Status Line
- General Information
- Dec 06-Jan 07
- Issue: 208
What's Up on the Web?
It’s that time of year when "best of" lists abound, and in the category of web sites such a list can offer opportunities to discover resources we’ve missed, forgotten about, or just haven’t looked at in a while. PCMAG.COM, the web site of PC Magazine, has compiled "Top Web Sites 2006" http://www.pcmag.com/category2/0,1874,7488,00.asp. Sites are organized under the categories of "101 Classic Web Sites," "Top 99 Undiscovered Web Sites," and "Top 10 Future Classic Web Sites." In the "Undiscovered" section, under the subcategory "Information, Search & Reference," the Charity Navigator web site http://www.charitynavigator.org/ stood out as a timely resource for this season of giving.
Begun in 2001, Charity Navigator was developed to help people make informed decisions about supporting philanthropic organizations. Visitors to the site can obtain financial and other information for over 5,000 U.S.-based charities registered with the Internal Revenue Service. Charities are searchable by name, category/cause, location, size, CEO salary, rating, and more. The site also offers "Top Ten Lists," including "10 Charities in Deep Financial Trouble," and a "4-Star Charities" list based on the Charity Navigator’s ranking system. A detailed donor FAQ http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm/bay/content.view/catid/61/cpid/484.htm and a "Methodology" http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm/bay/content.view/cpid/33.htm section provide users with ample information to determine the credibility of the site’s contents (which are accessible free of charge).
In PCMAG.COM’s "Top 10 Future Classic Web Sites" http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,2005637,00.asp, a noteworthy resource listed there is the Computer History Museum http://www.computerhistory.org/, which has both a physical presence in Mountain View, California, and a virtual existence via its web site. The site features online exhibits including "A Timeline of Computer History" covering the years 1939 through 1994, "Mastering the Game: A History of Computer Chess," and "This Day in History." Lots of photographs and detailed descriptions make this a fun and informative site.
In the "101 Classic Web Sites" section (under the subcategory "Information, Search & Reference"), it is heartening to see that three librarian-generated web sites are listed: The Internet Public Library http://www.ipl.org/, Librarians’ Internet Index http://www.lii.org, and The Library of Congress http://www.loc.gov. Also highlighting the work of librarians is Marylaine Block in her Neat New Stuff picks http://marylaine.com/neatnew.htmlfor the week of December 1 where she mentions Governing.com’s Public Officials of the Year 2006 awards http://www.governing.com/poy/2006/intro.htm which include Mary Dempsey, commissioner of the Chicago Public Library system.
Best wishes for a 2007 filled with learning and discovery!
[Ann Gunning, Member Services Librarian, Nylink]