Random Quotes

"The rhetoric around open access does not acknowledge the complexity of the world of publishing." Michael Lightner, quoted in: "Information Free-for-All?" by Trudy E. Bell, in the March 2005 issue of The Institute.

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Internet Resources Newsletter by email and RSS

Over 30,000 people now subscribe to the free email version of this Newsletter. Very many thanks go to Willco who distribute the email version. To subscribe, at no cost, go to http://www.hw.ac.uk/libwww/irn/irn.html

The Internet Resources Newsletter has an RSS feed. This means that you can read its 'headlines' (essentially the Table of Contents) through a feedreader or service such as Bloglines' My Blogs, and then link through to the sections of interest.

The RSS feed is available at: http://www.hw.ac.uk/libwww/irn/irn.rss This is a .rss file and therefore it may not display in some browsers. The easiest way to do this is via Bloglines' My Blogs, or via a feedreader, such as those listed in the RSS Primer.

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Text version

A text only version of the Internet Resources Newsletter is available at: http://www.hw.ac.uk/cgi-bin/parser.pl/0304/www.hw.ac.uk/libwww/irn/irn.html

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Here is this month's selection of news items of interest

[Contents] - [ IRN Home Page ] - [HWU Library Home Page] 

A-Z NEW & NOTABLE WEB SITES

3rd International Conference on Manufacturing Research: ICMR 2005

http://www.icmr2005.org.uk

6-8 September 2005, Cranfield University

4th International Conference on fracture of polymers, composites and adhesives

http://www.tc4pca.elsevier.com/

Sept 11-14, 2005, Les Diablerets, Switzerland.

Affiliation of Local Government Information Specialists: ALGIS

http://www.algis.org.uk/

ALGIS in LARIA is the organisation for anyone working with local government information.

Allegro Training

http://www.allegrotraining.co.uk/

"Allegro Training was founded in 2000 and has rapidly established a name within the Information Servies community for its imaginative, job-related courses."

Asbestos Aware Contractors Scheme: AACS

http://www.asbestosaware.org/

The Asbestos Aware Contractors Scheme (AACS) is a training, education and information initiative designed to help non-licensed contractors and tradesmen work safely and within the law.

Automotive Academy

http://www.automotiveacademy.co.uk/

The Automotive Academy is the UK industry's answer to addressing the challenges of improving skills in the sector.

Automotive Skills

http://www.automotive-skills.org.uk/auto/control/homepage

Automotive Skills Limited is the Sector Skills Council for the retail motor industry, charged by government and employers with leading the drive to boost competitiveness through skills development.

Bibshare

http://bibshare.dsic.upv.es/

Bibshare is a new framework for bibliography management that allows writers to use the same bibliography collection(s) regardless of the word processing system they use at any moment.

Books Price

http://www.booksprice.com/

A free innovative service for finding the best price on a purchase of several books together.

Compares the price of your books in 33 bookstores.

CodeZoo

http://www.codezoo.net/

"CodeZoo exists to help you find high-quality, freely available, reusable components, getting you past the repetitive parts of coding, and onto the rest and the best of your projects. It's a fast-forward button for your compiler."

Collaboration in the E-Workplace

http://www.infotoday.com/Paris/Collaboration/

1-2 June 2005 CNIT, Paris - La Defense, France.

Collaboration in the E-Workplace is a two-day conference designed to help you learn how to select and implement collaboration technologies in your organisation.

Congenital Cardiology Today

http://home.earthlink.net/~rko/

Formerly Pediatric Cardiology Today, Congenital Cardiology Today (CCT) is a monthly newsletter for pediatric (paediatric) cardiologists worldwide as well as other physicians and nurses practicing pediatric cardiology whether in offices, hospitals, universities, research, government or private practice.

There are two editions to the newsletter: North American and International.

Although the subscription is only available to medical professionals, the online versions are available to all.

Connecting the UK: the Digital Strategy

http://www.strategy.gov.uk/downloads/work_areas/digital_strategy/digital_strategy.pdf

From the Cabinet Office.

Construction Industry Federation: CIF

http://www.cif.ie/

Based in Dublin, Ireland.

CORDRA: Content Object Repository Discovery and Registration/Resolution Architecture

http://cordra.lsal.cmu.edu/

An open, standards-based model for how to design and implement software systems for the purposes of discovery, sharing and reuse of learning content through the establishment of interoperable federations of learning content repositories.

Creative Commons

http://creativecommons.org/

Creative Commons defines the spectrum of possibilities between full copyright - all rights reserved - and the public domain - no rights reserved. Our licenses help you keep your copyright while inviting certain uses of your work - a "some rights reserved" copyright.

Demonstration EPrints Archive

http://demoprints.eprints.org/

This site is for those who have not yet self-archived, or are thinking about or planning to create an institutional OA archive, or have definite ideas (pro or con) about self-archiving, yet have never actually done the keystrokes.

Digital Document Quarterly

http://home.pacbell.net/hgladney/ddq_4_1.htm

The first 2005 number of the Digital Document Quarterly is available.

Distance Learning is Closing the Distance

http://www.freepint.com/issues/280405.htm#tips

An article in FreePint by Anne Esler.

D-Lib Magazine

http://www.dlib.org/dlib/april05/04contents.html

The April issue is now available.

Durham University Library: Middle East and Islamic Studies Collections

http://www.dur.ac.uk/library/middleeast/

The Middle East and Islamic Studies collections in Durham University Library constitute one of the most important collections of their kind in Britain. At Durham, the Area Studies Collections relating to both East Asia and the Middle East represent one of the particular strengths of the Library's holdings.

Earth Science World

http://www.earthscienceworld.org/

This site includes an Earth Science World ImageBank - a service provided by the American Geological Institute (AGI). This ImageBank is designed to provide quality geoscience images to the public, educators, and the geoscience community.

Earthsciencejobs

http://www.earthsciencejobs.co.uk/

UK and worldwide earth science job vacancies, etc.

eGov monitor

http://www.egovmonitor.com/

The UK-based eGov monitor, which covers eGovernment and public sector IT, was previously a subscription-only service. It now offers a free, open service and is now running daily news, announcements and features, together with a weekly email digest. RSS newsfeeds are also available.

Electro-Technical Council of Ireland Limited: ETCI

http://www.etci.ie/

The Electro-Technical Council of Ireland Limited (ETCI) is a voluntary body of twenty-four organisations representative of all aspects of electro-technology in the Republic of Ireland. Formally constituted in 1972, the council is the national body responsible for the harmonisation of standards in the electrotechnical field in collaboration with the National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI).

e-MmITS Spring/ Summer 05 issue

http://www.slainte.org.uk/mmits/files/PDF/emmits/Spring05.pdf

The Spring/Summer issue of E-MmITS the electronic newsletter of the Multimedia and Information Technology Group Scotland is now available.

ENewsBar

http://www.enewsbar.com/

ENewsBar is a scrolling news ticker for your computer.

Enterprise Search

http://www.infotoday.com/Paris/EnterpriseSearch/

1- 2 June 2005, CNIT, Paris - la Defense, France at i-expo.

A study of the essentials of developing and managing an internal search capability.

Enviropedia

http://www.enviropedia.org.uk/

More than 300 pages of information about the environment.

ESRC Society Today

http://www.esrcsocietytoday.ac.uk/

ESRC Society Today is a new website offering access to an unrivalled range of high quality social and economic research. It is run by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) - the UK's largest funding agency for research and postgraduate training relating to social and economic issues.

Etamp.net

http://www.etamp.net/

"Do you spend too much time trying to figure out what's new on your favorite web sites and blogs? Etamp.net tracks it all and brings the web pages to you."

Europe Jobs

http://www.europejob.net/

A jobsite for jobseekers and employers.

European Campaign for the Freedom of the Automotive Parts and Repair Market

http://www.ecar-eu.com/

An alliance of independent organizations.

Exec-Appointments.com

http://www.exec-appointments.com/

Different address from the one listed in issue 96 of this Newsletter.

"Our executive job search covers all sectors including banking, finance, accounting, insurance, legal, IT, sales, marketing, distribution, retail, manufacturing, management consulting, education, government and the public sector."

First International Conference on Mechanics of Biomaterials & Tissues

http://www.icmobt.elsevier.com/

Dec 11-14, 2005, Hawaii.. Organized by Elsevier in association with Engineering Fracture Mechanics and International Journal of Fatigue, the First International Conference on Mechanics of Biomaterials & Tissues will explore how the study of engineering materials can be relevant to the study of biomaterials.

FoodQualityNews.com

http://www.foodqualitynews.com/

FoodQualityNews.com is a daily online news service available as a free-access website and provides daily and weekly newsletters to subscribers.

Freesound Project

http://freesound.iua.upf.edu/index.php

"The Freesound Project aims to create a huge collaborative database of audio snippets, samples, recordings, bleeps, ... released under the Creative Commons Sampling Plus License."

HigherEdInfo.org

http://www.higheredinfo.org/

"This website is our ongoing effort to provide higher education policymakers and analysts with the data and information needed to make sound policy decisions."

IMPACT

http://www.impactfaraday.org/

IMPACT is the Faraday Partnership in colloid technology.

"We are part of a UK-wide network of Faraday Partnerships partly funded by the UK Government.

Our main purpose is to transfer technology and knowledge to develop innovative products and processes for businesses whether large or small."

Improving Public Services through Better Construction

http://www.nao.org.uk/pn/04-05/0405364.htm

Report by the Comptroller and Auditor General, HC 364-I Session 2004-2005, 15 March 2005

Indeed.com

http://www.indeed.com/

Jobs from over 500 job sites, newspapers, associations and company career pages.

Information Systems for Biotechnology: ISB

http://www.isb.vt.edu/

"Information Systems for Biotechnology (ISB) provides information resources to support the environmentally responsible use of agricultural biotechnology products. Here you will find documents and searchable databases pertaining to the development, testing and regulatory review of genetically modified plants, animals and microorganisms within the US and abroad."

Institutional Web Management Workshop 2005: Whose Web Is It Anyway? IWMW 2005

http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/web-focus/events/workshops/webmaster-2005/

University of Manchester on 6-8 July.

International Stainless Steel Forum

http://www.worldstainless.org/

"On this site you will find original ISSF documents as well as links to most significant stainless articles published on the Internet. The site is based on the combined knowledge of the global Stainless Steel Industry (the members of ISSF) and its Raw Material Suppliers."

Internet Trends Report

http://www.webbyawards.com/Webby_Trends_2005.pdf

From the Webby Awards and their partner The Creative Group.

iPodder.org

http://www.ipodder.org/

A Podcast directory.

What do you mean? - You don't know what a Podcast is?

Irish Business and Employers Confederation: IBEC

http://www.ibec.ie/

"The Irish Business and Employers Confederation (IBEC): provides a wide range of services to over 7,000 member businesses and organisations from all sectors and of all sizes; is the umbrella body for Ireland's leading sectoral groups and associations; is the national voice of Irish business and employers."

JISC and the Information Environment

http://www.jisc.ac.uk/coll_factcards_infoenv.html

JISC is developing tools and mechanisms to foster an online Information Environment (IE) that will allow online services to 'work together' (called interoperability) in a secure way for the benefit of its user community. The vision also includes enabling institutions to create, adapt and share content and incorporate it into their own services such as Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs).

Journal of Nanoengineering and Nanosystems

http://jnn.edmgr.com/

The Journal of Nanoengineering and Nanosystems is dedicated to the particular aspects of nanoscale engineering, science, and technology that involve the descriptions of nanoscale systems. This journal is dedicated to real devices and processes that arise from transitioning the scientific and engineering database.

Lunar Broadband

http://www.lunarbroadband.com/

Internet TV directory.

Manufacturing Forum

http://www.dti.gov.uk/manufacturingforum/index.htm

The role of the Forum is to ensure the effective implementation and evolution of the Manufacturing Strategy. The Forum has identified its Initial priority areas bringing together Government, industry, trade unions, Regional Development Agencies, and other stakeholders to support manufacturing.

Mathematical Fiction

http://math.cofc.edu/faculty/kasman/MATHFICT/

The Mathematical Fiction Homepage is my attempt to collect information about all significant references to mathematics in fiction.

Net Advance of Physics

http://web.mit.edu/redingtn/www/netadv/welcome.html

Review Articles and Tutorials in an Encyclopaedic Format.

new-homes.co.uk

http://www.new-homes.co.uk/

"The most comprehensive database of new home developments with up to 150,000 properties in England, Scotland and Wales."

Newsline April 2005: Volume 10.1

http://edina.ac.uk/news/newsline10-1/

The latest edition of EDINA Newsline, both in web and PDF form, is now available.

OhYeahCAD

http://www.ohyeahcad.com/

A free online parts library that supports AutoCAD, Solidworks, TurboCAD, and SolidEdge native file format.

Online Educa Berlin 2005

http://www.online-educa.com/en/

Nov 30 - Dec 2, 2005

Open Access Bibliography: Liberating Scholarly Literature with E-Prints and Open Access Journals

http://info.lib.uh.edu/cwb/oab.htm

The Open Access Bibliography: Liberating Scholarly Literature with E-Prints and Open Access Journals presents over 1,300 selected English-language books, conference papers (including some digital video presentations), debates, editorials, e-prints, journal and magazine articles, news articles, technical reports, and other printed and electronic sources that are useful in understanding the open access movement's efforts to provide free access to and unfettered use of scholarly literature.

Open Government: A Journal on Freedom of Information

http://www.opengovjournal.org/

A new open access peer reviewed journal on Open Government and Freedom of Information.

OpenSearch

http://opensearch.a9.com/

"We want OpenSearch to do for search what RSS has done for content."

Pambazuka News

http://www.pambazuka.org/

"Pambazuka News (Pambazuka means arise or awaken in Kiswahili) is a tool for progressive social change in Africa. Pambazuka News offers a comprehensive weekly round-up of news on human rights, conflict, health, environment, social welfare, development, the internet, literature and arts in Africa."

Planning Advice Note: PAN 74 Affordable Housing

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/planning/pan74-00.asp

From the Scottish Executive.

Podcasting Tools

http://www.podcasting-tools.com/

"This site is a comprehensive podcasting resource detailing everything you need to know about Podcasting"

Publication and the Internet: where next

http://www.slac.stanford.edu/~mpeskin/APS-pubs/APS-pubs.pdf

Interesting article by Michael E Peskin, published in APS News.

Quality Control The case against peer review

http://slate.msn.com/id/2116244/

By Daniel Engber, in Slate Magazine.

Race Against Waste

http://www.raceagainstwaste.ie/

Race Against Waste is the Department of the Environment, Heritage & Local Government's campaign to raise awareness of waste issues and change behaviour among people at home and at work in order to reduce the amount of waste being produced and increase recycling and composting.

Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland: RPII

http://www.rpii.ie/

The Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland is the national organisation with regulatory, monitoring and advisory responsibilities in matters pertaining to ionising radiation.

Red Recruitment

http://www.redjobs.com/

Established in 2002, Red R2R specialises in the placement of recruitment consultants, from graduate trainee through to director level.

SciScoop

http://www.sciscoop.com/

SciScoop is a science news source and discussion forum for anyone interested in cutting-edge science and technology.

Slashdot

http://slashdot.org/

News for Nerds.

Small Firms Association: SFA

http://www.sfa.ie/

The Small Firms Association (SFA) is the national organisation exclusively representing the needs of small enterprises in Ireland.

Submitting your site to search engines and directories

http://www.pandia.com/features/search-engine-submitting.html

By Kalena Jordan, on the Pandia site.

SYMBOLS.com

http://www.symbols.com/

An online encyclopedia of graphic symbols

The Government Says

http://www.thegovernmentsays.com/

"The Government Says" make news releases from Government departments easy to find and easy to scan through quickly. Includes RSS feeds, email notification and search facility.

TheTrafficConsultancy

http://www.thetrafficconsultancy.co.uk/

"We offer an expert service within the field of road safety, traffic and highway engineering. Our Practice is based upon a blend of private sector and local government skills and experience from the UK and abroad."

Trends in business information, provision and use

http://www.freepint.com/issues/070405.htm#feature

An article in FreePint by Pam Foster.

TurboScout

http://www.turboscout.com/

Access to major search engines without retyping.

Visit Gallipoli

http://www.anzacsite.gov.au/index.html

The ANZAC Site commemorating 90 years since the Gallipoli landing. ANZAC Day is April 25th.

Wales Higher Education Libraries Forum: WHELF

http://whelf.ac.uk/

The Wales Higher Education Libraries Forum (WHELF) is a grouping of Chief Librarians and Directors of Information Services drawn from all thirteen higher education institutions in Wales.

Web-Labs Ltd

http://www.web-labs.co.uk/

Web-Labs Ltd is a British Software House specialising in the development of Content Management System (CMS), e-forms, work-flow and document management software products for the Internet.

Websearch academy

http://www.infotoday.com/Paris/WebSearch/

1 - 2 June 2005 at CNIT, Paris - la Defense, France at i-expo.

An intensive two-day conference concentrating on how to carry out research on the internet.

Why degrees cost more in Britain

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/printFriendly/0,,1-50-1569694,00.html

From The Times Online.

Winfiles.com

http://www.winfiles.com/

Windows downloads.

wiseGEEK

http://www.wisegeek.com/

Answers for common questions.

Woodland Trust

http://www.woodland-trust.org.uk/

The Woodland Trust is the UK's leading conservation charity dedicated to the protection of our native woodland heritage.

Working Class Movement Library: WCML

http://www.wcml.org.uk/

The Working Class Movement Library (WCML) is a collection of English language books, periodicals, pamphlets, archives and artefacts, concerned with the activities, expression and enquiries of the labour movement, its allies and its enemies, since the late 1700s.

Yahoo! Creative Commons Search

http://search.yahoo.com/cc

"This Yahoo! Search service finds content across the Web that has a Creative Commons license. While most stuff you find on the web has a full copyright, this search helps you find content published by authors that want you to share or reuse it, under certain conditions."

[Contents] - [ IRN Home Page ] - [HWU Library Home Page] 

NICE WEB SITE

In the course of finding sites of interest for this Newsletter, we sometimes come across Web sites which we feel deserve slightly more than a passing mention. Each month we will pick out one or more such sites, and give them a short review. The sites will normally be UK based, may be small or large, and be of interest or potential interest to academics. After lengthy discussions we have decided, with incredible creativity :-), to call these: Nice Web Sites. Details of previous Nice Web Sites are available in the Nice Web Site Archive.

Creative Commons
http://creativecommons.org/

Quoting from their About page:
"Too often the debate over creative control tends to the extremes. At one pole is a vision of total control - a world in which every last use of a work is regulated and in which "all rights reserved" (and then some) is the norm. At the other end is a vision of anarchy - a world in which creators enjoy a wide range of freedom but are left vulnerable to exploitation. Balance, compromise, and moderation - once the driving forces of a copyright system that valued innovation and protection equally - have become endangered species."

"Creative Commons is working to revive them. We use private rights to create public goods: creative works set free for certain uses. Like the free software and open-source movements, our ends are cooperative and community-minded, but our means are voluntary and libertarian. We work to offer creators a best-of-both-worlds way to protect their works while encouraging certain uses of them - to declare "some rights reserved." "

This is a good cause, and now there's also the recently announced Yahoo! Search for Creative Commons http://search.yahoo.com/cc

RM

[Contents] - [ IRN Home Page ] - [HWU Library Home Page] 

BLOGORAMA

News about weblogs, RSS, etc:

A weblog (Blog for short) is an online diary of sorts that usually features daily or regular postings providing commentary, plus links to other sites.

For more information on blogs, the article: Search Engines: Weblog search engines http://www.ariadne.ac.uk/issue36/search-engines/ is a good place to start.

Webopedia gives a definition of RSS http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/R/RSS.html

Blogs, Everyone? Weblogs Are Here to Stay, but Where Are They Headed?
http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/index.cfm?fa=viewArticle&id=1172
A recent article of interest.

http://wordpress.org/
"WordPress is a state-of-the-art semantic personal publishing platform with a focus on aesthetics, web standards, and usability. What a mouthful. WordPress is both free and priceless at the same time. More simply, WordPress is what you use when you want to work with your blogging software, not fight it."

Personalised RSS for Library - User Interaction
http://www.talis.com/research/research/rss/rss_whitepaper.pdf

Weblogs: Their Use and Application in Science and Technology Libraries
https://www.haworthpress.com/store/ArticleAbstract.asp?sid=7QG50BA32GLA9NPAU5BFSMUFGXR3CXUD&ID=53105
Details of an article by Randy Reichardt and Geoffrey Harder

BritBlog
http://www.britblog.com/
BRITBLOG is a blog directory solely for British bloggers from all over the world. You don't need to live within the British Isles to get listed: you just need to be British!

RSS Articles
http://www.rss-specifications.com/rss-articles.htm

Providing And Using News Feeds: How RSS Can Help
http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/web-focus/events/conferences/uksg-2005/ppt2000-html/intro_files/frame.html
A presentation by Brian Kelly, from UKOLN

RSS NewsMaster's Wiki http://www.masternewmedia.org/reports/newsmasterstoolkit/wiki/index.php/Main_Page
This is an open resource allowing end users and vendors to create an up-to-date grassroots clearinghouse of all RSS newsmastering related tools, scripts and services.

Selected interesting blog's and RSS feeds

Cooking for Engineers
http://cookingforengineers.com/

A 'The Goverment Says' RSS Feed
http://www.thegovernmentsays.com/cgi-bin/rss.cgi

Bryn Mawr Weblogs
http://langs.brynmawr.edu/blog/index.php

[Contents] - [ IRN Home Page ] - [HWU Library Home Page] 

PRESS RELEASES

**** World Orders of Knighthood & Merit ****

A new publication from Burke's Peerage & Gentry

150 years after Sir Bernard Burke published his famed history of the leading Orders of knighthood, Burke's Peerage and Gentry is proud to announce the publication of a major new study of the extant Orders of knighthood and merit of every state.

Orders of Knighthood are the most exclusive and prestigious institutions in the world. Originally the preserve of royalty and aristocracy, Orders now count amongst their membership business tycoons, powerful leaders and noteworthy private individuals. With contributions from many of the world's leading authorities and articles on American honours, World Orders of Knighthood & Merit is one of the most important works ever produced on the subject and will remain the definitive guide for many years to come. This full-colour publication will be of great interest to academics, historians, collectors and those who are members of any of the numerous international, noble and state Orders.

World Orders of Knighthood & Merit will be published in October 2005.

Editor, Guy Stair Sainty; Deputy Editor, Rafal Heydel-Mankoo
ISBN: 0-9711966-4-8

More information is available at
http://www.burkes-peerage.net/sites/common/sitepages/wkbook.asp

or email admin@burkes-peerage.net

**** Berkshire Publishing Group and Xrefer team up to bring HCI to e-libraries ****

Xrefer and Berkshire Publishing Group are delighted to announce that the highly acclaimed Berkshire Encyclopedia of Human-Computer Interaction is now available online from Xrefer as an Xreferplus Specialist Reference title.

Human-Computer Interaction – known as HCI – is a fast-growing field that draws upon several branches of social, behavioral and information science. It is the study of how we communicate with – and through – computers, robots, information systems and the Internet.

For more information, see http://www.xrefer.com/vol/333.

**** Emerald acquires the International Journal of Logistics Management ****

Emerald Group Publishing Limited is pleased to announce that it has acquired one of the world’s leading journals in the area of Logistics and Supply Chain Management. The International Journal of Logistics Management is now in its sixteenth year of publication and during that time it has established a reputation for its coverage of new thinking and best practise in these critical and fast growing fields of management.

For more information:
Gill Crawford, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Tel: 01274 777700, email: gcrawford@emeraldinsight.com

----

For more news items in business information products we recommend VIP: http://www.vivavip.com/

[Contents] - [ IRN Home Page ] - [HWU Library Home Page] 

RECENT INTERNET BOOKS IN THE LIBRARY

The Mantex Information Design web site has reviews of some of the books mentioned in previous issues of the Internet Resources Newsletter.

Recent Arrivals

Quick Reference
011.5 NOB
Directory of periodicals online: Science & yechnology
edited by Nuchine Nobari
Library Technology Alliance, 2005

A complete list of new books added to Heriot-Watt University Library is available from the Library News page.

http://www.hw.ac.uk/library/news.html

[Contents] - [ IRN Home Page ] - [HWU Library Home Page] 

PRICE COMPARISON FOR TRAVEL SITES

Here are some websites which enable you to compare prices, etc. Most of these have been mentioned in recent Sunday Times Travel sections.

TravelJungle
http://www.traveljungle.co.uk/
TravelJungle isan on-line travel comparison system for flights, car rentals and hotels, checking some 40 websites.

TravelSupermarket
http://www.travelsupermarket.com/
Price comparison for EasyJet, FlyBE, Monarch, etc

tripadvisor
http://www.tripadvisor.com/
Reviews of hotels, resorts and vacations.

Hotels Comparison.
http://www.hotelscomparison.com/
An independent hotels comparison service.

NexTag
http://www.nextag.com/
Compare travel and other commodities

travelguide
http://www.travelguide.co.uk/
More a set of links than comparisons.

kelkoo
http://www.kelkoo.co.uk/
Shopping and price comparison

Cheap Accommodation
http://www.cheapaccommodation.com/
Compare prices on cheap hotels and accommodation

Flight Centre
http://www.flightcentre.co.uk/

SkyScanner
http://www.skyscanner.net/

Cheapflights.com
http://www.cheapflights.com/

RM

BOOK REVIEW

Directory of Periodicals Online: Science & Technology (two volumes)
Edited by Nobari, N.
Library Technology Alliance: New York, 2005. 2,929 pages.
ISBN: 0-9745845-1-7, ISSN: 1554-2157

Do you advocate journal purchases or submit proposals for the purchase of new online databases? If so, you may need to find out if, and in what, databases a journal is indexed and whether it is available in full-text. You may need to identify the range of online hosts for a particular database. In these and other tasks, the Directory of Periodicals Online is a useful aid to librarians and others involved in the provision of information services and resources.

The directory is one of four (covering different subject areas) making up the new expanded Books and Periodicals Online series. Published as two volumes this example provides a comprehensive list of science and technology periodicals indexed by over 200 commercial bibliographic and full-text online databases ranging from ABI/Inform to Zoological Record.

The quartet of current directories is in its first edition. However, the series has been in publication since 1987. The Library Technology Alliance is therefore an experienced centre in directory compilation. In addition, the series editor Nuchine Nobari brings a 20-year background in consulting and library management.

The directory aims to create a single source of information on
1) whether a title is indexed in a bibliographic or full-text database
2) which databases index particular titles
3) the level of cover offered by each database, e.g. citation, abstract or full-text and year range
4) contact information for database vendors and online hosts. In achieving this aim the directory eliminates the need to consult separate serials listings for each database service.

The directory is compiled using information obtained directly from database producers. Databases are selected using focus groups and surveys to identify those most often consulted by researchers. Over 146,000 sources (including over 54,000 full-text sources) are listed across the series of four including worldwide coverage of popular magazines, peer-reviewed journals, statutes and business directories. The science & technology directory covers 98,000 periodical titles including 38 new databases and 20,000 new journals.

The directory is logically arranged with the bulk of the publication taken up with an A-Z listing of periodical titles. Entries typically have the following information appearing under the periodical title: ISSN, country of publication, continuations, databases indexing the title, with year and format coverage and an indication of database selection policy (i.e. whether cover to cover indexing has been applied). In addition there are 3 appendices appearing in Volume 1 giving: an A-Z list of online hosting services with contact details; an A-Z list of databases giving vendor/producer information and a list of online hosting services for each; and an A-Z list of databases with vendor/producer information only. There is a clear and concise section on ‘how to use this book’ together with an annotated sample entry explaining the layout, abbreviations and symbols used and the type of information given. Useful footnotes at the base of each page repeat the symbol code – so there is no need to refer constantly to the front of the volume.

The result is a powerful reference tool which is easy to use and which will certainly save a lot of time. Its utility not only lies in identifying titles, databases and services for possible purchase but also in stock weeding. Decisions on whether to cut a print journal title in favour of an electronic version, for example, will depend on availability in the latter format. Decisions of this kind will be aided by the information available in the directory.

The currency of a printed directory is a concern in what is a relatively fluid field. This issue is recognised by the publishers and they invite notification of errors. They also produce a web-based version of the directories as a searchable database. This is updated quarterly and is available on a subscription basis at BooksandPeriodicals.com - with options available for single / multiple user or site licence. Comparison of the scope, coverage and functionality of this database with that of an open resource such as Jake http://jake.openly.com/, for example, is perhaps worthy of a further review. Based on one sample journal, the list of indexing databases in the print Directory of Periodicals Online and Jake is significantly different.

The scope of the directory is international. However, the majority of vendors and online hosing services are North American, followed by those from the UK and Europe. However, this distribution probably reflects the marketplace rather than any selection bias.

On a minor note, omission of page ranges and volume identifiers in the contents pages are a slight annoyance which detract from the general clarity of presentation. Equally, page numbers on introductory pages are omitted but appear in the contents page.

There is a certain lack of consistency in section headings and in the terminology used in the appendices. The appendices are not labelled as such in the contents page or within each appendix, where they are called ‘sections’. However, they are termed appendices in the introductory pages and in footnote references found at the base of each directory page. Their placing, at the front of the directory, is logical in terms of ease of access. However, because appendices by convention appear after the main body of text, some users may not necessarily look to the front of the volume to find them. For ease of use, it might also have been useful to have appendices appear in both volumes and for the A-Z nature of Appendix C to be more transparent (eg “CSA Microbiology Abstracts Section C: Algology, Mycology & Protozoology Abstracts” is included with the ‘As’ and ‘Ms’ but not the ‘Cs’). It also may have been more useful to have Appendix C as an A-Z list of vendors/producers rather than the present content which duplicates much of Appendix B.

The appendices or sections also mix terminology. For example, Appendix A is termed “List of online service and contact information” in the contents page. However, it is headed “Online Services” on the first page and “Vendors and Aggregators” on the second while its description at the foot of each of its pages is “Online Services and Web Aggregators Contact Information”. This lack of uniform labelling is repeated across appendices. I was also slightly confused by the interchanging of terminology and exactly what was meant by producers, vendors, providers, aggregators, hosting services, online services and the differences (if any) between some of the terms. However, this could be a personal failing others won’t experience. However consistent terminology would aid clarity and short definitions of the terms used might be helpful (for those new to or outside the field).

At the IRN we were curious to find out if the IRN, a periodical published solely online, was listed. However, because it is not currently indexed by a commercial database it does not appear in the directory (in the future, arrangements have been made with H.W. Wilson for IRN to be indexed in Library Literature & Information (LIB)). Equally, open access titles are only included if they are indexed by a commercial database. The title, “Directory of Periodicals Online”, may therefore be slightly misleading. But, that said, a workable alternative is difficult to come up with.

Having had experience of compiling a directory on a much smaller scale, I fully appreciate the volume of painstaking work involved in gathering, organising, presenting, checking and double checking the information that goes in to a directory of this type and of this size.

In summary, the negative points noted above are perhaps slightly pedantic. On the whole this is a clear, easy to use, functional and useful tool which will help librarians and information workers manage the “avalanche of information” (to use the Directory’s own phrase) relating to the proliferation of databases, their location and content.

Print directories can be purchased individually or as a set. Visit http://www.booksandperiodicals.com for pricing information.

Other subject areas covered in the series are: Law, Business and News (Books & Periodicals); Medical and Pharmaceuticals; and Humanities and Religion.

Publisher’s contact details: Library Technology Alliance, Ltd., 264 Lexington Avenue, Room 4C, New York, NY 10016-4182, USA. 1-212-686-8816 [TEL], 1-212-686-8778 [FAX], email: info@booksandperiodicals.com

MK

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NETWORK NEWS LINKS

Pinakes: A Subject Launchpad
http://www.hw.ac.uk/libwww/irn/pinakes/pinakes.html
Pinakes has links to over 50 subject gateways. Direct links to the news pages of some important sites are listed below.

Netskills: News
http://www.netskills.ac.uk/news/

JISCmail News
http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/news/index.htm

UK Data Archive news
http://www.data-archive.ac.uk/home/archiveNews.asp

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GET A LIFE! - LEISURE TIME

Outdoor Access Scotland
http://www.outdooraccess-scotland.com/

Kendal Mountain Film Festival
http://www.mountainfilm.co.uk/
Every autumn, Kendal, on the edge of the Lake District, hosts one of the most prestigious Mountain Festivals in the world. An international gathering comes for a great weekend. There's a massive programme - films, lectures, seminars and entertainment - unequalled in Britain..

Dundee Mountain Film Festival
http://www.dundeemountainfilm.org.uk/
25-27 November, 2005.

Whistlebinkies
http://www.whistlebinkies.com/
South Bridge bar

For more Edinburgh events, see:
http://www.gigguide.co.uk/

Kevin McMahon Magic
http://www.kevinmcmahonmagic.com/

Budget Traveller's Guide to Sleeping in Airports
http://www.sleepinginairports.net/

Holiday guide to Edinburgh, Scotland
http://www.stuckonscotland.co.uk/edinburgh/

SongMeanings
http://www.songmeanings.net/

Edinburgh Times
http://www.edinburghtimes.co.uk/
Lifestyle guide

Pentland Hills Regional Park
http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/phrp/
The Pentland Hills Regional Park is a living, working landscape, which offers great opportunities to experience and enjoy the outdoors.

Optical Illusions & Visual Phenomena
http://www.michaelbach.de/ot/index.html

The Hitchhiker's Guide to Douglas Adams
http://filmforce.ign.com/articles/607/607319p1.html

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