Guides to Internet Information Sources

Note : An attempt is made here to provide details of guides (meta sources) that facilitate identification and selection of information sources available on Internet, particulalrly those discussed in Section IV - Information Sources on Internet.
This is a guide to guides, so does not point to specfic subject sites.

1. Top Level Multi Subject Guides :

1.1 Electronic files (updated periodically)

• The Internet and Computer-Mediated Communication
  Compiled by John December
  ftp : ftp://ftp.rpi.edu/pub/communications/internet-cmc
  www : http://www.rpi.edu/Internet/Guides/decemj/icmc/top.html
• Internet Resource Guide
  ftp : ftp://ds.internic.net/resource-guide/wholeguide.txt
• The Awesome List. A huge and diverse list compiled by John S. Makulowich.
  www : http://www.clark.net/pub/journalism/awesome.html
• Yanoff's Internet Services list
  FTP Access : ftp://ftp.csd.uwm.edu/pub/inet.services.txt
  www : http://www.uwm.edu/Mirror/inet.services.html
• OCLC has initiated a 'Internet Cataloguing Project' for developing MARC type records for Internet resources.
  

1.2 Software based guides :

These can be installed on local machines (DOS/Windows/Unix)

• Infopop : A DOS and Windows based help guide to Internet Resources
  ftp : ftp://gmutant.wrlc.org/pub/internet/ipwin124.zip
  gopher : gopher://gmutant.wrlc.org:70/11/internet/software
• Hytelnet : This is guide to Telnet based Internet resources
  www : http://galaxy.einet.net/HYTELNET/hytelnet.html

1.3 Text book based Internet resource guides

The Whole Internet : User's Guide and Catalog, by Ed Krol. Ed 2. O'Reily & Associates, Sebastapol, CA., USA. ISBN : 1-56592-063-5. E-Mail : nuts@ora.com (This is a 'must have' book. Lists lots of resources) (Also accessible online)

1.4 Online Guides

Several Internet resource guides can be browsed and/or searched online, particularly using Web browsers.

• The Whole Internet Catalog
  Subjectwise browsable catalog.
• NCSA Meta-Index - An index of indexes
  Provides links to many Internet resource catalogs. Searchable.
• Lycos
  Queries Web - provides a means for finding WWW servers & home page information)
• Infoseek Search
  Supported by Netscape Corp.
• Cern's WWW Virtual library subject catalog
  Now maintained by W3 Consortium. Very detailed subject guide.
• Yahoo
  Subjectwise browsable and searchable guide. Detailed.
• EINet Galaxy
  Guide to worldwide information services. Browse + Search.
• Harvest system
  Allows searching of several Internet sources like technical reports, PC freeware software, etc.
• INFOMINE : Physical Sciences, Enginnering, Computer Science and Math Resources.
  Univ. of California Research Librararies Web server, pointing to very useful Internet/Web resources in these areas.

2. Subject Specific Guides

Most of the guides mentioned above include subject wise listing and/or support keyword search

Clearinghouse of Subject Oriented Internet Resources, main- tained at Univ. of Michigan, attempts to provide comprehen- sive, subject specific catalogue of Internet sources. Also supports keyword searching.

Access :

• ftp :
  (key to file names is in .README-FOR-FTP file)
• gopher :
• www :

3. Guides to Electronic Discussion Forums :

• LISTSERV lists on Bitnet :
  Send e-mail message to listserv@bitnic.bitnet with the message 'list global'. Leave subject line blank.
• Directory of Scholarly Electronic Conferences Compiled by Diane K. Kovacs.
  ftp : ftp://zeus.kent.edu/library/acadlist/
  (Download and read the file ACADLIST.README first)
  www : http://www.austin.unimelb.edu.au:800/1s/acad
• Publicly available mailing lists
  Compiled by Stephanie da Silva.
  ftp : ftp://pit-manager.mit.edu/pub/usenet/news.announce.newusers/
  Files : Publicly_Accessible_Mailing_Lists,_Part1
  Publicly_Accessible_mailing_Lists,_Part2 ... upto 14 parts
  www : http://www.Neosoft.com/internet/paml/#intro

4. Guides to electronic journals and newsletters

• Electronic journals catalogue.
  www : http://www.edoc.com/ejournal/
• Directory of Electronic Journals and Newsletters
  Directory containing scholalry serials and electronic newsletter titles. Compiled by Michael Strangelove (now maintained by Association of Research Libraries, USA.)
  Access :
  E-Mail : Send e-mail to listserv@acadvm1.uottawa.ca
  Leave subject line blank. In body of message write GET EJOURNL1 DIRECTRY
  GET EJOURNL2 DIRECTRY ...
  gopher : gopher://arl.cni.org:70/11/scomm/edir/edir94
• Library-Oriented Computer Conferences and Electronic Serials Compiled by Charles W. Bailey, Jr.
  ftp : ftp://noc.sura.net/nic/info-servers
  www : http://info.lib.uh.edu/liblists/home.htm

5. Guides to library catalogues on Internet :

• Library gopher servers
• Library Web servers
• Internet Accessible Library Catalogs and Databases
  Compiled by Art St. George and Ron Larsen.
  Lists both library catalogues and CWIS.
  Access :ftp://ariel.unm.edu/libra y/internet.library
  
• Hytelnet : A hypertext guide to Telnet based sources, including lib. catalogues
  Access :
  
  • http://galaxy.einet.net/HYTELNET/hytelnet.html
  • ftp://usask.ca/pub/hytelnet/pc/latest/hytelnxx.zip
  • gopher://ftp.usask.ca/pub/hytelnet/pc
• Billy Baron's guide
  List of worldwide libraries with online access to their catlogs, includ ing login instructions and a useful appendix on common library systems.
  Access :
  
  • ftp://ftp.utdallas.edu/pub/staff/billy/libguide/
    (All files with 'libraries' as root (i.e., libraries.*)
    
  • gopher://gopher.utdallas.edu:70/11/internet/Libraries

6. Guides to FTP archie sites :

7. Guides to Campus Wide Information Systems (CWIS) :

• List of CWIS servers
  Access :
  
  • ftp://ftp.oit.unc.edu/pub/doc/about-the-net/cwis/cwis-l
  • ftp://sunsite.unc.edu/pub/docs/about-the-net/cwis/cwis-l
  • http://www.rpi.edu/Internet/CWIS.html
• Hytelnet
• Most Gopher servers enable identification and selection of required CWIS.