AARP (http://www.aarp.org/ ) 
American Association of Retired People. Reviewed: Mars Best 2004

About.Com ( http://www.about.com )
About.Com. Reviewed: Mars Best 2000.

AF: Acronym Finder http://www.acronymfinder.com/
Reviewed: Mars Best 2006.

Africana.com ( http://www.africana.com )
Africana.com Inc. Reviewed: Mars Best 2001. Now AOL Black Voices (noted January 2006)

AIDSInfo ( http://aidsinfo.nih.gov/ )
U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services. Reviewed: Mars Best 2003

American Journalism Review Magazine. http://ajr.org
Reviewed: Mars Best 2001.

All-Music Guide ( http://www.allmusic.com/ )
Matrix Software, Inc. Reviewed: Mars Best 1999.

All Recipes ( http://allrecipes.com/ )
Allrecipes.com. Reviewed: Mars Best 2005.

AltaVistas Babel Fish ( http://babelfish.altavista.com/ )
Overture Services, Inc. Reviewed: Mars Best 2005.

AMA DoctorFinder ( http://www.ama-assn.org/aps /amahg.htm )
American Medical Association. Reviewed: Mars Best 2000.

Amazon.com ( http://www.amazon.com/ )
Amazon.com, Inc. Reviewed: Mars Best 1999.

AMDOCS: Documents for the Study of American History ( http://www.ku.edu/carrie/docs/amdocs_index.html ).
Lynn Nelson and Kendall Simmons. Reviewed: Mars Best 2002.

The American Civil War Homepage ( ( http://sunsite.utk.edu/civil-war/ )
George H. Hoemann, University of Tennessee. Reviewed: Mars Best 2004

American Family Immigration History Center ( http://www.ellisisland.org ).
The Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation, Inc. Reviewed: Mars Best 2002.

American Hospital Directory
http://www.ahd.com/

Although this site provides a for-fee service for subscribers, it also features an easy-to-use free hospital look-up tool, which links to hospital websites and basic statistics. Users can also drill down by state to see statistics that have been gathered from both proprietary and public sources including Medicare cost reports and claims data. Non-subscribers can view data on total numbers of beds, discharges, patient days, and gross patient revenue. Users who are researching the health care industry or who are themselves health care professionals or administrators may require more detailed information that only comes with a subscription. American Hospital Directory is a well-designed and reliable source for the general public and users who may otherwise not have much luck locating hospital information.

American Journalism Review ( http://ajr.org/ )
AJR and NewsLink Associates. Reviewed: Mars Best 2001.

American Law Sources On-line (ALSO!) ( http://www.lawsource.com/also ).
LawSource, Inc. Reviewed Mars Best 2002.

American Memory: Historical Collections for the National Digital Library ( http://memory.loc.gov/ammem /ammemhome.html )
Library of Congress. Reviewed: Mars Best 2003

AmericanPresident.org ( http://millercenter.virginia.edu/scripps/amprez.html ).
Center of Public Affairs - University of Virginia. Reviewed: Mars Best 2005

American Presidents: Life Portraits ( http://www.americanpresidents .org/ ).
National Cable Satellite Corporation. Reviewed: Mars Best 2003 .

American Rhetoric ( http://www.americanrhetoric.com )
Michael E. Eidenmuller Reviewed: Mars Best 2006.

American Women's History: A Research Guide
( http://www.mtsu.edu/~kmiddlet /history/women.html )
Ken Middleton, Middle Tennessee State University. Reviewed: Mars Best 2004

AmeriStat ( http://www.ameristat.org/ ).
Population Reference Bureau and Social Science Data Analysis Network. Reviewed: Mars Best 2001.

Answers.com ( http://www.answers.com/ ).
GuruNet Corporation. Reviewed: Mars Best 2005.

Art & Architecture Thesaurus ( http://www.getty.edu/research/conducting_research/vocabularies/aat )
Paul Getty Trust Reviewed: Mars Best 2006.

Artcyclopedia: the Fine Art Search Engine ( http://www.artcyclopedia.com/ ).
John Malyon, Artcyclopedia, Inc. Reviewed: Mars Best 2001.

AskART ( http://askart.com/ )
AskART.com. Reviewed: Mars Best 2003 .

AskOxford.com ( http://www.askoxford.com/ )
Oxford University Press. Reviewed: Mars Best 2004

AT&T AnyWho ( http://www.anywho.com/index .html ).
AT&T. Reviewed: Mars Best 2000.

TOP
B

Background Notes ( http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/ ).
United States Department of State.
Reviewed: Mars Best 2005 .

Bankrate ( http://www.bankrate.com/ ).
Intelligent Life Corporation. Reviewed: Mars Best 1999 .

Bartleby.com ( http://www.bartleby.com ).
Steven H. van Leeuwen. Reviewed: Mars Best 2001 .

Baseball-Almanac: The "Official" Baseball History Site
( http://baseball-almanac.com/ )
Marvin Terry. Reviewed: Mars Best 2003 .

Baseball-Reference.com ( http://baseballreference.com/ ).
Baseball Think Factory. Reviewed: Mars Best 2001 .

BBC News ( http://news.bbc.co.uk/ )
BBC News
Reviewed: Mars Best 2006.

Ben's Guide to the U.S. Government for Kids ( http://bensguide.gpo.gov/ ).
Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Reviewed: Mars Best 2005 .

Best of History Web Sites ( http://www.besthistorysites .net/ ).
Thomas Daacord, with Sumita Chakraborty. Reviewed: Mars Best 2003 .

BBB: Better Business Bureau ( http://www.bbb.org/ ).
Council of Better Business Bureaus. Reviewed: Mars Best 2003 .

The Big Cartoon Database ( http://www.bcdb.com )
Dave Koch, The Big Cartoon Database (bcdb.com)Reviewed: Mars Best 2006.

Big Charts ( http://www.bigcharts.com )
A service of MarketWatch.com , Inc. Reviewed: Mars Best 2000.

The Bill of Rights Institute
http://www.billofrightsinstitute.org/

Description: The Bill of Rights Institute, a non-profit organization whose mission to teach youth “about the words and ideas of America's Founders, the liberties guaranteed in our Founding documents, and how our Founding principles continue to affect and shape a free society,” includes a great deal of free information on its web site. Teachers (and others) can sign up for newsletters with links to lessons on the topics of Bill of Rights in the News, First Amendment in History, and Landmark Supreme Court cases. There is also a link to their web site for high school students, which includes video and audio clips and a study guide to the Constitution. This site is an excellent resource for both teachers and high school students.

Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, 1774 - Present ( http://bioguide.congress.gov/ ).
United States Congress. Senate Historical Office and the Legislative Resource Center of the House of Representatives.
Reviewed: Mars Best 2003 .

Biography.com ( http://www.biography.com ).
A&E Television Networks. Reviewed: Mars Best 2002.

Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System ( http://federalreserve.gov /)
U.S. Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. Reviewed: Mars Best 2004

Britannica.com ( http://www.britannica.com ).
Britannica.com, Inc. Reviewed: Mars Best 2000.

Bureau of Labor Statistics ( http://stats.bls.gov ).
Bureau of Labor Statistics. Reviewed: Mars Best 2001 .

TOP
C

Calendars through the Ages ( http://webexhibits.org/calendars/index.html ).
Institute for Dynamic Educational Advancement (IDEA) by WebExhibits. Reviewed: Mars Best 2002.

Catholic Online Saints & Angels ( http://saints.catholic.org/index.shtml ).
Catholic Online Internet Services. Reviewed Mars Best 2000.

Centers For Disease Control and Prevention ( http://www.cdc.gov ).
U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Reviewed: Mars Best 2002.

CEO Express ( http://www.ceoexpress.com/ ).
CEO Express Company. Reviewed: Mars Best 2001.

CI: Corporate Information ( http://www.corporateinformation .com ).
George Matthew Regnery (Winthrop Corporation)/distributed by Wright Investor's Service. Reviewed: Mars Best 2000.

CNET.com ( http://www.cnet.com ).
CNET, Inc. Reviewed: Mars Best 2000.

CNN.com ( http://www.cnn.com ).
Cable News Network. Reviewed: Mars Best 2000

College and University Rankings ( http://www.library.uiuc.edu /edx/rankings.htm ).
Education and Social Science Library, University of Illinois. Reviewed: Mars Best 2002.

Constitution Finder ( http://confinder.richmond.edu/index.php )
University of Richmond Reviewed: Mars Best 2006.

ConsumerSearch ( http://www.consumersearch.com/ ).
ConsumerSearch, Inc. Reviewed: Mars Best 2005 .

Country Studies/Area Handbook ( http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs /cshome.html ).
Federal Research Division, Library of Congress. Reviewed: Mars Best 1999 .

Crash Course in Copyright ( http://www.utsystem.edu/ogc/Intellectualproperty/cprtindx.htm )
University of Texas System, Georgia Harper Reviewed: Mars Best 2006.

Cyberschoolbus ( http://www.un.org/Pubs/CyberSch oolBus/ ).
United Nations Statistics Division Reviewed: Mars Best 2004

TOP
D

Digital History ( http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/ ).
Professor Steven Mintz, University of Houston. Reviewed: Mars Best 2005

DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals ( http://www.doaj.org/ ).
Lund University Libraries. Reviewed: Mars Best 2005

Documenting the American South ( http://docsouth.unc.edu/ )
University Library, The University of North Carolina at Chapel HillReviewed: Mars Best 2006.

Doing Business
http://www.doingbusiness.org

This free Internet site, first launched in 2003, is a highly successful resource for “comparing business regulations.” In-depth data and reports about and rankings of regulations relevant to doing business are supplied for 175 economies, along with tools for comparative analyses. The rankings, data, and reports are derived from quantifiable data that are a reflection of the costs, number of requirements, and time involved in specific business functions and operations. Policymakers, the aid community, and researchers, as well as business executives and foreign investors can use this resource effectively.

Download.com ( http://www.download.com/ ).
CNET Networks, Inc. Reviewed: Mars Best 2005

TOP
E

Earthtrends: the Environmental Information Portal ( http://earthtrends.wri.org/ )
World Resources Institute. Reviewed: Mars Best 2004

Economist Country Briefings ( http://www.economist.com /countries/ ).
Economist Newspaper, Ltd. Reviewed: Mars Best 2002.

EDGAR ( http://www.sec.gov/edgar.shtml ).
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Reviewed: Mars Best 2003 .

Edmunds.com ( http://www.edmunds.com ).
Edmunds.com, Inc. Reviewed: Mars Best 2001.

Educator's Reference Desk (http://www.eduref.org/ )
Reviewed: Mars Best 2000

E-how ( http://www.ehow.com )
E-how, Inc.Reviewed: Mars Best 2006.

Elemental Data Index ( http://physics.nist.gov /PhysRefData/Elements/cover .html ).
Physics Laboratory, National Institute of Standards and Technology. Reviewed: Mars Best 2002 .

The Encyclopedia Mythica ( http://www.pantheon.org/ ).
M.F. Lindemans, sponsored by Ultimum-IT. Reviewed: Mars Best 2001 .

Encyclopedia of Chicago ( http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/ )
The Chicago Historical Society, The Newberry Library and Northwestern University Reviewed: Mars Best 2006.

Epicurious ( http://eat.epicurious.com/ )
CondéNet. Reviewed: Mars Best 2004

Eric Weisstein's World of Science: A Wolfram Web Resource ( http://scienceworld.wolfram .com/ )
Eric W. Weisstein. Wolfram Research. Reviewed: Mars Best 2004

ERsys ( http://www.ersys.com/ )
Synergos Technologies, Inc. Reviewed: Mars Best 2004

ESPN.com ( http://espn.go.com ).
ESPN, Inc. Reviewed: Mars Best 2000.

Eternal Egypt ( http://www.eternalegypt.org/ )
Egyption Center for Documentation of Cultural and Natural Heritage Reviewed: Mars Best 2006.

Export.gov
Helping U.S. Companies Export
http://www.export.gov

Produced by the U.S. Department of Commerce, Export.gov “brings together resources from across the U.S. Government to assist American business in international sales.” In this era of globalization, the benefits of exporting are enormous, and this Web resource assists with identifying important exporting opportunities and is an indispensable tool for anyone doing business abroad. The Web site provides trade leads and access to the U.S. Commercial Service's extensive Market Research Library database. The Market Research Library furnishes documents, such as Country Commercial Guides, industry overviews, and market updates. Access to most of the materials is free but requires registration.

TOP
F

Fact Monster TM ( http://www.factmonster.com/ ).
Family Education Network Inc. Reviewed: Mars Best 2003 .

Family Search Internet Genealogy Service ( http://www.familysearch.org ).
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Reviewed: Mars Best 2000

Farmers Almanac ( http://www.farmersalmanac.com/ ).
Almanac Publishing Co. Reviewed: Mars Best 2003 .

Federal Citizen Information Center ( http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/ ).
U.S. General Services Administration. Reviewed: Mars Best 2005 .

FedStats ( http://www.fedstats.gov/ ).
Federal Interagency Council on Statistical Policy. Reviewed: Mars Best 1999

50 States and Capitals ( http://www.50states.com/ ).
Ray Weber; Weber Publications. Reviewed: Mars Best 1999

Findarticles.com ( http://www.findarticles.com ).
Gale Group and LookSmart. Reviewed: Mars Best 2002.

Findlaw ( http://www.findlaw.com ).
FindLaw (Tim Stanley and Stacy Stern). Reviewed: Mars Best 2000

FirstGov.gov ( http://www.firstgov.gov ).
U.S. General Services Administration. Reviewed: Mars Best 2001.

Foreign Government Resources on the Web
( http://www.lib.umich.edu /govdocs/foreign.html ).
U.S. General Services Administration. Reviewed: Mars Best 1999

Foundation Center Online ( http://fdncenter.org/ ).
The Foundation Center. Reviewed: Mars Best 1999

Free Medical Journals ( http://www.freemedicaljournals .com ).
AmedeoGroup. Reviewed: Mars Best 2002 .

TOP
G

The Gallup Organization ( http://www.gallup.com ).
The Gallup Organization. Reviewed: Mars Best 2000.

Gate2Home
http://www.gate2home.com/

Libraries with diverse user populations will find Gate2Home (a multilingual keyboard emulator), to be an important reference tool and desktop gadget. Created by Israeli Web designer Ilan Bar-Magen to circumvent the administrative or system settings that can plague public computing environments, Gate2Home gives users instant access to the keyboards of 65 languages. Keyboards include all major East and South Asian languages, as well as Arabic, Greek, Hebrew, and Roman and Cyrillic key sets with various diacritics. Originally designed with travelers in mind, this Web tool is equally useful to language learners and immigrant populations.

Genealogy Resources
The NJ Statewide Reference Center  http://njref.camden.lib.nj.us/pathfinders/genresou.htm
The National Archives at  http://www.archives.gov/genealogy/

Genome.gov
National Human Genome Research Institute
http://www.genome.gov

This Internet resource, first launched in 1997, is a valuable resource for genomics research. The institute's mission is to “encompass a broad range of studies aimed at understanding the structure and function of the human genome and its role in health and disease.” The site supplies information about consumer health and counseling information for genetic disorders; and in-depth information for medical and scientific professionals, such as grants, policies and ethics, educational resources, and careers and training information.

Geographic Names Information System ( http://geonames.usgs.gov /gnishome.html ).
U.S. Geological Survey. Reviewed: Mars Best 2002.

gethuman
http://www.gethuman.com /

Description: The gethuman website, 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 500 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 website will be welcomed by all who have ever been frustrated in their attempts to reach a real human being to resolve a problem.

Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names Online. ( http://www.getty.edu/research/tools/vocabulary/tgn/ ).
Getty Research Institute, Getty Vocabulary Program. Reviewed: Mars Best 2003 .

glbtq: An Encyclopedia of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Culture ( http://www.glbtq.com/ ).
Claude J. Summers, General Editor / glbtq, Inc. Reviewed: Mars Best 2005

globalEDGE ( http://globaledge.msu.edu )
Center for International Business Education and Research, Michigan State University Reviewed: Mars Best 2006.

Go Ask Alice ( http://www.goaskalice.columbia .edu ).
Columbia University's Health Education Program. Reviewed: Mars Best 2000.

Google News ( http://news.google.com/ )
Google.com. Reviewed: Mars Best 2003.

GPO Access ( http://www.gpoaccess.gov/ ).
U.S. Government Printing Office. Reviewed: Mars Best 2003 .

Great Buildings Online ( http://www.greatbuildings.com/gbc/buildings.html ).
Artifice, Inc. Reviewed: Mars Best 2000.

GrayLit Network: A Science Portal of Technical Reports ( http://graylit.osti.gov/index.html ).
Department of Energy's Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI). Reviewed: Mars Best 2005.

Guide to Philosophy on the Internet ( http://www.earlham.edu/~peters /philinks.htm ).
Peter Suber (Philosophy Department, Earlham College). Reviewed: Mars Best 2002.

GuideStar ( http://www.guidestar.org ).
Philanthropic Research, Inc. Reviewed: Mars Best 2002.

TOP
H

Healthfinder ( http://www.healthfinder.gov ).
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Reviewed February 9, 2000 .

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 over 2,000 multimedia clips. The “Maps” section provides simple geopolitical and thematic (e.g., “Growth of the Roman Empire ” and “World Tectonic Plates”) maps and “Games” have a weekly trivia quiz. This site is useful for learning about what happened and when.

History Matters: The U.S. Survey Course on the Web ( http://historymatters.gmu.edu/ )
American Social History Project. Reviewed: Mars Best 2004

Hoaxbusters ( http://hoaxbusters.ciac.org/ ).
CIAC (Computer Incident Advisory Capability ), U.S. Dept. of Energy. Reveiwed: Mars Best 2003.

Household Products Database ( http://householdproducts.nlm .nih.gov/ )
National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Dept. of Health & Human Services Reviewed: Mars Best 2004

How Products are Made ( http://www.madehow.com/ )
Thomson Gale Reviewed: Mars Best 2006.

How Stuff Works ( http://www.howstuffworks.com/ ).
BYG Publishing, Inc. Reviewed: Mars Best 1999.

Human Genome Project Information ( http://www.ornl.gov/hgmis ).
Human Genome Management Information System (HGMIS) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, part of the U.S. Department of Energy. Reviewed: Mars Best 2001.

HyperHistory Online ( http://www.hyperhistory.com /online_n2/History_n2/a.html ).
World History Online. Reviewed: Mars Best 2003 .

TOP
I

In the first person: An index to letters, diaries, oral histories, and other personal narratives
( http://www.inthefirstperson.com ) Alexander Street Press Reviewed: Mars Best 2006.

Industry Research Desk ( http://www.virtualpet.com /industry )
Polson Enterprises. Reviewed: Mars Best 2002 .

Informacion en Vivo: Servicios de referencia en español ( http://preguntas.nypl.org/ )
The New York Public Library. Reviewed: Mars Best 2003 .

Information Please ( http://www.infoplease.com/ ).
Information Please LLC. Reviewed: Mars Best 1999

Intelihealth ( http://www.intelihealth.com/ ).
Intelihealth, a subsidary of Aetna, Inc. Reviewed: Mars Best 2001.

The Internet Archive ( http://www.archive.org ).
The Internet Archive with Prelinger Archives. Reviewed: Mars Best 2002.

Internet Broadway Database ( http://www.ibdb.com ).
League of American Theaters and Producers, Inc. Reviewed: Mars Best 2002 .

Internet History Sourcebooks Project ( http://www.fordham.edu/halsall ).
Paul Halsall, Fordham University. Reviewed: Mars Best 2002.

The Internet Movie Database ( http://www.imdb.com/ ).
The Internet Movie Database Ltd. Reviewed: Mars Best 1999

Internet Public Library ( http://www.ipl.org/ ).
Internet Public Library Reviewed: Mars Best 1999

IRS: Forms and Publications . ( http://www.irs.ustreas.gov /formspubs/index.html )
U.S. Internal Revenue Service. Reviewed: Mars Best 2000.

iTools ( http://www.itools.com ).
itools. Reviewed: Mars Best 2002.

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 and 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 website is attractively packaged with value-added content, such as “What's New”, the Invention of the Week, Games & Trivia, and how to apply for a patent for your own invention.

TOP
J

TOP
K

Kelley Blue Book ( http://www.kbb.com/ ).
KBB.
Reviewed: Mars Best 1999.

TOP
L

Latin American Network Information Center ( http://www.lanic.utexas.edu/ )
Teresa Lozano Long Institute of Latin American Studies, University of Texas, Austin. Reviewed: Mars Best 2003 .

Learn2.com ( http://www.learn2.com/ ).
Learn 2 Corp. Reviewed: Mars Best 1999 NOTE: No longer free (Noted: March 3, 2003)

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 IES (International Economic Statistics) Database, an important aid in identifying other free Internet resources and sites available for specific countries.

Librarians' Index to the Internet ( http://www.lii.org ).
Librarians Internet Index. Reviewed: Mars Best 2001.

The Library of Congress ( http://www.loc.gov )
The Library of Congress Reviewed: Mars Best 2006.

LII: Legal Information Institute ( http://www.law.cornell.edu/ ).
Cornell Law School. Reviewed: Mars Best 2003 .

Lives, the Biography Resource ( http://amillionlives.com ).
Kenneth P. Lanxner. Reviewed: Mars Best 2001.

TOP
M

The Making of America Project
( http://moa.umdl.umich.edu/ and http://moa.cit.cornell.edu/moa /index.html ).
University of Michigan, Cornell University. Reviewed: Mars Best 2003 .

MapQuest ( http://www.mapquest.com/ ).
MapQuest.com, Inc. Reviewed: Mars Best 1999.

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Papers Project ( http://www.stanford.edu/group /King/ ).
The Martin Luther King, Jr. Papers Project / Stanford University. Reviewed: Mars Best 2000.

Math Forum ( http://mathforum.org /)
Drexel University. Reviewed: Mars Best 2004

Martindale's "The Reference Desk" ( http://www.martindalecenter .com/ ).
Jim Martindale. Reviewed: Mars Best 1999.

MayoClinic.com ( http://www.mayoclinic.com ).
Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. Reviewed: Mars Best 2002 .

MDBG Chinese-English Dictionary
http://www.xuezhongwen.net or http://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.

MEDLINEplus ( http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlinep lus/ ).
National Library of Medicine. Reviewed: Mars Best 1999 .

The Merck Manual Home Edition ( http://www.merckhomeedition.com ).
Merck & Company, Inc. Reviewed: Mars Best 2002.

Measure 4 Measure ( http://www.wolinskyweb.net /measure.htm ).
Judi Wolinsky. Reviewed: Mars Best 2001.

Merriam-Webster Online ( http://www.m-w.com )
Merriam-Webster, Inc.Reviewed: Mars Best 2006.

Metacritic ( http://www.metacritic.com/ )
CNETReviewed: Mars Best 2006.

Migration Information Source
http://www.migrationinformation.org/

For researchers interested in international, national, and local migration issues, the Migration Policy Institute (MPI) has produced its Migration Information Source, which is chock full of reports and data. This think tank is funded by an assortment of philanthropy groups both in the U.S. and abroad, and benefactors include the Carnegie Corporation, Ford Foundation, 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 US 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.

Modern Language Association Language Map ( http://www.mla.org/census_main ).
Modern Language Association. Reviewed: Mars Best 2005.

Monster ( http://www.monster.com ).
TMP Worldwide. Reviewed: Mars Best 2002.

MortgageLoan ( http://www.mortgageloan.com/ )
Find the best mortgage loans, refinancing rates, and home equity loans across the nation. (Patron recommended)

Movie Review Query Engine ( http://www.mrqe.com/ ).
Stewart M. Clamen. Reviewed: Mars Best 2003

TOP
N

NASA ( http://www.nasa.gov/ ).
U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Reviewed: Mars Best 2003 .

National Archives and Records Administration: Office of the Federal Register ( http://www.gpoaccess.gov/nara /index.html ). Office of the Federal Register. Reviewed: Mars Best 2000.

National Atlas ( http://www.nationalatlas.gov/ )
United States Department of the Interior
Reviewed: Mars Best 2006.

National Criminal Justice Reference Service ( http://www.ncjrs.org/index.html ).
U.S. Department of Justice. Reviewed: Mars Best 2005.

National Geographic.com(http://www.nationalgeographic .com/)
National Geographic Society. Reviewed: Mars Best 2004

National Institute of Mental Health
http://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 on 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 website 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.

Nationalissues.com ( http://www.nationalissues.com ).
Nationalissues.com. Reviewed: Mars Best 2001 .

National Weather Service ( http://www.nws.noaa.gov/ )
National Oceanic and Atmospheric AdministrationReviewed: Mars Best 2006.

NationMaster.com ( http://www.nationmaster.com/ )
NationMaster.com; Luke Metcalfe, Manager / Developer. Reviewed: Mars Best 2005.

NatureServe Explorer
http://www.natureserve.org/

Non-profit conservation organization, NatureServe, with its colorful website and troves of animal, plant, and ecological data, is a superb resource for academics and members of the public. Two separate databases 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.

NCES: National Center for Education Statistics ( http://nces.ed.gov/ )
National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education Reviewed: Mars Best 2003.

Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations Union Catalog
( http://www.ndltd.org/browse.en .html ).
NDLTD, OCLC, VTLS. Reviewed: Mars Best 2004

New York Times Article Archives 1851-1995 ( http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/nytimes/advancedsearch.html ).
The New York Times Company; hosted by ProQuest Archiver. Reviewed: Mars Best 2005 .

The New York Times on the Web ( http://www.nytimes.com/ )
The New York Times Company. Reviewed: Mars Best 2003 .

NewsLink Associates http://www.newslink.org
Reviewed: Mars Best 2001.

NIST Chemistry WebBook ( http://webbook.nist.gov /chemistry/ )
P.J. Linstrom and W.G. Mallard, eds. National Institute of Standards and Technology. Reviewed: Mars Best 2004

Nobel Foundation ( http://www.nobel.se/ ).
The Nobel Foundation. Reviewed: Mars Best 1999.

Nolo.com - law for all ( http://www.nolo.com/ ).
Nolo Press.
Reviewed: Mars Best 2000 .

NoodleTools: Smart Tools for Smart Research ( http://www.noodletools.com/ ).
Debbie Abilock, Librarian/Curriculum Coordinator, Damon Abilock, NoodleTools Web site design and development.
Reviewed: Mars Best 2001 .

North American Mammals ( http://web4.si.edu/mna/main.cfm ).
Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History.
Reviewed: Mars Best 2005 .

NSSN National Resource for Global Standards ( http://www.nssn.org/search.html ).
American National Standards Institute (ANSI).
Reviewed: Mars Best 2004

Nutrition.gov ( http://www.nutrition.gov/ ).
National Agricultural Library, Food and Nutrition Information Center.
Reviewed: Mars Best 2005

The NYPL Picture Collection Online ( http://digital.nypl.org/mmpco/ )
The New York Public Library.
Reviewed: Mars Best 2004

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Occupational Outlook Handbook ( http://www.bls.gov/oco/ ).
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Reviewed: Mars Best 1999 .

OAIster ( http://www.oaister.org/ ).
University of Michigan Digital Library Production Service (DLPS).
Reviewed: Mars Best 2003 .

The Official Academy Awards® Database
( http://www.oscars.org/awardsdatabase/index.html )
Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences.
Reviewed: Mars Best 2005 .

OFFSTATS: Official Statistics on the Web ( http://www.library.auckland.ac.nz/subjects/stats/offstats/ ).
Rainer Wolcke, University of Auckland Library.
Reviewed: Mars Best 2005 .

OneLook Dictionaries ( http://www.onelook.com ).
Bob Ware, Study Technologies.
Reviewed: Mars Best 2000 .

OnHealth.Com ( http://onhealth.com ).
OnHealth Network Company.
Reviewed: Mars Best 2000 .

The Online Books Page ( http://digital.library.upenn .edu/books/ ).
John Mark Ockerbloom, University of Pennsylvania.
Reviewed: Mars Best 2003 .

Online! Citation Styles ( http://www.bedfordstmartins .com/online/citex.html ).
Bedford/St. Martin's.
Reviewed: Mars Best 2001 .

Opensecrets.org ( http://www.opensecrets.org ).
The Center for Responsive Politics.
Reviewed: Mars Best 2002.

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Papal Encyclicals Online ( http://www.papalencyclicals.net/ )
Papal Encyclicals Online. Reviewed: Mars Best 2005.

Paralysis.org
www.paralysis.org

This well-organized and 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 & Tech, Rights & 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.

Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection ( http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps /index.html ).
General Libraries, University of Texas at Austin. Reviewed: Mars Best 2002.

Perseus Digital Library ( http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/ ).
Perseus Project, Department of the Classics, Tufts University. Reviewed: Mars Best 2003 .

Peterson's Planner ( http://www.petersons.com )
Thomson PetersonReviewed: Mars Best 2006.

Pew Internet & American Life ( http://www.pewinternet.org/ )
Pew Research Center. Reviewed: Mars Best 2004

Picture History ( http://www.picturehistory.com/ )
Kunhardt Productions. Reviewed: Mars Best 2004

Plants Database ( http://plants.usda.gov/ )
National Resources Conservation Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture. Reviewed: Mars Best 2004

PollingReport.com: Public Opinion Online ( http://www.pollingreport.com ).
The Polling Report, Inc. Reviewed: Mars Best 2001.

POTUS: Presidents of the United States ( http://www.ipl.org/div/potus/ )
Internet Public Library/School of Information University of Michigan Reviewed: Mars Best 2006.

Project Gutenberg ( www.promo.net/pg/ ).
Michael Hart. Reviewed: Mars Best 2003.

Project Vote Smart ( http://www.vote-smart.org/ ).
Project Vote Smart. Reviewed: Mars Best 1999.

PubMed ( http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/ ).
National Library of Medicine. Reviewed: Mars Best 2005.

The Pulitzer Prizes ( http://www.pulitzer.org/ )
Columbia University Graduate School of JournalismReviewed: Mars Best 2006.

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Radio-Locator ( http://www.radio-locator.com/ )
Theodric Technologies LLC. Reviewed: Mars Best 2006.

REALTOR.com ( http://www.realtor.com/ ).
National Association of Realtors. Reviewed: Mars Best 2005.

Refdesk.com ( http://www.refdesk.com ).
Refdesk.com, Inc. Reviewed: Mars Best 2000.

Research and Documentation Online ( http://www.dianahacker.com /resdoc/index.html ).
Bedford/St. Martin’s Press Reviewed: Mars Best 2004.

Resource Discovery Network ( http://www.rdn.ac.uk ).
RDNC, coordinated by staff from UKOLN (University of Bath) and Kings College London. Reviewed: Mars Best 2002.

RootsWeb.com ( http://www.rootsweb.com ).
MyFamily.com Reviewed: Mars Best 2002.

RxList: The Internet Drug Index ( http://rxlist.com/ ).
Neil Sandow, Parm D. Reviewed: Mars Best 1999.

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SchoolMatters ( http://www.schoolmatters.com )
Standard and Poors, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.Reviewed: Mars Best 2006.

Science Daily Magazine ( http://www.sciencedaily.com/ ).
Dan Hogan, Editor. Reviewed: Mars Best 2004

SCORE: Counselors to America's Small Business ( http://www.score.org/ ).
SCORE Association. Reviewed: Mars Best 2005

Search Engine Watch ( searchenginewatch.com ).
Danny Sullivan and Chris Sherman. Reviewed: Mars Best 2002.

Search jake (jointly administered knowledge environment) ( http://mercury.lib.sfu.ca/ ~tholbroo/sfujake/search.cgi ).
Todd Holbrook, Simon Fraser University. Reviewed: Mars Best 2002.

SeatGuru
http://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.

Shodor.org
A national resource for computational science education
http://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 for students, sorted by grade and subject, for students, teachers, and parents.

SkyscraperPage ( http://skyscraperpage.com/ )
SkyscraperPage.com Reviewed: Mars Best 2006.

SmallStep.gov
http://www.smallstep.gov/index.html

Many people would like to improve their health but are uncertain where to begin. Created by the U.S Department of Health and Human Services, smallstep encourages people to make small changes in their diets and lives to achieve their goal of weight loss and to promote physical fitness. Information on the Web site includes how to create a healthy balanced meal, how to estimate serving size, and how to integrate physical activity into your life easily. Interactive menus help you determine if you are exceeding your daily intake of fats, sodium, cholesterol, and calories.

Smithsonian Institution
http://www.si.edu

Giving visitors detailed information about the world's largest museum complex and its exhibits, the Smithsonian Institution's site also includes interactive on-line exhibits, supplementary information on the physical exhibits, and an impressive collection of interactive, multimedia resources found under the “Explore & Learn” section, divided into three areas: Art & Design, History & Culture, and Science & Technology. Users also can find information on the Smithsonian Institution's research centers and outreach programs of traveling exhibits and affiliate museums. This site is ideal for museum visitors and interesting for everyone.

Smithsonian Institution
http://www.si.edu

Giving visitors detailed information about the world's largest museum complex and its exhibits, the Smithsonian Institution's site also includes interactive on-line exhibits, supplementary information on the physical exhibits, and an impressive collection of interactive, multimedia resources found under the “Explore & Learn” section, divided into three areas: Art & Design, History & Culture, and Science & Technology. Users also can find information on the Smithsonian Institution's research centers and outreach programs of traveling exhibits and affiliate museums. This site is ideal for museum visitors and interesting for everyone. Sources: Their Use and Acknowledgement ( http://www.dartmouth.edu/ ~sources/ ).
Dartmouth College. Reviewed: Mars Best 2001.

Sparknotes ( http://www.sparknotes.com ).
Barnes & Noble Learning Network. Reviewed: Mars Best 2004

Sperling's BestPlaces ( http://www.bestplaces.net ).
Bert Sperling. Reviewed: Mars Best 2001 .

StartSpot Network ( http://www.startspot.com/ ).
StartSpot MediaWorks, Inc. Reviewed: Mars Best 2003 .

State and Local Government on the Net ( http://www.statelocalgov.net /index.cfm ).
Piper Resources. Reviewed: Mars Best 2001 .

Statistical Resources on the Web ( http://www.lib.umich.edu /govdocs/statsnew.html ).
Grace York, University of Michigan Library Documents Center. Reviewed: Mars Best 2001.

The Straight Dope ( http://www.straightdope.com/ ).
Cecil Adams, The Chicago Reader. Reviewed: Mars Best 2004

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TechEncyclopedia ( http://www.techweb.com/encyclopedia/ ).
TechWeb Network, CMP Media LLC. Reviewed: Mars Best 2005 .

Telephone Directories on the Web ( http://www.infobel.com/teldir/ ).
Robert Hoare, creator and Webmaster; a service of Infobel (Brussels). Reviewed: Mars Best 2001 .

Thomas: Legislative Information on the Internet ( http://thomas.loc.gov/ ).
Library of Congress. Reviewed: Mars Best 1999 .

ThomasRegister ( http://www.thomasregister.com/ ).
Thomas Publishing Company. Reviewed: Mars Best 2004

Timeline of Art History ( http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/splash.htm ).
Metropolitan Museum of Art. Reviewed: Mars Best 2005

Topozone.com ( http://www.topozone.com ).
Maps a la Carte, Inc. & US Geological Survey. Reviewed: Mars Best 2000 .

Travlang ( http://www.travlang.com/ ).
The Travlang Company. Reviewed: Mars Best 1999 .

Trip Advisor
http://www.tripadvisor.com

Trip Advisor is very useful for anyone planning a trip to somewhere. The site provides a brief overview of the city you are going to, and names and locations of hotels, attractions, and restaurants. Web site users are encouraged to post their experiences, videos, pictures, and advice about visiting the city. Names of hotels and restaurants can be sorted alphabetically or by user popularity. In addition to user reviews, reviews from professional travel organizations such as Frommers are also available. Although the web site does not make travel arrangements directly, airplane and hotel reservations can be made through their associates Expedia.com®, Orbitz, and Hotels.com A helpful search engine allows users to narrow their searches for information inside the web site.

TV.com ( http://www.tv.com/ ).
John Nestoriak, Collaborative Content LLC; CNET Networks. Reviewed: Mars Best 2005 .

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Unbound Bible ( http://unbound.biola.edu/ ).
Biola University. Reviewed: Mars Best 2003 .

United Nations Environment Programme
http://na.unep.net/digital_atlas2/google.php

Google Maps drives this environmental atlas produced by the North American Node of UN's GRID group, which is co-located in Sioux Falls , S.D. at the USGS EROS Data Center . This group works to leverage technologies such as remote sensing, geographic information systems (GIS), and online mapping tools to create an information format to influence environmental policy decision makers. The atlas highlights sites around the world that have witnessed dramatic environmental changes. Each location is documented by striking satellite images that poignantly illustrate environmental changes such as glacial melt, desertification, deforestation, pollution, and population growth. The site's authors use quality information from scientific sources to produce an impressive online reference tool for geographers, political scientists, and environmental researchers.

United States Postal Service ( http://www.usps.com/ ).
United States Postal Service. Reviewed: Mars Best 2000.

The Universal Currency Converter ( http://www.xe.com/ucc/ ).
XE Corporation. Reviewed: Mars Best 2002.

University of Michigan Documents Center ( http://www.lib.umich.edu /govdocs/ ).
Grace York, University of Michigan. Reviewed: Mars Best 2004

Urban Legends Reference Pages http://www.snopes.com
Barbara and David P. Mikkelson Reviewed: Mars Best 2006.

U.S. Census Bureau ( http://www.census.gov ).
United States Department of Commerce. Reviewed Apr. 2, 2001.

U.S. Copyright Office ( http://www.copyright.gov/ ).
United States Copyright Office. Reviewed: Mars Best 2004

U.S. Naval Observatory. Astronomical Applications Department: Data Services ( http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data ).
U.S. Naval Observatory Astronomical Applications Department. Reviewed: Mars Best 2005

U.S. Patent and Trademark Office ( http://www.uspto.gov/ ).
U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Reviewed March 2003 .

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The Valley of the Shadow ( http://valley.vcdh.virginia .edu/ ).
Edward L. Ayers. Reviewed: Mars Best 2004

Virtual Garden Time/Life Plant Encyclopedia ( http://www.vg.com/ ).
Time/Life Inc. Reviewed: Mars Best 2000 . (NOTE: site content changed. No longer free.)

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Weather.Com ( http://www.weather.com ).
Weather Channel Enterprises, Inc. Reviewed: Mars Best 2000 .

Weather Underground ( http://www.weatherunderground.com/ ).
The Weather Underground, Inc. Reviewed: Mars Best 2003 .

WebElements Periodic Table ( http://www.webelements.com/ ).
Mark Winter, University of Sheffield Dept. of Chemistry. Reviewed: Mars Best 2001 .

WebMD Health http://www.webmd.com/
WebMD, Inc. Reviewed: Mars Best 2006.

Webopedia ( http://www.pcwebopedia.com ).
INT Media Group, Inc. Reviewed: Mars Best 2002.

Where to find MSDS [Materials Safety Data Sheets] on the Internet
( http://www.ilpi.com/msds/index .html ).
Dr. Rob Toreki, Interactive Learning Paradigms Incorporated Reviewed: Mars Best 2004

Who's alive and who's dead
http://www.wa-wd.com/

“Welcome to Who's Alive and Who's Dead - the site that helps you keep track of which famous people have died and which are still alive!” The web site lists each person's date of birth, death (if applicable) and cause of death (if known). Hyperlinks from the person's name display a _very_ brief synopsis of each person's achievements. Categories include: Actors and actresses, sports, political figures, TV shows, musicians, and artists. The creator admits that his decision on what to include is somewhat subjective. Useful for seeing who has died from famous musical groups, or who is still alive from famous TV shows.

Wikipedia
( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page ).
Nupedia.Com. Reviewed: Mars Best 2005

Wordsmyth: The Educational Dictionary-Thesaurus ( http://www.wordsmyth.net/ ).
Wordsmyth Collaboratory. Reviewed: Mars Best 2001 .

WorldCat
http://worldcat.org

WorldCat promotes itself as “the world's largest network of library content and services.” This wonderful web resource is basically a mega-catalog of more than a billion items from OCLC libraries. Users can add a Worldcat search box to their Web sites, and download browser plug-ins to allow searching from browser toolbars. Librarians and students can use this tool to locate resources in local libraries as well as confirm the existence of resources in libraries around the world.


World Factbook ( http://www.odci.gov/cia /publications/factbook/ ).
U.S. Central Intelligence Agency. Reviewed: Mars Best 1999 .

World-newspapers.com ( http://world-newspapers.com ).
Marius Kazokaitis, Vilnius, Lithuania. Reviewed: Mars Best 2002 .

WordReference.com
http://www.wordreference.com

The WordReference Dictionaries are superior translation dictionaries for French, Italian, and Spanish. Entries include useful links to word definitions and synonyms, discussion forums where users offer human translation help, and links to search Google for words or phrases used in context. This is especially helpful for users searching for translations of professional language in medicine, law, or business. The English language entries do not originate from a standard dictionary, but from the WordNet "lexical dictionary" developed at Princeton . The Spanish dictionary is derived from Espasa Calpe's 2005 "Diccionario de la lengua española" and features 250,000 translations. The French features 250,000 translations; the Italian "nearly 200,000" translations. This site is an excellent resource for students and translators working with Romance languages.

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XRefer.com ( http://www.xrefer.com/ ).
Xrefer.com, Inc.; content from various commercial publishers. Reviewed: Mars Best 2001 . (NOTE: Site content changed. No longer free)

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yourDictionary.com ( http://www.yourdictionary.com/ ).
Dr. Robert Beard, and an Advisory Council of Experts. Reviewed: Mars Best 2001 .

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Z