ResourceShelf Newsletter 232

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ResourceShelf Newsletter Number 232  September 29, 2005
<http://www.resourceshelf.com>

                 ++  Thursday, September 29, 2005  ++

Resources of the Week
by Shirl Kennedy, Deputy Editor
-----------------------

Natural disasters, stratospheric gas prices, a messy war in Iraq that
goes on and on, two Supreme Court nominations on the line, evolution
versus "intelligent design," privacy-threatening security breaches,
and a whole raft of other social issues creating divisiveness in
society... Is it just me, or does it seem like the number of rumors
and hoaxes flying around the Internet is reaching critical mass? My
current personal favorite? Killer dolphins in the Gulf of Mexico,
freed from a Naval research facility by the wrath of Hurricane
Katrina. Not that I really have time to go to the beach anyhow...

It's probably a good time to review some of the sites on the Web where
you can go to check this stuff out before forwarding it along to 100
of your closest friends. (And don't we all have friends like this who
are eager to "share" with us?)

+ Urban Legends Reference Pages: Always check here first, since this
  is the motherlode...and it's nicely organized, for browsing and
  searching. Links on the front page will take you to the newest and
  25 hottest urban legends. Both pages have their own RSS feeds. For
  each tale, you'll learn where it came from (if possible) whether it
  is true, false, or undetermined/ambiguous. References and links to
  related information are often included. Killer dolphins in the Gulf
  of Mexico? Probably not. But they have been trained to detect mines,
  which could be useful.

+ CIAC Hoax Pages (Hoaxbusters): This website is part of the U.S.
  Department of Energy's Computer Incident Advisory Capability.
  However, the site maintainers tell us, "At CIAC, we find that we
  spend much more time de-bunking hoaxes than handling real virus and
  Trojan incidents. These pages describe some of the warnings, offers,
  and pleas for help that are filling our mailboxes, clogging our
  mailservers, and that generally do not have any basis in fact." You
  can browse by category (including fake virus/malicious code
  warnings) or search the archive. There's also a Full Hoax Index that
  allows you to see, on a single page, the contents of all the other
  pages on the site. Also included is a comprehensive list of links to
  other hoax sites, as well as scam/fraud information and reporting
  sites.

+ About.com Urban Legends and Folklore: You can search and browse here
  as well, but as it typical for About.com sites, the cluttered
  interface can be distracting. Below the title of each entry, on the
  right, you'll see information about the origin of the rumor/hoax,
  its status and a link to a brief analysis. Clicking on Hoax Central
  on the lefthand nav bar takes you to a collection of stuff that is
  currently floating around, including Bogus Websites (remember the
  Bonsai Kitten?) and Faux Photos (always amusing). There's a top 25
  list here as well, and an image quiz (real or fake?).

+ TruthOrFiction.com: While not as content-rich as the three sites
  mentioned above, there's a particularly good section on
  religious/spiritual rumors, including prayer requests, etc. Search
  or browse. Paid subscriptions are offered here for those who want to
  be promptly alerted to "the latest stories, eRumors, and hoaxes."

+ purportal.com ("The Bunk Stops Here"): Keyword search five different
  hoax sites from a single page -- the first three sites mentioned
  here, plus the CERT Computer Security Database and the Symantec
  (Real) Virus Encyclopedia. Well worth a bookmark. Purportal was a
  ResourceShelf "Resource of the Week" in 2004.

Direct LINK to This ResourceShelf Post <http://digbig.com/4esqh>


Professional Reading Shelf
--------------------------

Online Information
  Source: Research Information
  The October/November 2005 of Research Information is Now Online
  Articles include:

+ Language skills help text mining

+ Automation reduces the cost of archiving

+ Archive programmes gain momentum

Hurricane Katrina--Archives
  Source: SAA
  Report of Hurricane Katrina Damage Assessment
  PDF.

Library Databases
  Source: GovTech.net
  Revamped Michigan eLibrary Brings New Tools and Information
  Resources to Residents
  "On Wednesday, the Library of Michigan and Department of History,
  Arts and Libraries (HAL) announced the Michigan eLibrary (MeL) is
  open for business with a brand new look, more user-friendly search
  and retrieval features, and a stable of information resources, all
  geared to provide Michigan residents with access to a comprehensive
  collection of information."

Direct LINK to These ResourceShelf Posts <http://digbig.com/4esqe>


Resources, Reports, Tools, Lists, and Full Text Documents
---------------------------------------------------------

Civil War--United States--Maps
  Source: American Memory Project, Library of Congress
  Just Released, Confederate Army Maps Now Online
  From a news release, A collection of Civil War maps, many of which
  were used by Gen. Robert E. Lee and Gen. Thomas J. "Stonewall"
  Jackson, is now available online at
  http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/collections/maps/hotchkiss/.
  The maps, from the Geography and Map Division, were obtained from
  Mrs. R.E. Christian, granddaughter of Maj. Jedediah Hotchkiss
  (1828-1899), a topographic engineer in the Confederate Army.' 'The
  Hotchkiss Map Collection' contains cartographic items by Hotchkiss
  (1828-1899), who made detailed battle maps, primarily of the
  Shenandoah Valley, some of which were used by Gens. Lee and Jackson
  for their combat planning and strategy. Several of the maps have
  annotations of various military officers, demonstrating their
  importance in the military campaigns. The collection also includes
  maps made or used by Hotchkiss during his postwar years, including
  maps with information about railroads, minerals and mining, geology
  and history. Most of them focus on Virginia and West Virginia, but
  also cover other states and even the world."

Joseph Stalin--Databases
  Source: Univeristy of Pittsburgh Digital Libraries
  New, Stalinka: Digital Library of Staliniana
  "The Digital Research Library released an image collection visually
  documenting the Soviet leader Joseph Stalin. The website, Stalinka:
  Digital Library of Staliniana is the result of a two-year effort
  between the DRL and Prof. Helena Goscilo (Department of Slavic
  Languages and Literatures), Susan Corbesero (Department of History),
  and Petre Petrov (graduate student). he collection comprises 368
  visual materials and artifacts relating to Stalin: photographs,
  posters, paintings, banners, sculptures, chinaware, pins, etc."

Country Studies
  Source: Federal Research Division/Library of Congress
  New, Country Profile of Thailand
  PDF.
  See Also: More Country Profiles from the FRD

Nuclear, Chemical, and Biological Weapons--Maps
  Source: Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
  Deadly Maps
  "The complete collection of maps from Deadly Arsenals: Nuclear,
  Biological, and Chemical Threats by Joseph Cirincione, Jon B.
  Wolfsthal, and Miriam Rajkumar is now available online. Included in
  the collection are maps that reflect the worldwide proliferation of
  nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons and their missile delivery
  systems. Additionally, country maps show the major nuclear
  installations, both civilian and military, in each country."

Crime Enforcement--United States--Statistics
  Source: Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (Syracuse
  University)
  New, Criminal Enforcement Changes in the Bush Years Released
  "New data show significant shifts have occurred in how the federal
  government enforced the law during the Bush Administration. From FY
  2000 to FY 2004, gederal prosecutions were up by over 31%. The data,
  obtained by TRAC under the Freedom of Information Act, also document
  changes in the kinds of cases being brought to court: immigration
  and weapons prosecutions are climbing while white collar crime and
  drug prosecutions are sliding. The new data go through the end of
  March 2005 (the first half of FY 2005)."

Government--Canada
  Source: Library and Archives Canada
  New Online Exhibit, By Executive Decree

Armed Forces--United Kingdom
  Source: Ministry of Defence
  Just Released, UK Defence Statistics, 2005

Direct LINK to These ResourceShelf Posts <http://digbig.com/4esqf>


Search Briefs
--------------

+ Roll Your Own Search Engine With Rollyo (Beta)
  NOTE: A new beta search tool, more than worthy of your attention.

+ Export or Backup Your Gmail Contacts List with Just a Few Clicks

Direct LINK to These ResourceShelf Posts <http://digbig.com/4esqd>


Briefly
-------

+ Proquest Offering 2000+ Medical e-Books From MyiLibrary

Direct LINK to This ResourceShelf Post <http://digbig.com/4esqc>



                 ++  Wednesday, September 28, 2005  ++


Professional Reading Shelf
--------------------------

National Archives--United Kingdom
  Source: National Archives, UK
  The National Archives tackles digital compliance
  "The National Archives have reached another milestone in digital
  preservation testing and compliance. In conjunction with the UK Data
  Archive, The National Archives have released a report comparing their
  preservation practices to the leading internationally recognised
  standard for digital archives. This provides a model for other
  organisations to test the compliance of their own systems." Direct to
  full text of report (PDF).

Academic Libraries
  Source: Chronicle of Higher Education
  In Depth: Libraries
  This is a special Chronicle supplement on libraries containing a
  package of stories, most of which are available to subscribers only:

+ Thoughtful Designs: "As they renovate old libraries and plan new
  ones, colleges consider the purpose of the buildings -- and how to
  make them popular."

+ Evolving Roles: "Today's reference librarians need IT and
  pedagogical skills. Institutions are adapting in various ways, says
  W. Lee Hisle."

+ The Beauty of Browsing: "Fred D. White doesn't want stacks closed
  and mechanized. He wants to hold books in his hand and see where
  they take him."

+ Should Librarians Get Tenure? Yes, It's Crucial to Their Jobs:
  "College librarians are crucial partners in teaching and research,
  and they should be eligible for tenure like their faculty
  colleagues, says Catherine Murray-Rust." (This one is available free
  to non- subscribers.)

+ Should Librarians Get Tenure? No, It Can Hamper Their Roles:
  "Librarians should be involved in college governance, but, writes
  Deborah A. Carver, they don't face the academic-freedom issues that
  professors do, and don't need tenure." (This one is available free
  to non-subscribers.)

Library Catalogs
  Source: Center for Research Libraries
  Center for Research Libraries Releases New Catalog
  "The Center for Research Libraries has unveiled a new online
  catalog, allowing researchers additional functionality in searching
  and displaying the more than one million records in the catalog. The
  added functionality includes two new search types: a dedicated
  newspaper search and a combined author and title search. The
  newspaper search feature enables patrons to search all newspapers
  held by the Center by geographic area. Using a list provided in a
  drop-down box, patrons can search for foreign newspapers by country
  or for domestic newspapers by U.S. state."

Librarians--Pregnancy
  Source: Catherine Woodworth Wong
  Pregnant @ the Reference Desk
  "I have created this web site to serve as a resource to help
  pregnant librarians and adopting parents as I included some adoption
  resources as well. When I was pregnant, I was so busy working that I
  did not know about a lot of this stuff. I am trying to include
  things that you may not have found as opposed to the really popular
  web sites!" Covers librarian parenting e-mail lists, health issues,
  maternity clothing, librarian-recommended websites. (via
  librarian.net)

Direct LINK to These ResourceShelf Posts <http://digbig.com/4esqb>


Resources, Reports, Tools, Lists, and Full Text Documents
---------------------------------------------------------

September 11th
  Source: The Memory Hole
  All Available NY Fire Dept Dispatch Tapes From 9/11
  "The Fire Department of New York's radio dispatches from the morning
  and early afternoon of 9/11. For over three years, they fought in
  court to keep these recordings secret but were finally forced to
  release them in August 2005. For the first time anywhere, we've made
  the contents of all 21 audio CDs available online."

Psychology--Full-Text Documents
  Source: York University (Toronto)
  Classics in the History of Psychology
  "Classics in the History of Psychology is an effort to make the full
  texts of a large number of historically significant public domain
  documents from the scholarly literature of psychology and allied
  disciplines available on the World Wide Web. There are now over 25
  books and about 200 articles and chapters on-line. The site also
  contains links to over 200 relevant works posted at other sites."
  Searchable.

+ Index by author

+ Index by topic

Natural Disasters--Children's Books
  Source: University of Illinois Extension Disaster Resources (by Lynn
  Blinn Pike, Ph.D., University of Missouri)
  Children's Literature on Floods and Natural Disasters
  "Reading about floods, understanding what causes floods, and talking
  about natural disasters in general will help children who have
  experienced a flood to communicate their feelings and fears. Through
  thoughtful questioning, children can be guided to relate their own
  experiences to those of the characters in the books."
  See also: Bibliography: Books on Disaster For Kids (FEMA)

Direct LINK to These ResourceShelf Posts <http://digbig.com/4esqa>

Citation Reports
-----------------

Source: ISI

+ Science in Finland, 2000-04

+ U.K. Universities: Most Prolific in Mathematics, 2000-04

+ Dentistry/Oral Surgery & Medicine: High-Impact U.S. Universities,
  2000-04

+ Journals Ranked by Impact: Entomology


Search Briefs
---------------

+ Dynamically Search and Browse RSS News Headlines
  NOTE: VERY COOL!

+ Time For Results Counts / Number Of Matches To Go?

Direct LINK to These ResourceShelf Posts <http://digbig.com/4espx>


Briefly
-------

+ Market for Business Online Services Projected to Grow 3.1% to $36
  Billion in 2005, Says Simba Information?s Business Information
  Markets Report

Direct LINK to This ResourceShelf Post <http://digbig.com/4espw>



                  ++  Tuesday, September 27, 2005  ++


Professional Reading Shelf
--------------------------

Digitization Projects--Canada
  Source: Library and Archives Canada
  Digitization Program for the Archival Community
  A list (with links) to the digital projects (2004-2005) that have
  received funding and support from Library and Archives Canada, the
  Canadian Council of Archives and the Department of Canadian
  Heritage.

Information Technology
  Source: JISC
  New, TechDis staff packs published to support accessibility
  "Engaging staff with e-Learning can be difficult, particularly where
  their personal IT skills are modest. This difficulty can be
  compounded by misguided accessibility training that attempts to give
  highly technical advice to people who lack the skills to make use of
  it. The resulting confusion can lead to tutors and lecturers - the
  staff with biggest potential impact on accessibility - retreating to
  traditional, less accessible teaching approaches. The JISC-funded
  service TechDis has produced a series of self-supporting staff
  development packs aimed at highlighting the important issues
  surrounding technology and disability. Each pack is self-standing
  and can either be delivered as a session independently or adapted
  into a wider staff development programme. Direct to TechDis Staff
  Packs.

Public Libraries--United States--Statistics
  Source: NCES
  Updated, Compare Public Libraries Database
  "Compare Public Libraries allows users to compare one library (the
  library of interest) with similar libraries (the comparison group).
  For example, a user may wish to compare one library's total
  circulation with the total circulation of a group of libraries with
  similar total expenditures. Once you complete your analysis you can
  view the results and download them as an Excel file. This data tool
  has just been updated with information for fiscal year 2003."

Researching Hospitals
  Source: TVC Alert
  Conducting Research on Hospitals

Direct LINK to These ResourceShelf Posts <http://digbig.com/4espt>


Resources, Reports, Tools, Lists, and Full Text Documents
---------------------------------------------------------

Celluar Subscribers--Global--Lists & Rankings
  Source: Computer Industry Almanac
  Just Released, China Tops Cellular Subscriber Top 15 Ranking
  "The worldwide number of cellular subscribers will surpass 2 billion
  in 2005 - up from 11M in 1990 and 750M in 2000. China is the clear
  leader in cellular subscribers and will reach nearly 400M at year-
  end 2005 - nearly twice as many as the USA. Russia has seen
  tremendous growth in the last few years and is projected to be in
  third place by year-end 2005. Rapid expansion in India will see a
  future climb in the rankings to a possible #2 in 2010. Worldwide
  cellular subscribers are forecasted to reach 3.2B by the end of
  2010."

MBA Programs--Lists & Rankings
  Source: Economist Intelligence Unit
  European school takes top spot in the Economist Intelligence Unit's
  MBA rankings

Hurricanes--United States--Map
  Source: NOAA (National Hurricane Center)
  Continental United States Landfalling Hurricanes 1950-2004
  Very nice map, in .jpg format.

Direct LINK to These ResourceShelf Posts <http://digbig.com/4esps>


Search Briefs
-------------

+ For Many, It's All About the Very First Search Result

+ Infospace Gets Ready to Launch Mobile Search Client

+ Google Video Gets Flashy

Direct LINK to These ResourceShelf Posts <http://digbig.com/4espr>


Briefly
-----

+ Autonomy and NetLibrary (OCLC) Announce Deal

+ Department Of Justice Awards $26 Million To Enhance State Criminal
  Justice Records

+ New Release of Factiva Public Figures & Associates Provides Enhanced
  Compliance with Global Anti-Money Laundering Regulations

Direct LINK to These ResourceShelf Posts <http://digbig.com/4espq>


                  ++  Monday, September 26, 2005, 2005  ++


Professional Reading Shelf
--------------------------

Information Industry--Forecasts
  Source: Outsell
  In a New Report, Outsell, Inc. Forecasts Single Digit Growth For The
  Information Industry, Reaching $358 Billion
  "Outsell, Inc. has released FutureFacts: 2006 and Beyond, the
  market?s first-ever comprehensive forecast of the trends and drivers
  fueling the Information Industry. The report pegs the Information
  Industry to reach $358 billion by 2008, lending credit to innovative
  companies like Yahoo!, Google, Baidu, Interactive Data Corporation,
  Greenfield Online and, HealthStream Inc. for growing the market."
  The full text of the report is available (free) here (registration
  required).

Searching--User Interface--Children
  Source: Human-Computer Interaction Lab, University of Maryland
  Interface Design for Children's Searching and Browsing
  From the abstract, "Elementary-age children are among the largest
  user groups of computers and the Internet, so it is important to
  design searching and browsing tools that support them. However, many
  interfaces for children do not consider their skills and
  preferences. Children are capable of doing Boolean searches, but
  have difficulty with the sequential presentation of hierarchical
  structures used in many category browsers. Based on previous
  research, we believed a simultaneous presentation of a flat category
  structure might better support children. We conducted two studies of
  searching and browsing with these two types of category browsers.
  Our results suggest that a flat, simultaneous interface provides
  advantages for both Boolean searching and casual browsing. These
  results add to the understanding of children?s searching and
  browsing skills and preferences and suggest guidelines for other
  interface designers."

Direct LINK to These ResourceShelf Posts <http://digbig.com/4esfg>


Resources, Reports, Tools, Lists, and Full Text Documents
---------------------------------------------------------

Renters--Satisfaction--Lists & Rankings
  Source: Apartment Ratings, Inc.
  Renter Livability and Satisfaction Survey: Top Cities for Renters
  List 2005
  "The Renter Livability and Satisfaction table is based on the
  results of analyzing data collected from users of
  ApartmentRatings.com regarding renter satisfaction and average rent
  along with data regarding local economic conditions from secondary
  sources. The index uses the most up-to-date information available
  from government research agencies for income and rental vacancy. The
  most current data were available for 2003 and 2004 respectively."

Interactive Voice Response Systems
  Source: Intuit QuickBase
  Find-A-Human -- IVR Phone System Shortcuts (USA)
  "Instructions for bypassing IVR systems to get to a human as quickly
  as you can."
  See also: Info for Amazon.com, eBay and PayPal customer service
  (Cliche Ideas)

September 11th
  Source: 9/11 Commission
  New Version, Four Flights and Civil Aviation Security (PDF)
  The September 12, 2005 version of the Staff Monograph on the "Four
  Flights and Civil Aviation Security" resulted from a second review
  of the report by the executive branch. This version was released by
  the U.S. Department of Justice and transferred into the custody of
  the National Archives on September 12, 2005. This newer version
  contains less redacted information than the first version released
  on January 28, 2005.

Crime--United States--Statistics
  Source: BJS
  Just Released, Criminal Victimization, 2004
  "Victimization rates for every major type of crime measured were
  unchanged from their 2003 levels."

Pensions--United States
  Source: Congressional Budget Office
  New, A Guide to Understanding the Pension Benefit Guaranty
  Corporation

Direct LINK to This ResourceShelf Post <http://digbig.com/4esff>


Briefly
-------

+ H.W. Wilson Announces Book Review Digest Retrospective: 1905-1982

Direct LINK to This ResourceShelf Post <http://digbig.com/4esfe>




                  ++  Sunday, September 25, 2005  ++



Professional Reading Shelf
-----------------------------

PubMed
  Source: NLM
  New Edition of PubMed Tutorial Available
  The tutorial can be accessed here or via a link on the PubMed
  sidebar.

Internet Security--Internationalized Domain Names
  Source: United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT)
  Understanding Internationalized Domain Names
  "You may have been exposed to internationalized domain names (IDNs)
  without realizing it. While they typically do not affect your
  browsing activity, IDNs may give attackers an opportunity to
  redirect you to a malicious web page."

Direct LINK to This ResourceShelf Post <http://digbig.com/4esfc>


Resources, Reports, Tools, Lists, and Full Text Documents
---------------------------------------------------------

Toys--Holiday Season--Lists & Rankings
  Source: Toys "R" Us
  Toys "R" Us Announces Its Annual List of the Hottest New Toys for
  the 2005 Holiday Season
  "Toys 'R' Us Us today announced its annual list of toys anticipated
  to be the top choices of children this holiday season. The Toys "R"
  Us Joy List -- organized by age from infants to big kids -- features
  36 toys that are new to market this year. From this list, 14 toys
  were selected as the overall 'best of the season.'"

MacBeth--Database
  Source: askSam
  The Tragedy of MacBeth by William Shakespeare -- Free Searchable
  Version
  "Using the askSam Web Publisher, we've put the entire text of
  MacBeth on-line in a searchable database. You can s

Direct LINK to These ResourceShelf Posts <http://digbig.com/4esfd>


Search Briefs
-------------

+ Vivisimo and MSN Awarded Contract to Power Search on FirstGov

+ MSN Search Offers Free Full Text Access to Encarta Encyclopedia

Direct LINK to These ResourceShelf Posts <http://digbig.com/4esfb>



                 ++  Saturday, September 24, 2005  ++


Professional Reading Shelf
---------------------------
Information Industry
  Libraries
  Source: ACCESS
  The September Issue of ACCESS is Now Online
  Articles include:

+ The future of the book: the view from a librarian and a publisher

+ India moving ahead with open access

+ Companies turn to knowledge management to solve information overload

Direct LINK to This ResourceShelf Post <http://digbig.com/4esfa>


Resources, Reports, Tools, Lists, and Full Text Documents
---------------------------------------------------------

Elections
  Source: Parliamentary Library, Parliament of Australia
  Research Brief: Elections Around the World
  "This electronic brief provides links to web-based information and
  full-text articles relevant to selected countries having national
  elections in 2005."

Direct LINK to This ResourceShelf Post <http://digbig.com/4esey>



                  ++  Friday, September 23, 2005  ++

Professional Reading Shelf
--------------------------

Federal Depository Library Program--Selection Policy
  Source: GPO
  FDLP Selection Mechanisms: Item Numbers and Alternatives

  "As part of its ongoing planning efforts, GPO's Information
  Dissemination (Superintendent of Documents) organization has
  undertaken a review of the item number system used by libraries in
  the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP) to select tangible and
  electronic titles. As the number of electronic publications
  disseminated continues to grow, GPO raised questions about the
  continued utility of item numbers in its initial planning statement
  on the National Bibliography. In response to a request from the
  Depository Library Council, GPO conducted a review of the current
  item number system and examined possible alternatives. As a result
  of this review, GPO is releasing three briefing papers and
  soliciting comments from the depository library community.
  Depository Selection: History and Current Practice (PDF; 84 KB) is
  provided as background information for the other two papers. It
  provides an overview of the item number process in its current form.
  Depository Selection Mechanisms: New Model for the Selection of
  Online Titles (PDF; 82 KB) proposes new mechanisms for the selection
  of online titles. Depository Selection Mechanisms: New Model for the
  Selection of Tangible Publications (PDF; 90 KB) proposes new
  mechanisms to support a more flexible model for selection and
  distribution of tangible publications.... Deadline for comments is
  Monday, October 31, 2005."

Public Libraries--United Kingdom
  Source: LISU
  Public Library Materials Fund and Budget Survey 2004-06
  "LISU's regular Public Library Materials Fund and Budget Survey
  describes in detail how our Public Library Services are faring and
  their plans for the future. Based upon an extensive questionnaire
  survey of UK Libraries, it is a compilation of recent spending
  results, together with budgets for 2005-2006."

Public Libraries--United States
  Source: National Center for Education Statistics
  E.D. TAB: Public Libraries in the United States: Fiscal Year 2003

  "This report includes national and state summary data on public
  libraries in the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the
  outlying areas, with an introduction, findings, and numerous tables.
  The report is based on data from the Public Libraries Survey, Fiscal
  Year 2003, and includes information on population of legal service
  area, service outlets, public service hours, library materials,
  total circulation, circulation of children's materials, reference
  transactions, library visits, children's program attendance,
  interlibrary loans, electronic services and information, full-time-
  equivalent staff, operating revenue and expenditures, and capital
  expenditures. The report includes several key findings: Nationwide,
  library visits to public libraries totaled 1.3 billion, or 4.6
  library visits per capita. The average number of Internet terminals
  available for public use per stationary outlet was 9.5."

Direct LINK to This ResourceShelf Post <http://digbig.com/4esex>


Resources, Reports, Tools, Lists, and Full Text Documents
----------------------------------------------------------

Wealth--United States--Lists & Rankings
  Source: Forbes
  Just Released, Forbes 400 (2005)
  "The 400 Richest Americans." Sort list by rank, name, net worth,
  age, and residence. Numerous special features are included in the
  online package.

Public Schools--United States--Financial Data
  Source: National Center for Education Statistics
  Public School District Finance Peer Search
  "This search lets you compare the finances of a school district with
  its peers. Peer districts are districts which share similarities
  among these characteristics: total students; Student/Teacher Ratio;
  Percent Children in Poverty; District Type; and Locale Code. In the
  box above, enter the name of a district. You may enter the entire
  name or any portion of the name. Click the search button to perform
  your search." Recently updated to include 2002-03 fiscal data and
  2003-04 non-fiscal data.

Workplace--United States--Statistics
  Source: BLS
  Just Released, Work At Home In 2004
  "In May 2004, 20.7 million persons usually did some work at home as
  part of their primary job, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the
  U.S. Department of Labor reported today. These workers, who reported
  working at home at least once per week, accounted for about 15
  percent of total nonagricultural employment in May 2004, essentially
  the same percentage as in May 2001."

Health--Web Resources
  Source: MedlinePlus
  New MedlinePlus Topic Compilation

+ Coping with Chronic Illness

+ Fluid and Electrolyte Balance

MacArthur Fellows Program--Grant Recipients
  Source: John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
  25 MacArthur Fellows Announced by the MacArthur Foundation...
  "The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation today named 25
  new MacArthur Fellows for 2005. Each received a phone call from the
  Foundation this week informing them that they will be given $500,000
  in 'no strings attached' support over the next five years. MacArthur
  Fellows are selected for their creativity, originality, and
  potential. By providing resources without stipulations or reporting
  requirements, the MacArthur Foundation offers the opportunity for
  Fellows to accelerate their current activities or take their work in
  new directions. The unusual level of independence afforded to the
  Fellows underscores the spirit of freedom intrinsic to creative
  endeavors."

Direct LINK to These ResourceShelf Posts <http://digbig.com/4esew>


Search Briefs
-------------

+ AOL.com Portal Leaves Beta

+ Findory Completes Release of Personalized RSS Reader

+ University of Michigan Official Comments on Google Library Lawsuit

Direct LINK to This ResourceShelf Post <http://digbig.com/4eset>



                 ++  Thursday, September 22, 2005,  ++


Resource of the Week
By Shirl Kennedy, Deputy Editor
--------------------

This week, we bring you another eclectic ResourceShelf Round-Up.
Here's a brief look at a few quality resources available from some of
the leading U.S. business schools. We'll bet there's at least
something here you've never seen before.

Direct LINK to This ResourceShelf Post <http://digbig.com/4erjj>


Professional Reading Shelf
--------------------------

Libraries--Marketing
  Source: Chris Olson
  The September Issue of Chris Olson's Marketing Treasures Newsletter
  is Now Online

  Highlights include:

+ Pointers For Better Focus Groups

+ Open Houses For Solo Librarians

+ Washington State Library Marketing Plans

+ Singapore National Library Board Winning Marketing Strategy

Library Jobs--United Kingdom
  Source: CILIP
  CILIP Relaunches Lisjobnet.com
  From a news release "...Lisjobnet.com has been relaunched with a new
  look, new functionality and a wide range of content. Its aim is to
  provide an unmatched resource for jobseekers and employers in the
  library & information community...[The service offers] four separate
  search facilities and on-line access to all the latest jobs
  published in Gazette magazine -- the UK's leading library &
  information recruitment publication. Alongside the jobs are special
  sections to assist jobseekers by providing them with direct links to
  support services and professional advice.

Book Prices
  Source: LISU
  Summary Only: Average Prices of British Academic Books Jan-June 2005
  and Average Prices of USA Academic Books Jan-June 2005
  Full text of the report is fee-based. "Academic librarians all over
  the world buy large numbers of English language academic books
  published in the UK and the USA. LISU's firmly established bi-annual
  series giving the average prices for these materials have recently
  been revised, and are now available electronically. The information
  is particularly helpful to librarians for budgeting purposes."

Hurricane Katrina--Libraries
  Source: IMLS
  In Midst of Katrina's Destruction, Gulf States and Neighboring
  Libraries Persevere
  Examples of what libraries are doing in Louisiana, Mississippi,
  Alabama, Texas, Arkansas, and Georgia.

Direct LINK to These ResourceShelf Posts <http://digbig.com/4eses>


Resources, Reports, Tools, Lists, and Full Text Documents
----------------------------------------------------------

Pharmaceutical Drugs--Clinical Trials--Portals
  Source: Reuters
  Drug firms launch Web site to disclose trials data
  "The global pharmaceutical industry launched a new Web site on
  Wednesday giving details of clinical trials on new medicines in a
  bid to allay patient fears over drug safety. The move follows
  criticism that companies manipulate or suppress results of clinical
  studies in order to come up with favorable conclusions. The new
  portal (www.ifpma.org/clinicaltrials), established by the
  International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and
  Associations, links available online information about clinical
  trials worldwide."

Business--United States--Statistics
  Source: U.S. Census
  Just Released, 2002 Economic Census, Management of Companies and
  Enterprises, Geographic Area Series, United States and States: 2002
  29 pages; PDF.

Business Schools--United States--Lists & Rankings
  Source: The Wall Street Journal
  Just Released, 2005 Wall Street Journal/Harris Interactive Business-
  School Rankings
  "These rankings measure how appealing the schools are to recruiters
  -- the buyers of M.B.A talent. The three top-rated schools this year
  all offer relatively small M.B.A. programs and produce graduates
  that companies find attractive both for their technical aptitude and
  their agreeable attitudes. Recruiters like students from Dartmouth's
  Tuck School of Business for their collegiality and teamwork. Purdue
  graduates are considered impressive because of their humble
  attitudes and strong work ethic. And IMD receives praise for its
  students' unusual maturity and depth."

Congressional Research Service
  Source: CRS (via FPC)
  A Selection of New/Updated CRS Reports
  All reports are PDF documents.

+ Gasoline Prices: Policies and Proposals

+ Federal Affirmative Action Law: A Brief History

+ The Macroeconomic Effects of Hurricane Katrina

+ Federal Civil Rights Statues: A Primer

+ The Use of Federal Troops for Disaster Assistance: Legal Issues

U.S. Supreme Court Hearings--Transcripts--Databases
askSam Offers Searchable Versions of Transcripts from John G. Roberts
Confirmation Hearings
"Search and analyze the transcript of Supreme Court nominee, Judge
John G Roberts's confirmation hearings." Browse online or download
(you'll need the askSam viewer, free). You'll also find a database
(search/browse) of Judge Roberts's published court opinions.

Direct LINK to These ResourceShelf Posts <http://digbig.com/4erjg>

Search Briefs
-------------

Direct LINK to This ResourceShelf Post <+ Save the Time of the
Searcher: Yahoo's New "Quick Links"

+ blinkx.TV Adds Video Content from HBO

+ 10 Years of Popular Search Terms at Lycos

+ A New Approach to Sharing Web Research (via SearchDay)

Direct LINK to These ResourceShelf Posts <http://digbig.com/4erjf>

Briefly
-------

+ Info Industry...Alacra Launches The Alacra Wiki! (PDF)
See Also: Direct to Alacra Wiki

+ New from LexisNexis: Accurint Business

Direct LINK to This ResourceShelf Post <http://digbig.com/4erje>

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