The Foreign Service Journal, May 2003

profit organizations and universities. For example, someone researching a Type 1 diabetes diagnosis would have eight articles to choose from, such as “Helping Your Children Live with Diabetes” by the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International. The site also has information on health insurance and Medicare, and is listed among the Medical Library Assoc- iation’s top 10 most useful medical Web sites ( http://mlanet.org/re sources/medspeak/topten.html ). TheMayo Clinic runs another of the Medical Library Association’s top 10 Web sites ( www.mayoclinic.com ). The front page features a “find infor- mation fast” option for diseases and conditions, and “timely topics” with links such as “Smallpox Vaccine: Deadly Dilemma.” It is also possible to ask a Mayo clinic specialist a ques- tion by e-mail. Selected questions from readers/users are answered on the site; it is also possible to review past questions and answers. The world-renowned Johns Hopkins School of Medicine has a Web site that provides resources for patients researching a diagnosis ( www.hopkinsmedicine.org ). B y clicking “patient care” on the home page, users can access an index of dis- eases, disorders and health resources Site of the Month: The Internet Public Library The Internet Public Library is the world’s first vir- tual public library, replete with Reference Center, Reading Room, Subject Collections and Special Collections, and separate children’s and teens’ sections ( www.ipl.org ). B egun in 1995 as a graduate course project at the School of Information and Library Studies at the University of Michigan, and now an established entity with a small professional staff and approximately 1.5 million users per month, this is an excellent site for the whole family. The site is user-friendly — uncluttered and fully searchable. It also has an interactive reference librarian function. The Reference Room contains annotated source links to hundreds of reference resources orga- nized in 18 categories from “Almanacs” to “Trivia.” The Searching Tools section is the virtual equivalent of the Reference Desk, and a uniquely helpful part of IPL . Here users can access IPL- prepared guides — “pathfinders” — for how to go about research on a par- ticular topic in over 100 different general areas, and find links to the top Web search engines and tips on how to get the most out of them. Besides viewing answers to more than 50 of the most frequently asked reference questions, users can pose their own questions. The Reading Room leads the user to newspapers and magazines from all over the world and more than 20,000 books searchable by author, title and Dewey Decimal System. Both “KidSpace” and “TeenSpace” have age- appropriate collections of resources on a range of subjects and general reference, as well as special feature collections. “KidSpace,” for instance, features a Culture Quest, exten- sive resources on science fair projects and preparation, and a story hour. “Teens” features term-paper help, special resources for teen girls, and career paths. Both offer the ability to ask IPL questions. Like the best libraries, IPL has a number of “Special Collections” too, including a notable assembly of “Online Literary Criticism.” IPL is recognized worldwide as a leader in Internet library service, according to the most recent of its many citations, an award from the 2002 Computerworld Honors Program. IPL ’s “Ask A Question” Internet reference ser- vice and the QRC digital reference software IPL created are considered models for digital reference services. The group is presently involved with the Library of Congress and others in developing standards for digital reference. M A Y 2 0 0 3 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 13 C YBERNOTES I know people have been skeptical and cynical about this, but I am absolutely determined that we take forward this Middle East peace process, because I believe it to be in the interests not just of the Palestinians, but of Israel too. — British Prime Minister Tony Blair, The IHT Online (www.iht.com), Ma rch 26, 2003.