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| This page is a summary of a presentation the author gave at the 2003 Rural and Small Libraries Conference in Columbus, Ohio. Government web sites range from the highly technical and specialized to great resources for kids. This article attempts to highlight some of the authors favorite sites that he feels would be of special benefit to rural and small libraries. The topics are arranged alphabetically. Please email Bob at flatley@kutztown.edu with other sites. | |
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Business
and Economic
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Children
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Consumer
Information
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Crime
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Constitution
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Demographic
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Environment
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Foreign
Governments and Country Information
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Health
and Medical
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History
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Jobs
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News
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Politics
and Government
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Recreation
and Travel
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Science
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Search
Engines
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Zip
Codes
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Small Business Association. http://www.sba.gov/
Good place to send patrons who are looking to start their own business. Provides
training, counseling, and forms.
Economic Census. http://www.census.gov/epcd/www/econ97.html
"The Economic Census provides a detailed portrait of the Nation's economy
once every five years, from the national to the local level.
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Ben's Guide to the United States Government. http://bensguide.gpo.gov/
"Teaches kids from kindergarten through 12th grade about the Federal Government."
US Mint for Kids. http://www.usmint.gov/kids/
Excellent interactive web site for kids, teaches about math, currency, and the
history of coins.
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Consumer.gov. http://www.consumer.gov/
Provides information on product recalls, advises consumers on commercial frauds,
and even reports on flight delays of airlines.
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FBI's Uniform Crime Reports. http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/ucr.htm
This excellent resource breaks down crime by type, number, and area (even includes
rural towns).
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The Constitution of the United States. http://www.access.gpo.gov/congress/senate/constitution/toc.html
Complete text annotated with Supreme Court decisions and interpretation and
analysis.
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American Factfinder. http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/BasicFactsServlet
Search, browse, and retrieve census data from a variety of sources, including
the Economic Census, the American Community Survey, and the Census 2000 Summary
Files.
State and County Quick Facts. http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/
Gives you the most requested statistics for every county in the U.S. These include
statistics such as population growth, age distribution, educational levels,
land area, etc.
Statistical Abstract of the United States.
http://www.census.gov/prod/www/statistical-abstract-us.html
Annual compendium of government and non-government statistics with sources listed.
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Envirofacts. http://www.epa.gov/enviro/
Allows users to retrieve environmental information from EPA databases on Air,
Chemicals, Facility Information, Grants/Funding, Hazardous Waste, Risk Management
Plans, Superfund, Toxic Releases, Water Permits, Drinking Water.
Tox Town. http://toxtown.nlm.nih.gov/
"An introduction to toxic chemicals and environmental health risks you
might encounter in everyday life, in everyday places."
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Foreign Governments and Country Information
Background Notes. http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/
State Department database that provides basic country information including
people, history, government, political conditions, economy, foreign relations,
travel, and more.
CIA World Factbook. http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/
Categories covered include Geography, People, Government, Economy, Communications,
Transportation, Military and Transnational Issues.
Library of Congress Country Studies. http://memory.loc.gov/frd/cs/cshome.html
Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Army, focuses primarily on lesser-known
areas of the world or regions in which U.S. forces might be deployed, the series
is not all-inclusive.
Country Reports. http://www.state.gov/e/eb/rls/rpts/
Includes both comprehesive Commercial Guides and Country Reports on Economic
Policy and Trade Practices. One of the best sources for researching another
country's economic condition.
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HealthFinder. http://www.healthfinder.gov/
Guide to reliable consumer health and human services information. Provides links
to selected online publications, clearinghouses, databases, Web sites, and support
and self-help groups.
MEDLINEplus. http://medlineplus.gov/
Excellent health information provided by the National Library of Medicine. Users
can search health topics, drug information, and a medical encyclopedia. Includes
articles, recommended web sites, bibliographies, and more. Written for the layperson.
CDC Health Topics (http://www.cdc.gov/health/)
A listing of disease and health topics found on the Centers for Disease Control
web site. Includes morbidity and mortality statistics for the US.
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American Memory. http://memory.loc.gov/
"American Memory is a gateway to rich primary source materials relating
to the history and culture of the United States. The site offers more than 7
million digital items from more than 100 historical collections."
Smithsonian Institution. http://www.si.edu/
"America's national educational facility with 16 museums, 9 research centers
and 120 affiliates around the world." Provides a virtual tour of the collections
of SI.
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Occupational Outlook Handbook. http://www.bls.gov/oco/
This source of career information describes working conditions, salaries, education
requirements and job outlook.
O*Net http://online.onetcenter.org/
Developed by the US Dept of Labor. "The O*NET database includes information
on skills, abilities, knowledges, work activities, and interests associated
with occupations. This information can be used to facilitate career exploration,
vocational counseling."
Career One Stop http://www.careeronestop.org/
Job resource site that links together state employment offices from all over
the United States.
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Documents in the News. http://www.lib.umich.edu/govdocs/docnewsnew.html
Useful for current events research. Identifies issues about government making
news headlines includes web resources with additional information
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Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, 1774 to Present. http://bioguide.congress.gov/biosearch/biosearch.asp
Searchable by name, position in Congress, and state.
Budget of the U.S. Government. http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/fy2004/
Access to budget documents, including the Economic Report of the President.
THOMAS: Legislative Information on the Internet. http://thomas.loc.gov/
Provides access to summaries, status, and text of Congressional bills; major
legislation; roll call votes; Congressional Record (text and index); committee
reports.
United States Government Manual. http://www.gpoaccess.gov/gmanual/index.html
This official handbook of the federal government provides comprehensive information
on the agencies of the legislative, judicial, and executive branches. Also includes
information on quasi-official agencies; international organizations and boards,
commissions, and committees.
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Recreation.gov. http://recreation.gov/
Search recreational opportunities across several different agencies, including
the Corps of Engineers, Bureau of Land Management, and others, as well as the
National Park Service.
State Department Travel Warnings. http://travel.state.gov/travel_warnings.html
The site includes information sheets on each country with basic information
for travelers such as required immunizations, drug penalties and health or safety
concerns.
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Science.gov. http://www.science.gov
"Contains reliable information resources selected by the respective agencies
as their best science information. Two major types of information are included-selected
authoritative science Web sites and databases of technical reports, journal
articles, conference proceedings, and other published materials."
Weather.gov. http://weather.gov
Official web site of the National Weather Service. Includes forecasts, storm
warnings, and radar maps.
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Google Uncle Sam. http://www.google.com/unclesam
Search all .gov and .mil sites" using the famous Google search engine.
Firstgov.gov. http://www.firstgov.gov/
Search engine for government web sites, can search federal and state sites or
both. Also, can browse by topic.
Catalog of U.S. Government Publications. http://www.gpoaccess.gov/cgp/index.html
Indexes print and electronic Government information products created by Federal
agencies from 1994 to current (for earlier dates use the Monthly Catalog). Many
of the print titles are distributed to depository libraries.
Locate a Federal Depository Library. http://www.gpoaccess.gov/libraries.html
Includes a clickable map to quickly locate your closest federal depository library.
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United States Postal Service. http://www.usps.gov
Useful site to look up zip codes, get postal forms (stop mail, forward mail),
buy stamps, and locate the nearest post office.
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