100 Best Free Reference Web Sites

Summary

A listing of 100 free Web sites with brief annotations that are useful for almost all reference librarians, regardless of whether they are in an academic, public, school, or special library setting.     

Web Mirror Sites

SUMMARY

Libraries can play a key role in ensuring permanent access to primary legal information, both domestic and international. Web mirror sites present a particularly efficient and cost-effective way to collect, disseminate, preserve, and ensure accessibility to information far into the future. Through partnerships with the issuing governments and organizations, databases of official information can be loaded on a local server, updated directly from the issuing site, and captured at regular intervals to get a snapshot of the status of legal instruments as of a certain date. The result is similar to adding the various editions of a print book. The Cornell Law Library has recently made freely available two Web mirror sites for researchers and the public. These are the ILO (International Labour Organization) and the ICJ (International Court of Justice) mirror sites. The Law Library is archiving these sites every six months, thereby providing access to previous versions of a treaty article, or other information that was superseded, or amended. The many additional advantages of creating these partnerships with domestic and international institutions are discussed, as well as the process used to create the mirror sites, and maintaining them. The article ends with a proposal for collaboration among libraries to create the research library of the future. The preservation of digital law is a critical issue because information is disappearing. Libraries have a role to play because it is part of their fundamental mission to preserve information for future researchers.     

Labor and Collective Bargaining Web Sites

Abstract

This chapter outlines key resources in the labor and collective bargaining fields. The author covers Web directories, Web sites of the U.S. government and international organizations, unions, academic institutions, professional organizations, and interest groups.     

Meeting Reference Responsibilities Through Library Web Sites

Summary

Among the many ways the World Wide Web has changed libraries are the additional tools gained by librarians and library users for answering reference questions. In addition to the growing number of licensed resources providing the full text of articles from newspapers, magazines, academic journals, and reference works are the millions of free Web sites offering an incredible variety of information about everything. Locating the most useful of these sites and organizing them into categories on library Web sites can be enormously beneficial both to patrons and libraries. After deciding to make their sites reference portals, librarians must make a number of important decisions.     

Web Sites for Human Resource Development and Organizational Behavior

Abstract

This chapter covers high-quality Web sites in the areas of human resource development and organizational behavior, including professional organizations and associations.     

链接分析用于学术网站评价存在的问题及解决办法

Web链接分析是网站评价时广泛采取的一种方法。但是,网络链接受到多种因素的影响,单纯利用链接测度评价网站的可靠性受到质疑。本文系统地分析了影响链接分析的诸因素,并探讨了消除或减少误差的方法。     

The Library Web Site: Collaborative Content Creation and Management

ABSTRACT

Oakland University's Kresge Library first launched its Web site in 1996. The initial design and subsequent contributions were originally managed by a single Webmaster. In 2002, the library restructured its Web content creation and management to a distributed, collaborative method with the goal of increasing the amount, accuracy, and timeliness of the information available on the library Web site. The new model was successful, resulting in a significant increase in both the amount and timeliness of the information presented on the library Web site. This article details the fundamental structural changes to how the Web site was managed and the rationale behind it.     

学术网站评价方法述评

综述了当前常用的网站评价方法，包括ROBOT法、人工评价法和实时软件测试法等客观评价法，网址评价法、形式评价法和稳定性评价法等的网站性能主观评价法以及网站内容的主观评价法。     

基于网络信息资源保存的生命周期管理研究

网络信息资源生命周期管理研究以网络信息资源保存为基础,研究生命周期理论的规范性方法和最佳实践。文章在分析总结国外研究现状的基础上,从生命周期模型、生命周期管理成本控制以及生命周期过程控制三个方面分析了网络信息资源生命周期管理的相关理论和方法,为后续研究工作作铺垫。该文为2009年第七期“网络信息资源保存”专题文章之一。     

Work of the Web Weavers: Web Development in Academic Libraries

Although the library's Web site has become a standard tool for seeking information and conducting research in academic institutions, there are a variety of ways libraries approach the often challenging—and sometimes daunting—process of Web site development and maintenance. Three librarians at Western Michigan University explored issues related to this topic by conducting a Web-based survey, which was sent to two librarians—Web services and reference/public services—at 149 academic institutions. Survey findings are discussed, including references to Web departments and committees, priority setting, Web authoring, soliciting input, outsourcing, content management systems, redesigns, and user involvement. The participants’ insights regarding the greatest challenges and what seems to be working or not working well are also outlined, in addition to the authors’ suggestions for future research in this area.     

Law Library Faculty Services Web Sites: Effectively Communicating Services Provided for Faculty

This article contains the results of an empirical analysis and review of 199 American Bar Association-accredited law school library Web pages to identify the law library services for faculty that are advertised or promoted on law library Web sites. The analysis ranked the Web sites based on how thoroughly a law library communicates, or promotes on its Web site, the services it offers to faculty. The analysis also identified the percentage of law libraries advertising specific services for faculty, such as those related to library staffing, publishing support, teaching support, and research services. Suggestions are included for the promotion of the law library to faculty, including services some libraries are uniquely offering.     

Company Information on the Web

Abstract

Company information is a fundamental area of business research. This chapter covers Web sites for company research tutorials, annual reports, company directories, and SEC filings.     

Web2.0环境下的个人知识管理初探——以folksonomy为例

文章在分析几种现有的个人知识管理工具的基础上,以folksonomy为例探索适应Web2.0环境的个人知识管理方法与途径。指出folksonomy适应Web2.0环境下个人知识管理的可行性及现实意义,并提出基于folksonomy的个人知识管理的实现途径。     

Services for Graduate Students: A Review of Academic Library Web Sites

A library's Web site is well recognized as the gateway to the library for the vast majority of users. Choosing the most user-friendly Web architecture to reflect the many services libraries offer is a complex process, and librarians are still experimenting to find what works best for their users. As part of a redesign of the Oregon State University Libraries’ Web site, entry points for specific user groups were created. One of these user groups was graduate students. The purpose of this study was to explore the ways other academic libraries design their Web sites for particular user groups, specifically graduate students, in order to determine how the Oregon State University Libraries Web site compared to peer institutions. This study analyzed 112 Association of Research Libraries’ Web sites and 26 Oregon academic libraries’ Web sites to determine the availability of resources and services specifically promoted to graduate students. Since graduate students may view the library Web site through the lens of new student, researcher, or instructor, Web sites were also examined to see if sites were created with any or all of these roles in mind. Nearly a quarter of Association of Research Libraries' Web sites that were examined contained a link on the homepage for graduate students, and another 20 percent provided graduate-student information at a lower level in their site hierarchy. A majority of sites had events, subject guides, or course guides for graduate students. Information for graduate students was typically framed in the context of graduate students as researchers. Ideas and examples are given for ways to improve Web site design to better serve this user group. In order to provide improved services to these students, future studies will explore what graduate students need from academic libraries and the ways these students conduct themselves in their various roles of researchers, instructors, and new students.     

Best of the Web in Economics

Abstract

The economics chapter covers key resources from government, international, and working papers sites. There are also sections on reference sites and collections of economics links.     

Web3.0环境下的个人知识管理

即将来临的Web3.0时代将为个人知识管理提供一个更加广阔的空间。Web 3.0的信息源个性化、搜索智能化、数据整合有效化、信息服务高效化等诸多特征对于个人知识管理有着重要意义。为了将Web3.0的新理念、新技术、新平台更好地应用于个人知识管理,在对Web3.0内涵与特征进行分析的基础上,从知识的获取与组织、知识的交流与共享、知识的利用与创新三个方面对Web3.0在个人知识管理中的应用进行探讨。     

Best of the Web

Abstract

E-commerce is one of the most popular current business topics. This chapter includes core resources of general news, how-to sites, e-commerce technology sites, business-to-business sites, statistics, and academic research centers.     

Best of the Industry Information on the Web

Abstract

Industry resources are another important area of business research. This chapter provides in-depth coverage of primary Web sources for industry research.     

Streamlining Data for Cross-Platform Web Delivery

Smartphone users expect the presentation of Web sites on their mobile browsers to look and feel like native applications. With the pressure on library Web developers to produce app-like mobile sites, there is often a rush to get a site up without considering the importance of reusing or even restructuring the data driving the Web sites. An additional challenge is the content maintenance required of any Web site, regardless of platform, underscoring the advantage of pulling content from other systems to decrease redundancy. This article highlights case studies from two large research universities, examines how each one is streamlining its data for multiple Web-based platforms, and discusses how to work toward making data more flexible so content is delivered from single source points rather than duplicated on individual delivery platforms.     

Web2.0技术在知识管理系统中的应用研究

对Web2.0的Blog、Wiki、IM、RSS等相关技术在知识管理系统中的应用进行具体分析,并对系统框架与实现方法进行探索.