Joyce Valenza’s Neverending Search

Jimmy Atkinson of the OEDb: Online Education Database (a group concerned with presenting reviews of online colleges and degree programs) wrote me yesterday to share OEDb’s newly published list of best tools for online research. And he asked, “let me know what you think.”

This is a dangerous question to ask of this librarian. I started to fill my arms with the virtual equivalent of a pile of books. And I thought I’d put Jimmy’s question out to you too, dear readers.

While the list suggests “there is no complete substitute for a good old-fashioned trip to the library,” I guess the one thing I want all our non-librarian friends to know is that you don’t have to visit the library to visit the library. I especially want this known by those taking online courses. I want the outside world to know about the databases I purchase in all media formats–journals, video, ebooks, etc. I want the outside world to discover those databases purchased by state organizations and public libraries and their universities.
But back to the OEDb list. It’s an interesting (and very nice) mix of large portals, search tools, and subject gateways. In fact, I don’t think there’s one I don’t have on some pathfinder or a list of search tools somewhere on my site.

But, what would you add? What would you leave out? If we compile a list of additions, perhaps Jimmy will publish a little addenda.

The OEDb list: (See my little starter list of additions below the OEDb list.)

• Artcyclopedia
• BioMedCentral
• Digital History
• FindArticles.com
• INFOMINE
• Internet Public Library
• Library of Congress
• Perseus Digital Library
• Project Gutenberg
• Research Guide for Students
• U.S. Government Manual

I guess my feeling is that it useful to break this stuff up. For instance, IPL has so many gateways that stand alone–literary criticism, biography,presidents, states, countries, etc. Ditto for the Library of Congress with all its American Memory wonderment!

Nevertheless, Jimmy started me thinking. Here’s my beginning list of free Web additions with a slightly high school accent. I had to stop short before I spent an entire day reproducing my own website. There is so much more.   I’ll leave it to you to fill it all in in the  comments or on your own blogs.

• Library of Congress Country Studies
• CIA World Factbook
• Department of States Background Notes
• Freedom House
• Human Rights Watch
• American Cultural History
  
• Multnomah County Library Homework Center: Social Issues
• Time Magazine Archive
• Public Agenda
• Occupational Outlook Handbook
• TeacherTube
• ResearchChannel
• Internet Archive
• Headline Spot (and the other Spot portals)
• Healthfinder
  
• Medline Plus
• NOAH: New York Online Access to Health
• Internet Movie Database