ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries 516 / C&RL News ■ July/August 2002 I n t e r n e t R e v i e w s Joni R. Robertsand Carol A. Drost, editors D o la n DIMA L e a rn in g C e n te r. Hccess.- http://w w w .dnalc.org/. The Dolan DNA Learning Center (DNALC), an operating unit of Cold Spring Harbor Labo­ ratory, is devoted to public genetics educa­ tion, with a particular focus on college and precollege students. The DNALC Web site provides extensive information related to the center’s role and mission as well as incorpo­ rates annotated lists of valuable links to a variety of well-established and reputable n a ­ tional (Chicago-Sun Times, Seattle Times) and international (BBC) Web sites. These links appear to change on a regular basis as new issues and stories related to genetics arise. Information about upcom ing w orkshop and tra in in g o p p o r tu n i ti e s fo r c o lle g e a n d precollege educators is also included. A lthough the b a c k g ro u n d a n d current event information available at DNALC is both accurate and up-to-date, it is the presence of the five “com panion” sites that are incorpo­ rated into the DNA Learning Center that make this Web site a worthwhile destination. “Your Genes, Your Health” provides ex­ tensive descriptions of a num ber of different genetic disorders, including hemophilia, cys­ tic fibrosis, and Huntington disease. “DNA from the Beginning” incorporates a series of progressive multimedia lessons outlining cen­ tral concepts related to the science of genet­ ics. “Eugenics Image Archive” provides a his­ torical perspective of the American eugenics m ovem ent of the early 20th century. The archive includes reports, articles, charts, and pedigrees taken from the archives of the Eu­ genics Record Office at Cold Spring Harbor, which was the center of American eugenics research from 1910 to 1940. The archive’s pur­ pose is to provide a docum entary record of the Eugenics Movement, thus controversial content has purposely been included in the site. “Genetic Origins” provides background in­ formation and instructions for experiments de­ signed to allow students to use their ow n DNA “fingerprints” to study hum an evolution. The experim ents rely on both biochem ical m eth­ ods and com puter tools. Finally, “Bioservers” provides an area from w hich both students and educators can b e ­ gin DNA database searches, statistical analy­ ses, and population m odeling through the Internet. Each of these com panion sites is innova­ tive in its approach and presentation. It is important to note, however, that som e of the content, such as that incorporated into “Your Genes, Your H ealth” and “DNA from the Be­ ginning,” resembles the information found in basic and advanced genetics textbooks. In contrast, the other sites, particularly the “Eu­ genics Image Archive,” provide extensive ac­ cess to valuable primary and secondary source material that clearly w ould serve as useful additions to any library.—-Jennifer Cardwell, McMaster University, cardj@mcmaster.ca UNHCR: The UN R efugee A gency. Access: h ttp://w w w .unhcr.ch/. Recent events have focused our attention on refugees in Afghanistan. But throughout the world, m ore than 21 million people have b e e n forced out of their hom es because of conflict and persecution. The principal United Nations (UN) agency with a m andate to pro­ vide protection and assistance to these groups is the Office of the United Nations High Com­ m issioner for Refugees (UNHCR). It serves as an authoritative voice on refugee matters and represents a key resource for researchers, le­ gal advocates, policy makers, and other prac­ titioners w ho w ork in this field. W hile its prim ary objective is to raise awareness about refugee issues, the UNHCR Web site delivers m uch m ore than press re­ leases. Its wealth of full-text content comes in the form of official docum ents from the UNHCR Executive Committee, evaluation and Joni R. Roberts is associate university librarian fo r public services and co lle ctio n d e ve lo p m e n t a t W illa m e tte University, e-mail: jroberts@willamette.edu, and Carol A. Drost is associate university librarian fo r technical services at W illamette University, e-mail: cdrost@willamette.edu http://www.dnalc.org/ http://www.dnalc.org/ mailto:cardj@mcmaster.ca http://www.unhcr.ch/ mailto:jroberts@willamette.edu mailto:cdrost@willamette.edu C&RL News ■ July/August 2002 / 517 research papers, a quarterly magazine, coun­ try reports, legal texts, handbooks and guide­ lines, maps, statistics, and photos. Its design is visually pleasing with bold colors and plenty of images interspersed with the text. News stories are u pdated daily, and docum ents are placed online frequently. Despite, or perhaps because of, the sheer am ount of content, browsing the site is chal­ lenging. At the upperm ost levels, the divi­ sions seem fairly straightforward, but the more you dig, the m ore you find. It is also im pos­ sible to know w hat new material has been added to the site. No “W hat’s N ew” feature is available, and only certain key publications are highlighted on the hom epage. To benefit fully from w hat the site has to offer, one must be familiar with the w ork of the organization and be willing to take time to explore the site’s architecture. For this reason, it is not appropriate for undergraduates (with the ex­ ception of the “Basic Facts” section, which provides an introduction to refugee issues and the agency’s w ork and “News).” Sophisticated search options are available to counter som e of these navigational chal­ lenges, including the opportunity to restrict searches to different sections of the site, search titles versus full text, and look for only the m ost current results. There are also two sepa­ rate search engines for the library catalog and the full-text country of origin and legal infor­ m ation databases. UNHCR was one of the first international agencies to make the Web a primary infor­ m ation conduit. In exchange for investing som e time and effort on this site, users will b e rew arded with large quantities of quality re s u lts .— Elisa M ason, Forced M ig ra tio n Online, Refugee Studies Centre, University o f Oxford, elisa. mason@qeh. ox.ac.uk F re e P in t. Access: h ttp ://w w w .fre e p in t. com /. W here can you find 49,000 library and in­ form ation science (LIS) professionals to an­ sw er tough reference and technical queries that no one else in the office can answer? Free Pint, of course. Free Pint is a British Web site, w hich allows LIS professionals and stu­ dents to exchange ideas and tips. Its founder, William Hann, was nam ed European Special Librarian of the Year (2000-2001) by the Eu­ ropean chapter of the Special Libraries Asso­ ciation. Inform ation World Review and the Library Association Record are two of the m any periodicals that have introduced Free Pint to its readers. Free Pint offers two free online forums, the “Bar” and the “Student Bar.” The “Bar” is w here LIS professionals pose and offer sug­ gestions. The queries range from the relevance of know ledge m anagem ent to online discus­ sions about the low salaries of LIS profes­ sionals com pared to other professionals. At the “Bar” there are “tipples,” small bits of in­ formation that librarians, researchers, and in­ form ation technology (IT) professionals can use to m ake their jobs easier. The “Student Bar” is w here LIS students pose questions about LIS careers and request assistance on finding resources on a given topic. This is a great place for students to discuss topics that may be of interest in their classes or to other students. “Portal” is the site m ap for Free Pint, which has links to previous and current articles and tipples. Also, there are links to research on various industries and countries. Those w ho like to sell things online, do online searches, or build and m aintain Web sites w ould be interested in this section’s Internet links. There is no charge to join Free Pint or to receive its online w eekly digest and m onthly newsletter. However, there is a charge to re­ ceive detailed reports about registered com ­ panies in the United Kingdom (UK) through the ICC Information link or to access the “Pub Crawl,” a w eekly compilation of articles from 188 information, library, and Internet-related sources from around the world. Free Pint is w ell su ite d for stu d e n ts and librarians w h o specialize in bu sin ess re ­ search, electro n ic reso u rces, technical ser­ vices, a n d IT. B ecause this site is b a s e d in th e UK, its slant is to w a rd issues th at are of interest to British LIS professionals. Nev­ ertheless, th at has n o t s to p p e d m ore th an 49,000 LIS p rofessionals from a ro u n d the w o rld from jo ining Free Pint.— V ivienne Sales, E m bry-R iddle A e r o n a u tic a l Univer­ sity, salesecO@ erau.edu ■ ox.ac.uk http://www.freepint mailto:salesecO@erau.edu