Ooh! He never did!

"It reads like a soap opera." Just a book-reviewer’s cliché, right? Wrong; read on…

Dirty dealings

It seems that Julie, who was one of Wayne’s mistresses, was used by old Charlie Roberts to try to stop Wayne sleeping with his own mother Dotty, when, according to Keith, she was trying to control the family by getting Wayne into bed with her.

Eastenders? Emmerdale? Try ancient Rome – all I did was change the names from Acte, Nero, Seneca, Agrippina and Tacitus, respectively. And I got the dirt, not from the News of the World, but from Who’s Who in the Roman World, part of the Credo Reference stable.

I was drifting through the History stuff on Credo Reference when I came across this everyday story of Roman incestuous folk, and there’s lots more where that came from. Don’t get me wrong – it’s not all smut (I was just lucky) – the list of titles stretches from the ancients to Anzac, from Who’s Who in Ancient Egypt to a Dictionary of Contemporary History. 29 titles, and that’s just on history!

I’ve already been rude about the name Credo Reference, a couple of weeks ago, so I won’t go on about it. But I will repeat that the resource itself is a fantastic range of reference material, which you can search title by title or all together. Don’t forget that you will need your library card to use it at home.

And talking of home, will Charlie manage to keep Wayne from under Dotty’s duvet. Catch the next tasteful episode…

(From the Gateway to websites, select "History". Credo Reference is a Key Link. Being so huge, it also pops up in several other categories.)

A birthday boy, and Tricky Dicky

Apparently, on this day (29 May) in 1630, Charles II was born. Then on the same day in 1660, he was restored to the throne. On his birthday! – isn't that nice!

In Paris, the first performance of The Rite of Spring caused a riot (1913), while Richard "Expletive Deleted" Nixon agreed to hand over the Watergate transcripts, which would show what a very naughty boy he’d been (1974).

I know it’s trivial stuff, but it does get rather addictive. Today in History will feed my addiction, and yours too if you like. The joy is that tomorrow is another day of anniversaries (Tweety Pie and women’s underwear on 30 May – I’ve already looked).

(From the Gateway to websites, select "History". Today in History is under "History Tools".)

Under a bushel and in your face

Some people don’t only hide their lights under bushels, they try hard to make the bushels look extra-dull. Others shine out unashamed. So here are two great online resources, one a dedicated light-hider and the other a shameless shiner.

Hidden treasure

If you wanted to publish an online database of magazines, but you didn’t want anyone to look at it, you could do worse than call it Infotrac Custom Journals. Well, honestly! How appealing is that? But don’t be put off – here’s why…

It’s a pity about the name, because it’s full of good things. Westminster library members get a hand-picked list of specialist journals which can be hard to find in a library in printed form nowadays. In fact some of them we do have in print (Apollo and Design Week in Westminster Reference Library, for instance). But the online version is available anywhere you can reach the Internet, armed with your trusty library card.

Farmers Weekly, History Today, Money Management, Scientific American… none of these is my choice of a good chill-out read in bed. But if you have a specialist interest and need/want to keep up with the latest in your field, Infotrac Custom Journals might have the mag for you.

(From the Gateway to websites, select "News & magazines". Infotrac Custom Journals is a Key Link.
Hint: if you want a user-friendly list of the journals, together with the details of how long Infotrac have been archiving them, click on the "all listed here" link.)

Treasure on show

News UK, on the other hand, is a really good title, because it tells you exactly what you are getting. Up to a point…

The "up to a point" thing is that you have to dig into News UK to find out exactly how huge it is. Search it and you are searching 115 UK newspapers all at once (or separately if you want to). All the national dailies, regional papers from Aberdeen to Yorkshire, and more than 40 magazines – it’s an impressive list.

What you will find is news stories, obviously, but the interpretation of what counts as news can be quite loose, so it’s always worth a search even if the item you are looking for is more of a feature than actual hard news. No promises, but I’ve had some agreeably unexpected results. News UK is very heavily used by library members, and rightly so.

(From the Gateway to websites, select "News & magazines". News UK is a Key Link.)

Picture credit: hotblack/morguefile.com

Anything on tonight?

We’ve always known that London was full of arts events and performances, but it’s often been difficult to track them down. These two websites are now up to speed and able to help.

Let’s see now

theSeer rides two horses. Let them explain for themselves:

"theSeer is the free online directory and resource for all of London’s creative individuals, organisations, venues, commissioners and bookers to find, receive and promote arts and creative information in London. It is also a key research and communication resource for London's Local Authorities, Arts Council England, London, arts policy makers and researchers."

So, not much of an agenda there then! The twin-track approach, catering both for London arts professionals and the rest of us, is an advantage and a disadvantage.

The advantage is that artists and arts promoters have a big incentive to keep their directory entries up-to-date and attractive. The disadvantage is that it’s a bit clunky to get into. If you’re just looking for an exhibition or a show to go to, the quickest way in is via the left hand "What’s On" menu. For more options you will have to get your thoughts together (where and when) and use the search engine.

Don’t get me wrong – it’s worth doing, mostly because the mix of large- and small-scale stuff you will find here would take a heck of a lot of searching for anywhere else. You will find things which are otherwise only advertised on A5 flyers stuck up in local shops and libraries, so you can save yourself some shoe-leather while you find some entertainment.

Of course I’m writing this from the point of view of the average bum on a seat. If you are, or want to be, a practising artist, performer or craftsperson, you will certainly want to visit theSeer as soon as possible, for news of funding, and to generate your own directory entry.

Pleasingly, Westminster Reference Library’s exhibition and events about Oliver Messel feature prominently. Quite right too.

(From the Gateway to websites, select "London". theSeer is under "Art & performance".)

Strictly Young London

londondance is promoted jointly by the Arts Council and Sadler’s Wells. In addition to advertising professional and amateur dance events, they have a great section devoted to youth dance. Like youth theatre, youth dance has an educational function, but it can also provide some cracking performances which anyone can enjoy.

As London is hosting the National Youth Dance Festival in July, there’s a lot going on in this field and this town. Just the pictures on the website are enough to make you want to catch a performance – or even join in!

(From the Gateway to websites, select "London". londondance is under "Art & performance".)

Picture credit: clarita/morguefile.com

Spots & bumps

Having children can be difficult and expensive, but are they grateful? Of course not, they arrive demanding constant entertainment whenever they deign to stay awake for a few minutes. We point to help before and after childbirth, but not in that order.

Dog in the… park

The Fun with Spot website has been a fixture on the Gateway to websites for rather a long time, and quite right too. It’s not intended to be a substitute for the Spot books – no surprise there, since it’s promoted by the publisher of the books, Frederick Warne. But it stands alone as a great interactive site for children, full of movement and colour.

Mostly, the graphics don’t fill the screen – Spot does his stuff in an attractive box in the centre of the screen, with navigational icons at the top or the side, depending on where you’ve followed the perky pup.

By clicking on different bits of the picture, you can, for instance, go to a party, to the beach, or to the park for interactive games. In the books section, there are animated versions of two of the Spot books, with a not-too-shouty link to the bookshop where you can buy the actual books.

There is content for adults, including links to other child-friendly activity sites, but it’s Spot who’s the star of this show, and his antics will appeal to many a child.

(From the Gateway to websites, select "Family & personal". Fun with Spot is under "Children & young people".)

I’m a stranger here myself

As an ageing bachelor I approached the Babycentre with some care. A large picture of a pregnant tummy rather confirmed my worst fears (would there be any squidgy stuff?!), but I pressed on with my investigations, and I liked what I found.

There is so much information here – on pregnancy, childcare and all related topics – that the only danger is that a mum-to-be would feel overwhelmed by the quantity. But the site is well organised, and plays well to its real strength, its interactivity.

You can sign up to newsletters, you can join a forum or a blog, or you can generate a timetable for maximising your chances of getting pregnant. This site is seriously into tailoring itself to suit each individual user.

They don’t hide their sponsors – they’re clearly stated on the home page. And there’s even a chance to win some free stuff from two of the sponsors.

[Oh no!! I’ve spotted another tummy! Time to leave…]

(From the Gateway to websites, select "Family & personal". Babycentre is under "Parenting".)

Socks... knickers... visa...

The last time my team reached a final, food was on ration and Vera Lynn was warbling at the troops. If your team has just done better, in the Champions League for instance, and you fancy savouring the occasion, you might need a visa. (I say might because, at the time of writing, there was confusion as to whether Chelsea and Man U fans might be allowed to travel without visas. If so, they should read on anyway, and stash the information away for the summer hols.)

"Are you buying – or just looking?"

MyVisaAdviser is one of a growing breed – a website which combines commercial services with free content. If you register with them and pay them, they will offer you a bespoke service, doing all the leg-work and delivering your visa. If all you want is advice and information, there’s a lot of it here.

Take the Moscow footy match as an example. They’ve put up a dedicated page with an up-front offer of their services, followed by a concise summary of what the do-it-yourself visa hunter needs to do and when. Also particularly useful (now that the Foreign Office website has stopped being helpful on this subject) is the list of addresses for foreign embassies in London.

Some of the advice is a bit dated. Under "Travel Health" is a note about the replacement of the old E111 form 3 years ago. But the link to the Department of Health information about the replacement cover is accurate and up-to-date.
If you’ve some money left after buying your cup final ticket, your plane ticket and your visa, MyVisaAdviser even has a list of worldwide charities – that’s a good idea.

(From the Gateway to websites, select "Transport & tourism". MyVisaAdviser is under "Tourism & travel: world".)

Drink/don’t drink (the water)

Once you’ve got your visa sorted out, you can start to check out the local scene at your favoured destination. You could do a lot worse than visit Lonely Planet Destinations. This online version of the printed guides has gone rather high-tec. They use text, photos and videos to do the same job as the books – help you to have some fun while staying safe.

Be warned: the video clips are on the tiniest screen I’ve ever seen, and I couldn’t figure out how to make it bigger. But it’s a free resource, so who’s quibbling?

(From the Gateway to websites, select "Transport & tourism". Lonely Planets Destinations is under "Tourism & travel: world".)

Picture credit: kconnors/morguefile.com

She's only gone and done it!

"Guess what Nelly’s done now. She’s only gone and started using computers… I know, at her age! She popped down the library, and they gave her some sort of taster… yeah, I know, just like it was jam or something!

"Then after they’d given her a quick session round the houses, they sat her in front of a computer, and some woman from the BBC came on the screen and told her how to use all the gubbins – you know, the keyboard and the other thing… What? Yeah, that’s it – the mouse.

Apparently you can look at this woman anytime on the BBC website. Oh come on, you must have heard of the BBC website, they never stop talking about it on the telly.

"The woman told Nelly to press one of the letters on the keyboard, and when she did it right, the woman told her ‘well done!’ How does that work? Gave Nelly a bit of a turn.

"Anyway, Nelly says they went on to numbers and moving the mouse around and before she knew it she was playing games – on the computer! With the BBC woman talking to her all the time, saying ‘terrific’ and ‘great’ and stuff like that. You know what Nelly’s like, she likes being told she’s doing the right thing. The bloke in the library told her she was a natural… Nah, he wasn’t being fresh, he means she’s good at computers. Who’d have thought it?

"Turns out Nelly’s going again tomorrow to learn all about the Internet… yeah, that’s all the websites, ‘www’ this, that and the other. The library bloke will set her off, and then she’ll pick up the rest from somewhere else on the BBC… I know, they’re into everything. Pity they can’t get a bit more football.

"I’ll tell you how Nelly gets on. She reckons she’ll be ‘surfing the Web’ like all the youngsters. She’s a dark horse, my Nelly."

(From the Gateway to websites, select "Computers & the Internet". Computer Tutor and Webwise are both under "Learning resources".)

Picture credit: geert/morguefile.com

What's in a (silly) name

Now here’s the thing: somebody at Xreferplus thought the name Xreferplus didn’t quite cut it as a catchy title for a great product. Right so far. Instead they went for Credo Reference. Nah…you’re right, it isn’t any better. Which is a pity because the product was great and has just got better.


Watch it grow

Credo Reference aims to be a one-stop shop for online reference sources, covering subjects from Art to Technology. In its previous guise as Xreferplus, Westminster Libraries subscribed to a mix of 100 titles covering all the main categories. Pretty impressive, hein?
Well, as you know we don’t like to let the grass grow under our mousemats, so we increased the subscription to all 250 titles on the Credo list. This means that Art, for instance, now consists of 15 titles, ranging from a biographical dictionary of artists to a dictionary of fashion, not forgetting – no really, don’t forget it, it’s truly great – the Bridgeman Art Library Archive.
I must go on a bit about the Bridgeman. I first came across the name on arty postcards and underneath the illustrations on book covers. They have a vast range of reproductions of famous paintings and drawings, ancient and modern.

Stuff for philistines, too

Not interested in art? OK, how about the Directory of Publishing and Printing? Or Collins German Dictionary? Or the Cambridge History of Food? If these titbits don’t tempt you, there are 247 more where those came from.
Credo comes equipped with what has become the standard search facility for quality online resources – you can either specify which reference work or category you want to search, or you can just bung in your terms and search the lot together. I always try "sausages" (I’m just that sort of guy); from Credo Reference I got 323 hits, including some rather tempting recipes. I’ll let you know how they turn out.

(From the Gateway to websites, select "Quick reference" at the top. Credo Reference is under "Dictionaries & encyclopaedias".)



Picture Credit: paulabflat/morguefile

Byte-size chunks

I thought I would start with a few jokes – you know… computers are like women, can’t live with them, can’t live without them… that sort of thing. No? OK, on with the show.

Amateurs welcome

PC Pro is a magazine for people with more than a casual interest in computers - pros in fact! And the PC Pro website seems to have been set up to cater for similar folk. But nowadays you don’t have to be a computer geek to spend a lot of time with a mouse in your hand and a stress-induced headache because your system is not doing what you want/need it to do.

There is much here to help and (possibly) interest the frequent user of a computer at home or at work. As well as the latest news and product reviews there are features on topics such as broadband and digital cameras. If you want to get technical, they can do technical in spades: lab reports, techie forums, in-depth analysis and so on. But if all you want is a flavour of what’s new and what’s best, you can avoid being sucked in too deeply – if you’re very careful.

Beyond a certain level, you have to register. This is free and, although you have to agree to receive emails from the publishers, you can immediately edit your profile and opt out from the emails. The advertising is obvious and not intrusive, and the comparison between broadband packages is probably alone worth a visit.

(From the Gateway to websites, select "Computers and the Internet". PC Pro is under "Computer systems".)

But what does it all mean?

Web 2.0 - What’s that about? What’s HTML, and how is it different from PDF? What’s the average density of a left-handed spranglejocket? All right, I made the last one up, but the others are terms you can trip over all the time if you’re not careful. What you need is TechEncyclopedia. This website has been going for years, and it’s still as useful. They claim to have definitions for over 20,000 IT terms. Given that the nerdy-ones are making them up all the time, it’s impressive that TechEncyclopedia has kept up.

They don’t just cover the deep end of the techie pool. One of their Top 10 Terms is "computer", defined as a "general-purpose machine that processes data according to a set of instructions that are stored internally either temporarily or permanently." There’s a lot more detail, with examples and links to further definitions – you can take it as far as you like and pull back when it starts to do your head in.

You might get pop-up adverts when you use this site, but as with PC Pro, they are very obvious. One word of warning: if you just want a definition, use the dedicated "Define this IT term" search box. If you use the general search you get into a world of beardy-blogs and tech-news for the seriously insomniac. Take care!

(From the Gateway to websites, select "Computers and the Internet". TechEncyclopedia is a Key Link.)

Picture Credit: mrmac04/morguefile.com

Don't do as we do...

The Financial Services Authority (FSA) has two major tasks: to protect us against bad things like the collapse of Northern Rock, and to give us all personal financial advice. The FSA’s own report tells us that they failed miserably to do the first bit – their grip on the Northern Rock situation was like a small child with a blindfold on, trying to catch a wet balloon. So are they any good at job number two?

…do as we say

Luckily for all of us, the FSA seem to have some quite good people assigned to consumer advice. They have just re-launched this bit of the FSA website under the name Moneymadeclear (motto: "No selling. No jargon. Just the facts."). I’ve had a few dips into the new site, and I like what I’ve seen.

You can go down the paperless route, clicking from page to page getting advice on things like savings, scams and taking stock of your finances. Or you can print off leaflets on all aspects of personal finance. There is a very useful "Life events" section. OK, so you’ve got a new job, but how do you survive financially until your first pay day? Or you are about to start a family. Just how will you cope with buying all the stuff a baby needs while saving for the fees at Eton?

There’s lots of really good stuff here, not too preachy but good on things you can do to help yourself. Amusingly, there’s also a news section, featuring the wonderful things the FSA has been doing to protect our interests. But no mention of Northern Rock…

(From the Gateway to websites, select "Family & personal". Moneymadeclear is under "Personal finance".)

Stay awake

On the same subject, Moneyfacts is a really dull but really useful magazine. Its website has more colour on the front page than in a year’s worth of the print version. But how interesting can borrowing and saving and getting a mortgage actually be? Better to settle for the facts well presented, and here they are very well presented. Sometimes you see a table with the rates and other information, and sometimes you fill in an online form to tailor the presentation to your individual circumstances. There’s a huge amount of material here.

The free stuff is surrounded by adverts. But they are either obvious or, if not obvious, labelled "advert", which is important, since the advertising is fitted to the subject. I was not confused about which was factual and which was would-be persuasive.

The more I explored Moneyfacts, the more enthusiastic I got. Don’t get me wrong – the subject is never exciting, and there aren’t many jokes. But they’ve done the trawling through interest rates and repayment options and all that stuff so that you don’t have to. Be grateful.

(From the Gateway to websites, select "Family & personal". Moneyfacts is under "Personal finance".)

Welcome to the nightmare

It’s a minefield. The ins and outs of immigration, citizenship and asylum boggle the mind. Searching for websites to help people in this area can leave you drained. As usual, the Gateway to websites can help.

Jumping through the hoop

Exams are the new religion, so it was no surprise when an exam for Britishness was introduced. Luckily for those of us who are already UK citizens, we don’t (yet) have the embarrassment of having to answer questions about the things we think we know about our country and its institutions. But if you are hoping to become a UK citizen, or obtain "indefinite leave to remain", you have to take the exam called, like the relevant website, the Life in the UK Test.

The website (and the test) come from the Border & Immigration Agency (you know – quango… called something else last week). The "About the test" section describes who has to take the test and how to apply. Another section helps you to prepare for the test, and another helps you find your nearest centre (usual drill – pop in your postcode to get a list).

What many people want as they face up to the prospect of taking any test is encouragement as much as information. There is a lot more of both on the website (and in the accompanying book) than there used to be. Sensibly they have decided that the best way they can encourage people is to explain the facts in as friendly way as possible.

What the website and the book cannot do very well is interact with candidates who need more explanation, reassurance or help with English. For that, they will need to find a local course or support group. But for the more confident citizen-to-be, visiting the website with the handbook by your side is probably enough.

(From the Gateway to websites, select "Advice & help". Life in the UK Test is under "Immigration & nationality".)

Pressure and support

The Refugee Council is a pressure group and a support group. The Council aims to influence the Government and other (mostly public) bodies on questions of legislation and policy. But the Council and its employees also provide practical assistance to refugees and asylum seekers, and the website has become a useful tool.

They don’t pretend that they can make it easy: applying for asylum is "long and complex". But they do, with a combination of web pages and downloadable leaflets, offer clear advice and encouragement. And here’s an unusual thing: if you click on "contact us", you are offered a whole raft of telephone numbers, including the main switchboard number for general enquiries. Others could surely learn from this!

(From the Gateway to websites, select "Advice & help". Refugee Council is under "Immigration & nationality".)

In praise of a good figure

Statistics are boring. Our eyes glaze over when some expert comes on the telly droning on about the trade figures and economic trends and blah blah blah… We’re just not interested. Unless.

Unless the stats are about an area we live in or work in or visit, and relate to our own lives. For instance, trainee nurses and social workers are sent out to construct a social and health-related profile of the area in which they are going to be working. This used to be really difficult, and now it’s a lot easier.

ONS gets it right (shock!)

Neighbourhood Statistics comes from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). After they went electronic, the ONS went round whining to anyone who’d listen that nobody was using their services. Then the penny dropped – the statistics were so difficult to find that almost nobody had the stamina for the journey. Neighbourhood Statistics is one – very good – answer to the problem.

I decided to be parochial (that’s what it’s for) and find stuff on my local borough, Westminster. I had to select what sort of area I was looking for, in this case "local authority". In a new window, up popped a list of topics, including census figures, crime and safety, education, health and housing. Choose housing, and 34 different sets of figures are on offer, from total numbers of dwellings to persons per room.

As long as your computer will open a PDF, you should have no problem looking at the statistics on this site. If, however, you want to see some rather clever maps, you will need software which isn’t always installed. Free versions of this necessary software can be downloaded as long as you have the authority to do that (might be a problem at work).

The ONS are embroiled in a row about easy access to their family records (there isn’t any), but for Neighbourhood Statistics they’ve got it sussed.

(From the Gateway to websites, select "Statistics & figures". Neighbourhood Statistics (a sub-link of Office for National Statistics) is under "Official statistics".)

NHS success (double shock!)

Community Health Profiles sounds rather narrow in scope. It is provided by the NHS, and with a name like that you probably wouldn’t expect them to include income inequalities and ethnicity. But presumably they have figured out that these factors affect people’s health, so here they are.

For Westminster, there is a four page "snapshot" of health (and other) information for the borough, with a sketch map.

Students and trainees exploring their adopted area can probably find most of what they need from these two resources.

(From the Gateway to websites, select "Statistics & figures". Community Health Profiles is under "Official statistics".)

Picture credit: matthew_hull/morguefile.com

A period of uncertainty

When was this written?

"It is one of the most melancholy reflections of the present day, that while wealth and capital have been rapidly increasing, while science and art have been working the most surprising miracles in aid of the human family, and while morality, intelligence, and civilization have been rapidly extending on all hands;- that at this time, the great material interests of the higher and middle classes, and the physical condition of the labouring and industrial classes, are more and more marked by characters of uncertainty and insecurity."

Though the argument could probably have been made at any time since the early Nineteenth Century and up to a minute ago, the fact that the quote above is a single sentence gives us a big clue. Actually, it’s 1843, it’s from The Economist, and it’s from the first issue included in The Economist Archive, 1843 to 2003.

I nearly didn’t cover The Economist Archive this week, since it’s been causing us a bit of trouble. A gremlin seems to have crept into the Westminster Libraries computer system, making it rather difficult to use this otherwise highly impressive new resource. But it doesn’t seem to affect access elsewhere, so I decided I would tell you about it after all.

It’s a subscription website – you know the drill, Westminster Libraries pay the sub, so you need a library card to use it at home. Got your card? Good, then read on…

The archive is a complete facsimile of The Economist from 1843 to 2003. Like The Times Digital Archive, you can search it like any other database but, when you click on to the item you want, it pops up looking just as it did when it was published, complete with off-white background and a hint of staples at one side. In fact the early issues come complete with scuff marks and ink blots – very atmospheric.

If you want to go into more depth than The Times (so we’re talking a long way from shallow) The Economist can do very deep indeed. Sometimes po-faced, sometimes waspish and petulant, there’s a lot of opinion here, all mixed up with the news. Not many pictures, but there are the charts and tables for which The Economist has become rightly respected, and these can be downloaded in a number of ways, as well as in facsimile form.

Jokes and light relief? – a bit thin on the ground, I’m afraid. But if your idea of a good laugh is to read some very thorough hatchet-jobs on erring politicians, this The Economist can do in spades. Good digging.

(From the Gateway to websites, select "Newspapers and magazines". The Economist Archive is a Key link.)



Picture Credit: The Economist

Curl up with a good eBook

Be careful as you come out of your local supermarket. Drop your receipt in the street, and the chances are that someone will digitise it and bung it on the Internet. It’s not cheap to digitise material which was previously only available in print - you either need a charitable handout, or you need subscribers to share the costs. Let’s have a look (in reverse order) at one of each of these.

Searching for the sausages

Gale Virtual Reference Library is paid for by subscription. In our case, Westminster Libraries have coughed up the dosh, and library cardholders get the service by using a library computer, or by entering their card numbers elsewhere.

It covers a wide range of subjects (well, they include Arts, Biography, Business, Education, Environment, History, Information & Publishing, Law, Literature, Medicine, Multicultural Studies, Religion, Science, and Social Science, since you ask). But it isn’t a database, with all the stuff in one virtual pile on the Gale server.

It is just over 120 eBooks, each of which has been digitised and added to the library. Each eBook has a publication date, and its contents will remain constant until a new edition is substituted. With me so far? Good. Well here’s the clever bit: even though they’re individual volumes, you can search them all together. So when I put in my usual test search word, "sausages", I am offered entries from the Encyclopedia of Food and Culture, the Writers Directory and Countries and Their Cultures.

Then, if I like the look of Countries and Their Cultures, for instance, I can browse it by going back to the home page. It’s rather clunky: I am faced with a list of subjects with +s by them. But if I can’t guess where my target eBook is hiding, I can click "show all" to reveal the whole list of volumes in the library. Then I can go exploring.

Gale Virtual Reference Library needs a bit of work on the Welcome Mat, but once you’re inside it’s a library well worth spending time in.

(From the Gateway to websites, select "Quick reference". Gale Virtual Reference Library is under "Dictionary and encyclopaedias".)

Thanks a hundred million

Project Gutenberg is an example of the Fairy Godmother school of web publishing. A chap called Michael Hart was given $100,000,000 worth of computer time by the University of Illinois. If that isn’t being in the right place at the right time, my name’s not Santa Claus.

Michael decided that digitising out-of-copyright books and making them freely available was the best way to spend his windfall. As you can imagine, the subsequent story is long and complicated, and if you like you can read about it in an account rather longer than some of the books!

What we need to know immediately is that there are over 20,000 eBooks in the collection, with another 80,000 available through partners and affiliates. You can spend days exploring the treasure trove of texts, or you can use the search box to find the one you want.

If it’s there, you will usually be offered a variety of delivery methods. You can view an HTML or plain text version on your screen (or print it off if you have enough paper and strong arms), or you can download an electronic version which works on some of those little handheld devices – Palm organisers, smartphones, and so on.

Good work Michael. I imagine the University are satisfied that their computer time was well spent.

(From the Gateway to websites, select "Books", then select "Online books" for Project Gutenberg.)

Picture credit: johnsense/morguefile.com

The choice is yours

Choice continues to be a buzzword with politicians. Choice is now compulsory, even when it’s between substandard goods or services. So when I was told about NHS Choices, and that it was similar to but better than NHS Direct, I was sceptical (now I’ve shocked you).

It’s all a bit strange, actually. NHS Direct is still there (last time I looked), with all the features which led us to put it on the Gateway in the first place: information about the NHS and the 24 hour advice line staffed by nurses; a self-help guide; a search box for local services such as doctors and dentists; and a health encyclopaedia explaining key medical concepts.

Now along comes NHS Choices, doing all the same things. What’s going on? My theory is that Choices is a development of Direct, and that they are keeping Direct going for the time being, in case Choices collapses. Given the government’s record with IT projects, that may prove a wise decision.

Doctor Where

We’ll keep an eye on all that, but in the meantime we’ve plumped for NHS Choices on the Gateway, prompted by its better performance in the finding-a-doctor department. When you first look at the home page, the search box simply says "enter a search term" – not very helpful. But if you click "GPs" in the grey box, the search box changes, to "place, postcode or organisation". Pop in your postcode, to get a list of local doctors (or dentists or hospitals, with more options).

The advantage of NHS Choices is that each item on the list has the information you need to choose a doctor. The distance from your home, the clinics the surgery runs, whether they are accepting new patients, whether they have early or late surgeries: all these are given, along with full contact details. Click on an individual entry for surgery and opening times. The print version seems to include all the information from the web page – now there’s a novelty!

I have concentrated on the "finder" function, but the site is also groaning with health advice, some of it interactive. My eye was also caught by the "compare hospitals" feature. This is a bit clunky – you have to do a lot of clicking to build up a comparison – but it’s a good start, and will be even more worthwhile when they start to get (and publish) feedback scores.

We’re getting flashier

By the way, if you are using a Westminster Libraries computer, you may find difficulty using some of the interactive functions on NHS Choices and some other websites. This is because they need the latest version of Flash (whizzy software). The bad news is that we don’t have it, but the good news is that it’s coming next month.

(From the Gateway to websites, select "Health & medicine". NHS Choices is a Key link.)

Picture credit: click/morguefile.com

Tunnel vision

Web Treasure Hunt often features websites which have recently been added to the Gateway to websites. Obvious really – once they’re on the Gateway, show them off and get people using them. Reviewing the last year’s additions, I started to check out how they had stood the test of time. Here’s one which caught the eye again…

Metro magic

You know how it is. You’re jetting off for a weekend city break, you’ve managed to cram your stuff into a bag the size of a crisp packet to satisfy both Mr O’Leary and the security checker, and you start browsing the guides (print or online) to get the most out of your trip.

One of the keys is to crack the local transport system. You know your city has a metro system, and the guide book tells you which ticket is the best value. The book even has a map. The problem is that you don’t have 20/20 vision, the station names are printed in 4-point type, and the stop near your hotel is just outside the central area shown. You could try the local transport undertaking’s website – often a less-than-rewarding experience – or you could go straight to Subway Maps.

It does exactly… This clever, utterly simple website, has collected the subway/underground/metro maps from cities around the world. From Glasgow’s "Clockwork Orange" to Tokyo’s breathtakingly-complicated pile of subway spaghetti, they’ve got them. A glance at London will demonstrate the strengths and weaknesses of the presentation.

The site uses a standard graphic system to show the systems, not the maps used locally. In many cases, the standard version is much better than the dog’s breakfast you see on the platform. In the case of London, the Subway Maps version serves only to remind you how clear and elegant is Frank Pick’s "official" map.

So if you’re staying in London, pick up a map as you pass a tube station. If you’re off to Bilbao or Bangkok, though, Subway Maps is worth a look.

(From the Gateway to websites, select "Transport & tourism". Subway Maps is under "Other Links/Rail".)

Picture credit: n-k-teko/morguefile.com

Get away!

I sympathise with people whose job is to pick the prize-winning novel from a sea of mediocre manuscripts, or cast the lead role from amongst the starlets who strut their stuff to so little effect.

My sympathy arises from the fact that we get sent suggestions for new websites for the Gateway, sometimes from the actual promoters of the sites. We always try to give these a fair consideration, but for a variety of reasons – too commercial, too narrow, just crap – we have to reject quite a lot of them. But there are exceptions…

Fly me to the moon… or Malaga if it’s cheaper

We got a request to include airlinedestinations from Paul Keogh-Davies who, with his partner Rachael, aims to provide

"an independent, impartial guide to 'who flies where' and aims to help people get the best information and save money by listing every flight, on every airline (scheduled/budget or charter) out of all the UK's airports -(large and small, from Heathrow to Inverness)."

I was a bit surprised that this information is not readily available already, but a bit of digging proved that it is indeed difficult to find. Although you can find information on where Airline A flies to, or which airlines serve Airport B, there is a distinct lack of websites which pull it all together.

airlinedestinations takes it a stage further by listing flights regionally, so you don’t have to scratch your head trying to remember which nearby airports you should check out. The flight map shows which airports constitute each regional cluster. Click on a region to get an index of countries served from that region, and click on your preferred destination to get details of who flies there and from which airport. Slightly confusingly, the indexes are based on a standard, catch-all list, so a destination is only served if its name is underlined as a link. But as soon as you realise that, it ceases to be a problem.

Extras include travel advice, featuring links to and tips from the Foreign Office, some wise words on why you need insurance, and the sort of packing checklist which you sneer at before you go, and wish you’d printed off when you arrive at the poolside without your swimsuit.

What’s in it for the website promotors? They get a small rake-off every time you click on any of the adverts. But they do not plug these companies in the text, and the ads are at the bottom end of the annoyance range.

If there are snags, I haven’t found them yet. Paul and Rachael seem to have identified a gap, and used their professional experience to fill it. Good stuff.

(From the Gateway to websites, select "Transport & tourism". airlinedestinations is under "Other Links/Air".)

Picture credit: hotblack/morguefile.com

How green was my Gateway

When we were tinkering with the Gateway to websites recently, we tried to draw together some useful websites for green types of a practical disposition. So here are a couple of recycling suggestions, and a route-finder for shanks’s pony.

Pick out the useful bits

RecycleNow combines good practical suggestions with some really naff trendyspeak. All the stuff about integrated advertising campaigns and "celebrity ambassadors" is probably more about getting government funding than it is about serious recycling. But ignore the guff and you’ve got some helpful hints on what and where to recycle.

The A to Z list gives general advice about whether you will be likely to be able to include an item in your recycling sack, box or bin. Even more useful is a search box where you can insert your postcode. What you get is a map showing local recycling points, and a cut-out-and-keep list of what your local authority will collect from the kerbside.

RecycleNow’s home page (which rather tediously mentioned Christmas card recycling four times when I looked!) has tabs at the top which lead to news and features.

Aimed at Westminster residents, with local information and links, Recycling in Westminster is another source of sound advice.

(From the Gateway to websites, select "Environment & geography". RecycleNow and Recycling in Westminster are both under "Going green".)

Steps in the right direction

I love Walkit. It does one thing and it does it darned well. To quote from the website:
"We want to get people walking more. We think walking in and around town can often be a smart choice. No timetables to keep to, no journey delays, no overcrowding, healthy, green, free, direct, access to services (and sunlight!) en route."

I think the bit about sunshine is just some sort of joke, but the rest is great. Pick a couple of points in London (or Birmingham, Edinburgh or Newcastle/Gateshead), and the nice Walkit computer will find you a choice of routes, either direct or "less busy". Since I intended to walk from Baker Street to the Aldwych, these were the locations I naturally chose.

The direct route cut a knife through the West End, and would have got me there in quick time. The "less busy" route was a bit longer and much more complicated (turns and twists galore), but avoided the worst of the main roads very neatly.

As well as telling the distance involved, I got information about the calories I would burn (depending on whether I stepped out or sauntered) and the carbon dioxide I would save compared with a car, taxi or bus journey. There is a cost: unless you have a really good memory you would need, especially for the "less busy" route, to print out a map and directions. What percentage of a tree this represents is not divulged. Less damaging to the environment than driving, I guess.

Oh, if you’re taking a walk to lose weight or save money, ignore the notes about the restaurants you pass!

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(From the Gateway to websites, select "Environment & geography". Walkit is under "Going green".)

Picture credit: xpistwv/morguefile.com

The cream (or so they say)

Our brand new way of getting Who’s Who online coincides with the publication of the new edition and the addition of over a thousand more of the great and the… good heavens, is that the time? Must get on!

Cuddly not clunky

Who’s Who has been available, through KnowUK or Credo Reference, for several years. And we know from the stats (Big Brother really is watching you) that Who’s Who is the top-used resource on both databases. So why mess with it?
Well, the Credo version is a bit clunky, and the KnowUK version is even clunkier. Step up to the plate, Oxford University Press. They have just launched a new, cuddly version of Who’s Who 2008, together with Who was Who for the late-greats.

It looks a lot like the online version of the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (ODNB) - this is a Good Thing. Just like the ODNB, Who’s Who is searchable in oodles of different ways, and it looks nice when you get to the actual entries.

Different perspectives

In some ways, of course, Who’s Who is not like the ODNB. The entries are written by the subjects, and even when someone dies, and their entry transfers to Who was Who, it remains their own assessment of themselves. So unless you’re a very honest crook, you’re unlikely to list your criminal activities in your Who’s Who spiel. In the ODNB, on the other hand, the biogs are written by people who are often happy to spill the beans.

For a hilarious example, try looking up Robert Maxwell. His Who was Who entry is a model of non-communication. Self-educated captain of industry, benefactor and all-round good egg – it’s all there in Who was Who. The ODNB entry starts with the words "publisher and swindler", and goes on to expose every last bit of his monstrous life.

Bearing its limitations in mind, the new version of Who’s Who is an extra gem glittering in the crown of Westminster Libraries exclusive resources for library members.

(From the Gateway to websites, select "Biography". Who’s Who is a Key Link, as is the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Or go to
www.westminster.gov.uk/libraries/ict/exclusive.cfm for a complete list of all the fantastic resources which come free with a library card.)


Picture credit: about.com

It's the Web Treasure Hunt Quiz!

This quiz is designed to give you an excuse to revisit some of the year's posts on this blog, and the websites we have featured from our Gateway to websites. Westminster Libraries staff receive this by email, with an incentive in the form of chocolate as prizes. No chocs on the blog, unfortunately, but we hope you will find it a bit of fun.

Big hint: each question contains keywords (or suggests keywords) which will go quite nicely into the search box at the top of this page. Of course, if you prefer to scan each post, that's OK too!

The questions

1. How did Lady Chatterley go on the record this year?


2. Is it a bird? Is it a plane? What on earth (or rather, what on the Web) is Zoho?


3. I urgently need a recipe to use up some pork and… let me see – oh yes, a few apples. Who can help me?


4. I’ve quite forgotten where we buried Auntie Nellie. Any suggestions? (The website will suffice – I don’t insist that you track her down personally.)


5. I’m sure the CIA are a blessing to the whole free world, but where will they give me just the facts?


6. OK, I should be able to cook a turkey by now, but which nice lady will give me some tips?


7. I have a rather old-fashioned CV – six pages including all my hobbies! Who can help me bring it up to date and down to 2 sides of A4?


8. Can I get some right royal advice on whipping up a great window-box?


9. What posthumous achievement has distinguished Adam Faith this year?


10. What can I do with all this rennet?

The answers will be posted after 4 January. Good hunting!

When you meet a spider

Advice comes at us from all quarters, much of it unwelcome, irrelevant or with strings attached. The two websites we feature this week are both well-aimed at particular age groups and, having picked their targets, get down to business fast.

Real life

Age Concern has got really wizzy. Their website’s home page is a model of simplicity – news and featured topics in the middle of the page, and a straightforward menu on the left hand side, leading to information and advice, more news, chatty articles about the real life of older people, and so on.

The top feature when I looked was entitled "Keep warm: Winter guide". Unlike the stuff on some official websites, which express pious hopes about people’s welfare and generally patronise us all, Age Concern’s approach is purely practical. Eight sections cover everything from getting help with heating costs to making sure you don’t swap one problem, being cold, for another – burning the house down.

The fun stuff is also good. I enjoyed the article about whether grandparents or grandchildren were more squeamish when it came to dealing with a bee or a spider in your home. Arachnophobes like me might sympathise more with the kids.

Take a good look round: this is a big site with lots to see.

(From the Gateway to websites, select "Oldies online". Age Concern is under "Advice & practical help". Or you can select "Family & personal", and then "Retirement & older people". )

Like it is

The entry on the Gateway describes The Site as "no-holds-barred advice and help for 16-24 year olds". Now that’s the sort of "aren’t I cool and trendy?" tag you see attached to rather too many websites aimed at "yoof". Does this one justify our description?

As far as this greybeard can tell, it does. Sex, drugs, work and leisure – all are covered with admirable directness. There is none of that sniggering approach which leaves you confused about whether it’s smart or not to take drugs or try getting off with everyone you fancy at work. They point out the snags and leave the reader to make a decision. What more can a website do?

Actually, they do do a bit more. They have some lively discussion boards, which seem to me genuinely to carry forward the basic information on the site. I wouldn’t presume to advise younger people, but I would with a clear conscience point them towards The Site.

(From the Gateway to websites, select "Advice & help". The Site is a Key Link.)

Picture credit: d3f/morguefile.com