Patchogue-Medford Library mailto:ptchlib@suffolk.lib.ny.us Home Page

Inter-Library Loan

Forms for requesting materials from other libraries are now available via our catalog page. You may now request books, audio-visual materials, and magazine and journal articles from other libraries. Please be sure to check the Patchogue-Medford catalog before making an inter-library loan request. Certain popular materials, such as current bestsellers, computer software, and feature film videos and DVDs may not be available for interloan.

Request an Inter-Library Loan

Computer Lab

Children's and Parents' Services Department

New Links Added Recently

1. A to Z Home's Cool
   Offers overview of philosophical reasons for teaching at home and links to subject specific pages.

2. America Responds: PBS Kids Resources for Parents
   The links at this site help parents and teachers talk to preschoolers about their fears.

3. Association for the Help of Retarded Children
   Support for siblings of retarded children.

4. Background Notes
   Cultural information on foreign countries provided by the United States Department of State.

5. The Children's Museum of Indianapolis Fun On-line Page
   Children will find engaging activities at this site, such as making a puppet show and designing a space station.

6. Children's Needs
   This site provides tips on recognizing traumatic stress in children and a quick-reference table of stress behaviors categorized by age group.

7. Coping With a National Tragedy
   Sponsored by the National Association of School Psychologists, this site helps adults respond to children's needs.

8. Dealing With a Terrorist Tragedy
   Offers suggestions on how to talk to children and teens about the recent terrorist attacks.

9. Eduhound-All About Education
   Educational directory with resource links for teachers, students and parents. Includes a Spanish-language version.

10. Edsitement
    Lesson plans that address cultural differences and understanding on topics such as Dr. Martin Luther King,Jr. and Native Americans.

11. FirstGov for Kids
    Portal from which all government web sites for kids can be accessed.

12. Harry Potter
    Meet J.K Rowling and play wizard trivia.

13. Junior Net
    Elementary-school kids can get help with their homework, make discoveries about the environment, learn about current events and play interactive games and puzzles.

14. Lemony Snicket
    Sponsored by Harper Collins, this site is filled with "dreadful images," "wretched information," and "unnerving games."

15. The Multicultural Pavilion
    Click on projects in the teacher's corner to find resources on multicultural education, bilingual education and diversity in the classroom.

16. National Information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities
    This site, sponsored by a nonprofit clearinghouse and referral center for children with disabilities and family issues related to disabilities, has an up-to-date, state-by-state list of resources in English and Spanish.

17. Oceanlink Younger and older students will enjoy learning about marine life, oceans, and our responsibilities to them at this cool site.

18. ParentsPage
    This page offers information on topics parents need to know about such as health and safety, learning and parenting.

19. Science Fair Central
    Ideas for student projects, teacher links and a parent section.

20. Sea World This educational site looks at animal life as part of Sea World's mission to help people appreciate and respect all living things.

21. Talking to Children About Terrorism and Acts of War
    Advice for adults in English and Spanish.

22. Talking With Kids About War and Violence
    This website is particularly useful for parents of young children, and it includes advice form the late Fred Rogers.

23. Teaching Tolerance
    Resources to help establish an environment of equality, respect and understanding in the classroom and beyond.

24. Unschooling.com
    Sponsored by Home Education Magazine, this site lists books, learning tools, and state laws for parents who teach at home.

Reference Department

• New Readers' Corner Web Page Ready for Your Reading Pleasure

  Try our new Readers' Corner web page. The library's new stop for popular reading information on the web. Sign up for BookLetters, our free email newsletters with information on the latest new titles in romance, mystery, science fiction, and more. Or try Chapter-A-Day, which delivers a chapter from a new book into your email each weekday morning.

• Morningstar.com Library Edition and Patron Books-in-Print Available for Home Use

  Patchogue-Medford Library patrons now have access to two new databases for home use. Morningstar.com Library Edition is a new online investing research tool. The database includes Morningstar analysts' opinion on over 1,000 stocks and 2,000 mutual funds. Also provided is statistical data on over 20,000 stocks and funds. Patrons can create sample portfolios and compare two or more stocks or funds.

  Also available for searching is Patron Books-in-Print a comprehensive database of over 5 million records for books, audio books, and video titles. Search to see if a new book by your favorite author is coming out, or compile a reading list of your favorite titles.

  In order to search these databases from outside the library, you MUST have a Patchogue-Medford Library card. You will be prompted for the barcode from your library card and PIN number. If you do not have a PIN number, you can make one up on the spot. Please remember your PIN.

• Need a Journal Article? Try our new Academic Search Premier database.

  Academic Search Premier is our new database to try if you need full-text articles from academic and scholarly journals. This collection provides indexing and abstracting for over 4400 titles and full text coverage for over 3500 primarily scholarly and academic journals. Subject coverage includes most academic areas of study, including social sciences, humanities, education, computer science, engineering, physics, chemistry, language, arts, and literature. In order to search this database from outside the library, you MUST have a Patchogue-Medford Library card. You will be prompted for the barcode from your library card. When prompted enter your barcode in the Patron ID field.

Links added January 3, 2005:
• Community Resource Database of Long Island
  Searchable directory profiles for more than 12,000 community resources and services available on Long Island, including health, education, and human and social services programs. Searchable by organization name, keyword, subject, or location. A new Quick Search feature offers pre-selected lists of organizations in various categories. This resource was previously only available for in-library use. Maintained by the staff of the Middle Country Public Library.

• 2004 Year-End Google Zeitgeist
  "Based on billions of searches conducted by Google users around the world, the 2004 Year-End Zeitgeist offers a unique perspective on the year's major events and trends. We [Google] hope you enjoy this aggregate look at what people wanted to know more about this year."

  Links added December 23, 2004:

• New Year's Resolutions Facts & Figures
  If you're thinking of your resolutions for the coming year, you are in good company. Enjoy this page on the history and customs behind the New Year's resolution.

• MSN Search (Beta)
  The newly revised MSN search from Microsoft has been released in beta test mode. The full version is expected to be available in early 2005. Over 5 billion pages are indexed. Web, news, and image searches are currently available. Users can download a toolbar to add the MSN search functionality to their desktops. "Search Builder" offers advanced search features and ways to limit or expand your query. Clicking on the "Near Me" button will find instances of your search term in your geographic area. Click on the "Settings" link to change your location. MSN Search is also available in Spanish.

• Lycos 50
  Listings of the top 50 most searched for terms in a variety of categories as compiled by the Lycos search engine. Each day a new category is added. Today's category for example is a ranking of online sports stars. The top 100 most searched terms for the year are also included.

• Plum Book 2004: United States Government Policy and Supporting Positions
  The U.S. government's Plum Book, published after each presidential election, "lists over 7,000 Federal civil service leadership and support positions in the legislative and executive branches of the Federal Government that may be subject to noncompetitive appointment, nationwide. Data covers positions such as agency heads and their immediate subordinates, policy executives and advisors, and aides who report to these officials. The duties of many such positions may involve advocacy of Administration policies and programs and the incumbents usually have a close and confidential working relationship with the agency or other key officials." It is helpful to look at or print out the legend first, as that will provide the meaning to all the codes used in the volume. Available in PDF or plain text format.

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  Links added December 20, 2004:

• Holiday Traditions Around the World
  Christmas traditions around the world. Also includes information on holidays for Chinese New Year, Diwali, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and Ramadan. From the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago.

• Better Googling: Things You Didn't Know Google Does
  Useful tips from Sree Sreenivasan, the WABC-TV "Tech Guru" on how to make effective use of Google beyond the simple search feature. Also helpful will be this page from Yahoo offering up all their search shortcuts for more effective information retrieval.

• Cookbook Central
  Epicurious.com food writer Irene Sax offers weekly reviews of the newest cookbooks. Each review contains a tested recipe and cooking tips. Past reviews are browseable by cookbook title or type of cuisine.

• Status of Women in the States 2004
  "The Status of Women in the States project is designed to inform citizens about the progress of women in their state relative to women in other states, to men, and to the nation as a whole." Not all states are covered in each report. Produced by the Institute for Women's Policy Research on a biannual basis.

• Annual Snowfall Totals -- Central Park 1869-2004
  Just in time for Winter, Newsday provides annual and monthly snowfall totals in New York's Central Park for all years between 1869 and 2004.

• Preventing and Thawing Frozen Pipes
  Also just in time for Winter, is this Red Cross site with advice on how to prevent pipes from freezing, and what to do if they freeze.

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  Links added December 10, 2004:

• Criminal Justice Statistics for Suffolk County (NY)
  Includes statistics on violent and property crimes for the Suffolk County Police, Suffolk Sheriff, town and village police departments in the county, SUNY Stony Brook and Farmingdale, and other police agencies with operations in the county, including New York State Police, Park Police, and MTA Police. Currently statistics are available for 2000-2003.

• MyChurchandTown.com
  A new community directory for Long Island. Searchable by town/village, zip code, or Catholic Church parish, this portal site offers very useful listings of local directory information on government, community organizations, hospitals and emergency information, transportation schedules, parks and recreation opportunities, places of interest, churches and other houses of worship, and local events. The site was put together by a company which offers Internet services to many churches in the Diocese of Rockville Centre.

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  Links added December 5, 2004:

• Good Password.com
  Use this site to generate free, hard-to-crack passwords on the fly for all those websites that now require registration. Stop using your dog's name!

• Home Sales.gov
  "The HomeSales.gov web site provides current information about single family homes for sale by the U.S. Federal Government. These previously owned homes are for sale by public auction or other method depending on the property. Anyone can buy a home for sale by the U.S. Government, but you must work with a real estate agent, broker or servicing representative to submit an offer or bid. Currently the U.S. Departments of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Agriculture (USDA/Rural Development), and Veterans Affairs (VA) have homes listed on this site."

• Medline Plus Health Topics
  A compilation of links to the latest information on various health and wellness topics from the National Library of Medicine. Each compilation may include information on the latest news related to the condition, diagnosis and symptoms, treatments, clinical trials, and other related issues.

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  Links added December 1, 2004:

• Merriam-Webster's Words of the Year 2004
  The ten most looked up words for 2004 from the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary.

• Killer Books
  Monthly listing of "books to die for," from the Independent Mystery Booksellers Association. Each month will highlight 5-6 new mystery novels from authors old and new.

• Ice Rocket
  A new search engine which claims that "every search is a direct hit." Ice Rocket offers web, blog, news, and image searches, and even a "find a friend" search if you need a date. Search results may be saved to an RSS reader or emailed. Future plans hope to include a way to have search results sent directly to a handheld or other mobile device.
  One especially nifty feature of this search tool is the Quick View option. This lets you view a visual snapshot of a returned hit right within your search results page, without having to leave the page or open another browser window.

• Annual Credit Report.com
  This site will allow you to request, once per year, a free copy of your credit report from each of the three nationwide consumer credit reporting agencies - Equifax, Experian, and Trans Union. The program is being phased in over the course of the next year by geographic region. Residents of the Northeast United States, including New York, will be eligible to receive their reports beginning September 1, 2005.

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  Links added October 28, 2004:

• 2004-2005 Flu Vaccine Shortage
  Information from the Centers for Disease Control with questions and answers on the shortage of flu vaccine. Background on who should get the shots, where they may be available, and ways to prevent the flu.

• Home Sales.gov
  "...provides current information about single family homes for sale by the U.S. Federal Government. These previously owned homes are for sale by public auction or other method depending on the property. Anyone can buy a home for sale by the U.S. Government, but you must work with a real estate agent, broker or servicing representative to submit an offer or bid. Currently the U.S. Departments of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Agriculture (USDA/Rural Development), and Veterans Affairs (VA) have homes listed on this site."

• Scirus
  A search engine designed to specifically index scientific and medical information available on the Web. Currently Scirus indexes over 167 million pages with science related content, as well as citations from MedLine, Science Direct and BioMed Central full-text articles, patents, and NASA technical reports.

  Links added October 5, 2004:

• LIPA Annual Population Survey
  The latest edition, 2003 of the LIPA Annual Population Survey is now available. This publication provides annual estimates of the population for Nassau and Suffolk Counties and the Rockaway Peninsula of Queens. Data includes 1990 and 2000 census figures and estimates based upon electrical usage. Data is broken down for county and town and village. Requires the Adobe Acrobat Reader.

• New York State Farm Fresh Guide
  This site, from the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, allows you to generate a list of places where you can go to pick your own produce, including apples, pumpkins, and Christmas trees. Searchable by region or county and desired product.

• Herbal Safety
  This website exists to disseminate the latest research information on the use of herbal products, and also to provide reliable, non-commercial health and safety information on specific supplements in English and Spanish. From the University of Texas' Cooperative Pharmacy Program.

• GigaBlast
  A relatively new search engine, with, at this writing, over 640 million pages indexed. GigaBlast offers "GigaBits" along with your search results. GigaBits are words or phrases that are offered which may relate to your current search. The GigaBits can be used to broaden or narrow your search, or perhaps suggest synonyms that you had not initially thought of.

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  Links added September 24, 2004:

• Chemistry of Autumn Colors
  A brief explanation of what makes for all those beautiful fall colors.

• Roger Ebert's Movie Reviews
  The Chicago Sun Times presents an online archive of movie critc Roger Ebert. Contains both current and past reviews.

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  Links added August 30, 2004:

• Search Terms Glossary
  Web search engines have become indispensible to everyone's research, but are we always sure if we are using them correctly. This helpful glossary, has excellent definitions of various terms used in searching. If you're not sure what a boolean search, a false drop, or partial word matching is, this site can help.

• Hot Topics: Motoring Technology
  This site is for anyone interested in the latest developments in automotive technology, including alternative fuels, safety design, green cars, and new engine technologies. From New Scientist magazine.

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  Links added August 17, 2004:

• Open Secrets.org
  Contains data on monetary donations to candidates for Federal offices. Entries show receipts, spending, campaign debt, and sources of contributions from individuals and organizations, such as companies or political action committees. If a candidate has previously run for office, then data from past races is also available.

• North American Mammals
  Based on the book, The Smithsonian Book of North American Mammals, this searchable site allows you to find information on every living Morth American mammal. You can search by geography, species or common name, or conservation status. An interactive Flash map allows you to navigate through the family tree of mammals. You can also search through a special collection of teeth and/or skeletal images of mammals. Each entry includes facts about and a brief description of the animal, as well as at least one photograph or drawing. Many entries also have multimedia clips.

• Suffolk County Gasoline Price Surveys
  Survey of the average retail price per gallon for gasoline in Suffolk County. They survey is conducted at over 120 gas stations, and includes comparisons of current prices with prices of 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years ago, as well as the highest prices ever recorded in the county. For comparison with other areas of the nation, try the Weekly U.S. Retail Gasoline Prices Chart from the Department of Energy.

• What was the Exchange Rate Then?
  This site allows you to compare historic annual exchange rates for the U.S. dollar versus a variety of foreign currencies for a given year or range of years. First choose the currency you want to compare with the dollar, then select a single year or range of years. Historic coverage varies depending upon the currency, but most European currencies are searchable from the 1910s forward, with most non-Western currencies available from later dates. Comparisons between the dollar and the British Pound are available from 1791 forward.

• Anything Weather.com
  Provides extensive, up-to-date weather data for anywhere in the United States. Enter a placename or zip code, and you will be given links to the five closest weather stations. Each link includes the curent conditions, as well as radar and satellite images and daily and monthly averages for temperature, rain, and wind.

• Campaign Search
  Campaign Search is a search tool and archive of audio and video content of issues relevant to the current presidential campaign. Content is drawn from materials on the websites of the Bush/Cheney and Kerry/Edwards campaigns, as well as broadcast media sites such as NPR, PBS, C-Span, MS-NBC and others. The site is searchable by keyword. Most of the files on the site can be played in either Real Player or Windows Media Player software.

• Grant Smart.org
  This database contains, as of this writing, "317,450 tax returns filed by 85,050 private foundations and charitable trusts. These tax returns are public records. Searchable by name, location, employer identification number, and total assets.

• GovLoans
  This site offers a single access point for finding information on federal government loan opportunities from five agencies -- Office of Housing, and the Departments of Agriculture, Education, Housing and Urban Development, Veterans Affairs, and the Small Business Administration. Site is fully searchable or browseable by individual department.

• Ancestry 2000
  A Census Bureau report in Adobe Acrobat format, which analyzes trends in ancestry and ethnicity in the United States based on Census 2000. The report provides extensive statistical tables and maps to illustrate the current state of ethnicity in America.

• Reading at Risk: A Survey of Literary Reading in America
  The full-text, in Adobe Acrobat format, of the recent report from the National Endowment for the Arts, which discusses the decline of reading in America.

• Interactive Tariff and Trade Dataweb
  Contains a searchable database of U.S. international trade and tariff data from 1989 forward. "The USITC DataWeb responds to user-defined queries integrating international trade statistics with complex tariff and customs treatment, and allows both expert and non-expert users to create and save customized country and product lists for future re-use from anywhere in the world."

• Monthly Climactic Data for the World
  This site offers Adobe PDF files which contain monthly climatic data for over 2,000 weather stations worldwide. Files date from 1948 to the present. "Monthly issues contains monthly mean temperature, pressure, precipitation, vapor pressure, and sunshine for approximately 2,000 surface data collection stations worldwide and monthly mean upper air temperatures, dew point depressions, and wind Velocities for approximately 500 observing sites. This is the final quality controlled copy and generally has a 4 - 6 month time lag."

• Citation Style for Research Papers
  Excellent, quick and easy guide to research citations using the five major citation styles -- APA, Turabian, MLA, Chicago, and AMA. Examples are cited for books, journal and newspaper articles, and Web resources. Provided by the Long Island University Libraries.

• Swing into Spring Cleaning
  Spring cleaning tips from OrganizedHome.com, including checklists for projects and how to save money by making cleaning supplies.

• Long Island Index 2004
  This publication, sponsored by the Rauch Foundation in Garden City, is a report card for Long Island. The goal of the report is to encourage Long Islanders to think regionally about shared goals and lifestyle choices. To that end, extensive statistical data is provided to illustrate current and future trends in population, housing and community, education, governance, and a number of other sectors. The report is worth viewing for all Long Islanders. The full report is 64 pages and is available in Adobe Acrobat format. A brief summary of the highlights of the report can also be viewed.

• Soople
  While not affiliated with the Google search engine, Soople makes it easier to go beyond the basic keyword search to access some of the advanced features that Google offers. Soople provides a graphical front end to advanced Google features such as, limiting to language, domain, or to related sites. There are also easy searches of news and image files.

• FactCheck.org
  "Holding politicians accountable," is the aim of this site. The Annenberg Public Policy Institute at the University of Pennsylvania is a nonprofit, non-partisan organization that intends to be a "consumer advocate" for American politics. They monitor the factual accuracy of politicians in speeches, advertisements, and news releases and attempt to set the record straight.

• Long Island Census Data
  Quick links to year 2000 U.S. Federal Census data for Suffolk and Nassau counties. Provided by Robert Delaney of the Long Island University Libraries.

• GodChecker: Your Guide to the Gods
  GodChecker aims to be one of the premier mythology sites on the Web, with its clever overviews of the polytheistic religions of the world. Currently it covers over 1,300 gods from over ten pantheons. There are brief biographies of the gods accompanied by an overview of each belief system. You can browse by pantheon or search the entire "Holy Database" by the god's name.

• Government Information Portals
  As part of the President's E-government Initiative, "which aims at harnessing Internet-based technology to make it easy for citizens and businesses to interact with the government," a number of interactive, information portals have been set up to merge government content from a variety of agencies dealing with the same functions, into a single subject-based site. These sites allow people to find the information they are seeking through one site, rather than having to search agency by agency.

  Among the sites are:

• FirstGov: the original government portal site.
• FirstGov for Consumers: a resource for federal consumer information.
• DisabilityInfo.gov: comprehensive website of disability-related government resources.
• FedForms.gov: one-stop shopping for the federal forms most used by the public.
• FedStats.gov: A gateway to statistical information from over 100 federal agencies.
• GovBenefits.gov: a confidential tool that helps you find government benefits you may be eligible to receive.
• Grants.gov: allows you to find and apply for grants from many federal agencies.
• Recreation.gov: recreation, vacation, and leisure activities available through national recreation areas.
• Science.gov: "a gateway to authoritative selected science information provided by U.S. Government agencies, including research and development results."
• Volunteer.gov: volunteer opportunities available through the USA Freedom Corps.

  More information on the E-government initiative can be found at the official E-gov Website.

• Really Good Films
  This site is designed by film fans for "those people who really love quality films." Features reviews, articles, and interviews with filmmakers about movies in theaters, on video, or on television. Contributers include film and theater critics from well known publications as well as freelance writers. The main aim of Really Good Films is to alert fans to the best in cinema.

• ForeignFilms.com
  This site lets you browse through listings of foreign language films by country of origin, genre, or language. Searchable by title or cast/crew member. Current news about the film industry outside of the United States plus listings of recent theatrical or DVD/Video releases.

• Musicals 101.com: The Cyber Encyclopedia of Musical Theater, TV and Film
  An online encyclopedia celebrating the history and current state of American and British musical theater. Included are features such as chronologies, indexes, photo galleries, and calendars commemorating special events and persons in musical theater history. "Special Courses" are available on subjects such as Gilbert & Sullivan, George M. Cohan, Ziegfield, and A Chorus Line. The "History of Musicals" section includes an excellent historical overview of the subject called "What is a musical?"

• The Internet Sacred Texts Archive
  This site is an online repository for the sacred texts of most of the world's major religions. Included are major world religions, such as Christianity and Hinduism, as well as smaller sects and new age practices. The texts are in plain text format. A CD-ROM containing the complete archives is also available. The webmaster states that the site is "devoted to religious tolerance and scholarship."

• The Booklist Center
  One of the best places on the Web to find lists of recommended and award-winning books. Contains lists on just about everything from aesthetics to young adult literature, with topics such as censorship, horror literature, and literary fiction in-between.

• Volunteer Opportunities
  For those looking to do volunteer work or projects, the following sites may prove helpful in finding the right organization. Action Without Borders provides Idealist.org, which is a global clearinghouse of volunteer opportunities for individuals and organizations. More than 30,000 organizations in over 150 countries post here. You can even sign up for email alerts which will automatically notify you of new opportunities or information in categories you choose. The Points of Light Foundation is a nonprofit, nationwide organization that promotes volunteerism. Volunteer opportunities posted by federal, state, and local governments can be found at the U.S. government's Volunteer.gov site. Seniors can put their skills to good use through Senior Corps, while young people can find opportunities at the America's Promise site. Those interested in working overseas could consult Global Impact, and anyone with an outdoor bent should check with Volunteers-in-Parks. Also check with the Community Resource Database of Long Island which may be searched in the library for Nassau and Suffolk organizations.

• Costume History at the Costumer's Manifesto
  Contains an extensive list of links to Western European and American costume and fashion history. Arranged by historical period.

• This Day in History
  The History Channel offers this entertaining and informative site of historical happenings for each day. The site also organizes the events by topic, so for any given day you can find out what happened in crime history, literary history, Civil War history and more. Users can also enter their birthdate or any other date and find out what happened on that day.

• African American Literature Book Club
  A resource center for literature by and about African Americans. Contains reviews, current book news, background information on books, authors and important themes in African American literary history, and links to related sites.

• Timeline Science
  A timeline history of science over the past millenium. A background "setting" is offered for each time period to place scientific discoveries of the era in context. Some entries have links to more in-depth information on a topic or scientist.

• Blogs, Blogs, Blogs
  Blogs, short for Weblogs, are like online diaries, filled with links to sites that their authors find important or interesting. Blogs exist for pretty much every interest, opinion, or persuasion. It is still difficult to identify blogs by subject, but there are a number of sites out there that attempt to index them. Try EatonWeb Portal for a good size directory. Also available is Blogstreet with over 10,000 blogs indexed, plus a listing of the top 500 blogs. Blogstreet allows you to enter the URL of a blog you like and then find related blogs that may appeal to you. BlogTree.com lets you enter a blog and find which blogs inspired it and which blogs it in turn inspired. A genealogy of the blog world.

• After Oprah: What to Read Next?
  With the demise of the late, lamented Oprah's Book Club, none of us knows what to read anymore. A variety of book clubs have stepped in to help fill the gap. Some of the more famous entrants include Today Show, Good Morning America, USA Today, 'Reading with Ripa' of Live with Regis and Kelly, Masterpiece Theatre, BBC Arts Book Club and BBC World Service Meridian Writing's World Book Club
  Of course, don't forget to check with your local library, many of which offer book discussions, book clubs, and lots of great books to read regardless of who recommends them.

• 20th Century Year by Year
  This site lists major events and happenings for each year of the 20th century. There are also news quizzes available. Special features include timelines of world history, American music, and fashion. You can also find lists of the top villains of the millenium, most popular kids names, disasters, best sellers, and sports records. Provided by the InfoPlease Almanac.

• Internet Archive Wayback Machine
  The Internet Archive's Wayback Machine lets you find pages that were once on the Web, but are no longer available. Enter the URL of a page and find how it looked in the past. In some cases, as far back as 1996. This site archives 100 terabytes of data. For comparison the Library of Congress holds approximately 20 terabytes. Special collections are available for September 11, 2001 events, Election 2000 coverage, and a special tribute to early web pioneers.

• The Food Timeline
  This site presents a timeline of favorite foods throughout history. The timeline begins in 17,000 B.C. and continues through the 1990s. It covers everything from the first cultivation of rice, grain, and honey to the development of Chips Ahoy, Buffalo wings, and Gatorade. Each food is linked to an informative page about its origins. There are also many links to recipes of historical foods throughout the ages.

• Cultural Profiles Project
  This site, provided by the Canadian Department of Citizenship and Immigration, offers profiles of over 80 countries, focusing on life and customs. Coverage includes education, family life, food, communications, holidays, and arts.

Have a Question for the Reference Department?

This page was last updated on March 15, 2005.