How Do I?

Internet Sites

How Do I Find Good Web Sites?

Finding good web sites requires more than just going to a search engine. Find good sites through:
- referrals from reliable sources like library databases, bibliographies from articles or blogs, or lists of links from a relevant site
- referrals from a high-quality web directory where people review sites and detail the contents, like Internet Public Library, Librarian's Internet Index, or Internet Scout Project.
- subject-specific search engines, like Scirus (science)

How Can I Find an Online Video?

Specialized search engines for video: There are several of these, most performing essentially the same function. A couple of standouts are AlltheWeb, AltaVista, Blinkx and PureVideo
- AlltheWeb and AltaVista are conventional search engines that offer powerful video search capabilities without the clutter of a typical "video" site
- Blinkx searches the widest variety of sites while presenting the selections in a format that offers users a sense of what's currently available and popular
- PureVideo searches several video channels, letting you refine your search topically in this and other ways.
Video sharing sites that can be searched. Sometimes people mistake these for search engines because they are so large, but they are in fact searching solely within their own content.
- YouTube — searches within its constantly changing shared selection, the largest online video database, although its companion site, following is close behind
- GoogleVideo — searches its constantly changing shared selection
Video archives that search within their own databases only

Internet Archive's Movie Archive — movies, old ephemeral educational and promotional videos, alternative news broadcasts,
Open Video Project: repository of documentary, educational, historical and other video
ScienceHack — Science Video search engine. All resources vetted by scientists and searchable by category.

Remember, commercial video is protected by copyright. Although there are legitimate fair use exceptions for educational purposes, choose only the smallest amount of a video necessary to use and be sure to document your sources. If you aren't sure about whether or not you can use a video legitimately, check with your instructor or the library.

How Can I Find Images?

Finding images, like video, is largely a question of using the proper tools.
Specialized image search engines:
- Imagery -- for simply finding images, any images of anything, this is arguably the best search tool — more accurate results, less repetition and it tabs your searches so it is easy to return to a previous search string
- Google Image Search — easy, familiar, and with ready access to the vast google search data and its sophisticated search tools
- Most search engines have image searchl. One of the best is Exalead, which offers some unique features related to face searching.
Image sharing sites: Flickr, PhotoBucket, Picasa. Many people who post on these sites are willing to let others use their images under a Creative Commons Copyright license that will even allow things as diverse as web publication as long as proper credit is provided. Each individual owner must be consulted regarding their own work, however.
Free image sites, or those that depend upon Creative Commons licenses or other generally broad use licensing agreements, especially for educational purposes.
- everystockphoto.com (free membership required)
- U.S. government photos and graphics index — all government produced photography is publicly owned. Contract-produced work is different. Many things in the National Archives can be freely reproduced, but not all. Just read the information accompanying it. But what is included are all of the NASA, Hubble, USGS, NOAA, US Weather Service and assorted military archive photos
- Library of Congress Flickr collection
- New York Public Library Digital Collection
- Wikipedia's Image site offers links to numerous sources of free images
Remember, published photography (including shared photo sites like Flickr) is protected by copyright. Although there are legitimate fair use exceptions for educational purposes, be sure to document your sources and limit your use strictly to the class situation. If you aren't sure about whether or not you can use a video legitimately, check with your instructor or the library.

How Can I Tell If a Web Site Is Reliable

The reliability of web sites is a function of several factors, most importantly, t
- the author and the credibility of the author(s) on the topic;
- the degree to which material is supported with evidence from sources and references to generally accepted, reliable resources;
- and a clear representation of the reason of the site's purpose and agenda.
See Evaluating Internet Sources.
Use this Web Page Evaluation Form to help assess a site's reliability.

If you have questions about this or any other library web page, contact a librarian at 443-8739 or by means of the convenient web .

Created November 19, 2008
Revised August 24, 2009