimo continues to do excellent work in this area. In fact, just this week two people have mentioned to me that Vivisimo has become their first choice when it comes to general web searching. Vivisimo correctly points out in a white paper that the searcher needs help and needs “selective ignorance” to get to the good stuff. We agree. Vivi CEO Raul Valdes Perez was recently quoted in the NYT saying, “Companies such as ours are betting on new ways to organize information.”

Word today of a new site-clustering application (Free, IE only) that allows the searcher to cluster results from Google, Yahoo and MSN. It’s called Topgist. It also allows you to customize results by creating a blocklist of sites you never want to see results from. As I said we just learned of Topgist so we haven’t had much time to check it out. More later on this one.

Resources of the Week
Two items this week.
+ 1) Natural Hazards–United States–Statistics
Source: National Weather Service; Office of Climate, Water, and Weather Services (NOAA)
Natural Hazard Statistics
“The U.S. Natural Hazard Statistics provide statistical information on fatalities, injuries and damages caused by weather related hazards. These statistics are compiled by the Office of Services and the National Climatic Data Center from information contained in Storm Data, a report comprising data from NWS forecast offices in the 50 states, Puerto Rico, Guam and the Virgin Islands.” On the main page is a cheerfully colorful bar chart presenting — yes — 30 year average weather fatalities (1974-2003) and 10 year average weather fatalities (1994-2003), by cause. Note that heat is the leading weather-related cause of fatalities by far, so make sure you stay hydrated, etc.

Navigation here is simple. A series of ten dropdown menus on the right side of the screen allow you to choose individual statistical reports. Available are:
+ U.S. summaries (by year, 1995-2003)
+ State summaries (by year, 1995-2003)
+ Reports (by year, 1995-2003) according to specific severe weather phenomena — lightning, tornado, tropical cyclone, heat, flood, cold, winter storm, wind. All reports are in PDF format. A link below the dropdown menus takes you to a 64-Year List of Severe Weather Fatalities, covering the years 1940-2003. (PDF; 8 KB)
++
Also from NOAA
+ 2) Operational Significant Event Imagery
While this site has a rather cryptic title, there is all manner of cool stuff here. “The Operational Significant Event Imagery team produces high-resolution, detailed imagery of significant environmental events which are visible in remotely-sensed data available at the NOAA Science Center in Suitland, Maryland.” Browse the archive of diverse “Significant Event Imagery” visible in satellite data:
+ Current Events (includes Hurricane Charley and images of Iraq)
+ Dust Storms
+ Fires
+ Floods
+ Icebergs
+ Ocean
+ Severe Weather
+ Snow Cover
+ Storms
+ Tropical Cyclones, Hurricanes, & Typhoons
+ Unique Imagery (includes a nice picture of the Chesapeake Bay)
+ Volcanoes
You can do a simple text search of the archive or use an interactive map viewer. And you can subscribe to the free Daily Operational Significant Event Imagery Report, which “contains a short descriptive narrative and a direct link to each OSEI product we create to document a specific event.”

Professional Reading Shelf
Library Software
WEBLIS, an Integrated Library System based on CDS/ISIS, Available Free of Charge From UNESCO and ICIE
“UNESCO intends to respond to a large demand from national and local libraries to help them in approaching and using library automation tools. WEBLIS is a Web based Library Integrated System based on CDS/ISIS. The system has been developed by the Institute for Computer and Information Engineering (ICIE), Poland, based on their experience in building library systems for international organizations such as FAO, IFAD and GTZ. WEBLIS runs through the WWW-ISIS engine, also developed by ICIE.”
–
Digital Imaging–Tutorial
Source: Cornell University Library/Research Department
Moving Theory Into Practice: Digital Imaging Tutorial
“This tutorial offers base-level information on the use of digital imaging to convert and make accessible cultural heritage materials. It also introduces some concepts advocated by Cornell University Library, in particular the value of benchmarking requirements before undertaking a digital initiative. You will find here up-to-date technical information, formulas, and reality checks, designed to test your level of understanding.” Funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities. Available in Spanish, French, or as a PDF (3.86 MB).
–
Librarians–Job Interviews
Source: Indiana University Libraries–Bloomington Human Resources
Interview Questions
List of suggested interview questions for library job candidates covers: warm-up questions, work history, job performance, education, career goals, self-assessment, creativity, decisiveness, range of interests, motivation, work standards, leadership, oral presentation skills, written communication skills, flexibility, stress tolerance, stability and maturity, interest in self-development.
–
OCLC
OCLC Adds New Features To FirstSearch
“On August 15, 2004, new enhancements were made to FirstSearch and the FirstSearch staff view providing a more personalized experience for patrons and further improved workflow for resource sharing staff.”

Resources, Reports, Tools, Lists, and Full Text Documents
Health Information
New Topic Page/Compilation from MEDLINEplus
+ MedlinePlus: Understanding Medical Research
Very USEFUL!!!
–
Education–Canada–Lists & Rankings
Source: Macleans
Just Released, Canada’s Best Schools
“From academics to sports, we celebrate some of the top public high schools across the country.”
–
Fashion–Australia–Images
Source: PictureAustralia
New, Explore the history of Australian fashion with PictureAustralia’s new Fashion trail
From the site, “The trail covers different facets of Australian fashion, including images relating to casual and evening wear, wedding attire, sportswear, uniforms, cosmetics and jewellery, shoes, hairstyles and even portraits of influential Australian designers. Browse the Fashion trail to see how changes in society have both reflected and shaped fashion for Australian men, women and children throughout the decades.”
See Also: More Picture Trails
–
NAFTA
Source: CRS via NLE
Updated, NAFTA: Related Environmental Issues and Initiatives
–
United States Air Force–Bibliographies
Source: Air University Library (AUL)
Total Force Policy of the Air Force
New bibliography from AUL covers Air National Guard, Air Force Reserve and Total Air Force. Internet resources, books, documents, periodicals, authority materials (Air Force Policy Directives, etc.)
–
World Population–Statistics
Source: Population Reference Bureau
2004 World Population Data Sheet
“The 2004 World Population Data Sheet has the most up-to-date demographic data and estimates for all the countries and major regions of the world. The rundown provides a look at regional and national contrasts in age structure, population growth, life expectancy, income, and other determinants that mark today’s deep demographic divisions.”
See: Complete data sheet (PDF; 371 KB)
–
Energy–Forecasts
Source: EIA
New, Long-Term World Oil Supply Scenarios

News Search–Topix.net
RSS
Customized RSS Feeds from Topix.net
We’re not sure if this was pointed out before, but today we realized that Topix.net provides an RSS Feed for any keyword or phrase. For example, a search for “Paul Hamm” reveals search results and an RSS Feed. Don’t forget that Topix has thousands of subject specific pages (and Feeds) as well as the ability to get results (and Feeds) by zip-code.

Customized feeds are the future of RSS. Here are more examples of other services that provide customized content via RSS:
+ Yahoo News
+ Wired News
+ RSS Weather
+ Findory
+ Blogory
+ Feedster
+ Econtent Magazine
+ Daypop
+ Hubmed
Thanks to ResourceShelf Contributing Editor and RSS Guru Steve Cohen for the story.