Created in 1999, NoodleTools is the starting point for two Web‐based tools called NoodleQuest and NoodleBib. NoodleQuest is an online wizard that suggests Web resources based on information submitted by users about the type of research resources they are looking for. NoodleBib is a bibliography composer that takes information submitted via a web form and formats it into a bibliography following MLA (Modern Language Association) guidelines. It has some very useful features, including the ability to e‐mail bibliographies or save them as rich text format (RTF) documents.
The content of these two tools seems current. NoodleBib uses the 5th edition of the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers to determine formatting guidelines for a variety of material types, including books, journal articles and online resources. NoodleQuest suggests up‐to‐date resources as starting points for Internet research, which is its stated purpose. For instance, for research that is about a person and includes primary materials, NoodleQuest suggested three resources: Information Please (http://www. infoplease.com), American Memory from the US Library of Congress (http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/ ammemhome.html) and California Heritage (http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/calheritage/). While these resources may provide valid starting places, they also seem to indicate an American focus. There is an option for selecting search engines outside the USA, but for the example above at least, selecting this option did not change the resulting suggestions. It would be useful to have some documentation that described what types of resources are included in NoodleQuest and explained how to use this tool to get the best results. Documentation would greatly enhance this tool’s effectiveness.
In general, the NoodleTools Web site has a visually appealing design and relatively easy navigation. One potential flaw is that it has a dark background on the main page and on the borders of the NoodleBib tool, which can cause legibility problems. Also,in order to use NoodleBib, users must have a browser that supports cookies and javascript. The documentation notes that the tool has been tested on both Windows 95/98/NT and Macintosh computers using Netscape Navigator (version 4.0 and higher) and Internet Explorer (version 4.0 and higher). Finally, in contrast with the rest of the site, using NoodleBib is initially confusing, as the web pages seem cluttered. Through experimentation and reading the documentation, though, I found that this tool quickly got easier to navigate.
Despite a few quirks, NoodleTools provides access to two useful web tools. In particular, the unique NoodleBib would be helpful for anyone needing to create MLA‐style bibliographies. NoodleQuest would be useful in conjunction with other subject guides for locating web resources. I would recommend that librarians become familiar with both tools, especially NoodleBib.
