ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries 3 95 Internet resources for Latin Am erican studies By Molly Molloy An introductory list o f resources T he following Internet resources have been identified as potentially useful for Latin A m erican studies. As a discovery tool, the Kovacs “list o f lists” (see below ) proved esp e cially useful. I also used Gopher, Archie and WAIS to explore various file archives. The LIBS software (created by Mark Resmer o f Sonoma State University and available via ftp from sonoma.edu in the /pub directory) aided the exploration by facilitating telnet connections to library catalogs, gophers, Archie and WAIS servers. In addition to these tools, I find that one o f the best ways to discover Internet re sources is to subscribe to several discussion lists or newsgroups that look promising; post que ries and then follow up on new sources as they are announced. The list below is not intended to b e com plete. I encourage readers to contact me about other sources. Lists of lists Kovacs, Diane [and others], D irectoiy o f Schol arly Electronic C onferences [ftp document, electronic mail file, hypercard stack], 6th revision ed. Kent, Ohio: Kent State Univer sity Libraries; 1993; C1992. Files can be retrieved via e-mail or ftp. Send e-mail m essages to with the message line: . T o retrieve via ftp, in the directory. contains the area stud ies lists, including many on Latin America. FILE2 also includes the library science lists. McGee, Arthur R. African, African American, African-Caribbean, African Latin Internet/ Bitnet Mailing Lists [ftp document]. Retrieve latest version o f this list-of-lists via ftp from: in the direc tory: . Also available via e-mail to: . Art M cGee regularly posts updates o f this list to many o f the Latin American interest groups and other e-mail discussions. The list in cludes many o f interest to Latin Americanists. Electronic mail discussion groups ACTIV-L: Peace, Democracy, Freedom, Justice. To subscribe: . T o send messages to the list: . Covers progressive/radical political issues globally. O f interest to Latin Americanists becau se many human rights, environmental, and labor groups post news and bulletins from Latin America. ARGENTINA To subscribe send message to < a r g e n t i n a - r e q u e s t @ a s t e r i x . e n g . b u f - falo.edu> . Messages to list . A separate address is u s e d fo r n e w s < a r g e n t in a n o t ic ia s @ ois.db.toronto.edu>. BORIKEN: Puerto Rico Culture & Society. To su b scrib e sen d m essage to: . M essages to: . For other list and subscrip tion inform ation contact: Rafael Pirazzi . BRAS-NET: Brazilian Discussion Group/Net work. T o subscribe send message to: . Several other Bra zilian interest groups exist. T o get more general info on these other lists, try sending an e-m a il m e s sa g e to: < g o m id e@ b rfa Molly Molloy is reference librarian, social sciences/Latin American studies a t New Mexico State University Library, Las Cruces; e-mail: mmolloy@lib.nmsu.edu ftp://ftp.netcom.com mailto:mcgee@epsilon.eecs.nwu.edu mailto:listserv@mizzoul.missouri.edu mailto:r_pirazzi@uprl.uprl.clu.edu mailto:request@cs.ucla.edu mailto:mmolloy@lib.nmsu.edu 396 pesp.bitnet> or to: . CENTAM-L: Central America Discussion Group. T o s u b scrib e: < l is ts e rv @ u b v m .c c .b u f fa lo .e d u > . Post m essages to < centam l@ubvm.cc.buffalo.edu> News, human rights reports and other information posted regu larly from the region. CHILE-L: Chile Discussion Group. T o subscribe send message to: . Post m essages to: < c h ile -l@ usa chvm l.bitn et> . DEVEL-L: Tech nology Transfer in International D e v e lo p m e n t. T o subscribe: < listserv @auvm.american.edu>. Post messages to: Administered by Volunteers in Technical Assistance. For m ore in fo rm a tio n contact: < v ita @ gmu vax.gmu.edu> . Exchange o f information on technology and development. G o o d source for finding out about publications (e le c tronic and otherwise). ECUADOR: Ecuadorean Network. T o subscribe send a message to: To post messages: . Daily news bulletins posted to the list. FOLLAC: Folklore Latino, Latinoamericano y Caribeπo. Discussion o f Latin American Folk lore. T o subscribe send a message to Emily Socolov at: . T o post messages to the list send to . GNET: Global Networking. Note: T o subscribe send message to: . Announcements o f research papers and other documents available from the G N ET Archives, an ftp site . The archive contains papers on global networking, use o f networks in less d eveloped countries, communication in international developm ent, etc. LALA-L: Latin Americanist Librarians’ Announce ments List. T o subscribe: . M e s s a g e s to: < la la -l@ uga.cc.uga.edu>. Moderator: Gayle Williams . LASNET: Latin American Studies Network. T o subscribe send a m essage to: < lasnet- request@emx.utexas.edu>. Post messages to: < lasnet@emx.utexas.edu>. Moderator: Ning Lin . Purpose o f LASNET is to facilitate communication am ong Latin Americanists internationally. Includes directory. LATCO: Business & Trade with Latin America. Latin American Trade Council o f Oregon. T o subscribe send a message to: . T o post messages to the list: . Moderators: T om Miles and W alter Morales . Discussion list for trade and economic data, analysis, opinions and experience, infor mation source on Latin American business. MEXICO-L: Know ing Mexico: People, Places & Culture. T o subscribe: < listserv@ tecm tyvm.m ty.itesm.m x> . T o post messages: . NATIVE-L: Indigenous Peoples Information; N A T -L A N G : Lan gu ages o f In d igen o u s Peoples; N ATCH AT: Indigenous Peoples Discussion. Three separate lists available for s u b s c r ip tio n v ia : < lis t s e r v @ -ta m v m l .tamu.edu> . These lists deal with various issues related to indigenous peoples w orld wide. Politics, culture, information sources are all discussed. G o o d news source for environment, human rights, politics, etc. in Latin America, especially for Guatemala, Brazil, Ecuador, Peru and other countries with large indigenous populations. PERU: Discussion Group. T o subscribe send message to: Post messages to: List ad ministrator: Herbert K oller . U S E N E T N E W S o n Latin A m e ric a : < s o c .c u ltu r e .la tin -a m e r ic a > , < s o c .c u l ture.m exican> , < soc.culture.caribbean > , < a lt.c u ltu r e .a r g e n tin a > , < s o c .c u ltu re ‚p o rtu g u e se > , and < s o c .cu ltu re.sp ain > [usenet newsgroups]. Note: To read USENET news you must have access via a news reader on your local system or through access to another system. Find out about local access by contacting your computer center. These newsgroups discuss almost anything relating to society, politics, travel, culture, etc. for the regions described. Vari ous languages, mostly Spanish and English. Much information is cross-posted to other lists. Special files a n d o th e r resources NAFTA: North American Free Trade A gree ment. The full text o f the NAFTA document is available from several ftp archives includ ing: , , and . An Archie search yielded only the ariel site, but the other addresses w ere given as answers to (continued on page 399) mailto:listserv@fapq.fapesp.br mailto:istserv@ubvm.cc.buf mailto:l@ubvm.cc.buffalo.edu mailto:listserv@usachvml.bit mailto:devel-l@auvm.american.edu mailto:rone@skat.usc.edu mailto:ecuador@skat.usc.edu mailto:request@emx.utexas.edu mailto:lasnet@emx.utexas.edu mailto:lserv@psg.com mailto:latco@psg.com mailto:mexico-l@tecmtyvm.mty.itesm.mx mailto:peru@cs.sfsu.edu 397 3 99 Student reaction to the Electric U n d e rg ra d So far students have responded positively to the Electric Undergrad, but there are plans to conduct a study. It is fascinating to see how they are examining the latest “technological toy” in the Undergraduate Library. Instructors are beginning to request that students use the Elec tric Undergrad instead o f the library tape tour. H ow ever, it w ill not replace the audio tape tours, but presents a new alternative. As academic libraries m ove towards Com puter Assisted Instruction (CAI), w e believe the Electric Undergrad w ill be one o f the success ful programs to emulate for interactive library orientation. According to Bob Wedgeworth, interim uni versity librarian, “The Electric Undergrad is only the first step in an evolving series o f develop ments that will transform the Undergraduate Library into a multi-media laboratory for re search and study. Am ong the benefits w e ex pect to realize w ill be a more independent undergraduate student, capable o f identifying and satisfying their information needs, whether they are course-related or intended to satisfy their ow n desire to learn more.” E lectric Undergrad began tw o years ago when Media/Microcomputer Librarian Dennis Norlin (currently director o f the Devereaux Li brary) received one o f the first IBM Innova tions Grants from a campus-wide committee promoting the use o f interactive computing in undergraduate instruction. Additional funding for the program was provided by a grant from the Chancellor’s Parents’ Fund. ■ (Internet resources cont. from page 396) various net inquiries. The NAFTA document is quite long and unless you have a lot o f disk space available and facility for electronically storing and searching the document, you may not want to retrieve the files via ftp. You can however, search and retrieve relevant portions o f the text via WAIS (W ide Area In fo rm a tio n S e rv er) at < s p a rc -l.la w . columbia> . W A IS In fo rm a tio n o f In terest to Latin Americanists. T o connect to WAIS: Login: wais. The LIBS software described above provides seamless access to WAIS. WAIS Feature your collection on the cover of C&RL N ew s C&RLNews wants to feature aesthetically pleasing photos o f items from library col lections on its covers. If you have material in your library’s collections that you think w ould make an attractive C&RL News cover, please send us a photograph and a brief description o f the item and the collection. Photos may be either color or black and white and should be 5″ x 7″ or 8″ x 10″. Illustrations with a vertical orientation work best. Materials submitted w ill become the property o f C&RL News and cannot be ac knowledged. Send to: C&RL News Covers, 50 E. Huron St., Chicago, IL 60611. allows keyw ord access to hundreds o f archived electronic files. Browse the list to see what is available. WAIS sites and search able files change constantly. The follow ing files and sites currently available may be o f interest to Latin Americanists: , ,

, an d < w o r ld - factbook(C IA) at cmns-moon.think.com > . Y ou can also search the Kovacs list o f Academic E-mail Conferences via WAIS GOPHER UT-LANIC: Latin American Network Information Center. Produced by the Uni versity o f Texas— Austin, Institute o f Latin American Studies. Access via telnet: Login: You can also access via any gopher server with a menu system that allows access to “all g o phers in the world.” Choose North America, Texas, etc. Announced in April 1993, the experimental UT-LANIC gopher offers a menu that w ill provide access to Latin American databases, access to library catalogs and other services. W hen complete it will in clude a directory o f databases by subject and w ill provide automatic access through point ers. For more information contact: Ning Lin, LANIC Technical Director o r C a ro ly n P o a g e . ■ mailto:carolyn@emx.utexas.edu