Electronic Library Resources

by Barbara Renick ©Copyright 2002 

Barb@ZRoots.com

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Part I: Types of Library Sites: Online and Offline

A.    Small City Libraries
example: Carlsbad  [CA] City Library
http://www.ci.carlsbad.ca.us/cserv/library.html
 

B.    Large City Libraries
example: Los Angeles Public Library
http://www.lapl.org/
 

C.    Regional Resources
example: McClung Collection for East Tennessee
http://www.knoxlib.org/mcclung.htm
 

D.   State Libraries & Archives
example: Library of Virginia
http://www.lva.lib.va.us/
 

E.    National Libraries & Archives
example: Library of Congress
http://lcweb.loc.gov/homepage/lchp.html
 

F.     Supraregional Library Resources
example: DBI-Link (3000 German library catalogues searchable online)
http://www.dbilink.de/en/
example: California Digital Library (access all the UC library catalogs via the Melvyl system)
http://www.cdlib.org/
 

G.   Genealogical Society Libraries
example: The Orange County CA Genealogical Society’s Collection is at the Huntington Beach Public Library
http://www.hbpl.org/
example: The National Genealogical Society’s collection is moving from their  Glebe House to St. Louis  (http://www.ngsgenealogy.org/libwelcome.htm)
 

H.   Historical Society Libraries
example: Wisconsin Historical Society
http://www.shsw.wisc.edu/library/
example: Filson Historical Society
http://www.filsonhistorical.org/library.html
 

I.       University Libraries (many campuses have more than one library)
example: UCBerkeley has the Bancroft and Doe Libraries on campus
http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/
 

J.     Patriotic and Lineage Society Libraries
example: DAR Library in Washington, D.C.
http://dar.library.net/
 

K.    Libraries of Religious Organizations
example: The Family History Library in Salt Lake City
http://www.familysearch.org
example: Partee Center for Baptist Historical Studies
http://www.jewell.edu/academics/curry/Library/partee/partee.html
 

Part II:  Locators

A.    Using Google to find the hours for the Pulaski Co., KY Historical Society’s Collection at the Pulaski Co. Public Library in Somerset, KY.

B.    Specialty search engines like:

1.     Go.com

2.     About.com

3.     4Libraries.com

C.    Using www.searchengines.com and choose “World Search Engines” to find search engines for specific countries or languages

D.   Yahoo!: A directory and a search engine.

E.    Cyndi’s List has a directory and a site-specific search engine.

F.     Using the Web sites directory at FamilySearch Internet:

1.     Browse your way to library resources online

2.     Search you way to library resources online

3.     Use Research Guidance for very focused lists of links

G.   The GenWeb Projects help you find many different kinds of libraries.

H.   Archives on the Web (http://wwwpersonal.umich.edu/~kjostert/archives.html).

I.       Tinney’s Lists at UC Davis (http://www.dcn.davis.ca.us/~vctinney/media.htm)

J.     RefDesk.com

K.    CARL.org

L.     LIBDEX (17,000 links to libraries) (http://www.libdex.com/)

M.  LIBWEB (http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/Libweb/)

Part III:  Types of Resources at Library Web Sites

A.    Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

B.    Hours of Operation

C.    Holidays and Closures

D.   Directions & Parking

E.    Public Transportation Information (bus routes, etc.)

F.     Local Restaurants and Lodging Links

G.   Availability of Copying and/or Photographic Services

H.   Special Services for the Disabled

I.       Library Rules & Security (Identification required)

J.     Borrower Services & Applying for a Library Card

K.    Inter-Library Loan Policies

L.     Floor Plans (note the locations of restrooms so you won’t have to ask)

M.  History of that Library/Institution

N.    How to Make Gifts or Donations

O.   Key Resources and Collections in that Facility

P.     Group Visits and Orientation Information

Q.   Events and Exhibits

R.    Instruction & Classes

S.    Online Tutorials

T.     Publications & Library Store

U.    Help files (how to search their electronic catalogs & advanced searches)

V.    Search Services (usually some free and some fee-based)

1.     via correspondence

2.     via e-mail

3.     via telephone

Part IV:  Finding Special Collections

A.    Library of Virginia Digital Library Program

B.    California Digital Library

C.    NUCMC & NIDS & ArchivesUSA

D.   ARCHON & HMC in the U.K.

E.    GENUKI versus British Isles GenWeb Project

F.     OCLC’s FirstSearch and WorldCat

G.   Research Libraries Group (http://www.rlg.org/toc.html)

H. A2A database of the English standard in the UK archives network (http://www.a2a.pro.gov.uk/)