Last Updated: 9/24/03

Our Favorite Websites

Colleges & Financial Aid

Web Site	Description
100hot Higher Ed	Provides a look at top sites for colleges and universities from around the Internet.  Lists are genrated using Overture's search rankings for the category of colleges and universities.
College Search, Financial Aid	Provides students and young professionals around the world with resources for career- and college-related information.  Includes a career center, in-depth college search techniques and information on financial aid.
Peterson's	Connects individuals, educational institutions and corporations through books, web sites, online products and admissions services.  Provides consumers with the information they need to make informed decisions about their education or career.
College Boards Online	The College Board is a national nonprofit membership association whose mission is to prepare, inspire, and connect students to colleges.  Provides in-depth information on SATs with a focus on registration, test dates, and practice test questions.
Fin Aid	Explores all facets of financial aid.  Provides information on loans, scholarships, military aid, and tuition payment plans.  Also provides calculators for cost projections, savings plans and financial aid estimations.
National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators	NASFAA supports financial aid professionals at colleges, universitites, and career schools.  The Association represents the interests of students and financial aid administrators to the Congress, the Department of Education and other regulatory agencies.
Sallie Mae	Provides funds for educational loans, primarily federally guaranteed student loans originated under the Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP).  Also, provides consumer credit loans, including those for life-long learning and K-12 education.
Financial Aid and Scholarships	Provides links to other online resources for financial aid and scholarships.
Pennsylvania Educational Names and Addresses	EdNA can be used to find name, address, administrator, and related information about the educational entities that the Pennsylvania Department of Education serves.  These entities include school districts, intermediate units, area vocational technical schools, charter schools, nonpublic and private schools, higher education institutions and many more.
Scholastic Testing Systems: Practice Skill Lessons for the SAT	Provides programs for finding a scholarship, practicing for SAT tests, and writing college admission essays.
ACT Assessment	The ACT AssessmentÒ is designed to assess high school students' general educational development and their ability to complete college-level work.  This web site includes on-line registration, test preparation, tips for taking the test and score information.
GRE Online	Includes information in GRE General Test, Subject Tests, and Writing Assessments.  Also provides test dates, registration, preparation and scoring process.
LSAT Prep	This web site contains information regarding the LSAT Intensive Review classes.  These classes are held in forty-two cities throughout the US.  They are designed for students who want maximum score increases at a reasonable price.

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Demographics

Web Site	Description
U.S. Dept of Commerce, Bureau of the Census	The official site of the U.S. Census Bureau.  Focuses on the collection and distribution of demographic statistics.
Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2001	Contains a voluminous collection of statistics on social and economic conditions in the United States.  Selected features include: USA statistics in brief, state rankings, and a guide to state statistical abstracts.
U.S. Gazetteer	Part of the U.S. Census Bureau web site.  Can be used to identify places to view with the Tiger Map Server and obtain data from the 1990 Census Lookup Server.  Covers levels from state to zip code.
Pennsylvania State Data Center	The PaSDC is the Commonwealth's official source of demographic and economic data.  Includes population estimates, projections, and many social, housing and economic characteristics.  Click on "Data and Maps" for many statistics at various levels.
Demographic Statistics from the White House	Provides easy access to current Federal social statistics including population, household income, wealth, poverty, homeownership, housing values, and earnings by field of training.  Also provides links to information produced by a number of Federal agencies.
International Statistical Sites	This site links to the major statistical agencies for 78 countries and 4 international agencies.
Usadata.com	A web-based service that presents data on the consumer behavior and preferences of various market segments from a national, multi-market, and local market standpoint.  Primarily a subscription service, but there is free data available.

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For Kids

Web Site	Description
Yahooligans	Yahoo! for kids.  Great for K-7 students, as well as for adults looking for "simple" information.  Offers Parents' and Teachers' guides, as well.
Sports Illustrated for Kids	The online counterpart to Sports Illustrated for Kids magazine.  Aims to create a fun, safe environment for kids, filled with some of the best news, games and interactive features on the Internet.
Kids Did This! Hotlist	Sponsored by the Franklin Institute Online.  Offers a specialized directory of sites designed for and by kids.  Category headings include: Science, Art, Social Studies, Mathematics, Language Arts, School Newspapers, and Miscellaneous.
Animals, Myths and Legends	Why is the Opossums tail bare?  How did the Kangaroo get its pouch?  This site explores myths and legends of many cultures involving animals.  Designed for ages eight through thirteen.
Bill Nye, the Science Guy	Site of the popular "Science Guy" from the PBS television show.  Features home demos, questions of the week and E-cards.  Also includes episode guides and TV schedules.
Science Projects	Part of the Westlaw Campus homepage.  Offers links to sites that have great ideas for future science projects.
How Stuff Works	Online destination for anyone who wants to know how anything works.  Organizes topics into categories such as automotive, home, money, etc.  Also has a "top ten" list of favorite articles.
Your Gross and Cool Body	Find out all about the human body and the gross and cool stuff humans' bodies create, such as burps, snores, gas, and more.  Also explores the different parts of the body system.
The Great Plant Escape	Help Detective Le Plant and his partners Bud and Sprout unlock the amazing mysteries of plant life!  Offers a series of lessons about plants and how they grow.
The Young Writer's Clubhouse	Site dedicated to young authors, ages 10 and older.  Explains how to get started as a writer and gives the opportunity to enter a writing contest.
The White House for Kids	The official site of the White House...for kids!  Learn all about the President, Vice President, First Lady, and Mrs. Cheney.  Also, get a tour of the White House with Spotty, the President's dog, as your guide.

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Legal

Web Site	Description
State Law	Provides a comprehensive set of state law links in the United States.  Organized alphabetically by state.  Includes information on legislative subjects, courts, rules of court and statutes.
House of Representatives	The official site of the House of Representatives.  Includes information on the House schedule for current and prior weeks, committee schedules, and links to committee and leadership office members.  Also provides contact information for writing to your Representative.
University of Pittsburgh's Barco Law Library	Provides links to searching the Barco Law library's online catalog, taking the online library tour, and searching electronic journals and subscription databases.
PA Unified Judicial System	Site to one of the three independent branches of state government.  Includes information on the Supreme Court, Superior Court, Commonwealth, Common Pleas, and Special Courts.
Find Law	A legal Web site, providing legal resources for legal professionals, businesses, students, and individuals.  These resources include Web search utilities, cases and codes, legal news and an online career center.
Lawlink	Provides quick access to Web sites that have important legal information.  Sponsored by the American Bar Association.

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Pennsylvania

Web Site	Description
Made in PA (mfgGate.com)	An online community of thousands of Pennsylvania manufacturers who will use the site as a means to increase their corporate visibility, access resources, and share information on an international basis.
PA Driver's Manual	The Driver's Manual is in PDF format and requires Adobe Acrobat Reader to view and print.  Contents include learner's permit information, signals, signs and pavement markings information, driving record information and law information.
PALMIDS	The Pennsylvania Labor Market Information Database System (PALMIDS) contains data on a wide variety of employment, economic, career-related and education topics.  It is intended to serve the information needs of jobseekers, employers, students, workforce and development agencies, and the general public.
Three Rivers FreeNet	The Three Rivers FreeNet (TRFN) is a comprehensive web resource for the Pittsburgh and Southwestern Pennsylvania community.
PA Colleges and Universities	A web site dedicated to colleges and universities within Pennsylvania.  Includes information on the types of colleges and universities, funding, governance, establishing new degree programs, and obtaining authority for institutional operation.
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania	A web site providing information on all aspects of Pennsylvania.  Visitors fo this site can learn about business government, education, lifestyle, technology, tourism and employment in Pennsylvania.

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Reader's Advisory

Web Site	Description
Book Browser	Offers fiction reading lists, book reviews, forthcoming titles, author information and much more.  Created in order to help avid fiction readers and authors find each other.
Boys' Series Web Page	Part of the "Booklover's Den"web site.  Focuses on children series books that are popular for boys.  Provides links to descriptions of specific series.
Fiction Homepage	Part of the "San Antonio Public Library" web site.  Provides assistance in finding your next book to read.  Also contains author information, best sellers, books in series and much more.
Genrefluent	Sites involving genre reading lists (science fiction, fantasy, horror, mystery, romance) as well as links to numerous book related sites.  Formerly called "Genreflecting".
Girls' Series Web Page	Part of the "Booklover's Den" web site.  Focuses on children series' books that are popular for girls.   Provides links to descriptions of specific series.
Links to Other Children's Literature Pages	Links to everything you'd want to know about children's literature.  Includes links to history of children's literature, children's folklore and mythology, children's book awards, and much more.
Morton Grove Public Library	Home page for the NSLS 2001 Library of the Year, located in Morton Grove, Illinois.  Offers reader's services, reference, a kids' webrary and its own search engine.
Upper Level Reader's Advisory	Part of the Merrillville, Indiana's Lake County Public Library's home page. The purpose of the service is to connect the reader with the book.  Another service is to offer links to other sites of interest to the avid reader.
Reading Group Choices	Site specifically geared towards starting and successfully running book clubs.  Offers guidance in finding perfect books for discussion, discovering the newest discussable books and how to start a new book club.  Also provides advice for group leaders in running a successful book group.
Readalike Service	Part of the State Library of Tasmania's homepage.  Provides suggestions for readers who enjoy the work of a particular author and who would like to read other works written in a similar style and/or genre.
Welcome to Reader's Robot	Part of Kamloops, British Columbia's Thompson Nicola Library's homepage.  Let the Reader's Robot recommend books for you by filling out forms about your favorite books.  Also recommend books for other readers' enjoyment.
Romance-Novels.com	An associate of Amazon.com.  Focuses on more than just romance novels, including such genres as mystery, horror, inspirational, etc.  Also provides "You know that one book" bulletin board to find out the title and author of a book when you only know the plot.
Vintage Reading Group Center	Part of Random House Publishing Co.  Assists in discovering today's best selections for reading groups and accessing useful resources to facilitate your group discussion.  Provides tips, guides, and planners.
Adult and Reader's Services	Part of the Kansas City, Kansas Public Library Main Branch's homepage.  Offers links to award winners, fiction and nonfiction spotlights, Oprah readalikes, fiction news, and much more.
Children's Booklists	Part of Logan, Utah's Logan Library homepage.  Children's lists include award books, historical fiction, inspirational fiction, mysteries, regular fiction and non-fiction.
Feminist Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Utopia	Site dedicated to feminist science fiction.  Includes bibliographies and reviews, anthology indexes, information about authors, and resources for writers and fans.

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Recalls

Web Site	Description
Consumer Product Safety Commission	Official site of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).  CPSC works to save lives and keep families safe by reducing the risk of injuries and deaths associated with consumer products.  Provides information on regulations, and laws for specific products and contains lists of current and past recalls.  Includes safety tips for kids.
Consumer Reports Online Recalls	Provides a Recalls index for easy identification of recalled products.  Also offers links to government agencies announcing the latest recalls.  Lists recalls by category and has updated list of the current month's recalls.
SafetyAlerts.com	Contains information on issues concerning food contamination alerts and faulty product warnings.  Provides a free safety alert feature in which the site will provide recent comprehensive and up to date safety alerts via email.  Also, gives the opportunity for web-users to report unsafe products.

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Senior Citizens

Web Site	Description
United States Administration on Aging	A site designed to serve older Americans, care givers, professionals in the field of aging, and anyone with an interest in the nation's aging population.  Services include nutrition, transportation, legal assistance, and health promotion counseling and training.
Caregivers Support	Features care-related articles, tools, resources and service providers.  Provides valuable links to the many support services available to the chronically ill, the elderly and their caregivers.
American Association of Retired Persons	The AARP Foundation administers programs that assist older Americans.  Provides a wide variety of services including job training, tax assistance, assistance with law suits being decided by the courts and much more.
Pennsylvania Department of Health	The Department of Health's core functions include: health needs assessment, resource development, assuring access to health care, promoting health and disease prevention, assuring quality and providing leadership in the area of health planning and policy development.
Social Security Access America Network	Helps citizens obtain valuable health and security information and services at one location via the Internet.  Includes access to government sites that provide services for senior citizens, such as SSA, Health Care Financing Administration, the Administration on Aging and the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Social Security Online	The Social Security program provides economic protection for Americans of all ages.  Social Security Online has online resources that help to understand the current program and to frame the discussions of the future of Social Security.
Senior Citizens Guide to Pittsburgh	Site provides resources for older adults in the Pittsburgh and Philadelphia areas.  Includes articles that have been printed in the Senior Citizen's Guide that inform seniors about retirement and senior life.  Also provides links to resources in your area.

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Travel

Web Site	Description
Travelocity	Provides the tools and information to plan, save and make travel better.  Has access to reservations and information for airlines, hotels, car rental companies and cruise and vacation packages.
Yahoo Travel	Search through Yahoo's category selections to get in-depth information.  Find web sites about backpacking, currency exchange rates, travel writing, vacation getaways and much, much more.
U.S. State Department; Bureau of Consular Affairs	Assists the traveling public by issuing consular information sheets, travel warnings and public announcements concerning conditions in countries where Americans may be planning to visit or reside.

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