U.S. Government on the Web: Getting the Information You Need / Edition 3

by Peter Hernon, Robert E. Dugan, John A. Shuler

Overview

The definitive guide to U.S. government information on the Web has been expanded and updated with the latest information from the current administration, including material on the Department of Homeland Security, the Patriot Act, and the E-Government Act of 2002. Peter Hernon, one of the country's foremost authorities on government information, and his colleagues provide additional Web sites and offer valuable strategies for effectively accessing and using government information online.

More than a mere directory of Web sites, this authoritative work serves as a cardinal pointer through the government's labyrinthine structure and the myriad information resources available to the public, giving users a clearer understanding of U.S. government agencies and their online publications and services. An essential and regularly updated reference, this guide is a reliable roadmap to a vast and diverse field of important information.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781591580867
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	06/30/2003
Series:	U.S. Government on the Web
Edition description:	REV
Pages:	492
Product dimensions:	7.00(w) x 10.00(h) x 0.99(d)

About the Author

PETER HERNON is Professor, Graduate School of Library and Information Science, Simmons College, Boston, Editor-in-Chief of Jourbanal of Academic Librarianship, Founding Editor of Government Information Quarterly, Co-Editor of Library & Information Science Research, and an internationally acclaimed author of numerous books in the area of government information.

ROBERT E. DUGAN is Library Director, Mildred F. Sawyer Library, Suffolk University, Boston.

JOHN A. SHULER is Documents Librarian/Department Head Documents, Maps, Microforms, and Curriculum Department University Library, University of Illinois, Chicago.

Table of Contents

List of Figures
Preface
Government Information and Its Importance
Government Structure and Types of Information Sources
Search Engines: Negotiating the Information Maze
Legislative Branch
Executive Branch
Independent Establishments and Quasi-Government Agencies
Judiciary Branch
Statistics
Web Portals and Electronic Reference Desks
Government Web-Based Services
Maps, Cartography, and Geographic Information Sciences and Systems
Selected Subjects
Web Pages for Kids
E-Gov Comes to the Federal Government
Web Browser Hardware and Software
Appendix A: Examples of E-Government Retail
Appendix B: Other Useful Web Sites
Appendix C: Selective Subject List of U.S. Government Web Sites
Index
About the Authors

Editorial Reviews

This book identifies quick and useful paths to inexpensive and reliable information for students and teachers. The use of blue for URLs and section headings improves the appearance of this new edition and makes it very user-friendly. It includes the Bush administration and the 107th Congress, a detailed analysis of policies regarding e-government, expanded coverage of the Freedom of Information Act and examples of Web sites devoted to it, and statistics on specific topics. The question about why a print source is needed to navigate the Web is answered with methods for conducting a search that will have the best chance for locating information to meet a specific need. The author reminds us that we may miss valuable content by not differentiating between a report and a hearing. "Search Engines: Negotiating the Information Maze" presents the "why" of using government sources as well as a discussion of general search engines and Internet portals. "Web Pages for the Nation's Youth" will be of special interest. This broad heading includes aeronautics, alcohol and drugs, art, coping with natural disasters, energy and the environment, maps, geography and earth sciences, museums, social studies, transportation, and wildlife in captivity. The book concludes with an overview of Web-browser hardware and software.-Mary Lankford, Texas Education Agency, Austin Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

School Library Journal

A guide to finding information through some 1,400 federal government Web sites. Overviews US government agencies and their online publications, and gives background material on branches of government and the information they disseminate, along with descriptions of Web sites. A substantial chapter is devoted to government sites aimed at youth, parents, and educators. This second edition is updated with the latest information from the new administration and the 107th Congress, and features a detailed analysis of information policies governing e- government, expanded coverage of the Freedom of Information Act, and directions to sites that provide subject-specific statistics. Hernon teaches at the Graduate School of Library and Information Science, Simmons College. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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