These are just some of the Web sites we have found and
thought useful to people in our service area. More sites can be found by
using our more extensive Subject
Guide, or a search service such as Google,
Yahoo!,
or Alta Vista. Or try one
of the excellent subject directories created by other libraries, like the Internet
Public Library.
The Pottsville Library Card Catalog is now available online!
Go to the Catalog to look for books or videos, or to renew or reserve books.
SuperPages.com -- business and people
directories on the web
Switchboard -- business
and people directories on the web, also allows reverse searches
Careers and Jobs
Jobs570 --
This site provides access to job ads seen in the Pottsville Republican Herald
newspaper, as well as other newspapers around the country.
Occupational Outlook Handbook --
THE place to look for information on what the prospects are for jobs in
various careers and fields
Pennsylvania CareerLink--
now called "Commonwealth Workforce Development System (CWDS); "one-stop delivery of career services to job seekers, employers and other
interested individuals"
PA State Civil Service Commission
-- information on how to apply for state civil service jobs, as well as
announcements concerning civil service examinations
USAJobs -- official job
site for federal government; search by jobs available or by city or state
Consumer Information
bankrate.com -- "independent,
objective financial information" about mortgage rates, CD rates, auto loans,
credit cards, and more
Consumer World -- The Consumer
Resource Guide; learn about common scams, compare prices, and more
Edmund's Automobile Buyer's Guides
-- buyer's guides, new and used car reviews, invoice/MSRP information,
and a lot of other useful information for those thinking of buying a new
or used car
Do It Yourself -- guides on everything
from home decoration and improvement to financing and frugal living
Kelley Blue Book -- similar to Edmund's:
values for new and used cars, reviews, etc.
National Consumers League's Fraud
Center --
nonprofit group organized to fight telemarketing and internet fraud
The Secret
History of the Credit Card -- this site from PBS' Frontline and The New
York Times may give you new insight on the history of consumer credit!
Read "Eight Things a Credit Card User Should Know" for some surprising
practices, quiz yourself to find out how much you know, read the "More to
Explore" section or individual interviews, or watch the complete show.
Viewing the show requires RealPlayer or Windows Media Player.
Dictionaries, Encyclopedias, and other basic Reference
Resources
Bartleby.com -- online versions
of classic reference tools like Bartlett's Quotations, Emily Post's Etiquette,
the King James Bible, and Strunk's Style
Britannica.com -- current news
topics as well as the expected encyclopedia; also has a dictionary
FedStats -- the best place to look
for federal statistics on almost any topic
How Products Are Made -- from candy
corn to a camera lens, yogurt to bar code scanners, find out the history of
every day things and how they are created
InfoPlease -- "On-Line
Dictionary, Internet Encyclopedia, Atlas, & Almanac Reference"
Old Farmer's Almanac -- has some
of the information available from the print edition; note that some sections
require paying a fee and/or registration
The online Catholic Encyclopedia
-- a volunteer effort to put the original 1913 edition of the Catholic
Encyclopedia onto the internet
Stormopedia --
from the National Weather Service, this page lets you look up definitions of weather terms and find
out why severe weather happens
Wikipedia -- this free
encyclopedia is a product of many contributors, editors, and other
participants. Can't find what you're looking for? They even have a Reference
Desk to help you out.
yourDictionary.com -- subject
dictionaries, foreign languages, thesauri and even a translation feature
FAFSA On the Web -- Free Application
for Federal Student Aid; note that this site may require the latest version
of browsers, due to the security requirements
PHEAA (Pennsylvania Higher
Education Assistance Agency) -- apply for a student loan, make a student
loan payment, and many other options; note that this site may require the
latest version of browsers, due to the security requirements
Peterson's Education Planner -- look for colleges or graduate programs, financial aid, study-abroad
programs, private high schools, and other education-related resources
Background Notes -- provides
reasonably current information on countries and international organizations, put
together by the U.S. Dept. of State
Country Studies --
electronic versions of hard-cover books published by the Federal Research
Division of the Library of Congress between 1988 and 1998, with some more recent
updates added; 102 countries
and regions are covered, offering a comprehensive description and analysis
of the country or region's historical setting, geography, society, economy,
political system, foreign policy, and national security.
Google Maps -- get standard driving
directions, or view satellite images of the area.
MapQuest -- create a map of a city or find a particular address, as well as driving
directions
Rand McNally Maps, Driving Directions
and Travel Store
World
Factbook -- put together by the CIA, has basic facts about nearly every
country in the world
"Do Not Call List" -- place
your name on this state list to reduce the number of telemarketers calling
you, or find out how to obtain a copy of the list. Also visit the federal
registration site at www.donotcall.gov.
Federal Agency
Directory -- "official" list of sites; developed and maintained by the
Libraries of Louisiana State University
Federal Digital System
(FDsys) -- "provides
free electronic access to a wealth of important information products produced
by the Federal Government;" these are the official published versions
unless otherwise noted
Pennsylvania Code Online -- official
regulations and other documents, which have the force of law
Pennsylvania Consolidated
and Unconsolidated Statutes -- "This site provides free access to both
the consolidated and unconsolidated Purdon’s Pennsylvania Statutes and
Constitution, as compiled and maintained by the editorial staff of Thomson/West,
and made available here in an unannotated version under agreement with the
Pennsylvania Legislative Reference Bureau." The complete collection is also
available in print in the Reference Department.
Project Vote Smart -- one of the
best sites for education about the candidates and for finding out how your
representatives have been voting
United Nations -- the organization responsible
for peacekeeping world wide, as well as addressing human rights, development,
and international law issues
World Leaders --
formerly called "Chiefs of State and Cabinet Members of Foreign
Governments"; published by
the CIA
Health:
With all the health information on the web these days, who do you trust?
The following sites are some of the more dependable resources -- many of
them are federal agencies -- but they should not replace your doctor's
advice! Also check out the Subject Guide for even more
health-related resources.
ADOL: Adolescence
Directory On-Line; published by the Center for Adolescent and Family Studies at Indiana
University
American Cancer Society -- this site
includes statistical information as well as complementary and alternative
methods of treating cancer, among other subjects
Cancer.gov -- Up-to-date and accurate information from the National
Cancer Institute
FamilyDoctor.org
-- "Health information for the whole family from the American Academy of
Family Physicians;" includes alternative medicine, family doctor websites,
drug information, and a dictionary
Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) -- LASIK surgery, drug approvals, bioterrorism,... you'll find more than
you thought you would!
FDA's CDER (Center for Drug Evaluation
and Research) -- get the facts about the newest drugs, including information
labels (which list side effects and other information from the clinical trials);
be sure to check out the "Facts and Myths about Generic Drugs"
Healthfinder
-- health information from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Learn CPR: You Can Do It! --
this site shows a simplified form of CPR, including video demonstrations, for
adults, children, and even pets
Mayo Clinic -- updated
daily, with special sections on men's, children's and women's health issues,
as well as information on allergies, Alzheimer's, cancer, and other medical
problems
Medicare --
The Official US Government Site for Medicare
Men's
Health Network -- a non-profit organization made up of various health
professionals, this site provides access to a number of statistical and
research publications put out by federal and non-profit agencies, collected
by subject in the "Library"
National Women's
Health Information Center -- a service of the Office on Women's Health
in the Dept. of Health and Human Services, this site provides current and
reliable information for women and their families
RXmed:
Prescribing Information -- the same drug information you'd find in
the Physician's Desk Reference book or get from your pharmacist; also check
out the link for herbal and dietary supplements
If you're interested in local history and Schuylkill County genealogy,
go to our Genealogy
page to find out what the Pottsville Library Reference Department has
to help you with your research.
City of Pottsville
-- access the City Code from their website, find information on
parking, read the city's Comprehensive Plan, etc.
Historical Society of Schuylkill
County -- historical and genealogical resources for the entire county, the
Society has a museum that's open to the public. See site for hours and
special events.
Pottsville Fire
Dept. -- check here for brief company histories, photo and video
galleries, tips on fire prevention, and the parade schedule; note that some
pages may still be under construction
The resources available on the Internet contain
a wide variety of material from varied points of view. Access points often
change rapidly and unpredictably. The Library cannot guarantee the accuracy
and/or acceptability of the information you will find and cannot be responsible
for its content. Library Internet users are individually responsible for
the resources they access. As with all other library materials, parents
must assume responsibility for their children's use of the Internet through
the Library's connection.
Do you know of a good, informative Internet site that is not listed
here? Let us know! Send the title, description, and Internet address
to the Reference Department.
Addresses and content were checked at the time of inclusion in this
document. Due to the nature of Internet resources, however, the addresses
may have changed or the sites may have been discontinued. If you experience
any problems reaching any of these sites, please let us know so that we
can change them on or remove them from our list.