BISON's Virtual Reference Shelf combats "info overload"

One of the many virtues of using BISON http://ublib. buffalo.edu/libraries, the "cyberbranch" of the UB University Libraries, is that it functions as the perfect antidote to "information overload." Developers of most information-rich Web sites and virtual libraries try to impress visitors with their vast quantity of links. UB librarians view their role in developing BISON's collections quite differently. We truly believe "less is more." We do the surfing for you and find the very best, most authoritative sites appropriate for an academic community.

For example, take a moment to browse "Reference Sources on the Net" at http://ublib.buffalo.edu/libraries/e-resources/selected.html. UB librarian Gayle Hardy selects links for this virtual reference shelf with the same discernment that she uses in buying books for the University Libraries' collection. And, as one of the most popular reference librarians in Lockwood Library-many people ask for her by name-Gayle knows her reference tools both in the real world and the cyberworld.

"Reference Sources on the Net" has a full range of resources including almanacs, dictionaries, encyclopedias, maps, style manuals, telephone directories and zip code listings. You'll find practical information such as a cost-of-living salary calculator (Did you know if you make $50,000 in Buffalo you would need to make $86,430 in Honolulu to maintain your lifestyle?), college and university rankings, tourist information (including Roadside America: Your Guide to Strange and Wacky Vacation Wonders) and grammar guides. And you'll discover more academic material such as the Scholarly Societies Project and Archives USA. Some sources you might recognize by name such as Bartlett's Familiar Quotations (1901 edition), the Occupational Outlook Handbook, and the Old Farmer's Almanac and others just sound familiar, such as Maps on Us. Some of the listings are limited by publisher's license to the UB community, for example Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, and others, such as Web of On-line Dictionaries, are available to all.

Information junkies won't be disappointed, as Gayle knows that some BISON users will want to venture beyond her selective listing. For those link-hungry souls, she recommends the virtual reference collections at the Internet Public Library http://www.ipl.org/ref/ and the Michigan Electronic Library http://mel.lib.mi.us/reference/REF-index.html. Diehard Yahoo fans (is there anyone who doesn't remember his or her first peek at Yahoo?) will find a fine reference collection at http://www.yahoo.com/Reference/.

Suggestions for BISON's "Reference Sources on the Net" may be sent to libweb@acsu.buffalo.edu. For information on connecting to BISON and other resources on the UB Net, contact the Computing Center Help Desk at 645-3542.

-Gemma DeVinney and Don Hartman, University Libraries