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Locating Resources on the Web
Tip #2: Search online versions of print resources (books, magazines, newspapers etc.)
If you were searching for traditional print and media resources, you would probably ask, "Am I more likely to find the information in a book, a newspaper, a journal, a magazine, a catalog, a telephone book, or an atlas?" Then you might ask where you would be most likely to find that particular source--in a bookstore? Which bookstore? A library? Which library?
You can save yourself time and frustration if you ask two basic questions before you begin searching on the Internet:
- Which kinds of online sources (eTexts, online magazines, online newspapers etc.) should I look for?
- Where would I be most likely to find that particular online source?
Books: To find non-copyrighted books, you can conduct a general search for the title, author or related information using a Subject Directory or a Search Engine. Or you can visit one of the sites that specializes in providing on-line non-copyrighted books at no cost.
The Gutenberg Project has digitized more than 1500 texts including works of Light Literature; such as Alice in Wonderland, Through the Looking-Glass, Peter Pan, Aesop's Fables, etc. Also included are classics like the Bible, the collected works of Shakespeare, Moby Dick, Paradise Lost, and many others. You can also find online versions of popular references; such as Roget's Thesaurus, almanacs, encyclopedias, dictionaries, etc. The Gutenberg Project also includes a rich set of links to other eText sites.
Newspapers and Magazines: Many American as well as international newspapers now have web sites where the current edition of their papers can be read on-line without charge. Many also maintain archives that make it possible for you to search for past articles. Be advised, however, that viewing the full versions of these articles often involves a fee.
NewsTrawler
Yahoo's list of newspapers
Yahoo's listing of magazines by category
NewsTrawler (a more limited list of magazines)
Government Documents: The U.S. government publishes a wide range of information from governmental agencies, at no cost, on the Internet. This information is generally published by the many individual governmental agencies.
University of Michigan's Government Documents site.
Federal Resources for Educational Excellence (FREE)
The Library of Congress
U.S. Government Printing Office Multi-Database search of US government documents