WWW Foreign Language Resources on the Web (http://www.itp.berkeley.edu/∼thorne/HumanResources.html) promotes itself as a starting point to the best links relating to foreign languages. However, the introduction makes it clear that this list is not complete by any means. Nevertheless, it is very detailed and includes numerous links to the most common as well as the most remote languages, spoken and written. It covers the major European, Asian, and Middle Eastern languages, and Russian. It also includes dead languages (e.g., Latin, Middle English) and the most obscure languages and dialects (e.g., Swahili, Tagalog, Yiddish). Indeed, it is a language lover’s haven, and a super resource for academic libraries. This online reference tool is basic in format, with a light blue background and dark blue type for each of the links. It is well organized and easy to read, with bold headings for each language or group of languages. The practical format allows for easier and faster navigation. For the links that contain many graphics, the speed of transmission is somewhat slower but not so much that it impedes navigation.
Here are some of the links I found to be of interest:
Chinese Language Related Information Page (http://www.webcom.com/∼bamboo/chinese/chinese.html) contains links to the study of the Chinese language, sources of Chinese text files, and Chinese language radio broadcasts among others. I looked at their “Featured site” on Chinese character genealogy (http://zhongwen.com/). The site contains a very interesting look at individual Chinese characters and explains the background of their meanings. The characters are organized in a grid form, with one character to a box in the grid. The entire grid fits on one page. Therefore, there is no need to scroll down or across the page. The major drawback is that the individual characters are so small that they are next to impossible to decipher. Once you click on a character, however, the character is enlarged and its whole history appears.
Another link I found useful is Resources for East Asiatic Librarianship (http://www.webcom.com/bamboo/chinese/library.html). This page contains information dealing “with the issues of managing and providing access to collections of documents written in East Asian writing systems, especially CJK [Chinese, Japanese, Korean] ... documents.” This is an excellent resource for librarians specializing in Asian language cataloging and classification and a very good link to include on the Chinese Language Related Information Page, since it provides a pathway to information concerning other East Asian languages.
The web site for the WebMuseum of Paris (http://sunsite.unc.edu/wm/) claims to service more than 200,000 visitors per week and deliver more than 10 million documents. This site welcomes the visitor with its soft colors and graphics, which add to the page rather than detract . It is organized into four sections: (1) introduction, (2) special exhibitions, (3) general exhibitions, and (4) other resources. At the end of the page is a listing of links to other art related sites. They cover sites originating from all the major continents, including Australia.
The number of paintings one can access is very impressive; and the images themselves are of excellent quality. The special exhibition of Cezanne’s works alone includes 100 of his masterpieces. The works are arranged alphabetically by artist. I was impressed to find lesser known artists such as Jean Clouet included in the company of Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci.
The WWW Servers in Deutschland web site (http://www.entry.de/german/fentry.html), under the direction of the Center for Information Services, allows one to search for information on Germany by city, federal state, zip code, or topic. The home page is divided into two columns, a left bar and a right main screen. The left bar consists of city names that one can go to directly. There is also a link to the map of Germany which is very colorful, yet clear, with major cities indicated on it. The transmission takes about 30 seconds, which is excellent for a color map. The only problem I had with it was that it did not fit on the entire screen at one time. The number of servers one can access from this site is enormous. It is impossible to estimate how many there are. My search of the city of Munich alone resulted in more than 100 links to related web sites.
The Middle English Labyrinth Library Middle English Bookcase Homepage (http://www.georgetown.edu/labyrinth/library/me/me.html) was created by the University of Virginia E‐Text Center. It includes links to works of the major authors of this time period (i.e., Chaucer, Dunbar, Langland) as well as links to works written anonymously (e.g. Everyman, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight). It also includes a link to the anthology Medieval English Literature: 1350‐1485 (http://www.luminarium.org/medlit/). It includes works of Julian of Norwich, Margery Kempe, and Sir Thomas Malory, among others. This site is much more elaborate than the home page. However, it is harder to read because of the black background. The search engine is fairly simple and effective, as it provides for searches by word or phrase with three limiting factors: text, author, and date range. I found it interesting that there are two versions of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales readily accessible, in both Middle and Modern English.
The City Net Regions of the World home page (http://www.city.net/) provides a wealth of information pertaining to all regions of the world, from the most powerful nations (i.e., United States, European countries) to the remotest ends of the earth (i.e., Antarctic, Arctic peninsulas). Each City Net page covers travel, weather, culture, government, the press, and sports.
The “City Net: Spain” site is typical of most City Net pages. There, I found of interest the role of the Spanish language during different time periods. I was also able to access information about Spain’s historical monuments as well as the present state of Spanish politics.
The “City Net: South Africa” page has a link to the African National Congress. From here, one can access important documents of this political organization, and even write to President Mandela. On the sites for the Arctic and Antarctic peninsulas, I found accounts of the explorations of these areas as well as information on the natural resources found there. Despite the amount of information on the City Net site, it is well organized and easy to read.
The WWW Foreign Language Resources on the Web definitely lives up to its claim as being a “‘quality‐only’ index.” It is a valuable resource especially for foreign language professors and academic librarians; but it is equally useful to the general public. The sites are updated frequently and easy to navigate. The search engines are generally simple and easy to use, except for a few which are confusing. I encountered a few dead ends, but hardly enough to impede enjoyment or utility of this site. I highly recommend this site.
