Gethuman, www.gethuman.com
The gethuman Web site, run by volunteers, is part of a project to improve customer telephone support by companies in the United States. Aimed at consumers, the gethuman database of five hundred companies includes customer service telephone numbers, specific instructions for reaching a human being at each company, and quality of service grades. Users can click on a company name to rate the quality of telephone support. For public companies, a link to Yahoo! Finance displays company profiles. The site also includes a discussion board and information on the telephone support standards developed by the gethuman project. This Web site will be welcomed by all who have ever been frustrated in their attempts to reach a real human being to resolve a problem.
Author/publisher: Paul M. English, gethuman Project
Free/fee-based: Free
Date reviewed: Feb. 24, 2007
History Channel, http://history.com
While primarily a conduit for information on the current television programs and their schedule, the additional features at The History Channel make it well worth a visit. “This Day in History” provides a snapshot of what happened in a variety of topics (though most relate to modern wars), and “World Timeline” offers brief descriptions of events by year, decade, or century (500 BC to 2005 CE). Discussion lists and resources for classroom teachers abound, and “Speeches & Video” offers more than two thousand multimedia clips. The “Maps” section provides simple geopolitical and thematic (for example, “Growth of the Roman Empire” and “World Tectonic Plates”) maps, and “Games” features a weekly trivia quiz. This site is useful for learning about what happened and when.
Author/publisher: A&E Television Networks
Free/fee-based: Free
Date reviewed: Mar. 17, 2006 (edited Apr. 16, 2007)
Invention Dimension, http://web.mit.edu/invent
Potential inventors and innovators, as well as students of all ages, can use this one-stop informational center. This well-designed, highly informative site advertises awards and opportunities, furnishes an Inventor’s Handbook of frequently asked questions (FAQ), and offers additional search options, including a search button at the top of the main page and the ability to browse alphabetically by inventor and invention. The Web site is attractively packaged with value-added content, such as “What’s New,” the Invention of the Week, games and trivia, and how to apply for a patent for your own invention.
Author/publisher: Lemelson-MIT Award Program
Free/fee-based: Free
Date reviewed: Mar. 3, 2006 (edited Apr. 5, 2007)
Liber8, An economic information portal for librarians and students, http://liber8.stlouisfed.org
Librarians at the Research Division of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis designed this indispensable portal to economic information. This site’s goal is to provide information professionals, the academic community, and the public with centralized access to important, free online economic materials, databases, and Web sites. A few valuable in-house databases are offered, such as the International Economic Statistics (IES) database, an important aid in identifying other free Internet resources and sites available for specific countries.
Author/publisher: Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Free/fee-based: Free
Date reviewed: Mar. 4, 2007
>MDBG Chinese-English Dictionary, www.xuezhongwen.net or www.mdbg.net
The impressive Chinese-language learning site Xuezhongwen.net includes this powerful online Chinese-English dictionary, which has a simple, well-designed interface that accepts both English, pinyin (transliterated Roman), and Chinese characters. The dictionary features sound files, radicals, stroke order, and links to online flash cards that users can flip through to learn new characters. The greatest advantage of the dictionary may be a drawback for some users: it has wiki functionality, so the amount of new content may seem overwhelming to students of Chinese who are learning basic vocabulary. As the site expands to include more specialized language as well as idioms and proverbs, it could easily become one of the most important tools for Western students of Chinese on the Web.
Author/publisher: Dennis Vierkant, Information Technology, Library, and Education Department, University of Twente, Netherlands
Free/fee-based: Free
Date reviewed: Feb. 28, 2007
Migration Information Source, www.migrationinformation.org
For researchers interested in international, national, and local migration issues, the Migration Policy Institute (MPI) has produced the Migration Information Source, which is chock-full of reports and data. This think tank is funded by an assortment of philanthropy groups in the United States and abroad, and benefactors include the Carnegie Corporation, Ford Foundation, and Danish, Norwegian, and Dutch groups, as well as the United Nations High Commission for Refugees. The data sources are authoritative and current, and the site is attractive and user-friendly. The Migration Information Source includes U.S. census and Eurostat data, maps, charts that show migration history, country reports, feature stories, and news. The site is a must for anyone researching immigration, asylum, and refugee questions.
Author/publisher: Migration Policy Institute
Free/fee-based: Free
Date reviewed: Mar. 2, 2007
National Institute of Mental Health, www.nimh.nih.gov
The site of the National Institute of Mental Health, the major federal agency responsible for conducting research on mental illness and behavioral disorders, provides comprehensive information for the general public on mental health as well as information aimed at researchers seeking funding. In addition to basic data on various disorders, with links to sources of help and to additional resources and relevant research, there are links to related news articles. The Web site includes sections specifically addressing mental health problems in children and adolescents, older adults, men, and women. This well-organized site is a great place to start for anyone researching mental health issues.
Author/publisher: National Institute of Mental Health
Free/fee-based: Free
Date reviewed: Feb. 24, 2007
NatureServe Explorer, www.natureserve.org
With its colorful Web site and troves of animal, plant, and ecological data, NatureServe, a nonprofit conservation organization, is a superb resource for academics and members of the public. Two separate databases that NatureServe makes available stand out: NatureServe Explorer: An Online Encyclopedia of Life, and InfoNatura. NatureServe Explorer covers the United States and Canada, with information on more than 65,000 plants, animals, and ecosystems, particularly endangered species. InfoNatura focuses on 8,500 birds, mammals, and amphibians of Latin America, from the common to the rare and endangered. NatureServe draws its data from scholarly sources and databases compiled by local and national conservation organizations. NatureServe’s detail and presentation will be of value to all users who are gathering biological and ecological data.
Author/publisher: NatureServe
Free/fee-based: Free
Date reviewed: Feb. 12, 2007
Paralysis.org, www.paralysis.org
This well-organized, easy-to-use portal provides access to a wealth of quality research and insightful information about all aspects of spinal cord injury, including life with such an injury. Major site sections provided are health, rehabilitation, active living, tools and tech, rights and benefits, research, resources, caregivers, and the lending library. Select items are highlighted on the homepage, and relevant Internet resources are showcased on the various section pages. This resource is an important tool for librarians and researchers developing online allied health collections.
Author/publisher: Christopher and Dana Reeve Occupational Resource Center
Free/fee-based: Free
Date reviewed: Mar. 3, 2006 (edited Apr. 12, 2007)
SeatGuru, www.seatguru.com
SeatGuru is “The ultimate source for airplane seating, in-flight amenities and airline information.” This site provides users with detailed maps of commercial airliners. Included are the locations of the galley, restrooms, exits, and closets. Color codes on the seats indicate uncomfortable or unpopular seats, average seats, and preferred seats. In addition to seating information, SeatGuru provides information about each airline’s luggage restrictions, traveling with pets, and in-flight amenities, such as meals and entertainment. Links to each airline’s Web page are prominently displayed on the first review page. Web site directions are clear and easy to understand. Casual and frequent flyers will find this site very useful.
Author/publisher: SeatGuru.com Inc.
Free/fee-based: Free
Date reviewed: Mar. 11, 2006 (edited Apr. 16, 2007)
Shodor.org, A national resource for computational science education, www.shodor.org
The Shodor Foundation, a nonprofit education and research corporation, is “dedicated to the advancement of science and math education, specifically through the use of modeling and simulation technologies.” Shodor recognized that professional computational science tools, especially graphics and animations, could be adapted for classroom use. The foundation’s Web site offers access to a repertoire of software and provides value-added aids, such as curriculum materials sorted by grade and subject, for students, teachers, and parents.
Author/publisher: Shodor Foundation
Free/fee-based: Free
Date reviewed: Mar. 4, 2007
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