| We at VFL are confident that “traditional
technology” like books and magazines will be with us for a long time. And
libraries themselves will remain powerful resources -- more so than ever in this age of
information. It can’t be denied, however, that computers and innovations like
the World Wide Web are changing everything. We recognize that many libraries are at
the forefront of this revolution, and we are proud to do our small part to support
them. We hope the following links will help you get started. The New York State Library
- The official library of New York State government, NYSL’s
web site contains a wealth of information about the Library, its
holdings and publications, and its special services. Items
of particular interest include information about the Library’s
extensive holdings in the field of genealogy, the NYS Government
Information Locator Service, and the Electronic Doorway Library
Network. Also information about New York State's Talking
Book and Braille Library (TBBL).
The Mid-Hudson Library System
- The Mid-Hudson Library System brings together the resources of
65 member libraries
and their branches in a five-county region (Columbia, Dutchess,
Greene, Putnam, and Ulster). It also supports a central library,
the Adriance Memorial Library of the Poughkeepsie Public Library
District. In addition to the usual material about the system’s
services and its member libraries (which include VFL, by the way),
there is a “virtual library”, which gives access to the
system’s card catalog. Patrons holding a library card from
any member library can borrow materials from all the
others via Inter-Library Loan.
Parents will be interested in the homework resources offered by
Lifelines. Job seekers
(and others) will love the Workforce
project.
The New York Public Library
- The public library system of New York City is deservedly famous. Its web pages
contain information about all aspects of its sprawling network of services, including its
branch libraries, specialized research facilities, catalogues and indices, resource
guides, exhibitions and special programs.
The Library of Congress
- As today’s kids would put it, the LOC web site is totally awesome. For those
interested in the legislative process, Thomas, the Legislative Information system,
provides access to the full text of bills currently under consideration in the US House of
Representatives and Senate. For history buffs, the American Memory pages
contain a wealth of information in documents, photographs, movies and sound recordings
that tell the story of American History. Special sections on Exhibitions
reveal treasures previously accessible only to those who could visit the Library in
person. Of course, information abounds about the Library’s services and
specialized research tools for researchers and information professionals. All in
all, a must-see site.
The Internet Public Library
- Unlike those listed above, the IPL web site is not associated with an existing
library. From its beginnings as a class project at the School of Information and
Library Studies at the University of Michigan, the IPL has been designed to provide the
services of a conventional library using the resources of the World Wide Web. The
public it serves is not limited to a specific city, state or country. Rather, it
serves all the “citizens” of cyberspace. If you’re reading
this online, that means you.
.Books
On-Line
For most people, the word “library” means books. So, useful as
the links listed above might be, you may be left wondering why someone hasn’t thought
of putting whole books on the web. They have! Indeed, several sites
share a vision of the World Wide Web itself as the repository of every word ever
written. Start with these:
- Project Gutenberg
- the granddaddy of the e-text sites. Started in 1971, Project
Gutenberg has amassed a huge collection of fiction and nonfiction,
including many classics.
- Bartleby.com -
from its beginning in 1993 as a personal research project, Bartleby
has grown to include thousands of works by hundreds of authors.
Not as large a selection as Gutenberg's, but with more emphasis
on the classics.
- Berkeley Digital Library
- the University at Berkeley's SunSITE includes many documents
that are more scholarly in nature, as well as information for
digital library developers and links to other sites.
- The Online
Books Page - A large list of online books from dozens
of repositories. Search or browse listings by author or title,
or browse a subject list.
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