The World Wide Web Virtual Library (http://www.vlib.org/) is a highly regarded set of subject guides to Internet resources. The WWWVL: International Affairs Resources was created and is maintained by Professor Wayne A. Selcher of the Department of Political Science at Elizabethtown College. Selcher,who has more than 30 years’ experience in international studies, began the Web site in 1997, and it became the designated virtual library for international affairs in February 1999.
The page links to over 1,750 sites. The links are annotated, briefly but informatively, by Selcher. Well organized and easily navigable, the top page is arranged into categories, with each category having subheadings. Clicking on a subheading leads to a separate page with annotated links for that topic. These separate pages are effectively organized, often having search engines or directories listed at the top of the page.
The site includes a list of links for the researcher just beginning to utilize the Internet. The page links to a number of tutorials, both on the Internet and the research process, and to general directories of Web resources. Under “Virtual Libraries” are links to the top‐level WWWVL site and to other virtual libraries of interest to international affairs researchers.
The category “Media Sources” has links under the subheadings news sources, live international radio and television broadcast listings, and online international relations journals. Next is the organizations category, with subheadings for US government, nongovernmental organizations, European Union, United Nations, and other intergovernmental organizations.
The “Regions and Countries” category not only has the major world regions listed, but also pages for cross‐cultural and global issues, general resources for all countries, and resources for selected countries. Selcher has included search engines that are specific to a country, language, or region.
The last category on the top page is “Topics.” The subcategories are: international business and economics; international communications; global environment; human rights and humanitarian affairs; international development; world religions; peace, conflict resolution, and international security; international and comparative education; study and work abroad; health, international and national law; American foreign policy; general foreign languages; and sites in French, Spanish, and German.
Some of the topic pages have “see also” references to other topic pages, a sign of good organization. The links seem well chosen, suitable for academic research, and of a broad variety. For example, on the “Peace, Conflict Resolution, and International Security” page, there are links to two topic‐specific search engines as well as to associations, research centers, government sites, industry sites, and intergovernmental sites. The annotations for each site are concise but sufficiently explanatory and often link to particularly useful parts of the site being described.
The site as a whole has impressively little link rot (sites that no longer connect), so it gets good marks for currency of information. Navigation is simple. On the bottom of each sub‐page are buttons connecting the user either to the top of the page or to the home page. One simple step to improve navigation would be to make the title words “The WWW Virtual Library: International Affairs Resources,” located at the top of each page, a link to the home page. There is no such link at the top of the sub‐pages, and most of the pages are long enough that a link at the top would be an added convenience.
The site’s biggest failing is the lack of a search engine. Several search engines are currently available at no charge, so this fault can be easily remedied.
The graphics seem a bit much at times. The background of each page is a pleasant image of the world. Unusually enough for a background it does not interfere with reading the text; even so, text on a solid color is recommended. The animations are often humorous but sometimes merely a distraction.
Another suggested change is to put the links to other international affairs gateways on the home page rather than under the “Starter Tips for Internet Research” section, or perhaps linked in both places. The gateways listed are numerous and of good quality.
In sum, the WWW Virtual Library: International Affairs Resources is recommended as a quality site for academic research in international relations.
