Pennsylvania Center for the Book: Pennsylvania Book World - a list of bookstores throughout Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania Center for the Book is a Library of Congress approved site (there are 41 other state centers) dedicated to books, libraries, reading and literacy.

 Websites:

• Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America - features an introduction to book collecting, FAQ, and a glossary of book terms.

• Littera Scripta - offers advice on how to appraise books and identify first editions.

• Rare Books on the Web - features information on rare books, including sections on book dealers, the history of the book and book collecting terms.

 Search engines:

• AddAll - allows you to search for new, old, rare and used items such as books, autographs, old magazines and posters.

• Advanced Book Exchange - lets you look for books to buy from about 3,500 booksellers all over the world.

• Alibris - lets you look for a book and features a FAQ and book term section.

Back to top

Business:

• Thomson Register Online - the most comprehensive resource for industrial information. Go straight to the source of product, company information, CAD drawings and more.

• Associations on the Net - a collection of more than 1900 websites that provide information on a variety of professional and trade organizations, cultural and art organizations, political parties and advocacy groups, labor unions, academic societies, and research institutions.

• 10K Wizard - search this site for a company's SEC reports (1994-current) by ticker symbol, company name, keyword or phrase.

• Bank Rate Monitor - is a source for up-to-date information on rates for mortgages, home equity and auto loans, credit cards, savings and ATM fees.

• Consumer Price Indexes - provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor, this site gives monthly data on changes in the prices paid by urban consumers for a representative basket of goods and services. It also includes an inflation calculator.

• Economic Indicators - sponsored by the U.S. Congress, this site provides tables of statistics on the U.S. economy.

• Morningstar - provides a 1-5 star rating for selected mutual funds, charts their performance, provides details of a fund's portfolio with specific investments, etc.

• U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission - allows you to download information the SEC requires from public companies for free. The SEC requires all public companies (except foreign companies and companies with less than $10 million in assets and 500 shareholders) to file registration statements, periodic reports, and other forms electronically through EDGAR. Here you'll find links to a complete list of filings available through EDGAR and instructions for searching the EDGAR database.

• NASDAQ - releases 15-minutes time-delayed NASDAQ stock quotes, a 3-60 month chart that tracks a stock's performance, a link from each stock to its 10Ks, etc.

• Standard & Poor's - details the performance of its indexes and has brief descriptions of all the companies with each index.

Back to top

College:

• FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid)

• PHEAA (Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency)

• TAP (Pennsylvania Tuition Account Program)

• The College Board

• Students.gov - Connects students with U.S. government services and information, including information on careers, planning an education, and paying for college.

• Colleges, College Scholarships, and Financial Aid Page - wealth of information (including contact information) about Pennsylvania colleges, universities and scholarships.

• Occupational Outlook Handbook - allows you to research a profession to find out such things as: educational requirements, salary ranges, job duties.

• Online Degrees, Financial Aid, and Scholarships - Looking for information on online degrees? Find that and more on this website.

Back to top

Consumer:

• Consumer Reports

• U.S. Consumer Gateway is your resource for consumer information from the federal government.

• Pennsylvania Utility Choice - "Consumers can learn how to shop; calculate potential savings online; receive answers to frequently asked questions; get pricing information; and learn about the basic consumer protections."

• Kelley Blue Book - The trusted resource for old and new car values.

Back to top

Educational Links:

• Schmoop - wants to make you a better lover (of literature, history, poetry and writing). See many sides to the argument. Find your writing groove. Understand how lit and history are relevant today. We want to show your brain a good time. (description from website)

• How Stuff Works - want to know how something works?  Visit this website for explanations on just about anything.

Back to top

Emergency Management:

• Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) - find disaster updates, disaster and emergency preparedness guides, contact information, etc.

• Office of Homeland Security - features news and releases about terrorism, homeland security, etc.

• American Red Cross - find services, preparedness guides, contact info, information on donating blood, etc.

• Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) - find services, contact info, news and updates on disaster and emergency situations, etc.

Back to top

Family:

• Child & Family WebGuide (Tufts University) - describes trustworthy websites on topics of interest to parents and professionals; and is broken down into five categories: family/parenting, education/learning, typical child development, health/mental health, and resources/recreation.

Back to top

Finances & Credit:

• Annual Credit Report - this site allows you to request a free credit file disclosure once every 12 months from each of the nationwide consumer credit reporting companies: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion.

• Bank of America: Financial education and tools - "Advice and instant calculators to help you make intelligent decisions about savings, debt repayment, loans, retirement, etc."

• Bankrate.com - gives rates for mortgages, auto loans, and home equity loans, as well as tips for finding best rates on credit cards, checking accounts and more.

• Choosing and Using Credit Card - is an online brochure from the Federal Trade Commission that explains credit card terms, how your balance is computed, and how to shop for the best card.  Need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view this file.

• Financial Facts Tool Kit - Here you'll find a vast array of information to help you begin planning for a secure financial future. You don't have to be an expert to make money add up for you. You just need to know how to get started.

• Practical Money Skills for Life - a free Web site designed to help individuals learn money management at school, at home and at work.

Back to top

Fun Sites:

• Internet Movie Database - lists information on movies.

• Jump the Shark - lets you find out when your favorite TV show started to go downhill like Happy Days did when Fonzie jumped the shark pit on his motorcycle.

• Yahoo! Games - a variety of games that can be played online.

• Ligonier Valley Library's Pennsylvania Room Page - information about the Genealogy Forum, Pennsylvania Room resources, and Genealogy links.

• Genealogy Forum Web Page

• Heritage Quest - Database that lets you search in a variety of ways for genealogical information.  Such as, search the US Federal Census Records from 1790-1930, access to some 20,000 local and family histories, search using PERSI, and more.  This site can only be accessed by using one of the internet computers in the library.

  • In-Library Heritage Quest Link - to be used inside the library

  • Home Computer Heritage Quest Link - to be used outside the library

Back to top

Geography

• About.com: Geography - features annotated links to geography sources.

• Atlapedia Online - contains full color maps as well as facts and statistics on countries of the world.

• The Columbia Gazetteer of North America - covers every incorporated place and county in the United States.

• Library of Congress Country Studies - gives detailed information on a country's geography, society, economy, transportation, communications, government, politics, and history.

Back to top

Government (Local, State, and Federal)

 Local

• Westmoreland County Government - lets you search for any agency or service, view elections results, etc.

• Monessen Public Libraries Government Information Page - link to various government related links from the District Center Library.

• Representative Mike Reese

• Senator Don White's Page

 State

• The Pennsylvania Manual - Comprehensive guide to Pennsylvania's government. It includes Pennsylvania history, the constitution and elections. It profiles the executive, judicial and legislative branches including information on the powers, functions and duties of those offices. It is a valuable reference for schools, libraries and the general public.

• PA.gov - Access to everything Pennsylvania residents need to live, work, play and learn in the Keystone State.

• The Pennsylvania Department of Revenue - Links to forms and publications for State taxes.

• Pennsylvania General Assembly - Offers a variety of information to help you locate your local Legislator, look up session information, also provides links to learn more about Pennsylvania, both the state and government.

• Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code - This website provides municipalities with an easy-to-use PowerPoint presentation from the Municipalities Planning Code Made Easy workshop.

 National

• FirstGov - the first-ever government website to provide the public with easy, one-stop access to all online U.S. Federal Government resources.

• The White House Page

• U.S. House of Representatives

• U.S. Senate

• U.S. Supreme Court

• The Federal Bureau of Investigation - includes the FBI's 10 most wanted list, uniform crime reports, FBI for Kids, and Gotcha, which tells of the FBI's latest apprehensions.

• Project Vote Smart - allows you to type in your zip code to find your candidates and elected officials.

• GPO Access (Government Printing Office) - your link to all publications printed by the United States Government.

• NASA and NASA for Kids

• Internal Revenue Service - includes federal tax forms, etc.

• THOMAS--Legislative Information on the Internet - lets you search public laws by law number, read committee reports and the texts of bills, see the roll call votes of house and senate members, and read bill summaries and check on their status.

• U.S. Census Bureau - Fast Facts for Congress - This site provides highlights from Census Bureau sources of economic and demographic data for the U.S., states, counties, and congressional districts of the 108th Congress.

• U.S. Census Bureau - includes the latest summary file on the 2000 census and gives statistics on people and business, etc.

• POTUS: Presidents of the United States - lists information on all the presidents, including election results, cabinet members, and notable events.

Back to top

Health:

• Health Science Library System's Consumer Health Information website - Health information for the Consumer, University of Pittsburgh.

• MEDLINEplus - a service of the National Library of Medicine/National Institutes of Health, this site offers dictionaries, drug information, directories with locations and credentials of doctors, dentists and hospitals, and other resources.

• PubMed - a service of the National Library of Medicine, provides access to over 11 million citations from MEDLINE and additional life science journals. PubMed includes links to many sites providing full text articles and other related resources.

• Healthfinder.gov - good source for reliable health information brought to you by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.

Back to top

Job Search & Aid:

• Here To Help - This site offers great links and resources to help Pennsylvanian's on everything from meeting basic needs for food and shelter to upgrading professional skills to find a new job in a high-demand industry.

• PA Career Link - links business and individual's to Pennsylvania's workforce.

• Indeed - One search, all jobs. Search job sites, newspapers, associations and company career pages.

• Pennsylvania Workforce Development - will help you easily find the resources you need to work and do business in Pennsylvania.

Back to top

Law:

• Westmoreland County Government

• Westmoreland Bar Association

• PaLawHelp.org - a guide to legal information and free civil legal services for low-income persons and seniors in Pennsylvania.

• PA Unified Judicial System - a searchable database of Pennsylvania Appellate Cases (Supreme Court: Nov. 1996 to present, Superior Court: December 1997 to present, Commonwealth Court: January 1997 to present).

• Pennsylvania House and Senate Bills: Pennsylvania General Assembly - provides House and Senate bills from 1991 to present that are arranged by topic, number and keyword.

• Pennsylvania Code: Legislative Reference Bureau - provides up-to-date, full-text searching of Pennsylvania Regulations.

• Pennsylvania Bulletin: Legislative Reference Bureau - derived directly from the official publication. Full-text is available from 1996 on.

• Lawyer Directories:

  • Attorney directory from Martindale

• Legal Dictionary

  Back to top