july05c.indd


I n t e r n e t  R e v i e w s  Joni R. Roberts and Carol A. Drost 

Internet Law Library. Access: http://www. 
lawguru.com/ilawlib/index.html. 
The Internet Law Library offered though 

LawGuru.com is an excellent and useful por­
tal for legal information and resources, both 
American and foreign. 

The site was formerly the domain of the 
U.S. House of Representatives Internet Law 
Library; the Office of the Law Revision Coun­

sel of the 
U.S. House 
directed that 
the legal in­

formation on this Web site be made available 
to the public. 

As could be expected from a commercial 
Web site, some parts of the site charge for 
services such as downloading legal forms. 
However, the House Counsel has been mainly 
successful in providing and maintaining free 
material on this site, including U.S. federal 
law, laws of other nations (all 191 members 
of the United Nations), laws of all jurisdic­
tions (from agriculture to taxation to war), 
attorney and legal profession directories, and 
law book reviews. 

Unique among legal Web sites is a free 
“Ask a Lawyer” link. More in­depth legal 
research is also available for a nominal 
fee. “Legal FAQ Section” offers answers to 
questions about auto accidents, bankruptcy, 
copyright, and investment law—to name a 
few of the numerous topics. Hundreds of 
legal links and resources are present on the 
Web site and are arranged in an alphabetical 
subject format. Also helpful and useful is a 
U.S. attorney directory listed by state and type 
of law practiced. 

With this Web site, attorneys can create 
their own Web pages, create e­mail accounts, 

Joni R. Roberts is associate university librarian for 
public ser vices and collec tion development at 
Willamette University, e-mail: jroberts@willamette. 
edu, and Carol A. Drost is associate university librarian 
for technical services at Willamette University, e-mail: 
cdrost@willamette.edu 

chat with other attorneys, and locate un­
claimed property listed by state. 

The ease of navigation across this Web site 
is excellent—finding the information could 
not be easier or faster. In addition, there are 
no annoying pop­up advertisements. How­
ever, there is advertising across the top and 
in the lower right­hand corner of the site, 
which users may fi nd distracting. 

Nevertheless, LawGuru.com’s Internet 
Law Library demonstrates how effective and 
useful a legal information portal can be. As 
a starting point for legal research, Internet 
Law Library provides easy access to a wealth 
of legal information. This site is recom­
mended for lawyers and laymen alike.—Larry 
Cooperman, Florida Metropolitan University, 
lcooperman@cci.edu 

Shodor Education Foundation, Inc.: A 
National Resource for Computational 
Science Education. Access: http://www. 
shodor.org. 
You may be asking what is computational 

science, and why is computational science im­
portant to the education fi eld? Computational 
science can be broadly defined as the use 
of computers to model scientifi c problems. 

B y  u s i n g  
software to 
model the 
i m p a c t  of  

natural phenomena, such as global warming, 
the spread of disease, or the eruption behavior 
of volcanoes, scientists can simulate real life 
conditions and make accurate predictions. As 
the volcano example suggests, computer ap­
plications often are safer and more practical 
than conducting fieldwork. Computers are also 
becoming indispensable when modeling and 
solving complex problems. In the education 
field, computational science tools serve similar 
purposes, such as enabling students to visual­
ize what they are learning. 

The Shodor Foundation, a nonprofi t edu­
cation and research corporation, is “dedicated 

July/August 2005  537 C&RL News 

http:shodor.org
http://www
mailto:lcooperman@cci.edu
mailto:cdrost@willamette.edu
http:LawGuru.com
http://www


to the advancement of science and math educa­
tion, specifically through the use of modeling 
and simulation technologies.” Approximately 
ten years ago, Shodor recognized that profes­
sional computational science tools, especially 
graphics and animations, could be adapted for 
classroom use. Besides Shodor developing its 
own interactive computer applications, it has 
expanded its role to include identifying free 
quality software on the Web that is suitable 
for elementary through higher education. The 
foundation’s Web site offers access to this rep­
ertoire of software and provides value­added 
aids, such as curriculum materials, sorted by 
grade and subject. These materials are valuable, 
because they show how computational science 
software can be integrated into lessons to meet 
specific objectives and standards. 

Educators can access the content of this 
site through three main links: “Curriculum 
Materials,” “Faculty Development,” or “Stu­
dent Enrichment.” The second and third links 
provide information about Shodor’s many 
community outreach and faculty training ef­
forts. A clickable “Navigation” menu also ap­
pears on the right­hand side of most pages. 

The Shodor Education Foundation has 
carved out a unique niche in the educational 
world with the creation of this easily navigable 
and well­organized site. In fact, Shodor has 
already caught the attention of the National 
Science Foundation (NSF). In recognition of 
Shodor’s work advancing math and science edu­
cation, NSF has given Shodor, along with North 
Carolina Central University, approximately $2.8 
million to establish a new portal or “pathway” 
into the National Science Digital Library. 

This new portal is appropriately named 
“The Computational Science Education Refer­
ence Desk” or CSERD. The Shodor Web site 
is recommended for undergraduate math and 
science faculty as well as education students 
and faculty.—Caroline Geck, Kean University, 
cgeck@kean.edu 

National Institute on Aging. Access: http:// 
www.nia.nih.gov/. 
The National Institute on Aging (NIA) 

Web site provides information geared to­

wards researchers, health professionals, and 
consumers and their families. The NIA is one 
of 27 institutes of the National Institutes of 
Health. Its mission is to improve the quality 
of life for aging Americans and to support 
ongoing research. 

Most of the Web site appears to be de­
signed for the medical researcher or the 
healthcare professional. There is informa­
tion about clinical trials, research programs, 
research conducted by NIA, conference and 
workshop notes, scientific resources and 
databases related to aging and animals, grant 
applications, research and funding support, 
and current news articles about aging and 
disease. 

For the consumer, there is some practical 
information. NIA provides dozens of free 
publications in English or Spanish that can 
be obtained either through mail request or 
direct downloading. Topics cover a wide 
range, including “What’s Your Aging IQ,” 
“Osteoporosis: The Bone Thief,” and “The 
Exercise Guide.” In addition, NIA provides 
public service advertisements that consumers 
can use free of charge. 

An extremely helpful feature of the Web 
site is the resource directory for older people. 
Users can find relevant organizations and 
their Web sites by searching the subject direc­
tory or the state resources directory. In the 
subject directory, the user can search for such 
subjects as pet therapy, diabetes, and travel. 
Finally, the Web site lists related sites that may 
be helpful for further information. 

Other features of the Web site include 
an in­depth site map, a simple search box 
with the option for advanced searching, and 
institutional information about NIA (budgets, 
strategic plan, employment opportunities, 
etc.). 

The NIA Web site is well organized 
and fuses highly specialized research with 

(continued on page 547) 

C&RL News July/August 2005  538 

http:www.nia.nih.gov
mailto:cgeck@kean.edu


Gwen L. Williams has been named 
reference librarian at the University of Mis­
souri­Kansas City. 

D e a t h s  

Thelma Tate, coordinator of global outreach 
services and liaison for persons with disabili­
ties for the Rutgers University Libraries, has 
died. Tate worked as a reference librarian in 
the Chicago public libraries before accepting 
a position at Rutgers University’s Douglass Li­
brary in 1970. At various points Tate served as 
the library’s liaison to the American studies, 
African studies, classics, education, English, 
history, psychology, religion, romance lan­
guages, sociology, and speech departments. 
She served as coordinator of reference ser­
vices at the Douglass Library for many years. 
Tate was very active in national and interna­
tional library organizations, serving as chair 
of ALA’s Library Instruction Round Table 
and as chair of the International Federation 
of Library Associations (IFLA) Round Table 
on Continuing Professional Education. As a 
frequent invited exhibitor at ALA’s Annual 
Diversity Fair, she most recently showcased 
the Rutgers University Libraries/SCILS resi­
dent/internship position. Tate was interna­
tionally recognized as the leading expert on 
the many uses of mobile libraries in develop­
ing countries. She compiled and edited well­
acclaimed bibliographies on mobile libraries 
across the globe and personally traveled to 
assess the effectiveness of camel­born mo­
bile libraries in Kenya and donkey­driven 
library carts in Zimbabwe. In recognition of 
her long, varied, and distinguished service to 
Rutgers University, and to the international 
field of librarianship, Tate was awarded the 
Rutgers University Human Dignity Award in 
April 2002. 

Pamela L. Wonsek, 55, died May 3 after a 
brief illness. She was deputy chief librarian 
at the Hunter College Libraries, City Univer­
sity of New York. She joined the Hunter Li­

brary faculty in 1987 and served in a variety 
of positions until her appointment as deputy 
chief librarian in 1998. Prior to joining Hunt­
er, Wonsek worked at Mercy College Librar­
ies (1980–87), the University of Missouri­St. 
Louis (1978–79), and Harvard University 
(1977–78). 

(Internet Reviews, cont. from page 538) 
practical consumer information. The only 
potential drawback is that there seems to 
be more information for the researcher than 
for other readers. Many consumers might 
be intimidated by the amount of specialized 
information within the site. 

The Web site is an extremely valuable 
resource for the researcher who needs to 
stay current on geriatric research and funding 
opportunities. 

The NIA Web site is highly recommended 
for the medical researcher, health care 
professional, and fearless consumer.—Col­
leen Lougen, Mount Saint Mary College, 
lougen@msmc.edu 

July/August 2005  547 C&RL News 

mailto:lougen@msmc.edu