Pictogram

The Chinese Characters and Culture web site contains the complete searchable web version of "Chinese characters: a genealogy and dictionary" and other culture related materials, such as "300 Tang poems", Chinese dynasties, etc. All Chinese characters are linked to the corresponding entry of the Dictionary.

What's The Good News?

State of the News Media 2006 is a Project for Excellence in Journalism and the report examines the current content, audience, economics, and public attitudes surrounding newspapers, network TV, cable, radio, magazines, and ethnic media.

Along Gender Lines

The Eldis Gender Resource Guide is a collection of publications from development organizations on gender topics such as education of women, violence against women, and gender and participation. Features annotations to the publications, profiles of the publishing organizations, an extensive guide to gender and HIV/AIDS, regional and country profiles (Africa, Middle East, Asia, and Latin America), and more. From Eldis, a development resource-sharing program based at the Institute of Development Studies, Sussex.

Private Made Public

Characteristics of Private Schools in the United States: Results From the 2003-2004 Private School Universe Survey. "This [2006] report on the 2003-2004 Private School Universe Survey presents data on private schools in the United States with grades kindergarten through twelve by selected characteristics such as school size, school level, religious orientation, association membership, geographic region, community type, and program emphasis." Covers Montessori, religious (including specific denominations), vocational, and other specialized schools. From the National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education.

In Thier Defense

Biographies of U.S. Secretaries of Defense from 1947 to the present, including Donald Rumsfeld, Richard Cheney, Caspar Weinberger, William Cohen, Les Aspin, George Marshall, and others. The essays cover the life events leading up to each person's time in office, and highlights of their careers in the position. From the U.S. Department of Defense.

Age Of Consumption

Energy Information Administration: Country Analysis Briefs. Reports on the sources and use of energy (such as oil, natural gas, and electricity) for dozens of countries. Reports provide general background and a country profile, data and analysis on energy production and use, and links to related material. Also includes special reports and chronologies such as on oil prices (1970-2004) and on energy activities back to 1996. From the Energy Information Administration (EIA), a statistical agency of the U.S. Department of Energy.

Ups And Downs

The Federal Reserve Archival System for Economic Research is the newest project by the Research Division of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis to expand on its mission to provide economic information and data to researchers interested in the U.S. economy. On this web site you will find links to scanned images (in PDF format) of historical economic statistical publications, releases, and documents. When used in connection with data contained in FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data), FRASER allows the researcher to create uninterrupted data series by accessing sources previously available only in printed form and those currently available electronically on FRED. In addition, the ability to retrieve series presented in preliminary, revised, and final releases provides a powerful tool in recreating and evaluating previous economic research and policy.

Don't Fall Asleep

The International Economic Statistics (IES) Database. "The Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis Research Library's IES Database simplifies the search for world-wide economic indicators. Individual indicators (such as GDP and CPI) are linked, and each link has a description of the data. Included in each record is the title, corporate author, publisher, years covered in the data series, type of publication (text, table, chart), frequency with which the data is published, country of origin, a URL, available languages, subject headings, format (.pdf, .xls, etc.), a summary (where available), and any notes needed to clarify the data. The database is title, country, subject and keyword searchable. Indicators are continually being added."

Tune In

The Encyclopedia of Television includes more than 1,000 original essays from more than 250 contributors and examines specific programs and people, historic moments and trends, major policy disputes and such topics as violence, tabloid television and the quiz show scandal. It also includes histories of major television networks as well as broadcasting systems around the world and is complemented by resource materials, photos and bibliographical information.

Pick Your Topic

eNotes.com was founded in 1998 by two recent college graduates who were frustrated with the lack of quality study guides available online. Starting with the works of Shakespeare, eNotes.com now offers study guides to over 4,000 works of literature and literary movements as well as content in many other subject areas. The site provides content to millions of students, teachers, and readers. eNotes.com is constantly growing and improving, adding content from diverse sources in order to provide users with information presented in a crisp, clean format which is easy to use.

What Are You Reading?

Series and Sequels is "a listing of fiction books for adults which are part of a series, or are sequels to earlier novels. Can be searched by author, title and series name or characters." Listings include the titles in the series with publishing dates; many include additional brief notes about the setting and themes of the series. From Los Angeles Public Library.

Reading To Your Child?

Juvenile Series and Sequels is a database of over 20,000 books in series titles for children and young adults. Browse by series title, book title, author, or series subject (such as dinosaurs, dragons, horses, and spies), or use the main search link at the bottom of the page. From Mid-Continent Public Library, Missouri.

I'll Be Back

Bring New Orleans Back, the website for a commission established by New Orleans mayor Ray Nagin following Hurricane Katrina, provides final reports (from early 2006) on topics such as urban planning, education, public health, social services, government effectiveness, culture, and infrastructure (levees, criminal justice, and public transit).

The People Next Door

The Repopulation of New Orleans After Hurricane Katrina, this 2006 report provides estimates of repopulation rates and of population numbers in New Orleans for "the immediate future (the next three to six months) and the near-term future (the next one to three years) to guide the redevelopment planning process." The report also discusses the conceptual framework for the estimates. Includes a summary and the full report. From the Rand Gulf State Policy Institute.

Simple As 1,2,3

ABC of Diplomacy, this dictionary of diplomacy explains terms such as bilateralism, diplomatic protection, privileges and immunities, protocol, and reciprocity. Include profiles of key agencies, such as the Council of Europe, European Union, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, and World Trade Organization. Available in several languages. From the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs.

Sticker Shock

According to its mission statement, Edmunds.com's goal is "to empower automotive consumers by providing complete, clear, timely, accurate and unbiased information needed to make informed purchase and ownership decisions." The site provides easy access to safety information, road tests, advice, and evaluative information on buying a new or used vehicle via yellow quick link buttons and clearly designed sections throughout the home page. The True Market Value (TMV) Pricing Tools are undoubtedly the highlight of this online resource. The "TMV New Vehicle Pricing Calculator" and the "TMV Used Vehicle Appraiser" are both extremely useful for accurately calculating the best selling price for a new vehicle or determining the actual trade-in or personal selling price of a used car or truck. These values are determined by entering specific criteria that pertain to the vehicle. The "New Vehicle Pricing Calculator" also offers links to customer rebates.

Corner Newstand

AJR Newslink provides "18,000 links to newspapers, magazines, broadcasters and news services worldwide." This site is a must for journalists, news junkies, communication students, reference librarians and those who simply want to stay in touch through their hometown newspaper. The very comprehensive "Resources" section includes links to journalism organizations, publishers and academic resources, new-media newsletters, media reports and marketing research, WWW Search tools, and starting points for journalists including broadcasting and photojournalism. This is an impressive gateway site to everything related to journalism.

In The Hood

REALTOR.com, the official web site of the National Association of Realtors, contains over 2 million listings of homes for sale throughout the United States and Canada. This well designed web resource prominently displays a "Find a Home" basic search tool where properties can be accessed by city, state/province, zip/postal code, price-range. This main search section also offers a "More Search Options" link to an advanced search page where searches can be limited to property type, property, community and lot features, financial options and Multiple Listing Service ID search. The web site features other home buying tools such as "Find a Realtor," "Find a Lender," "Find a Mover," "Market Conditions," and "Real Estate 101" for buyers and sellers.

It's About Time

PubMed is "a database of over 15 million citations for articles published in more than 4800 biomedical journals and magazines from the United States and 70 other countries." Coverage dates back to the 1950's and includes the fields of medicine, nursing, dentistry, veterinary medicine, the health care system, and the pre-clinical sciences. It includes links to many sites providing full text articles and other related resources. PubMed differs from MedlinePlus in content and audience. MedlinePlus is a carefully selected set of links to web resources aimed at a consumer health audience. PubMed, by contrast, has very sophisticated search options including fields such as MeSH (Medical Subject Headings), language, date, publication type, population type (human or animal) and age. PubMed is an unparalleled source for biomedical literature.

Modern English

The Modern Language Association used responses to the 2000 Census question "Does this person speak a language other than English at home?" to create maps and tables for the number of people speaking one of thirty languages plus seven less commonly spoken groups of languages in the United States. Results can be viewed as color-coded maps by Mainland United States, state, county, or zip code; or in table form by entire United States, state, county, zip code, metropolitan area, or town. Directions for creating maps or tables are clear. For students, teachers and others looking for the number of native speakers of languages (including English) in the United States as well as for areas where the greatest number of people speaking each language live, this easily used site is an excellent resource.

Gray Ops

The GrayLIT Network "is a portal for technical report information generated through federally funded research and development projects." Such "grey" literature, although prolific and of great scientific value, is generally not distributed through conventional publication channels. The GrayLit Network allows patrons to search multiple government databases to retrieve this elusive scientific information. Among the indexed agencies are Department of Energy (DOE), Department of Defense (DOD), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Search results are based on searches of bibliographic records for some databases and full text searching ofothers depending on the search capabilities of the individual sites. However, the full text of all reports is available, making this an excellent resource for researchers needing this specialized information.

Help Us Help You

The Federal Citizen Information Center (FCIC) is a "one-stop source for answers to questions about consumer problems and government services." The web page complements the Center's long-standing telephone and mail services to the public, providing users with a single point of access for information from various government agencies. The site is easy to use, offering users both simple search interface and a comprehensive subject listing from which to choose. With its free offers, calls for consumer action, and links to dozens of government sites containing information on subjects ranging from product recalls to purchasing a home, this site is an example of how print information can be successfully translated into an attractive online resource to serve the general public.

Look Before You Leap

ConsumerSearch aims to be the starting place for consumers researching top-rated products in 13 categories including Photo & Video, Health & Fitness, Computers, Automotive, and Sports & Leisure. The site employs over 50 researchers who identify and rank product reviews based on their currency, credibility, testing methodology, and the reviewer's qualifications. Results are presented in an easy-to-use format highlighting links to the best-rated reviews and products. The "Fast Answers" page summarizes the research about each of the top rated products and provides links to "The Full Story" for additional background and price information. Links are also provided to ConsumerSearch's ranking of all reviews of the product and to sites offering the product for sale. This is an excellent resource for those trying to locate and evaluate product review information on the Internet.

Birds Of A Feather

Think Tanks allows you to connect to websites of conservative think tanks, liberal think tanks, international relations think tanks, public policy institutes, and public policy organizations. Organized by common group definitions, all the major players in each category are included and provided a brief annotation.

The Great Divide

Tax Facts Database contains infomation on the "composition of taxes; distribution of tax burden; and changes in tax burden over time." Current and historical data are available for federal and state income tax rates and well as sales, excise and other tax rates, tax revenues and minimum wage rates.

American Progress

Historical United States Census Browser 1790-1960 provides data on the population and economy of U.S. states and counties from 1790 to 1960. In addition to population and housing units, all decades have data on race, gender, and some measure of household size and composition. Beginning with 1840, some economic information such as education and occupation is included. Later decades include more variables such as ancestry, literacy and income data. All of the information can be view in an interactive data map.

Better Living Through Chemistry

ChemIDplus is a free, web-based search system that provides access to structure and nomenclature authority files used for the identification of chemical substances cited in National Library of Medicine (NLM) databases, including the TOXNET® system. ChemIDplus also provides structure searching and direct links to many biomedical resources at NLM and on the Internet for chemicals of interest. The database contains over 379,000 chemical records, of which over 257,000 include chemical structures, and is searchable by Name, Synonym, CAS Registry Number, Molecular Formula, Classification Code, Locator Code, and Structure.

Serve And Protect

The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) is the research, development, and evaluation agency of the U.S. Department of Justice and is dedicated to researching crime control and justice issues. NIJ provides objective, independent, evidence-based knowledge and tools to meet the challenges of crime and justice, particularly at the State and local levels. The NIJ create scientific, relevant, and reliable knowledge – with a particular emphasis on terrorism, violent crime, drugs and crime, cost-effectiveness, and community-based efforts – to enhance the administration of justice and public safety. The Institute has established the following program areas: crime control and prevention, including policing; drugs and crime; justice systems and offender behavior, including corrections; violence and victimization; communications and information technologies; critical incident response; investigative and forensic sciences, including DNA; less lethal technologies; officer protection; education and training technologies; testing and standards; technology assistance to law enforcement and corrections agencies; field testing of promising programs; and international crime control. With online publication of NIJ Journal 253 comes an expanded NIJ Journal Web page, featuring an easy link to past articles and an article search feature.

Citizens Of Tomorrow

The Future of Children e-journal is a publication of The Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University and The Brookings Institution. On the site, visitors can read the current issue of the journal, and also browse previous issues dating back to 1991. Each issue has a general theme, and past years have featured issues dealing with adoption, health insurance for children, caring for infants and toddlers, and domestic violence. Each issue contains an executive summary and article summaries. Additionally, users may also wish to sign up to receive their free e-mail newsletter.

Key Indicators

The ICOP Industry Database provides estimates of comparative productivity levels by industry, which are compiled within the framework of the International Comparisons of Output and Productivity project. They provide annual series from 1950-2000 for manufacturing. The ICOP Database presently covers approximately 30 countries. Estimates for retail and wholesale trade and transport and communication are available from a regular publication of the International Labour Office (ILO), called Key Indicators of the Labour Market Third Edition.

Productivity Report

The 60-Industry Database contains data on value added at constant and current prices, persons engaged, employees, hours and compensation for (at most) 60 industries covering the total economy. The biggest part of this database stems from the Industry Labour Productivity Database set up for the European Commission. For most countries, the period from 1979 to 2003 is covered.