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Keeping Up with the Quality Web
In this fast-paced world, it's easy to get behind on just about everything, including keeping up with new sites appearing on the Web. Happily, there is a cadre of "cybrarians" in the world keeping up with the latest authoritative Web sites for all of us.
The ResourceShelf http://www.resourceshelf.com , compiled by librarian/information consultant Gary Price, is a daily Weblog featuring high quality Web sites related to politics, government, the information age and much more. As of this writing, some of Gary's most recent linked entries include:
Chris Martin, a vice presidnet at Jeeves/Teoma, explains in less than 1,000 words how Web engines work.
The best places to work in the federal government
Fast Fact Sheet: Thanksgiving 2003
NASA technical reports add content from jet propulsion laboratory
Presidential Fund Race 2004: See who leads in grassroots support, who inspires the most devotion and who is backed by the fat cats
U.S. cancer statistics
National Library of Canada releases redesigned Glenn Gould Archive Web site
Naturally, no one has the time to remember to go to Gary's blog daily. However, it's easy to subscribe to his free weekly reminder service. Connect to the ResourceShelf and fill out a form and your reminder will appear in your Thursday morning email inbox.
Three Web alerting services compile Web listings on a weekly basis: Librarians' Index to the Internet (Lii.org) "New This Week" http://lii.org/search/ntw, The Scout Report http://scout. wisc.edu/Reports/ScoutReport/Current/ and What's Hot on the Internet This Week http://www. eldoradolibrary.org/thisweek.htm. Lii.org sends its email tickler on Thursdays and the Scout Report's prompting arrives on Friday afternoons. Although the What's Hot site does not send out reminders, it's worth a visit when the urge hits to "keep up with the Net." For example, listings for the week of Nov. 10 include "Celebrating 100 years of Flight," "Food Geeks," "Leonardo da Vinci: From Inspiration to Innovation," "The Media Theory Site," "Solar Flare Theory" and "Propaganda Postcards of the Great War."
Another way to keep up with the "quality Web" is to see what sites have appeared in "Best of the Web" listings. For example, the American Library Association's Reference & User Services Section http://www.ala.org/Content/NavigationMenu/ RUSA/Our_Association2/RUSA_Sections/MARS/MARS.htm publishes an annual list of the Best Free Reference Web Sites. Sample sites from the 2003 listing include "AIDSInfo," "Best of History Web Sites," "Hoaxbusters," "Latin America Network Information Center," the "National Center for Education Statistics" and "The Online Books Page."
And, of course, there are the Webby Awards http:/ /www.webbyawards.com/main/webby_awards/nominees.html, which celebrate the best of the Web each year in a wide range of categories from fashion to finance, health to humor, science to spirituality, travel to TV and many more. Each category present links to two winners ("Webby Award Winner" and "People's Voice Winner"), as well as to the nominees. This site is well worth your precious time when you want to experience the latest and greatest of the Web!
—Gemma DeVinney, University Libraries