Search Briefs
+ InfoSpace Begins Beta of New Local Directory Search Service
Quite the busy day in Seattle at the Infospace HQ. First, the new location-based search l deal with Sprint Nextel (see below) and also the launch (beta) of a new local directory service/interface. More here.
Fast Facts about InfoSpace Beta
++ Residential and business listings
++ Interface consists of two search boxes (”Who or What” and Where)
++ Search by Neighboorhood Option (Example: Greenwhich Village; Country Club Plaza, MO; Lincoln Park Neighborhood, IL)
++ Search near Landmarks (Example: Independence Mall, PA)
++ More examples here
++ Refine by (Distance/Radius, Name, Business Category)
++ View Results on Map (Uses MSN MapPoint Technology)
++ “What’s Nearby” Feature on Each Entry Page
++ Links to Send Entries Direct to Mobile Phone (Other Offer This Feature) and Get Driving Directions
++ Directory data from InfoUSA and Acxiom
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+ Sprint to offer local search on phones (via Reuters)
This fee-based service ($2.99) combines location-aware services (the phone knows where you are) to help you find theatres, restaurants, etc. It’s powered by InfoSpace. “Initially Sprint and InfoSpace do not plan to charge businesses for being listed in the directory but such services are eventually expected to create advertising revenue.” The Sprint/InfoSpace deal is non-exclusive. It also doesn’t stop someone from using other mobile web directory services. Requires download. I do think the location-based technology coupled with local search is quite powerful. We will test the service asap. More in this news release.
See Also: WiFi Location Finder + Local Info = Loki (Free)

Briefly
+ Standards: NISO Launches RFID Committee
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+ See Also: UK: CILIP launches second RFID in Libraries Conference
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+ Coming Very Soon: Biography Index: Past and Present
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+ New EBSCOhost Features Now Available
From RSS feeds to clustering.

Professional Reading Shelf
Tagging
Social Search
Social Networking
Source: Newsweek
Newsweek Cover Story Tackles Social Search, Tagging and Related Issues
This time Newsweek tackles social search, tagging, and the rest. Flickr’s Caterina Fake and Stewart Butterfield grace the cover. Services mentioned include the usual suspects and a couple of others:
+ Flickr
+ YouTube
+ MySpace
+ Facebook
+ imeem
+ Dabble (This company hasn’t even launched yet and the authors can’t describe what it is; their pr person should get a raise.)
+ del.icio.us

Here are a couple of brief comments (from Gary):

+ Someone needs to tell the writers of this story that tagging is not a taxonomy. Sorry to be a stickler. Tagging uses user-generated keywords while a taxonomy has structure (often hierarchical) and is often, but not always, well organized. I tried doing something like this about a year ago in response to another Newsweek article. I explained that cataloging, classification, controlled vocabularies tagging, etc., are not the same thing. Some might consider this to be minor stuff. Perhaps. However, large circulation weeklies should strive to be clear in describing a term that is often misunderstood and confused by the public. Why not explain the differences and the pros/cons of each type.
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+ Being the tv/pop culture geek that I am I love YouTube. However, this article makes no mention of the potential copyright issues it and similar web video hosting servives could face. As more video content producers begin selling content, will people pay if it’s available on YouTube for free? Will someone pay $1.99 for an episode of Lost on iTunes when someone has posted it on YouTube? Btw, this is a topic that Newsweek itself discussed in a recent article. I’ll add that searching for material on YouTube can be a big challenge. Why? Tags and poor metadata. Some add lots of tags (hopefully I call something the same thing the person who tagged the item calls it) and complete video descriptions. Others entries contain very, very little. As the database grows larger this will make more false drops and time wasting likely. Librarians also know that the quality of cataloging (aka metadata description) can vary from cataloger to cataloger but there are some conventions that one must or should follow. Note to libraries: OCLC does have a guide to cataloging web resources. I don’t think this is a new document but perhaps it’s time to update it. Perhaps some of the concepts (not precise rules) could be applied to other services?
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+ Yes, tagging can be very powerful and useful for very individual or small focused groups like an eight grade class or a group of friends or co-workers. To be useful to the masses (if/when) it reaches mainstream/widespread is another matter. Is the point of tagging to make information retrieval more precise for a large group of users? Why? Synonyms, pluralization, etc. Also, spam and gaming the system. This is another topic NOT addressed in the article. What would stop someone reviewing the most popular tags and then including these tags in every item they post? I’m sure with several logins and a script this could be achieved quite easily. We all know what happened to the meta-keyword content tag. Aside from spamming, for tagging to save effort and make retrieval more precise, something I’ve called structured or fielded tagging (location field, author field, date field, etc.) is needed. The Catch-22 is that most people wouldn’t do it. Others would say that in some cases on the open web, a document or other item should speak for itself and let technology like dynamic clustering, audio transcription, content-based image retrieval, etc., do the work for the masses. Again — on a personal or small group level — it’s another matter. The same might also be true when it comes to small specialty or vertical databases. Librarians know that everyone isn’t a cataloger. Btw, standardization amongst tags and tagging services is needed.
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+ We read about del.icio.us and its acquisition by Yahoo in December. However, we don’t learn why Yahoo made the purchase when the’ve been developing (human resources, $$$) their own tagging/social search technology, MyWeb 2.0. I was also surprised not to see anything about Yahoo’s home-built blogging, social networking service, etc., Yahoo 360.
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+ Tagging issues. Look at the most popular tags. They are blog blogging blogs. What’s the difference between each one? Tech and technology are two more popular tags. Again, what’s the difference? You get the idea. For personal use, no worries but to improve access to the database for all? I realize that life moves slowly but we still see (after a couple of years) that most of the popular tags are technology related? Will tagging become more
“mainstream” and when we will see non tech topics dominate the most popular tag list? It’s much the same at My Web 2.0. Again, everyone isn’t a cataloger. In an age when people want more time, tagging can be time consuming. Are topical or discipline-oriented tagging sites the wave of the future like Connotea? Would the vocauarly be easier to control?
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+ We read little about why Google has not embraced social stuff (with a few exceptions) to this point. Yes, they purchased dodgeball (a mobile dating/meetup service, though it’s hard to find out about it on any official Google web page) and have Orkut, a social networking service that hardly gets any attention these days (at least in the US). What happened? Why isn’t Google doing more in this space? Why hasn’t Orkut been more successful? You would think that with Google and the Google brand behind Orkut it would be more popular. Why not? No mention in the article. However, we do read a quote that once again will keep people (including the stock market) guessing (something Google is so so good at that also keeps the buzz buzzing) by Eric Schmidt.

Google CEO Eric Schmidt says that he doesn’t understand why people think his company wants to be the next Microsoft. “Everybody thinks we’re building operating systems, PCs, and browsers. They clearly don’t get it,” he says. So where does Google want to go? “Look at MySpace,” he says cryptically. Very interesting.
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Internet
Online News
Source: Pew Internet & American Life
Online News: For many home broadband users, the internet is a primary news source
“By the end of 2005, 50 million Americans got news online on a typical day, a sizable increase since 2002. Much of that growth has been fueled by the rise in home broadband connections over the last four years. For a group of ‘high-powered’ online users — early adopters of home broadband who are the heaviest internet users — the internet is their primary news source on the average day.” Direct to full text report.
(via DocuTicker.com)

Resources, Reports, Tools, Lists, and Full Text
Science–Solar Eclipse–Webcast
Source: Exploratorium
Live Web Coverage/Webcast (March 29, 2006) of Total Solar Eclipse
“On March 29th, a total solar eclipse will darken parts of the North Atlantic, Africa, and Southern Asia. But you don’t have to go any further than the Exploratorium to experience this spectacular event: we’re presenting a whole evening of entertainment, including a LIVE webcast from Side, Turkey.”
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Biometrics
Source: U.S. Department of Defense: Biometrics Management Office
Biometrics 101
“This tutorial provides a high-level overview of biometric technologies, and is offered courtesy of the National Defense University, Fort McNair, Washington, DC.” Modules include Definition, Why Use Biometrics, Types of Biometrics, Basic Terms, A Little Science, Cultural & Social Issues.
See also: Biometrics Glossary

Conferences
Podcasting
Vlogging
Personal Broadcasting
Source: The New Media Consortium (NMC)
Coming in April: NMC Online Conference on Personal Broadcasting April 26-27, 2006 — via the Internet (Fee-Based)
“The conference features 45-minute live breakout sessions conducted in an interactive online format, each with a “live/interactive” component, a “presentation-on-demand” component, and a vibrant threaded discussion that will expand on and illuminate the topic.” Interedested in presenting? You can submit proposals through April 3rd.

Professional Reading Shelf
Current Awareness
Source: BNA
Current Awareness Resources: BNA’s Web Watch
Free. A periodic review of online resources prepared by the BNA Library’s Laura Gordon-Murnane (and ResourceShelf and DocuTicker contributor). Here 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.”
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WebJunction E-Learning Advisory Committee named (via OCLC)

Resources, Reports, Tools, Lists, and Full Text
Iraq
Source: U.S. Joint Forces Command, Center for Operational Analysis
Command releases JCOA-produced Iraqi perspectives report
“Can history be wrong? Not exactly, but history can be distorted if data is provided by only one side’s perspective. U.S. Joint Forces Command has released an unclassified historical report of military operations conducted in Iraq. The twist is that this historical report reflects the Iraqi civilian and military leadership’s perspective of events.”
+ Iraqi Perspectives Project: A View of Operation Iraqi Freedom from Saddam’s Senior Leadership (PDF: 7.2 MB)
+ Media Roundtable on the Iraqi Perspective Project — Transcript
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Education–United States–Surveys
School Libraries–United States–Surveys
Source: NCES
Just Released, Characteristics of Schools, Districts, Teachers, Principals, and School Libraries in the United States: 2003-04 Schools and Staffing Survey
“The Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS) is the nation’s most extensive sample survey of elementary and secondary schools and the teachers and administrators who staff them. This report introduces the data from the fifth administration (2003-04) of SASS. It is intended to give the reader an overview of the SASS data for the school year 2003-04 through tables of estimates for public, private, and BIA-funded schools and their staff.” Direct to Full Text (PDF; 1.12 MB)

Professional Reading Shelf
Libraries–United States–Funding
Source: IMLS
Institute of Museum and Library Services Awards Over $160 Million to State Libraries
“Anne-Imelda Radice, Ph.D., Director of the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), announced grants totaling more than $163 million to states for library service. ‘This funding helps libraries meet the changing needs of their communities,’ said Dr. Radice. A recent national study from the American Library Association (ALA) underscores this assertion — 92% of Americans surveyed believe libraries will still be needed in the future, even with all of the information available on the Internet.”
See Also: Direct to IMLS Awarded Grants Database
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Sensitive Information–Australia
Access to Information–Australia
Source: Parliamentary Library, Parliament of Australia
New Research Brief, Spy versus spy: Government control of sensitive information
16 pages; PDF.

Resources, Reports, Tools, Lists, and Full Text
U.S. Department of State–Databases
Foreign Policy–United States
Source: NARA
National Archives Makes Portions of U.S. State Department’s Central Foreign Policy Files (1973-1974) Available Online
“For the first time, the National Archives and Records Administration has made available online more than 400,000 State Department telegrams and other records for 1973 and 1974. These digital records from the Department of State’s Central Foreign Policy Files are publicly accessible at the National Archives website at www.archives.gov/aad.”
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Aging–United States–Surveys
Source: AARP/USC
New, Images of Aging in America 2004
“The facts and fallacies of growing old are scrutinized in this AARP/University of Southern California study of how much adult Americans know – or think they know – about aging. While the people surveyed are moderately knowledgeable, the study found that many still have misconceptions about aging and older people.”
Direct to Full Text (198 pages; PDF)
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Pollution–United States–Lists & Rankings
Source: Forbes
America’s Most Polluted Cities
Also includes list of most polluted cities in China and the world.
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Roads–United States
Bridges–United States
Source: Federal Highway Administration
Recently Released, Status of the Nation’s Highways, Bridges, and Transit: 2004 Conditions and Performance

Search Briefs
+ Content from 60 Minutes Coming to Yahoo Video (via Reuters)

Briefly
IceRocket Investor, HDNET President, Theatre Chain Owner (and More) Mark Cuban, Will Be Interviewed on C-SPAN Sunday Night
Cuban, who always has something to say, sits down for a one-on-one one-hour interview on Sunday night (8pm/11pm ET). Live stream available here. Archived video and text transcript should be available here. Podcast, too!

Cool Tools
+ WiFi Location Finder + Local Info = Loki (via Boston Globe)
Worth a look and possible download. “A Boston company is giving away software that can turn nearly any laptop computer into a global positioning system, enabling users to find the nearest restaurant, hospital, or gas station at the touch of a button.” Direct to software download from Loki. Thanks to A.S. at APB for the news tip.
See Also: Microsoft Live Local Also is Testing a Wi-Fi Based Location Finder

Resource of the Week
—————————–
By Shirl Kennedy, Deputy Editor

You probably don’t want to know how many reports, weblogs, newsletters, etc., I look at on a daily basis. Sometimes, I can’t quite keep up and I end up deleting stuff without reading it. The newsletter that I never, ever delete unread — because I’m afraid of missing something vital — is this week’s resource.

Government Secrecy
Source: Federation of American Scientists Project on Government Secrecy
Secrecy News
First, a little background on the Federation of American Scientists (FAS). This venerable non-profit organization is 60 years old. It was founded in 1945 by atomic scientists from the Manhattan Project “…who felt that scientists, engineers and other innovators had an ethical obligation to bring their knowledge and experience to bear on critical national decisions, especially pertaining to the technology they unleashed….” Some 66 Nobel laureates sit on its Board of Sponsors. The Federation undertakes a wide range of research and education projects “in nuclear arms control and global security; conventional arms transfers; proliferation of weapons of mass destruction; information technology for human health; and government information policy,” and has lately turned its attention to “our country’s critical challenges in housing, energy, and education,” including a Housing Technology Project.

The breadth and depth of the defense information available here is just awesome. Want to learn about “missiles, bombs, and mines used by the US military“? How about foreign weapons systems? Browse through the “selection of official and unofficial resources on intelligence policy, structure, and operations.” Keep an eye on the global arms trade.

Then there’s the FAS Project on Government Secrecy, which “works to challenge unwarranted secrecy and to promote reform of national security information policy and practice.” It maintains an extensive library of documents related to government secrecy, from all branches of the government, governmental agencies, and other organizations. Worth your time: Bush Administration Documents on Secrecy Policy.

Secrecy News is the “flagship” publication of the FAS Project on Government Secrecy. It tracks what’s new in secrecy/security/intelligence policy and provides links to new items on the website, including notoriously hard-to-access Congressional Research Service reports. Published two or three times a week, it is available via e-mail subscription or you can read it via weblog or rss. An archive of past issues is available back to September 2000. Although the archive is not directly searchable, the entire FAS website is.

Secrecy News is edited by the tireless Steven Aftergood, friend of ResourceShelf and DocuTicker, and director of the FAS Project on Government Secrecy. Read a recent U.S. News and World Report interview with Aftergood for some insight into the current state of government secrecy in the U.S.
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Two bonus resources for you this week:
+ Gary talks to Library Journal about his new gig with Ask.com.
+ Shirl promotes her book (and motorcycle safety) on Tampa Bay’s 10, the local CBS affiliate.

Professional Reading Shelf
Encyclopedias
Source: Ask the Researcher (via MySA.com)
Encyclopaedia Britannica strikes back…
Julie Domel, a news librarian at the San Antonio Express-News, reports on a letter (and shares some great comments) that was sent to educators about the recent study in Nature regarding EB’s’s science coverage as compared to Wikipedia. EB says in the letter the research was invalid and goes on to explain their side. The actual letter (PDF) is available here. Great work Julie and thanks for sharing!
See Also: Nature mag cooked Wikipedia study (via The Register)
See Also: Internet encyclopaedias go head to head (via Nature, 12/05)
See Also: Wikipedia Pretty Accurate (via ABC News, 12/05)
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Learning
Source: JISC
New, Designing Spaces for Effective Learning
“The focus is on the way technologies can transform space utilisation, as well as merely being ‘fitted into’ the design. Taking the approach of a walkthrough in an imaginary educational institution, the guide highlights current thinking about the use of learning technologies in key areas and their impact on these physical spaces. Richly illustrated, it also offers architect’s prototype designs and concludes with a checklist of key points to help senior managers embarking on new build and refurbishment projects.” 36 pages; PDF.
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Preservation–Audio
Source: CLIR, National Recording Preservation Board, Library of Congress
New, Capturing Analog Sound for Digital Preservation: Report of a Roundtable Discussion of Best Practices for Transferring Analog Discs and Tapes
“This report investigates procedures to reformat sound on analog carriers to digital media or files. It summarizes discussions and recommendations emerging from a meeting of leading audio preservation engineers held January 29?30, 2004, to assess the present state of standards and best practices for capturing sound from analog discs and tapes.” Direct to Full Text (43 pages; PDF).
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Library of Congress
Source: ARL, ALA, CLIR, and NHA
Joint Letter in Support of Library of Congress FY 2007 Budget Request
PDF.
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Libraries and Librarians
Source: UKOLN
A New Issue of Focus on UKOLN is Now Online
Read about a variety of events and projects including the Immortal Information Project.

Search Briefs
+ Yahoo Launches US VoIP Services (via BetaNews.com)
Learn more direct from Yahoo.
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+ A Deeper Look At Personalized News Search Engines (via SEW Blog)
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+ Share Google Reader Feeds (via Google Blogoscoped)
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+ LookSmart’s Zeal Directory To Close (via SEW Blog)
Yet another reason why non-commerical directories like LII, IPL, Infomine, and RDN are so important.
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+ ProQuest Launches Central American Archives

Resources, Reports, Tools, Lists, and Full Text
Lookup Databases–United States
Source: Melissa Data
Street Names Lookup
Quickly access a list of streets and address ranges for any U.S. Zip Code. Then, clickand see imagery and maps of the location using Google, MSN, and Yahoo mapping products. The service is free. More lookup databases (free) from Melissa Data.
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Health–United States–Databases
Source: NLM
TOXMAP Adds New Chemical and Health Data
“In response to feedback from users, the National Library of Medicine (NLM) has added new chemical and health-related data to its interactive mapping site, TOXMAP…Now, users can also use TOXMAP to find information about Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Superfund sites and substances. The Superfund program is part of a federal government effort to clean up land in the United States that has been contaminated by hazardous waste and identified by the EPA as a candidate for cleanup because it poses a risk to human health and/or to the environment…TOXMAP has also added mortality data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Cancer Institute (NCI), as well as age and gender data from the US Census, and income data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis.” Direct to Toxmap Database.
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International Business–Costs–Lists & Ranking
Source: KPMG
Competitive Alternatives: KPMG’s guide to international business costs
“Competitive Alternatives represents KPMG’s guide for comparing business costs in North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific. The 2006 study is the most thorough comparison of international business costs ever undertaken by KPMG, and contains valuable information for any company seeking cost advantage in locating their international business operations. The study is an expansion and update of previous KPMG publications, and measures the combined impact of 27 significant business cost components that are most likely to vary by location. The study covers 17 industry operations in nine industrialized countries: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Singapore, the United Kingdom, and the United States.” (via DocuTicker)
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Labor–United States–Statistics
Source: BLS
Women in the Labor Force in 2005
Updated fact sheet compiling data from several sources. Thanks to Stuart B. (a new ResourceShelf contributing editor) for the news tip.
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Country Profiles
Source: Federal Research Division, Library of Congress
New Profile, Algeria
22 pages; PDF.

Briefly
+ Milestones: GlobalSpec’s SpecSearch Eclipses 100 Million Searchable Specifications
Direct to GlobalSpec.
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+ Thomson Scientific Wins Major U.S. Patent And Trademark Office Contract
Examiners will continue to have access to Derwent World Patents Index.

Professional Reading Shelf
Government Libraries–United States
Source: FCW
EPA to close library
Bad news. “Proposed cuts in the fiscal 2007 budget have prompted Environmental Protection Agency officials to shutter the agency’s Midwest Regional Library in anticipation of congressional approval of the budget. According to an internal e-mail released by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER), the EPA is preparing to close the Chicago library to preempt the passage of President Bush’s proposed 80 percent funding cut to the EPA library network.”
See Also: Full Text of Internal Memo (via PEER)
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Digital Libraries
Source: The Journal of Academic Librarianship (via E-LIS)
Full Text, An Evaluation of Faculty Use of the Digital Library at Ankara University, Turkey (2006)
“New consortial buying models have dramatically increased the availability of online resources, particularly journal articles, in the universities and technical institutes of developing countries. The degree of acceptance and pattern of use of such materials is of great interest to library collection development. Ankara University surveyed faculty members regarding their awareness and use of these electronic materials.”
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Library Disaster Prevention
Source: IWR
National Research Reserve lays disaster fears to rest
“The concerns of Oxbridge university librarians about the risk of losing information forever to a fire or natural disaster have been allayed after the British Library (BL) and the Consortium of University Research Libraries (CURL) confirmed that their proposed National Research Reserve (NRR) would stock more than a single copy of journals.”
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Access to Information–United States
Source: FCW
DOD removes missile defense system report from Web site
“The Defense Department has removed from the DOD inspector general’s Web site a critical report that states that the network that links radar systems, missile sites, and command centers for the Missile Defense Agency’s (MDA) ground-based defense system has serious flaws in the security technologies, policies, and procedures needed to protect the integrity, availability, and confidentiality of information on the network.” A copy of the report is still available via Federal Computer Week.
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Information–Standards
Source: National Information Standards Organization
The March Issue of the NISO Newsline is Online
Reports include:
+ “Versions of Journal Articles Working Group Featured on NISO Website”
+ “Your Input Needed on Educational Programs”
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ResourceShelf
Librarians
Source: WTSP
Our Own Shirl Kennedy Profiled
Super Cool! It’s been a busy two days for the ResourceShelf team in the press. On Monday, Gary was interviewed by LJ. Yesterday, Deputy Editor Shirl “Librarian by day, biker by night” is profiled by a Florida TV station! Video too! Congrats, Shirl!

Resources, Reports, Tools, Lists, and Full Text
Airline Industry
Source: SITA
New Report, Mishandled baggage costing $2.5 billion as air travel passenger numbers soar to two billion says SITA
“SITA, the IT provider which tracks baggage information for airlines and passengers in 220 countries and territories, today said the air transport industry is losing in the region of $2.5 billion annually because of misconnects and mishandled baggage.
SITA also revealed for the first time that the number of bags lost or stolen is running at about 204,000 per annum on current calculations that 30 million bags are mishandled annually based on passenger numbers of two billion.” Direct to Full Text Report (16 pages; PDF). (via DocuTicker.com)
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Education–United States
Source: Education Week
New Report, Special Report: Executive Agendas
“This Education Week special report offers a detailed look at the leadership of governors in shaping their states’ education agendas through legislation, regulatory action, public involvement, and proposal or endorsement of ballot measures.”
Direct to Full Text (PDF) Interactive Data Map
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Business–United States–Statistics
Source: U.S. Census
Just Released, Growth of Hispanic-Owned Businesses Triples the National Average
“The number of Hispanic-owned businesses grew 31 percent between 1997 and 2002 — three times the national average for all businesses — according to a new report, Survey of Business Owners: Hispanic-Owned Firms: 2002 [PDF], released today by the U.S. Census Bureau. The nearly 1.6 million Hispanic-owned businesses generated nearly $222 billion in revenue, up 19 percent from 1997.”
Summary/Fast Facts Direct to Full Text (631 pages; PDF)
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Congressional Research Service
Source: CRS via Open CRS, FAS, FPC
A Selection of New or Recently Updated Reports
+ Fatah and Hamas: The New Palestinian Factional Reality
+ Fuel Ethanol: Background and Public Policy Issues
+ Lobbying and Related Reform Proposals: Consideration of Selected Measures, 109th Congress
+ Iran: U.S. Concerns and Policy Responses
+ The Middle East Peace Talks
+ Internet Development and Information Control in the People’s Republic of China
+ Homeland Security: Protecting Airliners from Terrorist Missiles
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Federal Courts–United States–Statistics
Source: Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts on behalf of the U.S. Courts.
Complaints Against Judges Declined in FY 2005
These tables have stats and more info. 1 2
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United States Statutes
Source: GPO
New, Statutes at Large now available on GPO Access
“The United States Statutes at Large (Volume 117, 108th Congress) is now available online from the U.S. Government Printing Office, with future volumes to follow as they become available. The Statutes at Large is the permanent collection of all laws and resolutions enacted during each session of Congress. Documents are available as ASCII text and Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) files.”

Briefly
+ FAST and SirsiDynix partner to enhance search and research solutions for thousands of libraries
+ ProQuest launches British Periodicals, containing landmark British texts from across four centuries (via ManagingInformation.com)