The Best of the Rest:
Below you will find a rather eclectic list of sites with descriptions that are some of the more useful tools to find a variety of specific information like reference sites, search tools for other countries, and more. This is a category for excellent sites that did not fit into the other groups, yet certainly merited inclusion.
Google Book Search
Google Book Search is a cooperative project between Google and several major libraries from the United States and other countries. The intent is to digitize books that are out of copyright and allow limited previews of copyright books. The previews will often provide access to the title page, the table of contents, the index, and snippets that contain a few sentences using the search terms in context. A Google Book search can retrieve information from chapters or sections of books--information that cannot typically be found in a library catalog record. Using Google Book Search to find more information about a book held in a library or to search inside the content of a book can be an indispensible tool for locating information that was often hidden.
Research-It
An excellent one-stop research tool that acts as a comprehensive directory of reference search tools to find dictionaries, a thesaurus, people, quotations, maps, telephone numbers, financial tools, email discussion groups, and more.
Google UncleSam
Google UncleSam retrieves United States government information including Web sites, citations, and other useful links. It also has the same no nonsense interface as Google while retrieving accurate information. Google UncleSam may be the best first place to look for government information on the Internet.
LibrarySpot
The LibrarySpot is a collection of Web sites that is organized like a library. A reference section, reading room, special collections, must-see sites, and more provide resources to from everything to electronic journals and newspapers to top colleges, foundations, quotations, geneology, and more. A site that is well-worth the visit.
HotSheet
HotSheet is more than just a metasearch tool. Actually, the best part of HotSheet is the difficult to navigate selected links. As a metasearch tool, HotSheet relies on MetaCrawler, Yahoo, and HotBot. But the categories link to sites on culture, search tools, finance, travel, reference, government, health, games, software, and more.
Refdesk.com
Although the list of resources here is a bit cumbersome, Refdesk.com offers a host of sites that are useful for finding information. To quote the mission statement, "Refdesk.com has three goals: (1) fast access, (2) intuitive and easy navigation and (3) comprehensive content, rationally indexed. The prevailing philosophy here is: simplicity. 'Simplicity is the natural result of profound thought.'
FindArticles
A search tool for finding articles published on the Web. Searches an archive that dates back to 1998, FindArticles allows keyword searching or browsing either by subject or journal title.
Essential Links (EL)
EL.com is a destination site that offers a variety of information from reference, newspapers, and search tools to money, shopping, and more. Although much more commercial than any of the subject directories, EL provides links to some excellent resources and as such is an excellent portal site.
HomeworkCentral.com
A directory of over 10,000 subjects organized into three divisions: 1. College and Beyond, 2. Teens, and 3. Kids. A wide range of resource from languages and history to contests and games, lesson plans for teachers. Plan to spend some time exploring this site
How Stuff Works
Everything from Boolean logic to nuclear energy to car engines, stocks, and finances. This site provides the good answers to the questions of how a various things work. One of the more fun and informative pages on the Web!
Search Engine Colossus
A comprehensive directory of search tools that is international in scope and currently has 882 listings. The links are organized by country with some subject categories. A scrolling script provides a series of @This and That information about search tools. This is an excellent source for international search tools.
Wikipedia
Wikipedia is an open content, free encyclopedia with multilingual articles that are collaboratively developed and edited by anyone covering a wide range of topics.
BabelFish Language Translator
BabelFish is made by AltaVista and provides translations in seven diferent languages. Translations of words, phrases, or entire Web sites are possible. An excellent resource despite the sometimes inaccurate translations that often miss some of the subtleties of language.
MagPortal.com
MagPortal.com offers access to searchable database of selected full-text magazine articles available on the Web. Although MagPortal.com contains a limited selection of magazines from the recent couple years, it is worth trying when searching for articles.
InterTran: Language Translator
A free language translation site that can translate single words, phrases, sentences and entire web pages from 26 languages. Offers access to both translations and to fonts for specific languages in an intuitive and simple to use interface. InterTran is helping to bridge language barriers and make a more universal World Wide Web. Although the translation is not always perfect, it is an effective tool.
AllPages.com - U.S. Business Directory
A reference resource that functions like a "yellow pages" for finding a variety of businesses and organizations. AllPages.com is organized by subject and searchable by state and city.
Direct inquiries about this page to Dale
Vidmar.