Ready Reference
Acronyms
- Acronym Finder
"The world's largest and most accurate human-edited dictionary of acronyms, abbreviations and initialisms." Includes information technology, business and finance, organizations, schools, slang and pop culture, military and government, science and medicine.
http://www.acronymfinder.com - Internet Acronym Server
Search for an acronym to find its expansion, search for a word in the expansions for the related acronyms, or submit an acronym for inclusion. E-mail service for dictionary or thesaurus queries.
http://silmaril.ie/cgi-bin/uncgi/acronyms
Atlases, Maps & Gazetteers
- Atlapedia Online
Full color physical and political maps as well as key facts and statistics about the countries of the world. (Latimar Clarke Corp.)
http://www.atlapedia.com - Color Landform Atlas of the United States
Displays landform maps for each of the 50 states; choices include shaded relief map, country map or b&w map. (Ray Sterner, Johns Hopkins University)
http://fermi.jhuapl.edu/states/states.html - Mapquest
On-line maps, driving directions, local city guide and live traffic reports for major US cities.
http://www.mapquest.com - National Atlas
Online atlas of the United States, with maps and information from 20 Federal agencies. Census information, environment,climate, natural resources, industry, voting and elections, Congressional districts, transportation. Print from the existing collection or custom make your own.
http://nationalatlas.gov - Perry-Castaneda Library Map Collection
Online map collection, including international locales. State, county, and city maps. (Univ. of Texas)
http://www.lib.utexas.edu/Libs/PCL/Map_collection/Map_collection.html - US Gazetteer
Provides Tiger map of area, or census data.
http://www.census.gov/cgi-bin/gazetteer
Awards & Prizes
- The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences
Provides history, information on the most recent broadcast, and access to the Academy Awards database, which contains information about the award from 1927 to the present.
http://www.oscars.org - The Clio Awards
"Honoring advertising excellence." Television, print/poster, radio, design and interactive advertising. Searchable archive of award winners and nominees, 1960-1999.
http://www.clioawards.com - Emmy Awards
The official site of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, which oversees and issues the Emmy Awards. Facts about the national awards, information and history on the National Academy.
http://www.emmyonline.org - Grammy.com
Home of the Grammy Awards.
http://www.grammy.com - Nobelprize.org
Information about the Nobel Prize and a searchable database of the Laureates.
http://www.nobel.se - The Pulitzer Prize
http://www.pulitzer.org//index.html - Tony Awards
Information on the current year’s award winners, as well as archives for previous years. News and feature articles. Links to related sites. (American Theatre Wing)
http://www.tonys.org
Bibliographic Sources
- Books in Print with Reviews
Search for in print, out of print and forthcoming books, audio books and videos. Includes full-text reviews for many titles.(Bowker)
http://www.booksinprint.com - BookWire
Thousands of links to a wide variety of book-related sites and information, including Publisher's Weekly, awards, author tours, publishers, PW bestseller lists, booksellers and review sources.
http://www.bookwire.com - NoveList
A readers' advisory tool that helps readers find new books based on books they've read or topics in which they are interested. Over 96,000 book titles are in the database and range from easy readers to adult, with over 36,000 full text reviews. (EbscoHost via NCLive)
http://www.nclive.org/ - Resources for College Libraries
(Bowker)
http://rclweb.net - Serials Directory
Bibliographic and pricing information for magazines and other serials; US and international. Information on publishers. (EBSCOhost via NCLive)
http://www.nclive.org/ - WorldCat
Union catalog of materials held in libraries world-wide. (FirstSearch via NCLive)
http://www.nclive.org/
Biographical Sources
- Biographical Directory of the United States Congress: 1774 to the present
http://bioguide.congress.gov - Biography and Genealogy Master Index
Indexing to 12 million biographical sketches from 1,000+ sources. (GaleNet)
http://infotrac.galegroup.com/ - Biography.com
The web site of the Biography program on the A&E Television network. Provides biographical sketches on those 25,000 personalities featured on the program, not comprehensive, but broad in scope. Search by name or by birthdate.
http://www.biography.com - Encyclopedia Mythica
Full-text international encyclopedia of mythology, folklore, legends and related topics. 5700+ entries on gods, goddesses, supernatural and legendary beings. Genealogy; images; links.
http://www.pantheon.org - POTUS: Presidents of the United States
Provides links to all Presidents of the US, listed in chronological order. Information includes terms of office, background information, election results, cabinet members and notable events. Links to historical documents (complete texts of inaugural and farewell addresses, key speeches), biographical information, audio and video files. (Internet Public Library)
http://www.ipl.org/div/potus
Careers
- America's Career Infonet
Information on 460 occupations with salary data. Includes links to market outlook and job listings by profession and state. (U.S. Dept. of Labor)
http://www.acinet.org/acinet/ - Career Development Center
Resources for career exploration, listings of job opportunities and potential employers, selected links for career planning, resume writing and job interview advice. (LifeWorks, Mars Hill College)
http://lifeworks.mhc.edu/career - Job Hunters Bible
An online supplement to the 2002 edition of What Color is your Parachute?: A practical manual to job-hunting and career-changers. (Richard Bolles)
http://www.jobhuntersbible.com/ - LearningExpress Library
An interactive online learning platform of practice tests and tutorial course series. Over 100 practice tests, including GRE, LSAT, MCAT, GMAT, PRAXIS and TOEFL. Provides immediate scoring, complete answer explanations, and an individualized analysis of results.(LearningExpress via NCLive)
http://www.nclive.org - Occupational Outlook Handbook
Search or browse a standard source on occupations, with job descriptions, working conditions, training and education required, and earnings. Includes job forecasts, directory of resources. Updated every 2 years. (Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Dept. of Labor)
http://www.bls.gov/oco - O*NET Online
Occupational Information Network. Includes skills, abilities, knowledge, work activities and interests associated with over 950 occupations. (U.S. Dept. of Labor)
http://online.onetcenter.org/ - The Riley Guide
Employment opportunities and job resources on the Internet. (Margaret F. Dikel)
http://www.rileyguide.com/ - What Can I do With a Major in...?
Provides various career options for over 40 areas of college study, with related career titles, related major skills, and related web sites for each. (University of North Carolina, Wilmington)
http://www.uncwil.edu/stuaff/career/Majors/index.htm
Currency
- Oanda
Currency converter, with daily exchange rates, foreign exchange tables, and historical exchange rates.
http://www.oanda.com
Dictionaries, General
- American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language
Unabridged dictionary; 350,000+ entries. Includes examples of use; historical notes. 4th ed., c2000. (Bartleby)
http://www.bartleby.com/61 - Merriam-Webster Online
Dictionary and thesaurus
http://www.m-w.com - Oxford English Dictionary Online
Authoritative historical record of the English Language; provides the definition as well as quotations that show the evolution of meaning and usage from the first known use to the present. Complete text of the 20 volume 2nd edition.
http://dictionary.oed.com - Oxford Reference Online: English Dictionaries and Thesauruses
Search the full text of Oxford University Press Publications: The Oxford American Dictionary of Current English, The Concise Oxford Dictionary, The Oxford American Thesaurus of Current English, and The Oxford Paperback Thesaurus. (Oxford Reference Online)
http://www.oxfordreference.com - Roget's II: The New Thesaurus
3rd ed., 1995. (Bartleby)
http://www.bartleby.com/62
Dictionaries, Special
- The Cook's Thesaurus
A cooking encyclopedia that covers thousands of ingredients and kitchen tools. Entries include pictures, descriptions, synonyms, pronunciations, and suggested substitutions.
http://www.switcheroo.com - Epicurious Food Dictionary
Definitions for 4,000+ food terms.
http://www.epicurious.com/cooking/how_to/food_dictionary/ - Internet Acronym Server
Search for an acronym to find its expansion, search for a word in the expansions for the related acronyms, or submit an acronym for inclusion. E-mail service for dictionary or thesaurus queries.
http://silmaril.ie/cgi-bin/uncgi/acronyms - Oxford Reference Online
Complete contents of more than 100 titles published by Oxford University Press, including subject encyclopedias, dictionaries and other reference books in more than 20 subject areas.(Oxford U. Pr.)
http://www.oxfordreference.com - Symbols.com
An encyclopedia of graphic symbols, with the histories, uses, and meanings of various Western signs and ideograms. The online version of Thought Signs: The Semiotics of Symbols – Western Non–Pictorial Ideograms by Carl G. Liungman.
http://www.SYMBOLS.com - yourDictionary.com
Comprehensive and authoritative portal for language products and services on the web; more than 1500 dictionaries representing more than 230 languages.
http://www.yourdictionary.com
Directories
- Telephone Directories on the Webr
http://www.infobel.com/teldir/default.asp - Virtual Library Museum Pages
A searchable directory of on-line museums; provides links to museums web pages worldwide. (Jonathan Bowen, International Council of Museums)
http://www.icom.org/vlmp - Zip Code Lookup
http://zip4.usps.com/zip4/
Encyclopedias
- Britannica Online
http://www.nclive.org - Britannica Online School Edition
http://www.nclive.org - Columbia Encyclopedia
50,000 articles with bibliographic citations and cross references. 6th ed., 2000. (Bartleby)
http://www.bartleby.com/65 - Compton's Encyclopedia Online
http://www.comptons.com/encyclopedia/home.html - Oxford Reference Online
Complete contents of more than 100 titles published by Oxford University Press, including subject encyclopedias, dictionaries and other reference books in more than 20 subject areas.(Oxford U. Pr.)
http://www.oxfordreference.com
Facts & Figures
- Convert-Me.com: Interactive Measurements Converter
Measurement converter for weight, capacity and volume, length, area, speed, pressure, temperature, circular measure, and time.
http://www.convert-me.com/en/ - Farmer’s Almanac
Has many of the features of the print version, including long-range weather forecasting, gardening information and lore, and astronomy.
http://www.almanac.com - Information Please Almanac
http://www.infoplease.com - Kelley Blue Book
Comprehensive data, going back 21 years, on retail and wholesale prices for vehicles.
http://www.kbb.com - Measure 4 Measure
A large collection of interactive sites that calculate or convert whatever. The sites are organized into broad categories which include Science & Math; Health; Finance; All 'Round the House; A Measure of Everything Else.
http://www.wolinskyweb.net/measure.htm - Old Farmer’s Almanac
Has many of the features of the print version, including long-range weather forecasting, gardening information and lore, and astronomy.
http://www.almanac.com - Weights and Measure Resources
A directory of resources from refdesk.com.
http://www.refdesk.com/factmeas.html
Legal Resources
- FindLaw: Internet Legal Resources
US case law, law codes, law review articles, legal news, and legal organizations. Includes links to state and international law sites. Well organized and easy to navigate. Searchable.
http://www.findlaw.com/# - Oxford Reference Online: Law
Search the full text of Oxford University Press publications: A Dictionary of Law and The Oxford Guide to United States Supreme Court Decisions. (Oxford Reference Online)
http://www.oxfordreference.com
Quotations
- Familiar Quotations by John Bartlett
Bartlett's 9th edition; "a collection of passages, phrases, and proverbs traced to their sources in ancient and modern literature." (Bartleby)
http://www.bartleby.com/100 - Oxford Reference Online: Quotations
Search the full text of Oxford University Press Publications: The Oxford Essential Quotations Dictionary (American Edition) and The Oxford Dictionary of Twentieth Century Quotations. (Oxford Reference Online)
http://www.oxfordreference.com - Simpson's Contemporary Quotations
The 1988 ed., with over 10,000 quotations organized into 25 categories, chosen as the "most notable quotations, 1950-1988." (Bartleby)
http://www.bartleby.com/63 - The Oxford Essential Quotations Dictionary (American Edition)
Search the full text of this Oxford University Press Publication. (Oxford Reference Online)
http://www.oxfordreference.com/ - The Oxford Dictionary of Twentieth Century Quotations
Search the full text of this Oxford University Press Publication. (Oxford Reference Online)
http://www.oxfordreference.com/
Statistical Sources
- American Factfinder
Community profiles, population and housing facts, maps, and industry and business facts. Will produce customized reports. (US Census Bureau)
http://factfinder.census.gov - Census State Data Centers
http://www.census.gov/sdc/www - FedStats
Gateway to statistical information from over 100 federal agencies. Provides links to statistics by topic or by agency. Searchable.
http://www.fedstats.gov - North Carolina State Data Center
Information and data about NC and its component geographical areas (North Carolina Office of State Planning)
http://www.ospl.state.nc.us/sdn - The Population Profile of the United States
20 chapters accessible as individual PDF files of 3 to 5 pages. Topics are arranged into the following chapters: Population dynamics; Households and housing; Social Characteristics; Household economies; Many faces of diversity. Current as of October 2001. (U.S. Census Bureau)
http://www.census.gov/population/www/pop-profile/profile2000.html - Statistical Abstract of the United States
Statistics on social and economic conditions in the US. Data available in Adobe Acrobat format. Includes a special feature, 20th Century Statistics, with data beginning in 1900 on a broad range of topics.
http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/ - Statistical Resources on the Web
(Grace York, Documents Center, University of Michigan Libraries)
http://www.lib.umich.edu/govdocs/stats.html - US Census Bureau
Data about the people and the economy of the United States. Includes data from the 1990 Census, with maps. (US Census Bureau)
http://www.census.gov
Time & Dates
- Calendars Through the Ages
Provides a multicultural history of calendars, with an investigation of the 7 day week, the year, and a timeline of events related to calendar history. Includes Christian, Jewish, Islamic, Chinese, Mayan, and other calendars. (WebExhibits)
http://www.webexhibits.com/calendars - The Official US Time
For all time zones in the US, from Samoa in the West to the Atlantic Time Zone. Includes exhibits on time, including a history of timekeeping, calendars, and daylight savings time. (National Institute of Standards and Technology)
http://www.time.gov - This Day in History
From the History Channel, a historic event is featured, with additional stories in the following categories: Automotive, Civil War, Cold War, Crime, Literary, Old West, Technology, Vietnam War, and Wall Street.
http://www.historychannel.com/tdih/tdih.jsp?category=leadstory - Those were the Days
Starts with a short feature article about a historical event of note, followed by a list of history's events, birthdays and musical chart-toppers for the date.
http://www.440.com/twtd/today.html - Today in History
Historic events and birth-dates. Can search any day or any year. Also includes international holidays, religious observances, and religious history. (Scope Systems)
http://www.scopesys.com/today - Today in History
Extensive information on noteworthy events, from the American Memory Project, with many hypertext links to additional resources in the collection. (Library of Congress)
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/today.html - Today's Calendar and Clock Page
Information about the calendar and time of the current day. Includes various types of calendars. Provides information about special clocks, world holidays, countdown scripts, and name days. Links to a wide variety of calendars.
http://www.ecben.net/calendar.shtml - Twentieth-Century Chronology, 1900-1999
For each year of the 20th century, provides highlights of world and US events, economy, sports, entertainment, scientific achievement, and deaths. Many links to detail and related information. Includes millenium milestones, an extensive chronology of the last 1,000 years. (InfoPlease)
http://www.infoplease.com/millennium1.html
In place: March 2001; Last updated: 7/24/2007
Bev Robertson, Reference Services Librarian
brobertson@mhc.edu
Renfro Library, Mars Hill College
Bev Robertson, Reference Services Librarian
brobertson@mhc.edu
Renfro Library, Mars Hill College