Margaret K. Berkland is the Information Resources Technology Specialist for McKenna & Cuneo. Margaret has designed and maintains the firm’s internal library homepage of Internet links. She also is a member of the firm subcommittee which guided the firm through the decision process of contracting out the design and publication of a firm website (http://www.
mckennacuneo.com). Margaret manages the links and link annotations for this website. Prior to taking her current position, she spent eleven years as a law firm library manager.

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Having difficulty formulating a search on the Internet? Have a patron who is unfamiliar with Internet search engines and search strategies? Here is a internet tool that may help!

Search Wizard is not a search tool, but instead it is a search preparation tool. Search assists users in formulating specific queries and then allows them to send them to any of eight search engines to perform the searches. Newcomers to Search Wizard can have the tool guide them through the use of the tool. First you input a query, check the box for the guided tour and then submit your search. Next you are given a list pertinent categories from which to select. Once you have clicked on those of interest to you, submit the selections. Then you are given a list of associated terms from which to choose. Select those you wish to use and then launch your search. Now you are presented with the eight search engines you may use for your query. The search engines included are AltaVista, Excite, InfoSeek, Lycos, Magellen, OpenText Index, Webcrawler, and Yahoo. Last, submit your search to the selected search engine(s) and the results will be returned to you for viewing.

The tool is not perfect, but it does offer some assistance to those lost in the world of Internet searching.

PC Computing October 1996 Issue
http://www.zdnet.com/pccomp/features/fea1096/sub2.html

Need help with the various techniques of the Internet search engines? Need a handy Internet search engine guide for your patrons? The answer may be in the October 1996 issue of PC Computing which is available in full text at the URL above. The article entitled “The Search is Over,” by Adam Page provides search tips for using AltaVista, Excite, HotBot, Infoseek Guide, Lycos, Open Text Index, and Yahoo. These search engines are rated excellent, good, acceptable, poor, or unacceptable in the comparison table at the end of the article.

FLITE
http://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/supct.table.html

If you have not heard, FLITE, the U.S. Air Force file of 7,407 Supreme Court decisions is now available in ASCII text at the Cornell University site. These are selected historic U.S. Supreme Court decisions from 1937 through 1975 covering volumes 300-422 of U.S. Reports. The decisions may be searched by case name or keyword.

Internet Sleuth
http://www.isleuth.com

Looking for another search engine to try? Look no further. Internet Sleuth is a meta search engine that indexes 1,500 searchable databases. You can search ten databases at one time. It provides good one word searches.

Berkeley Public Library
http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/bpl/bkmk/

Hail to librarians once again! This site was created by the librarians at Berkeley Public Library. It is an index of web sites that is updated weekly. Web searching tips and information are included. The index is arranged by subject. Each indexed site has a brief description.

Computer Security Resource Clearinghouse
http://cs-www.ncsl.nist.gov:80

Does your Information Systems department need assistance locating useful information available on the Internet in their field of expertise? Here is a site that may provide them with a wealth of information. This site focuses on crisis response information in the computer field, information on computer security-related threats, vulnerabilities, and solutions. It strives to be a general index to computer security information on general risks, privacy, legal issues, viruses, assurance, policy, and training.

Supporthelp
http://www.supporthelp.com

Are you or your IS department unable to locate that 800 number you know your vendor has? Supporthelp may be the answer. This site provides an index and links to 2,300+ software and hardware vendor help desks on a searchable database. URL’s, telephone numbers, departmental contact names, e-mail addresses, phone numbers, and addresses are provided. Links to UseNet News groups are also provided.

Forbes Four Hundred
http://www.forbes.com/Richlist/richquer.htm

Looking for the richest people in America? Let Forbes Four Hundred help! This site makes the Forbes Magazine annual 400 Richest People in America list available on the World Wide Web. You can view the list by individual’s worth or name. The list can also be searched by net worth, home state, age, industry, and marital status.

Zip2 Main Search
http://www.zip2.com/

Need driving directions? Try Zip2 Main Search. This database can provide you with point to point driving directions in any metropolitan area. Sixteen million business in the U.S. are listed. You can search by city or date; area defined on a may; or distance from any location. You can request a map of written directions with mileage as well.

U.S. Presidents List
http://www.fujisan.demon.co.uk/USPresidents/preslist.htm

This site provides a wealth of information about Presidents and Vice-presidents. Included are their terms in office and cabinets. The user can sort them into lists by party, electoral and popular vote, date of birth, college, religion, number of children and many more.