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General Reference Shelf

Biography:

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Business & Economics:

  • Business.com
    Self titled as "The Search Engine for Business Information", this site contains links to more than 400,000 business related web sites from more than 25,000 categories. Also included are profiles of companies from around the world, links to industry information, and news resources.
  • Economy at a Glance
    Key economic statistics from Bureau of Labor Statistics including the unemployment rate, Consumer Price Index, and Producer Price Index.
  • Federal Reserve Board of Governors Statistics: Releases and Historical Data
    Data include interest rates, foreign exchange rates, reserves, commercial paper rates, money stocks and debt measures.
  • Hoover's Online
    Free information includes company description, annual and quarterly financials, current stock quotes, list of key people, and links to news headlines, company web pages, annual reports, and SEC filings. (NOTE: no institutional access to subscriber resources). More information available in Hoover's Handbook of American Business (Cabell Library Reference HG4057.A28617)
  • Interest Rates
    H.15 Releases from the Federal Reserve Board.
  • Mergent Documents & Downloads
    Online version of the weekly Mergent (formerly Moody's) News Reports. The News Reports offer updated coverage on mergers, rating changes, name changes, interim earnings, and more. Dividend Reports also available.
  • North American Industry Classification System (NAICS)
    NAICS is the replacement for the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) code.
  • Occupational Outlook Handbook
    Occupation and career descriptions including characteristics, employment forecasts and distribution, and earnings.
  • Salary Calculator
    Compare the cost of living in hundreds of U.S. and international cities.
  • Savings Bond Calculator
    Compute values for Series EE, E, and S bonds. Displays maximum of five years of data for each computation.
  • SEC Mutual Fund Cost Calculator
    Estimate and compare the costs of owning mutual funds. Need prospectus or profile for the funds you want to evaluate.
  • Standard Industrial Classification Manual
    Searchable 1987 SIC Manual. [Replaced by NAICS]
  • Statistical Resources on the Web
    Links to hundreds of statistical files from a variety of primarily governmental sources, divided by topic; from the University of Michigan Documents Center.
  • Thomas Register of American Manufacturers
    Must complete free registration form to access information about industrial products and services provided by more than 170,000 U.S. and Canadian companies.
  • Universal Currency Converter
    Perform interactive foreign exchange rate conversions; "full" version contains 180 currencies.
  • Virginia Business Online
    See today's top Virginia business news stories, view lists of Virginia businesses, Virginia's wealthiest people, and articles from VA Business magazine. Visit Virginia Sites, created by Virginia Business. Find articles on economic development in Virginia, and statistics and profiles on areas within Virginia.
  • What is a Dollar Worth?
    Compare the value of goods or services using a Consumer Price Index calculator. Includes years from 1913 to present.

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College & Financial Aid Information:

  • Braintrack University Index
    More than 5,300 links to higher education sites in 152 countries; browse by continent or by country; searchable.
  • CollegeNet
    Search for colleges and universities by geography, tuition cost, major, etc.
  • College and University Rankings
    Links to lists that rank higher education institutions. Divided into five sections: undergraduate, graduate, business, law and international. Site also offers cautionary information about the validity and reliability of college ranking systems. (From Education & Social Science Library, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign).
  • FinAid: The Financial Aid Information Page
    Comprehensive financial aid information; also provides access to fastWEB, a searchable database of private-sector scholarships, fellowships, grants, and loans.
    Look up Title IV institution codes.(VCU's Title IV code is 003735)
  • Graduate and Professional School Guides
    Links to sites with information on applying, obtaining financial aid, and transitioning to graduate school; from JobWeb, National Association of Colleges and Employers.
  • GreekPages
    Provides useful information to fraternity and sorority members, alumni, pledges, and prospective members. Search by school, fraternity or sorority name.
  • Peterson's Education Center
    Search for undergraduate, graduate and vocational-technical schools by name, geography, major, or religious affiliation.
  • Princeton Review
    Features include searching for colleges, applying online, guides to SAT, ACT, and PSAT. Log-in and take sample tests, e.g., GRE, GMAT, MCAT.
  • StudyAbroad.com
    Listings for thousands of international education programs in more than 100 countries.
  • U.S. News & World Reports College and Graduate School Rankings
    Search for a school that meets your requirements. Includes tips on the application process and a grade-point calculator.
  • VCU Career Center's List of Links
  • Web U.S. Higher Education
    Links to Web servers at universities and community colleges. Alphabetical list; state list. (From University of Texas at Austin).
  • Peterson's Test Success
    Tests include GMAT, GRE, LSAT, MCAT, and TOEFL. Sample questions and other information. Some free sample tests; most are for purchase.
  • Princeton Review Tester Online
    Log in and take sample timed or untimed full-length tests, including GMAT, GRE, LSAT, and MCAT. 30-minute mini-tests also available.
  • TOEFL
    Official Web site for TOEFL programs and services. Includes tutorials and practice questions.

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Consumer Health:

  • Mayo Clinic Drugs & Supplements
    Look up prescription and over-the-counter drug information from Micromedex. Look up herb, vitamin and other supplement information from Natural Standard.
  • HealthFinder
    A gateway consumer health and human services information web site from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
  • MayoClinic.com
    Health information from the Mayo Clinic. Includes information about illnesses, diseases, exercise, nutrition, and medications, a glossary of medical terms, and medical news.
  • MedlinePlus
    Authoritative health information and Web links from the National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
  • Online Medical Dictionary
    From CancerWeb.

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Country Resources:

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Dictionaries & Thesauri:

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Directories

  • International Directory of Art Libraries
    Directory of nearly 3,000 libraries and library departments with specialized holdings in art, architecture, and archaeology throughout the world.
  • International Organization Web Sites
    From the Union of International Associations. Metasite of pointers to over 5,000 inter-governmental organizations and non-governmental organizations, organized alphabetically, by subject and by region.
  • Worldwide Books Online: Exhibition Catalogues and Other Books on Art
    Searches more than 37,000 titles on art, architecture and photography. Includes international museum and gallery catalogues published from the 1960s to the present; American trade and university press art books published since 1992.

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General Reference Resources:

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Government, Law & Politics:

  • 50states.com
    Facts, maps, and other information about each state.
  • Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, 1774 to Present
  • Chiefs of State and Cabinet Members of Foreign Governments
  • Congressional Research Service Reports - CRS Reports are not easily available to the public. Open CRS provides access to all reports in the public domain.
    • Penny Hill Press - lists CRS Reports by category - use this information to search for Web availability. CRS Reports may be purchased from Penny Hill Press when not otherwise available.
  • Federal Court Locator
    Provides access to information related to federal courts - Supreme Court, Courts of Appeals, District Courts, and others; from Villanova University School of Law.
  • Governments on the WWW
    Database of governmental institutions, including parliaments, ministries, courts, embassies, multi-national organisations, and political parties. Contains more than 17,000 entries from 220 countries and territories.
  • Governors (National Governors Association)
    Links to biographical, term, and other information about current governors. Select Search All Governors to access searchable database of all past and present governors.
  • GPO Access Database List
    Search the Federal Register, Congressional Record, Congressional bills, U.S. Government Manual, U.S. Supreme Court cases, the federal budget, and other federal government information.
  • Lawyers.com
    Free service from LexisNexis Martindale-Hubbell designed specifically for individuals and small businesses. Based on The Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory of lawyers and law firms.
  • Legal Glossary (from Nolo)
  • National Constitutions
    Constitutions from around the world; most are in English.
  • Pew Research Center
    Source of facts and data on many aspects of American life, including press, politics, public policy, religion, social, and Internet issues. The Center provides information but does not take positions.
  • POTUS - Presidents of the United States
    Click on the president of your choice and follow the links to find biographies, linked sites, highlights of his administration, speeches, writings, and more.
  • State Court Web Sites
    Provides links to all types of state court systems home pages; from National Center for State Courts.
  • State and Local Government on the Net
    Directory of official state, county, and government Web sites.
  • Thomas - Legislative Information on the Internet
    Major areas include Legislation, Congressional Record, and Committee Information. Most information is from 101st Congress to present; some from 93rd Congress to present.
  • USA.gov
    Created by the US Goverment as a portal to all world wide web information on the Federal Government. Perform a keyword search or browse the interesting topics area.
  • U.S. Blue Pages
    Searchable online version of the blue government pages of your phone book. Find primary telephone numbers for federal agencies as well as the numbers for those offices closest to your area. Also includes Web addresses, if available.
  • U.S. Government Manual
    The official handbook of the federal government. Provides comprehensive information on agencies of the legislative, judicial, and executive branches and on quasi-official agencies.
  • U.S. Supreme Court
    The official Web site of the Court. Slip opinions posted on the same day the opinion is announced.
  • U.S. Supreme Court Collection (from Legal Information Institute, Cornell University)
    Case decisions from 1990 to the present, and more than 300 selected historic cases. Includes biographies of most justices, and links to their opinions in this collection.
  • Virginia.gov
    Official Commonwealth of Virginia gateway to state agencies, resources, and services.
  • Virginia Law via American Law Sources Online
    Search Va. cases, statutes, legislation, Attorney General opinions, municipal codes and law reviews.

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Movies, Television, Broadway:

  • Internet Movie Database
    Covers over 260,000 movies with over three million filmography entries. It includes plot summaries, character names, movie ratings, year of release, movie trivia, reviews, box office grosses, and Academy Award information.
  • Motion Picture and Television Photo Archive
    Searchable collection of still photos from photographers whose subject matter was primarily the entertainment industry.
  • Roger Ebert on Movies
    Includes current reviews, searchable archive, and more.
  • Television News Archive
    Guide to the Vanderbilt University collection of network TV news programs from 1968 to the present, includes abstracts and can be searched by keyword.
  • Zap2it
    Links to local television listings, movie/television industry statistics and news, clips. (Formerly UltimateTV).
  • Internet Broadway Database
    Official database for Broadway theatre information. Records of productions from the beginnings of New York theatre to today.

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News:

  • NewsLink
    Links to virtually every news source on the Web; from NewsLink Associates.
  • Christian Science Monitor
    Most recent week's issues available. Free searching of archive from January 1980 to present.
  • CNN
    Cable News Network online.
  • Gateway Virginia
    Portal site containing links to Virginia newspapers and community resources, operated by Media General.
  • News and Newspapers Online
    Links to hundreds of news sites around the world, focusing on free sites that provide current, general interest, full-text news. (From Jackson Library, UNC-Greensboro).
  • News Archives on the Web
    Links to US and international news archives available on the Web; includes beginning date and cost information.
  • VIVA News Sources
    Categories include general news (Washington Post, New York Times, USA Today, and more), higher education news, Virginia news, and other collections. (Some sources are restricted to VIVA member institutions).

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Religious Texts:

  • Bible Gateway
    Search numerous versions of the Bible, including the King James, the Revised Standard, and the New American Standard in a variety of languages, including English, French, Latin and Spanish.
  • Book of Mormon
    Searchable/browseable electronic text.
  • The Koran
    Electronically scanned version of M. H. Shakir's translation of the Holy Qur'an.

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Science, Math & Technology:

  • Astronomical Applications - Data Services
    Variety of astronomical data from the U.S. Naval Observatory including sun and moon rise and set times, phases of the moon, eclipses, the solar system, and dates such as equinoxes and Easter. More astronomical, time, and calendar information is available at FAQs.
  • BioTech Life Science Dictionary
    More than 8,000 terms dealing with biochemistry, biotechnology, botany, cell biology, and genetics. Some terms relating to ecology, limnology, pharmacology, toxicology, and medicine. No common or exotic animals included.
  • ChemFinder.Com
    Search by chemical name, CAS Number, molecular formula or weight.
  • Glossary of Integrated Circuit Technology
  • Mineralogy Database
    Browse more than 4,000 individual mineral species data descriptions by crystallography, chemical composition, physical and optical properties, classification, and alphabetical listings.
  • National Inventors Hall of Fame
    Indexed by inventor, date of induction into Hall of Fame and invention.
  • NIST Reference on Constants, Units, and Uncertainty
    Provides essential information and background information on three topics: fundamental physical constants; the International System of Units (SI), the modern metric system; and expressing the uncertainty of measurement results.
  • Tech Encyclopedia
    More than 20,000 definitions of information technology terms. Source is The Computer Desktop Encyclopedia.
  • Unit Conversion Table
    Tables for length, mass, volume, energy, pressure, and temperature.
  • WebElements - Periodic Table on the WWW
    Data for each element is divided into categories, including chemical, crystallographic, nuclear, physical, electronic, biological, and geological.
  • Webopedia
    Dictionary and search engine for computer and Internet technology.

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Style Manuals:

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Telephone & Email Directories:

  • 411
    Residential, business, email, and reverse directories.
  • InfoSpace
    Search people, businesses, yellow pages, fax directories, toll-free numbers, and government listings in the U.S. and Canada. Includes maps, driving directions, and reverse directory.
  • National Address Server
    Enter partial address and get correct address with 9-digit zipcode for any U.S. address.
  • SuperPages
    Yellow pages information for businesses. People pages include reverse look-up. City pages provide links to city information.
  • Switchboard
    Residential and business directory, with address, phone number and e-mail addresses. Includes e-mail finder, maps, and directions.
  • Toll-Free Telephone Directory
    Search by business name. Other AnyWho Online Directory pages include yellow pages, white pages, reverse lookup available.

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Time, Travel & Weather:

  • Amtrak
    Schedules, travel planner, and Amtrak news.
  • Airline Toll-free Numbers and Websites
    Alphabetical list of domestic and international airline Web sites.
  • Expedia Travel
    Make travel plans and gather information about cities worldwide.
  • How Far Is It?
    Calculates the distance (as the crow flies) between two places; includes maps, driving directions, and latitude and longitude.
  • Map Machine
    National Geographic Society's collection of electronic maps; includes political, physical, and weather satellite maps.
  • Mapquest
    Interactive atlas of worldwide maps, detailed to the highway and boulevard level.
  • Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection at University of Texas
    Public domain and historical maps. Special interest maps include places in the news.
  • Priceline
    Make travel plans and gather information about cities worldwide.
  • Travelocity
    Make travel plans and gather information about cities worldwide. Provides destination guides for hundreds of locations around the world with content provided by Frommers's.
  • World Travel Guide (WTG) - World Country Guides
    Select a country to see a brief overview page that includes links to specific travel-related information such as: accommodations, business, climate, entertainment, passports/visas, resorts, and travel.
  • Yahoo Maps
    Enter an address, the intersection of two streets, a street name, or a city name, and get a map of your query.
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