Useful stuff!

A couple of interesting posts from Gary Price's Resource Shelf: PC Magazine's May 2006 101 Freebies features 101 free downloads, sites and services - listed alphabetically and by category. Browse through and you're sure to find something interesting! For another list of useful resources, see the SEOMoz Web2 Awards - "more than 300 Web2.0 sites in 38 categories."

Google Guide

Google Guide is a tutorial on how to use Google more effectively. Includes hand cheat sheets in pdf format, and information about:

* How to select terms and search (more) effectively
* How Google interprets your query
* What's included with your results
* How to search using Google's special tools and shortcuts
* What to do when you can't find the answer you want
* When Google added services, features, and options (Google's Feature History)
* How Google works

BigCite

BigCite presents quotations in del.icio.us-like tag clouds. Quotations are organized by tag(ie.subject), author, recency, and popularity. And of course you can also use search to find quotes.

The Nixon Library to join the presidential library system

The Washington Post reported on March 20 that the Richard Nixon Library and Birthplace is about to join the presidential library system operated by the National Archives.
Hitherto, the Nixon Library has been financed by private funds. As part of the changeover, the library will be run by a federally employed director, and the archival and curatorial staff will be federal employees.
It is unclear how the change will affect the availability of materials at the library. The Post article carries critical comments by researchers noting what they regard as the unsatisfactory performance of the library in the past.
The article can be accessed at:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/19/AR2006031900944.html

Libraries and the USA PATRIOT Act

CRS report on the topic updated 02/03/2006

See also ALA on this issue.

The Justice Department addresses some of the concerns regarding Patriot Act & libraries at http://www.lifeandliberty.gov/subs/u_myths.htm

The CRS report USA Patriot Act Additional Reauthorizing Amendments Act of 2006 (02/21/2006) also contains information about the Act that pertains to libraries.

Census Scope

CensusScope, in its own words, "is an easy-to-use tool for investigating U.S. demographic trends, brought to you by the Social Science Data Analysis Network (SSDAN) at the University of Michigan. With eye-catching graphics and exportable trend data, CensusScope is designed for both generalists and specialists."

City and county codes

The Seattle Public Library has compiled a page with links to city and county codes available for unrestricted searching on the World Wide Web.

Human Resources

An absurdity of the information age, and an extremely annoying one, is that the advance of information technology has rendered that handy old ploy for getting information from someone - calling them and asking for it - well nigh impossible. Fortunately, I'm not the only person who gets upset about this - the gethuman "free website is run by volunteers and is powered by over one million consumers who demand high quality phone support from the companies that they use." The gethuman database lists nearly 400 provides effective tips on how to break through the automatic phone systems to get to a real live human.

Sunshine Week

Although it had escaped my attention, this is Sunshine Week Al Tomkins of the Poynter Institute has compiled some resources for the occasion in his daily "Morning Meeting"column. Also relevant is today's ALA Public Library Briefcase on Finding and Using Public Records

National Atlas

National Atlas presents a vast collection of U.S. data in 12 different subject categories through maps.