ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries 6 2 4 / C&RL News • October 2003 I n t e r n e t R e v i e w s Jo ni R. Roberts and Carol A . Drost, editors A m erican F o lklife Center: The Library o f C o n g re s s . Access: http://www. loc.gov/folklife/. The American Folklife Center, hosted by the Library of Congress, is dedicated to the research and preservation of the many cultures represented in America. The Web site contains digitized col­ lections from the archives of the American Folklife Center, with materials from all 50 states and the District of Columbia, as well as United States trusts and territories. Collections of published and unpublished books, manuscripts, images, sounds, photographs, texts, art, and more can be found in collections such as “Fiddle Tunes of the Old Frontier,” interviews following the Pearl Harbor attacks, blues and gospel music, Indian music, the Woody Guthrie archives, the “Local Legacies Project,” and more. While not all of the material held by the center has been digitized, the finding aids for each of its collections are available online. The LIB R AR Y o f CON G R ESS American Folklife Center The strength of this site is the access it pro­ vides to primary documents. Researchers can read original handwritten letters, hear the stories of veterans, or listen to original sound recordings. The American Folklife Center has brought to­ gether in one location an abundance of ethno­ graphic material. Each collection is accompanied by two sec­ tions, “Understanding the Collection” and “Work­ ing with the Collection.” These sections provide supplemental content that helps users better un­ derstand the collection and places the informa­ tion in historical context. For further understand­ ing of the collection, visitors are provided bibli­ ographies, glossaries, content specific maps, re­ lated photographs, biographies, and more. To help the user work with the collection there is infor­ mation on how to view the text and access the audio files and an explanation of any copyright restrictions. Ethnographers and researchers are the pri­ mary audience o f this site. However, the site does include information on the center’s intern­ ship and awards programs. Additionally, a visitor to this site can find out about various cultural events taking place in or around the Thomas Jefferson building. The site itself is clearly organized, easy to use, and current. The text and audio files load quickly and are of a high quality. Users will, however, need a player such as RealOne or MediaPlayer to listen to the audio files. There is no search capa­ bility, but researchers can use the site index to quickly find what they need. The site states its purpose and scope, has a collection policy state­ ment, and links to projects such as the “Veterans History Project” and the “September 11, 2001, Documentary Project.” There is also an impres­ sive list of links to further ethnographic resources that are well maintained.— Debbi Renfrow, Uni­ versity o f California, Riverside, debbir@citrus. ucr.edu g lo b alE D G E . Access: http://globaledge. msu.edu/. globalEDGE is a Web portal providing the business professional, consumer, teacher, or stu­ dent with a sweeping array of international busi­ ness infomiation and online resources. Created by the Center for International Business Educa­ tion and Research at Michigan State University, globalEDGE covers information on 200 coun­ tries and provides access to 2,000 international business Web sites. Clear navigation and a sleek design make globalEDGE an extremely user-friendly resource. globalEDGE is organized into four distinct seg­ ments: “Resource Desk,” “Community,” “Knowledge Room,” and “Academy.” Joni R. Roberts is associate university librarian fo r public services and collection development at Willamette University, e-m ail: jro b e rts@ w illam e tte.e du , and Carol A. Drost is associate university lib ra ria n fo r technical services a t W illamette University, e-mail: cdrost@willamette.edu http://www http://globaledge mailto:jroberts@willamette.edu mailto:cdrost@willamette.edu C&RL News • O ctober 2003 / 625 “Resource Desk” provides the user with country information, online resources, emerg­ ing market indicators, and a comprehensive glossary of international business terms. Within “Community,” users view and engage in dis­ cussions about international issues. Access to Webcasts and various articles from reputable media sources on such topics as the role of organizational learning is available in the “Knowledge Room.” “Academy” supplies in­ formation and links for the academician, such as grant opportunities, conferences, profes­ sional organizations, and course content. The depth and efficient organization of globalEDGE can be attractive to any informa­ tion seeker. globalEDGE offers a hub portal from which a user can smoothly access global business news from diverse sources. However, its country information gathered from the CIA World Factbook is somewhat dated. For ex­ ample, if a user researches Afghanistan in globalEDGE’s country insights page, the in­ formation was last updated December 2001. Whereas, the Web site for the CIA World Factbook was updated August 2003 and con­ tains the latest information and vital statistics fo r that p o litic a lly v o la tile country. globalEDGE provides the user with some re­ cent news articles about Iraq from various newspapers, magazines, and television tran­ scripts. The Web site provides a multitude o f help windows giving overviews of each section and its contents. Users can also register with globalEDGE and receive a newsletter detailing new information that has been added to the site. Tw o standard features that are missing from globalEDGE are a site index and a search engine. Both would allow users to pinpoint the exact location of their information more quickly. Through its sampling of international busi­ ness issues to its extensive network of online resources, globalEDGE is a remarkable service. It is a dynamic Web site and a useful homepage for any serious business student, professor, or professional. — Colleen Lougen, M ount Saint Maty College, lougen@msmc.edu Hoover In stitu tion on W ar, Revolution, a n d Peace. Access: http://www.hoover. stanford.edu/. The Hoover Institution on War, Revolution, and Peace Web site clearly illustrates the wide variety and depth o f material and resources housed within the actual center located at Stanford University. The Hoover Institution, a public policy research center devoted to “advanced study o f politics, economics, and political economy both domestic and foreign as well as international affairs,” was founded by Herbert Hoover and was originally a specialized collec­ tion of primary and secondary documents relat­ ing to World War I. The collection has become one of the largest archives and most complete libraries in the world devoted to political, eco­ nomic, and social change in the 20th century. With more than 5,000 separate collections, in­ cluding millions of individual documents from the entire range of 20th-century history and poli­ tics from around the world, it’s a researcher’s dream. Through the site, users can access current in­ formation about the institution from a series of icons on the left-side frame. Under “Research,” users will find links to research and fellowship programs, seminars and conferences, awards and society memberships, and research topics. From “Library & Archives,” researchers can study the numerous collections, search for content via the comprehensive finding aids, conduct online ref­ erence queries, and visit the virtual exhibits both cun'ent and past, including the online exhibit of British posters o f the First and Second World Wars. Several hundred of the more than 30,000 cataloged political posters from around the world included in the Hoover Institution Archives Poster Collection can be viewed and purchased online. From the homepage, one can access numer­ ous publications in full-text, such as the Hoover Institution Newsletter and The Hoover Digest, which contain short articles and opinion pieces on such topics as education, politics, national security, and welfare reform. Also available are weekly essays by Hoover fellows, a browseable/ searchable catalog of Hoover Press monographs and a link to Uncommon Knowledge, a weekly half-hour series on public policy broadcast by PBS and NPR. The site also offers access to other Hoover publications such as Policy Review, China Leadership Monitor, and Education Next. The site is well maintained and current and the content is extremely valuable and rich from a historical and political perspective. High school students and subject specialists will thoroughly benefit from this scholarly collection of resources. Highly recommended.— Gail Goldennan, Union College, goldenng@union.edu ■ mailto:lougen@msmc.edu http://www.hoover mailto:goldenng@union.edu