University of Arkansas Libraries Earns 3.5 Mice
by October 29, 2001 12:00 am 59 views
Want to read up on administering 401K plans or the latest trends in retailing?
The University of Arkansas Libraries Web site is a virtual card catalog and reference desk that can be easily added to any office. All it requires is clicking to http://libinfo.uark.edu and a little patience, because this site at first glance is a little cumbersome. Imagine all of the UA Libraries’ information and resources compressed into a single site.
But don’t be intimidated. Our reviewers quickly found a host of free links and search engines here that can be summoned for use before you can say “Dewy Decimal System.” Because of its comprehensiveness, we suggest saving this site to your “favorites” list and remembering it as a formidable research tool that contains links to 7,000 electronic journals and 600 electronic books and references.
Because much of the site requires users to be current UA students or subscription-based access, we only gave it 3.5 mice. But the depth of the online collections here packs a five-mouse wallop.
Click into the “general & reference resources” page and take a wide-eyed gander around. Then backtrack to the “additional Web resources selected by librarians” page to find some more free sites, including 11 under “business & economics” that are categorized in disciplines ranging from accounting to transportation.
Other main sections, such as “agriculture” or “engineering,” come complete with their own sets of links and search engines to useful sites. The entire database is rich in government document filings, census and statistical data and business and historical information.
There’s even a “research engine” that will locate anything from the Dr. Seuss book “Green Eggs & Ham” to Sam Walton’s “Made in America.” There’s also special collections and the ability to request interlibrary loans and reservations online for physical books and papers.
The UA Libraries site debuted circa 1994 and underwent overhauls in each of the last four years. To date, it’s still designed and administered in-house by UA technicians We agree with the strategy of avoiding flashy graphics because the libraries’ lowest common denominator is probably low-end connections at students’ homes. We also appreciated the support staff’s fast and friendly response to our e-mail inquires.
From turn-of-the-century photos of downtown Fayetteville to 21st century ubiquity, it’s all here.