Not surprisingly there is a Web site that chronicles all of this-the WWW Virtual Library for the History of Science, Technology & Medicine (HSTM), at http://www.asap.unimelb.edu.au/hstm/hstm_spe.htm Established in 1994 as part of the WWW Virtual Library project, it has operated since 1995 under the aegis of the Australian Science Archives Project at the University of Melbourne. Its scope is international, although its emphasis is on English-language resources. These include classic papers that define scientific milestones, historical timelines, treatises, experiments, exhibits, manuscripts, image collections, bibliographies, biographies and discussion lists.

HSTM is organized by scientific fields, ranging from alchemy and early science to biology, chemistry, computers, geology, math, medicine, physics and scientific instrumentation, among others. You can search the site by keyword or browse by clicking on an alphabetically arranged list of links. Each link takes you to a brief synopsis of the resource (or, in the case of a discussion list, instructions on how to join the dialogue) and another link to take you on your way.

The links allow you to browse an online exhibit of rare books and maps from the collections of the Linda Hall Library on "The Face of the Moon: From Galileo to Apollo" or explore MendelWeb, an educational resource on classical genetics for teachers and students. Other links are to the Einstein Papers Project at Boston University and the online essay "We Have Conquered Pain: A Celebration of Ether 1846-1996," published on the Web by Harvard Medical School. A ranking system, recently added, provides additional information, giving you an indication of what to expect from each site in terms of its depth, content and design.

For information about connecting to the World Wide Web, contact the CIT Help Desk at 645-3542.

-Nancy Schiller and Will Hepfer, University Libraries