jan06c.indd


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

Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve 
System. Access: http://www.federalre­
serve.gov. 
The Federal Reserve is an elaborate system 

of federal organizations working together 
to oversee monetary and banking policies. 
The system is composed of a seven­member 
Board of Governors, 12 Federal Reserve 
banks, 25 branches, and member banks. The 
Federal Reserve was established as the United 
States’ central bank in 1913 to assist with 
stabilizing the money supply and to facilitate 
overall banking operations. These nationwide 
banking entities influence currency valua­
tion, the prices of goods, economic growth, 
and overall financial stability through the 
operations and policy implementations of the 
Federal Open Market Committee. 

The main page is well organized and con­
tains 11 hyperlinked choices located on the 
left side of the screen. The options include 
areas such as “Monetary Policy,” “Banking 
Information and Regulation,” “Economic 
Research and Data,” and “Publications and 
Education Resources.” Above these options, 
visitors will see a handy “Search” box to 
search all Federal Reserve Web pages.  Other 
highlights are the clearly stated mission, 
“What’s New,” “What’s Next,” an index, a site 
map, and FAQs. “Features” includes informa­
tion about Federal Reserve online learning 
opportunities. “Breaking News” offers a few 
major headlines updated daily and “Recent 
Statistical Releases” showcases statistical in­
formation on topics of current interest. 

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 

The site provides one­stop access to Fed­
eral Reserve data collection and value­added 
research. The majority of the earlier print 
publications are now available free­of­charge 
electronically in full­text format.  

Researchers can access approximately 126 
current issues of economic publications from 
the Index of Federal Reserve Economic Research 
link; Federal Reserve Bulletin full­text articles 
from 1997 to the current date; and the Beige 
Book, the popular name for the Summary of 
Commentary on Current Economic Conditions 
by Federal Reserve District, and a noteworthy 
source for regional economic analyses. The site 
provides links to central banks of the world and 
the Bank for International Settlements, which 
are important sites when investigating foreign 
interest rates. There is also information for 
consumers, most of which is also available in 
Spanish, and tools for educators. 

This valuable Internet resource has come 
to serve as a centralized platform for Federal 
Reserve operations and activities and can be 
used by Federal Reserve personnel, bank­
ers, policymakers, and economists, as well 
as individuals researching banking outlooks 
and trends.—Caroline Geck, Kean University, 
cgeck@kean.edu 

The Institute for Public Relations. Access: 
http://www.instituteforpr.com/. 
The Institute for Public Relations (IPR) is 

an independent foundation dedicated to the 
science behind the art of public relations. 
The institute operates through the collab­
orative effort of a number of trustees, which 

include academics 
and business profes­
sionals. The institute 
itself aims to serve a 
wide range of groups, 
focusing on leaders 

in the field, as well as educators, researchers, 
and students. 

There are four main areas of interest on 
this site. First, in the “About” section, we are 

January 2006  35 C&RL News 

http:http://www.instituteforpr.com
mailto:cgeck@kean.edu
mailto:cdrost@willamette.edu
http:serve.gov
http://www.federalre


provided with a description of the organiza­
tion, its purpose, and future goals, as well as a 
strategic plan. Unfortunately, the information 
in this section lacks any concrete statements 
about goals and objectives. That aside, the 
focus of IPR is on collaboration, education, 
and research, which can only serve to en­
hance the status of the profession. 

The second area of interest, “Research,” 
is rich with relevant information. In its 
attempt to focus and expand on the intel­
lectual foundations of public relations, IPR 
provides a collection of documents that will 
be useful to those practicing and studying 
in this field. The documents included here 
have been produced by IPR and are writ­
ten by researchers and professionals in the 
fi eld. 

“Research” currently includes approxi­
mately 40 documents on topics ranging from 
“Affordability” to “Reputation.” If the institute 
is able to meet the targets it has set out for 
itself, this section should continue to grow. 
“Measurement & Evaluation” is by far the 
richest section, including an additional 30 
documents. The items contained in “Measure­
ment & Evaluation” include valuable tools 
and guidance on measuring the success and 
effectiveness of public relations programs 
and activities. 

The document titled “Bibliography of 
Public Relations Measurement,” provides a 
useful compilation of a variety of resources 
encompassing basic information on research 
and measurement, the origins of measure­
ment techniques, and issues of reliability 
and validity. 

The “Education” section includes informa­
tion on summits, lectures, and conferences, 
including topical summaries and links to con­
ference proceedings. Finally, “News” includes 
a list of press releases distributed by IPR over 
the past three years. 

The main feature of the IPR site is the 
useful “Research” section, which in its early 
stages has made contributions of up­to­date, 
relevant material in public relations re­
search.—Patricia Green, McMaster University, 
greenpa@mcmaster.ca 

IRE: Investigative Reporters and Editors. 
Access: http://www.ire.org. 
The front page of the IRE Web site won’t 

win any awards for Web design, but the 
resources and links provided make it one of 
the premier journalism portals on the Web. 

The sheer number 
of resources, initia­
tives, centers, and 
programs under the 
auspices of IRE result 
in an excessive num­
ber of links and text 

on the homepage. However, visitors with an 
interest in investigative journalism will fi nd 
overcoming any initial difficulties in naviga­
tion well worth the time and effort. 

IRE is a nonprofit organization located at 
the University of Missouri­Columbia School of 
Journalism that was formed in 1975 to foster 
excellence in investigative journalism by as­
sisting journalists in locating news sources, 
improving their newsgathering techniques, 
and providing resources for the development 
of story ideas. One of the resources devel­
oped in support of this mission, and one of 
the most valuable parts of the IRE site, is the 
“Resource Center,” a research library consist­
ing of more than 20,000 investigative stories 
and more than 2,000 tip­sheets for covering 
specific issues. Also useful is the Beat Source 
Guide, which offers a searchable database 
of Web­based resources organized by beat, 
such as education, environment, politics, 
and religion. 

Additionally, IRE sponsors a number of 
individual centers, and each provides valu­
able resources in their area of emphasis. With 
First Amendment and freedom of information 
(FOI) issues a primary concern of investiga­
tive journalists, the “Freedom of Information 
Center” is one of IRE’s key elements and is 
“designed to be a central repository for IRE 
information about FOI activities and links to 
other valuable FOI resources.” The “Cam­
paign Finance Information Center” provides 
tips and resources for investigating political 
contributions on the national, state, and local 

(Continued on page 40) 

C&RL News January 2006  36 

http:http://www.ire.org
mailto:greenpa@mcmaster.ca


artwork, and artifacts relating to African 
exploration and Natural History after his 
first visits to East Africa in 1956 and 1958. 
The Train Collection holds first­person 
accounts of expeditions to Africa, ranging 
from those of French scientist and traveler 
Francois le Vaillant in the 1780s to a safari 
undertaken by Ernest Hemingway in the 
1950s. Missionary David Livingstone and 
journalist Henry Stanley, as well as linguist 

Sir Richard F. Burton and President Theodore 
Roosevelt, are well represented with numer­
ous books by and about them, manuscript 
letters, privately printed materials, dozens 
of photographs, and other ephemera. Some 
of the published books in the collection are 
presentation copies autographed by the au­
thor, while others have original artwork or 
engravings. Many of the 19th­century works 
have pristine gold­stamped bindings. 

(“Internet Reviews” continued from page 36) 

levels, and the “IRE Educators’ Center” offers 
“a meeting place for journalism educators to 
share ideas, course materials and resources.” 

Among the many other resources on the 
site is a section with compiled links, tip­sheets 
and other resources on science, health, and 
environmental reporting, as well as a subsite 
called 2000Census.org, which was developed 
to help journalists better use the census for 
in­depth investigative stories and to archive 
and preserve government census data. 

While much of the site is freely accessible, 
one of the drawbacks is the number of resources 
that are restricted to IRE members only. Annual 
membership costs are relatively inexpensive, but 
membership is limited to professional journal­
ists (active or retired), journalism educators and 
researchers, and journalism students. Despite 
these restrictions, the IRE site remains a valuable 
resource for students, librarians, and faculty affi li­
ated with journalism programs or anyone with an 
interest in investigative reporting.—Patrick Reakes, 
University of Florida, pjr@ufl ib.ufl .edu 

C&RL News January 2006  40 

http:2000Census.org