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General Reference Sites

AllExperts.com
A free Q&A site that links you to volunteer experts in a variety of categories.

AnyWho Directories
Use AnyWho to find phone numbers, addresses, maps, and directions for businesses and people in the U.S.

Association Central
Provides information about anything related to associations.

Bartleby.com
The most comprehensive reference publisher on the web meets the needs of students, educators, and the intellectually curious. You can search several reference works free of charge.

CensusScope
A tool presented by the Social Science Data Analysis Network (SSDAN) at the University of Michigan, CensusScope provides census data for states, counties, and metropolitan areas, represented by charts, maps, and rankings.

DeskRef
A good ready reference site at which you can type in a question or choose from several different reference categories.

Get the Skinny
This site was created as a Web development "hobby" project using Census 2000 data obtained from the Census website. It gives a nice snapshot of a geographic area, with many demographics included. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information, errors and omissions can occur, and visitors are encouraged to use the actual Census site instead of this one for any serious research.

Handspeak
The largest, visual language dictionary online. One of its aims is to introduce parents, prospective sign language students, and others to sign language.

InfoPlease
An online almanac and reference database.

International White and Yellow Pages
International inquiry for names, addresses, telephones, and faxes.

Internet Public Library
The first public library on the Internet. Its mission includes to "serve the public by finding, evaluating, selecting, organizing, describing, and creating quality information resources."

IPL Ready Reference Collection
An annotated collection from the Internet Public Library, chosen to help answer specific questions quickly and efficiently.

Knowledge Hound
The Web's biggest directory of free do-it-yourself tips and tutorials, from sports to cooking to computers and much, much more.

Librarians' Index to the Internet
A searchable, annotated subject directory of more than 6,500 Internet resources selected and evaluated by librarians for their usefulness to users of public libraries. It's meant to be used by both librarians and non-librarians as a reliable and efficient guide to described and evaluated Internet resources.

Library Spot
A portal to the best library and reference resources on the Web.

Merriam-Webster Dictionary
In this online language center, you can look up words in the dictionary or the thesaurus and also play some word games.

RefDesk
A virtual reference desk with well-organized links to an amazing number of sites.

Research It!
An online toolbox providing access to language, library, geographic, financial, shipping and mailing, and internet tools.

Reverse Phone Directory
Search by phone number in any of three directories provided.

St. Joseph County Public Library Hot List
A well-organized page of links to librarian-approved web sites.

Switchboard
A popular easy-to-use site for finding people, businesses, products, maps, and directions.

Zip Code Lookup
USPS site for looking up ZIP+4 codes.